I think we all had mixed fortunes on the
Saturday. Simon struggled with traction,
having decided to stick with road tyres, Young
Frank had ignition problems, while Steve was
struggling with the handling. Having not ridden
the scooter before the event, he was unsure
if it was the scooter or just the unusual and
unpredictable surface! For me it was about
gaining confidence in the scooter and trying
to work out how to apply the power to get
the best grip on the loose surface. All-in-all,
though, a great first day’s racing and I for one
couldn’t wait for Sunday to come around.
Sadly, due to the previously mentioned
issues, Steve and Young Frank decided to
withdraw on the Sunday, which just left me and
Simon to take on the bikes. It did, however,
turn out to be a battle between ourselves for
most of the day. In our first run, Simon missed
a gear, which gifted me the win and gave me
the confidence boost I needed, as I then went
on to win the next two battles, albeit by the
slimmest of margins. Had the track been a few
feet longer Simon would have easily passed
me! Simon’s speedo registered a best of
66mph, which on the very loose surface and
just an eighth-of-a-mile long, I reckon is a very
respectable speed. However, in true racing
style, I’m already trying to work out how we
can go quicker next year; deeper pockets are
required, I think.
Sunday ended with some confusion and
bears my only real criticism of the weekend,
as the event was stopped shortly after dinner,
despite expecting it to run to a similar time
as the previous day. Many people I spoke to,
and especially the spectators, were equally
surprised and it’s a real shame as lots of
people seemed to miss out, but I’m sure there
was a good reason behind the decision.
Once again, I must thank those responsible
for the event: Paul Garbutt and his manyvolunteers who made sure things were run
safely and smoothly throughout the weekend.
Without them it would be impossible to stage.
Thanks also to my fellow competitors, who all
put on an amazing spectacle. I for one can’t
wait for the return to the beach next year for
more full-throttle action.
Words: Jon Betts
Images: Jon Sealey at Braking Point ImagesThe makeshift pits were a hive of activity the whole
weekend, and it was great to chat with people from
different scenes as the scooters made up only a very
small percentage of the vehicles entered.Simon Allan went down to the wire trying to get his
Quattrini-powered Vespa ready for the event. Having
gone through a complete engine/scooter rebuild, he
only finished the day before! With just under 40bhp
on tap and running standard road tyres, he struggled
for traction all weekend.At the end of each day a huge parade lap
was organised, including all those still
able to run. It was a real buzz taking to the
track with such a large number of vehicles.‘Young Frank’ returned to the sand on his 1956
Douglas 15212, powered by a PX125 engine fitted
with a Polini 177cc cast iron kit. The scooter is used
for all sorts of events, including flat track, trials and
grass track racing, although sadly on this occasion
he suffered from ignition problems.