14th July 2013 - HLR RC30 TO RACE AGAIN!
Following the recent Bikers Classics meeting at Spa – during which Ian Martin paraded Mat Oxley's Thats Racing-liveried Honda RC30 (see pic below) – a plan was hatched. Hilkka Salonen's Cherokee-liveried HLR RC30 is to be brought from Finland and prepared by Brian Capper for the 10th Bol d'Or Classic race to be held at Magny Cours on 14-15 September.
Two old friends sat together again
The RC30 will be a Howard Lees Racing entry in the new 1984-1991 Post Classic class and it will be ridden by Peter Linden and Steve Manley. With both riders having raced for both HLR and Russell Benney's Phase One team, and in tribute to Howard Lees, full paddock and pit support will be supplied by Phase One.
Cherokee liveried bike raced at Magny Cours
1st October 2013 - TEAM BIKE FORCED TO WITHDRAW FROM BOL DOR POST CLASSIC
As planned, Team Bike and Phase One Endurance joined forces for the inaugural Bol d'Or Post Classic race held at Magny Cours on 14-15th Sept. (The Post Classic race is for over-500cc production or prototype machines with at least two cylinders built between 1984 and 1991.)
Having been transported back from Finland, Team Bike supplied the bike – one of Howard Lees Racings pair of Honda RC30s (in the teams 85-season livery), while Phase One provided the riders – veteran Peter Linden and Hugh Brasher, plus further preparation and the required race support.
Linden qualified the team in third but was having great difficulty getting any heat into the tyres as only road homologated tyres were permitted – a rule which in the continuing very wet conditions caused French star and second-place qualifier Guy Bertin to withdraw his National Motos RC30 before the race even started.
With the rain still coming down, no other legal tyres available and with safety very much in mind, extra grooves were hand-cut on Team Bikes lightly-treaded, road-homologated Dunlop trackday tyres.
In the first of the two, two-hour legs, Peter Linden circulated in second position but was closing on the leading Paris Nord RC30. The Paris Nord machine then crashed, and so at the first hour it was Lindens Team Bike RC30 in first (22 laps), followed by Patrick Banfields Classic Racer Nice RC30 (22 laps) with the MG Competition Yamaha FZ750 in third (21 laps).
However, back in pit lane the team had been informed by officialdom that only road-homologated tyres were permitted and, as Team Bike's tyres had been modified, they didnt comply. Much discussion ensued, but, under threat of being black-flagged, the decision was reluctantly taken to withdraw from the race while in the lead.
Leg 1 was subsequently won by the Classic Racer Nice RC30 of Banfield/Carasco and leg 2 by the Paris Nord RC30 of Fleuriel/Doron, with the Banfield/Carasco RC30 taking the overall win by two laps.
Following the discussions with the event organisers, they have agreed to the use of wet-weather racing tyres in next years Post Classic race.
Anyway, a big thank you to all those who made it possible – most notably HLR's Hilkka Salonen, Ian Martin, Brian Capper and Ian Lucas, plus of course Russell Benney and his Phase One team....Maybe next year….
Following are my disjointed ramblings & photos from the race meeting
My first visit to Magny Cours circuit & somewhat shamefully my first attendance at an endurance race for 21 years !
The journey to the circuit is rather uninspiring to say the least as one forgets just how flat & boring is the centre of France. The circuit & facilities are quite tidy though & there was quite a bit going on in the paddock area with plenty of bikes on display amidst the usual trade stands etc. There was an excellent display of various Japauto endurance racers with their characteristically voluminous fairings but I dont seem to have taken any photos of them alas.
This little curio caught my eye, or moreso the rear suspension arrangement which begged the question why ?....the simple answer to which is of course....because its French !
Monet-Goyon
There were some nicely prepared RC30's in the pit lane for the post classic race with the Guy Bertin National Motos bike having an NL0B short port engine which may also have been the case with the Paris Nord bike but I dont quite remember. The Classic Racer Nice bike was race kitted, very nicely prepared & well set up justifying the excellent result achieved by Patrick Banfield & Christophe Carasco.
The Team Bike RC30 had been hidden away in Finland for 20 years with only an occasional bit of track day use by Mikael Lees, fortunately this bike was intended as our museum / parade bike for when we were old & grey so Howard had refurbished the chassis & I had rebuilt the engine. The bike has a race kitted engine & not one of the NL0B short port engines that we ran during the 1990 / 1991 endurance seasons.
Reunited with an old friend after 20 years
The weather for the whole weekend was pretty awful with only a few short breaks in the rain & being quit chilly too I doubt that anyone achieved a true dry lap time, talking to various riders & pit crew the Nevers circuit is not too popular though its layout looks to be rewarding the track surface is notoriously slippery even when just damp & very decieving as it dries.
Pleuvoir des chats et des chiens
It was indeed delightful to hear an RC30 race bike go down the pit straight on full noise once again & especially one of ours, particularly so when ridden by Peter Linden who had last raced a Team Bike Honda V4 in 1985, nothing else could ever be mistaken for a 360 degree V4 nor vice versa.
Sadly the tyre issue was to be our undoing & despite Peters bravery & the RC30 acquitting itself with aplomb the rapidly growing delegation of French race officials gathering in the Phase One pit garage were not going to be swayed & as reported above the bike was retired whilst retaining the teams dignity. By way of some small consolation much of the private conversation between the race officials had been heard by Team Bike member Maddick (fluent French / English) who had quietly seated herself conveniently & seemingly aloof had listened intently, the officials were agreeing between themselves that the existing tyre rules were unsuitable & in need of urgent amendment. Encouragingly both Peter Linden & Russel Benny have been invited to advise in the formulation of new post classic endurance rules for the 2014 season.
It was indeed rather alarming to hear Peter Linden announce as he dismounted the retiring RC30 that it had been "the most frightening hour of my life". Peter repeated his comment several times in subsequent conversations & I really dont beleive that he is a man given to exaggeration.
Peter at his day job, not a man easily frightened I should say (seems that Stephane Mertens hitched a ride on the pillion)
The tyre compound was completely wrong for Magny Cours in those conditions which was confirmed by Patrick Banfield during a post race discussion with myself & Peter, the Classic Racer Nice RC30 felt almost identical in suspension & setup yet Patrick & Christophe had suffered nothing like the grip issues that had plagued Peter & Hugh all weekend on our RC30.
Ahh well....maybe next year ?....I dunno yet but at one point during the dark early evening race session in the pissing rain I was stood in front of the pit garage when the wind whipped a sluice of water from the roof that shot straight down the neck of my jacket....my immediate thought was "what the bloody hell am I doing here at 58 years of age ?"....after but a few moments reflection the answer came to me....because I was bloody well enjoying myself !
Phase Ones excellent catering facility
Mode switchable monitors in every pit garage
No more getting wet when checking the pit lane leader board
Post qualifying preparation....pit crew saying "tyres look crap"
Hugh says "tyres are crap"
Peter says "tyres are crap"
Crap front tyre
Crap rear tyre
An excellent weekend was had by all
