Blog

2013 Begins

A new season and a new Simon.

After Macau this winter has gone was very boring in words but interesting for me. Macau was good for me to come back and achieve a podium both mentally for me and for everyone that has helped and supported me in my determination/stupidity and their belief and trust in me to get back before the end of season. Within 5 months I was learning to walking again repairing – nerve damage, badly broken wrist, shoulder, scapular, ribs, ankle, dislocated shoulder, fingers, thumb and ruptured eyes.

I list all this because without everyone, Scott Physio, M10 fitness, Darren, Simon Edwards, BodyShocker, family, friends I wouldn’t have made it back or ready for the start of the season so this is why its boring I’ve literally been learning and injury along withbeing in rehab with physio and training tweaking plans as the body slowly adapts.

Testing began last month with two tests in France and one in spain which all went well for me and having time on the bike has helped sort any issues with the body along with the bike as we now have new electronics and a slight change in engine characteristics which has helped the bike well this year.

For this season I’m with Honda TT Legends again but only for the World Endurance championship its complex how everything has worked out but the idea is to catch up with a lot more ridding and have a steady consistent year which will busy doing World Endurance, TT, NW200, British Superstock Championship, Macau!… My calendar is brimmed!

I began this season with a new race number 6 and at Brands Hatch with my new team RAF Reserves Racing in association with Honda. We have been one of the quickest in most of our sessions so its a change for the guys after their last season and I’m still adapting to ride a stocker after 1 test day at Donington Park before Brands began.

We all get on well and I’m really enjoying being with the team and along with the stocks even though I keep getting told I can’t change lots of this like you can in the Superbikes!

Brands was tricky for everyone as not a lot of teams had chance to gain setup info. We qualified 2nd but after having to cut my through the pack I lost the rear coming out of the last turn and lowsided onto the finish which is very rare as most riders suffer massive highsides…so for me this was very lucky!

I left Brands and went straight to Thruxton to drop my RV off and fly straight out to the Isle of Man for their press launch day and fans evening which went well playing on steam trains doing interviews and pictures along with  seeing all the fans as they know more than me about some parts of the TT and everyone from last year which I had not seen since the crash.

I flew back early thursday morn and straight back to Thruxton. I thought we would struggle more with speed here but we still managed a p2 start. The conditions were patchy from an early rain and after taking the lead from the start I hit a damp patch in a dip on the start/finish. The whole bike just drifted left and onto the grass which was a ‘change your pants moment’ but determined to finish I managed the bike back onto track and 10 laps later 2 riders crashed on the same patch causing a red flag and finish to our race.

After the race  I packed all my stuff into McGuiness’s and Richards RV and hitchhiked off them to the ferry for the 11pm sailing. Managed to get 45mins sleep on the floor using a book for a pillow so was good preparation for the Bo’l Dor 24hr race to which Im sat herein the sun sat backwards on Johns scooter in the sun typing! You can keep the rubbish UK weather for now

We have a short test tomorrow then thursday everything starts with official day and night practise before qualifying. The race starts 3pm this Saturday french time and I’ll give you an update after the race of pain! It will just be wingdings or gibberish

Have fun

Si