Updated Calendar 2010
for CRMC Events
Pembrey
April - 03/04 – Easter Sat/SunMallory Park May - 2
Darley Moor May - 15/16
Knockhill June - 12/13
Anglesey July - 10/11
Donnington Park August - 13/14/15
“Despite the F1 problems at Donington as far as
the CRMC is concerned we have
a 3 day meeting there with a 4 race programme.
Should there be any changes to this date or any other in the
calendar it will be posted here immediately.”
Snetterton September - 11/12 – 30th anniversary of CRMC
racing.
Cadwell
Park October - 09/10 – Race of the year meeting.
Click on the Circuit Name to visit the CRMC Site for Directions
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Cadwell write up now on Diary Page
Photos also posted in the Photo Gallery
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Chris finishes the season 3rd in the 1300 Nationals
A huge success for just his second season of racing Chris finished 3rd in the 1300cc CRMC National Championship, Lea Gourlay took the 1st position winning 5 out of the 6 rounds with Gary Thwaites taking a well deserved 2nd in the championship with a very convincing win at the Race of the Year meeting at Cadwell
A full write up of the season will be available soon on the diary page.
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2010 Provisional CRMC Calendar
Pembrey - April - 03/04 – Easter Sat/Sun
Lydden - April - 24/25
Darley Moor - May - 15/16
Knockhill - June - 12/13 – one week before Bob Mac at East Fortune.
Anglesey - July - 10/11
Donington - August - TBA
Snetterton - September - 11/12 – 30th anniversary of CRMC racing.
Cadwell - October - 09/10 – Race of the year meeting.
Yes that's eight meetings, great stuff.....
Next Meeting Cadwell Park 10th / 11th Oct
Last meeting of the season which means Championship Deciders. The championship's are decided on the Saturday with the Sunday having the Race of the Year Trophy Races. One of the feature races on Sunday is the Colin Breeze Memorial Race which will see the legendry Guy Martin competing on a Post Classic ex-factory XR69 998cc Suzuki, most peoples thoughts are who's going to be second but it will be a exciting race.
Chris is currently lying 2nd in the 1300 Nations just 1 point ahead of Gary Thwaites, so it's all to play for and as usual expect some ferocious battles on the beautiful Cadwell circuit......
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Snetterton write up now on the Diary Page
Snetterton Photos added to Photo Gallery Page
We are off to Sunny Snetterton
This weekend sees Chris racing with the CRMC at Snetterton, The meeting promises to be as fast and furious as we have now come to expect with the CRMC. For a cheap weekends entertainment get yourself along, it's only £12 entry and don't forget to pop and say hello we will be in garage number 24.......
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Bob Mellor is on the Salt
Aug 30th - Sept 3rd is the start of the BUB SPEED TRIALS a motorcycle only event at Bonneville Salt Flats
Tom's 69' Trident T150 has been stretched by a whopping 13 inches for this years event and re-geared. The hope is for a 201mph run which will blow his record of 159.905mph apart. Tom's fastest single run last year was a very impressive 180.317 mph. Tom is joined on the salt this year again by his wife Diane and his regular crew of Bob & Bob who are both running one of Tom's 1000cc triples.
A full write up will be posted soon after the event as Bob or Bob has promised to keep a diary for us of this years goings on...
2009 version of Tom's T150 2008 Bob Gosling. Bob Duncan (aka Red Boot) Tom & Diane Mellor.
A couple of links where you should be able to keep up with Tom, Bob & Bob's efforts on the salt - BUB SPEED TRIALS - LANDRACING
If anyone finds any other links / forums for the BUB Event please email the link over.....
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BEEZUMPH 18
Photos
from Beezumph 18 are now online, Derek Gallon from DJG-Photography
was out and about with his camera at Cadwell Park. To view the
galleries and purchase your favourite snaps
CLICK HERE
The journalist Frank Melling had a great session on Chris's bike and as soon as it's published we will place a link to the article.
The lead article can be found by CLICKING HERE
VMCC Lydden 1st / 2nd August
Flat Caps, Whippets & Oily Rags
Read all about Chris's outing with the VMCC ay Lydden Hill on the Diary Page..... New photos also on the Gallery Page
Video Page Updated 22nd July
New video added "The Best of British - Triumph) takes a look back at the history of Triumph and includes a lot of interviews and archive footage. At 1.15 hours long you'd better make a cuppa before sitting back and enjoying the nostalgia.
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Tom Mellor’s record-breaking 1969 Triumph Trident T150
Found this article written by Alan Cathcart and featured on the Motorcycles Classic web site. Tom Mellor's 1969 Trident T150 takes a speed record at Bonneville Salt Flats in 2008. At 159.905mph Toms Pushrod T150 is the fastest in the world, and guess what he still uses the bike for circuit racing. To read the full article CLICK HERE
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Brands Hatch write up now on the Diary Page
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Steve Parrish ticks one of life's boxes
Steve Parrish & Stan Woods
At Donington last year
Steve Parrish was wandering around the pit garages and came
across Chris Chapman’s 72 Rob North Trident, There was lots of
hummms and ahhhhs from Steve who not only liked the look of the bike
but commented on how well it fitted him. Steve also admitted that he
had never ridden a North so I said one day we will try and make it
happen.
Saturday at Brands Hatch Steve was stood next to me watching one of the races and asked if Chris had the North here, so on confirmation it was into garage No31 and Steve climbed aboard to see if the bike still felt as comfortable as before. “Yep, I’d sure like to try this out” so off I went to see what could be done, I bumped into Sally Russell (CRMC) as Gordon Russell (CRMC) was currently whizzing round the track, Sally outlined the procedure which involved letting 7 people know what we were going to do and after taking a look at my bewildered face said “well go on get on with it then” OK Sally was my reply and off I went in search of Steve Parrish, Gordon Russell, Graham Lawlor our commentator, the official starter, Sue Wale and of course race control.
Luckily for me on stepping out in to the pit lane more than half the people that I needed to speak with were assembled near the podium doing the presentations for the 500 King of Brands National Race.
All was arranged very quickly and thanks go out to Gordon Russell and Graham Lawlor for their part in running about. Mr Parrish strolled back up to our garage and asked “would you mind me sticking a bit of tape on the tank” no came the reply so on it went, out came the black marker pen and Steve wrote “1 DOWN” first time that I had seen a worried expression on Chris’s face all weekend, especially after Mr Parrish explained he was not used to a left hand British gear change.
So all was in place for Steve Parrish to start from the pit lane with Stan Woods on his 500 Yamaha immediately after the presentations for the 350 National Race. Stan Woods arrived about 15mins early as the 350 race was still in progress so I suggested he switch the Yamaha off and I will get a couple of guys to give him a bump start. Steve wandered over to chat with Stan and said “You’ve not ridden one of these before have you, so once you’ve been out on it you’ll then know how hard the likes of myself, Tait and Pickerel, had to work when we were racing them”
Off they went to do a couple of laps before the Classic Solo Parade bikes were let onto the track, Steve was very good for the first 2 laps and I was watching from pit lane next to Steve’s partner who by the 3rd lap lent over and said “I think he’s forgotten it’s only a parade” Steve had the bike singing and it looked like the pair were made for each other. Chris was thrilled as he had never heard his machine out on track before and judging by the way Steve was flying it might be said that he was smiling all the way down Paddock Hill.
The bike was finally returned to the garage and I did hear that Chris needed a crowbar to prise Steve off the North. A great time was had by all of our crew and visitors. So from Chris and myself we would like to pass on a huge thank you to the CRMC officials who made this happen.
Steve Parrish emailed me a couple of days later and I would like to pass his thoughts of the ride on to you.
“As
for the Triumph, I remember riding a road triple that belonged to a
rich friend in about 1971, thinking it was the fastest bike in the
world, & then hearing the bikes of Tait, Pickerel, Cooper at Mallory
whilst hanging over the armco, dreaming of racing myself. So I have
now thanks to you guys ticked another of life’s boxes.”
