The webmaster missed a few elements of John Harrison's blog. He has been euthanised. The original Peterborough post is now complete, but here is what what missed. Take it away John...
Regrettably there were some no shows and break downs. It was heart breaking to witness two of our Continental Competitors, Andeas Steinhofer #599 and French Sideburn Ambassador Hubert Bastie #2 sidelined by breakages. But such is racing, especially with old machinery.
With Hubert out & Ross Jackson #130 sadly unable to attend, the two-stroke class was down to just three machines, the #80 Bultaco and #124 Ossa being supplemented by #20 Mike Herman's sublime Kawasaki.
Vintage freshers Luke Kempton #61 and Jamie Elliot #153 joined in for their first DTRA Vintage races on Harley and BSA. We were also joined by a Scot on a Rickman Triumph, whose name I didn't catch.
On Saturday Mr Aldana showed us what to expect when he rode some demonstration laps on the Trackmaster BSA alongside the ever inspiring AFT pro rider Johnny Lewis #10 aboard the only Indian FTR750 in Europe. WOWSER, watching those two circulate was worth the trip alone.
I lined up on the grid with DA again in my third heat, this time starting from the back row whilst he formed up on the front. I made a good start & was trailing Aldana and Angelo when the BSA slowed. I rode round the outside of Dave Aldana through turns 3 and 4 while, dejected, he looked down at the engine now running on one cylinder, his racing over for the day, sadly.
The final was a terrific race, albeit without our star guest. Frank Chatokhine won on his Metisse Triumph ahead of Angelo Van Zele on his Trackmaster with David Webb ensuring the podium wasn't an all Triumph affair, by bringing his BSA home third ahead of Guy Sutherland (Trackmaster Triumph), Mike Fisher (Champion Bultaco) and Dimitri Coste (Trackmaster Triumph) who fought back from a fall on lap two.