Fond Memories of Mallory Park in those early days

Trying to get there ASAP since the Manchester crowd always grabbed the best
pitches.
(There was so many of them, they could have run the event on their own)
Another reason for getting there early was the clubhouse on a Saturday
night. The atmosphere in that place was ruddy marvelous. Only problem was we
had to get up early next morning.
The mad dash from the upper camp site by the clubhouse first thing to get a
good spot in the pits.
The hard frost that always seemed to affect that area, even quite late in
the spring, and especially in Autumn. I remember actually going out for
practice at one meeting with the track still glistening with ice...Scary!!!
My first introduction to Armco barriers close up and personal through the
chicane...Ouch!!!
Discovering why everyone warned me to stay within the first 3 feet of the
inside line at Gerrards Bend. The infamous bump. Once you'd gone off line,
there was no way back. You could always tell the ones who'd done it, they
were smothered in that slimy red clay that adorned the banks all around the
outside of the lake.
It was worth the walk and spectating up there just to witness riders overcooking
it.
Watching the antics of the sidecars up at the top hairpin bend when it
rained. That place was slipperier than Sammy the Slug sliding on a skid Pan.
I don't think anyone ever discovered a quick line through there.
My first outing on the Wildcat 158cc...actually lapping Chris Watson on my
third outing of the day. (Ok, let's be fair about this, he had broken down.
But it made my day...sorry, YEAR.) I've never been so nervous in my life.
Someone with my lack of racing experience had no right to be in front of
riders of his stature.

Despite Mallorys drawbacks, I loved this circuit. It was a real scratchers
paradise. You would seem to spend most of your time over on your 'earole
hovering between glory and disaster. One wrong move and it was all over,
but winning there felt really good. You could watch the bikes racing from
pretty much anywhere around the track, and whatsmore see where all your
competitors were in relation to you. A brilliant place to ride.

Send me an email about Mallory Park in the early days