I started having one of those crisis moments..........
I need to Hill climb again......just a couple........just to relive the 'craic' . The pressure wont be there, nobody will know me, I can thrash the hell out of the bike but don't need to go 11/10ths......it will be a nice weekend away dear !..
But lets just go back another year to 2006 for a moment. I had being taken with the idea of sandracing at Mablethorpe. Hey, I could do that.....so an old bike was found. A Kawasaki Z250....sprayed up with Dulux door paint it looked pretty damn good. Second visit to Mablethorpe to 'just check out the opposition' I saw a couple of guys fall heavy..Hum, maybe a bad idea......theres no bouncing on the sand. Just a speed reducing thud...
So, the Z250 was there in the garage, an ideal hillclimb tool for an old chap like me.
Couple of fresh tyres and I entered the first round of the Welsh Hill climb championship at Margam Park. (For whatever reason all the NHCA rounds seem to be south so a trip to Wales it was.)
Shock - Horror - Probe - I won the class !!! Either the Welsh guys had had a heavy beer night or they weren't up to the job, either way I had a win in the bag....
Now, I was having a real mid-life crisis.....I knew there was no way that old Z250 was ever going to repeat that again.....but I knew also that I could mix it with the best in Wales....
I needed my YZ Special .....I'll race the old girl again...Just think of these numbers.
I was 25 years old when I previously raced. I was now 50. Yes, twice the age !
The YZ was now at least 25 years old......elegible for Vintage ! it had to be done.
I did what I needed on the YZ. Special to pass scrutineering . 2 x new racing tyres, new air filter (the old one was crumbling in my hands) new spark plug, new front pads...No restoration allowed, no I wanted to almost drag it out of the garage and race. The tank showed its age with the discolour from the Castrol R, the stains of burnt oil from the exhaust and slight rusting on the frame.....the slight crack in the swingarm (that I hid with a sticker) It really looked the part to slip under the radar and spring a suprise ..
Second round in Wales - Win. Attached is a photo of my first start after 25 years. boy it blew me away.....the acceleration I wasn't prepared for....what a buzz to be riding this bike after so long.
Round 3 - Win.
Round 4 - Win
Now, memory slightly fails me, but I believe all rounds were to count. I only needed to be placed in the last round....No big deal.....a safe ride would do...
Then I did a stupid-stupid-stupid thing. 2 weeks before the last round I broke my collarbone messing about racing mates in a field buggy.......
The biggest comeback since Mick Hailwood won the TT was in tatters. I couldn't repeat it the next year, the whole numbers game of returning - winning - retiring 25 years - 50 years etc wouldn't stack up the same.
I so wanted to say - See you in another 25 years guys !
But it was not to be.....
It's over for good this time....I think
Attached pictures of Dulux Z250, YZ Special start, race prep 2007."
The end ? i'm not convinced, i recon Ian could be out there again yet, he still has his bikes.
Huge thanks to Ian for taking the trouble to write and send me these memoirs and remember to check out the Vintafaker
That wasn't a crisis, that was a moment of lucid clarity. Been a great series of reads, absolutely enjoyed it, ta muchly both of you,
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