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gpercivl
4th April 2006, 16:05
No Hair Race Report

Protecta Insurance Auckland Club Champs #4, April 1st.

I made a Fall of myself on April the 1st.

Woohoo! What a day! I decided to enter both Formula Auckland (unlimited capacity) and Formula 2 to get some extra track time so this meant 2 practice sessions and six races for the day as long as my old body could hang in there.

The weather turned out great and after doing some minor engine tweaks since the last round I was sure I was going to go faster than ever before around Pukekohe. Formula Auckland practice was up first and I warmed up myself and the bike with a good fastest lap of 1:06 putting me in 8th place on the grid behind about three 1000's, a 750 and the rest were other 600's like me. My personal best at Pukekohe after 3 days of the Nationals last December was 1:05.65 so I wasn't too far off that pace.

The next practice session was F2 and I managed to put in two laps in the 1:05's the better being 1:05.10. I was pretty happy with myself dropping another 0.5 secs off my pb so was looking forward to the first race as I usually go harder when racing.

Race 1 for me was Formula Auckland and as the flag dropped I got a good start and headed around the track. The bike was performing well and I just touched red line at 15,500rpm in top gear down the back straight when out came the red flags and the race was stopped so that the ambulance could pick up a fallen rider. The race restarted and again I had a good start but then while down changing through the gears at the hairpin I didn't quite get it right and ended up in third gear instead of second. I leaned it in trying to hold corner speed as I knew everyone would pass me on the exit when just past the apex of the corner the front wheel lost grip and down I went on my right side. The bike slid off into the grass with almost no damage but due to its position I couldn't get it back upright and had to wait for the marshalls and the end of the race.

I rode it back to the pits and straightened a small bend in the right clip-on, cleaned off the dirt and took it down for re-scrutineering. Lyndsey passed the bike but Trevor failed my helmet. I had brought a spare helmet so all was well but by the time I had gotten back to the pits I missed the first F2 race.

Next was the second Formula Auckland race and again I started well but I didn't push too hard until I was sure the bike was handling correctly after the fall. Paul on his Honda passed me in the 1st lap then I got him back in the 4th with a best lap of 1:06.04 so I wasn't quite up to the pace I had achieved in practice.

Back out again for the 2nd F2 race and this was a lot more fun. Ricky on his Suzi got past Sudeep on another R6 in the 2nd lap and I sat behind both of them for most of the race. They were both faster (braver) than me over the hill onto the front straight then I'd catch up a little into turn 1 then lose them again thru the esses. Down the back straight I had a bit more top end and almost caught Sudeep 3 laps in a row at the hairpin. Seudeep takes quite a different line and I almost ran into him the second time but I couldn't quite get enough advantage to make a pass. I finished 8th with a best lap of 1:05.43. I didn't realise it at the time but Vaughan on his Yamaha 250 GP bike was hunting me down about 2 secs behind.

On the way back to the pits I was thinking to myself...next time Sudeep :-)

Problem was I was starting to get arm pump after four sessions on the track so I decided to opt out of the last Formula Auckland race and save my meagre energies for the final F2 race...so last race of the day and I psyched myself up to have a go at staying with Ricky & Sudeep again but it was not to be. I stuffed up some gear changes again and started to get major arm pump after braking for the hairpin. At one point down the front straight I realised that I had only opened the throttle 3/4 of a turn as I couldn't really feel the grip. My best time had slowed to 1:06.21 and Vaughan had shown me his front wheel a couple of times exitting corners. Meanwhile up front I could see Sudeep & Ricky slugging it out, Ricky finishing 3rd with Sudeep 1.1 secs behind, then me another 7 secs back. So much for my plans of duking it out with them (but I did beat Vaughan to the line by 0.5 secs :-). Both Ricky & Sudeep lapped at 1:04.98, if only I hadn't crashed, if only I hadn't had arm pump etc. etc. Ha ha, that's what racing is all about, dang I'm going to have to wait until Spring for the rematch at Pukekohe!

Next race meeting will be the 5th round of the Protecta Insurance series at Taupo on April 30th so that should be a change as I haven't ridden there for almost 2 years. I'll get a little practice though as VMCC are having a ride day for the new full length track the weekend before...so hope to see you there.

Big thanks again to Henderson Motorcycles, Pirelli Tyres and the Missus! Thanks also to SSSLodge 'for real horsepower' and www.ezsite.co.nz for their continued support.

Catch u L8R, Greg

No Hair Racing
http://www.nohair.co.nz

DemonWolf
4th April 2006, 16:17
Great writeup... keep 'em coming =)

Sounds like you had a good battle on your hands. Good luck for the next meeting.

