Tyler_94
11th May 2012, 10:01
A fine weather report was sounding good for the first round of the winter series. My goal was to get into the 1.18’s this round and then continue improving all series to get myself and the bike ready for nationals at the end of the year if I decide to take part.
Qualify was planned as 4 laps which didn’t sound like very many so I had to split it up. 2 laps to scrub the new Pirelli’s in and 2 laps to qualify. I caught up to, and passed Nicki on her ER6 so I was confident that I was going to be a head on the grid. Wrong. I qualified 10th on the grid with Nicki right beside me on 9th just 0.043 of a second ahead and Ryan on the other side in 11th.
Race one: I got an awesome start and weaved my way right to the outside of the track to set myself up for 3rd into turn 1 and 2nd for pro twin with Jon just ahead. Zane then passed me on the exit of turn 1 lap 2 and set off to catch Jon. Nicki made a pass over the start line and I pushed back in front under brakes into turn 1, but Nicki made a quick exit and made the pass stick. I was determined to catch her before the checkered flag but I missed the white and expected another lap. I finished in 4th place and had made achieved my goal riding in the 1.18’s consistently.
The rest of the day was then cancelled due to an accident in F2 which sadly took a fellow racers life away from us. R.I.P Mark. We decided to pack up our gear and head home once we had been briefed, but Marks wife stood up at the briefing and asked that we all stay and race on Sunday in Marks Honour.
Sunday morning we attended the track blessing followed by a lap of honour lead by a car in front with Marks family.
The day was altered so we all got a 5 lap practice to settle ourselves for the racing.
Race two: I got another good start but there wasn’t the room to push my way to the front for turn one. I exited as the 3rd pro twin then Nicki went past just before turn 2 making me 4th. I kept trying to make a pass but felt I couldn’t be too pushy so nothing stuck. Nicki started pulling away and then all of a sudden Connor came flying passed on his SV650 along the back straight and then the other Connor in F3 did the same along the front straight but I took them both under brakes into turn one. Connor went back passed under power along the back straight and I followed him through Dunlop almost catching his rear tyre. Connor suddenly took off and went up passed Nicki. I caught back up to her and passed her in the hair pin but she got me back on the exit then the same the following lap. I finished 5th this race behind Connor and Nicki.
Race three was going to be interesting. I wasn’t going to play nice this time because I wanted to beat Connor and Nicki... But they both had their minds set the same way.
I had a great start, 5th into turn one and 4th out. Nicki tried to push passed on the inside into turn two but I sliced across in front of her. I pulled away and had Jon on my tail up the middle straight. He made a sleigh move into Dunlop and passed me just before the exit. Nicki caught back up and passed me on the exit of turn one. I passed her back on the inside of the hair pin and managed to hold her off down the middle straight. She then passed me under power down the back straight, but I got her back into Dunlop, but nope, she got me back again under power down the front straight. We continue to battle with multiple passes. Nicki went and battled for 2nd position and Connor and I battled for 4th. All of a sudden Connor takes off through turn 2 and passes Nicki around the outside of turn 3 then made this mad pass almost on the grass on the inside of the track, taking 4 bikes but messes up his exit, so we all passed back. I crossed the line behind Nicki in 4th place with Connor right behind me. I had made it into the 1.17’s which was two seconds faster than the last meeting.
The Pirelli’s made a huge difference to the bike and my grip which lifted my confidence also. I can’t wait for round 2 and the rest of this series. It is certainly going to be tough.
Qualify was planned as 4 laps which didn’t sound like very many so I had to split it up. 2 laps to scrub the new Pirelli’s in and 2 laps to qualify. I caught up to, and passed Nicki on her ER6 so I was confident that I was going to be a head on the grid. Wrong. I qualified 10th on the grid with Nicki right beside me on 9th just 0.043 of a second ahead and Ryan on the other side in 11th.
Race one: I got an awesome start and weaved my way right to the outside of the track to set myself up for 3rd into turn 1 and 2nd for pro twin with Jon just ahead. Zane then passed me on the exit of turn 1 lap 2 and set off to catch Jon. Nicki made a pass over the start line and I pushed back in front under brakes into turn 1, but Nicki made a quick exit and made the pass stick. I was determined to catch her before the checkered flag but I missed the white and expected another lap. I finished in 4th place and had made achieved my goal riding in the 1.18’s consistently.
The rest of the day was then cancelled due to an accident in F2 which sadly took a fellow racers life away from us. R.I.P Mark. We decided to pack up our gear and head home once we had been briefed, but Marks wife stood up at the briefing and asked that we all stay and race on Sunday in Marks Honour.
Sunday morning we attended the track blessing followed by a lap of honour lead by a car in front with Marks family.
The day was altered so we all got a 5 lap practice to settle ourselves for the racing.
Race two: I got another good start but there wasn’t the room to push my way to the front for turn one. I exited as the 3rd pro twin then Nicki went past just before turn 2 making me 4th. I kept trying to make a pass but felt I couldn’t be too pushy so nothing stuck. Nicki started pulling away and then all of a sudden Connor came flying passed on his SV650 along the back straight and then the other Connor in F3 did the same along the front straight but I took them both under brakes into turn one. Connor went back passed under power along the back straight and I followed him through Dunlop almost catching his rear tyre. Connor suddenly took off and went up passed Nicki. I caught back up to her and passed her in the hair pin but she got me back on the exit then the same the following lap. I finished 5th this race behind Connor and Nicki.
Race three was going to be interesting. I wasn’t going to play nice this time because I wanted to beat Connor and Nicki... But they both had their minds set the same way.
I had a great start, 5th into turn one and 4th out. Nicki tried to push passed on the inside into turn two but I sliced across in front of her. I pulled away and had Jon on my tail up the middle straight. He made a sleigh move into Dunlop and passed me just before the exit. Nicki caught back up and passed me on the exit of turn one. I passed her back on the inside of the hair pin and managed to hold her off down the middle straight. She then passed me under power down the back straight, but I got her back into Dunlop, but nope, she got me back again under power down the front straight. We continue to battle with multiple passes. Nicki went and battled for 2nd position and Connor and I battled for 4th. All of a sudden Connor takes off through turn 2 and passes Nicki around the outside of turn 3 then made this mad pass almost on the grass on the inside of the track, taking 4 bikes but messes up his exit, so we all passed back. I crossed the line behind Nicki in 4th place with Connor right behind me. I had made it into the 1.17’s which was two seconds faster than the last meeting.
The Pirelli’s made a huge difference to the bike and my grip which lifted my confidence also. I can’t wait for round 2 and the rest of this series. It is certainly going to be tough.