Best wishes Steve.
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Next Meeting Brands Hatch 11th / 12th July
Well were off for another hectic weekend at Brands this weekend, Chris is competing in 9 races including the fabulous Charlie Sanby Trophy Race.
Charlie's nephew, Scott Jackson-Jones, remembers his Uncle Charlie when he was struggling with cancer:
Towards the end of his life, one memory that sticks in my mind was when Charlie was meant to have meetings with the Vicar about what lay ahead. But Charlie kept postponing the meeting as he had a race to go to!... 2 days before he died, he rode his Seeley at Snetterton. He was last on the grid and was quite weak. For the first time ever, so I understand, he had to have help with pushing his bike on the grid. He rode the ride of his life, beat 2 ex- world champions and came third!!.... Amazing!
It just shows how committed a lot of riders are which is reflected in the quality of racing at the classic meets.
Chris and the North will be in pit box 31 so if you can make it down to sunny Kent then look us up and say hello.....
New Photos Added 29th June 09
New photos available on the Photo Gallery Page. Thanks to Derek Gallon of www.djg-photography.co.uk and Russell Lee of http://www.sport-pics.co.uk/2009gallery.htm Hats off to both of these guys as they spend all day track side to bring some of the best action shots around in Motorcycle Racing check out their sites to view thousands of photos from the world of classic racing.
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Donington write up now on the Diary Page
Well we made it back from an exhausting weekend of fast and furious action on the track. One of the highlights of the weekend was lining up 18 Triples on Saturday evening from the UK and Europe for a photo shoot. I've posted some video of this on the Video Page and there is a full write up on the weekends events on the Diary Page. Watch out over the next couple of days for all of the photos coming on the Gallery Pages.
Donington Park Revival Meeting 19th - 21st June
In this Golden Jubilee year for the Norton Owners Club, Norton Day is part of the Donington Park Revival weekend which features vintage racing by the CRMC on the Saturday and Sunday, preceded on the Friday by The Unapproachable Norton event. Check out their websites for more details but the treat on Friday is a zero noise limit day so everything Norton from 1903 to 2009 will be running around the track and paddock including the new NRV588. This should be the bike that Michael Dunlop is running in the TT fingers crossed as you may spot him on track....
The program for Chris over this weekend is a couple of practice sessions on the Friday with 4 races on Saturday which will be the 1300 Classics (7b) and the 1300 Post Classic (8a) followed on the Sunday with 2 races, the 1300 National (7c) and the CRMC Classic Open (14a) which Chris is currently lying in 2nd place. We are being joined again by Patrick Banfield and Gary Coward running their ex Haylock 750 North's which means an extra couple of races on the Saturday and possibly another race for them on the Sunday.
ATTENTION TR3OC RACERS.......
During the Donington Revival Meeting I would like to try and set up a photo session in Pit Lane on the Saturday straight after racing for TR3OC Members and their racing machines, if your going to be around then ping me an email john@k21.co.uk or catch me in the pit / paddock area during Friday or Saturday and I'll let you know times etc!
Look forward to seeing you all there...... John
British Super Mono Series
16th
of May whilst Chris and I were racing down to P&M's with the gearbox
in bits Andy Driver (TR3OC) was racing at Cadwell Park on his Road
Based Skorpion 760 in the British Supermono Series. We would just
like to say a huge CONGRATULATIONS on Andy's first class win. Andy
has been developing the bike over the last 2yrs and his hard work
looks to be paying off.
It would have been great to be there with "Billy No Mates Driver" as when we spoke on the phone he was drinking the celebratory champers all to himself. (Greedy Bugger) We keep leaning on Andy to get hold of a triple and join us on the classic circuit as we all feel he'd be one of the quick boys but in the meantime well done mate and we look forward to having a beer if you manage to get up to Donington or Brands.
