Tank Slap - Motorcycle Forum

Brummie firm isn't it?

Great posts Di really enjoying the thread.

Good luck for Donny Nige

Kwacky wrote:Brummie firm isn't it?

Dutch owned, but HQ is Halesowen

Blade wrote:Great posts Di really enjoying the thread.

Good luck for Donny Nige

Thanks Dude, from us both... hard to know if my ramblings are of interest, but I try to keep it brief but factual.
The headless chicken bit is very real right now though lol

Kwacky wrote:Brummie firm isn't it?

My day job employer too

That's a great result (about time too - ha ha ) I was working right opposite one of the branches earlier this week down in Wales.
I am really hoping to get to Donny, I am glad you have a pit crew for the weekend, gutted I could not commit to this one.

05/04/14
It was time today to update the bike, van and awning with our new sponsors logo's and add a couple of new PITty Crew members to the van, all ready for Donington Park next weekend

Looking sharp, even if I do say so myself

It feels amazing to have this level of support, Thank you ALL

with all these sponsers your gonna have to get some more fairing soon matey. Awesome .

That looks amazing Nige, once again mate thank you for the vinyls they look amazing mate! All on now! Took a full day haha

Well, we're here, everything's set up, new rear tyre is in so we're ready to hit qualifying in the morning

Looking forward to seeing some of you over the weekend, weathers looking good too

Good luck for today mate.

Good luck hope you get the results you deserve.

Was hoping to come over this weekend but today is my only day at home in last 3 weeks and going away gain tomorrow morning so need to spend time with kids and they have football and swimming lessons today.

I will get there one day hopefully.

Enjoy the dry weather, the paddock atmosphere and total destroy the opposition on track

Will enjoy reading this thread and pretend I'm there

Well, today has been one of the strangest days racing we have ever had, loads of long delays due to lots of incidents. Some riders breaking lap records while others struggling to get near last years times.

After qualifying 29th, I managed 25th and 24th place finishes and feeling good for tomorrow.

After a day of real highs and real lows, we're ready for sleep now, hoping to see some of you here in the morning

Looks like a cracking day for some racing. Hoping to be on the road in about an hour or so.

14/4/14: I've started to write and rewrite this update a good few times now. I was going to launch straight into the usual highs and lows of a Thundersport weekend, but none of it sounded quite right. To be totally honest, the weekend was eclipsed by the tragic loss of Ian Allkins #6 Thundersport 500 rider, and all round good guy, during Saturday's race action. The weekend had already been a little strange with a fair few accidents, and all of them big ones. I don't think any of us really took in the gravity of Ian's crash, and Thundersport very respectfully kept things low key...but the news was the worst, and we all felt a terrible loss of one of our racing family. That being so, we were still totally overwhelmed to have so many of our Slapper crew turn up to support us...massive thanks to Spudda and Spudlet James, Nutz, Frankie and Kingfixer. Also Tricky, who was there crewing with his lad Josh, who raced with Ian in the 500's. I certainly was glad of a few hugs, and it was good to have you guys alongside me while Pitty was out on track. Our hearts bled for Jade, Ian's widow, as she bravely donned leathers and lid, and led a parade lap in his memory, on one of his bikes...I will never forget the haunting silence as we all gathered in pit lane, then the rolling thunder of the bikes as they set off around the circuit, echoing across the countryside...and still the pit lane stayed silent until the group approached us and we applauded and many tough racers shed a tear...
I'm sorry this is perhaps not what you expect in an update, but I did say from the outset it would be a 'highs and lows' mini blog...that was as low as I think we want to go, and it will take time for us all to bounce back. We also need to wish our injured race buddies a speedy recovery. There will be a proper race report, Pitty has started to write it, but for now, we just want a little timeout...

RIP #6 x

I saw this on your Facebook updates, Di.

Its all to easy to forget just how dangerous bikes can be but unfortunately racing/ road incidents and accidents will always happen.

The most important thing at the end of any weekend is that everyone is able to drive home safely at the end of it all.

Great post Di, it's almost impossible to put together the words to describe the emotions going up and down the pit late. The only thing your post doesn't quite give is quite how many people there where in pit lane. During the parade lap the entire pit wall was full from end to end, there wasn't a space to stand, there where still a number of people left in pit lane.

It was truly moving to see the camaraderie between the fellow racers and pit crew, but I truly hope that it's a very long time before I have to see that again.

good post Di, dont think i could of put it any better. as has been said, the quantity of people in the pit lane, but the silence is something i wont forget for a while.

Took this...

Very sad news to read.