TMX Says: Weston is full of memories
By TMX Archives on 5th Oct 16
SO its the Weston Beach Race this weekend and I have to say its looking like its gonna be one of the biggest and best ever as some of the worlds greatest off-road racers line up alongside some of the wobbliest thats both physically and in terms of riding ability for the essential annual beach blast!
Going into nostalgia mode for a moment, it's 10 years since I last rode the race and 20 years since my first attempt.
That statement actually makes it sound like I've done it a fair few times but the truth is I've only ever taken it on three times – 1996, 2005 and 2006.
To be fair, I'd have probably done it more, but after that first year the number of seasons I made it through to October without injury can be counted on one finger, and I was genuinely too ill to think about riding it that year anyway...
My first attempt was most definitely my finest and, despite making the mistake of running stock gearing on my CR250 – which made it embarrassingly slow on the straight – I managed to put in a really strong ride around the rest of the course and was pleased to find I'd finished 22nd at the end of it all, which paid out a whopping £35 in prize money!
That's like £35 more than you get for winning a GP these days...
My next attempt was aborted early on as, after a pretty stellar start, I burned out the clutch in the first hour.
To be fair I'd set off down to Weston to help out my mate Eddie but on the drive down had been talked into racing by Gareth Hockey, who was in the bar with some co-workers of mine.
He promised to lend me a bike and kit for the race after one of his international signings had failed to show up and, to be honest, that seemed like more fun than waiting around in the pits for three hours.
Gareth offered another bike loan in 2006 and in the most disorganised attempt at the race ever – I started from the pits as we'd stashed it in the parc ferme with an empty fuel tank – I survived a huge get off on the very final lap to scrape a 72nd place finish which paid out the exact same amount as winning a GP.
So, to keep the pattern alive I guess I should have gone for it again in 2016 where, if mathematics had its way, I would have come home in 122nd!
Seriously, there is no way I could manage 30 minutes on a bike at Weston these days, let alone the full three hours.
A MAXONIAN – that's posh talk for Macc lad – who has stood the test of time way better than I have is sidecarcross ace Stuart Brown.
Stuart picked up his 14th British championship title at the weekend with the help of current passenger Josh Chamberlain (who himself now has six titles to his name) in a national championship career that started way back in 1990!
Unfortunately you won't be able to see Team Brown/Chamberlain in action at Weston this weekend as they'll be representing Team GB along with Brett Wilkinson/Dan Chamberlain and Steve Kirwin/Nick Jarvis in the Sidecarcross of Nations in Geugnon.
No matter where you're racing this weekend have a good 'un and remember to keep it dirty-side down...
