scracha
28th December 2009, 14:28
So after killing Johan's 998 I took a deep breath and asked the Drew if he wouldn't mind co-piloting the ZX-6rr for the endurance race. The Drew went out for the 2 x endurance race qualifying sessions to finally destroy the rear slick whilst I did a couple of F2 practise sessions to re familiarise myself with my "bogey track". First session I felt crap. Second session went much better after the Drew told me to pull my head out my arse.
Somehow we lost track of time and before we knew it, a call was made to get the bikes on the track in 5 minutes. Unfortunately we were at the other end of pit-lane with the bike's rear rim and an uninflated barely used rear slick. Somehow I got into my leathers and Drew/Andy/Simon got to the start line on time with all the stands etc.
Endurance Race
Flag down, sprint to bike. "Don't panic. Breathe." Click into first. Minter of a start and I'm into the 1st corner way ahead of where the Drew qualified (which was pretty high up). 1st two laps "calm down son...it's endurance". There's a big queue behind me and the crazy fast guys like Sketchy and Sloan fly past me but the sheer quality of the field has me getting towed along faster than I've ever went before.
By lap 5 I've got a good rythm going. The fast guys have all farked off and hell, I'm even catching some. By about lap 10 I've started lapping riders. By about lap 13 I'm getting lapped. By about lap 15 there's riders already pitting. I make the odd mistake here and there but keep my rythm and remember to stretch my limbs on the back straight. Due to the last minute panic my camel pack was lost and I'm dehydrated to hell. "HTFU laddie". Agonising cramp sets in my left leg about lap 20 but I shake it out on the straights and it doesn't bother me again. I have great battles with a well ridden Yellow SV650 (Paul?). It's a nice change to be the one with the better power and brakes. I'm rubbish at the infield bit but my point and squirt and late braking must make me a right bitch to get past.
Sandra passes me on her thou and a couple of laps later is on the grass at T4. 3 laps later and she passes me again. This time with a huge tank slapper out of the A1 corner. Somehow she stays on. Impressive. I have another highlight when I chase down the ZX-6rr's previous owner and pass him. It doesn't last as in my enthusiasm I outbrake myself and end up cutting across the track just beside the drag-strip. I spend the next 6 laps working very hard to catch him up again and this time the pass sticks.
I make another mistake a few laps later, bizarrely going too far left out of turn one and onto the thankfully dry grass. I somehow muscle the bike back on track by putting my stomping my boot on the ground and don't lose much time at all. Half a lap to refocus and I'm back in my rythm. I think at this point I was getting faster and faster and just was in the zone.
No idea how many laps I've done and I'm starting to flag. "not as fit as I thought" thinks I as we've estimated the gogo juice will last about 50 minutes". The reserve light comes on and I do a further 3 laps before coming in and looking for wherever the hell I'm meant to refuel and switch with the Drew. I get off the bike and find I can't stand :clap: Turns out I'd done the race's longest stint at 1hr 13m. Simon and Drew were waiting on me coming in and I was waiting on them to wave me in after about 45 minutes as we'd planned on 2 sessions each. Oops. Upshot was that even though my times were way below the fast guys (1.43 best), the lack of pit-time had put us in about 8th position. Drew being waaay faster than me would no doubt get us even further up the field. Bike refuelled. The Drew went out. 4 corners later the engine went kaput. Suspected bottom end bye bye. Yikes.
Possibly the most enjoyable race I've ever had :first:
Bloody good band, food & beer put on after the endurance race. Free camping for 2 nights. In all honesty, what more could you ask from this event?
This event was the ying to the Wanganui yang. For all it's cost me a $hit load of money I yet again thoroughly enjoyed the TRSS. Well done to the organisers. Really farked off I didn't get a finishers trophy but that's racing. Felt guilty for Drew as he had travelled all the way up to Taupo and got very little time on the bike.
Unless an unknown rich relative dies I don't think I'll have funds to race for a few months as I've got to square up with Johan and the Drew is fixing up the ZX-6rr.
Somehow we lost track of time and before we knew it, a call was made to get the bikes on the track in 5 minutes. Unfortunately we were at the other end of pit-lane with the bike's rear rim and an uninflated barely used rear slick. Somehow I got into my leathers and Drew/Andy/Simon got to the start line on time with all the stands etc.
Endurance Race
Flag down, sprint to bike. "Don't panic. Breathe." Click into first. Minter of a start and I'm into the 1st corner way ahead of where the Drew qualified (which was pretty high up). 1st two laps "calm down son...it's endurance". There's a big queue behind me and the crazy fast guys like Sketchy and Sloan fly past me but the sheer quality of the field has me getting towed along faster than I've ever went before.
By lap 5 I've got a good rythm going. The fast guys have all farked off and hell, I'm even catching some. By about lap 10 I've started lapping riders. By about lap 13 I'm getting lapped. By about lap 15 there's riders already pitting. I make the odd mistake here and there but keep my rythm and remember to stretch my limbs on the back straight. Due to the last minute panic my camel pack was lost and I'm dehydrated to hell. "HTFU laddie". Agonising cramp sets in my left leg about lap 20 but I shake it out on the straights and it doesn't bother me again. I have great battles with a well ridden Yellow SV650 (Paul?). It's a nice change to be the one with the better power and brakes. I'm rubbish at the infield bit but my point and squirt and late braking must make me a right bitch to get past.
Sandra passes me on her thou and a couple of laps later is on the grass at T4. 3 laps later and she passes me again. This time with a huge tank slapper out of the A1 corner. Somehow she stays on. Impressive. I have another highlight when I chase down the ZX-6rr's previous owner and pass him. It doesn't last as in my enthusiasm I outbrake myself and end up cutting across the track just beside the drag-strip. I spend the next 6 laps working very hard to catch him up again and this time the pass sticks.
I make another mistake a few laps later, bizarrely going too far left out of turn one and onto the thankfully dry grass. I somehow muscle the bike back on track by putting my stomping my boot on the ground and don't lose much time at all. Half a lap to refocus and I'm back in my rythm. I think at this point I was getting faster and faster and just was in the zone.
No idea how many laps I've done and I'm starting to flag. "not as fit as I thought" thinks I as we've estimated the gogo juice will last about 50 minutes". The reserve light comes on and I do a further 3 laps before coming in and looking for wherever the hell I'm meant to refuel and switch with the Drew. I get off the bike and find I can't stand :clap: Turns out I'd done the race's longest stint at 1hr 13m. Simon and Drew were waiting on me coming in and I was waiting on them to wave me in after about 45 minutes as we'd planned on 2 sessions each. Oops. Upshot was that even though my times were way below the fast guys (1.43 best), the lack of pit-time had put us in about 8th position. Drew being waaay faster than me would no doubt get us even further up the field. Bike refuelled. The Drew went out. 4 corners later the engine went kaput. Suspected bottom end bye bye. Yikes.
Possibly the most enjoyable race I've ever had :first:
Bloody good band, food & beer put on after the endurance race. Free camping for 2 nights. In all honesty, what more could you ask from this event?
This event was the ying to the Wanganui yang. For all it's cost me a $hit load of money I yet again thoroughly enjoyed the TRSS. Well done to the organisers. Really farked off I didn't get a finishers trophy but that's racing. Felt guilty for Drew as he had travelled all the way up to Taupo and got very little time on the bike.
Unless an unknown rich relative dies I don't think I'll have funds to race for a few months as I've got to square up with Johan and the Drew is fixing up the ZX-6rr.