It's February the Sun is out and it's Warm. But then I am in Spain so waddya expect ! Yep the first step for any serious racer is a little winter testing and two days at Almeria just about fits the bill. I say just about because to be honest it didn't quite match my expectations.

You know what I mean ? Those expectations you get when you lie in bed thinking about what the circuit looks like, how fast you're going to go, the fun you're going to have powering out of fast sweeping bends, well if that's what you're after I wouldn't bother sticking Almeria on your race schedule, I reckon Biaggi knew something when he ducked out of testing there coz "it wasn't a circuit that he would be racing on that year " yeah right ! More likely I ain't going there coz it's full of really tedious bends that tighten up on you and is probably just about OK if you're testing your patience but little else. Of course what you have to appreciate is that I was out to enjoy the circuit, not to test 300 different tyres in a weekend and a million suspension settings. Still, it was a chance to get out on the bike put it through its paces even if I couldn't get my head around the circuit - and I wasn't the only one.

Anyway, my 2002 bike, of which there was a tantalising glimpse earlier on in the year, is a TL1000R kindly supplied, in exchange for money of course, by that master of the TL1000, Mr Jim Blomley. It is quite powerful, thanks to Mr Bob Farnham and has a suspension set-up that is, well, more set up. Maxton bits and pieces, in case you're interested, which has nice blue springs and goes up and down in all the right places.

The conclusion, from my weekend of testing was that :-

- TL1000Rs do sometimes blow up. Proven by the cloud of blue smoke and the con- rod sticking out from the front of the engine. Not mine, I might add.
- Unlike their circuits, Spanish bar owners are quite happy if you throw everything on the floor.
- If you replace the petrol cap for a race item and also remove the petrol overflow pipe you get a leg covered in petrol and have to stay away from naked flames.
- Dave Black is just as happy sitting on a chair in the sun as he is going faster than 80% of the riders round a circuit on a track day.

The changes made during the weekend

- Learnt to change gear with my right hand
- Increased sag on the rear from 0 to 8mm
- Blanked off overflow pipe
- Looked at suspension a lot but couldn't decide what to do, so didn't.

All in all an excellent weekend made all the better for free beers at the hotel and excellent company from Mr Black of FWR, Ian Cobby (test rider extraordinaire) and team Lee Reveley Sncdirect.com whose idea it was to go originally.

Date - 17th March 2002
Venue - Mallory Park
Category - Club Event

Race 1 Trophy Race - 27th on grid, dry race. Result - 8th

Bad start due to grabby clutch, wheelied off the line then didn't, then did. Eventually got the hang of it and barged to the middle of the pack. Bike went well, certainly more power than last year. Running rough at low revs which meant that using clutch out of the hairpin was a necessity. Also lots of banging and popping through exhaust on overrun, suspect overfueling. Not happy, must do better.

Race 2 Championship Race - 7th on grid, dry race. Result - rerun

Change of technique with the clutch resulted in better start - 4th into Gerrards. Going well and holding position for 2 laps at which point the race was stopped due to rain. Race moved to end of day and declared Wet, which was fortunate coz it was raining consistently.

Restart - Result 2nd
Fitted new wet tyres, great start 2nd into Gerrards and then fell back to 6th due to unfortunate paranoia about falling off in the wet and being a big girlie. Forced myself to relax a bit and upped the pace until the leaders came into site. Dean Wayne on the Triumph, who up to that point was running well in second, ran onto 2 cylinders, which is what the rest of us were on anyway, and fell back into the clutches of Lee Revely. I progressively moved up until I was sitting behind Lee, wondering whether I should play a tactical game and wait until the last lap or show my hand and just go passed him, the risk being that this spurs him on and we end up with a major tussle over the next few laps. I couldn't resist and went past, which resulted in all sorts of shenanigans as we battle for 2nd place. Eventually I pull away and end up in 2nd place with 20 points in the bag, HURRAH !

---

Date - 30th March 2002
Venue - Donington Park
Category - Clubmans Festival

Race 1 Trophy Race - 2nd on grid, dry race. Result - 2nd

A reasonable start, not helped by the clutch still causing problems. Originally I thought it just bad technique, however I now suspect something more sinister going on. Made it into Redgate around 4th after getting outbraked, but this proved to be their undoing as both riders ran wide and I nipped under them to take up 2nd place, at least for a while, before moving into 1st and leading for the first time since Croft over a year ago. All things were going swimmingly until what I thought to be my wide fast line through Coppice proved to be my undoing, as Paul Newton nipped under me on his Ducati. Rumour has it that it is an ex-BSB Ducati, however nothing proven on that front. I held onto him for a while before resigning myself to 2nd place. Quite impressed really and not at all unhappy..

