DONINGTON PARK 30TH JUNE / 1ST JULY / 2ND JULY 2006

JAMES WEBB #17

FRIDAY
Free Practice – I went out to get a good feel for the track and to get myself bedded in.  The bike felt really good and I felt as though I could put some quick lap times in.  I felt fast but didn’t know that I was the fastest in this session.

Qualifying – I waited a minute or so in the pit lane when the session started so I didn’t get tangled up with any of the other riders in the first few laps.  Doing this I could have a clear track in front of me and try to string some fast laps together.  I was really confident I could qualify well.  Once again I didn’t feel like I was going fast because I was happy with the bike and the track.  I was third fastest for the first part of the session but then really got my head down towards the end and went fastest and it stayed like that.  I was really happy with getting pole.

SATURDAY
Race 1 – I got off to a good start and was lying fourth, I overtook James Rose to take third place but then made a mistake and he took it back.  A lap later I overtook him back and pulled a gap on him as I caught up with the front two riders – Matt Whitman and Tom Grant.  I felt comfortable with the pace I was running at and knew I could stay with them or pass them and maybe try and make a break.  It was building up to be a close exciting race but then I tried to get the power on a bit too early so I could get the drive out of the Melbourne Loop up to the last corner to make a move on Matt but the back came round and it high-sided me.  I was a bit upset because of this but when you’re up at the front and trying hard things like this do sometimes happen.  That’s racing.

SUNDAY               
Race 2 – As I was riding to the pit lane I noticed my forks were twisted so I told my mechanic and he thought it would be best that I took the spare bike out, so I did.  On the warm up lap I felt a really bad vibration and had really bad front and rear patter.  I was not happy with this as it didn’t help because my wrist was really hurting from the crash on Saturday but there was noting I could do about it now so I just had to get on with it.  I got an ok start but the bike felt really bad and I just didn’t feel as though I could go fast on it and run at the pace that I had done on Friday and Saturday, this was a shame because I felt as though I had a good chance in winning the race.  The race didn’t go how I had wanted but it was good because there were no championship points at stake. 

It would have been good if the two races had gone as planned like qualifying, because I could have really done with the practice bike (overall first prize).  The weekend, however, was not wasted because I met some very interesting people.  Having been to the hospital on Monday morning and finding out that I have in fact a broken bone in my wrist, consequently now in a splint, I am still confident that I can get on the podium at Knockhill and Oulton and maybe even get another win under my belt.            

James Webb
#17