Alpha Boilers Racing - TT 2007 - Klaffi's Review
 The
Isle of Man Centenary TT races may not have gone according
to plan for the Alpha Boilers Honda team with technical gremlins
hampering their usually successful results, but Klaus Klaffenböck
and his team still felt it was a huge occasion in their race
careers.
“Taking part in the TT Centenary was one of the highlights
of my career as a rider,” said Klaffenböck, “It
was a unique chance in my life and I’m very happy to
be one of those to ride there this year. The Centenary was
the TT of all time records: as many spectators as never before
and a lot of new lap records. We had a great time on the Island.
The public were fantastic. Our truck and the awning have been
besieged the whole day. But though we had a lot of work we
had some time to talk with our fans – from all over
the world.”
For Klaffenböck and his side car passenger Christian
Parzer it was a tough week of racing that saw extremely hard
luck for the talented pair. They were unable to finish either
of the sidecar races. The first race saw them retire on the
very first lap as they broke a piston ring. During the second
race they were running in third place and looked set for a
podium when they suffered an engine failure on lap three of
the four lap race.
“During practice week we set fast lap times as never
before. On Tuesday before Race B we have been second fastest
with 111.835 mph. In the second race things had been very
promising. The podium was already in sight. But then all our
good luck was gone,” said Klaffi. Although it was a
difficult event for the team they are determined to return
and get on the top step of the podium. “In 2008 Christian
and I – we will take part again. We got a lot of very
useful experiences this year. 2008 we will be even better
prepared than this year. Our goal is to be once on the top,”
he concluded.
 The
solo member of the team, Irish Champion, Martin Finnegan had
better luck than Klaffenböck and Parzer. He finished
fourth in the Superbike race and thirteenth in the Supersport,
“Martin proved his great performance. Only in Senior
TT he had also bad luck – retired some miles after start
with a technical problem, “ said Klaffenböck. “His
Supersport result would have been better but he broke a foot
peg on his very first lap and that hampered his race. Going
off the line and first time through the bottom of Bray Hill
the right hand foot rest bent and worked its way loose then
so he spent the whole race trying to hold his foot up. With
37.73 miles per lap of bumps, jumps and tight turns it was
never going to be easy with no foot peg. It was tough; he
struggled with right handers as he couldn’t push on
the pegs. But he just did the best he could and finished 13th.
Martin was the hero of the day!”
The 2007 season is not over yet for Klaus Klaffenböck,
Christian Parzer and Martin Finnegan. They are all taking
part in the Southern 100 which will run from the 9th-12th
July. The Southern 100 which is another pure road race on
the Isle of Man and it is held in the south of the Island
on the Billown circuit of roads.
“The Southern 100 is similar to the Landshaag hill
climb in Austria. The paddock is in a meadow, there is no
power, and no water!” explained Klaffenböck,
“The track is even more challenging than the TT. The
roads are in very bad condition and the circuit it tight.
In 2006 we did some show laps but now we have to learn the
course again!”
Klaffenböck and Parzer will have some stiff competition
in the form of Nick Crowe who also suffered some bad luck
at the TT. Crowe won the last Southern 100 and knows the circuit
very well. The racing is set to be breath taking with a mass
start like on a short circuit race – it is guaranteed
to be exciting.
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