1) We've only been in the paddock for five minutes and Howard has already nailed his colours to the mast. He's read
MCN and they've convinced him Max
Biaggi is gonna win on the
Aprilia. It's a fast circuit and he's got a fast 'bike but there's more to it than that. Has Howard made a terrible mistake? We urge caution, but he's not for turning.
2) Both James
Toseland and Vicky have got their
pre-Final Qualifying Session faces on. There's tension in the air. It's palpable. You can cut it with a knife. Gulp.
3) Bradley Smith does well to smile through the inane interrogations of some
olde chap re
'whatcha gonna ride next season' whilst his 'younger brother' wanders past. Bradley's going to go into
Moto2, hopefully. 'That's the plan', he says. You read it here first folks (unless you've already read it in
MCN, that is)! David helpfully tells him that he's getting too tall for the 125's now. Hence Bradley's gritted teeth.
4) I'm not Bradley's younger brother,
I'm Randy
Mamola's son!
Who's son? Randy
Mamola's.
You haven't got an American accent. No, It's a mixture of both.
Are you a rider? Yeah, I ride in the
Britsh 125 class in the same team as Niall
MacKenzies son and I'll be at the next round at Brands Hatch. We're not sure we believe him but we get a photo with him in any case. We vow to google him when we get home. Sure enough it is Dakota
Mamola who's 15 years old and has already won races in Spain and now he's got our brave lads in his sights. They might as well give up now.
5) Still recovering from a close encounter with Randy
Mamola's son we stumble across
this fella putting the finishing touches to Shane
Byrne's Shoei helmet (more tea Vicar?). Vicky spots the 'tarty umbrella girl' on the back of the lid and accuses the designer of basing it on Jody Marsh. Howard says, well he did go out with her. David, prudently, is saying nothing.
6) Fastest in Final Qualifying, Cal
Crutchlow goes for it at Copse Corner on his Yamaha. But can he repeat the trick in
Superpole?
Oooh, dunno.
7) Having learnt from our
Moto GP experience we've
pre-booked our Pit Lane Walk tickets. We're not quite sure what to expect but we are hopeful of seeing somebody we've heard of. Anyone seen Troy? Nope.
Hmmm, not a great start.
8) Aha! This is more like it. Blokes in team apparel loitering with intent around a works
Ducati. And there's a plastic funnel-thingy in the petrol filler. Fascinating.
9) Now then, who's this? Where's me programme? Ah yes, it's
Sylvain Guintoli, Leon
Haslam's Suzuki team mate. Knew that (oh yes).
10) BMW's Ruben
Xaus - this is more like it. Makes up a bit for Troy
Corser hiding. A retired Neil
Hodgson, quivering with fear at the prospect that 'Our
Roobs' might still be capable of knocking him off at any second, just out of shot.
11) Young riders keep on getting younger and younger shock Pt 2964. This is Gino Rea (as it says on his T shirt). No he's not related to either Jonathan (or Alex - one for all you Wolves fans) and is from Surrey. He rides a Honda in the
Supersport class and that's all we know. Didn't stop us getting a signed poster. In fact, we get several posters between us. Dunno what we're gonna do with 'em. Haven't got enough frames for stuff as it is. All-in-all we must admit we enjoyed the Pit Walk.
12) All eyes are on Cal
Crutchlow as he enters the pit garage and the start of
Superpole which he duly won. Ah yes, says Howard, all well and good. He's set pole before at previous rounds but he's never won a race yet. My money's still on
Biaggi. Howard just won't be told.
13) With
Superpole over it's time to investigate the
scran vendors behind the Pit Straight grandstand. We choose the
Thai option. Note
hugemongous spring roll to share between us. Howard's getting twitchy and warns of approaching Food Police sirens. They'd have a field day here alright.
14) Back in the grandstand now to watch the last half of the
Supersport 600 Final Qualifying. This is Eugene
Laverty on his Honda crossing the line to set pole position.
15) Now we've moved around to
Luffield to watch the
Superstock Final Qualifying. You can always spot a
goodun, can't you? It's the way they push things to 100%, 100% of the time. They lean over a bit further, place their body weight
further forward, that sort of thing. Consequently, it's no surprise that number 86,
Ayrton Badovani, sets the best time on his BMW and will be on pole. Number 10, A.
Boscoscuro on his Honda, finishes up 16
th quickest.
16) An actual race! This is the European
Superstock 600 round. It was a great contest. Which was a good job as there was only 16 riders. Seems that the recession is not only hitting
MotoGP. The race was won by Luke
Mossey (no not
Rossi, David, you deaf git) on his Yamaha but not before he had to overcome a determined Florian
Marino and his Honda. He only took the lead on the second from last corner and held on by just a few hundreds. Good stuff.
17) The new pits complex continues to grow. It's getting late now. Nearly 6:30 and we've been here for nine hours. Not many folk remain. But we stay to watch the British
Superstock riders for a few laps at Abbey. Well, it's the least we can do given they have had to wait since 9:30am yesterday to get back out on track again (as one of them told us at great length earlier). The lot of the 'support rider' has been forever thus we told him. But I don't think he was all that convinced.
