Cheering Ben McConnachie on at Cadwell Park 25.8.08

[grotbag]

The before and after my Cadwell Park experience!


Before

My only experience of watching motorbike racing was going to watch The Vikings at Hull Speedway some 20 odd years ago at the Boulevard Stadium in Hull. Then I've watched some on the telly and that's it! So I went to Cadwell sort of expecting something like that as a spectator in the crowd but seeing the kind of racing like you do on the telly. I was driving there alone so I googled the route and the Circuit which looked quite small and compact.

So off I set with my googled directions in good time to get there mid morning while the warm up's were still taking place. I did ok getting to Louth (even if I did forget to get my return bridge ticket!) and knowing I wasn't far from the circuit I was expecting to see bikes, lots of them and I did see the odd one or two but going the other way. Driving along the road the circuit was on I almost had a panic attack as I saw the first diversion sign I've done diversions before, ended up miles from where I wanted to be to find a direction sign to get my location on the map to carry on in the right direction but where was my map today? Yep, at home on the dining room table.

Another diversion ahead sign and then another one with all traffic to turn right, Cadwell Park only - straight on. Phew that was such a relief, then it occurred to me that maybe this is the norm around a race track? Happily following these yellow signs which now had a copper or two stood near them and looking to see if the coppers were starting to look younger I missed the writing one the next sign, oh well there will be another one I thinks to myself and there was, cars keep to the left side and bike's keep right side of the road. Then I came to the car park and parked up where I was told, half an hour later than google said I would be.

I could see a stand from the car so thinking the race track couldn't be far away I decided to leave my big jacket in the car and come back for it if it rained. So following other people who seemed to know where they were going I arrived at a tent which you had to go through as the entrance to the track. I had noticed as I was walking that a few people were turning away from the tent and walking away along the long fence beside a road that seemed to go for miles and that was when I saw all of the bikes There was hundreds of them and as I turned away I glanced back at the car park and saw from the direction I had walked from that I was parked somewhere between block 71 and 72 hundreds of car too!

My plan was to wander along and find the pit's and then call Ian, Ben's dad who was expecting me and had very kindly offered to take me to the pits where I could see Ben and his bike but a quick glance over the road at the hustle and bustle of people riding about on scooters, pedestrians, the sea of bikes, vans awnings etc told me that I could be wandering around here for quite some time!

Ian came along on a scooter and very kindly gave me a lift to the pits, which I might add was a fair distance from the 'tent' entrance and sounds quite straightforwards but trust me when I say I wasn't! Crowds of people milling about and sauntering along mixed with bikes and scooters moving through them made this moving obstacle course something which needs to be seen and experienced to appreciate it and the skillful way Ian picked his way along - wow! At the pits I met Manky Cat and Scudnut, two smashing guys but more about them later!

Ian made me a very welcome cuppa and I met Ben and had a look at his bike which was smaller than I had expected and straight away I felt good because I didn't have to ask why the tires had covers on them, I knew from reading threads in the forum (thanks you guys ) we had a chat about the bike and the firings which were waiting to go back on number 49 after another chap (who's name I've forgotten and do apologise to you if your reading) the mechanic was finishing off some work on it.

We met Jewson and had a chat before moving off to watch some racing and let Ben and Ian get ready for his race. There was a sort of carnival atmosphere, the smells are difficult to describe and everyone was friendly too. After stopping in a few places, Manky found us a nice spot near The Mountain a stretch were we watched them race around the bends before they whizzed past us. This was the spot were we watched Ben's race, Jewson joined us and we saw Ben race by and watched out for him on the next lap but you only have to blink at the wrong time and you've missed them so we just assumed that's what had happened, but still no Ben and the commentator mentioned him but the sound of the bikes dround out what he was saying so we only heard Ben's name, we watched the rest of the race but still no Ben so after the race we all decided to go and find out what had happened and find out if he was ok.

When we got back to the Repli-Cast pit's Ian was sat waiting to hear if his son was Ok. I felt awful, it must been 20 - 30 minutes since we first realized that Ben was out of the race but it must have felt like forever for Ian. Not long after Ben came walking up with the mechanic pushing the bike with a buckled front wheel, and that pristine faring I had seen earlier all smashed although the engine he said, seemed Ok. Turned out that someone in front had come off on the 1st lap and that was the end of Ben's race too, he was gutted

Like Scud said in his post, we've seen some of the prep from just one day, but I'll bet there's a great deal more done in the two preceding day. We were all disappointed for Ben, Ian, Gary and the mechanic who had worked hard and got the bike tip top and ready to go.

