Traveled up to watch this one with ‘mad’ Jack Twentyman and his boy Paddy. Nice weather and a lovely warm day greeted us as we arrived at the Devon track, and got parked up right next to Phil Harris’s super duper motor home. Not only that, but also the other lads that had traveled up as well were parked the other side of it, so we had a good little crowd of us, Andy Smith, Steve Jose, Adam Blake, Phil, ’mad’ Jack, yours truly, and also Rob Ellick, Paul Ford, and Rich Batstone. DRAGONS DEN, now that’s what Rich Batstone is gonna be on this year! Why? I’ll tell you why, after breaking his nozzle of his fast fill fuel can, he invented a system which works just as well and looks a million dollars ( I don’t think) from a washing machine hose! Rich reckons it’s going to catch on, so if you see someone in the car park selling washing machine hoses at your next local enduro event, it’ll be him and not a sales rep from Zanussi or Hotpoint.
Next it was off to have a little peak down at the start line and to get a riders list from Debbie Tucker who was signing everybody on. Hubby Mark was also there and looking like a farmer on his big 4x4 quad whilst having a bit of a break from his duties of clerk of the course. Also bumped into the Hull’s who were out in force, dad Kev doing the pit duties with his 2 sons James and Dan who were both riding today. Gary ‘nothing gets in my way’ Mcoy was also in attendence and probably reminiscing about last years event when the b*stard run over my bike and put a bloody hole through my fuel tank! Well he wasn’t going to do it this year was he? Cause I ain’t riding today, no wonder he looked disappointed when I spoke to him!
So after everybody had got changed it was off down to the start, and once all the riders had got away I took a hike with Paddy and walked to one of the expert routes and waited for the leaders to come through, nice one it was too, a steep loose rutted stoney climb, bound to get a few in trouble I thought, and it bloody well did!
Phil Harris came a cropper on it and slid back down to the bottom and had to make a 2nd attempt to get up it, and Richard Batstone slid off line and got pinned against a tree, I had to come to the rescue and help him get back upright and get back down to the bottom so he could have another go, no probs 2nd time for him. I helped a few riders who’d got stuck on the hill for a couple of laps and then made my way back up to the pit area.
You could tell who was leading the race by this time, simply because you could hear his exhaust 3 miles away! It was none other than Rich Tucker who’d managed to put a hole in it, down on power I expect, but he was still pulling away from the field. Whilst looking at the riders who I knew come by, I suddenly thought, where’s Jack? 30 mins later and still no Jack. Whoops! me thinks something’s happened to him, and sure enough it had as finally he turned up back at the pits with brake problems and decided to pull out. The things was is that he said he was going home there and then, so I had no bloody lift back home! Come in my saviour, Phil Harris, I quickly asked him weather he could give us a lift back when he done his pit stop, good lad he said no probs, that meant I could stay and help a few lads in the pits for their pit stop.
From here on in I pretty much stayed around the lap scoring / pit area having a chat to Kev Hull, good it was too, as yards from the end of the lap the riders came up a hill and up a nice little jump. Full marks must go to Gavin Hunt for one legged showboating when getting some nice air and for Rich Tucker who simply got some of the biggest air time of all the riders on every lap. Must say that old stalwart Arthur Johnson on his Gasser 300 must have been one of the fastest up that straight which led back into the woods immediately after going through the transponders, he was flying on it, no doubt due to the fact that I was ‘egging’ him on and gesturing to him to ‘give it loads’!
At the end of it all I actually got on a bike and rode!!!!!!! Andy Smith gave us his 250 4 banger to take back, Ok, it was only a trip up the lane and back to the vans but it was nice to get on a bike again, even though it still hurt my flamin elbow!
So back at the vans the usual banter and hard luck stories flew around before going back down to check the days results (nice one Exmoor for getting them out so quick) before it was off back home with Phil and Andy. Big thanks to them to go out of their way and for dropping me off at Jacks place at such short notice.
A good day out today, good organization and a cracking course to go with it.
Next it was off to have a little peak down at the start line and to get a riders list from Debbie Tucker who was signing everybody on. Hubby Mark was also there and looking like a farmer on his big 4x4 quad whilst having a bit of a break from his duties of clerk of the course. Also bumped into the Hull’s who were out in force, dad Kev doing the pit duties with his 2 sons James and Dan who were both riding today. Gary ‘nothing gets in my way’ Mcoy was also in attendence and probably reminiscing about last years event when the b*stard run over my bike and put a bloody hole through my fuel tank! Well he wasn’t going to do it this year was he? Cause I ain’t riding today, no wonder he looked disappointed when I spoke to him!
So after everybody had got changed it was off down to the start, and once all the riders had got away I took a hike with Paddy and walked to one of the expert routes and waited for the leaders to come through, nice one it was too, a steep loose rutted stoney climb, bound to get a few in trouble I thought, and it bloody well did!
Phil Harris came a cropper on it and slid back down to the bottom and had to make a 2nd attempt to get up it, and Richard Batstone slid off line and got pinned against a tree, I had to come to the rescue and help him get back upright and get back down to the bottom so he could have another go, no probs 2nd time for him. I helped a few riders who’d got stuck on the hill for a couple of laps and then made my way back up to the pit area.
You could tell who was leading the race by this time, simply because you could hear his exhaust 3 miles away! It was none other than Rich Tucker who’d managed to put a hole in it, down on power I expect, but he was still pulling away from the field. Whilst looking at the riders who I knew come by, I suddenly thought, where’s Jack? 30 mins later and still no Jack. Whoops! me thinks something’s happened to him, and sure enough it had as finally he turned up back at the pits with brake problems and decided to pull out. The things was is that he said he was going home there and then, so I had no bloody lift back home! Come in my saviour, Phil Harris, I quickly asked him weather he could give us a lift back when he done his pit stop, good lad he said no probs, that meant I could stay and help a few lads in the pits for their pit stop.
From here on in I pretty much stayed around the lap scoring / pit area having a chat to Kev Hull, good it was too, as yards from the end of the lap the riders came up a hill and up a nice little jump. Full marks must go to Gavin Hunt for one legged showboating when getting some nice air and for Rich Tucker who simply got some of the biggest air time of all the riders on every lap. Must say that old stalwart Arthur Johnson on his Gasser 300 must have been one of the fastest up that straight which led back into the woods immediately after going through the transponders, he was flying on it, no doubt due to the fact that I was ‘egging’ him on and gesturing to him to ‘give it loads’!
At the end of it all I actually got on a bike and rode!!!!!!! Andy Smith gave us his 250 4 banger to take back, Ok, it was only a trip up the lane and back to the vans but it was nice to get on a bike again, even though it still hurt my flamin elbow!
So back at the vans the usual banter and hard luck stories flew around before going back down to check the days results (nice one Exmoor for getting them out so quick) before it was off back home with Phil and Andy. Big thanks to them to go out of their way and for dropping me off at Jacks place at such short notice.
A good day out today, good organization and a cracking course to go with it.
