11 May 2008
Round 2 – Albacete 6hrs Spain

After a successful qualifying Diablo 666 would be starting from 12th on the grid with wet weather expert, Aussie Alex Cudlin having the honour of starting the race.

The day had started off dry although only 10 degrees with a very strong cross wind blowing across the start finish straight. As race time approached however the rain clouds once again began forming and it proceeded to get darker and darker.

Prior to the warm up session at 2:30 pm it was back to the rain gear. Warm up had become just that with everyone trying to keep warm in the very strange weather conditions for this race meeting. In the archives we have photos of the teams bringing large inflatable swimming pools to keep cool and some of the bikini clad girls trying to keep cool used to make us chaps decidedly hot under the collar.

However, twenty minutes into the warm up the No. 411 MCS Racing Suzuki crashed big time and deposited a large amount of oil on the track. Warm up was red flagged and then eventually cancelled.

At 4 o’clock there was a further 30 minute free practice session and James Hutchins took the opportunity to take to the track. James had been the only Diablo 666 rider not to have had a wet practice session and indeed had never raced at the Spanish circuit in wet conditions over the five years that Diablo 666 had been racing at the circuit.

As the grid formed it was announced that the race for safety reasons would start behind the safety car for the first two laps. No running across the track and as the flag dropped Alex poodled away in grid formation. At the end of the second lap the safety car pulled in and the race proper was away. Alex circulated in 12th for a couple of laps and was overtaken by a couple of bikes (No’s 44 and 50) and then stayed in formation. His orders being to obviously take it steady in the beginning and then to build up his pace later in the race.

But the rain just kept on falling!

After 29 laps, one of the race favourites, the pole sitters, the No. 11 French Kawasaki crashed. Diablo 666 were now back up to 14th. The number 44 bike also crashed leaving yet more oil on the circuit and the safety car then proceeded to stay out for the next 45 minutes. The pace car finally pulled over and they were racing again.

Alex then pulled in two laps later after 1 hour 45 minutes, absolutely frozen solid, “Those have got to be the worst conditions I have ridden in and I was just getting colder and colder stuck behind that stupid pace car”, he diplomatically added.

He also admitted that he had been so desperate to have a pee that he had to relieve himself whilst on the bike, the trouble was he almost filled his left boot up and then started on his right one as well!

Michael Weynand was next up and it looked like the rain was falling even heavier now.

Further bikes to crash at this time were the No. 4 Folch Yamaha and the No. 77 Cordoba Kawasaki. This was going to be a long race...

At this stage of the race Diablo’s sister team were in a brilliant 2nd position. Come on Bolliger!

Then disaster, in torrential rain after 68 laps Michael crashed heavily and Diablo were out of the race. In true blue Diablo fashion the entire team returned to the bar and consoled each other on the bad news we had not finished the race.

Miles Hutchins, team principle was philosophic and quoted as saying,”This whole weekend has been a lottery with the weather, I am just so glad that no one from our team and as far as I know no one else was seriously hurt as well”.

Fantastic news though so hold the front page, Bolliger Kawasaki have finished on the podium in 3rd place. Well done to Hans Peter and all the Bolliger crew!

Diablo 666’s next outing will be at the Suzuka 8hrs on the 26th July 2008.

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