1 - Paul Newton - Ducati - John Reynolds, allegedly
2 - Kevin Jones - JB Racing TLR
3 - Gary Sansom (campaigning Warren Scott's Championship winning bike from last year)
4 - Paul Saville - Aprillia
5 - Colin Young - Honda SP1

Race 2 Championship Race - 24th on grid, dry race. Result - 1st

And about bloody time too. 3 years I've been racing and at last I get a WIN. To make it even more convincing, I started practically from the back of the grid. That clutch obviously has some advantages if you get it just right. I was sitting there looking at a gap that could, if I was lucky, take me all the way to Redgate. Lights changed and I was off ... about 3rd into Redgate, bit of fiddling around through Craner and I was up to 2nd with Paul Walker on his TL1000R leading. On about the 4th lap I got the run out of Craner and outbraked Paul into the Old Hairpin, and that was that. Except, so I am advised by my mates, Mark, Scott, Tony, Keith, Brian, Pete and Lenny who made the trek up to see me on this fortuitous day, for an incident at the Old Hairpin when Paul Saville set himself up to come inside me, only to have his nose chopped off as I dropped it into the corner. Having lost his momentum and being the last lap, this rather unplanned manoeuvre enabled me to hold the lead to the flag. At which time, wishing to celebrate my Victory I flung my arms into the air and nearly fell off the back of the bike as the 100 mph wind threw me backwards. I suppose it is just one of those things you learn with time. Most impressed was young Zakky, my 6 year old stepson, who was so pleased he hung to me like a limpet until Tara managed to prise him off with a couple of warm spoons.

1. Kevin Jones - JB Racing TLR
2. Paul Saville - Aprillia
3. Paul Walker - TLR
4. Gary Sansom - TLR
5. Colin Young - SP1

Incidentals
Donington was the first outing for the new paddock set-up including play area. A rather nice 3m x 3m pavilion was a useful addition to the thumb-sized caravan that we usually live in. Usefully zipping together with the existing awning, it made for impressive accommodation for all the family.

All the boys came up to watch, so thanks to Scott, Keith, Brian, Mark, Pete, Lenny and Tony for their support, which I am sure spurred me on to Victory.

If I was sneaky I wouldn't mention the Sunday. However as I think it important to share the highs and the lows I will. A bicycle ride around Donington with Zak on Saturday evening, a late dinner, not enough fluid and too much celebratory beer on the Saturday night led to a rather disinterested and appalling performance that I would rather forget. So I have.

---

Date - 13th April 2002
Venue - Cadwell
Category - Trophy Race

Race 1 Trophy Race - 24th on grid, dry race. Result - 5th

I had spent the previous week stripping the clutch down to have a look and see what was up. Nothing much to see really, the clutch was fairly new and well within tolerances. What was missing however was the spring washers than run between the hub and the first steel friction plate. Its purpose, I suspect, was to just to take up any end play. However, in the absence of any other reason for my clutch troubles, I figured it would be wise to try and get hold of some. This proved to be unsuccessful until Jim Blomley helpfully offered to take some out of a spare engine he had. He was planning to pop down to Cadwell on the Saturday and said he would drop them in. The day paced on quite quickly and the first race was up before Jim had arrived. 24th on the grid was always going to be a struggle and I had no line to the first corner, so it was all knees and elbows up to Charlies. I had a reasonably good ride, but having not got away with the leaders 5th was the best I was going to do. Still, it wasn't a Championship race so wasn't too important. Julien Stock however was rewarded for a 1st place with another Trophy for his cabinet. He's nearly got enough for one to sit on the petrol tank of each Ducati.

1 - Julien Stock - Ducati, one of three, not sure which one.
2 - Paul Saville - Aprillia
3 - Jamie Poole - Ducati
4 - Kevin Jones - TLR
5 - Dean Wain - Triumph

1 - Kevin Jones
2 - Julien Stock
3 - Dean Wain
4 - Jamie Poole
5 - Lee Poole

Date - 5th May 2002
Venue - Cadwell
Category - Trophy Race

Introduction

Believe it or not we are back at Cadwell. In-between times there had been the first Superclub race at Mallory, which I had to miss due to being in the U.S. negotiating a ride in the AMA Championship. Unfortunately negotiations fell through 'coz no one knew who I was, despite my efforts at self publicity through this website. So I had to go to work instead, doing what I normally do for a living selling software for my unknowing sponsors Computer Associates (they make software and have some pretty funny adverts at the moment). I say unknowing sponsors because I write these reports on their laptop and have once used their phone to order some bits.

To be honest, Mallory is not my favorite circuit. Although bike racing is dangerous and accepted as such, Mallory seems to have more than its fair share of incidents, which I have been directly affected by. Scott Ingram, the best man at my wedding, went down at the Esses during a track day some 6 years ago resulting in a fractured neck, multiple breaks in his legs and a horrible disfiguration of the face which he still suffers today.....hey wait a minute, he looked like that before. A popular competitor in the Sound of Thunder series and friend Bob Bradley tragically lost his life there during the Plum Pudding race Christmas last year after he hit the tree on the way out of the Esses. This time it was Julien Stock, a man I have always considered as my good natured rival for the Championship this year who went down, again I believe at the Esses.... I would wish him well, but I saw him at Cadwell so know that apart from a slight limp he is well and up for another battle over the weekend.

So, Mallory, maybe a rethink on that tree and a bit more run-off through the Esses ?

Dean Wain - the effects of a good curry when climbing mountains

Race 1 Trophy Race - 17th on grid, dry race. Result - 2nd

1 Julien Stock - Ducati
2 Kevin Jones - JB Racing TLR
3 Jamie Poole - Ducati
4 Paul Saville - Aprilla
5 Jim Urquart - Ducati
6 Les Liney - Ducati (good on you mate)
7 Dean Wain - Triumph (makes a wicked curry mit raisins)

1. Brian Petit - Ducati 748
2. Kevin Jones - TLR
3. Dean Wain - Triumph (Well ridden raisin-meister)
4. Conrad Bradley - Ducati
5. Jason Kerridge - Ducati 900sl (I think this was an ex Ian Cobby bike)

Incidentals
Julien was OK, however he had been knocked unconscious again. The rumour-mill had it that he was considering retiring, which under the circumstances I wouldn't blame him for. Lots of things are decided after a big get-off (especially two in two weeks). Hopefully he may re-consider and be back on track to show me his well prepared rear end once again.

