Derby

Yesterday me and Dad went to our second Notts and Derby race of the season. It was a cold wet morning, but at least i knew that it wouldn't be any worse than last weeks Mallory. I was able to get a lie-in in the morning as my race wasn't until 1 in the afternoon, which was a nice change!

I found out when i got there that there was a pretty strong field, so i was lucking forward to a good race with them. The course was a good one with a few hills and some nice bits in it, including a pretty muddy bit in the trees. I was on 1st/2nd row on the grid between the two. i got a good start and was 4 off the line, then i moved up to 3rd behind Kieron where i stayed for the first two laps. Then i crashed on about the 3 lap in the muddy bits and dropped from Kieron. Then the rest of the race until part way through the last lap was catching him up. When i did i just stuck to his wheel. then coming out of the third corner from the end i attacked off him. He then came back round with a corner to go and out sprinted me on the straight. So i got third in the end, which i was very happy about!

Mallory Park

Mallory has a name for itself as being one of the muddiest and bike wrecking courses on the national series, and it didn't disappoint again. It had been a few wet days before and parts of the course were completely submerged in thick mud. When I got there the women's race was going on and I could just tell how hard it was to make it round some parts of the course. The track was really good though and had some fast and technical bits which I enjoyed.

On the start line I was 3 rows back as I have had a couple of bad races at the nationals. I got a bad start and dropped a few places, then through the first 2 laps I passed people and got through the field, I then came in for my first bike change that I had ever done, the same for my Dad as well. It went ok apart from a few banging of wheels but I didn't drop too much time but the time I did drop, I made up very quickly on a clean bike!

I ended up finishing 12th which I was kind of happy with, if I had had a better start and hadn't been stuck behind a few people I think I could have done a bit better, but its all experience after all.