MAG Sport MAG Sport
MAG member Duncan Baillie enjoys himself at Oliver’s Mount
Its always difficult funding a season’s racing, otherwise I would be out every weekend. So following wins in two different classes at East Fortune in April, when my good friend Martin Blowers of “Town Crier Images” offered to sponsor a trip to Olivers Mount in Scarborough, for the Barry Sheene Race Festival, I couldn’t refuse. Olivers Mount is steeped in history, as the Mainland UK’s only road circuit. It’s set on two levels of a park, which is closed for the weekend’s racing round the 2.43 mile track, which has the steepest climb, hairpin and jumps, all within a single lap. Its history goes way back and it has long been a favourite of stars such as Mick Grant, Joey Dunlop and Barry Sheene. These days it’s Guy Martin who has won many races here. The weekend’s racing includes Classic Superbike racing, such as in the 80s, along with some modern classes and some great parade laps of classic exotic bikes.
I was accompanied by Colvin Denholm, who owns the GSXR 750 (Classic Superbike) and Tomasz Grzywnowicz, who has been a great mechanic for me on the ER6. We met Martin Blowers at the circuit and set up quite a luxurious paddock with Martin’s Winnebago motorhome boasting fresh ground coffee, central heating and a power shower. Racing was Saturday and Sunday, with the two bikes entered both days, so we were kept busy all weekend, especially as the weather on Saturday was so changeable. We had torrential rain, thunder and lightning and hail.
The track was changeable, but mostly wet until later on Saturday, which meant tricky conditions for practice and
56 The ROAD
qualifying. It’s a long track to learn and a bit slippy in the wet, but I managed to qualify 5th on the Twin and 7th on the GSXR, which is higher than I would have imagined, so I was very pleased.
I had one race for each bike on Saturday and the Geoff Barry
Sunday morning saw the track wet again, but no rain, and sunshine, so it didn’t take long to dry and following practice we could prepare for the big races of the day: Supertwins and the Barry Sheene Classic Superbike Race.
It was great to see so many
‘I was pushed out very wide and onto the grass, losing drive as the rear spun up on the wet grass’
Memorial race was first on the GSXR. With a good start I managed to progress well through the race following some very close racing at the first hairpin and on the first and second laps. I was still learning the track and the conditions were changing all the time, so it was great fun, with some good dices. I finished in 5th, two ahead of my grid position and I was over the moon.
In the Supertwin race on the ER, the track had dried completely, but we didn’t have time to change the tyres as I was also in the race in-between as I had qualified for this invitation race through my fastest lap time. Despite that I got away well and had some great dicing and racing for the reduced six lap race, finishing in 5th here too. A fantastic result considering the quality of entries.s In the evening Tomasz, Colvin, Martin and Martin Jnr., who was marshalling, had a wee bottle of bubbly to celebrate the success of the day.
spectators around the track. First race for me was the Barry Sheene Classic Superbike Race and this is the big race. I was on row three on the grid, but had a good start, making up some places. The bike was going and handling well and I felt confident in dicing with the others, which was great fun. On lap six out of eight, I felt my boot a little slippy and knew there was some oil misting onto it from the casing. I prayed that my foot wouldn’t slide off the footpeg and continued. Later that lap, I felt the back end become vague and didn’t know if it was a wheel bearing about to collapse or the rear suspension broken. I had to make a judgement call and backed off a little, being prepared to stop at any moment, before anything terminal happened. The bike didn’t get worse and I managed to keep a good pace up to finish the eight laps and be told I had a Podium Finis, 3rd in this prestigious race.
It was fantastic to have done so well when we had never
imagined getting anywhere as good a result as this.
The Supertwin race was the last and I got away well into about 4th at the hairpin. The hairpins are so tight on this circuit you have to take them in 1st gear and this means that people struggle to get out of the corner and a lot of bumping and elbow bashing happens.
I had been very lucky in the other races, sometimes narrowly avoiding being bumped or blocked, but this time I was pushed out very wide and onto the grass, losing drive as the rear spun up on the wet grass. I got it back on track with a fight, only to be back in 15th. I tried my best but had to be careful on the next few corners due to mud on the tyre and it was too much to make up more than a few places on the shortened six lap race. So I finished 11th.
Nevertheless it was a fantastic weekend’s racing with a great result in the big race and great fun being with the boys who were all a great help in making sure it was enjoyable for us all. We will be back to this fantastic
circuit and looking to improve on this year’s results. Of course it couldn’t have happened without my sponsors below. Each contributing in their own way:
Martin Blowers (Town Crier Images) Roemex LTD
Speciality Oilfield Chemicals
www.roemex.com Pirtek Edinburgh Ben Jones
www.pirtek.com Freja Designer Dressmaking
www.freja-fashion.co.uk Colvin Denholm: Team Awfihashi Manager, For the opportunity to ride the GSXR 750
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