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Alex Gault 2005 - British Championships Round Six - Croft June 2005...........................................Back To Index
This must be the teams most successful round to date, OK it was not Alex highest finishing position in this championship but when you look at the statistics you see a vast improvement across the board.
Completed every session, with no damage to bike or engine, improved his lap time to 1.29.983 previously Alex's fastest time round this circuit was 1.34.788 set on the Malaguti last week in better weather conditions! For him to improve by almost 5 seconds per lap proves the team as a whole is moving in the right direction.
On the Friday “Free Practice” went very well in session 1. Alex completed 11 of the possible 12 laps and posted a 1.33.360. Fastest time went to a very happy James Ford with a 1.29.294. Then in FP2 held in better conditions seen Alex put in a 1.31.506 with fastest lap going to one of the favourites for this championship Ashley Beech with a 1.28.29.
Official Qualifying went just as well with a fastest time of 1.30.015 putting him in 21 st position on the grid (Alex's best start position of the championships so far) it should be noted that note only did Ashley beech set an astounding 1.27.164 to take pole but that the top ten riders were all under the old lap record.
I must say Alex liked the time schedule used at this meeting, on Saturday he didn't need to get out of his bed before 12 and on the Sunday as there is no racing before 12.00 so he had another relaxing morning with warm up around “One” and his race kicking off at 4.50pm although that said, an old pal of Alex's “Alex Heaton” turned up to watch and the two just got up to mischief all day.
Alex “H” has raced with Alex since we started racing thru minibikes & F80 and then Alex “H” went to Formula 125. Now with help from David Wodsworth (Specialised Coatings) Alex H. has joined the ranks of the GP brigade and I don't think it will be too long before the pair are racing together again.
Any way onto the race and the conditions were those that almost every one hates, it was warm but there was also very slight rain falling not enough to make the track wet but no one could say which way it could turn, we had opted for slicks, but with 20 minutes to go we changed to a softer compound. On the grid most riders were using slicks with some on cut slicks.
As they lined up for the off, the weather was still the same “nothing more we could do now” Alex had a good race finishing in 15th he did lose a few places towards the end as a mistake I had made caused his rear tyre to go off, My fault I admit but with “so little brain to remember so many things” you must make allowances.
It could have been worse, Ashley Beech was on for an almost certain win at one point 5 seconds in the lead from the chasing pack until 3 laps from the end, when coming up to lap his Colin Appleyard Team mate C.T. Andrews (who's bike had not been performing all week-end) the two came together resulting in the two crashing out!
One of those stories that are stranger than fiction, this gave the win to Red Bull Rookie Chris Jones with Dan Linfoot coming home in second position for the fourth time in a row with Kris Weston taking the last step on the podium,
So all in all a very good week-end, we are starting to feel more at ease with the bike and this championship, thanks to all the people who helped over the three days and special mention for Allan Green who has helped us so much with the data-logging.
Pictures can be found at BrakingZone.com Motor Sports Photography Here
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