Round 1 - Valencia, Spain

The first race of the season is always difficult, both mentally and physically, with the sheer amount of preparation and organisation required. After the previous years experience at this track, the team were keen to come home with a good result.

The journey to Valencia started on the preceding Monday evening and took them down through France, across the Pyrenees and into Spain. Whilst passing the Montpelier region in the south of France, they were met with gale force winds.

After passing several vehicles and lorries which had been blown over along the Auto Route, they decided that discretion was the better part of valour and they would stop at the next services.

Limping into the services frantic activity ensued and efforts were made to secure what was left of the awning, the rest of it having disappeared into the French countryside. The remainder of the journey fortunately was incident free and the team arrived in Valencia early Wednesday evening.

Practice started on the Friday afternoon following technical control and scrutineering. The first free session went well and saw them in 6th position, lapping only a second slower than they had the previous year.

Some slight adjustments were made to the bike for the second session (first timed qualifying) and a new rear tyre was put on. A new fuel pump had been fitted for the start of the 2002 season, but unfortunately after only 20km of use it expired during this crucial stage of qualifying.

This left them down in 17th position, some 2 seconds off the pace, with it all to do in the third and final qualifying session.

By the last qualifying practice at midday on the Saturday, the track temperature had reached around 30 degrees, which was a lot hotter than the previous late afternoon practice, with the result that none of the teams bettered their times. So 17th on the grid would be the starting position, with it all to do during the race!

The Sunday race in the heat of Valencia would always be a war of attrition. Chris and Pete, at the back of the grid, certainly had their work cut out to make up for their poor qualifying, but with a good start when the lights changed, the pair soon made up three places.

An epic battle then followed, with the boys fighting for 12th position with last years European Champion Uwe Göttlich. The battle lasted all race, with four outfits in contention, constantly swapping places and paint!

Chris and Pete eventually got the better of Göttlich, but on the last lap they ran wide on the penultimate corner, allowing Göttlich to get past up the inside and relegate them to 13th. At the front, the race had been dominated by Britain's Steve Webster & Paul Woodhead, closely followed by Steve Abbott & Jamie Biggs, but Webster suffered mechanical problems leaving Abbott & Biggs to take an emphatic win.

Team Founds meanwhile where happy to settle for the 3 points and headed home contented with the season opening race at Valencia, putting them 13th in the Championship.

Best Wishes to all, and thanks for all your support at the start of what should be a very promising season.

Des Founds