Andy Driver with Mike (Spike) Edwards
Darley Moor 16th / 17th May
Well we finally lost the nice weather for this weekend as the heavens opened and stayed open for the duration.
The weekend was interesting as Gary Coward joined us. Gary is another prodigy from the TR3OC Beezumph track days and has decided to start racing with one of the ex - Haylock 750 Rob North's which is the sister bike to Patrick Banfield's machine, and quite by accident Patrick joined us which meant the 2 Haylock machines were re-united and on track together again.
A full report is now up on the Diary Page where you can read all about blown gearboxes and the hero's from west London.
Chris's North followed by Gary Coward's and Patrick Banfield's ex Haylock Machines
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Race 2 Video from Brands
Check out the video page to see the latest from Brands Hatch
New photos on the Photo Gallery Page
I had some feedback that Mac / Firefox users could not see the photo galleries, hopefully bug now fixed....
2 New Videos Added
2 new videos have been added to the video page which included some highlights of the 1st CRMC meeting of 2009 at Pembrey and Race 1 of the 1300cc Classic Open from the BMCRC (Bemsee) Centenary Meeting at Brands Hatch where Chris finished a very respectable second.
Bemsee Centenary Meeting at Brands
18th / 19th April. We booked this meeting just to get some extra competitive track time, and guess what! Only 2 races but 2 second places. Well done Chris and all concerned, What an absolutely FAB weekend. More on the Diary Page....
Pembrey & Sun, Sun, Sun....
The weekend of the 13th / 14th April was all blue skies and sunshine although bl###dy cold at night (must have the caravan for Darley Moor) The bike ran fantastically but discovered the fatter rear and rear tyre needs a good hard first lap to get some temperature into it..... See Diary Page for full report.
2009 Season Underway
April 20th
Well 2 weekends = 4 race days + 1 track day with the sun shining, whatever next!! The 2009 season looks like it's getting off to a nice start.
Tuesday the 7th we headed off to Brands Hatch to give the bike it's first run and shakedown since the rebuild, Chris had been burning the midnight oil for a couple of weeks spending most nights at the Hotel P&M and finally finishing the winter rebuild on Sunday leaving only 5 days before the first CRMC meeting at Pembrey.
Check out the Diary Page for more info on the track day and subsequent race meetings........
New Race Date
Chris has just booked to race at Brands Hatch in the British Motorcycle Racing Clubs Centenary Meeting on the 18th / 19th April. Chris will be running in the Classic Open 501- 1300 cc which should see a great line up of bikes from North's through to Sealey commandos, Vincent's etc! The class is open to bikes over 501cc manufactured between 1930 to 1974.
Race entries are now in for the CRMC events. Chris will be running in 3 championships 7B / 8A and the 1300 Nationals along side this there are a few feature races which means an average of 9 races per weekend (Busy Busy). Check out the Calendar Page for more details.
Bike Update
The North is still a regular visitor to it's second home over at P&M's but it is now starting to look like a race bike again with the rebuild nearly complete. Chris is hoping to get it over to Mallory before the end of the month for a good pre season shakedown, a full report from Chris is due soon so watch this space to learn of the changes to his machine that have taken shape over the winter months.
Croft Cancelled
Unfortunately the CRMC meeting at CROFT has been CANCELLED due to the outcome of the circuit owners loosing their appeal in court. (see story below) The CRMC has not been able to find a suitable venue to replace the August meeting but are organising a track day at Snetterton on the 16th August.
The only upside to this situation is that Chris may now make it to Cadwell for Beezumph 18 however the real downside is which circuit is next on the noise complainers hit list !!!!!!!
The Future of British Motor Racing Circuits !!!!!!!!
Croft racing circuit has been ordered to pay $1.2m after being found guilty of noise pollution. The ruling could result in the closure of the facility and could have knock-on effects on other racing circuits in Britain. This is disheartening considering that several UK circuits have court cases pending. The main point of this is that British Common law is based on precedent and legal decisions affect the law that is applied in future cases. If such a decision were to be applied to Donington Park there could be dangers for the British GP, British Superbikes and of course events such as run by the CRMC.