Then the deeper sounds of the superbikes, we watched them from outside the bar just before Halls Bend and wow do they go! Well that is until something happens and the race is stopped - twice! After this race the people in front of us moved away so we were able to get right up to the fence and boy what a sight it was. It was at this point that it hit me just how big a spectacle this was. The spread of people was fanominal, every available space all around the track both sides as far as I could see was just full of people!

Then the Yamaha R1 Cup riders were on the track, as they went by, all with white farings and only one with blue I thought to myself hmmmmm I'll bet a white one win's this! Something else I learned was that the overall leader has a blue faring! From our new vantage point I could see the track from just past the bend after the Chicane to Halls Bend and the other side of the track from Podium to the rise just past the Coppice where they get up to around 160MPH and as the race gets through the lap's and the riders start to spread out, more bikes are visible for most of the time, before they vanish behind the tree's to the unseeable parts of the circuit behind all of the trees.

Manky Cat and Scudnut pointed out the direction where their car was and it was miles away!! We went back to say bye and thank the guy's for a truly fantastic day. and headed our separate way's homeward bound.


After

I walked for about 15 - 20 minutes back to my car, passed sooooo many bikes, all shapes, sizes, brands and ages. I learned lots at Cadwell Park and later at home reading the programme. We only saw a very small fraction of the circuit, the place is huge and you don't smell the smell's, see all of the sights and everything else on the telly. You can buy your kit and riding gear etc, you can be walking along a pass a rider scooting along on a bike who's just finished racing as we did and Jewson told us who he was (and I've forgotten his name - sorry!). Starting grid position is more important than I had realized, the further to the front, the less chance of being obstructed in accidents. Everyone I met was great and any questions I asked were answered so that I understood.

The main thing that I learned from Cadwell Park is YOU'VE GOT TO BE THERE!

Manky Cat and Scudnut have been bitten by the bug and I'm afraid to say ... so have I ........ see you at Brands Hatch in October you guys!


P.S. Although I'm a great fan of google, I also learned to take a google's route planner with a pinch of salt - 2 hours there but my own route home, just over an hour!




There are some of Jewson's pictures of Ben during his race in this thread Ben @ Cadwell Park. .

There's some pictures of Ben's bike here from Spree
Ben McConnachie - Oulton Park 20th July 2008 - short report
The only difference when I saw it was the tyre warmers were on.

[grotbag]

From The mountain


On the far side, the start of the Yamaha R1 Cup


... and here they come up this side


Look just below the tree line ....

[Jewson]

Hi GB. . Glad you enjoyed yourself. . I have tried to tell the blokes who I work with about the atmosphere at the meetings but no one believes me. . It really is something that you have to experience for yourself. . I got bitten by the bug 2 years ago. . and still get a buzz when driving to the various circuts ..

Coming over the mountain towards the clubhouse where you were standing. .

[jonnywombat]

Cracking write up GB.. you clearly had a wicked time.

[grotbag]

It's great isn't it, I was buzzing for hours and hours .... actually I still am!


That's a cracking picture, it's the spot where there's that little hump that flick's them up off the track isn't it?


Would I be right in saying that's John McGuiness?

[grotbag]

Aww it was awsome jonny, I never expected it to be like it was, 100% better than I had thought it was going to be


Have you been to any?

[FirestormMike]

Originally Posted by grotbag

That's a cracking picture, it's the spot where there's that little hump that flick's them up off the track isn't it?

That little hump called "the mountain"
Did you watch them in practice ? I've been before when they've been seeing who can get the most air, it's spectacular.

Hopefully getting to Croft in a few weeks (funds depending), it's just up the road from me.

[Jewson]

Originally Posted by grotbag

It's great isn't it, I was buzzing for hours and hours .... actually I still am!
Would I be right in saying that's John McGuiness?

You are correct. . It is John ..

Seems like you will be going again .. and again . .and again. .

[druidsam]

looks like everyone had a good day then its a good day out and not only because of the superbikes



..............................Sam

[Manky Cat]

Yep, gotta say a good time was had by all. It was nice to meet Ben & the team, though sadly Ben got took out by another rider in the race at "Gooseneck". Grots, loved your company girl, love to see you at Brands in october?

This was my first experience & I have to say not the last, just seeing all the bikes that showed up on the day was an event all by itself There was such a buzz about the place, the sights, sounds and smells just cannot be understood or felt from watching it on the T.V so if you get the chance you have to go guy's.