Freaky Monday
ANDREW NOTT is motorbike mad, but he”s also a farmer and therein lies a problem. Whether it”s sheep, crops or Christmas trees – all of which he has in quantity – there”s always a reason to stay at home and work rather than getting out to have some fun on his bike.
But one day of the year Andrew always manages to find time to satisfy his passion for off-road moto-cross riding – the day 160 competitors gather to take part in the Red Marley Freak” Hill Climb.
Held near Great Witley in Worcs, the event gives the owners of bikes built before 1971 the chance to show off and compete on a challenging course.
In short, it”s a knockout competition where groups of three or four riders climb a 440-yard slope that reaches a gradient of 1 in 3 in places. Along the course there are jumps, hollows and wet patches to be negotiated and, inevitably, these catch some competitors unaware, resulting in some spectacular crashes.
But why is Red Marley such a draw for Andrew Nott? “Our family have farmed in this area for years and have always had a connection with motorbike racing,” he says. “My grandfather used to race in competitions in the 1920s and 30s and, because it was his local event, Red Marley was one of his favourites.
“I didn”t find out about his racing until a few years ago when I was competing on modern moto-cross and enduro bikes.
“Racing an old bike in a competition that my grandad loved holds great appeal for me.”
Andrew”s zeal for motorbikes started at an early age. At 15 he bought his first scrambler – a 125cc Yamaha – to ride around the farm. Later a friend who rode moto-cross bikes persuaded him to join a competition.
“It grew from there – and before my wife Jacquetta and I were married, we both used to compete,” he says.
“We”re all petrol-heads really – our four kids all love their quad racing and my father-in-law is responsible for restoring and rebuilding the veteran moto-cross bike I race.”
The bike is a 1964 Jawa Metisse. Its 500cc single-cylinder engine runs on methanol, pumping out 50hp and is similar to that used in speedway bikes. The rules of the competition state that the veteran bikes must follow their original design and the engine must be as close to the genuine article as possible.
“This means that although it looks much like the original, many components have had to be replaced,” says Andrew. “Amazingly many parts are still available off the shelf, mostly made in the Czech Republic.”
But finding bike bits is a minor problem compared with finding the time to ride. “I should be out spraying during the competition, but the crops will wait,” he says. “You”ve got to get away from the farm every now and then to put life in perspective.”
The farm is 160ha (400 acres) and includes 430 pedigree Lleyn breeding ewes. “We”re in the middle of lambing and I”m only getting five hours sleep a night at the moment,” says Andrew.
“When I”m waiting in the paddock for the race start, the combination of bike fumes and exhaustion makes me really drowsy. I can barely recall the race runs and the near-misses I”ve had today – but that”s probably a good thing.”
In previous years Andrew has achieved third place in the competition, beating hundreds of riders, many of whom race nearly every weekend. So what”s the technique required for a winning ride? “I just floor the throttle and hang on,” he jokes.
“I need to be as relaxed as possible for those big jumps. If you”re tense, then the landings really jar – it”s a heavy old bike.
“The starts are key – I try to pull away in third gear. That means I”ve only got one gear change to get up to top speed, but it also means your clutch control has to be top notch.”
It”s a technique that obviously works. Amid all the smoke, fumes, noise and flying mud, Andrew managed to reach the quarter-finals in morning and afternoon races. A good result and a fantastic day out even if you”re no petrol-head.