Greenwich Millennium Moto X
Sunday 15th July 2001
Reports / Photos
Joyce Clarke photos are here
Dick Law photos are here
Eastman Brother report / photos are here
Sidecar Monkeys report / photos are here
Michael Mead's Report
Origionally posted on the Chelmsford & Distict AC website
The 15th July saw us back at Canada Heights for our second meeting of the year, run by the Greenwich club in conjunction with the English Sports Council. It was the first round of the South Eastern Championship
I'd put extra breathers on my outfit but it was still smoking. For some reason it's wet sumping on tick-over but clears if the throttle is held open for a while. We've asked a couple of people but they didn't really know. So, we are praying.
Practice wasn't very successful as the plug oiled up and the chain came off true (due to a mistake on my part) but we finished. Afterwards, I sorted out the chain guide and drained the sump.
We had a good first race, beating mum and dad to the first corner which is unusual. At about half distance we were catching a couple of outfits in front of us when we had quite an eventful lap. We were just drawing level with one of them when they drifted across in front of us, nearly taking our front wheel with them, which as we literally had the sidecar wheel hanging over the side of a drop off at the time, could have been nasty. On the next straight, going up the hill, we were drawing level as we landed from the second jump but went off the third jump using a different line and landed in some soft mud and lost momentum. They were just ahead of us going down the next hill and into the tight right-hander where they took the wide line and we went in tight - but shouldn't have. We weren't really going too fast and it all happened in slow motion. The rear wheel of the outfit came off the floor and kept going, throwing Sue face first into the soft sand. It happened so slowly that I literally climbed off the front of the outfit with my hand still on the throttle. The engine was still running so I pulled the clutch in and revved the engine to try and stop it fouling the plug and we got the outfit back on all three wheels. Sue jumped back on the platform and I climbed over the front panel and onto the seat and off we went without losing a place. We even caught and overtook one of the outfits which had been in front of us before it happened. We were both laughing well when we crossed the finish line. Mum and dad finished a couple of places behind us.
We had a good start in the second race but the race was stopped due to a nasty crash involving about four outfits. One outfit had crashed from a jump, another one or two outfits hit them while another took avoiding action and ended up nearly riding up and over the chestnut fencing!
On the restart we were left on the line as I couldn't seem to find a gear at first. Dad also had trouble selecting a gear at the start though this was due to a loose gear lever as it fell off during the race. We eventually got going and after a couple of laps had overtaken a couple of outfits and had caught SidecarCross.mum and dad with whom we tried to overtake for a lap until the plug oiled.
After a quick plug change we carried on but the plug oiled up again on the last lap and it also seemed as if there was something wrong in the gearbox, though after a complete gearbox strip, it turned out to be the gearbox sprocket nut having loosened and grinding on the engine casing. Mum and dad finished the race and after finding the gear lever completed the third race which we sat out due to various problems.
The Eastman brothers took the overall win with two firsts and a second. After the meeting had finished we were talking to someone dad has known for years who has had a lot of experience with BSAs and CCMs and apparently there is a modification CCMs used to do inside the engine to cure the wet sumping problems which used to occur to the 580cc engines. I will also strip the oil pump to see if anything has has worn in it. Hopefully that will cure it. Good racing
Results
Results are in Friday the 20th 2001's issue of TMX News
Preview
From the Newsshopper
Origional article here
Come racing for free at Canada Heights!
THERE will be fun for all the family at Canada Heights, as Greenwich Motor & Cycle Club is hosting a special free motocross event.
Taking place on Sunday, July 15, at the track in Button Street, in Swanley, the meeting is unique as it is one of the only motocross events held where visitors can watch the action free.
This is thanks to sponsorship by Awards for All, which has provided a lottery grant to enable the club to allow the public to spectate at this meeting for free.
The club is keen to attract children and charitable organisations to bring people who may not have previously had an opportunity to see a motocross meeting in the past.
Practice will start at 9am and racing at 11am. There will be races for all levels of amateur competitors including senior and junior grades, four stroke machines, youths up to 15 years of age and sidecars.
There will be refreshment stands and toilets including facilities for disabled visitors and free parking.
Greenwich Motor & Cycle Club is reputed to be one of the oldest motoring clubs in the world, having been founded in 1925. Some of the greatest motorcycle racers in the world started at the club, including the legendary Barry Sheene.
For more information about the event, call Brian Walden on 01322 863427. And if you are interested in joining Greenwich Motor & Cycle Club, which meets at Charlton House, in Charlton, on a fortnightly basis, call Monty Lane on 01322 222197.