Lockey endures more frustration
AFTER a trying time at the TT, Moreton in Marsh sidecar driver Wayne Lockey endured more of the same at the Southern 100 road races on the Isle of Man.
The team’s new LCR chassis has a couple of short circuit wins under its belt but is proving a challenge to set up for the highly demanding environment of pure road racing.
With the weather at the TT allowing a bare minimum of track time to the sidecar teams, the outfit’s behaviour on a bumpy surface was still unresolved and with the 4.25 mile Bill own course having a quick and notoriously lumpy back section good handling was always going to be the key to a good result.
The first practice session came and went without Lockey and passenger Mark Sayers taking to the track after the need to change to wet weather tyres coincided with the session being brought forward. The team did manage to get out for qualifying and they managed to finish the session in eighth place, despite the outfit still not entirely co-operating.
Lockey said: “The bike still isn’t right but we’re getting there. It feels like we’re close now.”
The first race was scheduled for the following evening but a first lap accident brought out the red flags and with insufficient time left to clear the incident the race was re-scheduled for the following day.
“We got a decent start but the bike wasn’t pulling right” said Lockey. “I wasn’t prepared to push the bike too hard as the handling still wasn’t right. We were up to around fifth or sixth but the bike was struggling and so were we.
“We were on the bike’s limit but nowhere near our own. It’s really quick – we were hitting 141mph on the approach to Ballakeighan - but the stability and cornering isn’t quite there.
“I’ve got a 100 per cent record there but a bit disappointed as we’re not near the pace we were at before.”