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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.

vtec
4th April 2006, 00:05
Final race time. (cause I can't separate events for races one and two in my head) Again, after the warmup lap settle into the back of the grid. Everybody else in front of me seems quite content to just jumble the bikes together... Looks a mess, and a tad unsafe. Seems like I'm the only one sitting on a starting marker. Chris comes over and sorts us out. Didn't tell me to move, so i must have been in the right place anyway. The green flag comes down, and I launch pretty hard, and jump past a few again. Doesn't take long for most of them to fly past again. I think Quasi was infront of me, so I swung wide and got a good run into the back straight, so I could hook on the back of him for the back straight. About half way along the rev cut kicks in, and he opens up a gap on me. I wait till about 120m before jumping on the brakes, in the process I go past Quasi, and then get on the back of a 250 two stroker (at least I assume thats what it was). I manage to stick right on him about 50cm from his rear wheel over the hill onto the front straight, and then around the right hand at the end of the front, and I pass him on the left into the left hander before swinging right and onto the back straight). I'm pretty sure Quasi got past me at some stage going onto the back straight, and pointed for me to tuck in behind his slip stream :) top guy (might have been one of the other two races). But I manage to get infront again, possibly on the brakes. I'm going like a nutter now, trying to make a break on the twostroke, and Quasi, I'm pretty sure that I'm clear going into the last lap, cause I knew I was lapping well, and cornering fearlessly. Hooning along the back straight, Quasi doesn't come past, so I start braking at about 140-150 out, hoping to make a tidy job of my last hairpin. Just as I'm about to turn in, bloody hell, there's a flash of red on my inside... Bugger me, that Quasi who I thought was soft on the brakes, had just outbraked me. And I had to run a bit wide, thankfully he didn't run wide and push me wide, he just slowed right down, so I dropped another cog, and punched it out of the hairpin, didn't let the throttle off all the way to the line, and managed to keep just in front right to the Checkered Flag. Damn that was some crazy fun. Seriously sex doesn't come close... Lets put it this way, I've never done drugs (never even tried a cigarette), but I don't see how Methamphetamine or any other drug could be more fun/rewarding/thrilling/exciting than this was. I didn't know the world could be such a wonderful place. Hell watching racing on TV is great and gets the adrenalin up. But actually out there doing it is so good, I feel that racing is what I was made for.

Anyway, driving back to the pits, on the warmdown lap, Quasi rides past and gives me the OK sign with his hand. Letting me know that we were riding a sweet race. Get back to my tent, and dads looking happy as. Tells me that I was doing the hairpin well that race. I suppose it because I had to make the concession on my braking point dammit. Looks like dad enjoyed the day, actually I think he enjoyed it almost as much as me. I think that he wishes he had raced when he was younger, but now he can kind of do it through me. I'll get him on a practice day at Puke on his Hayabusa, cause he has to try it for himself. The good thing is that dad is now keen as hell to help me do a whole Streetstock series, and is keen to go down to Taupo with me for Round 5 of the AMCC. And then the week after for the PMCC meet. And the VMCC whole series. This is going to be one awesome winter. Lets hope my Babyblade can take the constant thrashing. It is 16 years old, and pretty much everything is an original part. Just the tyres chain and the clutch cable aren't. Still, it was running great today to and from work and uni. Time for it's 5k oil change though :) Its earned it.

Quasi rocks up and introduces himself as Bret, I'm like... hmm who? He points out that he was the guy who out braked me into that last corner, and I said Oh i thought it was Quasi? He points out that he is Quasi... doh. I pointed out that he looks very different with a helmet on, cause I'd only really talked to him with it on. Haha, man was I confused. Talked about that last corner, and the fun we had dicing it up. This write up isn't really the half of what me and him were doing on the track. You have to experience this kind of thing for yourself, it just doesn't fit into written words.