Date - 6th May 2002
Venue - Cadwell
Category - Trophy Race

Introduction

What are Best Friends for?
Its alright your not going mad I got me dates wrong - this is actually the day after the day before, so you're OK.
We awoke in our diminutive caravan to the warming site of drizzle drizzling down as only Cadwell drizzle can do. The result of all this drizzle was that there was no visibility round the back of the circuit, therefore a decision was made by the management to use the Woodlands Circuit. ' What does this mean?' I hear you say. Well you start from the usual place but instead of going left up the hill you jam the brakes on a bit sharpish, turn right go round a hairpin and charge up to the mountain, you then go back over the start finish straight and do the whole thing again for 10 laps...excellent fun ! Only problem is it is wet, not so much fun. So we go out for a practice and I potter round thinking of Championship points and the best way to get home in one piece, Jamie Poole comes past me, Dean Wain comes past me and I am just pottering around thinking "I'll get into this in a minute and then it'll pass e'm like their standing still".

Race 1 Trophy Race - 17th on grid, .... er, dry race. Result - DNF

Do you remember that I had a problem with my back wheel lifting on the brakes? Well this time I shared my problem with a friend.

Dean getting it on with sparky boots ...

There we all sit on the start line ... expectant .... waiting for the lights to go green ...... and then they do and we're off, one lap later and Dean's in front and outbraking Les Liney into the hairpin. Hey I can do that, don't want the old raisin Meister to get away. I think he is about 2nd at this point, so I let the brakes off and slip past Les, firmly re-applying the brakes a second later. The hairpin approaches, and so does Dean - my back wheel comes up, oops! I let the brake off, I reapply the brake and the back wheel comes up again and Dean gets even closer. A sudden realisation hits me, as I am rolling over the back seat of Dean's bike, that I might of outbraked myself. The TLR continues it's reach for the sky bit up to the point it comes crashing down on my leg, fortunately just in front of the footrest, which avoids a kebab'd calf . Bugger buggery bollocks ! I pick myself up and wander shame faced to the grassy bank, to meet up with Jamie Poole and a few other riders who all seem to have done the same thing the previous lap. Jamie actually broke down, but never mind facts. Next lap, Les Liney joins us with a friend that he met at the point he also didn't make the corner, it all got rather sociable in the end.

Poor old Dean. Before I rammed him he was on for the win. At the end he finished up in a hard fought 3rd place and I, very apologetically and feeling a bit of a muppet, went back to the paddock to beg forgiveness.

Race 2 Championship Race - 1st on the grid, dry race. Result - 1st

Good stuff that adrenalin. Just got the bike back together after replacing the footrest, sped through scrutineering, got down to the holding area, realised I needed a wee, popped into the club house, came out and there was my bike sitting all on its own, the rest of the riders all heading off to the start line.

I followed on and took up my rightful place at the front of the grid. I was well up for it and no mistake. The race was brilliant but bloody hard work, ten laps of the Woodland Circuit is knackering. I had Jamie Poole right up my arse all the way, 'twas a battle royal - which I won. Which was nice.

1. Kevin Jones - JB Racing Suzuki TL1000R
2. Jamie Poole - Ducati 996
3. Jason Kerridge - Ducati 900
4. Brian Petit - Ducati 748
5. Lee Poole - 916 Ducati

Incidentals
Dean just about forgave me for nearly punting him off, he actually didn't fall off and just ran on past the hairpin, but it was enough to stick him at the back of the pack, so to come 3rd was quite an achievement. Tara didn't shout at me - normally if it is my fault I get shouted at, I take it as a sign of her confidence in my riding ability. She didn't even see the crash as Zak (my 6 yr old) had chosen that moment to fall out of a tree.

Next race: Superclub at Pembrey, get your wets out.

Date - 18th 19th May 2002
Venue - Pembrey
Category - Superclub

I love Wales, the only place you go to race bikes and come home with Trench Foot.

I am not really doing the Superclub series, which really means I'm not doing very well, so I am not playing. It was all rather tedious and wet, and I mean wet. We arrived in the rain, we slept through incessant rain, we awoke to 3" of water in the awning and Zak doing breastroke in his grollies after falling in on the way to the toilet. I won't dwell on the racing apart from the fact that the start was delayed as the circuit organisers and the local Fire Brigade tried to pump out the hairpin which had decided that enough was enough and that life as a small lake was far more preferable to having 30 odd motorcyclists ruckling up your tarmac on a regular basis.

So we raced a bit and went home.......in the rain.

Date - 4th June
Venue - Donington
Category - Championship

I'm not really into the Superclub at the moment, so can't we just forget it ....
I remember we had a pit garage and that Dallas Hornblow (what a great name) fell off and we spent a pleasant Monday evening putting his bike back together. One thing - is it me, or are brakes all of a sudden much harder to bleed? I remember when I was a young man, brakes were a doddle, you bunged a pipe on, pumped and pumped and all of a sudden it was all over apart from wiping up the mess where you had inadvertently sprayed it up the wall.

