I just cant work out if I am better off just riding myself or leaving Rob to do it,,,, My heart was in my mouth every time I saw him go through madgewick with everything touching down !!!!!. I really think I am less on edge when I am on the bike myself. This time practice went so much better, the weeks before testing was worth the cost I think as although Rob got caught up amongst other riders several times he managed to put himself on 2nd row of grid. a decent result and gave him a good chance to hang onto the front runners.
With over 30 bikes on the grid and 3/4 being TZ Grand Prix bikes I really felt we were in a good place.
We scored really well last year with a 2nd in class. The first Honda over the line. I did’nt think we could better that, but that was helped by some failures and non starters.
But the Hadleigh Honda had a Michael Rutter as rider this year and this really proved to be our undoing. plus the two RPS triples of Graham Higglett and Andy Hornby were up the front pushing each other to the limit, they both are current top riders and so a very hard act to hang on to. But for me the surprise was Mr Rutter on the Hadleigh Honda, Rob managed to hold him off for a couple of laps but once he passed he was away.
So as much as we had improved, the rest of the field also seemed to have also. our combined results over the weekend gave us 4th in class and 8th overall. To be honest I was hoping for better, I cant keep doing this as I get older I cant keep spending money on this little hobby of mine, So a nice finish would have been a good way to retire the bikes from full on competition. But I was so pleased for the owner of the Hadleigh Honda Chris Wilson, he is so attached to that bike and I think that 3rd place was a fantastic result for him.
Weather I go back one more time I am unsure. time will tell. every members meeting is a winner for me, and that CR-S is at the top of its game you wont get a better CR than that. lets face it Rob literally chucked his leathers on and hasnt raced anything now for a good few years, so hanging on to the shirt tails of 3 regular top riders all at the top of their game is no mean feat.
