TEAM EMCO TAKE STRENGTH FROM NEW SPEED AT SNETTERTON

With two newly rebuilt engines fitted on Thursday at the track (thanks Ian at Virgin Media Yamaha for doing one!), the Emco team were looking forward to a strong showing at Snetterton. Although, due to Faulkners size, they were always going to struggle down the long straights, the rider was happy that he could make up for some of that round the corners, at a track that he knew well and likes.

The weather had other ideas! Unfortunately, both practice and qualifying days were dry but extremely windy, which made Faulkners size an even greater disadvantage.
Still doing times well within the likely qualification maxima, the team could concentrate on just getting more from the forks which were still giving confidence problems on the brakes and into the corners. Then, just to throw a spanner in the works, ten minutes before qualifying, the team noticed a crack in the frame, two and a half centimetres long! It was examined by the Virgin Media Yamaha team and by the MCRCB scrutineers and deemed to be unsafe for use. This left the team without any time to prepare the spare bike, so Faulkner had to sit and watch as any chance of a good grid position slipped away. MCRCB Chief, Stuart Higgs had already stated that Faulkner could start from the back (due to his time set in practice being underneath the qualification maxima), but the team could really have used the extra track time.

Lining up alongside Factory Honda rider Leon Camier for race one, Faulkner knew he needed a good start. The Team Emco rider got a flyer and dived down the inside at turn one, unfortunately Camier had also made a great start a swept round the outside, this brought everyone together on the inside a left Faulkner with nowhere to go. Up on one wheel under heavy braking, Faulkner took to the grass,and still travelling at some speed tried to turn the bike before the barrier. read more >>