Photo Slideshow - watch this space as the season progresses

Testing & Race Reports - check back regularly for updates

also see Nath's blog (a Top Read!!)

Oulton Park Race Weekend - 7th to 8th Oct 2011 (Report coutesy of Phil, aka Silverback- Matty's Dad)

Championship Round: #9

MLR’s Round: #5

Key Details: Qualifying – 27th.

Race 1/2 – 20th

Race 2/2 -17th

Friday (Test Morning & Qualifying pm)
We arrived at Oulton Park at 0715hrs Friday morning, and just for a change it was raining, that made us feel at home straight away.  In between the odd biblical shower, camp was set up and the van unpacked. Number 93 was checked over and passed scrutineering with no problems.  Jacqui sorts the bacon butties, Nath sorts the tea, it’s all good and even the weather improves a little.  Nige n Di arrive with Jack and even the sun makes an appearance.

10am, Matty rolls out for his first practice laps, 2.27.23 in the wet and he thinks the track is fantastic.  The CB is back to its best and looking good even in the rain.
An hour later and Matt’s back out on track with inflatable arm bands and his rubber duck, it really was that wet!  Posting a lap of 2.22.74 he's only done twelve laps and already knocked five sec’s off a lap.  Matt’s happy with the grip levels out there.
His third and final session sees him match his times again in changing conditions, he's happy so that'll do me fine.

Qualifying.
Matt’s straight back on it and 2nd lap out puts in 2.25.130 He knows he can go faster but the red flag comes out and the session is stopped for a good five minutes to clear the track.  Green flag and they’re back out.  Matt seems troubled? What’s going on out there?  His visor has steamed up due to the delay and with no time left has to settle for 27th on the grid.  He's a little disappointed with himself as he knows he could have done better.

Saturday (Race Day)
It’s warm but still wet, Matt’s away for warm up, determined to prove himself worthy of all the support and backing that everyone has given him, posting a time of 2.17.114 and 20th fastest.

Race 1  (sing along) “Up above the trees and houses rainbows flying high” (guess the children’s programme)  Yes the sun was out and the track starting to dry a little.  All looks good, his out lap from a standing start was faster than his qualifying time by some five seconds, good lad!  Matt’s working his way up the field, no dramas, his best lap of 2.11.209 gaining him 20th place a good effort!

Race 2
What was the weather going to do?  Worn wets or nearly new wets was the dilemma? 20 mins to race time, No pressure then... yep, it rained!! New wets fitted with ten minutes to go. Our last race of our season and Matty’s determined to put a show on for his loyal supporters from the Tankslap forum.
He nails the start, wasting no time as he starts to get to grip with the task in hand.  The race has been shortened to 8 laps due to time restraints caused by delays with earlier races.  Matt really did go for it, taking a place every lap and two in one corner on his way to 17th with his fastest lap of the race 2.13.409!
On the cool down lap Matt made a half decent attempt at a burn out just as a thank you to everyone for their support.

Jacqui and I, and of course Matt, must say a big thank you to everyone at Tankslap for their support over the last seven months of our adventure into the world of motorcycle racing.  The highs and the lows we've had a few, the pressure, the worry and the elation but never disappointed, and also a big thank you to Family and friends for all the help and support.
We've already started planning for next season and will keep you informed and up to date as often as I can.
.........Something about Matty????

Brands Hatch Race Weekend - 16th to 18th Sept 2011 (Report coutesy of Phil, aka Silverback- Matty's Dad)

Championship Round: #8

MLR’s Round: #4

Key Details: Qualifying – 18th.

Race 1/4 – DNF

Race 2/4 -26th

Race 3/4 – DNF (Mechanical)

Race 4/4 – 28th

Well what a weekend!
 
Friday test was sunny and warm, Matt went out for his first laps of brands hatch Indy circuit, nice and steady and the 2nd lap in produced a 59 second lap, instantly sub minute lap times.
Matty's words were " thats full on scary but awesome!" An uneventful afternoon was had and Matty managed to bring his lap times down to a personal best of 58.11, 3 seconds off Adam Shelton and Matt Bilton, ex superstock 600 winner!
After checking the CB over we all go for a walk around the track. Paddock hill bend is one steep and demanding hill.

Saturday morning qualifying, and guess what, it rained!  Full wets on and away he goes. Nath comments instantly thinking that he looks slow and isn't trying. I tell him to chill out, he will be fine. With that he ups his pace and is running the bike super smooth and nice and progressive. On the tannoy we hear that Matty has qualified 18th of 36. Personal best yet again and I think that is very well done.
 
