2013 Season Opens at Imola

Happy new year to Team, Supporters, Sponsors and All !

The classic endurance scene is really coming alive this year with a four race, European championship as its centrepiece, with a further two events in support. The circus will start at Imola in April and end at Aragon in October. In between, we will visit Mettet, Oschersleben, Magny Cours and Spa. It's getting to be just like it used to be...a six race calendar, spanning five countries, just right.!

LInden at Spa

Hugh Brasher and Peter Linden will again form the backbone of the Team, with Stephane Mertens promising to make another appearance with the team at Mettet.
We thank Sweatshop for confirming their continued backing for 2013.

Hugh Brasher at the Classic Bol

The first test is likely to be at Albacete in March and preparations are well underway to debut the newly rebuilt 'frame 15' P&M Kawasaki in a lighter and more competitive guise. A lot of effort has been expended on reducing the all up weight from 181 kgs to as close to 175 kgs as is possible. Every component has been up for discussion and already new batteries, battery box, wiring looms and alternators are being produced. Carbon fibre fairings and seats will be underway shortly and a new German made multi-program ignition system is being trialled.

Mertens delivers at Mettet

A couple of new team members have come forward for the season and we  welcome them to the classic endurance scene.

Preparations are also about to start on the Team's first post-classic bike....not surprisingly a replica of the 1993 WEC winning ZXR Kawasaki.This will be raced for the first time at the Classic Bol d'Or in September.

Brasher prepares

Volunteers are sought for this project and the main event, the P&Ms, starting immediately.....

Once we have that test date finalised I will update you .

The provisional dates are:
Imola   20th April
Mettet  1st  June
Spa      6th July
Oschersleben   TBA
Classic Bol d'Or 14th September
Aragon  26th October

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.

Classic Bol d'Or -part 1

The team scored a fine second place behind one of the new Post Classic RC30s. With only 12 seconds separating us from 1st place and 1 minute 20 from 3rd, things are looking good for part 2 tomorrow.


Hampe Racing Team: Christian Haquin and Nicholas de Dieuleveult

Favourites Motobel and the Haquin Kawasaki both suffered a lap 2 crash costing each of them short pit stops. The pace was slowed in the early stages due to drizzle and the Sweatshop Phase One Team (Brasher) kept a cool head, stayed out of trouble and handed over to Linden in 5th position

Pete meets his old 1990s team boss 'Perro' for the first time in over 10 years

With part 2 of the race tomorrow and a grid starting position of 47th (first push starter) there is still plenty to do and the Team is working well and looking forward to tomorrow.

Roadrunner Team: Henk van der Mark and Dirk Brand

Classic Bol d'Or, Magny Cours, 20th/21st October

The Sweatshop Phase One Team head for the final race of the year next Wednesday. The ever improving partnership of Hugh Brasher and Peter Linden will try to build on the team's run of success following wins at Mettet, Oschersleben (Superbike) and Imola.
Practice is on Friday, Qualifying on Saturday, and the 2 leg 2 hour races are to be held on Saturday evening from 18.15 to 20.15 and on Sunday afternoon starting at 14.30hrs.

http://www.boldorclassic.com/

Two items of news have come up recently:

Firstly, DG Sports (the organisers of the Spa Classic Endurance Race) have leaked that they are planning an international Classic Endurance Race series for 2013; involving at least Belgian (Spa), German (Oschersleben) and Spanish (Aragon) rounds. We will keep you posted as this develops. Needless to say, we WILL be part of it!

And secondly, the Classic Bol organisers will run a "post classic" class with the main races, for bikes originating between 1984 and 1991 at this year's event.
It is assumed that as the Classic Bol is 10 years old now, the organisers feel there is room for machines of this period. We will watch this with interest as the Team's "Riders" Kawasaki's were delivered in early 1991 and would therfore be eligible.... perhaps Steve Manley or Doug Toland would like to get back on...

See you at Magny Cours!

Finally, the Team are currently seeking volunteers for the 2013 season and involvement in the races.
Anybody is welcome, you don't even need to be bike familiar - timekeepers, cooks, gofors and anyone interested are all welcome,.. be prepared to work though!
Contact Russell by phone or text on 07739 178988.

No pain in Spain for the 10th Phase One Ainsa trip

Many of the Phase One Team are currently off on the annual Trail riding experience in the Aragonese Pyrenees.

Eight Enduro bikes have been setting off each mornig in 27/28 degr C bright sunshine for their 120 km days.
Despite the hard work in the hot and dusty conditions this really is the ultimate relaxation experience.

 

 

Sweatshop Phase One: Winners at Imola

Linden about to start

Peter Linden took the lead on lap 7 and the team never looked back.
Stop 1 at 40 minutes went well, dropping the team just 3 places, all of which were made back by Hugh Brasher in the second hour. Three further pitstops, each problem free, saw the team build a buffer of 68 seconds by the end of hour three.
That lead grew to 110 seconds by the final stop and at the flag the team had pulled the margin to 2 minutes and 4 seconds.! The race had been pretty much copybook with no rider or pit errors.

The Imola field was stronger than expected with all the significant European competition in attendance, with the exception of the Moto-box Guzzi from Spain. Of the 42 starters, it was judged that any one of 8 teams could win.

The race rules were constraining on this occasion, as no rider was allowed to ride for more than 45 minutes and fuelling was to be by "handle activated gravity filler" - a rule ignored by most other teams! These rules were applied as the race was also part of the five round Italian classic endurance series, which actually sounds quite appealing.

Peter Linden qualified fastest and when aggregated for the starting order, the team were third.



There were some great highlights; Motobel Guzzi, Taurus Team, Glam, Scuderia and Classic Racer Shop all challenged for the top spot, with Motobel eventually taking second and Taurus third, both with apparently trouble free rides. Motobel had previously suffered an engine failure in practice. James Clark's Glam earned a well deserved 4th after some cruel luck during earlier rounds.

Classic Racer Shop (P&M Kawasaki) had drafted in Mick Godfrey to join Patrick Banfield and he made a great race debut taking the fastest race lap (2.08.07) from Linden (2.08.39).
Glam suffered a left side oil leak which, despite causing frayed nerves, didn't seem to slow James Clark, who made his best laps late in the race - kicking himself that he hadn't performed as well earlier.

Fastest through the trap by 7 kph !

The speed trap times were: Sweatshop Phase One 232kph, Glam 225kph, Classic Racer Shop 222kph, Scuderia 217 kph, Taurus 213kph and Motobel on 209kph.

For the team, the race was won with the usual ingredients: A great rider performance (with Hugh Brasher continuing to become faster and faster), dedicated team preparation, a good handling and fast bike and some great tyres - one set of Contis competitive throughout.

The Classic Bol d'Or is next - 20th/21st of October at Magny Cours.

Ben Nahum in control of the 1977 Facotry V6 Laverda
 

Thanks to Sweatshop, Continental Tyres, SBS, DFDS Ferries and all our other sponsors.

Phase One visit the DUCATI FACTORY

 

The Team met at the gates to the Bologna factory on Thursday 20th of September.
The gatehouse was looked over on one side by bright sunshine and the other by a house sized mural of Carlos Checa, with the words "Grazie Carlos", commemorating his 2011 Superbike success.

There were certainly some highlights - examples of early models (1946) all the racing history, not just the twins, but the racing prototypes and the hightly successful dynasty of singles.

 

Our tour guide Natasha did a great job, explaining all that was seen on both the museum tour and the factory tour.

 

The centrepiece, based on the racing of Mike Hailwood and Paul Smart was impressive and topical, with the following weekend being the 40th anniversary of the Paul Smart Ducati Bicylindrico win of the 200 miles of Imola.

 

The early Motogiro films being shown were alone worth the visit. At the time of our visit several machines had already been relocated to Imola for the 40th anniversary celebrations - that was no problem, we would see those over the weekend!

 

Definately worth the trip.

 

RB