We spent ages ..... in the end holding it upside down seemed to be the only solution. We then swung it round our heads and released when achieving the correct velocity and made it all the way into the center car park. Result.

The racing was good as it always is at Donington, I just love that Craner Curve. Don't know where I came, not that worried really but it was good fun.

Next Race - Snetterton 15/16th June

Date - 15th/16th June
Venue - Snetterton
Category - Club Championship
Introduction - Big weekend this weekend, not only is it a Club Championship weekend but it is the Bob Bradley Memorial Trophy on the Sunday in conjunction with the Championship round.

Day 1: 15th July

Trophy Race
A good finish in 2nd place but not being a Championship Race no real reason to push it.

Result:-

Pos Name Machine Comments
1 Dean Skipper Honda SP1 wild card with Fastbike
2 Kevin Jones JB Racing TLR
3 Marc Ramsbotham Aprilia
4 Julien Stock Ducati
5 Howard Duff Ducati

Fastest Lap - 1:14.40 Julien Stock

Championship Race

Pos Name Machine Comments
1 Dean Skipper Honda SP1
2 Kevin Jones JB Racing TLR
3 Marc Ramsbotham Aprilia
4 Jamie Poole Ducati
5 Howard Duff Ducati

Fastest lap - 1:15.46

Day 2 - 16th June

Trophy Race

Pos Name Machine Comments
1 Dean Skipper Honda SP1 Wild Card with fast bike
2 Julian Stock Nicrominira Racing
3 Marc Ramsbotham Aprilia
4 Colin Young Honda SP1
5 Howard Duff Ducati

Fastest lap - 1:14.40 Julien Stock

Bob Bradley Memorial Trophy and Championship Race

The Bob Bradley Memorial Trophy is in memory a Sound of Thunder rider and friend who tragically lost his life at Mallory Park last Christmas.

Bob was one of the SOT riders when I started racing I knew him mainly through Dean and Roy Wain, with whom he was good friends with. Bob was an unlikely racer, unassuming and quite, he used to turn up in his van with his Son Paul they would prepare the bike together and then Bob would scare the willies out of me by slipping up the inside round Mallory's Gerrards Bend with his back-end leaping around all over the place. Bob was very enthusiastic and would never give up. Like Dean he raced a Triumph 955 with some degree of success. I recall one occasion when his bike blew up and he spent of the Saturday night stripping all the bits of his Triumph road-bike so he could race on the Sunday.

Oh Boy ! Was I up for winning the Trophy. If you peered into Dean Waines caravan half hour before the race you would have seen a very focused Kevin Jones staring a hole in the side of the caravan.

Anyway, this was one race I was going to win. Bob's wife Pam and four Children Helen, Paul, Martin and Carol-Ann turned up to cheer us on. Being the Championship race I was fortunately on Pole with my arch-rival Jamie Poole close behind and Mr Wild Card Dean Skipper on his quick SP1.

The light went green and we were gone. The race was fantastic with Jamie leading into the first bend on only for me to get a better drive out of Sears and pass him as we went up the back straight I held the lead for 3 laps until Jamie sneaked past round the outside at Corams on the 5th, I slipstreamed him up the straight 4 foot of his rear wheel, popping out at the last minute to take him on the brakes into Riches, not this time however, as he matched my braking and swooped round in front of me into the turn. The last lap flag came out and we sped through Riches round Sears and down the Revett Straight slipstreaming him down the back straight I popped out just before the braking point and took him into the Esses, through the Bomb hole and into Corams, quite expecting him to come round me again I braked really late into Russells and held the lead over the Line. I was jubilant. We all headed back to the pits for the award ceremony, I was so pleased is was the best moment.....ever (apart from my Wedding Day, Tara) . If I do not win the Championship that day will be enough for me, everyone was there and genuinely pleased..... apparently the pit wall was going nuts during the race as Jamie and I sped past inches from each others wheels. Pam Bradley presented the Trophy and we all got a bit emotional. Hopefully Bob would have felt the race worthy of his memory.

Pos Name Machine Comments
1 Kevin Jones JB Racing TLR
2 Jamie Poole Ducati
3 Marc Ramsbotham Aprilia
4 Dean Skipper Honda SP1
5 Julien Stock Ducati

Fastest lap - 1:14.54 Kevin Jones

Next Race: Superclub Cadwell 29th and 30th June.

Date - 29th/30th June
Venue - Cadwell
Category - SuperClub Championship
Introduction - Mmmm... Superclub again, but I do like Cadwell so should do well.

Day 1 - Practice
Out we went nice and dry circuit, all was going well. Came round Charlies 2 on the 3rd lap, big misfire, up the straight another misfire, by the time I got to the mountain it got serious culminating in a huge backfire and the engine stopping. Left the bike for a couple of minutes and it started as if nothing had happened.

Basically this was pretty much what happened for the whole weekend, every 4th lap the bike would misfire and then stop by the time I got to the mountain. Gary Reid a fellow TLR rider and all round Good Egg came to my aid with various bits that he had, ECU, Tipper Switch, Fuel Pump, wiring were all checked, Valve clearances were checked and adjusted. We left Cadwell none the wiser.

Unfortunately the numpty that originally built the bike, not Jim Blomley I might add, had rather optimistically removed the standard clocks, which have all the self diagnostic information on them. When I got home I tried to fit a set of standard clock only to find that he had ripped out all the wiring as well.

I wasn't going to panic however, we had a week to sort it before the next Championship round on the 6th July. I replaced everything that I suspected to be faulty. Keith kindly offered to help out at Snetterton, just in case and Dean Wain offered me the use of his Triumph "wet bike" if we couldn't resolve the problem.

Snetterton

Went out in practice, 4th lap, Bang ! bike stopped. Came back borrowed Deans Triumph and went out in the last practice session only to break down on the first lap when the fuel pump relay popped off, things were not looking good.

With the pump relay sorted it was time for the Trophy race and a chance for me to get use the Triumph in earnest, I popped some fresh rubber on the bike and headed out. The bike was really impressive, a 6th place on a strange bike that had seen 3 years of race action I was feeling much better and genuinely impressed with the power and handling of what the press have always referred to as a "Sports Tourer".

THE CHAMPIONSHIP RACE
A good start took me into about 6th place which I held for 3 laps. Getting closer all the time I was pretty confident that a 4th behind Dean was pretty much within my grasp, 3rd , 4th over the line for the Triumphs would have been a nice thing to achieve.

As I came into Russells there was a bang and a horrible feeling that something quite big had let go I cruised onto the grass to observe Jamie Poole taking the first of two wins that he was to achieve that weekend. My 64 point lead had just slipped away.

I did take the TL out in the second Championship race in the vain hope that it would hold together, I pushed it to the holding area so it wouldn't get hot, I cruised round in the sighting lap. The Lights went green and I was off, I held the lead for a lap up until the bike started misfiring only to grind to a halt on the back-straight. This time to add to my woes I was now being sprayed with water from the radiator. An air lock possibly?

What we had learnt from the weekend, apart from not being complacent with a 64 point lead, was that we could replicate the fault, by keeping the engine hot and that when it did cut out there was no spark at the plugs, ah ha ! Must be the Crankshaft sensor.

Oulton Park 20th July

Superclub Round
Jim Blomley arranges for a Crankshaft Sensor to be delivered to Oulton Park the evening before the race. I fit it that night and am all up for the race on the Saturday.

Practice
Pouring with rain we go out for a few practice laps. Everything is all ok, although the bike was only running around 40 degrees due to the weather.

Race 1
Lights go green and I am gone, I slip between Dean and Steve Moody into the first bend and speed down to Cascades. Second lap with my slider gently kissing the tarmac through the kink I am feeling good, still leading and I have rhythm in my soul, onto the back straight approaching Lodge, bang ! bang ! pop! I cruise to a halt by the Armco.

With this I pack me caravan load the wife and off we head to Jim Blomley's workshop, I have run out of ideas, and to a certain degree.... patience.

Jim agrees to look at it and see what he can do. The first thing is to get the Wiring Loom sorted so that we can fit the standard clocks and get some form of diagnostic reading.

There are certain people in the world who have a skill that the majority of us do not posses. The art of reading wiring diagrams is a skill that counts along with, the theory of relativity, quantum physics and making a decent omelet. Mark used to race a TLS last year when I was campaigning mine. He, via Jim came to my rescue and in a week had knocked up a new wiring loom, reconnected the Diagnostics and found the problem. The Camshaft sensor, "but according to the manual that controls the Injectors I hear you say" correct, but what we didn't know was that as soon as the injectors don't inject the plugs don't spark,,, bugger.

So the bike is delivered to Silverstone all ready for the next Superclub.

Silverstone 3rd August

The bike is fixed and running well. Didn't achieve any great results but then I was really just testing the bike, hence rather selfishly I do not have any result sheets. Only one slight problem though, it is still pumping water into the expansion tank and out the overflow, so much in fact that I rig up and expansion overflow tank. It's shifting about a litre in an 8 lap race, but draws back around ½ a litre when it cools down. We had tested the cooling system extensively and couldn't find any problem I still suspected an air lock.

The main thing is the cutting out has been cured and Mark Roberts is proclaimed as the God of Wiring Looms.

Mallory Park 11th August

Heading into Mallory I was now only 14 points ahead of Jamie Poole. Mallory is not my favorite circuit. Dean is good here and currently on form. The circuit favours the superior handling of the Ducatis of Jamie and Lee Poole who were also getting faster every outing. Mentally I was aiming for a 2nd or 3rd Place.

Practice
Not bad, fairly comfortable but the cooling system was still pushing water. This was despite me finding an air lock when I leant the bike over in me garage in an effort to investigate the problem. This shouldn't be a hinder my progress however as it wasn't much water, the only slight risk was that it might upset the temperature sensor for the fuel injection system.

Trophy Race
Oh dear, the race was good but I come in behind a storming Alan Walker on the 888. I get a big slide out of Devils Elbow trying to get him on the line. So things are not looking good.

Pos Name Machine Comments
1 Jamie Poole Ducati
2 Lee Poole Ducati
3 Alan Walker Ducati 888
4 Kevin Jones JB Racing TLR
5 Rupert May Aprilia

Fastest lap - 52.25 Jamie Poole

Championship Race

A good start puts me in the lead for the first lap and then on the second lap I see Jamie coming round the outside of me at Gerrards I manage to hold him off but by the 3rd lap he makes it stick. Lee come by indulging in a not completely in-control out-braking maneuver at the hairpin on the 5th lap and I am relegated to 3rd, oh well ! 7th lap I sense this dark shadow approaching on my left side as I speed round Gerrards, Sod it ! Dean is coming round the outside, he come through only for me to duck back inside of him at the Esses. The last lap he tries again and he is through, just too far ahead for me to risk ducking inside of him into the Esses again, I see visions of Olivier Jacque and Checa tumbling into the gravel trap, to take Dean out would not be very matey, after all I have already crashed into him once this year.

Pos Name Machine Comments
1 Jamie Poole Ducati
2 Lee Poole Ducati
3 Dean Wain Triumph On form, could be the start of a late surge for the Championship
4 Kevin Jones JB Racing TLR
5 Rupert May Aprilia

Fastest lap - 52.25 Jamie Poole

I finish 4th not good. Now I am only 2 points ahead.

Conclusion
There are certain things in life that you try to avoid, put to the back of your mind and ignore. The most common of these seems to be when one's partner is having an affair, the other one is when you know in your heart of hearts that the head gasket has gone but you vainly hold on to the hope that there is a massive air lock secretly hiding in the cooling system. I asked Tara and she denied an affair it so it must therefore mean the head gasket has gone. Time to call my chief race engineer Mr. Keith Mitchell. Together we burn the midnight oil, remove the engine and replace the gaskets.

Pembrey 25th 26th August

I like Pembrey, I have done a couple of 6 hour races there so know it fairly well. I sensibly head up on the Friday to get a days practice in, only to find that the Poole brothers have got there a day early for two days of practice, but it rained Ha!!

Zakky (my 6 year old) has a prior engagement so couldn't come with us, a fact that he is slightly relieved about which, put into his own words, went something like "what ! come to Pembrey and stand around in 2 foot of water, no thanks!" So Tara stayed with Zak on Friday promising to drive up to meet me on Saturday afternoon.

Practice
Quite enlightening, or so we thought. Jamie and Lee go out to practice and we time them, we go out to practice and they time us. We should in the same team we'd save a fortune in footwear and stop watches. Dean and I are clocking 1.04's and fairly consistently 1.05's the best the Pooles do is a couple of 1.06's. I go to bed happy.

Day 1
Trophy Race
What's' going on? All of a sudden the Jamie and Lee are 2 seconds faster.
Dean is right on the pace and has a race long battle with Lee Poole taking him at least twice though the 180mph "Woodlands" kink, very impressive. I can only observer from my lowly 6th place.

Dean wins his first race of the season in an impressive fashion. Much festivity all round and Roy buy's the Ice Creams. More worrying is our certain 1st and 2nd places all of a sudden don't seem quite so likely.

Pos Name Machine Comments
1 Dean Wain Triumph 1st Win of the Year..Hurrah !
2 Mark Edwards Ducati Wild Card
3 Lee Poole Ducati Where he come from
4 Neil Gilbert JB Racing TLR Wild Card
5 Jamie Poole Ducati

Fastest lap - 1:03.02 Mark Edwards

Championship Race
Grrrrrrr ! I'm a Tiger. The lights change I'm gone. Dean beats me to the Hairpin but I dive under him through the left hander, 2nd lap coming out of the right after the hairpin I nearly High-Side, feet and legs go everywhere (this was video'd jpg to follow), I stay on and surprisingly stay in the lead. Lee Poole slips by and I am relegated to 2nd, I try to keep up but to no avail as he gently pulls away, Jamie comes round me on the right hander but I get past him again up the straight. Somehow he pulls past again. Last lap and he is in my sights, and then as we round the next bend there is Lee laying down on the grass mit bike. With this moment of distraction I take me chance and pass Jamie just before the Woodlands kink and manage to hold him across the line, yeeeesssss! I have won it.

Pos Name Machine Comments
1 Kevin Jones JB Racing TLR
2 Jamie Poole Ducati
3 Dean Wain Triumph
4 Brian Petit Ducati
5 Mark Edwards Ducati

Fastest lap - 1:03.00 Kevin Jones (dunno how, must of got all the corners right in the same lap)

Now I am 7 point ahead. Whoopee!

Day 2 - Trophy Race

I'm really nervous, dunno why ? I skip practice figuring I've been around this circuit enough already.

We get the call and out we go, warm up lap, line up lights go green I pull huge wheelie and completely screw the start up. 10th into the first corner......aaargh. I pull through to 6th get some space between myself and the pursuing pack and just concentrate on getting some good lines. The Woodlands kink is really psyching me out, I try to go quicker through it but just can't turn the bike in fast enough, no good head is just not in this at all. I come home a bit dejected but knowing I could do better. Dean has a great race and leads for 7 laps only to be pipped at the hairpin by Jamie Poole who uses a some poor innocent back-marker to do him at the hairpin. So Dean ain't happy either.

Day 2 - Championship Race

I really have to get my head sorted if I'm going to be any good at this racing malarkey. The start for the Championship Race is better but still not great, 5th into the hairpin behind Jamie, Lee, Dean and Brian Pettitt. 1st Lap we all hold position no one pulling any significant lead out on the others, 2nd lap and Dean runs wide at the left hander, runs onto the grass and falls, I risk a glance and see he is ok, physically at any rate. 3rd lap into the hairpin and I mange to get past both Brian and nearly get Lee Poole at the same time, we come out neck and neck and I let him drop into the following right-hander not wishing to risk a clash, I take him on the following bend and set off after Jamie who by this time is starting to pull out. I start to pull him in a bit but we are fast running out of laps, despite Tara going Banana's on the Pit Wall and waving me furiously ever onward I decide that discretion is the better part of valor and a couple of slides convince me that I may be better to settle for second.

Pos Name Machine Comments
1 Tara Jones Ford Escort Drove on her own all the way from London to Pembrey in her old Escort with no radio just to watch me indulge in my selfish pursuit.
2 Jamie Poole Ducati Relegated to 2nd for not letting me win and making Tara happy
3 Kevin Jones JB Racing TLR Relegated to 3rd for not fixing radio
4 Brian Pettitt Ducati Relegated to 4th for wiggling all down the straight and scaring everyone
5 Lee Poole Ducati Relegated to 5th for falling off in Chmpshp Race 1.
6 James Willis Ducati 748 Relegated to 6th coz I feel like it.

Fastest lap - 1:03.33 Jamie Poole

Conclusion

Oh my God I can't take the pressure. Thank God we Sound of Thunder chaps all get on so well even the youngsters like Jamie (21) and Lee (19). I remember when the SOT used to be Gentleman's racing for us old gimmers, not any more.

So we head into the LAST round, yes THE LAST ROUND with me dropping from 64 points ahead 2/3rds of the way through the season to two points ahead with a round to go. The next round is at Cadwell, the scene of some epic (well one actually) battles between me and Jamie.

So want to see what happens ? Cadwell SEPTEMBER 28th and 29th. There is a Championship Race on the Saturday afternoon and another on the Sunday afternoon. If you do come along it's big it's red and cheering makes it go faster. Aahh! The stress of it all.

Date - 28th/29th October
Venue - Cadwell
Category - Club Championship

Introduction - The Big One

12 Rounds have gone by and we enter into the final two rounds with me 2 points ahead of Jamie Poole on his ever-improving Ducati. Pembrey proved to be an exercise in spending lots of cash to get no change in the Championship positions with me winning one race and him the other. The master plan was to spend 3 days at Cadwell and take advantage the practice day on the Friday to set the bike up for the big push. Theoretically I had the advantage. Without going through all the iterations, the most likely thing, in my mind at any rate, was for me to finish second in one race and to win the other with the 2 points giving me the title.

Pre-race tension builds ...

The week previous I had been fiddling with the suspension to try and get the bike to turn in quicker. Raising the rear ride height a shade would help things a little in this area and Friday would allow me to play around a bit more if needed. This was a great plan apart from one slight problem .... work. My chosen career is in sales and September is our end of quarter and this particular quarter I have the biggest deal of the year on the table which has to be signed by the Monday the 30th. Well, without going into detail I did get some practice on the bike, unfortunately this was riding into London to the client's offices to get a signature on a piece of paper. Still the deal was done and I was heading up to Cadwell with this nagging feeling that you don't do the biggest deal of the year and then go on to win the New Era Club Championship ... life just doesn't work that way.

The Sun rose gloriously on Saturday morning. A cup of tea from Dean gave additional vigour my bike preparations and my wife and small son slept soundly in our cosy caravan. Practice didn't really tell me much, the bike seemed a little better but it had been 5 weeks since I last rode it, having decided to skip the Castle Combe Superclub round. I was 15th on the grid for the Trophy race. As usual I took a relaxed approach to proceedings, coming in a casual 9th I think. The bike was going well but Jamie was up the front of the field ..... I must try harder.

The Championship - first race

Loyal, enthusiastic supporters are essential

Still leading the Championship and still on pole. My starts have not been great recently but they were good enough. The lights change and we're off! Brian Petit, Jamie, Dean and myself into the left hander at Coppice. I slip under Dean to take up position behind Jamie. Jamie gets past Brian but does not pull away and on the run up to Coppice I manage to squeeze by Brian. All is going to plan until lap 2, when an ambitious outbraking manoeuvre by Lee Poole takes out both himself and Brian Petit at Park. The race is stopped and we all sit on the line, Jamie cursing because he was leading and me cursing because I was right behind him.

The restart was over 4 laps so a good start would be helpful. The lights change and it's Jamie, Dean and myself into Coppice. I manage to pass Dean and get my head down to chase Jamie. A bit of late braking at the hairpin causes me to run wide and lose momentum giving Jamie the break he needs. Still second though, that'll do. Last lap and I am thinking "OK fine, settle for second - just try harder tomorrow". And then .... bollocks, I stuff myself again at the hairpin, the front tyre staccato-squealing as it fights to stop the big TLR. I just hold it but not before Paul Saville nips up my inside ....... nooooooo! Shit shit shit! Spittle spreads across the inside of my visor.

Third place was not good, though not all bad. I could have fallen off, but 3rd was really not where I needed to be.

This meant I had to win the second race on Sunday and Jamie would have to come third. But Julien Stock was showing a good return to form and John Rhodes, although starting from the back of the grid, was just behind me over the line. Six laps could bring both Julien and John into play. Closer examination of the laptimer showed a bigger problem, Jamie clocked a fastest lap of 1:34. The quickest I had got was 1:37.

Race Summary

Date - 29th October
Venue - Cadwell
Category - Club Championship

Introduction - The Bigger One

So that was that then. The challenge that I had now set myself was to win Sunday's race and ensure somehow that Jamie was no higher than 3rd.

For some time now I had felt that apart from us both riding red bikes, there were other parallels between myself and Troy Bayliss. He too had been dominant early in the season only to struggle as that nice Mr Edwards and Honda had raised their game. Maybe I should ring him for a chat ?

Anyway I wasn't going to fret too much about the whole thing. We had a very nice Saturday evening in the Dean Bistro joined by Austin Wren (600 rider), his dad Derek, my buddies Scott and Keith, who had travelled up for the whole two days to offer much needed support, and the boy Zak who was under strict instructions to behave himself and not eat with his hands. The wine and ale flowed and much witty banter ensued.

I was awoken Sunday morning to a fine sunrise and demands from Zak that he be taken for a poo. This always sets me up for the day and a pleasant chat in the disabled toilets whilst he does his business is always enlightening. As we wandered back, the sea mist rolled in which was the precursor to an announcement from an uncharacteristically jolly Jim Parker that racing was going to be delayed for around an hour.

The previous night I had decided that perhaps my modifications were not a wise idea so I dropped the ride height again and raised the gearing a tooth on the rear. A quick bacon sandwich and a practice confirmed that I couldn't feel any difference.

The Trophy race was another chance to check things out. This was fast and furious but as usual I didn't really give it my all, which, under the circumstances, was probably wise. What it did manage to do however was present an opportunity for a stone to flick up and hole my radiator! I didn't believe my luck. My problem was further compounded by the fact that due to the mist New Era had decided to run 4 lap races for the Trophy races and skip lunch. This didn't give me long to sort things out. Radweld was one solution, an egg another. The best though was a replacement radiator kindly donated by Gary Reid (my saviour yet again). By the time I had replaced it and changed a tyre it was time to out for the Championship race.

I arrived at the line determined to get a better start and even if I couldn't win the Championship I still wanted to go down with all guns blazing. I did get a good start as it happened and Jamie and I barrelled neck and neck into Coppice. He managed to take the lead with me in hot pursuit. I was going well, there was no doubt about that, but whereas at the beginning of the year (and if you recall I beat him at Snetterton, known for being a power circuit) I seemed to have the edge up the straights this time it was he that was pulling out a gap. Julien Stock came past on about the 4th lap on his Ducati and that was that, I just couldn't close the gap. The Championship had slipped from my grasp and Jamie and the JLG team had caught it with both hands.

So how did Dean Wain do?

Very well since you asked, Dean was always up there throughout the year but the last few meetings showed real improvements both in the development of the bike and consequently Dean's confidence in riding it. His consistency throughout the season paid off with a 3rd place in the Championship - for which Roy bought some nice Champagne.

Epitaph to a lost Championship

What a great year! It was certainly fun I can't deny that. I am sure even my wife Tara would say she enjoyed it even if we did struggle for space in the smallest caravan in the paddock. The highs and lows of racing certainly give life some colour....not that our life isn't colorful darling.

I was going to do a highs and lows ramble at this point, but I don't think there were any lows, frustrations, and great sadness in the case of poor old Bob Bradley but not real lows.

Things I muse over ...

- Every time I recall Gary Reid's voice saying "I've got a spare camshaft sensor do you want to try that ?

- Every time I recall my own voice saying "No, I am pretty sure it isn't that"

- Laying flat on my face with a TL on top of me having just T boned Dean Wane at Cadwell

- Repairing the bike after this happening, with minutes to spare and going and winning the points race.

- Winning the Bob Bradley Trophy. I said at the time that that would be enough for me even if I didn't win the Championship. How prophetic was that !

- Leading the second points race at Snetterton only for the bike to go pop again and me have to sit on the bank watching Jamie walk away with another 25 points.

- The help and support given by my fellow competitors, especially Gary Reid who, when he wasn't washing dead rats and mounting them on his handlebars, was always around to lend a helping hand.

- Roy getting all his words fuddled when he has had a drop too much vino collapso.

- Everything else.

And now the really big ones

· The TEAM: My Wife Tara and Stepson Zak who put up with it all year long and lived the ups and downs with me I couldn't have done it without them.

· The excitement on Zak's face when it finally sunk in that we had won our first race at Donington.

· The support of all of my mates especially Scott and Keith, especially, especially Keith who has now given up 3 weekends to help me out. One of which was spent pouring over a workshop manual.

· Dean, Roy and Becky Wain good friends who don't complain when you blow up their bike.

Professional type Sponsors and helpers

· JB Racing: Especially Mr JB himself Jim Blomley for shipping vital parts all over the country at strange times of the day.
· Mark Roberts for his wiring assistance and general Fuel Injection advise
· Phil Ayliffe Products: For the supply of Dunlopad brake pads
· PDQ: For help with parts and Nick Hudson for his incomparable skills in eking out maximum BHP
· Conor Holmes at ENDO motorcycles for rapid parts finding service and encouraging words
· A &R Racing for their support and assistance.

By the way I am considering selling the bike if I get the right offer £5,500.00 and I reckon that is bloody good for a Championship runner-up.

For next year ? Who knows what may happen.

Sound of Thunder Final Championship Positions