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24/6/08 The VMCC's second visit to Mallory Park this year proved better than the first. With no chance of snow this time and no oil spills the meeting got underway in sunny but windy conditions. We managed to get the 'No 1' bike repaired in a busy week following last weekends prang. Having stripped the bike down we decided to get on and repair it rather than take the the best bits and put in the 'No 2' machine as first decided. After straightening the forks, straightening an re-brazing the frame, taking the front wheel to the wheel-builder (thanks to Dick Waldren for an ultra-fast turnaround !) plus many other repairs and parts to remake, we eventually finished it at 10:30 Saturday evening in time for Sunday's meeting. It took a couple of practice sessions and the first pre' 34 race to get the bike almost set up right again. Merv took third place in that first pre '34 race behind Ian Bain (500 Norton) who took an easy win from Ian Cramp (500 Velocette). Paul Balmain completed the 'Rudge results' taking 5th on his 1930 Ulster. The first of the 250 races saw Merv have a front row start, but Stu Noble (Ducati) got off the line best and into the lead with Merv second. The two went round together for the six laps never further than .8 of a second apart. At the the flag Stu took the win by .4 of a second from Merv. A satisfying result after a week of hard work! Ian Henshaw (Royal Enfield) took third. The second of the Pre '34 saw a repeat win for Bain, but this time with Paul Dobbs (640 Scott) in second. Merv again took third place and will also pick up the Tyrell Smith Rudge trophy for best Rudge performance. Paul Balmain brought his 1930 Ulster home in 4th. This was probably the smallest Rudge turnout for some time with only Merv and Paul present. Mike Farrell was entered but didn't show, as was Keith Prime's Special, although Keith was in action in his Berkley 3 wheeler. The second of the 250 races saw another win for Stu Noble. Merv had a bad start from the back row of the grid and then suffered clutch trouble, as the retaining nut came loose, the clutch pushrod then pushed the clutch off the taper slightly, so no clutch! and a retirement on lap 3. A pretty good day though with a few more tweaks to do on the bike to get it back to last weeks pre-crash condition. No more race action for us now until the Manx Gp, and then hopefully a full programme at the end of the year, starting with Lydden immediately after the Manx. Roy
17/6/08 The annual SCRMC Bob McIntyre memorial meeting took place over 14th/15th June at East Fortune, near Edinburgh. The weekend's forecast rain turned into sunny spells and showers for the Saturday and a rather sunny but breezy Sunday. The meeting boasted a full entry as usual. The 250 class saw action for the Merv taking the Rudges for their second visit to Scotland. Saturdays programme saw two races for each class, and on both occasions the rain started to come down at the start of the 250 races! This caught a few riders out in race one, early leader Thomas Moore (Kawasaki) crashed out on lap 3. The race win went to John Davidson (Yamaha TD1c) from Philip Shaw (Suzuki T20). Merv finished down in 7th place after a steady ride in the slippery conditions. The second race saw a repeat win for Davidson, but this time VMCC regular Stu Noble managed to take second away from the Suzukis with a rather hairy looking move on the last lap. This time Merv brought the Rudge home in 8th Place. Sunday saw the improvement in the weather and also a few more riders turn out including usual Bob Mac front runners Ewan Hamilton and Johnathon cutts (Both T20 Suzuki). Sunday's first race saw a runaway win for Cutts, with Davidson second and Hamilton third. Merv again had another 8th Place after a 5 way battle for the top 4 spot. Sundays second 250 race proved the most eventful for Merv. A good start saw him in 4th at the end of lap one, and then drop back a place after a battle with Stu Noble. He eventually got the better of Stu and then set off after third place man, Suzuki mounted Colin Cairns-Ford. Cairns-ford missed a gear in the Hannah's chicane whilst Merv was right behind him, so avoiding action was needed with Merv running across the concrete and a few cones! Next lap saw another near miss for Merv at the chicane whilst chasing down 2nd. A back marker inadvertently came across the front of Merv and had to pick it up and also run across the concrete. The last lap saw Merv closing in on second place man Shaw, however taking Pates corner after the start/finish straight a bit too quick, Merv ran off the edge of the circuit onto the concrete along side the railway straight, whilst still flat out he tried to get it back on to the track. However after getting up the big step back on to the tarmac the Rudge got into a big 'Tank slapper' and threw him off at about 80 mph. Fortunately Merv was ok apart from a few cuts and bruises, and a twisted ankle. However the bike faired less well after landing on its head, taking out the forks and links, front wheel, rev counter plus damage to many other parts. Further investigation after stripping down has shown the frame is twisted and broken. So a major rebuild is in order! We are out again next weekend at Mallory park, so we are taking the engine and gearbox from the 'wreckage' and putting them in the spare bike to try and make the best of the two! Roy
28/4/08 The 2008 British Historic Racing season finally got underway at Donington Park yesterday, in the VMCC's first visit there for many years. The first round at Mallory Park on Easter Sunday looked to be a no-go because of heavy snow. However it finally got underway only to be abandoned after a huge oil spillage in practice couldn't be cleared. Indecently we never made it to the meeting because of the heavy snow in the morning. Anyway on to the Donington meeting, this escaped the rain which had been promised all week, apart from the last couple of races. Merv was entered for two classes the usual 250cc ride and a return to the unlimited pre '34 class, which this year is a free entry event in order to try and boost grid sizes. The first 250cc race saw a good dice between Merv and Andy Hunt (Royal Enfield) throughout the six lap race for 2nd and 3rd places. Out in front was Nick Roberts on the faired classic eligible Ducati. On the penultimate lap Stu Noble (Ducati) came through from behind to take 2nd place in front of Andy and Merv. Also Rudge Mounted Ian Whitehead finished in 20th place on his 2 valver, although he was having carburetion problems as the main jet thread had stripped! The second 250 Race again had some interesting battles. Stu Noble got away at the front with Merv coming through from the back of the grid to give chase. However Roberts on the Ducati came through and took the both, the fairing giving an obvious speed advantage on the fast Donington track. Merv pulled in Stu and out braked him into Goddard's for the final time only for Stu to grab back the advantage for 2nd at the line. Andy Hunt came in fourth. The first of the Pre '34 races looked to be an interesting race with a large entry of 14 riders although all did not materialise for the grid! As predicted this race was a benefit for the larger capacity machines, with a good dice at the front between Ian Cramp (500 Velo) and Ian Bain (500 Norton). Merv spent the race trying to make up for ground lost to the larger machines at the start, and trying to chase down Pat Welch (500 Cotton). The race win went to Cramp by a whisker from Bain. Mike Farrall on his 1930 Ulster took third, Welch 4th and Stratford 5th. Other Rudge interest in this race fizzled out with I believe Miki Sprosen on his 250 2 valver pulling out just after the start, and Paul Balmain on his 1930 Ulster pulling out at the end of lap one. The second of the pre '34 races looked like it was to get underway in the downpour that caught the tail end of the meeting. Merv had opted to miss this one out, not fancying the wet conditions this time. However as it happens the race never got underway as a number of riders didn't fancy it either after the sighting lap, and with the time at ten to six an end was called to the meeting. Earlier delays and oil spillages yet again slowing the programme! The next of the Historic Racing rounds sees a return to 3 Sisters next month.. However we are skipping that one and will be out next at the Bob Mac Meeting at East Fortune on the 14th & 15th June. Roy
See the News Archives for all previous reports
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