RoadRace Factory takes on Brands Hatch

If there was ever a more perfect setting for a racetrack, the team hadn’t seen it. Brands Hatch, nestled in the hills of Kent, is a stunning setting to finish off the British Superbike Series and our 2014 season. After Silverstone, the team needed a little time to regroup and seek answers to the questions that had been presented. Losing Gagne was a blow to the team’s morale but there was no time to focus on that. It was to be all hands on deck to support Tomas and to answer the set-up questions that he has struggled with since arriving in the UK.

The one thing that the team has learned from it’s time in England, is that the weather can be.. it IS unpredictable. Better rephrase that to, “Rainy at times with the threat of a dry line during the second half of the race.” After a successful outing during a track day on Tuesday, the team was pretty confident that if it rained on race day, Tomas would be able to run competitively. As it was becoming standard, the weather forecast for the weekend was all over the place. Rain for sure, Sun at times, a wet track was definitely in store and tire choice was a roll of the dice.

 

The team arrived on Thursday under grey and often misting skies. Having used their time to the fullest between rounds, there wasn’t too much to be done to Tomas’ machine. Instead, it was a day to familiarize the team with the track and the pit procedures.   The focus would be on the weather, as it would determine the set-up and for Friday’s free practice sessions. It was supposed to be 50% chance of rain. Another thing the team learned quickly about Brands Hatch, is that even a light mist would cause the entire track surface to be soaked.

 

This was the case on Friday. An overnight shower and constant early morning mist, created a situation where a full wet set-up would be required in the first session and a wet rear with an intermediate front would be used in the afternoon. In both sessions Tomas was clicking pretty respectable times. However he preferred the complete rain set-up in the morning as opposed to the varying conditions of the afternoon session.   He would end the day just a hair inside the top 20. Saturday’s qualifying sessions would be critical to getting a proper grid position ahead of the uncertain weather.

 

As it was, Saturday would bring about another mixed day of weather. In the morning the track was still wet from another overnight rain shower. The open qualifying session was held on a damp track and the set-up was favorable for Tomas. He was able to initially qualify in P21for the afternoon Sprint Race.   Just three short hours after the open qualifying session, the zero percent chance of rain the team was being shown via their respective smart devices, was clearly incorrect as the rain began to fall. Technology be damned, the team threw on a full wet set-up and sent Tomas out. As the riders lined up for the sprint race, the sun poked its head out and provided an excellent contrast to the wet conditions on the track’s surface. This would be a 10-lap event and Tomas was in the best starting position he had achieved since arriving in the series.

 

The sprint race is an all out, take no prisoners, every racer for themselves qualifying event. It pays points but most importantly for us, the rider’s fastest lap sets their grid position. Fortunately, the set-up was right on for Tomas and he got off the line with a good start and found himself up around 15th position. He was looking strong and making some bold passes under tricky conditions. He would cross the line in 17th place and would set himself up on the starting grid for the main race in 16th position.

 

Warm-up sessions in the BSB are truly warm-ups. They seem to be a means to ensure that whatever the team did to the bike overnight hasn’t caused it to not run and that there is still fluid in the parts that require fluid. The session was eight minutes in length and each rider clocked roughly six laps. Upon returning to the pits Tomas was in good spirits and feeling strong about his chances for a top 15 finish. The stage was being set for a great race. The sun was out, the sky was blue, no rain in the forecast and the track would be dry in time for the race.   The energy from the massive swarm of fans that had descended upon the track was tangible and the feeling on track as the riders gridded up was electric.

 

The lights go green and the screaming pack of bikes races towards Paddock Hill Bend, a massive right handed drop. Tomas made the best of his starting position and was locked in a good solid battle with about 10 other riders for the first several laps. He had managed to make some good passes and get up close to the top 10. The group he was in however would eventually and slowly work their way past him as the race progressed. Tomas found himself circulating the track on his own after a few mistakes and would cross the final stripes in P18.

 

“P18, not really what I wanted but it’s the best we’ve done at this  track and it’s the best position we’ve started from,” added Puerta. “The guys in this  class are fast and there are a lot of them, all riding really hard. I  struggled with a dry set-up because the conditions changed so much and I  didn’t get a lot of dry track time before the race. It was a good race,  I felt really confident on the bike and I made few little mistakes and  rode through the grass. I lost touch with the group I was in and just  put my head down and went as fast as I could. I want to thank everyone  for this experience, it was a lot of fun and I learned a lot.”

 

A job well done by all and although it wasn’t the exact way the team had planned to end their season with only one rider, it was an amazing culmination of the collective effort put forth by the entire crew of the RoadRace Factory.

 

I’m  happy for my guys with the result today. You know given the  circumstances of how we’ve had to operate; completely out of our comfort  zone, I think they did an outstanding job. Sure we struggled a bit with  trying to play the guessing game with the set-ups for the changing  weather and track conditions. It was a big mess at times with sunny  skies and a track that was technically a full wet situation. Tomas did  great this weekend. He was riding more aggressively and really took some  chances with some passes early on. That’s the kind of thing I expected  to see and he delivered,” added Danny Walker.

 

O”verall,  I have to say that this was a very positive experience for us as a  team. It was great to get our riders some international exposure and put  them in front of the large crowds that this series has. I want to thank  everyone who helped us achieve our goals while we were here. Especially  a huge thank you to the Factory Yamaha Bike It Motocross team for their  support of facilities and equipment.

Adam Sinclair