Neil Chatham fuel strategy result, just! (Mar 4, 2011)

Neil Chatham fuel strategy result, just!
Muntjac report

Neil Chatham returned to the British Enduro Championship having competed in
the World and European Championship last year. Neil had been out of the
scene for seven months following a broken wrist in Poland while competing
for the UEM Promotional Enduro Team. A plate with eight screws in his wrist
has seen a long road back to full fitness.

Neil started cautiously at the Muntjac and built his speed as his
confidence came back. Neil rode the first two laps without refuelling his
KTM XC tank, this was a test for the final two laps to see if his Drysdale
Motorcycles KTM 125 would make it to the finish of the final lap with
enough fuel. Neil set off on his last lap without refuelling and without
looking at the tank, he just rode as fast as he could.

Neil made it home at the end of the last two laps with less than a tea cup
of fuel remaining, but enough to get him to the finish dropping just four
minutes and pulling his result up from 23rd after the tests to finish 3rd
E1/2, 5th under 23 and 17th overall. See attached photograph, it could have
been so different if he had not made it, Neil was ready in his mind to push
the bike to the finish if he had not made the check at the end of the lap
and luckily he did not have to resort to walking the bike to the final
check.

‘I love it when a plan comes together, my dad suggested the strategy and
I decided to go for it, I never looked at the tank until the last few
minutes of the second lap and I had to back it off a little and I have
never been so relieved to see the final check’.

This is Neil’s best result at a British Championship and it is all the
more satisfying as there was a full entry.

Thanks to KTM (UK), Drysdale Motorcycles, Metzeler, Shell Lubricants and
Fox.

The next event is the British Enduro Sprint and Neil’s confidence is back
to show what he is capable of in the British scene once more.

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