wharfy
4th January 2010, 10:13
Tri - Series Round 2 - The Cemetery Circuit.
Christmas Day, a fabulous lunch courtesy of the lovely Katie O'Donnell and family, I have to leave for Whanganui just before the dishes need doing :)
The van is chocker with generator, and bedding and an extra bike but the trip up is uneventful and I arrive in time to get a spot in the pits and scrutineered.
With the bikes out I make a nest in the back of the van and have a couple of beers do chatting with some of the familiar faces and walk the track. There doesn't appear to be any “new” hazards – except maybe the approach to the over-bridge is a bit bumpier than I remember ?
After another beer and a bit more chatting I turn in nice and early, I have no problem getting to sleep.
Boxing Day – Race day !!
Being a greedy bugger I had entered every class the 675 can run in so I am doing F1, F2/600 and BEARS.
Qualifying – F1
I take it pretty easy not really sure what the 675 will be like on the street circuit, I know I am going to be near the rear in F1. The bike feels OK the new brake pads are bedding in and at the modest pace I am running nothing untoward appears. A 1.01 – second to last about 10 seconds of the pace, not surprised but not exactly happy about it.
My pit crew arrived from Wellington but because there were no pit passes (or programs – see Scratcha's list ) Katie had to pay to get into the circuit :(
Qualifying - BEARS
A little more confident, getting the feel of the 675 on the bumps, again the pace is modest but I manage to get below a minute and 59.5 puts me 15th fastest.
Qualifying -600
Come in from BEARS qualifying and swoop round onto the back of the 600 dummy grid.
We are soon out and I manage to drop another second from my time and 58.3 puts me 18th fastest.
Qualifying – F1 session 2
I am sure I can do better than the previous sessions so am ready to go when the the green flag comes out, the second lap and coming onto the Rail over-bridge there seems to be a traffic jam I can't slow in time and loose the front end trying – shunt the guy in front (who fortunately manages to stay upright) Scott Healy unfortunately has nowhere to go and plows into my wreckage !!! Red flags, a ride on bike recovery trailer – the bike looks knackered, fuck ,fuck, fuck looks like my day is over !!
Back in the pits I get the bike on the stand, before I have my helmet off Brendan Hayman from Tauraunga offers me a spare handle bar, R6 kid and Malcolm are over in a flash stitching the fairing together with cable ties, Daniel Kempthorn loans me his drill ! My day might not be over after all !!
My beautiful Harris exhaust is crushed like an empty beer can, I take it off and try re-opening the hole (with only moderate success) Brendan Hayman offers me an exhaust – a very sexy looking (and I was assured sexy sounding as well ) after market item. In the end I thanked him for his very generous offer but declined, I really didn't want to destroy someone else's $700 + exhaust It was a VERY generous offer !!
"Sidecar bob" straightened my foot peg bracket - thanks !!
By the time the “Super pole” event was due to start the bike was essentially ready to go, I had managed to loose the rubber cap and half the tether from my tether kill switch which was looking like being a problem but Sean Donnelly gave me and old one he had with a small split that was easily fixed with electrical tape and I was ready to be scrutineered again. The official was running a stall of some sort and said if bring the bike there he would check it out ? Passed OK and got another sticker on my windshield !
Racing
Thanks to the generous help from loads of people I am able to get out for the second session in all the classes I had entered !!!
Bike racers are bloody good bastards !!!
F1 Race 2
The warm up lap seems to indicate that the bike is going OK despite my best efforts to wreck it :)
I'm starting from the last row of the grid, get a crap start , manage to pass one bike and watch the gap to the rest of the field get bigger and bigger, most of the race I am alone until the big boys catch me on lap 6 – They make it look so easy – I've been lapped before so am aware how easy it is to get sucked into following the quick guy's into a corner much faster than I want to (or can manage !!) and restrain myself to finish the race with a best lap of 57.9
BEARS Race 2
Starting from 19 on the the grid (as expected most people have a better time from second qualifying session which I missed) my start is average manage to keep out of trouble at turn 1 but have a great deal of trouble passing a Ducati monster which I feel is holding me up but I can't get past he seems to have better drive out of the turns (maybe my squashed exhaust is robbing the 675 of some of it's usually great torque) . Eventually I manage to get past by going up the inside at turn 13 on lap 3. I immediately go 2 seconds a lap quicker but it is to little too late to make any impression on the bikes ahead. Although I don't know it yet I finish 16th with a best lap of 58.5 I (I come in from BEARS and swing round onto the back of the 600 pack on the dummy grid)
600 Race 2
Again missing the second qualifying has pushed me down the grid, I started at 21. My start is only average manage to keep out of trouble no swapping of places (got passed by Scott Dowman who must have had a moment somewhere to get behind me ) got lapped by the leaders on lap 7
Finished 19th best lap ( 2) in 57.1
Katie (mostly) and I managed to get the van loaded and went for a walk to pick up her car. I was starting to stiffen up (and NOT in a good way) I was getting sharp pains both front and back on my left side, not sure if it was pulled muscle or cracked ribs – but the treatment is the same – nothing.
Attended the prize giving parked Katie's car on a quiet side street in the posher part of town and drove to Ratehi where we got a motel room.
Despite crashing in qualifying I had a great boxing day :) I will however join Scratcha in sending a polite e-mail to the organizers with ideas of how it could be improved
But to all the volunteers that worked their arses off to make it happen THANKS !!
Left Whanganui
27th on F1 points table
25th on 600 table
7th on the BEARS table
As there was no BEARS at Taupo that was my final result for BEARS in the Tri-series.
Once again BIG thanks to all the people that helped get me going again and to Scott Healy – sorry I ruined your day man.
