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Jock Taylor 2009
Incredibly the Scottish 2009 race season has come to an end. We had problems with the radiator bursting at East Fortune but had got this quickly repaired by Highland Radiators in Inverness. This replaced we were ready for Knockhill and set off on Friday afternoon. All the sidecars were supposed to go into the new garages at the circuit but they would not be available till Saturday afternoon. The parking at the back of the garages was a bit steep so we plumped for our usual spot in the lower paddock.
We set about putting up the awning but the weather was starting to stir and even pegging into the hardcore wasn’t going to be good enough. Just in time we decided to pull the pin and take it back down. No sooner were the sheets back in the bags but the wind started to whip up. We backed up the lorry thinking that if the wind died down on Saturday we would put it out then. What a night! Like a dramatic episode of Trawlermen we rocked and rolled all night like a ship on the waves. We woke almost hourly with big blasts that nearly put the truck on her ribs.
Saturday wasn’t much better and the circuit was held in a cold wet wind. Practice started in the afternoon and we put the outfit down to the garages. The winds never abated and this caused a few problems for the solos with one or two lighter machines being literally swept off their wheels. We went out for second practice and found the track very cold and the outfit not responding as expected. We decided to put on a new rear slick and finding someone to change the tyre would be number one job in the morning. We spent a very pleasant evening in the lorry lounge and had an early night as everyone was shattered after the Friday night gales.
Sidecars in the new garages
Sunday morning we all woke refreshed and although it was freezing cold the sun was shining and the wind had gone. We signed on and while Neil and Lee took the outfit to the scrutineering shed Mush went to get the rear tyre changed. It turned out that the sidecars were getting done in the garages but as we were ’special’ we got ours checked and let go! We were second qualifying session so quickly got ready and put on the new slick. It was just after nine when we went out and the sun was barely up. Track temperature was cold, air temperature, really cold. Jen found the wind chill painful and Kerr struggled to get the sidecar to behave as grip, even with the new rubber, was negligible. We weren’t alone, even the British Championship regulars couldn’t find the elusive traction. Brian Pedder tried to warm up the proceedings with a small fire under the fairing! we tried to alert the marshalls but fortunately his pit crew pulled him in to get extinguished!!
 The team and some supporters at the end of the day
There would just be time for breakfast and visitors before the first race. There were two Scottish Championship races with the Jock Taylor memorial as the third and final race of the day. As we had missed a race at East Fortune our championship rivals Davie Annan and Grant Hunter according to the SACU spreadsheet – were only two points behind – the battle was still on for fourth place! We had qualified 15th alongside Davie and Grant on the grid with a fastest lap of only 59.814s lap. We got a good start and flew up the inside. Unfortunately, Davie slipped back past us, but not for long he was soon sideways en route to Clarke’s and ended up on the grass. We had a cracking dice with Dave Lillie and Lee Watson and Colin Riddell and John McCartney coming in 12th. Our fastest lap 58.820s with a total time of 10.00.218.
The sidecar chair wheel wasn’t working so we decided to change it too before the second race. The second race came round quite quickly. We didn’t get quite as good a start and got stuck behind Kenny Andrews and Stewart Lithgow. After a few laps we managed to get by with Dave Lillie and Lee Watson but by this time Davie Annan had pulled a lead on us. We finished 14th with Davie and Grant just ahead in 13th. Our fastest lap 59.25s testament to the chilly conditions. I think if calculations are correct that leaves us 4th in the Scottish Championship an improvement on our 8th place in 2008.
The season 'rivals' Grant and Davie
We didn’t go out for the Jock Taylor race and watched from the sideline what turned out to be a very exciting dice finally won by Phil Bell and Tony Belsey. We were all packed up and ready to go but it felt like it was almost time for headlights as we left the circuit for the last time in 2009.
Many thanks to the team this weekend; Neil, Lee, Mush and Norman the delivery driver!!
Next stop Ireland. Since our plans to go to the Sunflower meeting we've been contacted by Libby Paton and asked to be part of the Scottish Celtic Match Race team racing against Ireland, Isle of Man and Wales at Mondello Park in County Kildare. We are thoroughly looking forward to the trip as it will be a new track and an exciting end to the year. We will be travelling over from Stranraer on 23 October, practicing on Saturday 24th, racing on Sunday 25th and travelling home on Monday – all in all an 800 mile round trip. Will keep you posted!!
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