The heavens opened for Darley Moor Round 3, resulting in the meeting being abandoned after the first half of the race schedule had run. The Sunday evening was extremely pleasant, but there were a plethora of weather reports available advising of the forecast Bank Holiday Monday conditions - all of them had rain listed somewhere throughout the day, but "when will it land?" was the question on everyone's lips...

On Monday morning, the sprinkles of rain got heavier around 9am, so that was when we made the decision to switch across to wet tyres on both machines. Along with the tyre swap, we also made some corresponding suspension adjustments to the forks (as typically we leave the rear settings the same).

​Prior to the Twins qualifying session we had a little bit of drama. Having started and quickly warmed up the Supertwin we took it to noise testing, where we couldn't find Neutral (due to poor clutch adjustment after recently installing the uprated clutch springs) and we stalled the machine. A prod on the electric start brought it back to life and we performed noise testing before leaving the area to adjust the clutch lever. Unfortunately we stalled the bike again so just decided to make a blind adjustment. Another prod on the electric start showed that the battery voltage was now low and it wouldn't spin the starter motor quick enough to start the engine. After a brief intermission we tried once again and it fortunately roared into life! Phew, out into qualifying... This was our first time using Bridgestone W01 wets, so we carefully scrubbed them in then started to circulate a bit quicker. At the end of the session we were surprised to learn we had qualified in 2nd position, just 0.06 of a second off pole position, as we felt comfortable doing those lap times.

In the Formula 600 qualifying once again we spent a few laps scrubbing the tyres before getting faster. Again, we managed to qualify 2nd on the grid, but this time 0.61 of a second off pole position.

​We took the decision to take 2 turns of preload off the Supertwin shock before the Allcomers Race. In the assembly area we drew the 11th grid spot out of the hat, then when the lights went out we got a flying start and managed to work our way up to 2nd position by the end of the opening lap. Mark Brailsford on his Honda CB500 was flying in the wet and cold conditions but we took the race lead on lap 3 and then led for majority of race. On lap 8 (of 10) Jim Hodson came passed on the entry to Park corner. We tried to tag onto him but by pushing we made a few unforced mistakes, along with catching some backmarkers at the the wrong spots. Regardless, we didn't have the speed to match Jim who took the win and we crossed the line in 2nd place. What was most concerning was that we couldn't feel our fingers after 6 or 7 laps - so it was time to defrost next to the caravan heater for a while...

Next up was the Twins race which shared the track with the PreInjection 600 race. After another good start we entered the chicane in 3rd place, before taking a couple of laps to find a safe way through into 2nd position. From here, a few of the PreInjection 600 riders came passed but we managed to hold onto our 2nd place finish in the Twins class at the chequered flag.

Over the next hour or so, the rain continued to fall and the weather conditions were now very cold and very windy.

From our front-row grid position for the Formula 600 race, we dropped back to 5th position out of the chicane, but managed to pass two riders at the hairpin and then moved up to 2nd position by the end of the opening lap - 3.14 seconds behind race leader Rich Baker. After putting in some strong laps (including the fastest lap of the race), by the end of lap 4 we were just 0.51 of a second behind the race leader. We now experienced a new problem though - closely following Rich meant that we were riding through a lot of spray and struggled to see. With worsening track conditions meaning that we were now wheel-spinning across the puddles down the Pope straight  - along with locking up our brakes twice on braking for Paddock corner - we decided that a 2nd position finish (meaning a 2nd place grid spot for the points race) would be fine.

​Shortly after the Formula 600 race, it was officially announced that the meeting would be abandoned due to the standing water on the circuit. Trophies would be awarded based upon the results of the races that had already been run, but no championship points would be awarded (which in the scheme of things makes our attendance at the meeting quite pointless - no pun intended!).

​We met Mike Gittings after leaving the circuit to collect a one-piece race leather suit - which should allow Dave Snr to participate in his first-ever track day later this year. Another (quite random) thing that happened on the way back to Two Daves HQ is that we hit a pothole on the M6 and watched the caravan wheeltrim pop off and casually roll across three lanes of traffic before coming to a rest by the central reservation... The next one will be held on with a cable tie!

Now for some good news - for the next Darley Moor meeting (Sunday 20th June) spectators should finally be allowed to attend - so if you do come along to watch then please give us a wave! But before then, we will be attending a Flat Track school to get some practice with a bike moving around beneath us!  :-)

Here are some photos from the opening Darley Moor meeting of 2021, taken by official Darley photographer Tony Else...

​Racing is back once again! Unfortunately, Round 1 of the 2021 Darley Moor championship had to be cancelled due to COVID and because of current restrictions we were unable to camp - so everything had to be done in one day.

​Despite the unpleasantness of a 4.30am departure from Two Daves Racing HQ, the club made changes to ensure that the day ran very smoothly - with both the race office and scrutineering opening earlier than usual.

