SWERVE
4th April 2010, 11:19
This was to be my last race............ having decided to concentrate on managing my young lad and knowing the 675 was getting tired (21000kms 7000+ on track and never even had the top off)
The weather was perfect. Got here earlyish set up and went for a jog around the track. Had done plenty of laps in the van over the past few weeks but the straw bales seemed to line most of the track and had severly altered corner angles and made an already narrow street even narrower.
Every corner except the esses was blind due to its angle and the very high straw bales.
Noted all the draincovers - tar seal repairs etc and returned to my pit with the comment" there will be a few incidents today")
Formula Methven was the last class out so during practice i watched from all corners to see if my first impressions for lines was correct......... 90% right so adjusted my track map and awaited my turn.
Had gone for a really high gearing set up as this was all about "point & squirt" Only needed to use 2nd & 3rd gear on whole lap. And front wheel spent most of time in the air so no probs with front tyre wear.
Practice came around and we all eagerly set off........... couple of siting laps and its time to up the pace. Grip was very good and with the gearing meant that i always had good drive. On about lap 5 i came up behing 2 bikes going into the esses (and as this was the only corner you could see thru) i decided to "squirt" up the inside on the exit and get infront before the next left hander.
Just as i opened the throttle to make the pass the guy infront (still haven,t found out who... hope pics will tell) also decided to make the same move.............. he had no idea i was there and closed what was already a very tight gap. I backed off ......touched the front brake (MISTAKE) touched his rear wheel and GOOD NIGHT VIENNA.
Remember hitting the deck and due to the abrasive surface not sliding but gripping and thinking (F**K that hurt) Then i felt a second impact and the felling of being squashed and flashes of blue & white thru my visor (which had been knocked off) I remember thinking hey whats blue and white on MY bike!!!!!!
When it all stopped i knew i was ok but unable to move as there was a bike on top of me and it was getting very heavy and HOT. My neck was twisted and was finding it hard to breath.......squeaked at the marshalls to lift off the bike but they wouldnt do it untill St Johns arrived (not what i wanted to hear but correct procedure as it was on my neck/head.
Luckily the ambo was just across the road and they soon got there. They took the weight of the bike and told me to lie still............ but i was out of there like a snake on acid. Feeling very groggy i had a sit in the ambo and the girls were very good and very thorough. They patched my up took details and told me to come back if i needed anything (Thanks girls)
Turns out that my bike had slid down the road on the left side and i had exited stage right over the tank.......... and the guy behind Bryan Hill on a SV had done everything he could to avoid us but the track being so narrow didnt give him many options and his bike ended up on top of me. That explained the blue and white!
Judging by the rear wheel shaped briuse on my shoulder today and the SV exhaust shaped burn to my neck (how did that managed to find the only exposed flesh) i was under his bike and thats why it was getting HOT!
Looked like i saved his bike from any major cosmetic damage by cushioning its landing(im a nice guy aren,t i) but somehow his forks were bent either by impacting my bike as it has a lot of rear damage or by me & his bike hitting the straw bales.
The bike was repairable............. but i was feeling very worse for wear and my thumb had started to swell up so i parked it. Not the swansong i had in mind as i didnt make it past the first verse.
However we had a BRILLIANT day......... the event had plenty of incidents (as i predicted) most minor ......... one not so minor i believe..... but for a first attempt at a street meeting and a new venue with a small club i thought it was a real success. Everyoe i spoke to had a great day.
The day was not in vain as the team managed to pick up another sponsor for Ants on the RG & SV thanks Aaron.
BIG WELL DONE TO CAMS - METHVEN LIONS- ALL VOLENTEERS- EVERYBODY INVOLVED TAKE A BOW.
PS............. It was worth the entry fee just to watch Ryan Hampton on the Honda 1000......proving you dont need a motard to slide and wheelie you way around a street circuit.......... CMON HONDA YOU NEED THIS LAD ON YOUR TEAM.
The weather was perfect. Got here earlyish set up and went for a jog around the track. Had done plenty of laps in the van over the past few weeks but the straw bales seemed to line most of the track and had severly altered corner angles and made an already narrow street even narrower.
Every corner except the esses was blind due to its angle and the very high straw bales.
Noted all the draincovers - tar seal repairs etc and returned to my pit with the comment" there will be a few incidents today")
Formula Methven was the last class out so during practice i watched from all corners to see if my first impressions for lines was correct......... 90% right so adjusted my track map and awaited my turn.
Had gone for a really high gearing set up as this was all about "point & squirt" Only needed to use 2nd & 3rd gear on whole lap. And front wheel spent most of time in the air so no probs with front tyre wear.
Practice came around and we all eagerly set off........... couple of siting laps and its time to up the pace. Grip was very good and with the gearing meant that i always had good drive. On about lap 5 i came up behing 2 bikes going into the esses (and as this was the only corner you could see thru) i decided to "squirt" up the inside on the exit and get infront before the next left hander.
Just as i opened the throttle to make the pass the guy infront (still haven,t found out who... hope pics will tell) also decided to make the same move.............. he had no idea i was there and closed what was already a very tight gap. I backed off ......touched the front brake (MISTAKE) touched his rear wheel and GOOD NIGHT VIENNA.
Remember hitting the deck and due to the abrasive surface not sliding but gripping and thinking (F**K that hurt) Then i felt a second impact and the felling of being squashed and flashes of blue & white thru my visor (which had been knocked off) I remember thinking hey whats blue and white on MY bike!!!!!!
When it all stopped i knew i was ok but unable to move as there was a bike on top of me and it was getting very heavy and HOT. My neck was twisted and was finding it hard to breath.......squeaked at the marshalls to lift off the bike but they wouldnt do it untill St Johns arrived (not what i wanted to hear but correct procedure as it was on my neck/head.
Luckily the ambo was just across the road and they soon got there. They took the weight of the bike and told me to lie still............ but i was out of there like a snake on acid. Feeling very groggy i had a sit in the ambo and the girls were very good and very thorough. They patched my up took details and told me to come back if i needed anything (Thanks girls)
Turns out that my bike had slid down the road on the left side and i had exited stage right over the tank.......... and the guy behind Bryan Hill on a SV had done everything he could to avoid us but the track being so narrow didnt give him many options and his bike ended up on top of me. That explained the blue and white!
Judging by the rear wheel shaped briuse on my shoulder today and the SV exhaust shaped burn to my neck (how did that managed to find the only exposed flesh) i was under his bike and thats why it was getting HOT!
Looked like i saved his bike from any major cosmetic damage by cushioning its landing(im a nice guy aren,t i) but somehow his forks were bent either by impacting my bike as it has a lot of rear damage or by me & his bike hitting the straw bales.
The bike was repairable............. but i was feeling very worse for wear and my thumb had started to swell up so i parked it. Not the swansong i had in mind as i didnt make it past the first verse.
However we had a BRILLIANT day......... the event had plenty of incidents (as i predicted) most minor ......... one not so minor i believe..... but for a first attempt at a street meeting and a new venue with a small club i thought it was a real success. Everyoe i spoke to had a great day.
The day was not in vain as the team managed to pick up another sponsor for Ants on the RG & SV thanks Aaron.
BIG WELL DONE TO CAMS - METHVEN LIONS- ALL VOLENTEERS- EVERYBODY INVOLVED TAKE A BOW.
PS............. It was worth the entry fee just to watch Ryan Hampton on the Honda 1000......proving you dont need a motard to slide and wheelie you way around a street circuit.......... CMON HONDA YOU NEED THIS LAD ON YOUR TEAM.