Assen test and IDM 21 – 23 August
Test
After a six week lay off since his crash at Salzburgring, Josh was hoping to use the Assen test, (which was the week before the IDM round there) to get back on the bike and on some sort of reasonable pace again. This time he also had a new team mate in the form of Ireland's man of the moment Glenn Irwin who was coming on the back of multiple wins and lap records. He was on Jeremy's bike which had served him well at Salzburg.
The rear shock had been rebuilt after the crash and some damage had been found to the shim stack so it needed setting up again. With standard pipes fitted to obey noise regulations the bikes were well down on their usual power but the weather was good.
Seriously slow traffic was to affect the boys getting clean laps over the three days but the main focus was on learning the track and finding a set up. Jeremy alternated sessions with the lads giving both the benefit of his on track experience.
Things started to go wrong for Josh when a decent tyre fitted for the last session on day one spun 180 degrees on the rim putting it badly out of balance.
Glenn took to the Honda very quickly and just like his home form was fast from the word go.
Session two on day two was worse as Josh suffered a big Hi-side crash on entry to the fast right after the back straight. Josh had been asked to focus on his downshifting, in order to do it slower and less aggressively. He must have lost concentration for a moment and either went down a gear too many or let the clutch out too late on entry, locking the rear and launching him.
He was fortunate not to be badly injured and the bike wasn't so bad, but things were over for the day. The mechanics worked hard to get a makeshift steering damper bracket manufactured for the next morning and Josh got out for a few sessions. He got back to a reasonable pace but it was obvious he needed more time on the bike to get a fast setting. Glenn was going very well and was unlucky to have a minor slip off at the hairpin in the morning.
So, the team packed up at lunchtime and headed back to the base 160 miles down the road at Schwalmtal.
There we spent the next few days emptying the truck, cleaning the equipment, and preparing the bikes with new bodywork for the weekend. (Well some worked, others spent their time hosing each other as they washed awnings and generally being bad children!)
IDM Assen
As we were sharing a garage with Jeremy's KTM Akrapovic team we left on Wednesday evening to get the garage set up early on Thursday. The format was different at Assen in that, instead of four free practices on Friday, we had only two and then one qualifying with Q2 the next day.
Anyway, with the bikes back on full power Josh found his setting was way off. He got going reasonably well on the 2nd run but Glenn crashed on lap 2, wearing away a bit off the end off a finger! Nasty, but the brave lad soldiered on and put in a blistering lap in qualifying one to put him 5th on the grid. Josh had a different tyre on for qualifying that we thought would work better but the bike felt totally different and he didn't even get on the same pace as in the previous free practice. This put him 28th On the grid, but he hoped to improve the next day in Q2.
That was not to be as there came a downpour before the session and although the track was drying in the last few minutes; neither of the lads could go any faster. One guy managed a tenth better and bumped Josh to 29th!
Race one turned out to be a disaster as it was started 3 times. The locals were going a bit crazy and causing a few crashes. Glenn was hit from behind by one of these locals on lap one of the 2nd start as he entered the same fast right hander Josh had suffered the Hi–side at in testing. Glenn was fortunate to get away relatively unscathed but his bike somersaulted destroying itself. Although the team went back to Germany overnight, to try and build another bike, there were too many race parts wrecked so it was useless.
So, Josh was left to try and salvage something, but was hampered by his poor starting position, lack of set up and not being at his usual form due to his recent crashes. He managed to get a decent start but was shunted wide by half lap stage. He eventually got up to 21st, but was unable to make enough time early on with the traffic so had to settle for his worst finish of the year.
For race 2, the team changed the rear spring and ride height in a gamble to get him more grip. He made a reasonable start but again lost places in tangles with some kamikaze riders early in lap one. He settled down and picked off ten places up to 19th, but never got down to a pace he was happy with. Still, he got through the weekend without any more crashes, and the road to rebuilding his confidence had begun, even though his lower back was giving him pain on the bike.
The Salzburgring crashes had certainly affected him and it was only when he returned home and he visited a top back specialist, that we discovered the true nature of the fall out from those. A misaligned pelvis, the majority of his spine was out of line with a rib out as well!
Thankfully the treatments have left him feeling a lot better despite having his final one on the Wednesday before Hockenheim!
Hockenheim is the last round and Josh has only to go there, get a smile on his face, enjoy his racing and try to get that confidant feel back that served him so well midseason. Here’s hoping!
Words: Julian Elliott