feral1
30th August 2006, 23:30
Well, don't really know wether this will take the proper format of a race report but I said to a few of you i would post mu thoughts of my first ever race.
Having thought about giving road racing a go, I have finally entered F3 and my first race last weekend at the South Island Cup round three - Ruapuna
I am still buzzing.
Saturday
Weather was looking super dodge on the coast. Pissing down with rain. So my mate and i decided to head on over the night before. Partly 'cause the sign-in cut off was very early in the morning and partly because we didn't really want ot deal with horse shit weather conditions at 5:30am driving the team's dodgy race van over the southern alps.
So the bike was loaded, the set of wets chucked in for good measure and over we go.
So a big thanks to Far queue for offering a place to crash. very much appreciatted
Sunday
Didn't have to sweat the weahter, because true canterbury style; it dawned a great day.
Saw the west coast BEARS motard boys in the pits, so parked up next to them and got set up.
The practice session was the first time that I had ridden my new zxr (apart from a 2 minute squirt when i bought it to make sure it ran..) So this practice session was a big eye opener. I had never ran on slicks, a new bike and a 'all in formula - pratice seesion' made for an interesting time. There where bikes every where. like OAB described, i sort of went into a 'yeaha trackday mode' untill i relaised to snap out of it and get down to the job and goals I set for the sessions.
Got used to the bike, but was disappointed in the power delivery, had a major stumble in the fueling at about 7-8,000 rpm. Especially eveident in the higher gears.
Thought about this when i came back in and realised it was simply that I was not going fast enough, running to high gears, relaying on torque that it doesn't have and not keeping it in the rev sweet spot.
Race 1.
A real eye-opener. Placed myself on the back of the grid as i was unsure how I would go. Found the bike very fast of the line and at least competitive power wise when compared to the other F3 bikes i was amongst
I let people go into turn one and sort their own stuff out and concetrated on the seesion's goals: learn lines.
Road a 1min58sec in that race and hugely enjoyed it. When i pulled off I knew I had found something i was really going to enjoy.
Race 2
Buolding confidence, i knew i would just have to push harder and keep focussed on learning and crafting the basics. Really enjoyed this race and had a tussle with an SV (factory fresh mind you...) Unsure of the results, but finished mid packish of the f3 machines (i think).
Cobber on his shit ass cell phone stop watch had me going down to 1.53s Don't know how accurate that was.
K14 came off on about lap two and i remember seeing him siting on the side of the track at the bends after the hairpin. He got his RS fixed in no time.
Race 3
Goal here was to continue focusing on lines. basics first, speed later. Focus on my down changes and break markers as well as smooth transfer to throttle. Felt good iin this race and diced with a few motards. Mate on stop watch reconed 1.52s. And I felt very good. I felt I couild go faster. I know I am not even getting close to what the equipement is capable off. It is all down to me. So it is nice to have something solid to work with and grow into. So I am very much looking forward to getting more time to keep working and improving. One thing I really wnat to focus on next time is not getting onto my turn entry points to early and commiting to the 'flick'/getting the bike turned in faster
Heaps of fun. Can't wait till next time. Hopefully Levels on the 16th.
Good to meet some of you there.
Long live the F3. Having heaps of fun
Feral
Having thought about giving road racing a go, I have finally entered F3 and my first race last weekend at the South Island Cup round three - Ruapuna
I am still buzzing.
Saturday
Weather was looking super dodge on the coast. Pissing down with rain. So my mate and i decided to head on over the night before. Partly 'cause the sign-in cut off was very early in the morning and partly because we didn't really want ot deal with horse shit weather conditions at 5:30am driving the team's dodgy race van over the southern alps.
So the bike was loaded, the set of wets chucked in for good measure and over we go.
So a big thanks to Far queue for offering a place to crash. very much appreciatted
Sunday
Didn't have to sweat the weahter, because true canterbury style; it dawned a great day.
Saw the west coast BEARS motard boys in the pits, so parked up next to them and got set up.
The practice session was the first time that I had ridden my new zxr (apart from a 2 minute squirt when i bought it to make sure it ran..) So this practice session was a big eye opener. I had never ran on slicks, a new bike and a 'all in formula - pratice seesion' made for an interesting time. There where bikes every where. like OAB described, i sort of went into a 'yeaha trackday mode' untill i relaised to snap out of it and get down to the job and goals I set for the sessions.
Got used to the bike, but was disappointed in the power delivery, had a major stumble in the fueling at about 7-8,000 rpm. Especially eveident in the higher gears.
Thought about this when i came back in and realised it was simply that I was not going fast enough, running to high gears, relaying on torque that it doesn't have and not keeping it in the rev sweet spot.
Race 1.
A real eye-opener. Placed myself on the back of the grid as i was unsure how I would go. Found the bike very fast of the line and at least competitive power wise when compared to the other F3 bikes i was amongst
I let people go into turn one and sort their own stuff out and concetrated on the seesion's goals: learn lines.
Road a 1min58sec in that race and hugely enjoyed it. When i pulled off I knew I had found something i was really going to enjoy.
Race 2
Buolding confidence, i knew i would just have to push harder and keep focussed on learning and crafting the basics. Really enjoyed this race and had a tussle with an SV (factory fresh mind you...) Unsure of the results, but finished mid packish of the f3 machines (i think).
Cobber on his shit ass cell phone stop watch had me going down to 1.53s Don't know how accurate that was.
K14 came off on about lap two and i remember seeing him siting on the side of the track at the bends after the hairpin. He got his RS fixed in no time.
Race 3
Goal here was to continue focusing on lines. basics first, speed later. Focus on my down changes and break markers as well as smooth transfer to throttle. Felt good iin this race and diced with a few motards. Mate on stop watch reconed 1.52s. And I felt very good. I felt I couild go faster. I know I am not even getting close to what the equipement is capable off. It is all down to me. So it is nice to have something solid to work with and grow into. So I am very much looking forward to getting more time to keep working and improving. One thing I really wnat to focus on next time is not getting onto my turn entry points to early and commiting to the 'flick'/getting the bike turned in faster
Heaps of fun. Can't wait till next time. Hopefully Levels on the 16th.
Good to meet some of you there.
Long live the F3. Having heaps of fun
Feral