July 2012 - Track Craft

July 23, 2012September 26, 2012

Easty gets first win at Brands Hatch GP

A weekend of glorious sunshine awaited the British Superbike Paddock for round 7 after weeks of rain.
James is currently in 3rd position in the British Supersport Cup Championship, and at his favourite circuit is looking to make up some points on his competitors in front.

Free Practice
James is on the pace straight away, railing around his favourite track to finish the session in 15th place P3 in the cup on a time of 1:30:690 with P2 cup competitor just 2 tenths in front.
Rear suspension changes were made after this session to give more adjustment.

Qualifying
Easty feels the difference with the way the bike is sitting from the suspension changes straight away and finds some extra pace quickly. After pitting for some a final changes before his push for a qualifying time James drops in to the 1:29’s on lap 9 putting him in 11th position, but an engine issue occurs on lap 10 and James has to bring the 56 machine back in to pitlane.
Easty finishes the session in 11th position, P3Cup on a time of 1:29:909, giving him a 3rd row start for Race 1.

Warm Up
A new motor is put in the Mackrory Racing Kawasaki over night before race day on Sunday, and James spends the session running in. East opened the ZX6 up on the last lap and was happy with the engines strength.

James – “ The new motor has had some hard work put in to it with mapping and feels great, I have some extra power in the lower revs which is really helping my drive on the exit of the corners. “

Race 1

James gets a great launch but is cut up in turn 1 by fellow Supersport Cup runner Luke Jones. Jones hits the 56 machine hard enough to snap the front brake lever off just leaving a stub.

Easty drops back to 16th place on lap one after the incident at paddock hill bend and proceeds to start his charge, braking with one finger.

James pushes hard over the 10 laps to finally finish 12th on a time of 1:29:889. This time is good enough to give him a 15th position starting spot for race 2.

Easty – “ I was furious after the first corner incident but got through lap 1. It was difficult braking after I was left with just a short stub for a lever, and definitely did some harm to my pace, but I rode my own race and salvaged what I could. “

Race 2
Easty focuses on getting a good start and is right in the mix on lap 1.
James makes a couple of moves on lap 2 and finds himself in 11th place with a gap to both cup runners Glen Irwin and Luke Jones in a battle with Pauli Pekenan and Sam Warren.
James Bridges the gap over a number of laps on to the back of Irwin and makes a move at paddock Hill Bend. A lap later Irwin stabs underneath East at Druids.
On the exit of Surtees James gets a good run on Irwin but just ahead Warren’s Yamaha stops and Luke Jones hits him flat out on the back straight towards Hawthorns Bend.
The red flag comes out. The Bike and rider are ok with minor injuries.

Restart
James starts from 11th on row 3 and gets a good launch and holds a tight line at druids.
Easty stabs under Irwin at Graham Hill Bend and carries the momentum past Luke Mossy at Surtees.
East ends lap one in the lead of the Cup and 8th overall in a fight with Mossy.

Mossy makes a run around the outside on the start finish straight but James leaves the braking late with his Motomaster system, and out brakes him in turn one.

Lap 3 and Mossy gets passed at Druids. James Holds this position to the flag on lap 6 to finish the race in 9th position on a time of 1:29:561 and Wins The Supersport Cup.

Easty – “ I am over the moon to get my first win in the cup, the engine felt stronger in the restart and I could run a faster pace. The top step is where I’ve been aiming for all season and now it feels possible to fight in the top 10 where I feel I should be. I want to thank my team and mechanics for working hard with the set up and engine changes. All of my sponsors helping me to be on track and everyone who came down to support me, I’m going to work hard to find the extra second I need to be battling for main championship podiums now, and my goal is to follow up this result at Cadwell Park with a similar finish and a win in the Cup once more “.

James would like to thank his personal sponsors:
Homechoice Carpets Leeds
Idaq.com
GHM Services
ToiletSpares.co.uk
R&G Racing
Cougar Leathers
Moto-Master Braking Systems
Racebikebitz By Samco Sport
Walters & Walters Ltd
Paul ‘Noddy’ Brown
Royston Fencing
Krombacher

July 9, 2012

East gets two 3rd place finishes to make it 10 Podiums in Supersport Cup

James East / Mackrory Racing Round 6 Oulton Park

For the 2nd time in the 2012 British Superbike Calendar Oulton Park is the venue. Uncertain weather conditions were predicted for this round with many parts of the country flooded.

James, comfortably holding 3rd place in the British Supersport Cup Championship, was in good spirits come rain or shine, having his best result in the wet at Brands Hatch earlier in the year.

Free Practice 1 – Wet

A very wet start to the weekend, and James feels his way around. Staying clear of the treacherous standing water in the braking areas Easty finishes the session in 13th position 4th in cup on a 1:58:416.

Free Practice 2 – Wet
Easty makes a fast start to the session in monsoon conditions, But unfortunately he loses the rear on the entry to Knickerbrook chicane and goes down on standing water. He still finishes the session in 14th and 4th in the cup position on a time of 1:55:254

Qualifying – Dry

Saturday is a dry and cloudy day. East has some gear shift issues in the session and handling troubles with little dry set up and couldn’t get comfortable to put in a fast time, suspension settings were changed after to solve the slight problems but he’d qualify 22nd 4th in Cup on a time of 1:42:170.

Race 1
James gets a good launch but is boxed in at turn 1 and has work to do. He picks off a few people but is 22nd still on lap 1 and starts his pursuit.
Despite some engine trouble, puffing smoke and running hot meant James was losing some low down drive but by lap 8 he is up to 17th and charges hard to push through to 14th on the last lap and P3 in the Cup on a time of 1:41:322.
James’s lap time qualifies him in 18th for race 2.

James – “ It was a shame about the poor first corner, I ended up boxed in and pushed wide which put me on the catch up from the start. Never the less we confirmed some better suspension settings for race 2, where we will have a new motor also to hopefully give us some more punch. “

Warm Up
James has trouble with the motor springing a leak and has to pull over. This however is rectified is time for race 2.

Race 2.
James gets a great launch and gets up to 15th by lap two and is in a battle.
throughout the race James is in a battle between Sam Hornsey and Dean Hipwell.
This would come down to the last lap, James getting in front touching as all 3 went in to Island bend, but passed again in shell Oils.
Easty drives alongside Hornsey up clay hill and passes on the brakes at Druids. One more chance but James isn’t close enough at Lodge but squares it off for a last try for the line over Hipwell, narrowly missing out by half a bike length to finish 16th overall and 3rd in Supersport Cup with a best lap time of 1:41:111.

James – “ Great Race, was really good to be in a battle the whole race and stand on the cup podium after again. We had some trouble with the bike overheating, losing me some drive but solid cup points again and found some more pace, Looking forward to Brands Hatch GP now as its one more my favourite tracks. Thank you to everyone involved for the support. “

July 1, 2012

Knockhill BSB Round 5 – James East/ Mackrory Racing British Supersport

James East / Mackrory Racing
Knockhill Round 5 British Supersport 22-24^th June 2012

Round 5 see’s the British Superbike convoy pull up at the Knockhill Circuit just north of Edinburgh in the county of Fife.
Knockhill is known for its changeable weather conditions, often described as having its own climate.

British Supersport
Free Practice 1
A wet track with a drying line and the field are on wet tyres to start with. James runs 8^th throughout the session but doesn’t put in the dry tyres at the end of the session.
He ends the session in 16^th position P3 in Cup with a good wet setting confirmed.

Free Practice 2
Dry session, but James has issues with the stability of the bike on the brakes. The bike bounced from side to side going in to the hairpin on James’s 16^th lap and come round on him in to a small highside.
James finishes the session in 20^th on a time of 52:606. Suspension adjustments are made for Qualifying to prevent this issue.

Qualifying
Easty is very happy with his wet set up, the bike is poised and smooth and he puts the Kawasaki to 11^th place and 3^rd in cup.

Easty – “ I am very happy with the wet set up, we are struggling to find a consistent dry setting but getting closer, so unusually I’m hoping for a wet race for this round. “

Race 1
A good start see’s number 56 right in the mix. James overtakes Irwin early in the lap to be 2^nd in the cup but a mistake from Brown means James has to hesitate to miss him and loses some places.
James has a good battle with 3 Yamaha’s around him to finally finish 15^th and 3^rd in the cup, also gaining a 14^th place starting place for race 2 on a much faster time of 51.207.

Race 2
James gets blocked at the start and is deep in the pack. A few laps under the safety car brings the pack back together but James is struggling, a setting he had asked for to make the bike more stable in the hairpin was hindering him elsewhere on circuit but he struggles through in a high pace hard race to finish 13^th and 2^nd in the cup on a time of 51:314.

James “I’m very pleased with this result and the weekend as a whole. Knockhill has never been a favourite circuit of mine, I’ve collected injuries in the past, but to achieve two podiums and our best dry finishes so far feels great.
I’m excited for the next race. We figured out something in race 2 with the bikes front end set up which is going to help us everywhere from now on. Thank you to everyone involved it was a great job “.

James would like to thank his personal sponsors:
Homechoice Carpets Leeds
Idaq.com
GHM Services
ToiletSpares.co.uk
R&G Racing
Cougar Leathers
Moto-Master Braking Systems
Racebikebitz By Samco Sport
Walters & Walters Ltd
Paul ‘Noddy’ Brown
Royston Fencing

July 1, 2012

Silverstone 200 MotoGP Weekend

Easty in action in Silverstone 200 Qualifying — East in Qualifying Silverstone 200 2012

Silverstone 200 – MotoGP Weekend -16/17^th June

James East / Mackrory Racing

A successful finish and numerous laps made the Silverstone 200 Valuable to Easty and Mackrory Racing

The Silverstone 200 was a one off race for the MotoGP weekend, letting any machinery at National level or above enter.
Such competitors as Shane Byrne on the Rapid Silicitors Kawasaki and PTR World Supersport riders Sam Lowes and Jules Cluzel were a couple of names on the entry list, along with James East on the Mackrory Racing Kawasaki ZX6R.

James qualified 22^nd in the mixed field to finish 11^th overall in race 1 in wet conditions, showing a strong pace in difficult conditions.

In race 2 James got a lightning start but unfortunately an undeterminable problem occurred with the chassis and James was forced to retire.

East – “ I’m very pleased with how the meeting went and It was great experience riding in a mixed field with such a wide variety of riders. It was fantastic to give the team a good result on Saturday as well.
We’ll store the data which will come in valuable later on in the year and look forward to Knockhill this coming weekend, I’m confident and I’m looking for 2 Podiums in the supersport cup. “

James would like to thank his personal sponsors:
Homechoice Carpets Leeds
Idaq.com
GHM Services
ToiletSpares.co.uk
R&G Racing
Cougar Leathers
Moto-Master Braking Systems
Racebikebitz By Samco Sport
Walters & Walters Ltd
Paul ‘Noddy’ Brown
Royston Fencing