Ryan Dixon was back on track at the weekend for the opening round of the No Limits Racing season from Snetterton, where he returned to Kent with a podium, a second place finish and a DNF.
Ryan brings us up-to-date with his weekend. The curse of Snetterton strikes again. Four times in five years something has happened to hamper my weekend.
Friday practice – Mostly spent just riding round and getting as many laps in as I could, mainly to try and get the body back used to riding a bike after around five months off. Having not sat on a bike since the final race of last year, the first two sessions were a struggle but as my new kit bedded in and the muscles began to adapt, I started to get the feeling back and felt reasonably comfortable by the end of the day.
Saturday
Qualifying – one of the worst sessions I can remember, got out onto track in the mid pack, had to fight my way through into a gap and then the bike decided to have a brief issue, momentarily not wanting to change gear and letting the four riders past I’d just passed to get into some clear space on track 
. Anyway, long and short of it, never got a proper clear lap, rode far too tense and was trying to force things. Ended up ninth but was confident there was more to come.
Race 1 – couldn’t have gone much better, started ninth, half way around lap one I’d got through to second and that was about it really. Leader had gone and had too much pace for me and I managed to get away from the rest of the field a bit to come second. Ash Barnes, the lad who won wasn’t taking points so I believe I’ll get points for first position.
Sunday
Race 2 – initial start was red flagged so it was shortened to a six lap dash. Got away ok off the start, was running third for a lot of the race, my bike just didn’t have the legs on the long straights to stay near enough to second to close in and attempt a pass on the infield and then a small mistake towards the end let Max Lofthouse past. I did pass him back on the final lap knowing I had to get onto the back straight in front of him to stand any chance of at least taking third but I ran slightly wide and he nipped back up the inside on the exit. Couldn’t get close enough for a last corner lunge so had to settle for fourth (third in points scorers).
Race 3 – with no Ash Barnes in this one it was an all-out fight for the win. I got away third and it was a three horse race at the front. Managed to get into second half way through and set about trying to catch the leader for the win and overall victory for the weekend. We were running very similar lap times but what I was losing out on the main straight was too much to make up and be close enough to attempt to pass before the back straight. It was all to no avail in the end anyway as my chain snapped with two and a half laps to go and so it was a DNF for the final race of the weekend.
Very frustrating end to a good round one, some positives were the fastest lap in the final race and my fastest lap of Snetterton (being sad, I checked back and I believe it would have been the 12th fastest lap in the Superstock 1000 race there last year) and being there or there about throughout the weekend. We head to Brands Hatch next where hopefully the engine will be a bit fresher and also some kit electronics will hopefully make it slightly easier to handle and manage the power delivery of the bike.
Thank you as always to all who chip in and help out where they can, making this final season possible in the first place.
Images courtesy of Camipix Photography Facebook