Alastair Seeley's Update
BSB Round 2 -Thruxton Circuit 18/19/20th April
Rider - Alastair Seeley #34 Class - Superstock 1000
Hello everyone,
We arrived at a very windy Thruxton on Thursday and getting the awning set up was a really hard job. If it’s not rain or snow it’s windy .... its hectic! I must say that I enjoy doing Thruxton, it has long fast corners and you are spinning the rear up in 3rd, 4th and 5th gear leaving big darkies with smoke coming from the rear tyre.
For Friday’s free practice it was still very windy and it was spitting rain but not enough to seriously wet the track. I ended the session in 5th position with a 1 min 20.223sec lap but suffered a bit of arm pump to my right arm. Later in the day I had 1st qualifying and we did the usual thing, new rubber, suspension tweaks, gearing change and topped up with fuel.
I was in some slow traffic at the start of the session so held back to get a clear run. When I was on a quick lap my left handlebar came loose at a fast part of the track so with that scare it was a swift return to the pits to tighten it and go out again.
 Within a couple of laps I had posted a 1min 19.492sec to go 7th quickest and then rattled off some more consistent laps around that time towards the end of the session when the tyre was eventually worn. I got pipped at the end of the session by Hickman to end up 8th quickest.
The next morning I was talking to Gary Johnson who had set the 5th fastest time in our superstock 1000 class and he told me he had been disqualified due to a technical infringement so that put everyone up a position in qualifying.
On Saturday we had one run out and that was for 2nd qualifying. It was a wet session so the wet tyres were put on and I just rode steadily and actually ended up 6th quickest with a time of 1min 23.729sec. I was getting good grip from the rear and was feeling confident with the set up. With nobody going quicker in the second qualifying I would therefore start Sunday’s race from 7th on the grid.
In the race I got off to a good start and settled into 6th position on lap one. I got into a four way scrap for 3rd position with Neill, Donald and Hickman. Brogan was leading and Kirkham was second and they weren’t that far in front. The pace we were running was hot, lapping in the 1min 18secs bracket and then with five laps gone, the pace car came out.
We bunched up again and after two laps with the pace car, it was go go go again.
I managed a run at Donald into the complex and made the pass and then made the same move on Hickman a lap later and then Neill a lap later.
Neill re-passed me up the back straight and then Hickman got me at the complex section with Donald also going past me soon after.
My right arm was again starting to pump up and I was staying in touch with the guys in front but couldn’t make any impression on them. Cummins joined the action two laps from home and passed me going into Church. I stayed on his back wheel hoping to get the opportunity to re-pass but he got a good drive into the back straight and kept the door closed into the last chicane. I thought it better not to try anything rash at that point and to just bring it home safely for some valuable points.
I haven’t suffered arm pump before so I will be having my leathers altered to give my arms some room and hope that helps to solves the problem.
My next outing will be at Oulton Park 3/4/5th May for round three of the BSB Superstock 1000 where I am looking forward to continuing my good form.
See you at the races!
Alastair “The Wee Wizard” Seeley
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