The weekend was always going to be fraught. I'd told the girls that I was racing at Brands, but they went ahead and picked the Saturday for their combined 18th and 21st parties.
Entry was already in. I couldn't just cancel the Sat because not knowing schedule of events I couldn't say in advance which races I could make. Well OK, I could have cancelled, but I didn't.
Paperwork arrived a week before and showed the 250s in races 10 and 23 on both days - after lunch. So no racing on Sat, just sign on scrute and practice, and a lie-in on Sun before driving back down to Brands for lunch time. Easy. And postpone some of the tidying up too.
Prepped the bike - only serious issue was the bush in the cover that fits over the end of the crank for the oil feed had worked loose. Loctite 603 bearing fit, designed to work on oil contaminated surfaces. And I'd left out a washer under the second plug which had caused a bit of marking on the piston. Seemed to be the likely cause of the slight misfire I've had at high RPM.
Took Friday off to put up a marquee, fetch glasses, cups, plates, tables, chairs etc. and be general mule and dogsbody for the party, then off down to Brands with the bike in the caravan. All dark and quite when i got there about 11.30, and not a lot of choice for space in the paddock. Found a slot way down the bottom and set up. Smell of drains. Didn't know there was a sewage works nearby. Oh well.
Sleep soundly and wake early. Smell of drains is from a drain underneath the caravan. Cover with wood and smell goes away. Sign on and discover I have pole for the first race...... but I really can't do it. Must go home now as I have to orchestrate pig roasts and booze etc. Console myself by thinking that on pole it can only get worse.
Scrute and practice. Under-geared with 16/45. Resolve to go to 17/46 for Sunday. Still slight miss at 9.5k ish and up.
Home. Carve pig for 160. Drink Pimms and Loddon brewery's Hullabaloo. Embarrass Harriet, daughter no 2, by dancing with zeal. Reach bed by 3.
Up at 9, feed H's horse as she's gone to France with a friend for the week to avoid clearing up.
Brands by 12, change sprockets.
35th on the rather full grid. Sitting there miles back from the front, watching the flag and the crest of the hill that leads off to paddock bend.
Many say Brands is "technical", "difficult" or
"demanding". I think it's bloody terrifying. Paddock that
is. Fast right hander at the end of the s/f straight, but you CAN'T SEE
IT! It just disappears beyond a blind crest and you have to go in damn
quick and hope nobody's moved it. Because of the hill it seems the camber
is reversed as well, but I may be imagining that as well as the magnetic
attractors in the gravel in the run off area.
Flag falls and as usual the little Duke, with it's standard box and low first gear, picks up and sprints off taking at least 10 places by Paddock (20th over the s/f beacon according to mylpas.com), but it's all a blur. I take one coming down the hill, another braking for Druids and catch a cluster at Graham Hill bend. Take one coming out and another on the inside round Surtees. Pass Jason Reilly on his B25 round Druids (thanks to Russell Lee for the action picture) and I'm 15th
Dicing with Jason for several laps - I'm faster round Clarke curve but he gets me back at Druids or Graham Hill, then we catch up with Graham Rogers and we both get past, but I can't make it stick.
Finish 14th with a quickest lap of 1.04.28
Still missing at the end of the straight. Disconnect the rev limiter
Another good start and mylaps says I'm in 11th over the line. Catch up with Chris Maggs about half a lap in, and have huge fun staying with him. Missfire was the rev limiter, as it's now revving cleanly to 9.5, 9.6 at the end of the straight, so gearing is right too.
I'm plotting how to pass Maggs. I'm faster round Clarke curve, so with a couple of laps to go I need to get a bit closer. 2nd last lap I'm closing a tad as we go into Surtees, and it all stops. Just as if the ign was turned off. So it must be fuel
Pull off and watch, then van back to the pits.
Look down the carb and the slide hasn't shut. Try the throttle, slide moves OK, but the needle doesn't!! Damned circlip has come off the needle! Bother
Quickest lap 1.01.93 Into the 1.01s!
Roll on Pembrey