Hello Everybody,
I’ve clocked up a lot of race miles so far in 2009. The slow down in work has given me more time on the bikes than usual so I’ve done a mixture of track days, short circuit and road race meetings. I’m running my own 2 machines this year with a 3rd machine being supplied for selected races by Specials Engineering in Galway. We are on Yamaha bikes again fitted with Dunlop tyres and with our Ohlins suspensions having got an overhaul by Rooske in Holland all is going good.
After some track days early in the year we took part in some of the ISB meetings and got some decent results and laps times. My debut at Scarborough was my first road race of the year and I left with a best result of 4th and best Newcomer Award which was a great achievement for me. We got a few top 10 finishes at Cookstown but I could have done a lot better but for some handling issues. It was nice however to qualify 3rd for the big bikes races on the 600 in the wet. We gave Tandragee a miss but done a few more track days in preparation for the NW200 which turned out to be a disaster. I was a non-qualifier in the superstock races and had to start in the 2nd group due to Thursday’s practice session being cancelled. I got a good start but only made it to University when Mick Sweeney high-sided in front of me and I went down also as I could not avoid him. Glad he was ok after. I fried the clutch on the Specials Racing R1 Yamaha off the line and only made it to York Corner. So with the last 2 races being cancelled my only finish was the 1st 600 race when I crossed the line in 21st place which I was disappointed with having been up to 13th at one stage before the red flags came out in the first part of the race. A bad start in the 2nd part left me with too much work to do so 21st place it was.
With a break for me on the roads with the TT on we took in a few more short circuit meetings to keep the cobwebs off! Conditions at the Bush Races were very tricky so a best result of 7th place in the Grand Final on the 600 race was good enough for me. Things took a turn for me at Athea where the tricky conditions once again left it very slippy in places & I lost the front on the 600 in the Grand Final while in 6th Place & came down pretty heavy – my right elbow came off the worst with a lot of skin lost & some damage done to the bone also.
This has given me time to update my website at last so it’s a case now of how long it takes to heal so hopefully I wont be out for too long – Going to give Killalane a go this weekend and see how things fair out. Thanks to all my team that help me out at every racing meeting and even behind the scenes at home in the garage and especially to everyone else that help me out in other ways no matter how small, all helps.
Thanks again,

Damien #111