TT1 4 Hour Endurance racing
- Thread starter KERMIT1200
- Start date
Best not to see where you're going, very much like the story Massimo Laverda would tell about Hans Hutten who was very short sighted and whose lap times were identical in thick fog or broad daylight.Takes big balls to be tearing around at race in the dark
Tom
"How do you do it?"
"I count. 23,24,25, turn left".
Paul
piranha-bro2
Hero member
- Location
- Melbourne
That's a great insight into the trials and tribulations of not only endurance racing, b ut racing in gen, I reckon. Bike seemed to be running beautifully, such a shame it hit the deck - I can't believe they perservered and rode it over the line!!
What class of bikes are they? Obviously Period, and with limitations (eg, carbs, rim width, treaded tyres). That night footage!!! Holy shaez!
What class of bikes are they? Obviously Period, and with limitations (eg, carbs, rim width, treaded tyres). That night footage!!! Holy shaez!
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Black background with white numbers indicates 'Maxi Classic' class . Back then I reckon that would have been bikes between 1982 to 1986. Also then there I dare say only 2 classes 'Classic' and 'Maxi Classic'. These days there are 5 classes . The 'Young Timer' class are running 1st generation R1 and K1 Suzuki's!
Tippie
Hero member
- Location
- Dr?bak, Norway
Show our age when GSXR is eligible for classic.
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Then they go and put someone like Danny Webb on a K1 Suzuki!
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Not me.
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Team gathered for the first time since Brands Hatch, at Darley Moor yesterday 22nd. This was testing, shake down for bike(after after a number of adjustments to the suspension, engine etc and for the riders. No heroics just settle the bike and me. Also gave Paul and Ben time to practise pit stops.
At the end of a long day everyone went away happy. Personally bike now handling a lot better, running smooth and powerful with very good exit speed out of corners.
My thanks go the team - Tony Jimenez (Co - Rider) , Paul Creasy, Andy Peacock, Ben Allen, Nick and Lorraine Alcock.
Thanks go to Nick for Video.
Next stop for team Paul Ricard 4 hour Endurance May 17-19 May.
At the end of a long day everyone went away happy. Personally bike now handling a lot better, running smooth and powerful with very good exit speed out of corners.
My thanks go the team - Tony Jimenez (Co - Rider) , Paul Creasy, Andy Peacock, Ben Allen, Nick and Lorraine Alcock.
Thanks go to Nick for Video.
Next stop for team Paul Ricard 4 hour Endurance May 17-19 May.
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Well time soon to ship out for Paul Ricard once again. On the ferry Tuesday 14th , at the circuit for 1300 Thursday 16th and meet up with rest of team.
Practise and qualifying Friday. Race kicks off at 2000 on the Saturday .
Preparation has gone well, bike running well. From testing at Darley Moor, engine feels strong and handling is improved over previous years.
The Team -
Riders - Tony Jimenez and myself
Pit Wall - Andy Peacock
Pit Men - Paul Creasy and Ben Allen
Photograher/Video - Lorraine and Nick Alcock
Yeah should have a video to show after the event!
Plan to give 110% but need to start and finish!!
After Paul Ricard our next event is at Pau Arnos July 12 - 14th . Any one fancy riding over after Breganze 75th would be great to see.
www.its-live.net
Andy
Practise and qualifying Friday. Race kicks off at 2000 on the Saturday .
Preparation has gone well, bike running well. From testing at Darley Moor, engine feels strong and handling is improved over previous years.
The Team -
Riders - Tony Jimenez and myself
Pit Wall - Andy Peacock
Pit Men - Paul Creasy and Ben Allen
Photograher/Video - Lorraine and Nick Alcock
Yeah should have a video to show after the event!
Plan to give 110% but need to start and finish!!
After Paul Ricard our next event is at Pau Arnos July 12 - 14th . Any one fancy riding over after Breganze 75th would be great to see.
ITS LIVE
www.its-live.net
Andy
Attachments
Andy J
Hero member
- Location
- Isle of Man
I hope you have a more successful trip than last year and it ain’t too hot!
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Hi all, Back Home!Well time soon to ship out for Paul Ricard once again. On the ferry Tuesday 14th , at the circuit for 1300 Thursday 16th and meet up with rest of team.
Practise and qualifying Friday. Race kicks off at 2000 on the Saturday .
Preparation has gone well, bike running well. From testing at Darley Moor, engine feels strong and handling is improved over previous years.
The Team -
Riders - Tony Jimenez and myself
Pit Wall - Andy Peacock
Pit Men - Paul Creasy and Ben Allen
Photograher/Video - Lorraine and Nick Alcock
Yeah should have a video to show after the event!
