Keith "Fatrangi" Roissetter
  Cadwell and Croix in a nutshell - 2005

The ups and downs of Cadwell Park were the next stop on our nine meeting calendar this year, and having dragged home a trophy from this place three years in a row I was looking forward to a good weekend. What I hadn’t counted on was though was how high the bar is getting raised in this class.

Friday testing, and thanks to Mick at Essential Rubber in Downham road N1 I had several tyre combinations to work my way through. Avons, Bridgestone’s and Dunlop’s were all mounted and ready for my verdict and I ploughed my way through a variety of combinations trying see what felt right, and of course performed the best. This means riding as fast as consistency will allow while working the rubber hard.  Bit like my love life…The watch showed naff all between the combinations. The Dunlop’s got noted as having poor traction on oil and grass as I went tumbling when another bike dumped it’s sump at the bottom of the mountain. I blame myself, I was wearing new leathers that had been donated to the Rangi cause, it happens every time!

My times were consistently in the high 54’s, well on the pace from last year. With an Avon on the back and a Bridgestone on the rear my times fell by two seconds. I’d like to think that I’d found the hot combination. In truth, this combo was what I’d been running for most of last year. The fall in times was more down to a little freight train I’d jumped on behind Mowat, Pukkie and the Colonel. Testing is one thing, getting on and going for it is what really counts. Interestingly the general consensus on the many rubber combinations we’ve all tried this year is that a twenty-year-old Avon design grips better, lasts longer and feels better than any available modern tyre. Go figure.

My poor showing this year means that my race one grid for this meeting was a lowly row four slot. I got a reasonable start and found myself hot on the heels of the front pack. Heading for the gooseneck on lap one a huge cloud of dust told us we’d all gained a place as Nick Shorter went down fast as he plucked fifth gear. Despite the spectacle damage was light to bike and body. He’d be back for the next race.

Initially it was Championship leader Dave ‘Monkey boy’ Hallet who made the front running until our resident win it or bin it merchant Andy ‘tornado’ Ball slipped past. On form men Tyler ‘Streaky’ Bacon, Ballerini and Mowat were right in their wheel tracks keeping them honest. I was struggling to find a way past Doug Howell who was proving to be a bit of a Demon on the brakes. On the last lap I got a perfect tow along what is laughingly called a straight at Cadwell and claimed a spot. In the same moment, getting a perfect tow from both us Steve Hoel closed his eyes, squeezed his lever hard and went past both of us! Great move. He kept it tidy for the next half lap and I followed him home to claim 11^th. It would have been twelfth but Tyler Bacon clipped Hallet’s wheel in the fast hall bends and handed his hard fought third pot to Daz and an extra place to the rest of us as he tasted the tarmac.

Race two on the day and again a fast starting Howell thwarted my plans at the start. This time I knew that I had to claim a place quickly in order to try and stay with the leading bunch. I got Doug on lap one but it took a mistake from Steve Hoel a couple of laps later before I had a clear track and by that time the tow was lost. I raced on, worried that I’d suffer my usual mid race pace drop. Tyler came past after 4 laps and gave me a fresh focus. I stuck to him for a lap or so but then he went through the chicane at an amazing pace which left him as a dot in the distance. I managed a lonely 11^th. My times were two seconds quicker a lap than last year, but not good enough. Up front Bally claimed the daily double after nailing Ricky Ballerini on the last lap. Daz and Monkey boy were close behind.

Morning warm up on the Sunday and it was the turn of regular front runner Pete Fishwick to come off at the hall bends. Damage was light but he was strangely off the pace for the rest of the day. I raced my Essential Rubber supported machine, (plug, plug, please buy your tyres there) with him in both events and he was all over the place like a Conservative manifesto. A post meeting check revealed a slow leak in the front tyre! His turn to throw tools around the garage.

Out on Track the fast and consistent championship leader Dave Hallet claimed another win from hair bear Ballerini. And the lap record with a 46.5! An incredible time, almost matched by Hair bear. Streaky B stayed on to claim the third pot. I just made the top ten after a great scrap with Fish, Hoel and Howell. Sounds like a law firm doesn’t it. John Puk, who’d seized at the end of the straight the day before gave me a target when he came past from the back of the grid on lap 4. My lap times dropped into the 49’s. Five seconds faster than testing and a race time that would have top stepped me in all four races last year. Pukkie was having another lean meeting at one of his top tracks. Luck just hasn’t been with him this year. If it were raining Virgins he’d get the shy one! Tornado Andy maintained his form and lobbed it on the last lap at the hairpin. This makes it four from four! What an unenviable record. Naturally he remounted, this time to claim fifth. I reckon he’s getting worse though. I’ve seen him get a trophy after crashing before now!

Final race of the weekend and an afternoon shower threatened to slow proceeding. A start line crash saw an unlucky Nick Shorter carted off to the medical centre after he got tangled in someone else crash off the line. The race was red flagged. I knew I’d got away too well. For the race proper the track dried out quite quickly and another race long battle with Howell went my way after he went wide at Barn with one to go. He nearly had me beat that time, but it was his turn to suffer from mid race loneliness and give me a focus and ninth place. Cheers mate. Hair bear gave it his all and claimed top spot from Daz and Dave. Now that sounds like a musical duo! But I’ve seen them dance and trust me the charts are under no threat.

Dave Hallett has told us that he’s hoping to do the prestigious, and televised R6 cup next year. This is only his second year racing and he’s showing top form. So if someone is looking for a tax deductible advertising excuse, please get in touch.

Next up it was the annual sojourn to Croix in France. I unable to go due to work commitments and have been forced to hear tales of derring do from those who made the trip. The highlight being Hair Bear Ballerini stamping his authority on the class with four wins and the lap record. Cheeky git.  I reckon we should shave his head in retribution. I’m sure he has a Samson thing going on. Tornado kept up his unenviable record with two crashes on the weekend, the second being a bike destroying stage right exit as he tried to avoid a fallen from second place Daz Mowat in the last event of the weekend. These two were on the podium in both races the day before as well. At the time of the crash they’d made their way from the back of the grid after Dnfing in race one of the day. Talk about the highs and lows of racing. Streaky B, the Colonel and Monkey boy were the other trophy winners on the weekend.

By the time you read this there will only be a couple of races left to go before the end of the season. If you’ve ever thought of trying this game out we have a club rent a racer available so that even complete novices can have a go. If you’re interested please get in touch via the digest and we’ll go from there. As the t-shirt says, better to be a participator once in your life than a spectator all of it!

And finally big congrats to Andy Ball and his lovely wife Jess who produced little James Ball recently. I guess Andy knows how to crash a yoghurt truck in the right place as well. :)

Yours from midfield