Plum Pudding
Boxing Day at Mallory Park circuit
John Newman
Boxing Day, a big day for sport and shop sales. The sport is mostly about football, but believe it or not, for the past 42 years, hardy riders, and slightly less hardy spectators, have been able to get a circuit race top-up at Mallory Park circuit in Leicestershire. At the Boxing Day Plum Pudding race meeting.
The sky was almost a faultless blue, the roads were dry, so it seemed an outing to Mallory would be a good idea. Too cold to set off on the bike, but when I arrived at the circuit mid-morning I reckon there were around a hundred bikes parked about the place. The car parks were filling up, and it looked like a family or mates outing for quite a few of those who came on four wheels.
Apparently, it's the only circuit meeting in the calendar to feature two, three (sidecars), and four-wheel racers, which no doubt entices a few more spectators through the gates. The paddock wasn't full, but the competitors were sorting themselves out for the first race (bikes) at 11.30. Practice was from 9.45am. A chilly start. And I noticed a couple of bike competitors had travelled some distances: Taunton in Somerset and St Leonards on Sea on the Sussex coast.
There were three races for solos, two for the sidecars, plus three car races. No division into classes for the bikes, everyone went out together. First time I've seen full-on R6 Yamahas, 1000cc Aprilias, Kawasakis, BMWs, and a brace of Triumphs in the same field as a BSA Bantam racer, a 1960s G50 Matchless and assorted capacity two and four strokes of dubious vintage, all on-track together. It worked okay.
The main problem on-track seemed to be the amount of oil dropped by the four wheelers, which held up proceedings while the marshalls ensured the track surface was safe for the bikes. For some riders, it made for a cautious few laps. And this combined with tyre deposits is probably one of the main reasons why this is the only meeting in the calendar to host two and four-wheel racers.
It's an informal clubman gathering for those who want to blow the proverbial cobwebs away over the Xmas period. A good number of racers will have their machines in the build process for the 2017 season. While the Moto GP and BSB riders will be seeking warmer climes for practice and set up than the six or seven degrees the Plum Pudding riders contended with.
Comments
05/01/17 - Was a very good day out, first time I've been to it, despite my best intentions......
06/01/17 - I've a load of pics from the day if anyone is interested.
EN