Ring-ring, Ring-ring, Ring-ring …

Hello?

“Yow!”

Hello?

“Yo Scotty Columb here – what’s happening?”

Scotty, not too much how’s it going over there and what’s new?

“You know a little old and a little new. I was down in Plymouth (in the UK) at the weekend racing round five of the KWS Champs. We rolled up on Saturday for a look at the track, I’d been there already this year for the Red Bull Nationals but as we pull in to the pits my mechanic who I call Lovejoy says ‘I think I’ve seen this track before’.

“Kip (Lovejoy’s mate) and I both can’t help but turn and look at the Geezer with a look of pure amazement everyday life must be a real buzz with a memory like a Goldfish, Kip politely reminds Lovejoy we’ve been here only a couple months back  ‘oh yeah that’s right’ Lovejoy says as I shake my head dumb founded by his observation skills we cruise off  to Plymouth for dinner.”

Plymouth? English got weird names for places sounds like an American yank tank to me what’s it like?

“I reckon Plymouth is a good town to go out in- there’s plenty about.

“So I doubled up for the weekend, riding my usual RMZ450 and the lil’ RMZ250 I was quite excited about it to I might add. I spent most of qualifying getting used to the wee machine again and my fastest lap slotted me into 3rd which eventually became 6th. In MX1 I was 2nd fastest for quite some time before being ousted back to 4th”

What about racing man what happened you win or what?

“Well race one in MX2 I got a mean jump but hooked 3rd gear too soon and got dragged off going up the up hill start straight. Early on the boys checked out but by mid way I had found my feet on the small bike and started closing the gap on the leaders and finished 5th. We made a few adjustments with the jetting as it was a bit burbly”

Ah ha, what about MX1 did you beat The Pirate (Brad Anderson)?

“In moto1 I got my start was okay but I made a few mistakes on lap one which dropped me down to 10th so I started picking off riders I got all the way back up to 2nd  behind B. Anderson I didn’t win but I did set the fastest lap for the moto.”

Fastest lap yeah-o-yeah, you would have been stoked?

“Yea bro I was pumped on that.”

“For moto2 in MX2 I wanted a better jump so I positioned myself a little more centre on the start line and got a lot better start. My team mate Martin Barr passed me and then the rain began to fall and the track became slippery. I had some mean lines getting plenty of drive behind the boys. Behind me was the Pirate (Anderson) yelling and panic revving his bike basically using cheap tricks to get me to falter well not this time Sweetheart. I ignored it and got on with what I was doing.

“Coming into a left hand corner, I went inside Pirate went outside but the outside crossed over the inside line. I was in front and on the inside and I didn’t shut off, the result? The Pirate ran into the back of me and went down. I passed Martin back and was looking to get past the race leader when my rear brake started going spongy it was at this time that things became interesting. I see the Pirate on the outside of a corner waving his hand but at who – me? Must be!

“A lap down he pulled in right behind me, half a lap later he came down the inside of me flat out trying to take me out (must be a only child) the result was I braked and he missed and failed to sink my Battleship. Without a rear brake I managed to finish 6th.  I was livid though cause I was gunning for the moto win and the 500quid! The whole thing was so bizarre it reminded me of a Tokoroa SX years ago when after I made a pass on guy who’s name rhymes with Maiden HacKay he also lost the plot and waited a lap and wasted a whole race trying to take me down the hilarious thing is he failed as well. Oh the good old day’s haha…”

“So Race 2 in MX 1 and I have to say I think everyone there was watching to see what happened in this race, I was third of the start behind my team-mate Martin and B. Anderson. I got past Martin and set began chasing Brad, the distance stayed the same for 15 minutes. Again I set the fastest lap of the race this time on lap 9. For the final 3 laps we were close but I was just not close enough to give him something to really cry about!”

Did anything happen in the pits after the moto or what?

“No I found it all quite funny but we did exchange…opinions shall we say after the race for sure. The woman doing the TV interviews asked me about the incident in Moto1 with the Pirate and how I felt about it but I just smiled and told her “I love it! I love it aye!”

No way dude.

“Yeah way dude, so goodnight and thank you!”

Photo by Andy McGechan, www.BikesportNZ.com