Whilst the boss is away the boys came out to play.

This article was written by Geoff as Graeme and Rosanna were down in the South island with the NZ Superbike Team. 

CLASSIC RED DEVILS - PUKEKOHE & HAMPTON DOWNS 2011

GEOFF

Rolled up on a drizzlyFriday morning for practice day to find our pit areas all marked out andallocated and the caravan parked at the back. Great not to have to fight forspace, and plenty of room for the team. Couldn’t find enough room for Ken andRolys Taj Mahal tent though. Most of us are in our usual place, and with a lineof ezi-ups and a couple of Red Devil flags we dont look too bad despite Graemebeing down at the Nationals.

Matt and Ray have justgot bikes going so a bit of fettling is going on, and my bike decided to liedown and break a clutch lever off - not left in gear on the side stand andthere is just enough slope there for it to roll backwards. Bugger, not anauspicious start.

Everyone out for firstpractice, track wet and a few nerves all round. Things got better as the daywent on - it stayed hot and damp but the testosterone-producing organs grew abit bigger and the times got quicker and the smiles wider. A few gremlins andoil leaks kept people busy. Riders BBQ and a feed of fish and chips saw theevening out.

Better day Saturday,track drying by the minute. Heard a loud bang and saw the barrier gate rippedoff its hinges and lying half way across the track and a car smashed into thearmco in the inside - all this during a practice. It seems someone jumped outof his car at the top of the hill leading down to the track and it took off. Amiracle no one was hit and it doesnt bear thinking about if there were bikescoming down the straight at the time. A bit of a delay while the  gate was welded back on and on with racing.

We had the Modified fieldalmost to ourselves with a handful of factory and post classic bikes. Matt,Bruce and Keith Lancaster added a splash of red to Clubmans.

Terry and Chris battledat the sharp end with equal honours, and back a bit Ray and I had a series ofduels with Brian waiting to pounce behind, followed by Rob, Stephen and Shane.I had the legs on Ray on the straights but didnt have an answer to his sneakingpast on the outside going over the hill. Hey Ray dont you know it is rough out there and who knows, I might drifta bit wide!! Got him by a nose in one race - Im sure sticking my head over thefront wheel in true 100metre dash style crossing the line gave me the 9/100thof a second in that one.

Graeme Lancaster didntride his Red Devil bike, that was Keiths job this weekend, but every time Ilooked up he seemed to be heading out for another race - I think he was inPre-war on the Ariel, 350 on a B31 and Open on a BSA. A hard weekends work.

All ended the day in onepiece, and were happy to get out of the sweaty leathers. Chinese takeaways anda stroll over to listen to Croz, followed by being entertained by the Jelacabrothers chatting up - or was it the other way round? - a lady who had beendistracting us all day with her minimalist dress code.

More of the same Sunday -hot and steamy but a dry track. We were all over the place in the gradedscratch races, not sure how everyone went, and the Points race was business asusual. Stephen retired with clutch problems. His belt drive clutch has alwaysbeen a bit of a mystery - plates seeming to wear excessively with dust cloggingup the groves and a pretty harsh action, right from new. We had put it down tothe fact his mainshaft is a little bent and the clutch diaphragm does notrelease evenly. However when Stephen spoke to Bruce from TT industries later itturns out he has supplied different plates to those in the “older” clutches andthe scintered bronze material wears like crazy. A possible solution is to soakthe plates in light oil. I looked at the clutch in the bike that I have justgot running and found there was a heap of dust in it - and it had only been upand down the road twice - about 5km! I oiled the plates and they weretransformed - smooth action, releasing fully just as they should be. We werenot too impressed as these new plates are not fit for purpose as they are.

Wandered over toprizegiving  after we had all packed up.They tried to get moving through quickly and the new format of having all thechampionships done in advance did help. Chris got the 350 Modified Championshipfrom Terry by one point in the end, and I picked up 3rd this year. The sheervolume of prizes that gets handed out is a bit overwhelming, and I think thatby the time every podium in every race on the day gets a plaque, the “real”prizes that the guys have fought for over the whole year get a bit diminishedas everyone is getting a bit over it all by then.

Next weekend - HamptonDowns.

 A big weekend for points with 5 races up forgrabs. Chris had got one of the garages (half actually) for $400 - ouch! We hadthe MacIntosh crowd next door out the front and they were quickly shooed out bythe track guys when they put a bit of gear in the other side, and shooed outagain at the end of the day when they put their bikes in the garage and strayedacross the line a bit. All a bit silly really - Hampton will have to reviewtheir pricing for club events I think. We were a bit like an Assembly of Godchurch - all denominations welcome - with Chris, Rob and I, Noel and Bridgett(Ducattis and Harley), and Janet and Graham (BSAs). Cost at the end of the dayby the time everyone had chipped in was very reasonable.

Matt was down the way abit - perhaps he didnt trust us around his girlfriend??. Smaller crew thistime, with Stephen out and Bruce and Ray not there. Its a pity we didnt know ofthe clutch plate issue earlier.

Race 1 was not too flashfor me - a coming together with Brian in the sweeper meant a high-side butamazingly little damage to me or the bike - just a footpeg ground down. Buggeragain - my best lap times were in that race. Never mind - all part of racing,and as the weekend progressed it was more like the old days with Brian ,Rob andmyself scrapping. Rob made stellar leaps in his lap times and seems to have re-locatedhis mojo, and Brian was hard to catch when he (regularly) got passed me in Turn5. Tired of having him sneak past up the inside I kept to mid-track in the lastrace and the bugger passed me on the outside. Something to work on there.

Saw Keith parked up inone race - something to do with a misunderstanding about a fuel tap, so Iheard!!

Chris continued hisleading ways, but unfortunately Terrys bike developed an onimous rattle and hewas out for Sunday.

The Saturday BBQ thistime was more to peoples liking with beer supplied - no down town bar prices -and no officious little man scolding us if we stepped off the concrete with abeer in hand.

Matt had to rush home toget his Dads bike as he was dropping oil, and showed us a clean pair of heelsas the weekend progressed. Got caught when the rider in front of him came downand left him nowhere to go but we were able to get him up and running again.Broken twist grip - not seen that before so another memo to have a spare one.

An unfortunatepost-chequered flag incident left Graham Peters trucked off to WaikatoHospital. Janet took great pleasure in ordering his (ancient) leathers to becut off!

A good weekend butgetting a bit much, hot (literally) on the heels of the Festival. With theChris Amon a couple of weeks before and Pearoa the following weekend theresplenty of racing for those with the energy. Chris and Rob represented the RedDevils at the Chris Amon Festival - a couple of very wet rides on the first daythen the meeting was abandoned, which was a real shame as that event is quite aspectacle. Perhaps we should try for a Red Devil “presence’ next year.

I did the medical thingas the Doc on the course at Paeroa this year. Hot as usual, a very small fieldof Classics with Rob showing the Red Devil flag. More safety stuff around thecourse this year including plastic barriers as well as the chicken wire fencedown the main straight. Happily a quiet time in the medical tent this year withnothing serious to deal with.

Next round - Taupo April 17th. Chris is hoping his bike will be backfrom Eastern Creek, otherwise he can use my “new” bike which will be a tripdown memory lane for him compared to his rocket ship. She’s a standard “Mk 1”Red Devil.