vtec
4th April 2006, 00:04
Wrote up a massive email to my friends and family to save me telling about it all in person, thought, this looks a lot like a race report, so I may as well post up my very positive first impressions of racing; the scene the people and the experiences. Here goes.
Hey
Went racing on the weekend just gone, and man it was mind blowingly awesome. I thought it would be fun and exciting, but the reality is so much more, especially when you exceed your own expectations. I was racing in Formula 3, which is meant to be for 400cc four cylinders or 650cc VTwins. Oh yeah, and then there was me on my road bike 250cc four. So I felt well intimidated going into practice and subsequently my first race.
Firstly when I got there, me and dad just drove in, and headed down pitlane, and then I recognised Frosty from the AMCC club rooms, and had read quite a few of his posts on the forums, so I jumped out of the van to introduce myself, and to ask if we were allowed to just set up in any of the pit tents... yep. Anywhere you like. Could tell he was a bit nervous, and told me how he was going to have to do some race winning to stay on the top of the F3 table... Bugger I thought, he's going to be one of the guys lapping my 250.
In the practice session, I made sure I was at the back of the field before going out onto the track. I intended on taking it pretty easy even though your fastest practice time gives you your grid position. I wasn't that keen on getting any kind of grid position, nor did I expect to. So I pretty much let them all go, gave the bike some time to warm up and got into the solid thrashing of nothing below 12,000rpm. Into about my second practice lap I got a touch concerned, because while drafting down the back straight, I got the bike faster than I had ever had it before, completely off the speedo. And with the rev counter just short of 19,000rpm in 6th gear for an extended period (9000rpm = 100kph in sixth gear, so I assume that 18,000rpm = 200kph), I felt the engine lose a bit of power and regain it again... and then again. Luckily the hairpin came up pretty quickly, as I'm sure we were doing over 200kph so I let the engine get down to about 13,000rpm while braking hard for the hairpin. And the engine was running faultless again. I was a bit nervous about the engine, and it did the same loss of power at high revs again on the back straight the next lap. I just kept following one bike around the track, and they had been quite slow on the corners allowing me to catch up, but slow enough that they slowed me down too. Had made the pass a couple of times, getting onto the back straight, only for them to come flying back past me again about half way along. I think we did 5 or 6 laps, but I only felt the power loss a couple of times. Thought it could be over stressing the engine with such high revs for an extended period on that back straight, but then I thought maybe its the rev cut. After the practice session I went to check my lap times, and noticed that I was doing alright. I had clocked a 1.17 while taking it reasonably easy. I had been informed that 1:17 was all I could really expect from my bike, and was also a target I should aim for, so I was quite chuffed at the ease with which I had attained it. Also this meant that I wouldn't get lapped in the actual racing, and moreover, I was ahead of a few in the F3 field... well pleased.
Going into race 1, was getting kind of nervous but equally excited. Went down pit straight to the dummy grid. Hands started shaking... was so pumped. Hadn't warmed the engine up properly yet, so I just cruised around the warm up lap, leant the bike over enough to warm the tyres up, but generally just relaxed. Couldn't work out where I was supposed to be on the grid, so I just went behind everyone. Still I didn't want to get left behind, so when the red flag came down I just focussed on that green flag. Everyone around me had their revs up already... So I got mine up to a low burble, so that I could spike them as soon as the flag moved. Flag down... Revs shoot up to 15k with a little bit of clutch resistance... let the clutch out to keep the revs there while keeping the throttle on, the front of the bike comes up about half a foot, and I launch forward, jumping past most of the field. Couldn't believe it. There were only about 3 riders left in front of me. Soon enough though heading into the first corner, a flock of bikes go flying past on both sides. Very unnerving. But soon one came through slow enough that I could hook on the back of along the back straight. Still left me behind quickly. On subsequent laps however, I had managed to hook on the back of a 400 along the back straight. However, by about halfway along the straight, I was getting that engine power loss. I had now figured out that it was the rev cut... Hmmm, I thought this usually came in AFTER the redline... not 500rpm before. Oh well, just play the cards you're handed. The cutout was probably more accurate than the tacho. So I'm stuck at the same speed bouncing off the revlimiter for a fair chunk of the track. So to make up the defecit between me and the rider infront. I'm having to leave it pretty late on the brakes... The 200m mark goes past... the 100m mark looms... Out of the crouch position, using the body as a parachute to help the braking, also helps put weight onto the front wheel when you are hard on the brakes. I tried to use the 100m mark as my braking point for both of the first two races, but I just couldn't quite get it right, I was sure I could do it. But I kept running wide... I wasn't the only one running wide. After the front straight I swing around the highspeed right without touching the brakes allowing the cornering to brush off speed before swinging to the left, and I notice one of the 400's running straight across the dirt, bugger me. The reality of what I'm doing sets in... Coool. The guy manages to keep it upright, but I'm past by the time he gets it back on the road. Anyway, kept lapping quite comfortably coming into the last lap knew I still had Quasi right behind me, but no way was I going to look, just going hell for leather around the hairpin through the esses and onto the front straight... theres the line, and goddammit a 400 gets me just before the line. It was the guy that had run off had managed to pick me up again... Probably due to me running the hairpin wide... again. Felt quite good, but knew I could do better. Quasi cruises past on his GSXR400, and gives me the thumbs up. I wave back. Good times :)
(disclaimer: some of the above may have happened in the second race, all my thoughts that have been running through my head the last couple of days seem to have overlapped and confused me... At least it means that you'll only have to read about two races :P)
Cruising round the warmdown lap, and into the pits. See a flash of orange to my left... Heyhey, it GarethD in his flagwaving pyjamas. Looks like he wants to talk to me, he's got a funny look on his face. So I swing over to the left of the pits to have a word. He had a stopwatch in his hand and said "You did a 1:15". Cool, I had arrived hoping for a 1:17, so this is a massive boost to the confidence. As I was sure I had more still. Also Gareth had been one of the guys to say that they knew of someone who had done a 1:17, and that would be something I should aim for... Stoked.
