Endurance Legends Donington 2018

A sunny Friday afternoon

As normal folk look forward to browsing the garden centre or a drive to the countryside in their 1976 Austin Allegro or such like pride and joy, Lansdowne racers make their way to Donington Park for the Endurance Legends round of our Championship. I encounter Ian Garbutt at the track entrance so we ‘chew the cud’, Ian is of course a long standing supporter of top riders in the Series and always presents a professional team with this year no exception having 2016 champ Chris ‘Toffa’ Firmin on his Ripley Land G50s. The paddock fills quickly with the regulars and the main topic is who will be the first to get electrocuted on the 240 volt power post that also houses the water tap! With the base all set up, it’s bikes to technical inspection where our old Brit bikes meet the newer Jap heavyweights “no not the scrutineers” also being tested for the 4 hour Endurance round, so all passed we prepare for the next day.

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Saturday

A fairly late start, I go to the loos fifteen minutes before qualifying final call but have to wait with the other lansdowners, "it must be the Lansdowne timed practice" chirps in Peter Crew; nerves are a funny thing. The summer sun helps warm the bikes in readiness to engage Donington Park’s sinuous strip of tarmac that hides it’s corner apexes through it's rises and falls following the contours of the land helping deliver an engaging riding experience.

Two laps in, Avon’s finest hoops deliver their best grip and the lap times fall, these classic 4-strokes bellow as they carve round Redgate, then flow down Craner Curves requiring lots of counter-steering bar pressure to execute before throwing you into the Old Hairpin, a slight off camber right hander that is a lot faster than you first think. This then slingshots you through the double left up hill, chasing through the gears before Macleans demands your attention, it's hidden apex takes some finding (I’m still looking) as anything less than perfect means you linger on the throttle or face a kitty litter shot blast.

Next up is another totally blind right which is the secret to your speed along the Dunlop Straight before hitting the anchors to negotiate the final chicane before the finish line. Mike Russell guided his Richard Adams’ Manx smoothly round to take pole over two seconds ahead of Toffa’s G50. Next up is young gun Sam Clews on his ACR Manx, now a regular front runner and serious Bonhams Championship contender followed by leading WRR runner and wiley old fox Peter Crew who has found a great setting for his Manx suspension allowing him to show what he can do. Matt Kirby and Robin Stokes next best WRR.

May’s day arrived in the 350 class with David and Jimmy May first and second whilst Mike Baldwin on his AJS 7R third. Sam Rhodes again rode the wheels off Graham Austin’s not so mellow Velo to head the TCM class ahead of up and coming Charlie Williams, a lad showing lots of ‘promise' on Mike Farrall’s fabulous Rudge with Mike crock after his tumble at Mallory curtailing his racing for a few weeks. 

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Race 1

The flag drops, the mechanical Manx din is drowned by the booming exhausts as the thumpers lurch from the grid, all away we head into Redgate to play the braking game, all very tight as peripheral vision identify the early brakers, often because of traffic ahead so have lost the advantage, whilst the rest find their position and heal the bikes over ready to exploit the bikes power and grip to give a speed advantage down into Craner Curves which we enter two, three maybe four abreast at speed, still we tussle for position as the race is on. At the front Sam Clews pushes on with Russell and Toffa in tow, Russell powered to the lead with a 1:21.507 lap being the fastest of the weekend and that’s how they finished, Mike well chuffed with his efforts. WRR class had Peter Crew with great pace and was not pushed taking a well deserved win with George Thomas on his Dunnell Manx in good form and myself rounding out the top three. Of note was Stuart Tonge finding real pace and feeling in his Manx after many months in the doldrum’s. The 350 class saw David May just holding off Roger Munsey and Derek Bunnings 500cc machines by less than a second ahead of the other 350 runner Jimmy May. TCM class honours went to Sam Rhodes with Charlie Williams enjoying his girder forked Rudge experience.   

Race 2

Saw Clews turn the tables on Russell at the sharp end, whilst Duncan Fitchett showed class as he came through the field to snatch third on the beautiful Savage Manx. WRR once again had Crew take the win in front of Robin Stokes and George Thomas, whilst Tony Raynor nailed the 350 class ahead of Jimmy May and Mike Baldwin.

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Race 3

Had the very determined Glen English and Duncan Fitchett leave the start line like the preverbal rats up a drainpipe!

Glen particularly feisty as he cut through the pack and would settle for nothing less than a win even with Russell pressing hard right to the finish with Clews prepared to accept the remaining podium position in third. Meanwhile the WRR gunners had a rather different start as Robin Stokes with his 'ye olde' leathers recently spruced up, decided he preferred the used look by pitching himself off down the very fast Craner Curves, sliding on his back inches from my front wheel while George Thomas and Andy Hornby took avoiding action on the grass whilst the rest of the field behind dodged the debris expecting a red flag then had to get their heads down once more as the marshals got the shovels out and the flags stayed in.

Peter Crew rounded out the perfect weekend with a full house win in front of myself and Stuart Tonge. Mick Baldwin’s AJS 7R just held off Tony Raynors 350 Manx with Jimmy May hauling more points with third. TCM terror Rhodes took another popular win but the Rudges will be out in force come Mallory so make hay while you can Sam.

Another well run meeting hosted by the Endurance Legends team and the CRMC who we would like to thank along with the marshalls helpers and especially our sponsors who without we wouldn’t be able to enjoy this exciting sport 

See you all at Snetterton 

Tony Perkin

View the gallery of images from the weekend at sport-pics.co.uk

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2018 calendar

April 6–8 Silverstone International
May 12–13 Donington Park
May 19–20 Snetterton 300
June 10 Mallory Park
July 7–8 Pembrey
August 3, 4 & 5 Donington Park
October 6–7 Cadwell Park
October 19–21 Portimão Historic Festival