Absol Racing latest news

Select a Date: -

Latest News 23rd February 2009 23rd September 2008 30th August 2006 3rd July 2006 13th June 2006 1st June 2006 16th April 2006

9th March 2009

Pre-season testing

Testing started on Thursday 19th February at Mondello

Paul Barron experienced the Triumph for the first time, only trouble was it was wet and windy. AJ had already been out on the previous Monday for a trackday but on a standard version Triumph 675. This time was to be first outing on the tuned version. However, due to lack of wet tyres and no Bridgestone facilities on site - AJ was sidelined until late evening when it started to dry up a little. Even then it was a slow lap as the fresh motor had to be bedded in. Emmet was rejoined to his trusty 675 from last year, heÊhad a good time building up lap times in the wet and having good fun showing many a faster lad how to do it.

Mondello Friday 27th February

This time AJ got to go out on track, although only for a half day as he was off to the RDS to pose on the Absol Racing show bike. Having seen the selection of cute models with him at the show, I am not a bit surprised he went there instead of freezing himself in Mondello. Anyway, the half day was a good experience for him as he familiarised himself with the "hotter" version of the 675 than he was previously used to. He was out on track for every session, being a privileged "instructor" at trackdays, so the motor was pretty well run in by the lunch break.

Paul began to get at home with the feeling of the Triumph and it's quirks. Suffice to say that the grin was getting bigger every time he returned to the pits.

Emmet was going great guns until he decided to grass track it, dry tyres and wet grass do NOT mix. Slight damage, but he was fixed up and returned to track to restore the confidence. All in all a great day.

1st March - Anglesea track day.

After a typical uneventful ferry crossing we landed in Anglesea at 1am in the Sunday morning. A van and four guys with only one tent and three sleeping bags. Yep, that's right, three sleeping bags, Paul in his ever organised fashion, not only practically missed the boat, but also forgot pretty much everything else. The tent was another matter, I have had it new since about 1980 or maybe '90, but it was never out of the bag since new. A weird design with a porch, two rooms, a heap of zips, ropes, and four total twats to erect it. Thankfully AJ had some idea (I suspect he was a girl guide or boy scout or something) Just as well though, because we were lost with it, and the gale force wind with some rainÊdidn't help. Paul wasn't much help either, all he wanted to do was make a sleeping bag of the tent and lie down - what a moaner! We dressed him in every spare jacket we could find, pushed him into the tent and then we all bunked down. Ahhh, sleep. Uhh, whats that I smell, Yeah then it started, one of them had beans on the boat. Just as well it was a tent with a big vent in the roof.

Next morning we woke to glorious sunshine, wind and rain all gone. And that was the order of the day. Boys got out on track at 10am andÊ were out for 15mins every hour thereafter. All three loved the new Anglesea circuit and as lap times plummeted we began tweaking suspension, altering gearing and really getting valuable track time. By 5.30pm, we were all wrecked and not really looking forward to the wait until 2.30 in the morning for the ferry. So, off to the Valley Hotel for a good meal and chat about the day. Definitely, it was good value to go there - the trackday I mean, not the hotel, although the meal was excellent too.

Next up was Mondello 7th March.

This started off damp and stayed damp all day. Paul was happy enough at lunchtime with his setup and decided to call it a day. AJ and Emmet remained to the end. Out for his first time this year on his new Triumph, Richie Ryan kept banging in the laps to bed in the new motor. Richie, very distinguishable on his fresh Kawasaki green bike has spent the winter building his new toy, we expect some great results there from him.

AJ's bike is now run in and as the lap times improved he is experiencing some suspension difficulties. We expect to iron all this out in the next week. AJ himself is getting used to the different power and setup of this bike compared to the standard bikes of the T3 series.

Emmet as always had great fun all day, out for every session he could get between the 400cc bike and the Triumph. Fork seals caused a little problem during the day, although obviously not too much when I saw him taking on Richie in the last session and even managing to pass him. Didn't like to tell him, Richie never lets anyone follow him and learn the lines.

So, now we await the opening round of the National Supersport Championship at Mondello on weekend Sat/Sun 21st/22nd March. If the weather improves it promises to be a good weekend with cracking racing.