Get back to my pit setup, and my dad's pretty pleased, he's got a couple of his mates there who are keen on a bit of motorsport, and one of the guys sons runs a TQ midget. All seem reasonably impressed by my performance. Greg, pipes up... "you were forgetting to brake at the end of the back straight" I explained, that I was trying to brake from 100m out, but it just wasn't working for me. Was going to have to give up and do it from 120-140.
Headed over to check out the official laptimes and position worms. Was pretty happy, even managing to score some F3 championship points. Talked to twosmoker, who seemed quite impressed with the 1:15.18, and told me about his RG150 managing a 1:20. Cool, those are the bikes that I'll be up against in Streetstock, looks like I might have an edge, cause Twosmoker definitely knows how to ride. Next I saw Frosty while heading back to the pits, man he was a happy chappy. Had just won the F3 race that I was in on his SV650, lapping in the 1:07 range... nice. So that sets him up well for heading into the last race... and at the end of this month the last meeting with a healthy points lead on the series. Just keep it together man. He gives me some helpful pointers about weight positioning while staying tucked in over the hill. Thanks buddy.
Hey
Went racing on the weekend just gone, and man it was mind blowingly awesome. I thought it would be fun and exciting, but the reality is so much more, especially when you exceed your own expectations. I was racing in Formula 3, which is meant to be for 400cc four cylinders or 650cc VTwins. Oh yeah, and then there was me on my road bike 250cc four. So I felt well intimidated going into practice and subsequently my first race.
Firstly when I got there, me and dad just drove in, and headed down pitlane, and then I recognised Frosty from the AMCC club rooms, and had read quite a few of his posts on the forums, so I jumped out of the van to introduce myself, and to ask if we were allowed to just set up in any of the pit tents... yep. Anywhere you like. Could tell he was a bit nervous, and told me how he was going to have to do some race winning to stay on the top of the F3 table... Bugger I thought, he's going to be one of the guys lapping my 250.
In the practice session, I made sure I was at the back of the field before going out onto the track. I intended on taking it pretty easy even though your fastest practice time gives you your grid position. I wasn't that keen on getting any kind of grid position, nor did I expect to. So I pretty much let them all go, gave the bike some time to warm up and got into the solid thrashing of nothing below 12,000rpm. Into about my second practice lap I got a touch concerned, because while drafting down the back straight, I got the bike faster than I had ever had it before, completely off the speedo. And with the rev counter just short of 19,000rpm in 6th gear for an extended period (9000rpm = 100kph in sixth gear, so I assume that 18,000rpm = 200kph), I felt the engine lose a bit of power and regain it again... and then again. Luckily the hairpin came up pretty quickly, as I'm sure we were doing over 200kph so I let the engine get down to about 13,000rpm while braking hard for the hairpin. And the engine was running faultless again. I was a bit nervous about the engine, and it did the same loss of power at high revs again on the back straight the next lap. I just kept following one bike around the track, and they had been quite slow on the corners allowing me to catch up, but slow enough that they slowed me down too. Had made the pass a couple of times, getting onto the back straight, only for them to come flying back past me again about half way along. I think we did 5 or 6 laps, but I only felt the power loss a couple of times. Thought it could be over stressing the engine with such high revs for an extended period on that back straight, but then I thought maybe its the rev cut. After the practice session I went to check my lap times, and noticed that I was doing alright. I had clocked a 1.17 while taking it reasonably easy. I had been informed that 1:17 was all I could really expect from my bike, and was also a target I should aim for, so I was quite chuffed at the ease with which I had attained it. Also this meant that I wouldn't get lapped in the actual racing, and moreover, I was ahead of a few in the F3 field... well pleased.
