Northwest series round 2 – Farmer John’s – Jamie Scott
This time it was a sunday race only for me, which meant up at 3:30am to get down to Manchester in good time to walk the track and get ready for some crammed practice!
Arrived at the track around 7:30am, plenty of time for the three T’s – Track walk, Tyre change and Tea…
Tea and bacon bapp finished time to get my Knox clothing on! Practice was delayed due to the medics and walkie talkies for the marshalls being held up but we eventually got going. The track was awesome – same old fast top section going into a couple really fast newly built berms that spat you into the bridge jump! – which claimed a few casualties over the course of the weekend. Once you came back to earth it was a hard hammer on the pedals before jumping into a really cool berm that kicked you out into two fast but tight switch-backs, then back on the pedals before setting up for the infamous bomb hole!
The bomb hole became the sight of interest for second race runs in the wet as it was the hardest part of the track and was the downfall of many. Once through the bomb hole it was onto a rooty shoot, some greasy corners and then the finish line.
Practice over it was the same old race day format, eat, eat, eat! Food washed down and nice clean kit put on I pushed up for my race run. Although the clouds looked full to bursting point the rain held off and we all had dry first runs. My run went well and I came down in first – all was looking well as I knew I could go faster in my second run but as second runs got underway the heavens broke and the wrath of god was unleashed! Even though it was wet I decided to push up and do my run anyway as even from the top you could hear the crowd at the bomb hole going crazy! It was great fun, the track came alive in the wet and the atmosphere down the bottom was fantastic! No one managed to beat their first run times and so my provisional First position became secure.
All in all It was a good fun track and a great sunday! Although the 3:30am start didn’t do me any favours and I don’t think I’ll be doing that again.
Really chuffed with 1st in Experts.
Big thanks to Knox-Armour keeping me warm, dry and safe all day!
Bike once again was faultless – FreeFlow Bikes
And well done to the rest of my teammates, special well done to Liam Jordan McDermott and Blake Senior-White for getting on their respective podiums – Big up TeamRockGradener!
Jamie
