Mallory Park trackday.

[Dodgy69]

Never been but within easy reach for me, kind of. One of the cheaper ones 135 I think. Is it worth it or is it a bit crappy. ?

[Yorick]

Never been but within easy reach for me, kind of. One of the cheaper ones 135 I think. Is it worth it or is it a bit crappy. ?

It's kinda fun. Gerrards is awesome. You're on your knee for what seems like ages, waiting for the track to open up to get the throttle on.

No harm in having a go.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

I've only been there a few times, here's what I remember

Gerrards is good, the hairpin is very slow, the chicane after it is a bit of a pain, the track was better without it, I think there's another chicane now between Gerrards and the Esses, it's a fun little circuit that's fairly easy to learn.

The pits are in the middle of the track and you can only enter or leave when no ones riding, it's down a crappy little lane from Kirkby Mallory that can flood, the church clock bells chime all night and they're loud.

My grandfather was born in a village near Mallory Park, which is irrelevant, but something I only found out quite recently

[weeksy]

Great fun little place, lots of good memories

[Noggin]

I love Mallory. Getting 'quizzed' by my mate who'd come to help me get better on the bike before the first race after I overtook someone on the outside around Gerrards is one of my funniest memories!! Plan was for him to follow on the first session, we'd chat, then I'd follow him - not official instruction
Think the convo when we got back to the pits was -

- What was that about?
- What?
- That overtake
- ??
- Gerrards, you went around the outside
- Well, there wasn't room for me to overtake after (too short) and he was faster than me down the straight, but slower in all the corners - Gerrards was the only safe and easy place to go past, no??
-



Another was following an instructor mate on one of my early TDs (I was on the TLs so not really early) and going down the straight thinking " He's forgotten I'm here; he can't expect me to go into Gerrards this fast; I have to trust that he remembers I'm following; FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUK; Oh WOW, I got round it !!!!! ". He had Waaaayyyyy more confidence in me than I had in myself at that point!! (well, that never changed, I just got more confident, but he always thought I could do better!!)

I did my first ever TD at Mallory and, despite the late start due to frost (it was December!) and the bike being a Blackbird, i loved it !!

I know some people think it's boring because it's short, but I love it because it's quite technical (I think). Gerrards is double apex (but if you can get it right, damn its quick!), then you have the wiggle before the Esses (again, if you go in right, it's kinda fun!), the Esses are a laugh and the hairpin is ridiculous!! It took me far too long to get the entry right on that, but once I did, it wasn't too bad!! the wiggle after, think it's Devils Elbow, is another "right line in and the exit is awesome".

Maybe it's more technical for me because I'm not very good!! I was in inters when I did the overtake on the outside of Gerrards, so not bad as such, but most of the TD peeps here are quicker and more experienced than me. But I really enjoy any TD there Even with a delayed start due to frost

[IccyV2]

I used to like Mallory but I was behind Rob Orme when he had his life changing accident there back in 1991, on the exit from Gerrard's he collided with another bike and I wizzed through a gap as plastic, metal and bodies was exploding outwards towards me. It was an ACU practice day and IIRC they ended the day early because both ambulances had to leave the circuit.

I was totally uninjured and coasted back to the pits, but Rob was leading the British 125cc nationals at the time and I don't think he ever raced again after that, certainly not at that level. The other fella who's name escapes me at the moment was also badly injured.
IIRC Jamie Robinson got Rob's ride via the sponsors and that's how he got his big break.

Good little track but I've always been a bit wary since, plus the inconvenience of not being able to leave paddock until all racing has finished because you have to cross the track to get out.

[MyLittleStudPony]

Make sure you go in the slowest group possible, then have everyone on the brakes.

[Yorick]

Went there in about 1984 with only enough petrol money to get there.
But confident of winning prize money to get home

In the money race I was second behind Kev Mawdsley.
Into Gerards he went down.

Woo hoo I'm winning.

Oops. Not any more.

First 5 went down on oil dumped by bike in last place

Had to borrow money to get home.

[v8-powered]

Right, right, right, right, left, highside

I seem to remember the place ate tyres too - I had to get the rear on a GSX-R750 reversed to even it out

[v8-powered]

Just found a retro picture at Mallory too, bikes are pretty old school by today's standard as is my car on the right (Mongdeo ST TDCi estate).
Right is my GSX-R K6 750, middle is a friends K5 600 and the left is another friends ZXR-750.

