For Obvious reasons, neither the British contingent neither the V2 racer could race this year in Calafat. The scooter made it here to Barcelona without trouble, but the pilots (Guy, Sticky, Doug and Ian) all where grounded in the UK. That left us to rely, for the third consecutive year, on the everlasting V1 green and white racer. Here is a summary of the race..
I will start saying that Friday night I had to drive over to Lleida, where the V1 was. Carlos had prepaired a Ram Air on it and he kept saying that Guy's exhaust was too long. (yeah right I was thinking to myself) I took the new bored barrel and piston to them and they put the scooter together quickly. They tested it with the RAM AIR and it ran ok. They loaded the V1 on my van and I went straight back to Barcelona. I got home at about 22h. I quickly gathered some tools that Ian, Guy and I had compiled the day before (even thou I would later find out that I forgot the 13mm spanner but no biggy) and I got about 6 hours sleep.
At 6AM sharp I was going to Calafat to arrive there at 8AM sharp. Doors opened and I was there unloading the V1 and the tools into the box. Carlos, Manolo and Juan had still not arrived. I went to the briefing and managed to take a look on all of our rivals. People looked keenly on the V1 and specially on its pipe. The Gibraltar team and Soisa team (lambretta fellow riders) told me to take the ram air off.... and so I did (causing a later argument with Carlos...)
At 9 o'clock the rest of the band arrived and trials begun. Carlos was feeling sick so it looked like the race was going to be Johnny and Manolo out there. They started the scooter and dropped the revs flat on the idle, in order for the revs to go straight down when leaving the throttle off. Manolo went out and he said the scooter ran very rich but it was very very fast on second and third. After that Johnny did the trial time and he loved it. At the end Carlos had no other choice than to admit that the scooter was running great (HELL YEAH IT WAS!)
Race begun at 12noon (five min past actually.... you know MAÑANA MAÑANA!!) with Johnny taking 10th in the pole (out of 60 scoots is not that bad) Johnny started very very quick, reaching the 5th position easily. He kept going on and on for 30 minutes we where up there.
Fatal moment came when he hit the piano with the kickstart on a right turn. The scooter kicked leftways to the grass, splitting the handlebar in three different pieces, breaking the carburettor banjo, the brake actioning lever, a small hole in the float bowl and bending slightly the fuel tank inwards.
Manolo and Carlos inmediately said that the race was over. Johnny said the same thing once he brought the scooter back. There I was standing with these three fellows who had no faith whatsoever in the race.
It was then when Paco Soisa, another experienced lambretta fellow pilot came flying to our box and said: "I CAN FIX THIS" HE brought a tubular gear switch lever command that he had made himself and a nylon mounting bracket. He drilled holes into the handlebar and then he brought several carburettors for a banjo donor. He directed Carlos and Manolo to start working on the scooter and they started putting it back together. Johnny drilled holes on a donor lever and bolted together with the left over of the brake actioning lever.
Another factor came into game whilst all this was happening, RAIN, loads of it. It was literally raining cats and dogs. People where sliding on the track gracefully.
To be fair, I must say that these guys felt bad for not having faith on the race and did put the scooter back together rather quickly. But you are not going to beleive that after all the effort of putting the scooter together so it woud go on the whole race, none of them wanted to go out there and give these Wasps a run for their money..... So guess who had to go out there ilegally (without insurance) ? You guessed right. ME.
I have only gone around the track once in my life, in the 6 hours two years ago and I was awful. I am frightened to falling down, Idon't know how to take the bends turn or anything... But this time I didn't care.
I rode the roaring SR190 with Topper exhaust for about 10-12 laps (about 30-40km) it was very hard to switch gear so the first four laps I only did them in third and fourth cause I couldn't put second at first. The scooter was incredibly rich (running a PHBL25 delly with a 120 main), I couldnt achieve peak power on fourth, it was impossible cause I lacked speed at low revs but I dind't know that yet. I found that out later. After a few tries of breaking (excelent break sticky!) I decided to look for a target. I found an easy one. There was this standard white P200 that kept going very slowly round the track. So I tried to pass it (everybody was overtaking me the first five laps) so I started playing catch with this P200 and I "sort of" got the hang of it, he would overtake me on the bends and curves but I started applying 2nd on the end of the curves and after hitting 3rd, I would pass even three vespas all at once. The 900m line would arrive and after the six laps I would put it flat on. No mercy after that. I got it to achieve peak power and the engine was unbeleivable at that point, after heating the scooter a lot on 2nd, 3rd and 4th, the power delivered made me able to take advantage of all the hours of work of Mr.Topper (thank you) the scooter had little rivals on that long strip in Calafat (Gibraltar had long broken down and left back to Gibraltar) so I kept going having a great time ontop of the little green and white rocket. I was laughing big time at the words of Carlos and Manolo who said that Guy's exhaust was designed wrong....No comments to that.
I entered the box at about 16h. And the rest of the guys where about to leave. They had the kind gesture of helping me put the scooter on the van and help carry my tools and off they went.
I stayed on the paddock and the elevated platform watching the rest of the teams go for two more hours under the pouring rain. I admit I still have the buzz of two strokes flying past me . I hanged out with Paco Soisa and we where talking a bit about the experience today.
The French Authentik racing team won (again this year) first and third place with theyr two teams with 137 and 134 laps. I have taken pictures of their scooters for you to see.
Paco Soisa did 4rth on Lambretta with 134 as well. He runs an iron barrel tuned to 230 and he was very interested on meeting you boys. A top feller really and a pleasure sharing the paddock with him.
I left with a sour taste in my mouth of the whole thing and I called Ian to explain the whole situation. I arrived home at 9h and was so knackered I couldn't even had a bite to eat.
... Its too bad we couldnt make it this year. Next year will be different for sure. I have faith in it.
Thank you all again for your support and help and hope to get to know you in person soon (Ian I will see you in 7 weeks mate!).
All the best,
Jaime "Supereibar"
Here are the winning scooters...