Race 1. Matty got away well with the fast group ahead and 2nd lap in got sucked into paddock hill bend carrying a little too much entry speed and touched a damp patch at the best part of 80mph, I could see him trying to save it on his knee.
I must admit it was a spectacular crash rolling and sliding and tumbling. The CB doing its own impression of Olga korbut on the gymnastics floor. Matt was up on his feet instantly and was mad with himself. At least he is okay.
3 hours later the bike has passed scrutineering and Matty is fit to race after a sterling effort from Martin, Nath, Nige, Jack and myself.
 
Race 2. Steady away was the order of the day to just bring it home and he does just that in 26th, a great effort after a big off and a less then perfect bike. He said the bars where all wrong and too high and he had no movement around the bike and just couldnt hold the lines he wanted.
 
Sunday Warm up 18th Fastest.
 
Race 3. Matt got away well and he was really going for it, this is it we thought, he was racing hard and fast in the top 20 with four laps down. All of a sudden he slows down looking around the bike, the bike doesnt sound like its revving out, and its struggling to move at all. Matty pulls in to find the back brake had seized on, the heat from this was tremoundous and took a lot of water to cool it off. Didn't see that coming! Matty looks disappointed and gutted as he was running a strong race.
 
Race 4. He got away well again and was soon fighting his way through a pack of 8 other CB500 racers and swapping and changing places every corner of every lap.  Towards the end of the race Matty lost a lot of rear grip and the back end was sliding alot and he couldnt quite get the grip he needed to stay ahead of the pack. He had to settle for 28th in the last race.
 
That was a proper race weekend, highs, lows, frustration, joy, some laughs and sheer hard work and determination. Great support from all the Slappers from tankslap.co.uk and Matt's Auntie Alison and Uncle Martin, Brother Nath and not forgetting the ANGEL! ( YES we did get him on the video aswell) Di knows who we mean!
 
After all that Matt still drove the 240 miles home in pain from the crash and the onslaught of tonsilitus. The lad has determination if nothing else.
 
Thank you to everyone at the weekend and for contuinally supporting us all as a family.
 
Many thanks
 
Phil

Snetteron Race Weekend - 15th to 27th July 2011 (Report coutesy of Phil, aka Silverback- Matty's Dad)

Championship Round: #6

MLR’s Round: #3

Key Details: Qualifying – 20th.

Race 1/4 – 18th

Race 2/4 -19th

Race 3/4 – 15th & 1st Championship point!

Race 4/4 – 14th & 2 more Championship points!

We arrived at the circuit at 21.15 on Thursday evening, it was a clear night but a little cool. Gazebo up, tent up had a brew.

We woke to brilliant sunshine on Friday for the test day, fuelled up, noise test done Matt rolls out for his first look at the new 300 layout. 20mins later he's back in with a big smile on his face. His first timed lap was 2.38.26 six laps later in near perfect conditions he does 2.27.64 nearly 11secs in such a short time. Tony (rofin) and Lee had arrived by this time and settled in to the atmosphere. John (Jack38) arrived just after lunch, great chap loves his racing.

Later that day Matty slowly got his times down to a consistent 2.23 lap. In between sessions we went to scrutineering, we failed! A little to much play in the steering head bearings, with help from Jack and Lee we soon had it sorted, with a brand new set of 003 tyres on, off he went to scrub the new tyres in, day one complete.

Saturday 9.00am qualifying - new wet tyres, it was wet wetter than sponge in a bucket of water. I wonder if giraffes like water? because it doesn't seem to bother Matt too much! 20 mins of splashing around in the rain and he's 20th on the grid, his highest position so far good lad!!!

Race 1; Matt splashed his way round doing a sterling job, until the last lap in the last corner when he launched himself (that was a joke LOL) down the inside of a fellow competitor to take 18th place. The marshals at Murrys thought we were battling for the lead by the amount of noise we all made when he took 18th place!

Race 2; It was still wet, I think the Titanic could possibly have been a little drier. Matt settled into the race which was reduced to five laps due to delays in the day, just complete the race Matt. So Matt, being Matt, put in a lap of 2.36 some 6 secs faster than his qualifying time, well it did stop raining, eventually finishing 19th.

Warm up on Sunday, Matt latched onto the front runners on a dry track posting the 12th fastest time (2.24.541)

Race 3; Matt was full of confidence and really was having a good go, passing at least one rider per lap eventually getting his reward, 15th, his highest position so far earning him one championship point.

Race 4; Matt  got stuck in traffic on the first lap, he really was flying now making up place after place each lap with some really guttsy riding. Seeing him ride round the outside of a fellow rider at Palmer at 60-70mph on the limit will stay with me for ever (so proud), and his last lap out braking at Murrys was fantastic to secure 14th place and another 2 championship points! He set his fastest lap of the weekend 2.22.232 on the 4th lap of the last race.

We started the year with a few goals for the season we've surpassed at least two of them so far.

I know I've said it before but a massive thankyou to all at TANKSLAP. Thanks again to Nige & Di, Jack38, Tony, Lee for the support, and a massive thankyou to Martin, Allison, Georgina & Jasper for thier support and help during the day.
 
                                                              Phil

Cadwell Park Race Weekend - 28th to 30th May 2011 (Report coutesy of Phil, aka Silverback- Matty's Dad)

Championship Round: #4

MLR’s Round: #2

Key Details: Qualifying – 26th.

Race 1/4 – 20th

Race 2/4 -18th

Race 3/4 – Did not Start - See below

Race 4/4 – 25th

Arrived at Cadwell on Saturday at 07.15am cold, just a little windy (GF10!!).  Tent up, gazebo up, bike checked, breakfast done and grandma enjoying every minute of it.  Matt signs on for testing in the afternoon and all is calm.

Over lunch the weather takes a turn for the worst with a very heavy shower, we change to full wets, been here before me thinks!!  In the holding area 5mins to go the sun comes out OH *&^%$KS.  Matt just trundled round to get his bearings on a drying track.  Session one down, two to go.

Race tyres back on (I'm getting better at this now).  Next session dry/windy that’s more like it 1.59 lap time.  Talking to Jack I said I'd be happy if he can hit 1.55 consistently for the qualifying and race for Sun/Mon.  Into the last test session of the day, two laps in, a 1.54 for the next three laps... What do I know!!!.

Sunday qualifying Matt's on his way faster and faster, he looks even faster! Comes in after six laps he's got cramp, sorted that... Nath give him a slap and off he went.  Qualified 26th with a time of 1.53.498, a full second faster than Saturdays testing, well done Matt.

1st race, got a good start working his way up to 20th with a fastest lap of 1.51.592 anther one and three quarter seconds faster again.

2nd race, Matt starts well again passing a few on the brakes like he does.  His reward is 18th, with a fastest lap of 1.51.284.  What impressed me (Silverback) was the other six laps were all faster than his qualifying time WIN!!!!!

Monday warm up and its very, very wet and windy, no prob’s, nice n steady.  One minute left and Disaster... no Matt, no bike... he’d gone down at barn. I run off to race control only to see #93 getting wheeled out the back of the course van, it looked like an out of work window box with more grass and mud than our front garden.  Away down to the medical centre heart in my mouth, I hear him laughing with the Docs which makes me calm down a tad.  I'm allowed in to see him sit up, a little sore and bruised but ok.

We get back to camp, all hands on deck.  The bike starts up, that’s a good sign.  Big Al & Jack replace the front end Damage, Uncle Martin & I work on the footrest and rear brake.  One hour and a few min’s later, classed fit to race again with 10min’s to spare.  Matt’s ready, but half way down to the holding area the bike stops then starts but will not rev out B*&^%$£D, we’re all gutted.  Carbs stripped cleaned replaced all seems good.

Last race, it’s still raining cats and things, Matt’s instructions are to just get your confidence back and bring it home.  He starts well but just holding station at the moment... 5 laps in, Days of thunder moment... he goes under the bike in front at coppice and instantly goes 4 secs a lap faster... He's back!!  He ends up 25th with a lap of 2.01.774, seven secs faster in the wet than in February.

I'm so proud of him, he showed some metal to get out there after his spill. He was a bit beaten up but he learned a lot.

Thanks once again for everyone's support of Matt, some 20 friends and family supported Matt over the weekend, Many Thanks.

Donnington Park Race Weekend - 8th to 10th April 2011 (Report coutesy of Nath - Matty's Bro')

Championship Round: #2

MLR’s Round: #1

Survived: YES

Key Details: Qualifying – 40/48, got on the grid – this is the main thing.

Race 1/4 – 34th

Race 2/4 -28th

Race 3/4 – 25th

Race 4/4 – 22nd

Summary: It’s finally over – bittersweet ending (not to do with Matty – more me leaving my mobile in a service station) to a wonderful weekend at Donington. Arriving on Friday after a 4am early rise, excitement was static in the air as we pulled into Donington amongst the hundreds of camper-vans, vans, trailers and tents (on concrete, aye) already set up for the weekends racing. We stepped out of the car to cold, fresh air and the sound of a few generators starting to warm peoples morning cuppa.  So! First things first, we get everything set up, and pretty soon a full racing team HQ was the order of the day – and based on the amount of people asking us questions, we must have looked pretty damn fine. The bike looked gleaming, and quicker than you know it, we’re watching Matty go off to his warmup sessions. First time out on the track he comes back in, half way through the session. “It feels weird, the front end is squirming and lifting!” he shouts through his helmet over the top of the bike noises screaming past the pitlane. More on this in the detailed blog. Test day over, and having consistently improved over the day (earlier laps 1:34 – end of friday – 1:28.2) we settle in and make sure everything is ready for his first qualificiation, and first race. Endless discussion (usually forced by big brother here) eeks every bit of info out of Matty for the correct set up.

