Keystone19
1st May 2006, 13:17
It’s 9pm Saturday night and it’s raining. It’s 1am and it’s still raining. It’s 6am and it’s still raining. I think it’s going to be wet at the track today…
Bowl up to the track late as usual. Park up and get the bikes unloaded. I need to get a bolt rethreaded so that the fairing will stay connected to my new bike before I can pass scrutineering. Along with this and changing the slicks over to pilot powers for the rapidly drying track, I miss the practice session. My confirmed place on the grid for my first F3 race – last.
Finally get the bike sorted, the track is dry except for the sweeper. My goal for the day is to stay upright. After falling off in my last two outings on the track I have no great expectations except to achieve that. Shaun Harris gives me the hard word on slowing down. Cleve tells me to go hard to warm up the tyres and then go slow for three laps before opening up. Motobob tells me to have fun.
Finally they call the first F3 race so I pull up to the dummy grid. The petrol light comes on. Shit. Fast U turn to Frosty’s pit where Dougie and Madduck save my bacon with a quick top up. Mental note to self *must remember to top up gas before race*. Pull out for the one warm up lap and just make it to my place on the grid when the flag drops. I’m last going into the first corner but can see Ray Nairn ahead of me and am pretty sure I can take him eventually but I’m following Shaun, Cleve’s and my own advice to slow down, warm up the tyres and stay upright. Start to get a feel for the bike by about lap 3 and I can see the gap between me and Ray narrowing. I finally out brake him into the corner off the back straight and leave him behind. No-one else is in sight so I just concentrate on staying ahead of Ray. Next lap I have a bit of a moment going into the corner where I had just overtaken Ray when I brake, release the brake and realise the throttle is still wide open. Gulp. Manage to keep it under control and stay in front of Ray. Finally get the white flag but by now I’m worried that I’m about to be lapped but just manage to stay in front of the first place guy as we cross the finish line. Phew. Statistics for this race: Fastest laptime: 1.55ish; Time behind winner: 65seconds; Place: 2nd to last.
Race two and I’m still trying to follow Shaun, Cleve’s and my own advice but this time I get a good start and shoot in front of Quasi, Ray and an RGV. Quasi takes me on the first corner but I manage to keep the RGV behind me for three laps when he finally out brakes me into the hairpin and gets away. Still having the same problem with getting my hand stuck on the throttle while braking and manage to get a little slide happening into the sweeper. Oops. Better concentrate on making sure my hand is OFF the throttle. I’m pleased with this race though, speeds were up and getting more confidence in the bike. Statistics: Fastest laptime: 1.52ish; Time behind winner 40seconds; Place: 2nd to last.
Race three and the track is a little wet after a brief shower. This time though, Motobob had taken my SV650 out in Formula 2 so the tyres are still warm which gives me some confidence. I get an ok start but I’m last going into the first corner. Manage to overtake Ray going into the sweeper on the first lap and after this stay in touch with the pack for the whole race. No further problems with the brake/throttle issue so I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable into the corner off the straight. Statistics: Fastest lap 1.50; Time behind winner: 25seconds; Place: 2nd to last.
So although my placing never changed, I was really pleased with my improvement over the three races, I managed to stay upright, and I think with more experience might even be brave enough to mingle in the pack instead of behind it. No rush though, as Shaun says to get faster I need to slow down and learn the bike and my own limits which I think I started to do yesterday. I’m really looking forward to the PMCC round at Taupo next week.
Thanks to Motobob for everything really, Rodders for helping with the wheel change, Pete for always managing to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and being dragged in to help me get the bike onto the stand, Madduck and Dougie for the last minute fuel top up, Shaun for sorting out the fairing bolt in time for me to race and Cleve for cheering me on. Great to have Zapf, Devil, MacD and everyone else on the sidelines too!
I had a huge grin on my face after all three races yesterday!
Bowl up to the track late as usual. Park up and get the bikes unloaded. I need to get a bolt rethreaded so that the fairing will stay connected to my new bike before I can pass scrutineering. Along with this and changing the slicks over to pilot powers for the rapidly drying track, I miss the practice session. My confirmed place on the grid for my first F3 race – last.
Finally get the bike sorted, the track is dry except for the sweeper. My goal for the day is to stay upright. After falling off in my last two outings on the track I have no great expectations except to achieve that. Shaun Harris gives me the hard word on slowing down. Cleve tells me to go hard to warm up the tyres and then go slow for three laps before opening up. Motobob tells me to have fun.
Finally they call the first F3 race so I pull up to the dummy grid. The petrol light comes on. Shit. Fast U turn to Frosty’s pit where Dougie and Madduck save my bacon with a quick top up. Mental note to self *must remember to top up gas before race*. Pull out for the one warm up lap and just make it to my place on the grid when the flag drops. I’m last going into the first corner but can see Ray Nairn ahead of me and am pretty sure I can take him eventually but I’m following Shaun, Cleve’s and my own advice to slow down, warm up the tyres and stay upright. Start to get a feel for the bike by about lap 3 and I can see the gap between me and Ray narrowing. I finally out brake him into the corner off the back straight and leave him behind. No-one else is in sight so I just concentrate on staying ahead of Ray. Next lap I have a bit of a moment going into the corner where I had just overtaken Ray when I brake, release the brake and realise the throttle is still wide open. Gulp. Manage to keep it under control and stay in front of Ray. Finally get the white flag but by now I’m worried that I’m about to be lapped but just manage to stay in front of the first place guy as we cross the finish line. Phew. Statistics for this race: Fastest laptime: 1.55ish; Time behind winner: 65seconds; Place: 2nd to last.
Race two and I’m still trying to follow Shaun, Cleve’s and my own advice but this time I get a good start and shoot in front of Quasi, Ray and an RGV. Quasi takes me on the first corner but I manage to keep the RGV behind me for three laps when he finally out brakes me into the hairpin and gets away. Still having the same problem with getting my hand stuck on the throttle while braking and manage to get a little slide happening into the sweeper. Oops. Better concentrate on making sure my hand is OFF the throttle. I’m pleased with this race though, speeds were up and getting more confidence in the bike. Statistics: Fastest laptime: 1.52ish; Time behind winner 40seconds; Place: 2nd to last.
Race three and the track is a little wet after a brief shower. This time though, Motobob had taken my SV650 out in Formula 2 so the tyres are still warm which gives me some confidence. I get an ok start but I’m last going into the first corner. Manage to overtake Ray going into the sweeper on the first lap and after this stay in touch with the pack for the whole race. No further problems with the brake/throttle issue so I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable into the corner off the straight. Statistics: Fastest lap 1.50; Time behind winner: 25seconds; Place: 2nd to last.
So although my placing never changed, I was really pleased with my improvement over the three races, I managed to stay upright, and I think with more experience might even be brave enough to mingle in the pack instead of behind it. No rush though, as Shaun says to get faster I need to slow down and learn the bike and my own limits which I think I started to do yesterday. I’m really looking forward to the PMCC round at Taupo next week.
Thanks to Motobob for everything really, Rodders for helping with the wheel change, Pete for always managing to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and being dragged in to help me get the bike onto the stand, Madduck and Dougie for the last minute fuel top up, Shaun for sorting out the fairing bolt in time for me to race and Cleve for cheering me on. Great to have Zapf, Devil, MacD and everyone else on the sidelines too!
I had a huge grin on my face after all three races yesterday!