Going into race 1, was getting kind of nervous but equally excited. Went down pit straight to the dummy grid. Hands started shaking... was so pumped. Hadn't warmed the engine up properly yet, so I just cruised around the warm up lap, leant the bike over enough to warm the tyres up, but generally just relaxed. Couldn't work out where I was supposed to be on the grid, so I just went behind everyone. Still I didn't want to get left behind, so when the red flag came down I just focussed on that green flag. Everyone around me had their revs up already... So I got mine up to a low burble, so that I could spike them as soon as the flag moved. Flag down... Revs shoot up to 15k with a little bit of clutch resistance... let the clutch out to keep the revs there while keeping the throttle on, the front of the bike comes up about half a foot, and I launch forward, jumping past most of the field. Couldn't believe it. There were only about 3 riders left in front of me. Soon enough though heading into the first corner, a flock of bikes go flying past on both sides. Very unnerving. But soon one came through slow enough that I could hook on the back of along the back straight. Still left me behind quickly. On subsequent laps however, I had managed to hook on the back of a 400 along the back straight. However, by about halfway along the straight, I was getting that engine power loss. I had now figured out that it was the rev cut... Hmmm, I thought this usually came in AFTER the redline... not 500rpm before. Oh well, just play the cards you're handed. The cutout was probably more accurate than the tacho. So I'm stuck at the same speed bouncing off the revlimiter for a fair chunk of the track. So to make up the defecit between me and the rider infront. I'm having to leave it pretty late on the brakes... The 200m mark goes past... the 100m mark looms... Out of the crouch position, using the body as a parachute to help the braking, also helps put weight onto the front wheel when you are hard on the brakes. I tried to use the 100m mark as my braking point for both of the first two races, but I just couldn't quite get it right, I was sure I could do it. But I kept running wide... I wasn't the only one running wide. After the front straight I swing around the highspeed right without touching the brakes allowing the cornering to brush off speed before swinging to the left, and I notice one of the 400's running straight across the dirt, bugger me. The reality of what I'm doing sets in... Coool. The guy manages to keep it upright, but I'm past by the time he gets it back on the road. Anyway, kept lapping quite comfortably coming into the last lap knew I still had Quasi right behind me, but no way was I going to look, just going hell for leather around the hairpin through the esses and onto the front straight... theres the line, and goddammit a 400 gets me just before the line. It was the guy that had run off had managed to pick me up again... Probably due to me running the hairpin wide... again. Felt quite good, but knew I could do better. Quasi cruises past on his GSXR400, and gives me the thumbs up. I wave back. Good times :)
(disclaimer: some of the above may have happened in the second race, all my thoughts that have been running through my head the last couple of days seem to have overlapped and confused me... At least it means that you'll only have to read about two races :P)
Cruising round the warmdown lap, and into the pits. See a flash of orange to my left... Heyhey, it GarethD in his flagwaving pyjamas. Looks like he wants to talk to me, he's got a funny look on his face. So I swing over to the left of the pits to have a word. He had a stopwatch in his hand and said "You did a 1:15". Cool, I had arrived hoping for a 1:17, so this is a massive boost to the confidence. As I was sure I had more still. Also Gareth had been one of the guys to say that they knew of someone who had done a 1:17, and that would be something I should aim for... Stoked.
Get back to my pit setup, and my dad's pretty pleased, he's got a couple of his mates there who are keen on a bit of motorsport, and one of the guys sons runs a TQ midget. All seem reasonably impressed by my performance. Greg, pipes up... "you were forgetting to brake at the end of the back straight" I explained, that I was trying to brake from 100m out, but it just wasn't working for me. Was going to have to give up and do it from 120-140.
Headed over to check out the official laptimes and position worms. Was pretty happy, even managing to score some F3 championship points. Talked to twosmoker, who seemed quite impressed with the 1:15.18, and told me about his RG150 managing a 1:20. Cool, those are the bikes that I'll be up against in Streetstock, looks like I might have an edge, cause Twosmoker definitely knows how to ride. Next I saw Frosty while heading back to the pits, man he was a happy chappy. Had just won the F3 race that I was in on his SV650, lapping in the 1:07 range... nice. So that sets him up well for heading into the last race... and at the end of this month the last meeting with a healthy points lead on the series. Just keep it together man. He gives me some helpful pointers about weight positioning while staying tucked in over the hill. Thanks buddy.