Plan to give 110% but need to start and finish!!
After Paul Ricard our next event is at Pau Arnos July 12 - 14th . Any one fancy riding over after Breganze 75th would be great to see.
ITS LIVE
Andy
We started and finished 4th in class. Big story to tell, will post once I have had time to sort things out. Team were mega, without them we wouldn't have finished! Thanks to them.
Andy
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Thanks Huey, Yeah the team found some speed between qualifying and the race. The team knocked off approx 7 to 8 seconds in the race compared to qualifying times.
Andy
Tippie
Hero member
- Location
- Dr?bak, Norway
Well done team 
Eagerly await the rundown.
Eagerly await the rundown.
hooksey
Hero member
- Location
- Vic , Australia
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
PAUL RICARD 2024
We drove onto the Newhaven – Dieppe ferry fully loaded with the TT F1, all the race kit + three sets of camping gear – the hire van was resting on its axles! I was with my brother-in-law (confusingly also called Andy) knowing we’d get virtually no sleep and would be on French soil at 5:30 am ready for a 480 mile drive to Saint Peray where we’d meet up with Nick & Lorraine on their Jota. Tony and Ben were taking the executive route doing a fly/drive to Marseille and Paul was riding his Guzzi down after attending the ‘Amicale’ rally. What could possibly go wrong...
Well the ‘adventure’ started before we sailed with a call from Paul asking for a lift as his Guzzi wouldn’t run in the heavy rain so we agreed to the 70 miles detour (though we couldn’t transport the bike).
A pizza with Nick and Lorraine followed by the sleep of the dead saw us up first thing heading to collect Paul after squeezing the hypermarket shop into the van. With Paul aboard along with more camping gear we started the last leg to the Circuit Paul Ricard.
Surprisingly all the team members were correct and present at the 13:00 rendezvous all that was left was to kick our heels waiting along with everyone else for passes to be issued, stickers to be stuck and wrist bands attached. We were allocated Garage 11 alongside other Brits’ Phase One, Classic Suzuki, SCERT Suzuki and Dynotec. Aside from ensuring the beer had arrived intact the first job was to bag a prime pit wall position with Andy P’s foot stool and pit board – mission accomplished!
The hustle and bustle continues as it’s best to get all the scrutineering ‘formalities’ done before catching your breathe. As you might imagine French scrutineering is not undertaken lightly, race kit checked for CE labels and plenty of ‘non’ and ‘c’est ne possible pas’ when the neutral light plug was declared ‘moist’ and a nyloc nut was identified as ‘needing lockwire’. Still as is the French way the uproar passed we gave assurances and returned back to the garage with a ‘passed’ sticker!
Friday dawns and opens with two, 20 minute sessions of free practice. We used this as a shakedown though we were already circulating faster than in 2023. As well as the engine and handling we also checked tyre pressures and fuel consumption. We decided to raise the front end to try and eliminate front-end oscillation and noted the improved lap times meant we were using more fuel than in 2023 - 5 litres per 20 minutes of track time meant a €200 fuel bill by the end of the weekend!!!).
There’s two qualifying sessions in the afternoon followed by a ‘night practice’ (the latter is for experience and doesn’t count towards qualifying) in the early evening for both riders. Both riders have to complete a minimum of 3 laps and be within 130% of the fastest time. Our 2.48 were adequate but we thought during the race we’d be under that.
Tony prefers that idle doesn’t drop below 2500 rpm so he always has drive through bends. We experimented with this but agreed to drop it back down to 1100 rpm after I over-shot the first bend because I lost engine breaking. We did hit a problem in that the gear lever cracked and needed replacement. Russell who owns ‘Phase One Endurance’ kindly lent us one which fitted after I’d drilled out the hole on the footrest hanger. This gear lever problem made us reflect that perhaps we were asking too much of the gearbox so agreed to use the clutch during the race.
Whilst fettling the footrest we also noticed that the two long bolts holding the starter motor cover, were loose, one was even sitting on the top crankcase! A lucky discovery which might otherwise have killed the starter motor.
Night practice is always special. You know that you’ve qualified so can just enjoy the experience of racing around in the dark while Andy on the pit wall gets used to spotting the Laverda lights with a green LED strip to aid identification. A good end to the day with everyone looking forward to race day.
Saturday is race day and time drags until the 19:30 start. Aside from double checking the bike we have to decide our ‘race strategy’. You collect points for making half and full distance. Over the four hours you have five mandatory pit stops – you don’t have to fuel every time but the rider must get off the bike. Most teams fuel during a mandatory stop. We decided to run two, one hour sessions then revert to ½ hour sessions. We’d start with 17.5 litres of fuel which should give a contingency of 2 litres.
The start is always a nervous affair – 19:40 we’re given the 5 minute warning to leave the pits and take up grid position followed by a ‘Le Mans start’ for the warm up lap. I run and start only for some fool to walk to in front of the bike. I stall...but then am away.
Tension builds for the actual start as now you’re down to just one person holding the bike. I run but its strange but my legs feel like they don’t want to, on the bike, fired her up and we’re away. 17.5 litres of fuel is a weight so it takes 3 laps to settle all the time watching the start/finish clock counting down for Tony to take over at 2:59.
I’m in the groove the Laverda is flying it feels easy somehow, exhilarating as I smash my personal best lap time! Brake hard at the end of the start/finish straight drop down to 4th gear, throw it left into the bend. Left knee slider kisses the rumble strips on the inside, hold 4th, round the right hander than pin throttle to the next right hander. Drop two gears. Feeling comfortable, engine feels good. The Mistral straight has a chicane these days and at the end of the second section I’m holding 5th gear into the right hander, just feathering the throttle. Yes! Yes! Er no...
... approaching the double apex right handed bend ( De Beausset) drop her into 4th holding revs low. Drift wide looking for the second apex, track tightens and I’m down, sparks showering off the right handlebar!!!!!!!!!!!!.Later having checked my lap times the previous 7 laps were all within 1 second of each other. I hung on trying to limit damage and remember thinking they’re going to kill me when I get back to the pits. The wheels hit the rumble strips on the outside of circuit, the bike is ripped out of my hands, flips and smashes down on its left side. I’m still sliding towards the bike tyre but luckily we both stop. Marshall checks I’m okay and the bike is put behind a barrier. I’m immediately assessing the damage - right peg bent, fairing and dash lop-sided, bars twisted, clutch master cylinder reservoir smashed with all the fluid gone. The pits are ½ mile away as the crow flies but 2 miles via the circuit. Now I’m not unfit but I knew I wouldn’t be able to push it home. Remarkably the Laverda starts and despite the clutch found a gear and made it to the next Marshall post where I get stopped with one Marshall trying to get me to ride across the live track (!) but another saying ‘VAN?’ I said ‘Oui!’ and we’re off.
Dropped at the start of the pits with our garage was at the other end (naturally). I’m still in a daze but instinct takes over and I start to push...Apparently, I looked like a punch-drunk boxer as everyone wanted to know if I was okay and Lorraine offering water. All I wanted was to fix the bike.
The team were fantastic no one was throwing the towel in! Everyone picked an item to fix - Paul fitted the spare clutch master cylinder, Nick and I worked on replacing the cracked alternator cover, Ben worked with Tony to bend the fairing frame and right hand footrest back into shape, Andy rushed to the van to source spares.
Everyone in the garage was on our side. Time was ticking down. As we worked at an increasingly furious pace it all started to come together with even the scrutineer offering advice:
‘You must have two lights’ (fixed with a fuse)
‘You need a brake guard’ (loaned by SCERT)
‘Just put something in the end of the right hand bar’ (broken clutch guard bung ‘persuaded’ to fit)
Finally the secondary carbon weave alternator cover had a big hole in it - to be honest I thought we’d had it. I think the scrutineer realised we were scratching our heads – he just said ‘America!!!’ – WE SAID ‘CAFFER TAPE’ ‘Oui’ - we taped it up and he declared ‘Let’s Race!’
Tony went out and I’d like to report how he came from last, tore through the field to take the chequered flag pulling a monumental wheelie but we’d forgotten to turn on the petrol and after he rolled to a stop and opened the taps fuel came flooding out of the middle carb... The Van dropped him off at the top of pit lane, I met him, he was OK so I grabbed the bike and for the second time and pushed it down to garage. By now, not finishing was not an option – float bowl dropped, checked and replaced and Tony’s back out lapping at qualifying speed on what he later described as a ‘bus’ – brilliant.
Oil was weeping from the ‘gaffered’ alternator cover. I wanted to get my confidence back so took it back out - the front end had a strange twisted feel, time to take it steady and bring it home. As I circulated the team determined that the aim had moved to securing a finish which would give us the most points. The plan was a leisurely pit stop and then for Tony to cruise the final five laps to bring it home – albeit with a well oiled right boot!
