National
Points Series 2005 |
Caersws
Final Round |
24th
and 25th September |
Race report by:
Paul Mackie |
 |
Bucket and spade
anyone? |
Stefan Gleed,
Paul May (Scrap Value),
Greg Pickles, Craig Bromley, and myself
(Paul Mackie) made the trip to
Wales, races at Caersws have proven to be a happy hunting ground for Rapidracers
over the past few events with podiums a plenty. The high speed course
with its big drop into the final field section, close trees, rock gardens
and smooth doubles seemed to suit the team riders, however, things were
different this time around... |
This weekend was a strange one for many reasons. A new course always adds an extra dimension, but for some reason, no one was really up for this race? This may have been due to the low turn out of riders at this race, the strange course conditions, or the fact that the Rapidracers were winding down after a long and frustrating 2005 season? Frustration was definitely the word that best defined this weekend |
Team manager Craig 'Crash Master'
Bromley lived up to his nickname in his final timed run by eating dust
no less than four times not including several other incidents! This put
him out of the reckoning following a solid qualifying time of 2:22 (13th
place). Stefan Gleed racing his new Intense M3 (and sporting a new Troy
Lee helmet) hit a tree square on at high speed in his timed run, cracking
his the main body of his bling new lid. Despite complaining of a headache
and a stiff neck, he still posted a respectable time of 2:13 in his final
run (7th place).....unlucky fella. |
 |
Stef before he headbutted
a tree? |
| Third Rapidmaster Gummy also known as Paul 'Scrap Value' May put in a conservative race run of 2:12 (6th). Caution was probably the word of the day for Gummy having suffered a series of injuries this season and sporting a wrist guard in this event following his broken wrist at Rhoela (5 weeks ago!). Gummy admitted relief at the end of this final NPS race and is now going to be packed in straw and put in a box until next season. |
| The big, no I mean BIG, jumps on this course suggested that Air Commander Pickles would have a good race here. Unfortunately that didn't happen with Greg's crashes in his seeding run resulting in him being held up by not just one, but two riders in his race run 2:45 (23rd). A heated exchange between the race commissionaire about a re-run came to nothing and Greg spent the rest of the day playing on the old course and narrowly avoiding team-mates cars in the field as he handbraked around on the wet grass. I (Mackie) put in another 'safe' performance on yet another comeback to the Rapids fold. Getting down the course in one piece was top priority and unnecessary risks were avoided. One day I will stop riding within myself and either put down an amazing time or kill myself in a high speed accident. A mediocre time of 2:24 in Qualifying and 2:22 in the final run meant a 12th place finish in the Open category....not bad for a skinny runt! |
| All the Rapids were in one piece after this race marking the end of the summer season bar the odd event, a period of re-grouping with the occasional winter race before we pray for a better 2006 season. |
Overall NPS Series Positions: |
| Paul May (Masters) 6th |
| Craig Bromley (Masters) 24th |
| Stefan Gleed (Masters) 19th |
| Aidan Bishop (Expert) DNF |
| Phil Mowatt (Seniors) Racing in the United States |
|
