By 2018 Privateers Championship runner-up Sam West has had a character-building start to this year’s TT Races.
A snapped chain on his THWG Construction, Moto Hub backed M1000RR BMW, put pay to big-bike lap mileage and despite valiant efforts, he didn’t make it back in time from Ballacrye to gain track time on his Super Twins mount (R7 Yamaha).
Two days previously, the Wilmslow racer had a minor incident at Governors Dip, having encountered a damp patch.
Speaking yesterday to Road Racing News, he gave his account on what happened:
“I was on an in-lap, possibly wasn’t paying much attention, was damp under there, going slow, just sitting up on the bike and it just snapped sideways underneath me.
Just fell over, picked the bike up straight away and marshals wouldn’t let me push it away or do anything with it so unfortunately that was it. Somebody luckily gave me a lift back in the van and went straight out on the 600.”
Sam continued:
“It’s a new bike to me (Kawasaki – Supersport), we’ve had to make a lot of changes because the technical regulations have tightened up, so I was happy that we managed to get out on it and after falling off, because it looked like I wouldn’t get to ride it.
After falling off in the damp on the big bike, I wasn’t keen to fall off in the damp patch on the 600, so took it really steady through any damp area I saw after that.
The problem is it’s hard to see where the damp patches are under the shadows, there was a wet patch at Braddan Bridge, I didn’t see it till the fourth lap because it had been in the shade and as the sun changed direction and come lower, suddenly I could see it.
When it’s all wet everywhere you know what you are dealing with, when its random wet patches coming out of the ground, it’s a bit more difficult, more unpredictable.”
Photo credit: Nick Wheeler
Words by Stevie Rial #dontletfearcontrolyou
