At the weekend Rafe Symons attended Round 2 of the NORA92 British Cup at FatCat Moto parc. Having ridden on Wednesday at Monster Mountain, Rafe was excited to travel up country to Doncaster for the event.
After round 1, Rafe was sitting in fourth place overall in the championship, having ridden the track a few times already this year, Rafe knew what was in store and had trained hard in the run up to the event.
The weather forecast predicted hot weather and for once, they were not wrong. With 2 races per day, this was totally manageable and Coach Robb, who is based out in Florida, had provided some top tips for riding in the extreme heat, which came in handy.
Saturday quickly arrived and Rafe put in a strong ride and qualified 7th. We have learnt lately that qualifying does not always have a reflection on the race results.
Race 1 – Quick as a flash, Rafe was out of the gate and around the first corner with the leading pack. Within the first 2 laps, he had moved up into 3rd place, with a rider behind hot on his heels. Rafe battled hard to maintain the third place, but knowing the rider behind was a local lad, and used to sand riding, Rafe took a decision to let him past, to maintain a strong 4th place. Rafe maintained good lap times and passed the backmarkers with caution. Crossing the line with a very well deserved 4th place.
Race 2 – Another good start and fortunate enough not to get stuck in a pile up, Rafe quickly moved up into 2nd place and was pulling away from the riders behind. However, due to the extreme heat the track conditions had deteriorated and the track was very dusty. On the landing of a jump was a massive hole, which flung Rafe over the handlebars, hitting his head, knocking him out for a few seconds and totalling his Motoloko goggles. With some assistance, Rafe was able to get back on his feet, a quick chat with the medics saw him jump back on the bike and finish the race in 30th place. Special thanks to team principal Andy Watts for being the first to Rafe and ensuring he was ok.
After the race, Rafe was checked over again by the medics and following a thorough assessment, they gave him a clean bill of health.
Race 3 – With fire in his belly and points to earn, Rafe was keen to get going. However, he was boxed in slightly off the start putting Rafe in 7th place this gave him the determination to ride hard. Some quality riding and quick thinking, Rafe pushed through the pack and into 4th place where he settled into his rhythm and crossed the line.
Race 4 – When pushing the bike onto the start line, it was noticed that the front tyre was flat. There was not enough time to put on the spare wheel and Rafe was unable to participate in the race.
It was a tough weekend but thoroughly enjoyable, lots of positives to take away from the races and some lessons to learn.
