So the day started the evening before, picked up the van and got all packed up as the day is a 05:15 start !! The start of the day was uneventful, quick cup of coffee and a shower and time to hit the road. Joys of driving so early is there is nothing on the road, and the new shape transit is really nice to drive. One quick stop for a coffee and a leak and I was up at Mallory and ready to go...
Parked in the same spot as I did with Crazypainter last time and then realised the despite having an extension lead, I still haven't bought the caravan style adapter
strangely at this point I introduced myself to the guy next to me who had 
Early on the track was dry but cold and the sky was overcast. The first session went as you would expect, slow and steady. Things got a little more interesting in the second session. The tyres where scrubbed in a bit better and had been on the warmers so had got some heat into them, grip levels where feeling good and I was starting to get back into the rhythm of the bike again. Then the fun began, about half way through the session just getting on to the start / finish I opened the throttle and POP, follow by the feeling of a wind break...... The zip went on the jacket and it popped wide open
Cruised the rest of the lap and pitted to try and sort it, before realising it was fooked and abandoning the session.What I didn't know is while that was happening someone dropped their bike big style and redecorated the left hander before the hairpin with all sorts of fluids. The marshals worked overtime getting the track cleaned up, but they called an early lunch. Just as all this was happening the rain came, and fook me did it rain..
After lunch and a bit of sky watching I decided to brave a properly wet session. With some assistance I punched a few holes in the leathers and cable tied them together and put the wet suit on to hide the bodgery. Then to the track, my god was it wet and cold. Even though the warmers had been on for nearly 2 hours the tyres where basically cold by the time I got to the first corner, from then onwards it was an alternating sequence between the front sliding and the back spinning. I completed the session, but it wasn't fun. Everyone else in inters was on full wets and riding round me like I was standing still.
Back in the paddack a bit more sky watching, it never actually stopped raining, and then the heavens opened again.. Everything went back in the van and I gave up for the day.. With such little grip, fecked leathers, and a rider not connecting with the bike I decided discretion was the better part and all that and came home with a bike in one piece.
I want to say a quick thank you to http://www.ratels-racetech.co.uk/ who have been looking after the track bike for me and helping me out massively with servicing and setup. I also want to thank to the dude who runs the burger van at Mallory for lending me an extension lead so I could hook the power up in the afternoon
It might have been a wet day, but it was still a good day. The biker spirit was there in abundance, a few cups of tea where drunk and plenty of fat was chewed. All that was missing was a bit of cake
I've got some video footage, but need to stitch it together and upload it to the tube...
Now looking forward to the next track day, I want to try and squeeze another in before Spain.
