Chappy’s VMCC round 2 Manfeild Long Track race report
For once we had a great weather report,NO rain - very good news. I attended the Friday practice session at Manfeild, spending a lot of time on overall setup of the bike. Robert Taylor from CKT ltd spent a good deal of time setting up the rear of my machine ensuring the Dunlop slicks would work very well.
Saturday:
Qualifying went well – with Friday’s test day paying off I could simply focus on the extension part of the long track. I decided to put in 6 laps or so at a hot pace to conserve tyres and myself for the long weekend ahead. I qualified 1st in Formula 3 with a 2:08s and 1st overall in Post Classics ahead of the 1000cc monsters coming home with a 2:06s.
Race 1 Formula 3 - 6 laps
After an average start, I fought back by passing 3 bikes around corner 1. I was placed as the first Formula 3 bike behind 2 Pro twin machines. The track was had heaps of gripso I kept pushing – I reeled them in one by one – With 2 laps to go I was behind the lead bike, a Pro Twin machine. Into turn 1 I out broke him on the inside, I threw everything I had into the next few corners trying to make a gap. I brought home the chequered flag. My fastest lap of the race was a 2:03.5s Very happy!
After the race Ozzy gave me a great tip to get over the bump on the extension – worked a treat cheers!!
Race 2 Post Classics - 6 laps
Great start, huge thanks to Steven Mosmen, he agreed to not race against each other. I was the first bike out of Turn 1, put my head down stretched out a 30-40 second lead from the closest machine. On the final lap I decided to back it off a bit, and then the bike decided to do it for me. The tank was bone dry…… I used double the gas I had allowed. The bike guzzled 5.5 litres in 5 laps. DNF such a shame,I had to watch my younger brother win the race I lead. Well done to him – got to finish to finish first.
Sunday:
Race 3 Formula 3 - 10 laps
I was very confident for another good result – I had a very good start maintaining the 3rd bike position out of turn 1. I was behind Ashley Paine for 5 laps or so, another Pro Twin rider – I used the old faithful “out brake into Turn 1” technique to pass and put my head down as Mr Booth was ahead again. I pushed as hard as I could, lap times representing it doing low 2:03’s consistently until lap 7. Geoff Booth got held up by a lapped rider – all or nothing I thought. I pushed myself, the bike and the Dunlop slicks to the limit and passed him under brakes into turn 1 but lost the drive out, he re-passed me – we finished Geoff the first bike home in Pro Twins, I followed first home in Formula 3.
Returning to the pits I was told I had broken the lap record in Formula 3 for Manfeild long track!!
The new lap record is now 2:02.67 set by my 1989 Kawasaki ZXR400
Huge congrates to Geoff Booth who also threw down a record!! He was the one who towed me to mine!!
Race 4 Post Classics -10 laps
After filling my tank to the BRIM with fuel, I went out with a game plan, Aaron Carr keep an eye on the gap between myself and the next rider to ensure I only stayed in front by 5 seconds. We agreed that if I pulled out too much of a lead he would signal me to back off – reserving fuel and tyres. I happily lead the race from start to finish – in front of the 1000cc monsters. My Dunlops were awesome - I had a bit of sheering on the right but we used all the 4mm of the good rubber on both sides of the brand new slick
( scrubbed in on sat morning) damn horse power!!
Race 5 Formula 3 – 6 laps
With only 2 races to go I decided to swap to my GPRa10 or intermediate rear tyre, hoping that it would hold up well in the shorter races – and it was all I had, as I put a new slick on only on Saturday! Got a good start and after 2 laps slipped past Ashley Paine after he ran wide through a corner – I kept the pressure on but left the push for the front runner, Geoff Booth, too late. I was happy to again finish 1st in Formula 3.
Race 6 Post Classics – 6 laps
Had a perfect start – brilliant wheel stand off the line, jumped into the lead after turn 8 or 9 then put my head down, I thought to myself “Wonder what the lap record is for Post Classics…” Then the red flag came out, a couple of people had come off in various parts of the track. We reformed up on the start line once the track was clear for a 2 lap sprint race – nervous about fuel I short shifted through all of lap 1, staying below 12,000rpm.On the last lap I though “if I’ve got enough, I’ve got enough -nothing I can do about it now.” So I floored it to the finish line, happily finishing the day with another race and class win. The GPRa10 work incredibly well under the testing conditions and pace, they will be in my spares box at all times!
Overall results for Round 2
Perfect record in Formula 3, unbeaten through out the day so placed first overall and taking the Lap record for Formula 3 is Riders heaven.
Post classics was close to perfect with only 1 litre of fuel stopping me from achieving greatness, however with only 2 races completed I still placed 3rd overall for the round. I am now 13 points behind my brother AJ with 9 races to make that up.
Huge thanks to my sponsors The Air Force, Dunlop Tyres, and Greg from Hi Tech Commercial Interiors Limited, and to my supporters Motomart, Motorad, Collier Motor Engineers, Team Showerbuddy Racing and Randolph Engineering.
Special thanks to Aaron Carr for the invaluable support at the track all weekend, and Daniel Plaistead for all the work getting my motor running as sweet as it does!!
Rob and his team at CKT ltd for the advice and setup which made my Dunlop’s brilliantly, enabling me to throw down a new lap record!
Spec congrates to my little bro AJ for his 1st overall in PCs – enjoy it mate next time I won’t give you my spare tyre!!
Neil Chappell
Best wishes to Nicky and Phil, rest up – you’ll be back on the bike in no time!
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What do you do for an encore , F1 ??.
Originally Posted by roadracingoldfart
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