Chubby bloke in the pic isn't me, my mate Pete.

DSC_0005.jpg (480.1 KiB) Viewed 1142 times

[Yorick]

Just found a retro picture at Mallory too, bikes are pretty old school by today's standard as is my car on the right (Mongdeo ST TDCi estate).
Right is my GSX-R K6 750, middle is a friends K5 600 and the left is another friends ZXR-750.

Chubby bloke in the pic isn't me, my mate Pete.

DSC_0005.jpg

That lake was cool. When I was instructing, they let me overnight in my camper at end of pit lane overlooking the lake
Always had a barbie by the lake and a few beers.
Perfect silence only spoilt by sound of a fish jumping.

Happy days

[v8-powered]

Perfect silence only spoilt by sound of a fish jumping.

Happy days

And the sound of your average TD'er running the generator for their warmers and kettle

[MingtheMerciless]

I liked Mallory, my Boss less so, I was faster than him on my 9R against his K1 Gixxer Thou. That nearly got me sacked, especially when we were asked at team brief who was quicker

IMG_4334.jpeg (3.59 MiB) Viewed 1133 times

[Yorick]

Perfect silence only spoilt by sound of a fish jumping.

Happy days

And the sound of your average TD'er running the generator for their warmers and kettle

Nope. I was the only one they let in night before

In fact all the circuits let me in. Cadwell, Oulton, Donington and Brands

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Just found a retro picture at Mallory too, bikes are pretty old school by today's standard as is my car on the right (Mongdeo ST TDCi estate).
Right is my GSX-R K6 750, middle is a friends K5 600 and the left is another friends ZXR-750.

Chubby bloke in the pic isn't me, my mate Pete.

DSC_0005.jpg

That's not retro, there are no LCs, there were always LCs at Mallory, loads of them.

[v8-powered]

Just found a retro picture at Mallory too, bikes are pretty old school by today's standard as is my car on the right (Mongdeo ST TDCi estate).
Right is my GSX-R K6 750, middle is a friends K5 600 and the left is another friends ZXR-750.

Chubby bloke in the pic isn't me, my mate Pete.

DSC_0005.jpg

That's not retro, there are no LCs, there were always LCs at Mallory, loads of them.

I meant retro as in it seems retro, early 2010s and things have moved on so far. Not as in classics etc.

[IccyV2]

Went there in about 1984 with only enough petrol money to get there.
But confident of winning prize money to get home

In the money race I was second behind Kev Mawdsley.
Into Gerards he went down.

Woo hoo I'm winning.

Oops. Not any more.

First 5 went down on oil dumped by bike in last place

Had to borrow money to get home.

I remember (must have been 1991) when Ian Newton on his Aprillia 250 walked away with £10k prize money for winning both of his races.
I don't remember what the specific race was called but someone had put up £5k per race for 1st place and he won both races.

That sort of money in those days would buy you a terraced house and I remember the conversation on the way home and all talking about what a difference that would have made to our lives.

Haven't seen Kev for years, at one point we had the same sponsor.

[Rockburner]

Been to Mallory a few times, in fact, the first time ever was for the Plum Pudding races in 2001 (iirc might have been 2002?), because a few people from the forum were going up to watch and In joined them. I remember it being dry but fucking cold and that's where I bought the green fleece!

I also had a few memorable moments on track days: "racing" a Fireblade when I was on my Mum's CBR400RR stands out, both bikes had the same colour scheme. He came up to me in the paddock after the session to say how much fun it was, but he simply couldn't find a way past me!

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

Been to Mallory a few times, in fact, the first time ever was for the Plum Pudding races in 2001 (iirc might have been 2002?), because a few people from the forum were going up to watch and In joined them. I remember it being dry but fucking cold and that's where I bought the green fleece!

I also had a few memorable moments on track days: "racing" a Fireblade when I was on my Mum's CBR400RR stands out, both bikes had the same colour scheme. He came up to me in the paddock after the session to say how much fun it was, but he simply couldn't find a way past me!

If it was 2001 I was there as pit crew, and it was fucking cold, especially overnight in a small caravan

[Dodgy69]

I'm going this Friday, just got to get a brake lever gaurd fitted.