Two Smoker
22nd May 2005, 12:20
Hey everyone,
Yep it was that time again, Race day at manfield...
It was very different this time, where i was the one to cause MR and I to leave late... I had a late delivery and didnt finish till 5pm :doh:
So finally we arrived in Palmerston at 1:30 am. We then got up at 5:30am to get ready to go to the track early. We got there at 0640 AND WE WERE THE FIRST IN LINE!!! By 0710 there was a HUGE (20+ cars) line waiting to get first dibs on the pits, and the gates hadn't even opened!!!
The day was overcast, there was a threat of rain and the track was wet.
Qualifying: Ive never raced in the wet, and never ridden with Supercorsa's fast in teh wet either. I also had to scrub in my rear tyre :wacko: By the time my qualifying came up, the track was starting to dry out (cheers the big bikes) and i was feeling a little more confident... I took it easy to start with and then started to find out how much i can push these supercorsas. I came back in and felt i did ok, and waited to see the results... WOOHOO 5th PLACE ON THE GRID!!! But it got better, I WAS ONLY 0.2 SECONDS BEHIND HAYDEN FITZGERALD, i had also beaten Derek Hill... There was 0.8 seconds seperating the top 5 riders, it was going to be a close one... Hayden had been running slicks, so had been taking it easy...
Race 1: I came upto the grid, and the track was very dry. reved my engine, the flag dropped. *BOGGED* (For fucks sake when will i get my starts sorted) I watched about 6 people go past me... But i got my own back by riding past about 5 of them around the first corner. I pushed it hard, and it was virtually dry conditions. I managed to get past Craig Sullivan on the very last corner or the last lap to secure 5th place. My best time was a 1:18.772.
Race 2: It was raining, and i was very nervous as this would be my first race in the rain. As everyone whacked on their wets, i was graciously offered MR's tyre warmers (cheers man that was a huge help!!!) After asking heaps of people about starts and the abilities of supercorsas in the wet, i basically went out to experiment and learn... Hayden and Jason Nairn decided to start at the back of the field. The flag dropped and i was off with an ok start, i slipped my clutch pretty much all the way through first gear. I started to learn how much i could lean the bike, and soon enough i was getting my knee down and going pretty quick, with gentle powersliding out of the corners... By the end of the back straight Jason and Hayden had passed everyone. I was settling in a nice groove and reeled in Geoff Booth to sit in 4th place, quickly gaining on Derek Hill. I had an awesome race against Derek, where i would get him under brakes, pass him on the outside. Just to have him pass me on the straights with his emmence power. These passing manuvoures happened about 15 times in total... I ended up getting 4th place, with a best time of 1:24.195, learnt that Supercorsas have awesome grip and had a wicked time playing with one of the top riders in the country in F3.
Race 3: The track was still damp, but it was drying up. I was determined to get my start right, revved my engine, clutch out, oohhhh too much revs!!! The bike shot sideways, i clutched it in and then kept going (BLOODY SHOCKING!!!) I settled into a quick pace, and was soon in 3rd position behind Geoff Booth and Derek Hill. Within 2 laps i passed Geoff under brakes. Just after that Hayden passed me, and i was on his tail for a few corners, but ofcourse he naturally pulled very quickly away... Then the checkered flag was waved and that was the end of the 9 lapper. I had finished in 3rd PLACE!!! So stoked with that...and to top it off i was doing 1:24's and everyone else infront was on wets...
These results put me 4th in the championship behind Hayden Fitzgerald, Jason Nairn and Derek Hill, with Geoff Booth nipping at my heels only 2 points behind me.
Huge thanks to Motoracer!!! Also to Hooks, and my G/F Chloe!!! Big thanks to the KB support!!!
So now all you F3 racers need to come down and race at Manfield :niceone:
Yep it was that time again, Race day at manfield...
It was very different this time, where i was the one to cause MR and I to leave late... I had a late delivery and didnt finish till 5pm :doh:
So finally we arrived in Palmerston at 1:30 am. We then got up at 5:30am to get ready to go to the track early. We got there at 0640 AND WE WERE THE FIRST IN LINE!!! By 0710 there was a HUGE (20+ cars) line waiting to get first dibs on the pits, and the gates hadn't even opened!!!
The day was overcast, there was a threat of rain and the track was wet.
Qualifying: Ive never raced in the wet, and never ridden with Supercorsa's fast in teh wet either. I also had to scrub in my rear tyre :wacko: By the time my qualifying came up, the track was starting to dry out (cheers the big bikes) and i was feeling a little more confident... I took it easy to start with and then started to find out how much i can push these supercorsas. I came back in and felt i did ok, and waited to see the results... WOOHOO 5th PLACE ON THE GRID!!! But it got better, I WAS ONLY 0.2 SECONDS BEHIND HAYDEN FITZGERALD, i had also beaten Derek Hill... There was 0.8 seconds seperating the top 5 riders, it was going to be a close one... Hayden had been running slicks, so had been taking it easy...
Race 1: I came upto the grid, and the track was very dry. reved my engine, the flag dropped. *BOGGED* (For fucks sake when will i get my starts sorted) I watched about 6 people go past me... But i got my own back by riding past about 5 of them around the first corner. I pushed it hard, and it was virtually dry conditions. I managed to get past Craig Sullivan on the very last corner or the last lap to secure 5th place. My best time was a 1:18.772.
Race 2: It was raining, and i was very nervous as this would be my first race in the rain. As everyone whacked on their wets, i was graciously offered MR's tyre warmers (cheers man that was a huge help!!!) After asking heaps of people about starts and the abilities of supercorsas in the wet, i basically went out to experiment and learn... Hayden and Jason Nairn decided to start at the back of the field. The flag dropped and i was off with an ok start, i slipped my clutch pretty much all the way through first gear. I started to learn how much i could lean the bike, and soon enough i was getting my knee down and going pretty quick, with gentle powersliding out of the corners... By the end of the back straight Jason and Hayden had passed everyone. I was settling in a nice groove and reeled in Geoff Booth to sit in 4th place, quickly gaining on Derek Hill. I had an awesome race against Derek, where i would get him under brakes, pass him on the outside. Just to have him pass me on the straights with his emmence power. These passing manuvoures happened about 15 times in total... I ended up getting 4th place, with a best time of 1:24.195, learnt that Supercorsas have awesome grip and had a wicked time playing with one of the top riders in the country in F3.
Race 3: The track was still damp, but it was drying up. I was determined to get my start right, revved my engine, clutch out, oohhhh too much revs!!! The bike shot sideways, i clutched it in and then kept going (BLOODY SHOCKING!!!) I settled into a quick pace, and was soon in 3rd position behind Geoff Booth and Derek Hill. Within 2 laps i passed Geoff under brakes. Just after that Hayden passed me, and i was on his tail for a few corners, but ofcourse he naturally pulled very quickly away... Then the checkered flag was waved and that was the end of the 9 lapper. I had finished in 3rd PLACE!!! So stoked with that...and to top it off i was doing 1:24's and everyone else infront was on wets...
These results put me 4th in the championship behind Hayden Fitzgerald, Jason Nairn and Derek Hill, with Geoff Booth nipping at my heels only 2 points behind me.
Huge thanks to Motoracer!!! Also to Hooks, and my G/F Chloe!!! Big thanks to the KB support!!!
So now all you F3 racers need to come down and race at Manfield :niceone: