Race Report: Donington Park 2024.

The race weekend normally spans across 3 days, Friday (around 6 practise sessions), Saturday (practise, qualifying, race 1)and Sunday (Race 2 and Race 3) but this was not going to be a normal race weekend!

Our weekend starts on Thursday morning, we have a plane to catch in Ireland, where a wedding awaits us, so we leave with the van loaded up at 2 am, direction: Stansted airport. The plan is to catch the return flight back to Stansted and drive straight to Donington Park and ride most of the Friday practice, we have the earliest flight booked and, without getting arrested for speeding, we should arrive on track around 12:00.

The plan starts going south when the traditionally "tranquil" Irish wedding celebrations take place. Consequentially, we get back to the hotel early morning, just in time to pack and get to the airport.

The 9am flight is delayed and there could not be worse news. The flight is now scheduled to leave at 12:40 so the hangover will have to be dealt with there and then, at the airport.

We arrive at Stansted and after a 2 hour drive we are at Donington Park. As the excitement starts to grow we realise that we missed the practise day so there is not much to do other than set up the garage but we have to make sure the bikes are also ready. Raven's bike (my partner in crime) is still suffering from damage caused at the Brands Hatch weekend so we start working on the belly pan right away, luckily, Oliver arrives too and joins in the messy fun. The belly pan is on in no time and we are very happy with the repair.
As the dinner warms up on the gas stove, Federico, on his trusty GS 1200, arrives. Fede has a studio that does photography and videography (VF17) and agreed to stay with us on Friday and Saturday. The pulled pork buns have a fiberglass aftertaste. Weird.

Time to shoot some very cool night shots!

By 22:00 we are not able to maintain basic conversation so we pass out, having slept 3 hours total in the past 2 nights.

The alarm is music to my ears and by 07:10 I am in the race direction to collect the papers that are needed to pass the race inspection.
I suit up and push the bike to the garage assigned for the inspections. My protective gear is up to specs but my rear brake calliper mount does not pass the inspection, it moves too much.

I rush back to the garage, knowing that there is a major chance that we might not be able to fix the issue on time. Could it be that after all this effort I am not going to be racing? I try to stay positive and Oliver and Federico spring to action, we lay all the spare parts and bits out on the floor and my heart jumps, the original mounting rod is staring at me, behind a banged up radiator. I must have though, just in case, as I was packing up.
We are now working at warp speed, as I am thanking my inner hoarder, to get a brake line of the right length and the bolts to fit the connecting rod. The first practice session goes out at 09:00 and I know we have only 30 minutes left or so, since I am in group 4.
Group 3 goes out and the bike is ready, I ride to the inspection center to finally pass inspection and there is no time to fit tyre warmers, meaning that the only practice session that I will have will be on cold tyres. Can't wait.

We push Aghostina (white ZXR400 1995) to life and I hit the track, the bike moves too much, I'm cold and tired, engine and tyres are cold, sub-optimal conditions in short, but I do not care, I am riding at Donington Park and nothing can ruin my mood!

Red flag.

I bring the bike back to the pits and we start getting ready for the qualifying session, as I am a rookie this is the worst case scenario, I would have liked to try a few modifications on Friday, but we will have to work with what we have. The lap time does notlie, I am starting 18th overall and 11th of my class, there is work to do.

Race 1:
During the warm up lap the quick shifter is cutting out, a major problem, as I could have an interruption in engine power mid corner or worse, on the straight. There is no time to think, I have to line up. I manage a decent start and the bike feels better, I get into a good rhythm and I complete a few passes, the shifter works correctly up to the last lap, where I lose precious time on the main straight, where the shifter stops working completely, I bring the bike back safe without losing positions, meaning there was a good gap behind me. I know where I have to improve and more work awaits.

Oliver starts working on the bike immediately, we shorten the gear ratio, to have better drive out of the old hairpin and the bike gets ripped apart, as we have to work on the loom, to see where the problem with the shifter is, meaning fairings, tank, carburettors and airbox off. We find a problem and we put the bike back together.
Oliver is a great mechanic and we find a couple of reasons why the quick shifter might be not working correctly but when the going gets tough, the tough get going so Roy shows up to land a hand.

Roy is one of the nicest and most experienced people in the paddock, he is a true lover of the sport, having worked at the highest racing levels as a mechanic. The old fart also holds a lap record at Snetterton so he is bloody fast too! I hope that one day I'll be like him.
This was his first race back after a long time and it was a real pleasure to see him riding again! Go #7!!

On Saturday there is usually a Newcomers 500 race, where I could have done well, but not at Donington Park, as the schedule is packed tight.

Sunday's weather predictions are all over the place and some riders are rushing to get their rain tyres fitted as the grey sky releases a few drizzles, comically, the sky becomes briefly blue only thanks to the 2 stroke classes' help.

Race 2:
I get a good start and have a bit of a pride battle with a 600, even if we are not in the same class. It's important for me to get some clear track in front of me so that I can workon my lines and improve my riding. The lap times are improving, I can feel it!
I am breaking later and carrying more speed into fast corners, where the most time can be gained.

I should have mentioned earlier that I have already had a bad experience here at Donnington last year, where I lost the front at Craner Curves, a tricky downhill left hander (6th gear) that is so infamous that it has its own club, the Craner's Club.

I feel that there is time to be gained there and I am lucky enough to be able to follow Pete for a lap, finally understanding what I was doing wrong.

Pete rides a VFR400 and races the number 48, he is currently leading the championship of our class, the F400.
More troubles from the quick shifter, I am making sure it's not rider error by keeping my foot well away from the lever, I am sure the sensor is cutting power, even when the lever is not pressed.

Time to remove the bloody shifter. Poor Aghostina gets naked again and we chop the loom a bit, Oliver kicks into gear and the bike is ready in no time.

Race 3:
I am starting 11th overall, and there is a particular corner where I want to improve, I gather myself and imagine the corner coming up, I will try to downshift to third to have more drive coming out of it but it's risky, as I am already struggling to shift to fourth. I cannot wait to do the last race.
Lights on, lights off,launch! Not a great launch. I miss second and I get passed by 2 riders, one on the left and oneon the right. In a couple of corners I regain my position back butthe group of faster riders that I wanted to tag along with is gone, I ride alone for most of the race and I manage the best lap on the last lap of the last race, 3 seconds faster than qualifying, proving how important practice is.


I am not bringing home major points, having finished 9th, 8th and 9th of my class but I am a lot more confident, having learnt that I cannot let an year old crash have a negative impact on me, as long as I understood the cause.

Huge thanks to my beloved partner Raven #49, Rupert, a good friend that rode from London to watch me race, Oliver the master mechanic, Federico for the photos and videos, NG racing, and Roy, that helped me along the way with hours worth of phone calls.

See you at Anglesey on the 20-21-22 of September!

(Editor's note - Special thanks to Federico for the photos. His work is really impressive - take a look here...

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