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Killalane was the venue for this weekends roadracing. All was good in the
was entered on my trusty 400 Honda. I loaded up on Friday night and was
ready to go nice and early Saturday morning. We only live half an hour from
the track. I was woken up early by my little boy Seamus, but he had a
problem. He could not open his eyes due to swelling and bruising from a
head wound. I had to take him to hospital, so my van sat in the hospital
carpark loaded with all my gear all day saturday. No racing for me.......
But Alan was there,so here is his report.......The last round of the road
racing series in Ireland, Killalane is usually good fun as long as the weather
holds out. And it did just about. I went down to Killalane on the saturday
morning having loaded the 1000 and the 600 the night before. I would have
went on Friday night but it was lashing rain and I didn't want to be setting up
camp in the rain if I didn't have to. Saturday morning was dry but the
paddock was a bit muddy. Plenty of people were getting stuck in there vans
and trucks, but I've become a bit of an expert now at driving the big van
through slippy muddy fields so I got in ok. Scrutiny was already started when
I arrived so by the time I was ready the queue was nearly gone. Sometimes
being late works out, sometimes not... Got the bikes through scrutiny and
back to the van. I had to guess the gearing on both bikes as I lost the info
on Killalane from last year. My educated guess was ok but I need to get
better at qualifying. We dont get a lot of practise time so you need to be on
the pace straight away, which I wasn't. Strangely enough though I was
further up the grid for the 600 race than for the 1000. I think having no time
on the bikes from the Ulster GP to Killalane (4 weeks) was not a help. As
well as that I think I did about 5 laps in the wet at the UGP, so really I had no
time on the 1000 since Kells in July, almost 7 weeks before. Anyway, its no
excuse for the slack qualifying!
We had a free 600 race after practice on the Saturday evening, thanks to
the sponsors Des Darcy Motors. Its nice to get a little bonus at the last
meeting of the year. I made a few mistakes in the race and finished 20th
overall, but it was good fun anyway.
Sunday came and we were out in the first race for the Open class. It started
at about 10.30 in the morning and there is always a lot of delays before the
the road and out of the way. Sometimes the warmup lap can be like
dodgems swerving around the odd idiot that is still wandering along the
road. Anyway, I started at the front of the 3rd group of riders, but as it was
early in the morning for me, I fluffed the start and got passed by about 6
riders. Some of them held me up for a while and then I started to make some
mistakes overshooting at the road-ends and losing the places I had gained.
I ended up in 20th place again but felt I should have done better. I had an
intermediate tyre on and it overheated so I couldn't use all the power out of
the corners onto the straights. A decision that backfired really.
The organisers had changed the programme and put all the big races on
early because the weather forecast was for heavy rain in the afternoon, so I
was back out again in race 3 on the 600. This didn't really go to plan as I
overshot the runway and the end of the main straight near the end of the
race and lost a lot of places ending up 25th overall, not so good really, but
at least I finished.
At about 12.30 they called the riders for the Grand Final, which is usually at
about 3pm or 4pm. So out I went for what was for me the last big race of the
year, in Ireland anyway. I was determined to make up for the poor showing
earlier in the day and I got the start right this time, getting away first in the
group. Killalane is a hard track to pass on and there are some sections
where a 600 can be faster than a 1000, but with a clear road in front of me I
braked as late as I dared for the first corner and got out of it first and away. I
had changed the rear tyre to a slick and the difference showed. 2 seconds a
lap faster than the earlier Open race and a lot more fun. I ended up 17th
overall in a race that was a very hot pace, and finnaly happy with my lot for
the day.
At this level there are no room for mistakes as everybody is fast. Killalane s
a fun track and seems to bring out the best in most of the championship
regulars so the competition was tough to say the least. But its always a real
treat on the slowing down lap of the Grand Final when there seems to be a
marshalls flag or a programme waving at you from every inch of the circuit.
I'd like to thank all those dedicated people who make the racing possible by
marshalling or being an official of any sort. We argue with them sometimes,
and yes we do see you waving on the ditches, at least on the slowing down
lap anyway!! Thanks lads.
Now we're off to Froburg.....
All the best,
Alan.
was entered on my trusty 400 Honda. I loaded up on Friday night and was
ready to go nice and early Saturday morning. We only live half an hour from
the track. I was woken up early by my little boy Seamus, but he had a
problem. He could not open his eyes due to swelling and bruising from a
head wound. I had to take him to hospital, so my van sat in the hospital
carpark loaded with all my gear all day saturday. No racing for me.......
But Alan was there,so here is his report.......The last round of the road
racing series in Ireland, Killalane is usually good fun as long as the weather
holds out. And it did just about. I went down to Killalane on the saturday
morning having loaded the 1000 and the 600 the night before. I would have
went on Friday night but it was lashing rain and I didn't want to be setting up
camp in the rain if I didn't have to. Saturday morning was dry but the
paddock was a bit muddy. Plenty of people were getting stuck in there vans
and trucks, but I've become a bit of an expert now at driving the big van
through slippy muddy fields so I got in ok. Scrutiny was already started when
I arrived so by the time I was ready the queue was nearly gone. Sometimes
being late works out, sometimes not... Got the bikes through scrutiny and
back to the van. I had to guess the gearing on both bikes as I lost the info
on Killalane from last year. My educated guess was ok but I need to get
better at qualifying. We dont get a lot of practise time so you need to be on
the pace straight away, which I wasn't. Strangely enough though I was
further up the grid for the 600 race than for the 1000. I think having no time
on the bikes from the Ulster GP to Killalane (4 weeks) was not a help. As
well as that I think I did about 5 laps in the wet at the UGP, so really I had no
time on the 1000 since Kells in July, almost 7 weeks before. Anyway, its no
excuse for the slack qualifying!
We had a free 600 race after practice on the Saturday evening, thanks to
the sponsors Des Darcy Motors. Its nice to get a little bonus at the last
meeting of the year. I made a few mistakes in the race and finished 20th
overall, but it was good fun anyway.
Sunday came and we were out in the first race for the Open class. It started
at about 10.30 in the morning and there is always a lot of delays before the
the road and out of the way. Sometimes the warmup lap can be like
dodgems swerving around the odd idiot that is still wandering along the
road. Anyway, I started at the front of the 3rd group of riders, but as it was
early in the morning for me, I fluffed the start and got passed by about 6
riders. Some of them held me up for a while and then I started to make some
mistakes overshooting at the road-ends and losing the places I had gained.
I ended up in 20th place again but felt I should have done better. I had an
intermediate tyre on and it overheated so I couldn't use all the power out of
the corners onto the straights. A decision that backfired really.
The organisers had changed the programme and put all the big races on
early because the weather forecast was for heavy rain in the afternoon, so I
was back out again in race 3 on the 600. This didn't really go to plan as I
overshot the runway and the end of the main straight near the end of the
race and lost a lot of places ending up 25th overall, not so good really, but
at least I finished.
At about 12.30 they called the riders for the Grand Final, which is usually at
about 3pm or 4pm. So out I went for what was for me the last big race of the
year, in Ireland anyway. I was determined to make up for the poor showing
earlier in the day and I got the start right this time, getting away first in the
group. Killalane is a hard track to pass on and there are some sections
where a 600 can be faster than a 1000, but with a clear road in front of me I
braked as late as I dared for the first corner and got out of it first and away. I
had changed the rear tyre to a slick and the difference showed. 2 seconds a
lap faster than the earlier Open race and a lot more fun. I ended up 17th
overall in a race that was a very hot pace, and finnaly happy with my lot for
the day.
At this level there are no room for mistakes as everybody is fast. Killalane s
a fun track and seems to bring out the best in most of the championship
regulars so the competition was tough to say the least. But its always a real
treat on the slowing down lap of the Grand Final when there seems to be a
marshalls flag or a programme waving at you from every inch of the circuit.
I'd like to thank all those dedicated people who make the racing possible by
marshalling or being an official of any sort. We argue with them sometimes,
and yes we do see you waving on the ditches, at least on the slowing down
lap anyway!! Thanks lads.
Now we're off to Froburg.....
All the best,
Alan.
