Croft booked a BSB round after accepting the Classic Club booking, and had to move s as there's a licensing restriction on how often they can run meetings with 105dB noise limits - not every weekend!
So we were stuck with only a week between meetings. Luckily all had gone well at Lydden, and after much thought I didn't change the gearing, leaving it the same as for Cadwell. Small possibility I'd have to raise it after practice, but my first race was not till after lunch so that would be no problem.
Preparation was therefore just an oil change and valve clearance check, no adjustment required, and a general going over.
Started out from home about 1pm on the Friday as I had to go via Clitheroe to collect a PC I'd bought for my daughter on eBay a couple of weeks before, and arrived at the circuit by about 8.30 in time to get the awning set up before dark and have a bite to eat with Graham (Carter, 350 Duke) and Dave who were pitched next door
Up early to a bright crisp day, and get the signing on and scrutineering done, and wait for practice to be called.
Get the call, start, and off to the collecting area to let it warm up fully. Then out we go.
Croft was my first meeting in 2002, so It's my third time there. Seems almost familiar, and a year more experience means I'm looking at the corners a bit differently. I follow a group at middling pace for a lap then start to go a bit quicker to check the gearing.
Seems OK, but there's a slight faltering down the back straight. I proceed with a little trepidation with my fingers over the clutch lever. Feels rather like what happened at Pembrey where the piston touched one of the plugs and closed the gap up enough to cause it to misfire - a misfire on one plug just retards the timing so it hesitates slightly rather than missing.
Most of the way round on the third lap, I change down for the Complex, and it dies with a slight rattle.
Hand up and coast to the pits and push it back to the caravan
Bother, or words to that effect
Clearly mechanical, and probably the cam not turning as or when it should....
Head off. Valves have been hitting the piston. So time to strip the head as the woodruff key holding the pinion to the cam has been known to shear and allow the timing to slip, but all is well there. Check the valve sealing with some petrol in the head, and both are leaking as one would expect.
Next, open up the timing chest on the bottom end. It's a little reluctant and requires some persuasion with a rubber mallet, and when it comes free the problem is obvious - bits of metal all over the place and the bevel gear on the crankshaft that drives the valve train is thoroughly mashed.
Time to go home, as even if I had the parts, the crankcase has to be split to change the knackered gears, and I need clean conditions and an airline to get all the swarf out of the motor
So I load up, watch a couple of races and then head 240 miles home in time for a take away with the family and I get to mow the lawn and break the lawnmower on Sunday
Hoping parts arrive from Road and Race in Oz in time to get it fixed for Snetterton