Pearoa anyone :)
Christmas Day, a fabulous lunch courtesy of the lovely Katie O'Donnell and family, I have to leave for Whanganui just before the dishes need doing :)
The van is chocker with generator, and bedding and an extra bike but the trip up is uneventful and I arrive in time to get a spot in the pits and scrutineered.
With the bikes out I make a nest in the back of the van and have a couple of beers do chatting with some of the familiar faces and walk the track. There doesn't appear to be any “new” hazards – except maybe the approach to the over-bridge is a bit bumpier than I remember ?
After another beer and a bit more chatting I turn in nice and early, I have no problem getting to sleep.
Boxing Day – Race day !!
Being a greedy bugger I had entered every class the 675 can run in so I am doing F1, F2/600 and BEARS.
Qualifying – F1
I take it pretty easy not really sure what the 675 will be like on the street circuit, I know I am going to be near the rear in F1. The bike feels OK the new brake pads are bedding in and at the modest pace I am running nothing untoward appears. A 1.01 – second to last about 10 seconds of the pace, not surprised but not exactly happy about it.
My pit crew arrived from Wellington but because there were no pit passes (or programs – see Scratcha's list ) Katie had to pay to get into the circuit :(
Qualifying - BEARS
A little more confident, getting the feel of the 675 on the bumps, again the pace is modest but I manage to get below a minute and 59.5 puts me 15th fastest.
Qualifying -600
Come in from BEARS qualifying and swoop round onto the back of the 600 dummy grid.
We are soon out and I manage to drop another second from my time and 58.3 puts me 18th fastest.
Qualifying – F1 session 2
I am sure I can do better than the previous sessions so am ready to go when the the green flag comes out, the second lap and coming onto the Rail over-bridge there seems to be a traffic jam I can't slow in time and loose the front end trying – shunt the guy in front (who fortunately manages to stay upright) Scott Healy unfortunately has nowhere to go and plows into my wreckage !!! Red flags, a ride on bike recovery trailer – the bike looks knackered, fuck ,fuck, fuck looks like my day is over !!
Back in the pits I get the bike on the stand, before I have my helmet off Brendan Hayman from Tauraunga offers me a spare handle bar, R6 kid and Malcolm are over in a flash stitching the fairing together with cable ties, Daniel Kempthorn loans me his drill ! My day might not be over after all !!
My beautiful Harris exhaust is crushed like an empty beer can, I take it off and try re-opening the hole (with only moderate success) Brendan Hayman offers me an exhaust – a very sexy looking (and I was assured sexy sounding as well ) after market item. In the end I thanked him for his very generous offer but declined, I really didn't want to destroy someone else's $700 + exhaust It was a VERY generous offer !!
"Sidecar bob" straightened my foot peg bracket - thanks !!
By the time the “Super pole” event was due to start the bike was essentially ready to go, I had managed to loose the rubber cap and half the tether from my tether kill switch which was looking like being a problem but Sean Donnelly gave me and old one he had with a small split that was easily fixed with electrical tape and I was ready to be scrutineered again. The official was running a stall of some sort and said if bring the bike there he would check it out ? Passed OK and got another sticker on my windshield !
Racing
Thanks to the generous help from loads of people I am able to get out for the second session in all the classes I had entered !!!
Bike racers are bloody good bastards !!!
F1 Race 2
The warm up lap seems to indicate that the bike is going OK despite my best efforts to wreck it :)
I'm starting from the last row of the grid, get a crap start , manage to pass one bike and watch the gap to the rest of the field get bigger and bigger, most of the race I am alone until the big boys catch me on lap 6 – They make it look so easy – I've been lapped before so am aware how easy it is to get sucked into following the quick guy's into a corner much faster than I want to (or can manage !!) and restrain myself to finish the race with a best lap of 57.9
BEARS Race 2
Starting from 19 on the the grid (as expected most people have a better time from second qualifying session which I missed) my start is average manage to keep out of trouble at turn 1 but have a great deal of trouble passing a Ducati monster which I feel is holding me up but I can't get past he seems to have better drive out of the turns (maybe my squashed exhaust is robbing the 675 of some of it's usually great torque) . Eventually I manage to get past by going up the inside at turn 13 on lap 3. I immediately go 2 seconds a lap quicker but it is to little too late to make any impression on the bikes ahead. Although I don't know it yet I finish 16th with a best lap of 58.5 I (I come in from BEARS and swing round onto the back of the 600 pack on the dummy grid)
600 Race 2
Again missing the second qualifying has pushed me down the grid, I started at 21. My start is only average manage to keep out of trouble no swapping of places (got passed by Scott Dowman who must have had a moment somewhere to get behind me ) got lapped by the leaders on lap 7
Finished 19th best lap ( 2) in 57.1
Katie (mostly) and I managed to get the van loaded and went for a walk to pick up her car. I was starting to stiffen up (and NOT in a good way) I was getting sharp pains both front and back on my left side, not sure if it was pulled muscle or cracked ribs – but the treatment is the same – nothing.
Attended the prize giving parked Katie's car on a quiet side street in the posher part of town and drove to Ratehi where we got a motel room.
Despite crashing in qualifying I had a great boxing day :) I will however join Scratcha in sending a polite e-mail to the organizers with ideas of how it could be improved
But to all the volunteers that worked their arses off to make it happen THANKS !!
Left Whanganui
27th on F1 points table
25th on 600 table
7th on the BEARS table
As there was no BEARS at Taupo that was my final result for BEARS in the Tri-series.
Once again BIG thanks to all the people that helped get me going again and to Scott Healy – sorry I ruined your day man.
Pearoa anyone :)