Harvd
30th September 2009, 19:28
So I managed to get up to Manfeild with my dad for rd5 of the VMCC winter series. Unfortunately i had to be at uni on friday so couldnt do the paractice day (or have to drive up and ferry across...) so left myself with the task of learning a new track and qualifying in about 8 laps... I got to fly up and meet my dad in wellington ($10 more than a single seat on the ferry) and we made it to Manfeild at about 8 on saturday. Luckily Peter Jones had saved us some room in the scrutineering shed with the other southeners.
Qualifying
Took it nice and slow for the first couple of laps finding where i have to go and getting used to the clockwise direction. enjoyed the banking but had a bit of trouble getting my head around it. Pulled in after 8 progressivly faster laps to see i had qualified 2nd! Really happy as this was my best qualifying and on a completely new track. Best time of 1:32.(6?)
Race 1
Really nervy before hand and got a pretty poor start only for the race to be red flagged after half a lap.
Split grid this time and a much better start into about 3rd into the first corner. Overtook 1 guy by the hairpin and raced by myself for the rest of it.
Lonely but good for experimenting with lines especially in dunlop. finished 2nd in streetstock with a best of 1:31.078
driving back to the track to see rain was not a comfortable feeling but then it dried out by race time
Race 2
Best start so far but not guarding my line enough saw me get taken on the inside. took him on the next corner only to be out dragged out of the hairpin where i took him again in higgins, to be outdragged again before dunlop, to take him into dunlop. pull 10m ahead by the start line only to have him overtake me again before the first corner! He took a poor line and i got him again but AGAIN he out gunned me just before higgins. before i took him again in dunlop. and held him off until i ended up going wide at the hairpin after i missed a gear. this put me onto the sodden muddy ground which when i applied my massive horsepower to only spun up and fishtailed. by the time i hade it back ontrack(having never been more than 2m away fron the track) i had lost 5 places and about 10 seconds.
Put myself into the right gear and had great fun reeling in 4 of the 5 until i ran out of time and finished 3rd with a 1:30.593 and a 5s gap infront.
unhappy about my stupid mistake but pleased with the dropped time i went into the next race vowing to not head into the mud again!
Race 3
Main goal for this race was to get into the 1:29s and get 2nd place.
Another good start 2nd into t1 and knowing the guy who bet me last time was tied up further back. head into t3(name? the 1st left hander) and have a Biiig rear end slide on my cold tires. lose 2 places and go in the wrong direction with my gears in my fluster to get back up to speed. but reel in the 1st guy (ryan i think?) and have the same sort of frustrating race with the guy with the fast bike but poor lines. end up 1.5s behind my the end of the race after passing him in every turn at least once, except my fave passing spot t3 due to a yellow flag from a bike just off the track. Best tie of 1:30.360
Come off and feel hugely frustrated with the whole race. Didnt get a 1:29 and got 3rd.
Oh yeah the guy who i was battling with was 13-14 and probably weighed 45kg... good for my big head i guess... my dad made extra special point out of his age.:Pokey:
But after i cooled down i realised what i had done and that i should be pretty dam happy with how i went on a brand new (to me)track and that i continually got my times down. Oh and got the best results ever for me too!
Really enjoyed the track. its so different to ruapuna and levels but in a really fun way.
Flew home monday morning after hanging with some mates in welly on sunday and sleeping on their floor (carpet on concrete). missed my first lecture then slept through the two i did make it to. Much to the amusement of those around me...
Big thanks to my dad for doing the hard work in terms of getting the bikes up there (and the finances...) And to Peter for getting us a spot and organising a lot of it. And of course a huge one to VMCC and their volunteers who ran such a great round. Already marked it onto the calender for next year.
Maybe even on a pro-twin (if i get my way)?
Qualifying
Took it nice and slow for the first couple of laps finding where i have to go and getting used to the clockwise direction. enjoyed the banking but had a bit of trouble getting my head around it. Pulled in after 8 progressivly faster laps to see i had qualified 2nd! Really happy as this was my best qualifying and on a completely new track. Best time of 1:32.(6?)
Race 1
Really nervy before hand and got a pretty poor start only for the race to be red flagged after half a lap.
Split grid this time and a much better start into about 3rd into the first corner. Overtook 1 guy by the hairpin and raced by myself for the rest of it.
Lonely but good for experimenting with lines especially in dunlop. finished 2nd in streetstock with a best of 1:31.078
driving back to the track to see rain was not a comfortable feeling but then it dried out by race time
Race 2
Best start so far but not guarding my line enough saw me get taken on the inside. took him on the next corner only to be out dragged out of the hairpin where i took him again in higgins, to be outdragged again before dunlop, to take him into dunlop. pull 10m ahead by the start line only to have him overtake me again before the first corner! He took a poor line and i got him again but AGAIN he out gunned me just before higgins. before i took him again in dunlop. and held him off until i ended up going wide at the hairpin after i missed a gear. this put me onto the sodden muddy ground which when i applied my massive horsepower to only spun up and fishtailed. by the time i hade it back ontrack(having never been more than 2m away fron the track) i had lost 5 places and about 10 seconds.
Put myself into the right gear and had great fun reeling in 4 of the 5 until i ran out of time and finished 3rd with a 1:30.593 and a 5s gap infront.
unhappy about my stupid mistake but pleased with the dropped time i went into the next race vowing to not head into the mud again!
Race 3
Main goal for this race was to get into the 1:29s and get 2nd place.
Another good start 2nd into t1 and knowing the guy who bet me last time was tied up further back. head into t3(name? the 1st left hander) and have a Biiig rear end slide on my cold tires. lose 2 places and go in the wrong direction with my gears in my fluster to get back up to speed. but reel in the 1st guy (ryan i think?) and have the same sort of frustrating race with the guy with the fast bike but poor lines. end up 1.5s behind my the end of the race after passing him in every turn at least once, except my fave passing spot t3 due to a yellow flag from a bike just off the track. Best tie of 1:30.360
Come off and feel hugely frustrated with the whole race. Didnt get a 1:29 and got 3rd.
Oh yeah the guy who i was battling with was 13-14 and probably weighed 45kg... good for my big head i guess... my dad made extra special point out of his age.:Pokey:
But after i cooled down i realised what i had done and that i should be pretty dam happy with how i went on a brand new (to me)track and that i continually got my times down. Oh and got the best results ever for me too!
Really enjoyed the track. its so different to ruapuna and levels but in a really fun way.
Flew home monday morning after hanging with some mates in welly on sunday and sleeping on their floor (carpet on concrete). missed my first lecture then slept through the two i did make it to. Much to the amusement of those around me...
Big thanks to my dad for doing the hard work in terms of getting the bikes up there (and the finances...) And to Peter for getting us a spot and organising a lot of it. And of course a huge one to VMCC and their volunteers who ran such a great round. Already marked it onto the calender for next year.
Maybe even on a pro-twin (if i get my way)?