Phase One’s 9th Pyrenean green laning week was once again a great success. This year the trip took place straight after the Cartagena 6 hour race in late September. Participants in Ainsa were: Craig Reilly, Tim Smith, Simon Scott, Bruno the Belge and his lovely Maety, Stephane Mertens, Lida van Ham, Mike Wain, Denise Hart, Justin Horne and Russell Benney.

Peter Linden and Hugh Brasher scored a great class win in last weekend´s 6 hour race. The team also finished in 2nd place overall. The Team were absolutely delighted with this rostrum result, it´s second on the classic bike this year.
The race was held in mid 20 degrees C and dry conditions. Linden qualified for the team in 4th place behind pole setters, the British/Belgian Honda team of Mark Smith Halvorson and his Belgian partner. Three times Cartagena winners, James Clark´s Team Glam were also ahead.

Phase One´s race was eventfull with a front tyre puncture in the second rota (Linden) costing some 4 minutes including the slow in lap. Further events included a rear wheel alignment problem (possibly a broken chain adjuster) causing heavy tyre wear and some anxiety amongst the crew. This necessitated an extra tyre change which cost another minutes lost time. Apart from these relatively minor events the Team had a great performance with no rider or pit crew errors.

The race was won overall by Team Glam from Cheltenham, in the capable hands of James Clark and Bob Collins, on their P&M Kawasaki, after what looked like a trouble free performance.

The team would like to thank Sweatshop, Dunlop, SBS, and France Equipement for helping to make this result possible.

The race was run between 17.00 and 23.00 with a paddock wide party/meal commencing at midnight. Both riders and team pronounced themselves happy with the weekend and confirmed their desire for another season of Classic Endurance in 2011.

Current News

The decision has been made to not race at the Bol d’Or or at the final round of the WEC at Qatar. Instead the Team’s funds are being directed into the two remaining races of 2010, Spa 6 hrs and the Cartegena classic 6 hrs plus preparations for next year. Currently the plan is to seek funds for the 2011 WEC, but definitely to compete at the 2011 Daytona 200 miles, plus a season of classic endurance. The whole Team are disappointed that the Bol d’Or will be missed, for the first time since the Team’s creation in 1985, but the financial reality is such that finding sufficient funds to be competitive has proved impossible. As a result, the Team’s last planned outing on the Yamaha R1s will be at Spa on 14th August. The bikes will be maintained as normal following that event in anticipation of further races next season.

Spa Francorchamps 6 hrs 13th / 14th August.

This race is part of the Belgian international ‘Endurance 4 Fun’ championship that has been developing in Belgium for several seasons.
The rider format involves either two national level riders who have not scored international points, or a national rider plus what they call an A grade ‘star’ rider. Stephane Mertens for example has competed in the event since its inception and riders such as Julian Mazuecos, Werner Daemen and Gwen Giabanni have raced there in recent seasons.

The format has proved highly successful and the Spa Francorchamps grid is full, as have been the previous 2010 rounds. Our national grade rider is Hugh Brasher, 2010 UK (Hottrax) endurance champion and he is accompanied by Scott Smart on the Team’s 2009 Yamaha R1s, freshly converted back to endurance specification following the I-O-M TT.

Scott’s last outing with the Team was at Qatar in 2008, when he partnered Glen Richards and Damian Cudlin in the 8hrs race, and we welcome him back for this one. Hugh Brasher will be making his debut on the Phase One Endurance Yamahas at Spa and we wish him good luck.

Thanks go to Sweatshop for partnering the Team for this event.

Sponsors – A big thank you for your support for the NW200 and TT.

The Team wishes to thank the host of sponsors who helped race and prepare for the NW200 and TT. Particular thanks go to;

Andrew Smith and Laurens Kleinkoerkamp at Yamaha Motor, Allan at SBS, Igor and Slavko at Akrapovic, Graham Banks at GB Racing, Alan at Skidmarx, Frank Wrathal at Dynojet UK, Simon Hughes at R&G, Tim at NGK, France Equipement, Gilbert at Beringer, Dunlop Tyres, Paul Phillips at the I-O-M Tourist Board, Rico Mertens at RRD and Wayne Bullen at Norfolline,

Thanks also to our other sponsors who were less directly involved in these events.

For full details of the rest of this newsletter, please join the Phase One Supporters’ Club. Details from Lida van Ham at the team HQ.

Team Clothing

This season we are again producing the Team’s seasonal tee shirt, which is now available. This is a great way to support the team and we would be most grateful if you would buy them. The cost is held at £11.00 plus £1.99 P&P. The basic colour is navy blue and we have XL, M and S currently in stock.

In addition, we have:

Phase One 2010 Sweatshirts, in XL, L, M and S at £15 (+£1.99 P&P)

Phase one 2010 Dress shirts, in large only, £35 (+£1.99 P&P)

Yamaha polo’s, 2008 (royal blue and black, no Phase One embroidery) in XL, L, M and S at £12.50 (+£1.99 P&P)

Phase One P&M tee shirts, in XL, L, M, and S at £11.00 (+£1.99 P&P)

Yamaha tee shirts, 2008 (royal blue and white, no Phase One embroidery) in XL only at £11.00 (+£1.99 P&P)

2010 Yamaha polo’s with Phase One Endurance logo, in XL, L, M and XXL at £15.00 ( +£1.99 P&P)

Please send a cheque for the correct amount per shirt, made to ‘Phase One Supporters Club’, plus name, address and size (S, M, L and XL etc) to;

The Club Secretary, Phase One Endurance, Moxhill House,
Combwich, Bridgwater, Som .TA5 2PN.

Finally, as always;

A very big thank you to all team members, sponsors, riders and supporters for your efforts, contribution and commitment to the team this year, it really is much appreciated.

Russell Benney

Ben Wylie scored a brilliant 19th in the second Supersport race held on Thursday, following postponement of the race from Wednesday due to bad weather. Ben’s R6 performed without problem over the 4 lap race distance and he achieved a best lap of 119.83 mph, down on his first race best, because of wind and a number of yellow flag incidents which hampered progress. Ben held off challenges from privateer cup winner James McBride, Mark Buckley and Ian Mackman, but failed to catch Olly Linsdell, who finished 4 seconds in front at the close of the race. The pit stop was achieved in 51 secs, including a slightly slow fuel cap replacement. Ben was content with his performance albeit with the race conditions curtailing the result. “If I had been allowed to start in my race one finishing position (15th instead of 38th), then I would have missed two incidents, which cost me over 30 secs, and I could have easily bettered my race one position.”

Bens Wylie’s Senior Race was cut short with a burnt out clutch on lap two of the rerun 4 lap event.

(Actionshots taken by Martyn Collister from Ramsey)