The other thing, is that I never felt in danger of crashing all day. I think this is partly due to riding the CBR for ages on a crap rear tyre, namely a Cyrox. Used to slide all over the place, so now that I'm running a new GPR70, it rarely slides, and when it does, its no big deal, cause I'm so used to sliding. Was only really getting slides onto the back straight anyways. Great tyre. Still love the BT090 on the front though. Almost worn out :(

So I'll be using round 5 at Taupo as a chance to learn the track for the PMCC meeting the following weekend. Catch ALL of you then. :)

Sorry if this is all over the place, I wrote it as quick as I could type between 10:30 and 11:30pm... Should be studying Physics :(

Kwaka-Kid
4th April 2006, 06:52
wicked write up dude!

good to see another getting into it :D always very good indeed, and already showing so much potential!

Sorry i never came across to meet you, next time around...

Racey Rider
4th April 2006, 07:37
Top Effort!
Great write up.

But ya know,,, ya don't want to have racers 'burn out' in your first year.

Maybe you should stay away from the Vic club Winter Series! :shutup:

vtec
4th April 2006, 08:04
Thanks KK, I think it was you who was giving Frosty so much grief at the front of the race... good stuff.

And RR: Haha, nice try, I read your intent on taking out the series, don't let me stop you. Also was just wondering how you go in the Streetstock races down south there. Are they pretty intense? I don't really know what to expect from the class. But I hear they get quite good numbers. Which should make it really interesting.

Two Smoker
4th April 2006, 08:56
Wicked stuff mate :niceone: Good luck for the VMCC races too :niceone:

Keystone19
4th April 2006, 09:19
Brilliant write up VTec and fantastic effort out there!

HDTboy
4th April 2006, 12:34
Put my instrument cluster in, you were hitting the speed limiter, I took it out of mine.
You did good dude

gpercivl
4th April 2006, 16:19
Great report VTEC, you should get your Dad out there too I started racing at 38 so it's never too late :headbang:

R6_kid
4th April 2006, 16:26
bloody good shit man, was really stoked for you. Obviously my ZXR has a bit more steam left in it than i thought it did :slap:

Might venture down to taupo for the next lot of racing if my poor ass student budget allows.

With regards to your tires... go in and talk to a shop (i recommend cycletreads) and ask them about it. You can either match up your front with another GPR70, i had BT92's on the ZXR and NEVER had a problem with them, even under heavy braking.

Racey Rider
4th April 2006, 17:46
RR: Haha, nice try, I read your intent on taking out the series, don't let me stop you. Also was just wondering how you go in the Streetstock races down south there. Are they pretty intense? I don't really know what to expect from the class. But I hear they get quite good numbers. Which should make it really interesting.

I Go Not Good in past series, kept seizing the motor.
But seems to have that issue sorted now (fingers crossed).

Are finally getting some 'acceptable' lap times in, but yet to be 'tested in combat'. and then theres those #@*^% 250 fours to contened with :slap:

Not that intense last year, but I think this year is building up to be a strong field in Vic club Streetstocks. Looking forward to it!
Racey. :cool:

sugilite
4th April 2006, 23:14
Great race report vtec!
I look forward to reading of your progress, all the best for the vic series, see ya there!

Cleve
5th April 2006, 19:46
An excellent write up. Probably the best of many great write ups here on the KB forum.
Will see you at the Taupo round and intro myself as I am back in the country and can make that one.

rustys
5th April 2006, 20:40
:wavey: Exellent wright up Vtec, see you at taupo, and the Vic Series, if all goes well for you have a crack at Paeroa thats a great buzz, yeh and get the old man out there to.
having fun; and
"GROWING OLD DISGRACEFULLY'

MadDuck
5th April 2006, 21:44
Awesome write up V and what an awesome bike you have.

They say the eyes tell the story of a man. Mate you were wired and having a great day from what I saw.

Look forward to seeing you at taupo.

vtec
6th April 2006, 17:42
Hey thanks everyone for the positive comments.

Yeah and Madduck, I was totally 'wired'. Only problem is I'm still hyped up from thinking about it, and still waking up during the night, and getting my adrenalin up thinking about racing when I should be sleeping :shit: . It should settle down soon though

FROSTY
6th April 2006, 22:36
hey dude, awesome write up , and it is good to see somebody that is just as 'amped' from racing as me! That was bloodey good riding getting down to 1:15's and I hope the little tips helped

Motoracer
9th April 2006, 13:16
Awesome effort, fellow #78 racer!!

You did fukin awesome! 1.15 is unheard of on a CBR250.

Can't wait to watch out for your next race. :niceone: