Richard
12th June 2009, 12:20
Hi
Myself and Ian Wilkins were just over at the Willowbank Dragway in Brisbane representing NZ at this years Winternats. Our bikes are part of a seven bike party that were freighted over in our container to Aussie. We are going back over at the end of this month to race the Aussies again in the Transtasman Dragbike Challenge. Here is a quick report and some pics
Well what a trip that was. You have to go if you ever get a chance.
To see/feel two top fuel car doing side by side 4 sec runs is just incredible!!!
Back to the bikes...The Aussie riders were so helpful and friendly.They all wanted to help and answer all my silly questions nothing was too much trouble. The track officials were super helpful and looked after us and our container.
The track is just stunning. Super flat and the finish line has almost as much traction as the start line.
So how did we go ?
Well as you all know the Stud racing NZ team won the Top Fuel bike class at the Winternats and also took out the Aussie championship.
Ian Wilkins had a good first run but as he had literally just finished rebuilding the Afterburner that day his clutch tuneup was hard to find.With the track being so sticky his next few runs were hampered by trying different clutch settings.
Just as he was getting a handle on the track he discovered that the head gasket was pushed out. So unfortunately that was his Winternats over.
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/gasket.jpg
My old GS1200SS did me proud for the whole 10 days. With the Test/Tune...Winters Warm-up plus the Winternats I had 14 runs and 11 of those were in the 11.8sec range. My average reaction time was 0.090sec. I got through into the Quarter finals with the top six bikes out of a field of 42 bikes.
I broke out by 0.13sec against the eventual Winternats runner up.
So I got close but not quite. Still these were the best riders in Australia so I quite happy with how I went.
So here are some pics.
This Comp Bike was our neighbor
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01769.jpg
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01756.jpg
Wellington bikes.
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01763.jpg
Some Aussie bikes
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01753.jpg
More Aussie bikes
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01751.jpg
Our other neighbor a Nitro Harley
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01748.jpg
A prediction ?
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01747.jpg
Our pit space
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01735.jpg
Ian putting in a new wiring loom on our first day in Aussie
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01733.jpg
Me !!!
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01731.jpg
The Willowbank track
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01737.jpg
Thanks
Richard
"THE AREA STEWARD'S DECISION IS FINAL IN ALL CASES"
Myself and Ian Wilkins were just over at the Willowbank Dragway in Brisbane representing NZ at this years Winternats. Our bikes are part of a seven bike party that were freighted over in our container to Aussie. We are going back over at the end of this month to race the Aussies again in the Transtasman Dragbike Challenge. Here is a quick report and some pics
Well what a trip that was. You have to go if you ever get a chance.
To see/feel two top fuel car doing side by side 4 sec runs is just incredible!!!
Back to the bikes...The Aussie riders were so helpful and friendly.They all wanted to help and answer all my silly questions nothing was too much trouble. The track officials were super helpful and looked after us and our container.
The track is just stunning. Super flat and the finish line has almost as much traction as the start line.
So how did we go ?
Well as you all know the Stud racing NZ team won the Top Fuel bike class at the Winternats and also took out the Aussie championship.
Ian Wilkins had a good first run but as he had literally just finished rebuilding the Afterburner that day his clutch tuneup was hard to find.With the track being so sticky his next few runs were hampered by trying different clutch settings.
Just as he was getting a handle on the track he discovered that the head gasket was pushed out. So unfortunately that was his Winternats over.
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/gasket.jpg
My old GS1200SS did me proud for the whole 10 days. With the Test/Tune...Winters Warm-up plus the Winternats I had 14 runs and 11 of those were in the 11.8sec range. My average reaction time was 0.090sec. I got through into the Quarter finals with the top six bikes out of a field of 42 bikes.
I broke out by 0.13sec against the eventual Winternats runner up.
So I got close but not quite. Still these were the best riders in Australia so I quite happy with how I went.
So here are some pics.
This Comp Bike was our neighbor
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01769.jpg
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01756.jpg
Wellington bikes.
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01763.jpg
Some Aussie bikes
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01753.jpg
More Aussie bikes
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01751.jpg
Our other neighbor a Nitro Harley
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01748.jpg
A prediction ?
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01747.jpg
Our pit space
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01735.jpg
Ian putting in a new wiring loom on our first day in Aussie
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01733.jpg
Me !!!
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01731.jpg
The Willowbank track
http://www.rrracing.co.nz/pics/Winter%20Nats/DSC01737.jpg
Thanks
Richard
"THE AREA STEWARD'S DECISION IS FINAL IN ALL CASES"