Tony O'Brien Vespa 90 SS : Vespa Tuning: Vespa Racing

Until the season kicks in here are a few stories from 2009.

The story of race 1 Mallory Park 2009

Well today the nerves got me yet again just before the flag dropped.35 racers will soon all be heading to the first corner at high speed. Starting from row 4 meant quite a few people to pass to try to get near the front.

The lights change and I drop the clutch..first, second third fourth.. Gerrards approaches, the normally flat out top gear corner.I drop a gear to slow the bike as there are scooters everywhere.I have no idea how I got round, somehow I managed to stay off the grass and head down the straight.

So on we went, the shift light indicating 10.500 rpm before braking and down two gears for ‘Edwinas’ which is a series of S bends. I’m behind Stuart Day ex group4 champion.’ What the hell am I doing this far up’ I think.

Acceleration up into top again at around 10,000 before hard on the brakes into first for the hairpin where the surface is like ice. Stuart is second and Charlie Edmonds is already making a break. We exit the hairpin and I tiptoe round the bus stop before accelerating hard up the straight using Stuarts rapid lambretta as a tow truck. This time there is a clear track for Gerrards and with just a quick ‘confidence’ lift I follow Stuart in flat out in top gear. We exit and now I’m in a position to try to beat him on the brakes into Edwinas.. I do it…just… but unfortunately Stuart hits the back of my bike as he turns in. The Vespa can turn a little quicker and so you can use more of the straight before turning. I didnt even realise Stuart had fallen off until the end of the race. Sorry Stuart!

So the race progressed with the gap remaning fairly constant between Charlie and myself. A Performance Tuning one-two..A good start to the season of 2009. The video of this race is below.

Nurburgring 2009

Earlier in the year the national magazine Scootering published an article regarding the classic scooter race at the Nurburgring in Germany. Within the article the super quick German racers mentioned the unbroken lap record of 3.02 seconds around the F1 circuit layout. An invitation was made to us Brits and so we felt we should oblige!

The team consisted of 4 Uk race machines from Team Performance Tuning belonging to Charlie Edmonds, James Campen, Phil Bevis and myself. Accompanying us on that trip were road riders Trev and Pete from Cambridge Lambretta as well as Marcus on his self-tuned Vespa Et3.

(left to right) Pete ,Trev ,Marcus ,Phil ,Charlie ,James and me.

We were made quite welcome by the German lads and I believe they were a little surprised at the speed of the Uk machines. Charlie Edmonds set the new scooter lap record with an amazing 2.45 seconds with my Vespa coming second fastest at 2.47.

Here’s a quick clip of the back straight at the ‘ring’.

Lydden 2009

This was my disaster race of the year. After only two laps I moved up to 2nd place where the ‘red mist’ clouded my vision and in under a second I found myself flying through the air.It shows how quickly things can go wrong. The damage cost well over a thousand pounds to repair. The crash unfortunately meant I missed the Donington event. But hopefully Donington will be rebuilt and we’ll race there once again.The bike was rebuilt in time for the Nurburgring trip described above.

Don’t try this at home.. it hurts!

Cadwell 2009

Well I’m again feeling the nerves.. this time its not due to the fear of crashing..I love this track..it would never hurt me I know( 😉 )..I’m worried because I’m running gears that are way too high for the circuit. The bike is still geared for the Nurburgring (see earlier report) and I know the clutch is going to take a hammering. Also with such high gearing my drive will be much reduced resulting in a much lower lap time. But to hell with it.. I’m going for it!

Onto the grid, warm up lap done..you hear revving engines… people trying to get to you mentaly..its always been like this..shut it out..only one goal-get to that first corner as quick as you can. Can’t afford to get caught in the traffic. I’m starting from 25th on grid. I can hardly see the front row. Its a ‘lights’ start..they glow red. I’m not going even to select gear until they change. I don’t see the point , i’m 5 rows back…got to save this clutch for as long as possible.

The lights change. I’m now in race mode,nothing else matters. The little green Vespa sounds angry as it accelerates towards the first corner. I’m tugging the bars left and right to miss the slower machines. Quick pull on the right bar sends the 90ss turning left , hard up the hill. I’m still in third.. should be in top with the right gearing.. power on hard around ‘charlies’ onto the park straight. Apex and still in third.. not good.. finally the red shift light tells me 10,500 rpm so I change to 4th..no chance of seeing it light again I don’t think. Park corner.. I look for the markers on the left, 300,200,100m. I ignore them all.. quick dab on  the rear brake and back to third.. now flat, hard through chris curve , no letting off. The throttle is on the stops. 4th gear.. James is ahead.. he  must be in third or fourth place I think. I’ll stick here and try to pass when its safe. The gooseneck is a complex that deserves respect..its a right into a left whilst going downhill. Mid turn the bike loses weight.. you have to be very firm with it here.. down to mansfield..I hate this corner but we are through. Into top briefly before the first gear chicane..my Vespa is weaving side to side..I think the rear wheel is almost in the air..I ginger through it..its at these slow corners I tend to lose grip due to my weight.. HELL what has happened.. there’s a lambretta on its side and the rider is tumbling ahead of me only inches from my front wheel. Brakes hard on..I can’t squash him..that wouldnt be right. Oh dear,I’m on the grass again..I’m sure Stuart Day is only millimetres from me and I’m waiting for the impact. Ed Hocking overtakes us both,on the grass to the right. I don’t think he meant to,I don’t think he could stop!

Somehow,somehow I’m back on track. Eight machines have passed. Its all to do again now. Concentrate. My nerves are shot. ‘How did I stay on’..no time, go..GO.. I’m heading up the mountain.. I dont mind admitting this scares the **** out of me.. All you see is the sky and with a wheelbase as short as an SS with 32hp its very easy to join it. I survive and flick the bike through the woodlands.. I’m going hell for leather for the next few laps.. On the last lap there is  the group 6 machine of Steve Wright.. an AF RB250.. where can I take it? It ends up just before the Gooseneck.. it was close and I apologised to Steve straight after. So now I’ m up to third but compared to last year the bike feels slow.. its due to the gearing. Something is wrong as I change down for mansfield.. the clutch isnt disengaging.. I carry on. Only half a lap to go..Third is  mine..

And thats racing.. the clutch was overheated with me abusing it to get the drive by slipping it mid-corner due to the over high ratios I was using, and so my day was done .The replacement parts I had wouldn’t fit. Never mind… next year!