Kickaha
16th August 2009, 16:31
I travelled down to Timaru the night before which save getting up at 5-5.30 in the morning for the trip down, as I was sharing a Motel with Divvo I made sure I had a separate room and hammered a wedge under the door so I wouldn’t get any surprise visits during the night
Up at 6.30 as we had to take Mick to the track as well, 3 guys in a 2wd Navara isn’t the most comfortable but as it was only a short distance and as Him and Divvo are such good friends it gave them plenty of time for a cuddle on the way:hug:
It was drizzling at the track and a pretty grey day and with a forecast for showers it was looking like wet racing all day
Practice
We roll out onto the track and I’m giving it a lap to warm up before I start pushing it along, 4 laps into it and there’s Buckets down all over the place and then the red flags are out and the Ambo flag
We’re called back up to finish practice and given a talking to “SLOW DOWN ANY MORE CRASHES AND IT’S ALL OVER” are the words used:angry2:
I tuck in behind “Lil M” and can’t get past until the decreasing radius as the 30+kg weight advantage she has makes to much difference down the straight, I slow and wait for Buddha and play about for a couple of laps running into the chicane a bit hotter than he does and pulling alongside before T1 which is making me reasonably confident I can beat him
For the first time I can remember MCC are using transponders to set the grid positions and I’m off grid 8 on row 2
Race 1 (22 bikes on the grid, 6 DNS)
My start is pretty average even for me and newcomer Hank and a bunch of others come past into the T1-T2, I pull back past a few of them down the back straight and get the run on Hank into T1 through the chicane at the end of lap 1 and set off after K14, I get onto the back of him and we’re both behind #26, I get the good draft next lap and get past K14 and onto #26, a few laps later I’m drafting #26 when K14 gets a good run onto the straight and is on the rev limiter down the straight in my draft and pulls out past both of us off the end as he goes up the inside of #26 after the 100m mark I go around the outside and tuck in behind K14 again
We come off the left hander after the hairpin with K14 in front and I’m on the inside so K14 has the inside line into the chicane but I’m not giving way and we tip in side by side, he’s got enough drive to beat me into T1 and when I run wide gains a few bike lengths, with the white flag out I don’t have much time to make it up and I’m behind him into the chicane when his bike jumps down a gear and I gain the space I’d lost back but he gets it by .087 of a second and I get 7th behind him
Buddha is also out on the Motard but he must have heard the café was selling all their food for a$1 as he cuts his race short and comes back into the pits early:drool:
Race 2 (20 bikes on the grid)
The starts better and I’m past #26 and Hank from the first lap, I hang in with K14, Adam and DC for a the first couple of laps, the tracks a lot wetter for this one and after a couple of slides and a cocking up a couple of corners I get dropped off for a fairly lonely race
As I come into the hairpin about lap 4, K14 has obviously got a bit tired as he’s having a lie down on the track:zzzz:, he’s got the bike back up and starting it as I come past and #26 is slowly gaining on me, with a lap to go #26 goes past into the hairpin, I’m quicker through the chicane and up to T1 but don’t quite have the balls to try the pass, I close up around the back and get a good run through the chicane and are pulling alongside but he gets the flag by .066 so I get another 7th
So far I’m completely dominating Buddha which was my main aim for the day as he seems to have left his balls trackside where he nearly stacked the Motard:rolleyes:
Due to the amout of crashes the races are shortened up and our last arce is meant to be 4 instead of the usual 5
Race 3 (18 bikes on the grid)
On the first lap it looks like most of the senior field is parked off the back straight and even out attrition rate isn’t to flash being 8 bikes down since practice
My starts good and lap 1 I pass AdamB which is something I haven’t managed before, it doesn’t last to long as next lap he’s back past me and slotting in behind K14 and DC they pull a few bike lengths on me and I can’t get the draft, #26 is in the mix as well but lap 3 on the left after the hairpin and AdamB is sliding along the track on his arse with K14 just about running into him and the chequered flags out meaning it was a 3 lap race
Despite the shit conditions it was a great days racing with little battles all through the field and Bren_chch showing the FXR crowd how it should be done and taking 2 wins:niceone:
Roll on round 3:banana:
Ps anyone know how Helen is doing?
Up at 6.30 as we had to take Mick to the track as well, 3 guys in a 2wd Navara isn’t the most comfortable but as it was only a short distance and as Him and Divvo are such good friends it gave them plenty of time for a cuddle on the way:hug:
It was drizzling at the track and a pretty grey day and with a forecast for showers it was looking like wet racing all day
Practice
We roll out onto the track and I’m giving it a lap to warm up before I start pushing it along, 4 laps into it and there’s Buckets down all over the place and then the red flags are out and the Ambo flag
We’re called back up to finish practice and given a talking to “SLOW DOWN ANY MORE CRASHES AND IT’S ALL OVER” are the words used:angry2:
I tuck in behind “Lil M” and can’t get past until the decreasing radius as the 30+kg weight advantage she has makes to much difference down the straight, I slow and wait for Buddha and play about for a couple of laps running into the chicane a bit hotter than he does and pulling alongside before T1 which is making me reasonably confident I can beat him
For the first time I can remember MCC are using transponders to set the grid positions and I’m off grid 8 on row 2
Race 1 (22 bikes on the grid, 6 DNS)
My start is pretty average even for me and newcomer Hank and a bunch of others come past into the T1-T2, I pull back past a few of them down the back straight and get the run on Hank into T1 through the chicane at the end of lap 1 and set off after K14, I get onto the back of him and we’re both behind #26, I get the good draft next lap and get past K14 and onto #26, a few laps later I’m drafting #26 when K14 gets a good run onto the straight and is on the rev limiter down the straight in my draft and pulls out past both of us off the end as he goes up the inside of #26 after the 100m mark I go around the outside and tuck in behind K14 again
We come off the left hander after the hairpin with K14 in front and I’m on the inside so K14 has the inside line into the chicane but I’m not giving way and we tip in side by side, he’s got enough drive to beat me into T1 and when I run wide gains a few bike lengths, with the white flag out I don’t have much time to make it up and I’m behind him into the chicane when his bike jumps down a gear and I gain the space I’d lost back but he gets it by .087 of a second and I get 7th behind him
Buddha is also out on the Motard but he must have heard the café was selling all their food for a$1 as he cuts his race short and comes back into the pits early:drool:
Race 2 (20 bikes on the grid)
The starts better and I’m past #26 and Hank from the first lap, I hang in with K14, Adam and DC for a the first couple of laps, the tracks a lot wetter for this one and after a couple of slides and a cocking up a couple of corners I get dropped off for a fairly lonely race
As I come into the hairpin about lap 4, K14 has obviously got a bit tired as he’s having a lie down on the track:zzzz:, he’s got the bike back up and starting it as I come past and #26 is slowly gaining on me, with a lap to go #26 goes past into the hairpin, I’m quicker through the chicane and up to T1 but don’t quite have the balls to try the pass, I close up around the back and get a good run through the chicane and are pulling alongside but he gets the flag by .066 so I get another 7th
So far I’m completely dominating Buddha which was my main aim for the day as he seems to have left his balls trackside where he nearly stacked the Motard:rolleyes:
Due to the amout of crashes the races are shortened up and our last arce is meant to be 4 instead of the usual 5
Race 3 (18 bikes on the grid)
On the first lap it looks like most of the senior field is parked off the back straight and even out attrition rate isn’t to flash being 8 bikes down since practice
My starts good and lap 1 I pass AdamB which is something I haven’t managed before, it doesn’t last to long as next lap he’s back past me and slotting in behind K14 and DC they pull a few bike lengths on me and I can’t get the draft, #26 is in the mix as well but lap 3 on the left after the hairpin and AdamB is sliding along the track on his arse with K14 just about running into him and the chequered flags out meaning it was a 3 lap race
Despite the shit conditions it was a great days racing with little battles all through the field and Bren_chch showing the FXR crowd how it should be done and taking 2 wins:niceone:
Roll on round 3:banana:
Ps anyone know how Helen is doing?