Two Smoker
25th September 2006, 21:41
Hey everyone...
Its been a while since ive done one of these, but ive got a race licence again and have been medically cleared for racing (obviously they didnt do a psyc test).
Left late from Auckland and we got to Feidling at 1245 on the saturday morning. Got up early and managed to get a spot in the pits with Nicko. My aim was to get back into racing, get more miles under my belt and start upping the pace abit... The last time I did Manfield long circuit was over a year ago on my 400 where i had a PB of mid 2:07's... So anything under that on the 600 would be a start.
The day did not start off well... I well and truely lived up to the team muppet tradition and fucked up heaps... First thing was accidently braking Jason Hulmes brake lever as i took off for the tyre scrub in (really sorry mate... have to take out the competition somehow p/t hehehe)
Qualifying 600s: Went out there and reaquainted myself with the bike and the track... Felt like shit, and my time showed that with a 2:03.7XX Was not happy with the rear shock, or the braking capabilities of the bike let alone my bad riding.... Qualifyed 9th
Shaun and Milky then put in a harder rear spring and measured up the bike...
Qualifying Superbike: The difference was day and night!!! Enjoyed myself emmensly and started to push the bike for once... Managed to latch onto loosebruce was stoked to finally keep up with him (he was having tyre problems)... Put down a time of 2:00.6XX which put me in 9th place just behind dss3...
Race 1 600's: Got a minter of a start and settled quickly into 7th place behind Jason Hulme and Geoff Booth... a lap later and Nicko and Jason had an off causing a red flag to be displayed... Gutted i was doing well. Restart was shocking was back quite far and had red rage trying to get past Derek Hill as he and others were holding me up. Thought i could out brake Derek into turn 9, i went deep but so did he i was being too greedy, I was half way up the side of his bike and knew i wasnt going to make it. Tried to stop and haul up but couldnt and i hit the side of dereks bike when he turned into turn 9. this chucked me over the bars and i landed on my head writing off my arai helmet. I apoligised to Derek and waited for him to crack me in the head, but he had cooled off after 30 seconds and all was good.
Huge thanks to Shaun, Geoff Booth (for the rearset and helmet) and milky and my bike was ready for the next 600 race. Decided to finish some races and take the rest of the day easy...
Race 2 600's: Had a shocker start again, and settled into 13th odd place and just started picking off people one by one at a cruising pace. Got settled in behind Derek Hill and had some good dicing. attempted to pass him coming out of the outfield hairpin, but he cut me off, and i had to back right off and nearly went off the track in avoidance... Derek got a lead on me off about 100 metres, caught him back up in under a lap and tried to gas it earlier onto the front straight but Dereck bet me by 0.033 seconds... Was a really good race and had some good laughs about the "moments" afterwards... Times were a cruisy 2:01's and 2's
Race 2 Superbikes: Just cruised around getting up the milage and hovered around the 2:02's.. I can see 1:58s being a possibility without much effort
Stoked to finally have finished some races (first ones ive finished since Paeroa) and to be back racing...
Current aims:
-Crash less
-Increase pace lots, still not happy with the brakes
Huge thanks to Chloe for putting up with my shit. Shaun for sorting out my suspension and the spares. Milky for helping out in the pits and Geoff for the spares...
See you at Round 6, hopefully with a bit of pace on this time...
Its been a while since ive done one of these, but ive got a race licence again and have been medically cleared for racing (obviously they didnt do a psyc test).
Left late from Auckland and we got to Feidling at 1245 on the saturday morning. Got up early and managed to get a spot in the pits with Nicko. My aim was to get back into racing, get more miles under my belt and start upping the pace abit... The last time I did Manfield long circuit was over a year ago on my 400 where i had a PB of mid 2:07's... So anything under that on the 600 would be a start.
The day did not start off well... I well and truely lived up to the team muppet tradition and fucked up heaps... First thing was accidently braking Jason Hulmes brake lever as i took off for the tyre scrub in (really sorry mate... have to take out the competition somehow p/t hehehe)
Qualifying 600s: Went out there and reaquainted myself with the bike and the track... Felt like shit, and my time showed that with a 2:03.7XX Was not happy with the rear shock, or the braking capabilities of the bike let alone my bad riding.... Qualifyed 9th
Shaun and Milky then put in a harder rear spring and measured up the bike...
Qualifying Superbike: The difference was day and night!!! Enjoyed myself emmensly and started to push the bike for once... Managed to latch onto loosebruce was stoked to finally keep up with him (he was having tyre problems)... Put down a time of 2:00.6XX which put me in 9th place just behind dss3...
Race 1 600's: Got a minter of a start and settled quickly into 7th place behind Jason Hulme and Geoff Booth... a lap later and Nicko and Jason had an off causing a red flag to be displayed... Gutted i was doing well. Restart was shocking was back quite far and had red rage trying to get past Derek Hill as he and others were holding me up. Thought i could out brake Derek into turn 9, i went deep but so did he i was being too greedy, I was half way up the side of his bike and knew i wasnt going to make it. Tried to stop and haul up but couldnt and i hit the side of dereks bike when he turned into turn 9. this chucked me over the bars and i landed on my head writing off my arai helmet. I apoligised to Derek and waited for him to crack me in the head, but he had cooled off after 30 seconds and all was good.
Huge thanks to Shaun, Geoff Booth (for the rearset and helmet) and milky and my bike was ready for the next 600 race. Decided to finish some races and take the rest of the day easy...
Race 2 600's: Had a shocker start again, and settled into 13th odd place and just started picking off people one by one at a cruising pace. Got settled in behind Derek Hill and had some good dicing. attempted to pass him coming out of the outfield hairpin, but he cut me off, and i had to back right off and nearly went off the track in avoidance... Derek got a lead on me off about 100 metres, caught him back up in under a lap and tried to gas it earlier onto the front straight but Dereck bet me by 0.033 seconds... Was a really good race and had some good laughs about the "moments" afterwards... Times were a cruisy 2:01's and 2's
Race 2 Superbikes: Just cruised around getting up the milage and hovered around the 2:02's.. I can see 1:58s being a possibility without much effort
Stoked to finally have finished some races (first ones ive finished since Paeroa) and to be back racing...
Current aims:
-Crash less
-Increase pace lots, still not happy with the brakes
Huge thanks to Chloe for putting up with my shit. Shaun for sorting out my suspension and the spares. Milky for helping out in the pits and Geoff for the spares...
See you at Round 6, hopefully with a bit of pace on this time...