Cadwell Park

Cadwell is a favourite of Diablo 666 HM Racing's Piers Hutchins - but always with fingers crossed that the weather will play fair on such a tricky narrow circuit!

His first experience in the Triumph Triple Challenge last year at Cadwell when offered a one off ride from T3R - was what started the whole 2011 racing plan.

But as is often the case with the mini "Spa" like circuit, Saturday turned into a practice/qualifying day that had every kind of weather possible, ranging from bright sunshine to a thunderstorm that challenged even the noise of the Harley Davidsons - and with hail and torrential rain that created a flooded muddy paddock - that even brought out one team with cling film wrapped wheels on the way to the grid!
But worse, it also turned out to be another gremlin affected day for Piers... lap timers stopping with lack of GPS reception - and weather that meant every lap needed a deep intake of breath and a show of brave confidence. And then finally to finish it all, the worst happened with Piers being black flagged after only 10 mins of qualifying - with bike spraying oil again - whilst lying in 4th position, but eventually dropping to 8th for the race.

Not to be outdone, in his first race Piers managed to gain a position but with the start from 3rd row on the narrow Cadwell circuit, he was pushing really hard to catch sixth and ran wide out of the last corner putting his rear wheel into the gap between the tarmac and the wet grass on the penultimate lap and ending up opposite the pit wall with frightening little run off, under his bike - much to the fascination of the outside broadcast ITV camera man who caught it all as Piers flew directly towards the base of his camera. Watch out for the TV coverage and also the best crashes programme!

Next day with a bike repaired and Piers pretty much recovered, and having achieved a 1:34.5 race lap time in the first race (over a second faster than he'd ever managed before) he started from 7th on the grid in the second race. The race followed the same sort of pattern with him fighting hard to make it up to 6th in the small group just behind the three leaders. A very good weekend for Diablo 666 HM Racing" with Piers putting in stronger and stronger rides as the season progresses."

But don't mention speeding fines on the country lanes outside the circuit!