Qualifying goes well, and Matty’s bike is immediately seized for the dyno machine. A fraught half an hour later, and the CB is given the all clear. Matty qualifies 40th on the track – though seemingly disappointed with this, some logical reasoning (namely that 8 riders did NOT qualify for the main race) quickly brings him back out of his pit and determined to see what he can do in the race.

The race.

This was it, the big nerves, the huge worry, the ridiculous amounts of adrenaline, tea and bananas, and Matty was sat on the grid. Watching him sit there at the back of 39 other high revving racebikes gave me goosebumps. And a wet patch.

Red. Red. Red. Red. (when would it-)GREEN GREEN GREEN GO GO GO! Half way through Lap 1, 5 bikes go down at Craner Curves. Dad and myself look at each other and know what the other is thinking, but don’t voice it.

An age passes where the bikes wait on the track itself, before coming around to set up again.

And the whole thing starts. Again. An early grave via stress induced heart attack? Yeah go on then.

Matthew takes 5 places within one lap, but makes a mistake at the chicane, underestimating the heat in his brakes. It costs him 5 places, and he is now chasing hard to keep with the back runners. We see him pull them back in within 2 laps, and take the back marker on the 3rd. Yet again he mistakes at the chicane, going too wide, and is passed. Just finish, is all we want from him. Don’t worry and just finish your first ever race Matt. That’s all we need. On the 6th and final lap, Matthew bullets out of the chicane onto the start finish straight…in FRONT of the guy he’d been behind for 3/4′s of the lap. I’ve been told it was a brilliant overtake coming out of Macleans. He’d done all this in a 6 lap race.

He had finished his first race, it was over, Mother, Father, Brother, Neighbors, Sponsors and forum members breathe a sigh of relief. Well done sunshine. Well done.

To find out how Matty smashed his places down consistently over the weekend and achieved a drop of TEN SECONDS on laptimes within 3 days of riding the bike, and in his first ever race weekend, please read the more detailed blog. It’s action packed and full of healthy, nutritious details!

Cadwell Park Test Day - 5th February 2011 (Report coutesy of Phil - Matty's Dad)

First of all a big thankyou to Nigel and Di of Pittys Custom Vinyls Ltd for their help and support and dressing the bike up, it really is appreciated. Everybody thinks the teamwear looks fantastic, can't wait for a sunny day.

On ,saturday the 5th of February we travelled down to Cadwell for Mat's first run out on the CB500.  Wet was an understatement, while mat went for his safety briefing his (Dad) Phil and his (Bro) Nath started twirling the spanners changing to full wets , nice and easy in a dry warm garage, not quite so easy in gale force winds, driving rain and time ticking away, and not even 8.30am.

Nigel was also doing the trackday and promptly had a tyre change, once for the back tyre and three attempts for the front WHOOPS! Did I mention it was raining lol. Everyone was now nicely soaked to the skin and only 9am. Brollys where the order of the day Jacqui, Mat's Mum, supplied copious amounts of tea and coffee, making various comments about the weather, some of them unrepeatable.

Mat went out for his first session of the day. First time on the CB5OO first time on full wets, three laps later, knee down at halls bends which raised a few eyebrows, which Nath and I were high fiving at, Di's face was a picture.  Di was quite happy snapping away with her camera everyone just that little bit wetter but still smiling, or was it wind.

After a couple of sessions I timed Mat. Once he'd managed to get a clear track he put in 4 consecutive laps all within half a second of each other his fastest lap being 2.08.22 this would have been enough to have put Mat in 24th place on last years qualifying times in the wet, we think quite good for his first on the bike.

Mats Bro took some awesome pictures. Come dinnertime the marshalls were quite impressed by the lad on the blue CB500 and wondered if he would stay shiny side up for the rest of the day due to the entry speed into Hall Bends on a very wet track. The brolly girls where now working overtime three brollies on show at any one time. Jacqui, Liz and Di doing a sterling job. Nige got to work applying the graphics to Mats bike, which we all agreed looks fantastic, many thanks to Nige.

Matty continued were he left off snogging Lizzy lol, I mean putting in consistent laps, did I mention it was still raining lol. Nige went out again to do his dancing on water impression, which at times made us all jump a bit with his wheel spinning antics.  With tiredness setting in and a couple of unforced errors Mat opted not to go out in the last session however a great day was had by all and new friends made.
 
ps: Just a word from Jacqui and I, we'd like to thank Nige and Di and everyone at tankslap forum and the trackday riders forum for their enthusiasm and support for Mat. Also Julie, big Al, James, Tom, Jenny, Ryan and Uncle Martin for their fantastic support on the day. If anybody is around to watch Mat race, please feel free to pop in and say hello, you can't miss him 6ft 3in,bright blue and a bit giraffe like lol

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