18) The National
Superstockers enjoy the new complex of curves linking Abbey and the Wellington Straight. It's time to go home now. We are cream-
crackered. Not as young as we were,
y'know. Still, should be home for half-eight. There's a music/beer festival on near
Shelsey Walsh tomorrow. Might go if we feel up to it. Then again, might not.
1) We've only been in the paddock for five minutes and Howard has already nailed his colours to the mast. He's read MCN and they've convinced him Max Biaggi is gonna win on the Aprilia. It's a fast circuit and he's got a fast 'bike but there's more to it than that. Has Howard made a terrible mistake? We urge caution, but he's not for turning.
2) Both James Toseland and Vicky have got their pre-Final Qualifying Session faces on. There's tension in the air. It's palpable. You can cut it with a knife. Gulp.
3) Bradley Smith does well to smile through the inane interrogations of some olde chap re 'whatcha gonna ride next season' whilst his 'younger brother' wanders past. Bradley's going to go into Moto2, hopefully. 'That's the plan', he says. You read it here first folks (unless you've already read it in MCN, that is)! David helpfully tells him that he's getting too tall for the 125's now. Hence Bradley's gritted teeth.
4) I'm not Bradley's younger brother, I'm Randy Mamola's son! Who's son? Randy Mamola's. You haven't got an American accent. No, It's a mixture of both. Are you a rider? Yeah, I ride in the Britsh 125 class in the same team as Niall MacKenzies son and I'll be at the next round at Brands Hatch. We're not sure we believe him but we get a photo with him in any case. We vow to google him when we get home. Sure enough it is Dakota Mamola who's 15 years old and has already won races in Spain and now he's got our brave lads in his sights. They might as well give up now.
5) Still recovering from a close encounter with Randy Mamola's son we stumble across this fella putting the finishing touches to Shane Byrne's Shoei helmet (more tea Vicar?). Vicky spots the 'tarty umbrella girl' on the back of the lid and accuses the designer of basing it on Jody Marsh. Howard says, well he did go out with her. David, prudently, is saying nothing.
6) Fastest in Final Qualifying, Cal Crutchlow goes for it at Copse Corner on his Yamaha. But can he repeat the trick in Superpole? Oooh, dunno.
7) Having learnt from our Moto GP experience we've pre-booked our Pit Lane Walk tickets. We're not quite sure what to expect but we are hopeful of seeing somebody we've heard of. Anyone seen Troy? Nope. Hmmm, not a great start.
8) Aha! This is more like it. Blokes in team apparel loitering with intent around a works Ducati. And there's a plastic funnel-thingy in the petrol filler. Fascinating.
9) Now then, who's this? Where's me programme? Ah yes, it's Sylvain Guintoli, Leon Haslam's Suzuki team mate. Knew that (oh yes).
10) BMW's Ruben Xaus - this is more like it. Makes up a bit for Troy Corser hiding. A retired Neil Hodgson, quivering with fear at the prospect that 'Our Roobs' might still be capable of knocking him off at any second, just out of shot.
11) Young riders keep on getting younger and younger shock Pt 2964. This is Gino Rea (as it says on his T shirt). No he's not related to either Jonathan (or Alex - one for all you Wolves fans) and is from Surrey. He rides a Honda in the Supersport class and that's all we know. Didn't stop us getting a signed poster. In fact, we get several posters between us. Dunno what we're gonna do with 'em. Haven't got enough frames for stuff as it is. All-in-all we must admit we enjoyed the Pit Walk.
12) All eyes are on Cal Crutchlow as he enters the pit garage and the start of Superpole which he duly won. Ah yes, says Howard, all well and good. He's set pole before at previous rounds but he's never won a race yet. My money's still on Biaggi. Howard just won't be told.
13) With Superpole over it's time to investigate the scran vendors behind the Pit Straight grandstand. We choose the Thai option. Note hugemongous spring roll to share between us. Howard's getting twitchy and warns of approaching Food Police sirens. They'd have a field day here alright.
14) Back in the grandstand now to watch the last half of the Supersport 600 Final Qualifying. This is Eugene Laverty on his Honda crossing the line to set pole position.
16) An actual race! This is the European Superstock 600 round. It was a great contest. Which was a good job as there was only 16 riders. Seems that the recession is not only hitting MotoGP. The race was won by Luke Mossey (no not Rossi, David, you deaf git) on his Yamaha but not before he had to overcome a determined Florian Marino and his Honda. He only took the lead on the second from last corner and held on by just a few hundreds. Good stuff. 
17) The new pits complex continues to grow. It's getting late now. Nearly 6:30 and we've been here for nine hours. Not many folk remain. But we stay to watch the British Superstock riders for a few laps at Abbey. Well, it's the least we can do given they have had to wait since 9:30am yesterday to get back out on track again (as one of them told us at great length earlier). The lot of the 'support rider' has been forever thus we told him. But I don't think he was all that convinced.
18) The National Superstockers enjoy the new complex of curves linking Abbey and the Wellington Straight. It's time to go home now. We are cream-crackered. Not as young as we were, y'know. Still, should be home for half-eight. There's a music/beer festival on near Shelsey Walsh tomorrow. Might go if we feel up to it. Then again, might not.
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