Two Smoker
21st November 2005, 18:56
Hey everyone,
Was an awesome day for racing with lots of sun with the odd bit of cloud. I was expecting some fast guys to turn up in all the classes, and this was proved when MR and I pitted next to Andrew Stroud and Ray Clee.
Went out in the first practice, with new brake pads and a oil change (makes the motor feel so much stonger)... Brakes were now phenominal, i was braking at the 120 metre mark and it felt like i had almost stopped at the hairpin... Everything was feeling good (including myself) and was stoked to see that i had qualified in Pole position with a new personal best time of 1:07.92 just infront of Jason Nairn (who was, luckily for me, running in a new engine)!!!
Just before race one, my rear tyre warmer stopped working :(
Race 1: Now most of you know my starts suck, so that was the most important part of my race. Flag dropped
and i was off, it wasnt too bad, but i still had about 5 bikes pass me. I managed to go around most of them at Castrol, then got Frosty and the two Ducati 900's at the hairpin. THEN IT HAPPENED!!! My biggest tankslapper I have ever had!!! Entering turn one in 5th gear at redline (a bit over 200kmh) i went a bit wide (about 2 metres off the inside ripple strip) and at the exit of turn one is a bump, i hit this bump, which threw the bike into a tankslapper, the bike shot upright, and the bars were going from lock to lock with the front tyre making a rubber burning squeal at each lock point. I kept the throttle open and the tank slapper stopped. I then went to apply my brakes, with the result of getting a handfull of nothing. I frantically pumped my brakes, braked hard for the esses and chucked it into the corner.... I MADE IT!!! PHEW!!! The rest of the race i backed it off a little into turn one. My times showed this with a drop to 1:08.15...
Before race 2 my front tyre warmer stopped working, (bugger, no tyre warmers)
Race 2: I was determined to get this start right!!! AND I DID!!! WOOHOO!!! I had the fornt hovering about 5 cm above the ground, and holding my position, with Frosty just pulling infront with his SV's torque, then WWOOOOOSSSSSHHHHH, two Ducati 900's go flying past... Right its on!!! I chased the 2 ducatis and frosty down the back straight. I got frosty under brakes into the hairpin and was chasing the Ducatis, MAN THEY ARE FAST!!! Qucikly pulling away on the front straight only for me to close the gap so im right on the tail of number 2 ducati. Went around the outside of him after the hairpin, then got towed down the front straight by the first ducati (even managed to hook 6th gear and get 13000rpm on the front straight!!! Way faster than i have ever gone before along there). I went around that Ducati in turn 1 and out braked him into the esses. I then finished in first place!!! With Jason Nairn 3 seconds behind me in 2nd place (due to him having to start from the dummy grid). I felt alot smoother in that race, but was still taking it easy through turn 1. My times got down to a 1:08.01...
Had a great day, cheers for all the support, especially Chloe, Bugjuice, MR and WT as well as all the racers that gave me some tips and a hand :niceone:
Great too meet you Shaun, and it was awesome seeing Jason like a little kid after riding the K5 100 in practice...
Highlight of the day other than racing, was watching Ray Clee and Andrew Stroud battling it out!!! Both were doing consistent 58.2's with Ray winning both races...
Things to do before Nationals: Get new tyre warmers, get a steering damper, and get faster :niceone:
See you guys out there :niceone:
Was an awesome day for racing with lots of sun with the odd bit of cloud. I was expecting some fast guys to turn up in all the classes, and this was proved when MR and I pitted next to Andrew Stroud and Ray Clee.
Went out in the first practice, with new brake pads and a oil change (makes the motor feel so much stonger)... Brakes were now phenominal, i was braking at the 120 metre mark and it felt like i had almost stopped at the hairpin... Everything was feeling good (including myself) and was stoked to see that i had qualified in Pole position with a new personal best time of 1:07.92 just infront of Jason Nairn (who was, luckily for me, running in a new engine)!!!
Just before race one, my rear tyre warmer stopped working :(
Race 1: Now most of you know my starts suck, so that was the most important part of my race. Flag dropped
and i was off, it wasnt too bad, but i still had about 5 bikes pass me. I managed to go around most of them at Castrol, then got Frosty and the two Ducati 900's at the hairpin. THEN IT HAPPENED!!! My biggest tankslapper I have ever had!!! Entering turn one in 5th gear at redline (a bit over 200kmh) i went a bit wide (about 2 metres off the inside ripple strip) and at the exit of turn one is a bump, i hit this bump, which threw the bike into a tankslapper, the bike shot upright, and the bars were going from lock to lock with the front tyre making a rubber burning squeal at each lock point. I kept the throttle open and the tank slapper stopped. I then went to apply my brakes, with the result of getting a handfull of nothing. I frantically pumped my brakes, braked hard for the esses and chucked it into the corner.... I MADE IT!!! PHEW!!! The rest of the race i backed it off a little into turn one. My times showed this with a drop to 1:08.15...
Before race 2 my front tyre warmer stopped working, (bugger, no tyre warmers)
Race 2: I was determined to get this start right!!! AND I DID!!! WOOHOO!!! I had the fornt hovering about 5 cm above the ground, and holding my position, with Frosty just pulling infront with his SV's torque, then WWOOOOOSSSSSHHHHH, two Ducati 900's go flying past... Right its on!!! I chased the 2 ducatis and frosty down the back straight. I got frosty under brakes into the hairpin and was chasing the Ducatis, MAN THEY ARE FAST!!! Qucikly pulling away on the front straight only for me to close the gap so im right on the tail of number 2 ducati. Went around the outside of him after the hairpin, then got towed down the front straight by the first ducati (even managed to hook 6th gear and get 13000rpm on the front straight!!! Way faster than i have ever gone before along there). I went around that Ducati in turn 1 and out braked him into the esses. I then finished in first place!!! With Jason Nairn 3 seconds behind me in 2nd place (due to him having to start from the dummy grid). I felt alot smoother in that race, but was still taking it easy through turn 1. My times got down to a 1:08.01...
Had a great day, cheers for all the support, especially Chloe, Bugjuice, MR and WT as well as all the racers that gave me some tips and a hand :niceone:
Great too meet you Shaun, and it was awesome seeing Jason like a little kid after riding the K5 100 in practice...
Highlight of the day other than racing, was watching Ray Clee and Andrew Stroud battling it out!!! Both were doing consistent 58.2's with Ray winning both races...
Things to do before Nationals: Get new tyre warmers, get a steering damper, and get faster :niceone:
See you guys out there :niceone: