Dave Holland Festival

This is an inter Club meeting in the memory of a good lad and top racer Dave Holland. Riders from all clubs get together to have a good days racing - followed by live bands fireworks and the odd shandy (or two).

The weather however didn’t get the message – and with mega winds and drizzle all day it was little hit and miss.

First qual is for the Allcomers race and I’m on cold slicks on a damp track! Good job there are no points involved I rekon! Towards the end of the session I had some heat in the tyres and managed to salvage 7th on the grid.

2nd Qual is for Pro bike and it’s a bit better – I improve my times but this grid is a bit tuffer and we get 9th on the grid.

Next it’s the qualifying for the Dave Holland race, my tyres which had done Brands before we got here were worse for wear now and I struggled to get 9th on the grid – although some how I went quicker than the other 2 sessions.

Another set of scrubs on and we miss the allcomers race as they just wont handle the distance so I have to forfeit one race.

First Pro bike and it rains just before we go out – I pop on the cut front tyre but it has no heat in – in the hurry we also forget to do the rear tyre pressure so its like riding on marbles on a cold damp track – just not worth it so I pull in along with many others!

For the Dave Holland race the track is still very damp around the mountain section and I just don’t have the bottle to keep in pinned round that section on slicks – others have cut tyres or are just braver but I keep going as it’s the ‘big’ race – I get 9th over the line and am happy to get it done for Dave.

The last race the track is drier and tyres haven’t had too much stick on the damp track so I can get my head down a bit – I get a cracking start into 3rd and can feel the guys behind me – however I maintain a good pace and am holding the podium spot onto the last lap and riding well – I see backmarkers ahead and know this could make or break – I get two guy at the top of the mountain and there is no room to pass so I make myself as wide as possible to stop anyone jumping me, I pass the last backmarker into the last corner and manage to squirt it over the line to keep 3rd – well chuffed – not far of my Personal Best on 2 day old tyres and a damp track covered in leafs– just shows how we have improved over the last part of the season.

Every time we go out we have been faster and faster and I finally get myself on the podium in a fast grid of riders from all clubs – good reason to celebrate and have a few beers!!!! But that’s another story…..