To read the full stories on this decision follow the links below:
Local Newspaper The Northern Echo Report CLICK HERE
The original Court Case Click Here
The LOST Appeal Click Here
As fans of Motorsport we find the decision to not allow the track owners to take this to a higher appeal court disgraceful. Our feelings go out to CROFT-PROMO-SPORT Ltd and hope that the circuit may continue to hold race meetings for years to come, however knowing how the the British IN Justice service works we must be prepared to see a number of circuits close during the coming seasons.
2009 Season Nearly Here
This season I am focusing on the CRMC Events and running in at least 3 different championships. If time and funds permit I would love to have a crack at one or two of the VMCC Events as they are running some different circuits to us this year.
I would like to thank everyone for their help and support during my Rookie Season in 2008 and look forward to seeing everyone again this year.
John Mitchell has given the web site a spring clean and I think you'll all agree it looks great with even more content than before. A couple of new pages have been included such as the page for the Trident & Rocket 3 Owners Club of which I am a long standing member. This years Beezumph looks like being another great weekend and if you don't own a triple don't worry all you need is an interest in classic bikes to attend. Keep an eye on their page for details.
I am very grateful to the club and a number of the members for offering me fantastic support with my newly found racing career, Cheers guys and hears to a brilliant 2009.
Bike Update
The Rob North is going through some changes at the moment, as some of you know the bike was producing a low down engine vibration at high sustained rev's which resulted in many cracked front exhaust pipes. P&Ms sorted the pipe problem out by converting them to being spring loaded but the vibration was still there.
So this winter it's a total strip down and get the crank re-balanced so I though well might as well take her up to high compression. This is quite an undertaking as it not only requires a whole load of expensive engine work and bits but a different swinging arm, wider rear wheel for the dry and so on and so on and so on. The guys at P&M are really good at what they do which is basically point at the bits that I need to work on and LOL. So I have now installed a hammock in my second home (P&M's Workshop) and my social life seems to consist of making Richard and Vampire Dave cups of tea.
Once the bike is finished I will give a full update and spec list and with a bit of luck I can get over to Mallory for a track day in March and give the North a good pre-season shakedown before lining up for the first start of the season at sunny Pembrey over the Easter weekend.
CRMC Classic Racing & Motorcycle Club
If you haven't come across the CRMC before then you don't know what your missing. The club organises 7 very full race weekends throughout the UK. With up to 42 races, many practice sessions and several classic parades the weekends have plenty to offer the classic bike enthusiast. Check out the Calendar page for this seasons dates.
Whether your love is a Manx Norton or an early TZ there is plenty of action to get the old adrenalin going. One of the main spectator features at the club meetings is an open to public pit and paddock area which allows you the spectator to get up really close to both racer and machine. If you find yourselves wandering around the pit area you will also discover how friendly everyone is and they will even give you the time for a chat. You will find some very serious and famous machinery scattered around which is usually being ridden by a famous name from years gone-bye.
The racing itself is magnificent and equal to some of the closest action in any of the main formulas that exsist today. Watching the guys like Mike (Spike) Edwards battling it out with the likes of Lee Gourley, Gary Twaites and co, is a real memorable treat and between them they help recreate some of the very historic styles from when motorbikes were motorbikes. For all you folks who prefer 3 wheels on your bikes then the classic sidecar races are a must, competitors travel from all over Europe to compete in this exciting series, lots of action and lots of spins.....
So if you want a great affordable weekend out for all of the family then check the clubs web site for ticket details and info, You won't be disappointed. www.crmc.co.uk
Happy Camping
- Well I am starting to feel like a clubman racer now as I've just bought a caravan and thanks to the help of Paul and Tony Potter will be cutting a Bl***y big hole in the back to keep the North snug and warm during trips to the circuits.
- Don't worry as the Punch and Judy tent will still get an airing and we have been Sloeing some Gin for the summer months.
See you all on the track at Easter, Chris
