Nicole Lynch at Donington Park. Pics by Colin Port Images
Nicole Lynch’s 2017 racing season draws to a close in Donington Park
My last race of the 2017 season took place in Donington Park near the East Midlands Airport in the UK. I had been to Donington Park a number of times already, with the EJC, Ron Haslams race school and earlier in the year with Thundersport GB.
This time around, the track layout at Donington would be slightly different. They took out the track’s notorious hairpin corner. I, along with all the other riders, had no objection to the change. The hairpin is downhill and difficult to get around and we were all thrilled that we didn’t have to do it.
Race Day
My parents were also flying in on the Sunday to watch me race which I was looking forward to having them there. The weather was horrible all weekend, and very changeable which made it hard to predict, and therefore hard to choose the right tyres for the bike. When you choose tyres, your choice is based on whether it is wet or dry. However, the tyres must be at a certain temperature before they can grip properly, so you have special tyre warmers to put on them. Ideally you want your tyres warmers on for a full hour for ‘dries’ before you go out, or 30 minutes for ‘wets’.
With the weather being so bad though it meant you had to decide and hope it was right. It adds a bit of stress to the situation. The wind was also strong, gusting at 50mph at some sections of the track. Although people say, ‘it’s only wind’, it can get under the front wheel of the bike, particularly at an uphill corner, catching it and causing you to crash.
It wasn’t the easiest of weekends and my first three races were disappointing as I was understandably a bit cagey about the weather and the increased potential for crashing. But I took the advice of another more experienced rider and I went for it, just put it all out there on the very last one. It was probably my best race of the year and a fantastic way to end the season.
2017 Season
Now that the 2017 season is over, we’re into the ‘off season’, but there’s no such thing as a break. Already I am speaking to current and potential sponsors about 2018. I’m excited to be going to the NEC Motorcycle Live Show in Birmingham in November with Bike Buyers Guide and some of my current sponsors. While there, I’ll be speaking to potential new sponsors as well as getting a look at the newest motorcycles and equipment on display.
I have a list of upgrades to make to the bike over the winter and I’m very happy with the progress I made with it this year. I’m looking forward to racing in the Supertwins class in Thundersport GB in 2018 armed with a lot more knowledge, confidence and experience.
You can look back on all my blog entries for 2017 here and you can also follow me on Twitter , Instagram or facebook
Nicole Lynch
9th November, 2017