Kwaka-Kid
4th April 2006, 22:27
good writeup Greg! :) And thanks for bringing the 400 just incase... cheers! :)

kickingzebra
4th April 2006, 23:33
That was as nice a crash as we had on the hairpin all day, you guys kept us busy! Glad all was well with you and bike not too bad! Good lap times!!
Good writeup, I second that!

vtec
5th April 2006, 15:42
Good write up. Is arm pump the lack of ability to use the muscles in your arm properly after using the clutch or brakes to much? My clutch arm packed it in big time when I went to a practice day, and had 3 sessions on the track. Was a real bugger, cause I had to ride back from Puke to Pakuranga with the screwed arm :P Luckily I think its strengthened up, and had no trouble on the race day.

dss3
5th April 2006, 15:48
Yeah, I think that is what he is talking about. I usually find I get it pretty bad in the first session of any day, when tense. Then once you relax a bit it doesn't seem to come so fast or as bad. Either that or do some training at the gym :apumpin:

kickingzebra
5th April 2006, 16:27
What about cramps? they common? My bloody leg and hip always cramp up and hurt like hell, racing, or giving it stick on the road. any solutions??

dss3
5th April 2006, 16:30
What about cramps? they common? My bloody leg and hip always cramp up and hurt like hell, racing, or giving it stick on the road. any solutions??

Try eating a banana, should help, even if it doesn't help they are nice and good for ya!:banana:

kickingzebra
5th April 2006, 16:47
I'll give them a go!

dss3
5th April 2006, 16:53
..ummm, another sure fire cure is to put your finger on your nose, look at the sky, and spin in circles while barking like a dog.... honest! ;-)

gpercivl
5th April 2006, 16:56
I think I've found a solution for general muscle cramps (apart from riding as much as possible), I use to drink a lot of water and e2 to keep hydrated but use to get cramping especially in my gear change left leg muscle...I've switched to drinking powerade and believe it or not the extra salts in there seem to work.

I've done some research on arm pump and it appears to be caused by lactic acid build up in the forearm muscle. I get it in my right arm due to the constant grip needed for braking before the hairpin, then the muscle doesn't have time to recover until I get part way down the front straight. MX riders get it a lot and some USA riders have even had surgery to release the muscle sheath allowing the forearm to expand even further without restricting the blood supply.

I'm going to test a possible cure I found on the internet and see if it works :psst:

gpercivl
5th April 2006, 16:58
Good write up. Is arm pump the lack of ability to use the muscles in your arm properly after using the clutch or brakes to much? My clutch arm packed it in big time when I went to a practice day, and had 3 sessions on the track. Was a real bugger, cause I had to ride back from Puke to Pakuranga with the screwed arm :P Luckily I think its strengthened up, and had no trouble on the race day.
Are you still using the clutch for up changes? I don't and this saves your left arm muscles a lot of work

vtec
5th April 2006, 18:06
Yep, still use the clutch for all changes. I can't afford to break a gearbox, plus I think I'm lightning quick with the clutch anyway. Didn't have any problems, so I must have got strong enough. Riding the bike every where, I'm always changing gears heaps, cause its got a 6 speed geared to max out at 200, which means its bloody close ratio == lots of gear changes == strong and fit forearm muscles. I'm doing heaps of riding at the moment. Ride to work in Chapel Road, then to town for uni, and then home to Pakuranga. So lots of round town stuff has me changing gears heaps.

Kwaka-Kid
5th April 2006, 22:00
ya know what vtec, when i first started i was always using the clutch - then i was told that at the high end with top revvs and high speed etc, chances are ur changes are quite far out and it doesnt show, so your prolly spinning your clutch makin it slip harder and causing it more damage then you would be the gearbox by clutchless shifting - which apparently is perfectly fine for the best...

Two Smoker
6th April 2006, 15:23
Wicked write up Greg!!! Wish i could have been out there blatting it with you!!! Congrats on the new PB too!!!

And Vetec, i third that, use clutchless up shifts, its nicer on the bike and could save you 0.1 seconds at least on the back straight...

gpercivl
6th April 2006, 16:04
Wicked write up Greg!!! Wish i could have been out there blatting it with you!!! Congrats on the new PB too!!!

Thanks Chris, wish you had been out there too, would have been fun trying to keep up with you for the first couple of laps...when are they going to let you back out there??

Two Smoker
7th April 2006, 08:12
Thanks Chris, wish you had been out there too, would have been fun trying to keep up with you for the first couple of laps...when are they going to let you back out there??

Aiming for 11 weeks time... But it depends on how well my surgery goes and how well physio goes...

FROSTY
7th April 2006, 08:31
Great report greg- bad luck with the bin -very sucky.
Hey I dunno if it helps but I eat bananas and drink just water -I'm not getting the arm pain I used to get.

Motoracer
9th April 2006, 13:12
Sudeep takes quite a different line and I almost ran into him the second time but I couldn't quite get enough advantage to make a pass.........

The hairpin is porbably my biggest weakness.. But I'll have it sorted one day... I looked at some pictures from the day and fuck, I wasn't even leaning it very far going through the hairpin. I got a lot of advise from other peoplem, and I guess I was trying to put them into practice on the day and experiment.


....dang I'm going to have to wait until Spring for the rematch at Pukekohe!......
........Next race meeting will be the 5th round of the Protecta Insurance series at Taupo on April 30th so that should be a change as I haven't ridden there for almost 2 years. I'll get a little practice though as VMCC are having a ride day for the new full length track the weekend before...so hope to see you there.........

Yea man, can't wait! It'd be great to race with you again! :)