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Castle Combe 4/5/6 June 2021.
A few words from myself on the progress made with Chris on the Suzuki grassroots 600 bike.
Almost a year ago myself and Chris headed to Castle Combe in Wiltshire to get his test done for his race licence. Despite being a single, below knee, amputee he passed and we were underway with going racing.
Last weekend we returned to the Wiltshire circuit to get some races done. Following a mixed weekend at the previous club meeting we wanted to get a race finish under Chris’s belt. Brands Hatch was a success in many ways but also didn’t go so well in the first race for Chris. Test day on the Friday went well, as did practice and qualifying. Chris managed to start the 600 race but following a moment at the entry to Clearways he ended up in the gravel and that was the end of his weekend in the saddle.
We headed to Castle Combe looking to modify the bike further to suit his needs and finish at least one race. The bike is a standard 600 road bike with just a thumb brake fitted so he can use the rear brake. His first exposure to the pace and general racing environment at Brands Hatch stood Chris in good stead for his second meeting.
One of the first issues we needed to sort was his prosthetic leg on the foot peg. His toe was sticking out at Brands Hatch and because he couldn’t feel it the toe of his boot was touching the asphalt on right corners. At one point he was going to be black flagged because of smoke from his machine, turns out it was from his boot.
To solve the boot issue we used a solution learned from Murray, a previous double amputee rider with the team. I drilled a foot peg and added a threaded bolt which slotted into the drilled sole of Chris’s right boot. It proved uncomfortable initially for Chris due to the nature of his amputation but once he got used to the position of his leg it seemed to work. No more toe scraping.
The only other modification made to the bike was a pad added to the back of the tank to force Chris to sit a little further back. This made his leg a little more comfortable and meant he could also get his upper body lower on the bike whilst on the straights.
Our weekend started with a Friday test morning. Huge thanks to NG Road Racing club for making sure I was in the same group as Chris. Until now I have not had chance to ride on track with Chris so I could only talk about lines/track position using a track map.
I spent two sessions riding with Chris. I studied his body/foot position amongst other things whilst behind him and rode the correct lines whilst in front of him. We slowly increased the pace as the sessions went on and with only twelve riders on track including ourselves we had plenty of space to play with.
The main aim was to get him riding consistent lines no matter what his speed and to encourage him to be predictable so that quicker riders can safely get by him. We also worked on getting the throttle open fully for longer and using the brakes a little later on entry into corners and chicanes. Progress was tangible and the third and final session I was going to leave him to his own devices but one of the resident instructors at the circuit was there who took Chris for his licence test. Rob ended up going out with Chris for his final session which I thought was nice. The last time they rode together was last year when Chris took his test.
Saturday race day came and we hatched a plan to make sure he finished a race. Qualifying sessions were in the morning so Chris went out and did his twelve minutes or so to get a lap time for the 600 race. We then decided that we would focus on the Newcomers race so decided that a race start and the first two laps of the 600 race would be all we would do. The risk of getting unsettled by faster riders was quite high and Castle Combe is not the place to be running off track. I know from personal experience how much it hurts.
As planned a race start and two laps were done in the 600s and we sat to wait for the Newcomers race. The race never came on Saturday due to delays in the race programme so we had to wait until Sunday morning to go.
Overnight rain meant the track was wet first thing Sunday so another lesson for Chris was riding on wet tyres. No issues in practice so we left them in the bike for his Newcomers race even though the track was drying. Due to entries and the way the Newcomers race works Chris was P18 on the grid so right in the thick of it, yet another learning experience. He got a good start and was in amongst it into turn one. Standing on pit wall it was clear to me that he was growing in confidence lap after lap. The bike was sounding sharper with every pass and I could tell the yellow marks that Julian (SSTK1000 crew chief) had painted on the throttle tube were being lined up to indicate wide open. A small thing but it all helps when trying to learn how to race a bike.
After eight laps the chequered flag was out and he had finished his first race. No mean feat considering the discomfort he rides with and the sensory overload he is having to deal with in these early stages. I remember my first race and I know how much is going on even for an able bodied rider so for him to finish was a big thing. Needless to say Chris was buzzing when he got back to the awning, as was I. Everyone was so pleased he finished and didn’t get phased by other bikes around him.
He is on his was to becoming a racer that’s for sure.
Chris went on to prove just that. With a rough plan to do just a few laps of the 600 race again he left for the grid. I saw that look in his eye as he rolled away and deep down I knew we wouldn’t see him until after the flag. He is a Paratrooper after all. He finished both 600 races with very little faff and although he was tired and a little sore I think it was worth it. Well done to Chris and all involved in making things happen. Weekends like Castle Combe are what it is all about and hopefully we will have plenty more to come.
Massive thanks to the club and all the sponsors of True Heroes Racing. Without you all it simply wouldn’t happen.
