| What a start to the
dragon series for 06. One of the best tracks in
the country (in my opinion) fast and open up top,
fast and tight down the bottom with the star wars
section thrown in for free (well not actually
free but you know what I mean). Jason carpenter
(J.C.) sets the bar for the season and if other
races are only 90% this good you should still
have one hell of a track in front of you.
Ok I may have to back up a little here for those
not in the know. The dragons are the welsh equivalent
to the nps, but without the glamour (glamour!
Nps? oh well just go with it). J.C. runs the show
and more often than not misses his chance to ride
his bike so us lot can, so respect to the man.
Anyway I don’t have much time for one
of my monsters so a shorter report for this one,
beginning with location and a brief track description.
Rheola located up the Neath valley about 10/15
miles from Swansea. The start of the track is
visible from miles around due to a huge telecom
mast near the start. Open clear cut gives the
top a feel of Fort Bill, add the rugby-ball sized
rocks strewn in the track completes the feel.
About half way down a fire road splits the track
into two. In the second half you enter the woods,
a steep version of Bringewood would be a good
description. Over the winter someone, I assume
J.C., has tamed the axle-deep trench that is part
of the star wars section by adding wall air bricks
creating a poor man’s grasscrete. The last
30 seconds or so is a stay off the brakes and
scare your self silly rollercoaster till you hit
the paddock and the only real jump in the track.
The paddock is sited in old stone works giving
good shelter and a flat base.
So after a far too smooth pack the c-van up and
set of for Wales, all went well until Ross when
road work after road work delayed our arrival.
Oh and then it stared raining and well more rain
followed, and the c-van battery run flat but that’s
a whole other story.
Sat morn and after wondering how long it was
possible to rain for over night the track, which
drains well apart from that bit in star wars,
was sopping wet and I changed tyres to a swamp
up front and a high roller back (this was the
wrong choice). However this was the Faith’s
first real hill and the first two runs were mint.
The track was running quick and at that time was
pretty smooth. The promised light drizzle for
the morning kept the track wet and not too sticky
throughout practice, and by about lunch had stopped
as the weatherman said. The dryish afternoon however
was a complete fantasy.
So with dirty race kit (why get more stuff dirty)
I set off for my run and they were running late
so I went down trackside mainly to get out of
the wind. Possibly the largest turnout of masters
awaited me when I returned to the start. 60 masters
is a lot and took a while to clear, by which time
it started raining. So I set off on my race run
and all went well until I hit my nemesis that
is star wars. Cheered on by Faulkner and co I
proceed to the first available tree to hug. Now
my gloves were inch thick in mud I tried my best
to keep a grip on my bars to the bottom.
I wish I could tell about the fast boys, but
I’m afraid I threw my rattle out my pram
and sulked in the paddock. Dave Wardell was trying
out the new (and I mean new, as in only two in
the world) GT DHi with an enclosed shock by the
bolt on seat post tower, very swish. The paddock
was starting to turn into a boating lake, but
turning up on Friday has its advantages as I had
claimed the higher ground.
Time for our second runs and by now it was really
raining. J.C. had left the box van at the start
as refuge for the drowned rats stupid enough to
have a second run. Wearing goggles was a waste
of time as they were wet when they came out the
bag, in fact everything was wet by now. Its not
often can it be said that you are cleaner at the
finish than at the start but there was that much
rain it was riding down a stream, in places it
must have been 4/5 inches deep. The only good
thing is my tyres weren’t clogging with
mud.
By the time I got to the bottom I was soaked
and about then the lads turned up and found it
highly amuzing. Keith “Heriott” Clarke
broke out his vets overalls and Gun and Alex set
out to watch while I tried to dry out. All three
of them fell over at some point just spectating.
Beef (Keith) being the only sensible one stayed
dry: the others however didn’t.
After a whole day of rain some said “f!”£
that” broke camp and went home. If it hadn’t
been such a hassle to get over I might have. That
evening it rained and rained and… well you
get the point. How anyone can say it hasn’t
rained enough ought to try the vale of Neath as
a source of water.
Sunday morning and after a night of wondering
how much rain can fall in the night, I got up
earlier than I said I would and as for not doing
much practice that also was a lie. But first a
change of tyres wet scream upfront and swamp at
rear (this was a better choice, well that’
what I thought). Gun was out on his new toy, one
of the first batch of Glorys to hit the shores
just to rub my nose in it (no he ain’t that
bad really). They are actually better in the flesh
and that lump on the downtube ain’t that
bad.
Practice was mainly damp with showers and at
times the sun tried to stick its head out. By
now the track was starting to get churned up and
the chute of the main fire road was gaining massive
braking (bumps doesn’t really cut it so)
holes. I followed Alex in the woods and have to
say with a high roller upfront and mud 3 at rear
was doing a good job holding on for grim life.
By lunch the track was starting to dry out but
the clouds were starting to mass.
Just in time for our race runs. For one reason
or another I was a bit later up top than I would
have liked and when the lads and I got up top
the masters were already going down, so I had
only a few moments to gather my thoughts and set
off. This worked really well for me as I put in
a blinder, I even cleared that bit in star wars
I always crash at. I ditched my bike and set off
up the hill to give the lads a shout. That wasn’t
as easy as it seemed, as by the time they got
to the bottom it was almost impossible to tell
who was who.
Gun and Alex opted out of second run but as
I was already soaked to my undercrackers I was
up for another run. After about an hour of waiting
the other like minded idiots in the masters all
set off for the top, the wind and rain up top
was leaching every bit of heat out of us and we
were glad of the box van up top. It reminded me
of the days when I used to go raving and it looked
like a sauna in there. Not surprisingly our second
runs weren’t better unless we had issues
on our first. With that it was time to pack up
and go home, which was about the time it stopped
raining.
Well that was my weekend but elites were in
the paddock and race track. On sat Marc Beaumont,
Dan Stanbrige and Neil Donahue took overall 1
2 3. Tim Ponting out of masters and in expert
won and came 9th overall. Julian Pomfley is back
on form after last years injury and won the masters.
Jerry Twigg did the vets.
On sun Marc, Stanny and Brendon Fairclough took
the honours, Marc came down in a 3:02 which was
only two seconds slower that last year’s
best dry time. Ralph Jones deserver a mention
coming 4th overall and winning the juniors. Julian
done it again in the masters. Robb Munn won the
vets. For a full list of result try here.
Well thats about it, was loads of other stuff
but I ain’t got time to type (fk2-2, fk2-2
long story the ed will understand). Next dragon
is Abercarn and my next outing is the nps so see
you there or at chicky
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