By Susie Grayson
August 17 2005

Feisty Racing are pleased to announce sponsorship by Arai Europe. The girls will be sporting their lovely new helmets at the last round, at Brands Hatch on 3rd and 4th September.

BMCRC, Snetterton, 13th and 14th August 2005

The weekend was a total mix of weathers - from very warm sun on Saturday morning to torrential rain in the afternoon, followed by a cool and showery day on Sunday. Tyre choice, if available, was even worse as, at times, half the circuit was wet whilst the other half was in sunshine.

There were many spills and tumbles, including for some of the Feistys, but thankfully no one was seriously injured. Despite the rain, and the fact that all claimed to be not good in the wet, most riders improved their lap times as the weekend went on.

One welcome returnee was Lottie Pleasants, who, after a break of several rounds, saw her lap times tumble by 13 seconds over the course of the weekend. Having not even ridden her road bike for some time, she was running in the 1:38s during Friday’s dry practice sessions, but managed to get down to a 1:25.2 on Saturday afternoon on a damp track. Sunday’s first race was even better, with a fastest lap of 1:24.5, which showed she was beginning to feel at home on the new bike.

Very much at home on her old bike was Deb Cartwright, who continues to impress with good results in the Supersport 400 championship, and with a highest ever finish in the Clubman Shootout when she came fourth - equalling her highest result of the year from Pembrey, and only 11 seconds behind race winner Danny Couzens on an SV 650. Earlier in the weekend Deb was disappointed not to have been faster than the 1:19.5 in her first race but, with conditions deteriorating, any hope of record lap times disappeared along with the sun.

Poor conditions often see the smoother riders moving up the field despite lower overall lap times. One such example is Helen “Tazzie” Rushton, competing in the Rookie 400 series with a newly rebuilt engine that she only got back on Friday, thereby missing out on valuable Friday practice time. Helen once again showed her consistency which culminated in her best finish so far on Sunday morning, when she came 15th, gaining another championship point. Helen was over the moon and claimed that her smooth riding style was to thank for the result, and she could not wait for the next wet race. That race was her last of the day, in which she finished a fantastic 12th, scoring a further four points - a brilliant haul for the meeting, and setting her up nicely for an exciting final weekend at Brands Hatch.

Susie Grayson defied the weather on both days and went out and rode her own race. Saturday was not good, as she was feeling a little under the weather, but despite that she qualified comfortably for the Minitwin final and, having started 31st on the grid, she finished 14th. But her best was yet to come as, in her last race on Saturday - the re-run of the cancelled race from Pembrey - she achieved a fantastic eighth overall and was first rookie home, earning her a belated Rookie of the Day award from Pembrey, and consolidating her second place in the Rookie Minitwin Championship. Race one on Sunday resulted in a tenth place, followed by a superb eighth in the Clubman 400-650 Shootout. However, she was not so lucky in her final race of the weekend, when she was taken out on the first lap in a crash involving five riders in very wet conditions.

Leila Williams © Wildcard Photography

Leila Williams continues to show all the early season promise by steadily moving up the grid, and getting her best result this season in the re-run Lydden Hill round of the Rookie 600 series, when she finished eighth - with her fastest lap being only five seconds slower than race winner John Angel in appalling conditions. Leila was again benefiting from the smooth style of her riding - so much so that the wet conditions worked to her advantage.

Despite a liking for Snetterton with its long straights, Sarah Quinn had a weekend of tussles with fellow Rookie 400 competitor Sean Clarke, but never quite got the better of him and unfortunately came to grief in the wet in her last race, when her front wheel washed out at Russells on lap two. Nevertheless, she continues to improve and feels much happier than early season, especially following good races at Cadwell and in France.

21 Zoe Docherty, 35 Sean Clarke, 98 Sarah Quinn
© Wildcard Photography

After a short lay off performing marshalling duties, Zoe Docherty was keen to get back racing, and her weekend consisted mainly of battles with her team-mates Helen Rushton and Sarah Quinn. Her dry condition times were similar to Helen’s, but the rain slowed her down as she became more wary of the slippery track. Even so, Zoe was pleased to match her lap times from the previous Snetterton meeting this year, and now feels able to build on that with the benefit of more track time.

Overall, a good weekend for the Feisty team, spoiled only by a few spills - but thankfully only damage to bikes, helmets and leathers, all of which will mend easily; and the whole team is now looking forward to the final round at Brands Hatch in September.