We drove onto the Newhaven – Dieppe ferry fully loaded with the TT F1, all the race kit + three sets of camping gear – the hire van was resting on its axles! I was with my brother-in-law (confusingly also called Andy) knowing we’d get virtually no sleep and would be on French soil at 5:30 am ready for a 480 mile drive to Saint Peray where we’d meet up with Nick & Lorraine on their Jota. Tony and Ben were taking the executive route doing a fly/drive to Marseille and Paul was riding his Guzzi down after attending the ‘Amicale’ rally. What could possibly go wrong...
Well the ‘adventure’ started before we sailed with a call from Paul asking for a lift as his Guzzi wouldn’t run in the heavy rain so we agreed to the 70 miles detour (though we couldn’t transport the bike).
A pizza with Nick and Lorraine followed by the sleep of the dead saw us up first thing heading to collect Paul after squeezing the hypermarket shop into the van. With Paul aboard along with more camping gear we started the last leg to the Circuit Paul Ricard.
Surprisingly all the team members were correct and present at the 13:00 rendezvous all that was left was to kick our heels waiting along with everyone else for passes to be issued, stickers to be stuck and wrist bands attached. We were allocated Garage 11 alongside other Brits’ Phase One, Classic Suzuki, SCERT Suzuki and Dynotec. Aside from ensuring the beer had arrived intact the first job was to bag a prime pit wall position with Andy P’s foot stool and pit board – mission accomplished!
The hustle and bustle continues as it’s best to get all the scrutineering ‘formalities’ done before catching your breathe. As you might imagine French scrutineering is not undertaken lightly, race kit checked for CE labels and plenty of ‘non’ and ‘c’est ne possible pas’ when the neutral light plug was declared ‘moist’ and a nyloc nut was identified as ‘needing lockwire’. Still as is the French way the uproar passed we gave assurances and returned back to the garage with a ‘passed’ sticker!
Friday dawns and opens with two, 20 minute sessions of free practice. We used this as a shakedown though we were already circulating faster than in 2023. As well as the engine and handling we also checked tyre pressures and fuel consumption. We decided to raise the front end to try and eliminate front-end oscillation and noted the improved lap times meant we were using more fuel than in 2023 - 5 litres per 20 minutes of track time meant a €200 fuel bill by the end of the weekend!!!).
There’s two qualifying sessions in the afternoon followed by a ‘night practice’ (the latter is for experience and doesn’t count towards qualifying) in the early evening for both riders. Both riders have to complete a minimum of 3 laps and be within 130% of the fastest time. Our 2.48 were adequate but we thought during the race we’d be under that.
Tony prefers that idle doesn’t drop below 2500 rpm so he always has drive through bends. We experimented with this but agreed to drop it back down to 1100 rpm after I over-shot the first bend because I lost engine breaking. We did hit a problem in that the gear lever cracked and needed replacement. Russell who owns ‘Phase One Endurance’ kindly lent us one which fitted after I’d drilled out the hole on the footrest hanger. This gear lever problem made us reflect that perhaps we were asking too much of the gearbox so agreed to use the clutch during the race.
Whilst fettling the footrest we also noticed that the two long bolts holding the starter motor cover, were loose, one was even sitting on the top crankcase! A lucky discovery which might otherwise have killed the starter motor.
Night practice is always special. You know that you’ve qualified so can just enjoy the experience of racing around in the dark while Andy on the pit wall gets used to spotting the Laverda lights with a green LED strip to aid identification. A good end to the day with everyone looking forward to race day.
Saturday is race day and time drags until the 19:30 start. Aside from double checking the bike we have to decide our ‘race strategy’. You collect points for making half and full distance. Over the four hours you have five mandatory pit stops – you don’t have to fuel every time but the rider must get off the bike. Most teams fuel during a mandatory stop. We decided to run two, one hour sessions then revert to ½ hour sessions. We’d start with 17.5 litres of fuel which should give a contingency of 2 litres.
The start is always a nervous affair – 19:40 we’re given the 5 minute warning to leave the pits and take up grid position followed by a ‘Le Mans start’ for the warm up lap. I run and start only for some fool to walk to in front of the bike. I stall...but then am away.
Tension builds for the actual start as now you’re down to just one person holding the bike. I run but its strange but my legs feel like they don’t want to, on the bike, fired her up and we’re away. 17.5 litres of fuel is a weight so it takes 3 laps to settle all the time watching the start/finish clock counting down for Tony to take over at 2:59.
I’m in the groove the Laverda is flying it feels easy somehow, exhilarating as I smash my personal best lap time! Brake hard at the end of the start/finish straight drop down to 4th gear, throw it left into the bend. Left knee slider kisses the rumble strips on the inside, hold 4th, round the right hander than pin throttle to the next right hander. Drop two gears. Feeling comfortable, engine feels good. The Mistral straight has a chicane these days and at the end of the second section I’m holding 5th gear into the right hander, just feathering the throttle. Yes! Yes! Er no...
... approaching the double apex right handed bend ( De Beausset) drop her into 4th holding revs low. Drift wide looking for the second apex, track tightens and I’m down, sparks showering off the right handlebar!!!!!!!!!!!!.Later having checked my lap times the previous 7 laps were all within 1 second of each other. I hung on trying to limit damage and remember thinking they’re going to kill me when I get back to the pits. The wheels hit the rumble strips on the outside of circuit, the bike is ripped out of my hands, flips and smashes down on its left side. I’m still sliding towards the bike tyre but luckily we both stop. Marshall checks I’m okay and the bike is put behind a barrier. I’m immediately assessing the damage - right peg bent, fairing and dash lop-sided, bars twisted, clutch master cylinder reservoir smashed with all the fluid gone. The pits are ½ mile away as the crow flies but 2 miles via the circuit. Now I’m not unfit but I knew I wouldn’t be able to push it home. Remarkably the Laverda starts and despite the clutch found a gear and made it to the next Marshall post where I get stopped with one Marshall trying to get me to ride across the live track (!) but another saying ‘VAN?’ I said ‘Oui!’ and we’re off.
Dropped at the start of the pits with our garage was at the other end (naturally). I’m still in a daze but instinct takes over and I start to push...Apparently, I looked like a punch-drunk boxer as everyone wanted to know if I was okay and Lorraine offering water. All I wanted was to fix the bike.
The team were fantastic no one was throwing the towel in! Everyone picked an item to fix - Paul fitted the spare clutch master cylinder, Nick and I worked on replacing the cracked alternator cover, Ben worked with Tony to bend the fairing frame and right hand footrest back into shape, Andy rushed to the van to source spares.
Everyone in the garage was on our side. Time was ticking down. As we worked at an increasingly furious pace it all started to come together with even the scrutineer offering advice:
‘You must have two lights’ (fixed with a fuse)
‘You need a brake guard’ (loaned by SCERT)
‘Just put something in the end of the right hand bar’ (broken clutch guard bung ‘persuaded’ to fit)
Finally the secondary carbon weave alternator cover had a big hole in it - to be honest I thought we’d had it. I think the scrutineer realised we were scratching our heads – he just said ‘America!!!’ – WE SAID ‘CAFFER TAPE’ ‘Oui’ - we taped it up and he declared ‘Let’s Race!’
Tony went out and I’d like to report how he came from last, tore through the field to take the chequered flag pulling a monumental wheelie but we’d forgotten to turn on the petrol and after he rolled to a stop and opened the taps fuel came flooding out of the middle carb... The Van dropped him off at the top of pit lane, I met him, he was OK so I grabbed the bike and for the second time and pushed it down to garage. By now, not finishing was not an option – float bowl dropped, checked and replaced and Tony’s back out lapping at qualifying speed on what he later described as a ‘bus’ – brilliant.
Oil was weeping from the ‘gaffered’ alternator cover. I wanted to get my confidence back so took it back out - the front end had a strange twisted feel, time to take it steady and bring it home. As I circulated the team determined that the aim had moved to securing a finish which would give us the most points. The plan was a leisurely pit stop and then for Tony to cruise the final five laps to bring it home – albeit with a well oiled right boot!
KERMIT1200
Hero member
- Location
- Worcester,UK
Of course we followed the plan with the pit-crew delivering a lightning stop and Tony showboating a series of personal best laps! As he completed the slowing down lap to return to Parc Fermee we were jumping off the walls, the marshals were cheering the Laverda home and the French scrutineer was beaming from ear to ear!
This ladies and gentlemen is endurance racing at its best – overcoming adversity through teamwork, determination, ingenuity and adrenalin! The results showed a fourth place but in our hearts we’d won...and then some!
WELL DONE TEAM. This endurance racing certainly gets the old pumper going.
Next race PAU ARNOS 12-14th July.
This ladies and gentlemen is endurance racing at its best – overcoming adversity through teamwork, determination, ingenuity and adrenalin! The results showed a fourth place but in our hearts we’d won...and then some!
WELL DONE TEAM. This endurance racing certainly gets the old pumper going.
Next race PAU ARNOS 12-14th July.
Jo
Hero member
- Location
- Cologne, NRW Germany
Thanks for your report!
I found some information on the www which I would like to share:
Sunday Ride Classic @ Paul Ricard May 2024
I found some information on the www which I would like to share:
Sunday Ride Classic @ Paul Ricard May 2024