Snetterton - Round 3 British Superstocks

Being my home circuit, and a track I new I could do well at I was really looking forward to this round. Lots of my sponsors and friends were coming and I was keen to impress and push for my 1st podium finish.

During warm up I realised it was going to be a tuff weekend, my front forks had had some work done on them after I felt they could be improved at Brands, but it hadnt worked and I had no faith in the front end - it was sliding round the fast corners of Snetterton and I thought I was off a few times. The lap times I was putting in were still fast but I new I would have to go quicker to make an impresion at the front.

Over night we worked on the forks, sending them away to see if they could be improved. In qualifying they felt no better and I managed to hold onto 12th. Qualifying had now been simplified by running 2 different championships - superstock - and the superstock cup for those who dont qualify for the main race. In second qualifying i slipped down to 15th despite going faster and trying to ride around the problems. Combined qualifying put me on 16th on the grid. Again I had it all to do.

The race started well, running again in the top ten. Coming round Corum Curve on the first lap I hit my knee on the rumble strips ripping my knee slider off and nearly ripping me of the bike!! For the next few laps I maintained a consistant pace - riding around the problems and trying hard not to put my knee down to much - this may not sound like much of a problem but the knee is used more as a sensor for lean angle and grip - and is also used to control small slides from the front end which I was having a lot of because of the fork problems I was having. At just over half distance into the race I really got my head down and pushed hard setting my unnoficial fastest lap of the race and weekend by half a second, I outbraked a rider into the Esses at the bottom of the 170mph Revet straight - got cleanly past him before tipping into the right hander to exit - without my slider and the ront end sliding I went down and my race was over. I was fine and the bike not too bad but I had no points in the bag to go home with. As they said on Sky TV during coverage from the race when the camera's caught this perfectly - 'at least his side burns are going strong!!'

I was now still lying 10th in the championship.