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View Full Version : 21/01/06 No Hair Race Report - Logan - Ruapuna



Kwaka-Kid
20th February 2006, 18:08
Saturday/Sunday 20<sup>th</sup>/<st1:date month="1" day="21" year="2006">21<sup>st</sup> January 2006</st1:date>
Ssanyong National Super bike series, Round 5, Ruapuna<o ="">
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The final race was at last here! And after such a positive race the weekend before I was ready for full on weekend of racing starting with a practise day on the Friday. Practise went really well and times were consistently coming down however I lost the rear a few times in the Dipper-a right hander that dips down and on the apex rises back up. Strange thing was I didn’t really feel like I was pushing it as hard as I should, so I put it down to being the old rear tyre being used from the weekend before.
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</o>Come Saturday I had slapped a new rear tyre on and used first qualifying to scrub it in slowly and just relaxed yet to my amazement times had improved again. I figured now in the second qualifying I would be able to bring them down further again, but at the same time still wanted to save the rear tyre as I was running the SC1 and the weather was looking pretty hot, which meant it could wear out real quick and I still had 2 races to do the following day.
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</o>Well the race went great! I got a good start and pushed her as hard as I could and she took it all! Came away with a 12<sup>th</sup> place running a late 1min 45sec and with a fair bit of dicing I was spent for the day and couldn’t wait to get in a good nights sleep, to be set ready for Sundays big 15 lapper (2<sup>nd</sup> race of the day).
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</o>Boom! It was like that, I had been having such a great time the first race of Sunday hit me and before I knew it I was on the start line ready for the next 15min episode of “How many times can places change in a 9 lap race”… And that’s exactly what it was. I think nearly every lap for the first few laps I got passed by 2x SV650’s and a GSXR450 down the 2<sup>nd</sup> half of the front straight, and I had to make sure I took one place back into turn 1, then another going underneath into the hairpin, and then one more in the infield and then run as hard as I could to hope they wouldn’t get me on the straight again, but it was never enough! The laps went on, and with my frustration mixed with fatigue, and the other riders learning where I was getting passed them it was all adding up to some pretty sketchy passes... and the inevitable happened! I was running the 2 lefts before the right hand dipper, and heading into the first fast and shallow I was making the lefts into 1 big tightening up left, when I realised I was running up too fast on the GSXR450 ahead, and was going to have to pass, and it was going to have to be underneath. Other then this I didn’t have much choice, not enough to stand it up, and too much lean to go jamming the front brake on… So under I go and pushing the front harder to tighten up I tuck my line as tight as I can so as to not interfere with the rider in front… but as the 2<sup>nd</sup> corner approaches he turns in not knowing I’m there and CRACK! Sheesh, here I go! But no? She wont give up that easy to my surprise I didn’t get pushed into the ground forced to low side, it all held together for me, and I carried on my line, however the other rider stood the bike up and ran across the grass fortunately running straight onto the next piece of tarmac, where he rejoined the race, and still managed to run passed me on the straight (not that I wanted to stop him after already nearly sending him motocrossing!). After a highlight like that the rest of the race was relatively placid with though I had a few rear end slips here and there and thought I must have been riding it pretty hard and would hopefully have set a new personal best, I finished 13<sup>th</sup>… with a best time almost a second slower then my race the day before, and I was soon to find the reason why...
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</o>After coming in I checked the rear tyre to see how it was holding up, and whether it would continue to for the next race, the big 15 lapper! In short, the answer was hell no! Once again the compound of the tyre was too soft and it had torn it up just like the last one, hence all the movement in the last race. Although it seemed grim, in that I didn’t have another tyre to run on, Phil Snowden came to my rescue with an old tyre, that he used to race the nationals @ Manfield on, and it was handed to him after Derek Hill had used it at Pukekohe! It was 3<sup>rd</sup> hand, but it was an SC2 compound Supercorsa Pro, as opposed to my too-soft for the conditions SC1. How did it go?! Well, with a great start, then staying ahead of the bunch that I got stuck in the last 2 races I was up running 10<sup>th</sup> place, then after about 3 laps scored another, but looking ahead I saw the GSXR450 of John Crawford from earlier running a fair way in the distance, and although initially thought it was not going to happen, I kept focussed, as Derek had told me before the race not to loose focus and keeping pushing, especially on my weak upper body, as that’s where I was likely to fatigue and hold my times up toward the end of the race. About 9 laps in I realised I was actually gaining on the GSXR450 which was just some few corners in the distance, and soon enough I had really worked myself up to go for the overtake as soon as I could get close enough, when all of a sudden coming into the hairpin not too far out of usual overtaking range I saw the GSXR haul the brakes on early, fatigue had set in and it was my turn to capitalize on his! Straight passed on the brakes and by then I must admit my braking was not at its sharpest… Trying really hard over the next few laps I put a few corners between us to realise in the last few laps I was in no mans land with nothing to lose or gain, provided I hung on! Yet I still pushed it until i had a fairly scary back end slip thru one of the infield right handers. I settled down for the final lap and came in, with a respectable 8<sup>th</sup> place for the old girl and me, with a new personal best of 1:45.2. Amazed! I had not ridden so hard for so long before, it was great! Some improvements could be made to the suspension as I learn more in the future, just adjustments more really, but otherwise that old SC2 rear really hung on and did its job, proper wear patterns showing once I had come in and the bike still in once piece meant it was a job well done, I had learned a lot about tyre compounds and a bit about suspension along the way.
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</o>So at the end of the nationals, what with blowing up a few motors which weren’t running well, then struggling with the spare for a few rounds and earning a DNS etc, I finished 14<sup>th</sup>/34 total entrants over the series.
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</o>What a way to end a season, it may not be a top 10 finish as initially hoped for, but I learnt one hell of a lot and will be working on securing that for next season!
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</o>None of this would have come together without the help of the following sponsors!
<st1:city><st1 ="">Henderson</st1></st1:city> Motorcycles,
Pirelli Tyres,
SSSLodge,
www.ezSite.co.nz (http://www.ezsite.co.nz/),
New Zealand Towing ltd
Golden Gun Panel and Paint
The Pallet Company (Glen Eden)
Autostop (New Lynn)
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</o>Thanks thanks thanks!
Logan

Scorpygirl
20th February 2006, 18:20
Awesome Logan!!! Well done indeed a 14/34 finish is a great finish indeed, especially with all the hassles with the motors!!!! CONRATULATIONS!!! :woohoo: :banana: