Feisty Racing hang up their pink boots for 2005

bikegirl.co.uk
By Feisty Racing
September 7 2005

A sizzling Brands Hatch saw some star performances from the Feisty girls this weekend, in the final round of the Bemsee Championships. All were on top form and some notable results were achieved.

Once again the weekend showed the talents of Deb Cartwright, who finally got onto the podium with a second place in the Clubman 400-650 shootout. Despite actually finishing a close third on the road, Deb was promoted following a penalty to the second place finisher for a jump start. Whilst the result alone was fantastic, the race itself was also quite an epic, with Deb fighting her way through from fifth to be denied the win outright by just under 300ths of a second. Her first non-rookie trophy came with the additional bonus of the fastest lap of the race - a fantastic 52.692 – and to round the day off completely she was awarded Rider of the Day for her stunning performance.

Deb Cartwright © Wildcard Photography

Sunday started well for Deb with a fifth place, just under six seconds behind the race winner, but in her last race of the day her chain parted company with the bike forcing a rare retirement. Deb was upbeat, however, as this was a small disappointment in an otherwise outstanding weekend. Deb wishes to put on record her thanks to Tim Jones, the ex-250 GP racer who has helped her with her race craft through the season, and we all wish her well over the winter months whilst working in Israel.

Susie Grayson, despite forgoing her trademark pink hairstyle to join the “blue rinse brigade”, was equally impressive in a busy weekend, consistently running in the low 54s, and ultimately securing third overall in the Minitwin Rookie Championship. Susie’s last race of the weekend on Sunday, the Minitwin Final, saw her best time, a 54.056 on lap four when she was battling with a small group of riders, eventually finishing 14th ahead of many non-rookie competitors in this mixed experience class. Susie’s season was nicely rounded off by earning Rookie of the Day on Sunday; the second time she has won a cup.

‘Tazzie’ © Wildcard Photography

Helen “Tazzie” Rushton set herself goals for the weekend - the main one being to get down to a 57 sec lap. This she achieved in her final race of the day when she clocked 57.814 with a brilliant ride, following an earlier race long battle with Paulo White. Tazzie could so easily have come to grief whilst taking her normal late apex line into Clearways, only to find Paulo attempting to go under her. Paint was duly swapped, another first for Tazzie, but both carried on with the Feisty rookie pulling away and eventually getting the better of Paulo by 4.5 seconds at the chequered flag.

It was good to see Leila Williams on form and enjoying her racing. Her lap times gradually came down throughout the weekend, from a best 55.41 on Saturday to a best ever around Brands of 54.239 on Sunday morning. Indeed in her fastest lap race Leila finished 14th, only five secs behind one-time runaway championship leader Tom Gazzard, who had crashed badly on Saturday morning.

Zoe Docherty is still finding it difficult to come to terms with an early season crash on this circuit, and in addition was forced to spend all of Friday night putting the engine and gearbox from her road bike into her race bike. Needless to say, tiredness took its toll and Zoe completed eight laps before the chequered flag in her first race, and retired from her second race very unhappy with the bike. In her third race of the day, a postponed round from Lydden, she was more on the pace, finishing 18th. On Sunday Zoe tried an RVF 400 belonging to Loz Smith, but could not get on with the considerable differences in the machinery.

Sarah Quinn’s weekend got off to a faltering start when she failed to make the grid for her first race after feeling ill and going back to bed. Determined to get some racing in at the final round, she made the later starts but unfortunately had three DNFs, completing only one race, the postponed Lydden round. However, her spirit never weakens and she is looking forward to next year, which may see her on a very different machine if winter testing goes to plan.

Honorary “Feisty” Owen Coomber posted regular 57 second laps riding Zoe’s original bike on loan in the Supersport 400s. Does this indicate a new (male) division of the team for next season?

With the season now over, talk is already turning to next year. Some will be using the winter break to re-assess what they want from their racing, and some will be deciding on changes of class and promotion from rookie status. Whatever the new season brings, all can feel proud of their progress this year from those first wobbly rounds at Snetterton in the snow, when all we wanted was to keep warm and dry.

All who have been part of the biggest team in the Bemsee paddock should rightly congratulate themselves and each other on their achievements, and the camaraderie enjoyed throughout the season. Feisty Racing has a veritable army of supporters and helpers, far too many to list (you know who you are!), plus the team’s valued sponsors, without all of whom this first year would not have been the outstanding success it has proven to be. And Feisty is sure to go from strength to strength next year, as a number of potential recruits came along to Brands to get a flavour of club racing and see the benefits of being part of an organisation such as Feisty Racing.

Look out 2006, the Feistys will be back bigger and better!