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gpercivl
25th September 2006, 16:30
No Hair Race Report from Greg
Actrix VMCC Superbike Champs Round 5, October 23rd.

Off to Manfeild again hee hee :-)

Back a whole week from Australia this time, and no flu with plenty of sleep...plus I'd been a good boy and done all my push ups and steep hill walking etc. since the last meeting so I was feeling in good shape.

Paul and Geraldine gave me a nice bed in Dannevirke the night before, and race day turned out to be perfect with warm, dry, Spring weather. This round we were on the long track and my personal best was 2 mins 9.44 secs from last year, but this time I had a secret weapon...a new set of AGV Sport leathers that were very comfortable (maybe a little loose around my bum but just right around my belly :-).

I again had entered both Super Sport and Super Bike classes and qualifying for the 600 Super Sports was up first. Even at 9:30am the track had plenty of grip and I qualified 15th out of 30 entrants with a 2:09.7 lap time, very close to my PB. I was still feeling good. Super Bike qualifying was next and quite a big field of 33 riders. My PB dropped to 2:07.9 but everyone else was going fast too and I ended up 21st on the grid (1 place out of the points)...oh well I thought, just concentrate on the 600's.

Race 1 on the 600's and we were all hyped up on the start line, the flag dropped and I got away very quickly but chickened out a bit at the traffic jam in the first corner. I took a tight line and got thru unscathed but there was a lot of bumping and banging going on.

Thru to the hairpin and two bikes go down...no oil though! I start to settle down into some kind of rhythmn and passed 1 or 2 guys. Lap 2, and another 2 go down at the hairpin...red flags come out, so we all slow down and reform on the dummy grid. We hadn't completed half the race distance so once the track was clear we gridded up again for the last two laps. I knew this would be my best chance for a good placing with 4 riders down, so again I got a great start, and with less congestion I managed to get a nice clear 2 laps in to finish in 9th place and a new PB of 2:05.9. Part two wasn't without incident either with Chris Sucich losing his front end and knocking off Derek at the 2nd right hander on the long track, but neither was hurt and both managed to get their bikes back out for the next race.

I don't remember too much of the first Super Bike race except that I managed to catch up to Sean Donnelly on his 1974 Z-900, he was running at mid 2:06's and he had lots of grunt coming out of corners but less braking and corner speed. Amazing what those old bikes are capable of!

The second Super Sport race was extended 1 lap to 5 laps over the first race but this time there was a lot less carnage and I finished 13th.

The last Super Bike race was lots of fun! There was a bit more track time available so the race was lengthened to 7 laps and I had a terrible start finding myself behind a big bunch in the first corner. After a couple of laps I caught up to Paul Garrett on his CBR600RR and got past, then slowly caught up to Stephen Lys on his '05 R6 like mine. He was pushing John Baker on the GSXR1100 pretty hard until John lost the front end under brakes on the far hair-pin corner.

So it was my turn to try and push Stephen along and we both caught up to Sean on the 900 again. Stephen got past, then I got past on about the 6th lap. I then just caught up to Stephen on the last lap and I tried to make up as much distance as I could coming out of the last left hander before the right hand sweeper onto the front straight.

I thought I might have a slim chance of getting Stephen out of the sweeper but it must have been my lucky day because as we exitted the left hander, he stayed close to the left and left the door open for me to shoot up the inside into the right. I managed to hold the lead to the chequered flag finishing 13th with a best lap of 2:06.4. Not quite into the 2:05's but usually by the last race I'm going pretty slow so my extra fitness has paid off.

So all in all a very good day's racing for me with 3.5 secs off my PB and No Hair Racing looking very good in the overall series. Derek is 5th in Super Bikes and 6th in Super Sport classes and I'm 18th and 10th respectively.

I got away from Manfeild at about 4:50pm then 2 hours later realised I'd left my race license behind (again). Stopped in Turangi for dinner with Bob & Nevi and got home just before 11pm.

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

k14
25th September 2006, 17:16
Nice going man, looking like you're nats experience is paying off. Getting ready for next years ones yet?

Cleve
25th September 2006, 19:22
Good stuff Greg. You were going faster and smoother than I have seen before. Is it really just the sexy new leathers???!!!
Looking forward to some dicing with you in Taupo. I suffered from lack of track knowledge at Manfield. First time there in the dry and first time ever on long track...

sugilite
25th September 2006, 19:25
I don't remember too much of the first Super Bike race except that I managed to catch up to Sean Donnelly on his 1974 Z-900, he was running at mid 2:06's and he had lots of grunt coming out of corners but less braking and corner speed. Amazing what those old bikes are capable of!

Sounds like you had a great race day!

Seans motor is not modified that much, he is a really quick rider!

kickingzebra
25th September 2006, 23:47
No hair racing... he heh...
Good stuff, some pretty good lap times whipped up there too!!
Good on yah!

gpercivl
26th September 2006, 09:58
Nice going man, looking like you're nats experience is paying off. Getting ready for next years ones yet?

Can't afford to do SI rounds again this year, but I'll have another go at the NI one's although if they bring in qualifying I might not get a look in. Shirriffs is going so quick now...his 1:53.6 on Saturday put me way outside the +10% qualifying limit MNZ are talking about. :weep:

kickingzebra
26th September 2006, 10:02
roger that! scary thought, turn up and then don't qualify!

gpercivl
26th September 2006, 10:02
Good stuff Greg. You were going faster and smoother than I have seen before. Is it really just the sexy new leathers???!!!
Looking forward to some dicing with you in Taupo. I suffered from lack of track knowledge at Manfield. First time there in the dry and first time ever on long track...

The new leathers were less restrictive...I had never got my knee sliders working anywhere except Levels before (except Puke during the 300k race). But on Saturday I could move across the bike a lot faster and got both knees down a number of times.

That's about the 3rd time for me on the long track in the dry :2thumbsup

gpercivl
26th September 2006, 10:08
roger that! scary thought, turn up and then don't qualify!

Yeah, could be a real bummer...if it happens they're gonna have a cut off at 40 riders or 10%+ over the fastest. At least at Manfeild's short track Craig hasn't cracked the 1:09's yet (I think) but he probably will next time, he's going so well. That means I'll have to do a 1:15.9 which is a second faster than I've ever been.

Puke will be a different story with the new track layout. But probably a second slower maybe.

If you fail to qualify they put you in the Clubman's class so at least you get a ride (ha ha).

Now I've got to watch out for you next time...saw you going hard out there. Heaps of fun eh?

gpercivl
26th September 2006, 10:10
Sounds like you had a great race day!

Seans motor is not modified that much, he is a really quick rider!

Yep, I remember watching him racing years ago...he certainly is one of NZ's top rider's!

kickingzebra
26th September 2006, 10:14
Oh, well at least a ride, but then we'd all be clubmans burglars?!
I'll do my damndest to get faster before I resign myself to any such fate!!
Have they made up their mind on it, or are they still pontificating?

Loving it, though I was quite glad the races were short enough that I didn't get lapped!!
I know where I can pick up heaps of time, but it is just growing the balls to do it. Therein lies the trick I guess!

gpercivl
26th September 2006, 10:31
I think it all depends on numbers and how many turn up on the day...but personally I think qualifying is a good idea. I know I was really slow down on the SI tracks and was being lapped about the 9th lap in each of the first two races, then just making it on the last race to do 10 laps. I think I only held up one guy once over the whole champs but I was watching out for them from about lap 8 on. So keeping mobile chicanes off the track is probably a good thing for safety for the top boys.

One of the 600 guys who I was dicing with at Levels did move out into Clubman's then won 2 out of the 3 races against locals on 1000's etc. but I don't think he learnt any extra race skills. Once the top guys pass you, you have a short time to watch their moves and try to hang on to them which definitely helps.

I just read your race report...awesome...2:07...f..k I really will have to watch out, I'm crap on the new Taupo track.

kickingzebra
26th September 2006, 10:45
I don't know how I'll go at taupo. Time alone will tell I suppose, THe last time I was there I was under the weather, and just cruising around. I am going to have to try to get some actual go fast practice in there I think, and forget wheelies for the day ;)
I am thinking I might actually try and qualify well, I normally kind of cruise around in qualifying because I know my starts are real bad, and am paranoid about having someone behind me get a great start and take me out. Thats racing though, have to face that demon one day!!

Cleve
26th September 2006, 12:42
I normally kind of cruise around in qualifying because I know my starts are real bad, and am paranoid about having someone behind me get a great start and take me out.

Don't worry about what is going on behind you at the start line... too much to worry about with just what is in front of you!!