The day was looming quickly and my eldest son and I were getting excited but extremely nervous. Our Leathers arrived a few days before we were due to go, tried them on and paraded around the house showing off to the family, fully kitted now, leathers, boots, back protector, helmets and gloves, what a pair of wallies.

The night before the track day we loaded up the car with the journey's food and drink. Went to my unit where we keep the recently purchased track bikes, mine is a FZR400, and my son's is a 2 stroke TZR125 (he's only 17). Loaded them on the trailer, checked to see if they were secure, and then checked them again. Once we were certain they wouldn't come off when driving up the motorway, we had a final drink, and set off.

We started off at around 12.30 in the morning and arrived at Mallory park at around 3.30am. We parked up and had a final ciggy, set our alarms for 7.30 am and then tried to get a few hours shuteye. God, the car's uncomfortable but eventually we dozed. 7.30 am came and the alarms started to go off, waking us up. Wiping away the condensation from the windows we could see the entrance to the track. Getting out of the car was a bit of a struggle, it was quite windy and chilly, grabbing for my ciggys and lighter, sparking up and taking my first draw of the day. We set off towards the main gate chatting and giggling nervously. Getting to the gate we stopped and looked at the track and stood silent for what seemed like hours.

When we finally took our eyes off the track we looked at each other as if to say "Are we really going to do this?"  Yes, we were. We went back to the car and had a drink and waited for the gates to be opened. Finally, after what seemed like hours (probably around 5 to 10 mins) the gates were opened and we drove down to the pits. Met a few of the other riders, unloaded the bikes and went to the cafe for the briefing.

The briefing started off with the organiser reassuring us that it's not that bad once you're out there (yer right), then went through the flags and safety stuff and then it was time. 9.00 am. Luckily enough the advanced set went first so we could have a look at what was going on. Standing by the pit wall all we could see was bikes flying past us at 100-plus mph, wow, what a sight. The roar of the engines as they passed. 9.30 am, it was us;  luckily for us we had the track virtually to ourselves, there was my son, me, and another 2 riders, yes, we won't look stupid.

Waiting at the pit exit my stomach was doing somersaults, then the chaperone started to move slowly, OH MY GOD, HERE WE GO. Slowly round the track, very slowly, going round the corners very gingerly, gradually speeding up down the back straight, then gingerly round the bend, then gradually speeding up to the approach of the hairpin, virtually walking the bike round the hairpin and then a little chicane and then back on the straight, the second go round with the chaperone was a bit faster, well quite a bit faster, but I was still taking the corners very carefully. At the end of the second time round the chaperone pulled in and we were by ourselves, go as fast or as slow as you want I was told, so I did. After the first session I was chuffed that I had done a complete session and stayed on the bike.

2nd session I was raring to go, started the bike, pulled up to the pit exit and waited to go, lights changed and that was it, I started off steadily but gradually built the speed up, (just keeping in front of my son, ) By the third session I was loving it and opening the bike up, leaning in to the bends, well, I thought I was, until I saw the pics, there I was sitting upright on the bike going round the bends, hohoho. I did get better towards the end of the day, I was leaning the bike then but not to it's full potential, didn't get my knee down (not that confident yet). Anyway, felt like I was doing mega speed down the straight. As I was passing the pit I saw my son in there, don't tell me he's dropped the bike, so I pulled in to see what had happened and he advised that the TZR wasn't working. At this point I decided that we could share my FZR, my son on a FZR400, scary thought, but he was good, not too daring but gradually building his confidence up.

Previously I stated that it felt like I was doing mega speed on the straights, well, I was wrong. When my son was on the FZR I was watching at the pit wall, coming out of the top bend in first, opening it up and then into 2nd, 3rd, throttle full open, it was so slow compared to the advanced, but we all have to start somewhere.

By the end of the day, after a few showers, my son and I were getting faster and leaning in to the corners. What a day.   I am saving up for my next track day at Mallory Park.