Classic Bol d'Or; Race Two

Being second fastest on track was never going to be enough to make up the time after Peter Linden's crash at the end of the first hour. It had all started so well. The race one result had positioned the team as favourites for their first classic Bol win. With the MotoBel Guzzi and Haquin's Kawasaki both out of the reckoning after race one crashes, the main competition was due from the Roadrunner Suzuki of Dirk Brand and Henk Van der Mark and the Team Taurus Guzzi. To be clear, Motobel and Haquin would both start race 2 , but as the legs were aggregated, they could never feature highly.

The Classic Bol Sweatshop Phase One Team

So, all morning the humid 25deg C conditions had been interupted by periods of drizzle, but it cleared and the race started with a wet track but without rain. The team planned to adopt the same successful strategy as the night before - 3 rotas, with Hugh Brasher starting and Peter Linden doing a double to finish. Brasher got away fairly well, despite being in the push start group* at the back of the grid, for those without starter motors. Conditions were definately tricky, with three going down on lap one, but Brasher kept his nerve and manouvered his way up to 11th at stop 1, ( 20 race laps) which was exactly what the team needed.The foundation stones were now in place.

Peter Linden

Peter Linden then took over, but despite a very promising start, in the now perfect conditions, he managed to lose the front end and slide off at the paddock infield. Under most circumstances that would have been a set- back but not a big one. Regrettably the fire that then ensued, made getting the bike fixed a little more difficult! Anyhow, Peter put the fire out and got the bike to the pitlane entrance only to be directed around the back of the garages as they didn't want to get the pitlane dirty. Peter lost 4 laps and it then took the team a further 8 minutes to repair the fire and crash damage, before restarting in about 38th position.! Brasher pushed on for 20 minutes before Linden took back over, setting the second fastest lap of the race in his pursuit of places. Eventually the team reached 30th by the flag.

Brasher pushing on hard towards stop 1 in race 2.

The classic Bol had certainly been a race of highs and lows, but the team go into the winter knowing that with 4 race wins and 3 fastest laps it couldn't be better placed for success in 2013!

Thanks go to all our sponsors and supporters for their dedicated efforts in 2012.

The race was won by the Bonvicini Moto Martin Suzuki, with Taurus second and the Godier Genoud Kawasaki of Cairoli was third.

Best Brits, with a brilliant top six finish were  Steve Boam and Steve Clark on their Harris Suzuki.

Best Brits; The Steve Clark / Steve Boam, SCERT team.

Pictures taken by Jacco Dijkhuizen

Some of the Classic Bol fire damage before rejoining the race

 

 

*The team have an alternator on the end of the crankshaft and because of restrictions in ground clearance cannot get a starter motor in as well. This should be remedied in 2013 as the team plan to piggy-back an alternator on top of the gearbox allowing space at the end of the crankshaft for a starter motor.