​Following hours of work on our trusty race machines during the off season, when it was time for noise testing our Kawasaki Supersport machine refused to fire into life. For whatever reason, the fuel pump was not priming and therefore not sending any fuel into the engine. After an inspection of all fuses and some of the wiring, there was no change - so it looked like the Formula 600 races would be off our schedule for the day.

Our Kawasaki Supertwin (with its newly repacked exhaust) flew through noise testing and then we were out into the qualifying session for our first track time in 2021. We took it slow and steady, building pace at a consistent rate, and then noticed that on wide-open-throttle the clutch was slipping. We tried our best to ride around the problem and somehow managed to qualify for the Twins race in 2nd place. When we returned to the paddock I then managed to break the GoPro mounting - so there are no videos from this meeting, which is a shame because we had some cracking races!

Our first race of the day was Darley Moor's first race of the season - the Allcomers race. Grid positions are chosen "out of the hat" and our starting grid position of 15 (from 29 starters) couldn't be any more average - we had 14 riders in front of us and 14 riders behind us. It appears that everyone was very eager to get racing underway as the start was madness! As soon as the red lights switched on... one racer on the front row moved, then another, and then the majority of the field. We waited eagerly until the red lights went off before we set off but by the time we got to Park corner on the opening lap, the red flag was being shown - the organisers must have thought that it was quite pointless giving half the field a jump-start penalty, so we restarted (albeit losing a racing lap as it was now a 9-lap race).

​Being mid-pack, when the race started there were bikes everywhere and it didn't take long for us to lose track of our race position - so we just looked for a bike ahead and tried to catch it. The results sheet advised that by the end of lap 3 we had moved into 2nd position and were 6.04 seconds behind race leader Jim Hodson. Over the next six laps we made some time and lost some time, before being in a position on the final lap to make a passing move at Paddock corner. It was only when we returned to the paddock that Dave Snr advised that we'd won the race!

​After a short break we were back out in Twins Race 1, where we started from 2nd position on the grid. A decent start kept us near the head of the pack and we moved into the lead at the end of the opening lap. We then tried to pull a gap, but by riding more aggressively the clutch began slipping quite badly. After a few clean-ish laps we looked behind and saw Jim Hodson glued to our tail. We tried to put in some smooth laps without burning up the clutch, but knew that Jim was right behind us. On the final lap, he made an appearance and came passed along the Pope straight whilst we were both overtaking some backmarkers, but we managed to retake the lead on the brakes and crossed the line to take the win by 0.36 of a second!

​During the long break between races, Dave Snr continued to investigate and play around with the Kawasaki Supersport and its wiring. After a while he decided that enough was enough, as we couldn't find any faults. It was at this point that we thought to check for any fault codes logged on the dash - when we did we heard the fuel pump had kicked into life. A prod of the starter button and the bike purred into action. Very confusing, since we had neither replaced any parts nor knowingly fixed any problems... Regardless, we didn't care and took the opportunity to prep the machine for Formula 600 Race 2 - albeit we would need to start from the back of the grid.

Our Twins Race 1 victory meant that we started Twins Race 2 from pole position. We knew that Jim Hodson probably had the best of us (and was probably toying with us in Twins Race 1) but were feeling comfortable on the bike so wanted to try to put up a good fight. When the lights went out we got a decent start until we got stuck in 2nd gear! This meant that we entered Wilsons chicane in 6th or 7th place, but managed to get back up to 3rd place by the end of the opening lap - 1.8 seconds down on the leading pair of Jim Hodson and Sean Seddon. By the end of lap 3 we were just 0.7 of a second behind the leader, so we were back in contention.

​But the final 7 laps of the race were frustrating - as every time we made an overtake we were then repassed on the following straight (which wasn't helped by the slipping clutch). A favourite passing spot at the hairpin was not available through a lot of these laps due to the presence of yellow flags. So on the final corner of the final lap of the race, we attempted a last-ditch "around the outside" move that didn't work and crossed the line in 3rd place - 0.16 of a second behind Sean Seddon in 2nd place, with Jim Hodson taking the win a further 4.39 seconds up the road. A good fun battle of a race and a nice reminder of why we love racing!

The final race of the day was Formula 600 Race 2, where we lined up from last on the grid (20th). Our aim was to check that everything was running well, and if so, to see whether we could get a Top 10 finish (as championship points are awarded to 10th place). We got a great start and by the end of the opening lap were in 9th position. We kept on trying to chase down people. Nearing the end of the race we started to see familiar racers in front of us such as Tim Walsh and Rich Baker. At the end of the 10-lap race we crossed the line in 6th place, but as the 'wildcard' race winner wasn't taking points or trophies, we were awarded championship points for a 5th place finish - which worked out great for us!

​After a great opening meeting, we leave with a few jobs to do... Our plan is to look into Supertwin clutch issue (checking the stack height and installing some new EBC heavy duty clutch springs), as well as revisiting the Supersport wiring and fuel pump issue.

This opening weekend wasn't kind to everyone though, so we would like to send our best wishes to Zach Tansley and Lee Smith who both suffered injuries during the race meeting - Get Well Soon lads!

Our next race is planned for Darley Moor Round 3 on Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May. There may be a possibility of spectators being allowed to the event - if so, please give us a wave!  :-)
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We would like to wish a warm welcome to Hello Dave Autocare and Repair as a new sponsor of the Two Daves Racing team.

Some of you may already know that the man behind 'Hello Dave' is Darley Moor's own David Glossop, who has supported a number of Darley Moor riders over the past few years. David is a fellow racer and in 2021 (COVID permitting) will race in the Southern 100 and well as being a newcomer at the Manx Grand Prix.

With the introduction of a new sponsor (as well as the retention of Pomerol Partners, Rock Oil and Holroyd Tyrewarmers for another year), an updated livery was needed for the 2021 season.

With 2021 now in full swing, here is some news from Two Daves Racing HQ...

Season Preparation
With a shortened 2020 season and a likely interrupted 2021 season (TBC by Boris!), we made the decision to retain our existing machinery once again for the 2021 season. However, that doesn't mean that we put our feet up over the winter period, as progress has been made with "Machine Maintenance" and with sourcing "Consumables"...

Machine Maintenance
No major machine changes have been made for 2021, but some preventative maintenance has been performed.

The ER650 Supertwin has received a brand new set of clutch plates, the Arata exhaust has been repacked (as previously mentioned) and a new seat mount has been made - which will make working on the bike easier as well as having less flex than the previous mount.

Following some oil/filter changes and a thorough clean, both machines are now ready for action.

Consumables
We still have a sufficient stock of Rock Oil fully-synthetic Synthesis 10w40 oil (and various lubes) that were provided for the 2020 season, but we made sure that we have enough genuine Kawasaki oil filters to get us through the year.

​After using the EBC GPFAX pads to good effect throughout the past few seasons, we decided to keep them as our 'chosen pad' - so a spare set has been purchased for each machine.

A few other necessary workshop consumables and tools have also been acquired, meaning that we're ready for the season ahead!

Other Items
As you may have seen on one of our social media sites, we have acquired some new paddock shoes.

Hopefully this season spectators will be allowed back into the paddock. When they do, we have a collection of Two Daves Racing stickers to give away - so that our logo can be shared far and wide!  :-)

Race Dates
After much deliberation, we are finally ready to announce our proposed race dates for the 2021 season! 

As per previous seasons, we plan to race with Darley Moor once again on our trusty Kawasaki Supersport and Kawasaki Supertwin machines.

We will also take part in our first ever endurance race, as part of Team BOGOFF (#241) in the Freetech 24hr Endurance race at Teesside Autodrome.

Depending on COVID restrictions we may "wildcard" in additional events, race meetings or track days throughout the season...

2021 Race Dates
Saturday 20th March - Darley Moor Test Day
Saturday/Sunday 3rd/4th April - Darley Moor Rounds 1 & 2
Bank Holiday Monday 3rd May - Darley Moor Round 3
Sunday 20th June - Darley Moor Round 4
Saturday/Sunday 3rd/4th July - Freetech 24hr Endurance (Teesside Autodrme)
Sunday 11th July - Darley Moor Round 5
Sunday 12th September - Darley Moor Round 6
Saturday/Sunday 9th/10th October - Darley Moor Rounds 7 & 8 (including "Stars at Darley")

Thanks for sticking with us through these quiet times. As a closing remark we wanted to advise that for the 2021 season there will also be some changes to the machine livery - so look out for a further announcement very soon!

A couple of months have passed since our last race meeting (and it is just over three months until the start of our 2021 season), so we thought we would provide an update of what has been going on behind the scenes over the "winter off-season"...

2021 ACU Licence
We renewed our Darley Moor club membership, took an eyesight test and then submitted an online renewal of our National race licence, which arrived just a few days later. This now joins our collection of licences  :-)

​Machine Maintenance
Both race machines will remain in the same specification for the 2021 season - so after the final 2020 race meeting we stripped down both machines, cleaned them and serviced them. The ER650 exhaust was sent off to MHP Exhausts to be repacked and now looks fantastic once again!

Race Van Repaired
Our race van which broke down on the way home from the final 2020 meeting has been repaired (electrical issues) - as well as taxed and insured - ready for use once again!

Thanks for your support!
Since this website went live at the start of 2013, we are proud to announce that we have received a fantastic 105,361 page views from 39,442 web sessions (by 29,407 unique visitors). The figures for our YouTube channel are just as impressive with 55,098 video views (covering 118,416 minutes) for the 305 videos we have uploaded - which is even more impressive considering that since 2015 our Darley Moor onboard race videos have only been accessible directly via our race reports!

Our race calendar for the 2021 season is yet to be confirmed, but we will competing in the full Darley Moor championships again. We should be able to provide further news about our specific plans in early 2021. Until then, we would like to wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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