I first met Ian Feeley in a car park in downtown Malmedy, Belgium, just down the road from the Spa circuit. James and I were on our way home after watching the classic and endurance racing over the weekend up at the circuit. Three lads wandered over to chat after seeing our UK number plates, Ian, his brother Andrew and Brian McCaul.
We had a chat and went on our separate ways. A while later I spot a post on stalkbook and figure, that’s one of the guys we were talking to in Malmedy.
As is the way of the world these days we become friends on social media and bump into each other here and there, usually at Spa. Ian rides a super trick and fast CB900, Andrew on a equally trick GS1000, and they race, each other mostly.
As we chat over the years stories are told, things we have all done and it’s apparent they have both done a bit. Racing mini motos, enduro and super moto in amongst a load of track time
A few years ago as Ian approached his 60th year he got to thinking, ‘I should do something for my 60th’. A meal, a few drinks with family and/or friends, a trip perhaps. Why not hire Cadwell Park and have my own track day, invite my mates and mates of mates and we’ll have a grand day, and they did. Legend. Ian was a already a regular at Cadwell as the framed wrists bands in his workshop demonstrate, but his own track day, quality.
A phone call to the Cadwell office later and Ian needed to find £8k to hire the circuit for a day in April, the price changes depending on the month but includes marshalls, the required medical cover and a chief instructor in the shape of well known Lincolnshire racer Pete Boast. Pete was kind enough to let Ian give the rider briefing, his day, his words, his memories.
Now that he had hired the track and set a date he had to recoup some of the money, selling one hundred slots at £80.00 a go, Ian wasn’t on stalkbook yet so this was all word of mouth, enlisting friends and their friends to get on board. No internet banking meant good old fashioned cheques via royal mail in order to recoup the costs.
The local fast boys, regulars on the roads to Hartside were reluctant to sign up, perhaps shy of finding out who truly was the quickest. The supermoto lads Ian knew, were all over it signing up and handing over their hard earned.
And so it came to pass on the 6th of April 2010 Ian celebrated his 60th at Cadwell with his own track day, he produced a programme with the help of his daughter, listing everyone attending, although typical blokes, some left it to the last minute to rock up so their names are missing. One notable name from the intermediate group is the now TT racer Dom Herbertson. The day included some track day virgins, bikes and leathers were sourced and borrowed and it’s only the first novice session that Ian didn’t ride in, he wanted to see the faces of the people as they came in from their first track experience.
The Aprilia SXV 550 super moto Ian rode that day has long gone, in its place is the above mentioned Honda CB900.
CB spec: 900 cases, 1100 sleeves in 900 barrels, 1100 crank n rods, ported head, 33CRs, Nova dry clutch, Exhaust, tank and yokes by Ambler racing, CB1000 forks, modified frame, the list goes on….
The inspiration for building the CB came from attending an evening with Freddie Spencer back in 2014. A Freddie rep in the foyer of the venue was all Ian needed to decide on a change, Ducati sold, CB sourced. Development started, until its current form, complete with super trick Nova dry clutch, that makes people take a second glance. Ian found himself on the grid at Spa, racing in the German superbike series, brother Andy watching from the stands vowed to be on the grid alongside Ian the following year, and he was on his GS thou.
Both in their 70s now the brothers are as competitive with each other as ever, racing each other for the fastest Feeley Trophy that changes hands between them over the years. The message from an afternoon in their company is very much JFDI, whatever it is.
