kickingzebra
16th October 2006, 09:26
Firstly, Huge thanks to Finn, for the loan of your very nice generator, and to SVS (and www.tyrewarmers.co.nz) for fixing up my tyrewarmers. (left them on when I was out on the bike last time, and melted a hole in them!)
As always Holeshot motorcycles have been invaluable in providing me with parts, and tyres to actually get out on the track.
After seeing Motobobs new GSXR 600 with nice drool arrow system etc, I am soo close to taking that pretty red one off thier hands!
Turned up on Friday for a valuable practice day, and was struck by a general malaise... See, normally I am as excited as a school boy who has been invited to a girls school ball when I get to the track, but my mind has been elsewhere on business and life developments. Not off too a good start.
We had the new track, which in and of itself is pretty fun, but I just wasn't clicking with it, and not even pushing was badly wearing into my rear Supercorsa pro SC0.
Shaun came to the party with some advice. I would have sworn I had checked my chain, but had done something stupid there, as it was wayyy to tight. That certainly wouldn't have helped my tyre wear.
Mental note to anyone considering doing taupo, take harder compound tyres!! Usual soft compound race things, will just dissolve at taupo!
I had a new set of tyres in the car, but resolved to finish shagging the ones I had on the bike and preserve the new ones for race day.
That turned out to be a wise decision, as there is no confidence like going out on brand new rubber for race day.
It was a violent day, I just couldn't get my head around the track, nearly highsided out of the esses onto the back straight, tank slappers every where, couldn't get body position right, was sweating bucketloads, all into my eyes (and contact lenses) so was losing vision... ARGH!
Left the track that night thinking, OSHit, better pull my game up for tomorrow, and focus on the task at hand!
Big thanks on the day to Texmos Mum!! She did a rescue package of food and powerade supermarket run! What a lady!!!
Race day came up, I was glad to be staying locally at a motel, so got up and out to the track for 7:00. There was a que! Jacked up with Anthony and Kelly (Sugilite and Goblin) and we all crammed into Anthonys easy up. Cheers for that Anthony!!
My first order of the day was to change my tyres. After we set up the easy up, and everything, it was 8. I had till 9 to sign in, change tyres, check fuel... the list went on!
I was honestly not expecting to be able to do it in time for the scrub in session.
Lucky for me expert advice was at hand, and with Anthonys guidance, I was able to do both tyres, from wheels on the bike to changed in 50 minutes, by hand!! That is by far my best yet! (ask HDT boy!!)
Just in time pour some petrol on my hands, wipe the grease off, sign in, and join riders breifing!!
Some people were kicking up a stink about having to follow a safety car for the scrub session, but I thought that was a good idea. There were just so many riders there!
Tyres scrubbed, and feeling OK on the track, but still not really firing, I came in. Prepped myself for F2 qualifying. Came down to it, I just didn't have the killer instinct going, so I qualified a distant 24th on the grid.
Was really quite dissappointed with that, and started wishing the day would just hurry on by.
Then it was Kellys turn on the bike for clubmans qualifying. Big thanks to the officials for letting her change class like that.
Watching her go out and put in some pretty damn quick laps for someone who has barely ridden the bike, put some shame into me, and so I started getting "angry" grrrr... Like a big tiger... A big stuffed animal tiger, with a stupid look on its face. Gggrrr.
That made me laugh, and rediscover the joy I normally feel at being out on the track, having the opportunity to enjoy my bike at its limits (as close as I can get it to them anyway!!)
So up came superbike qualifying, and I was feeling heaps better. Started picking some better lines, and just having a ball. Wow, what a difference that made!
I came in off the bike with a huge grin on my face. Funny thing was, in a much harder field, I qualified in the same position! 24th!
Saved me having to remember too many grid positions I suppose!
Could have gone faster, but a bit of experience should solve that for me.
The wait for f2 first race began.
The races all kind of merge in the memory after a few, but here are some recollections fo that race.
I thought to myself on the start line, wow what a good start I am getting, only to see mikey (amongst others) flying up the outside of me! Couldn't easily use the tactic I employed at manfeild, of holding off the brakes into turn one to make up some easy places, as my left hand turning is a weak point, so held off the brakes for a bit, but didn't continue on around the outside. Pity really.
Remember being real annoyed that texmo was beating me. He has some pace that guy! Came into the transition to the back part of the track, and the right hander just in time to see texmo tumbling through the air in a cloud of dust! Well, I beat him in one race!! LOL.
Best I could manage their was an 18th. Dropped the lap times a little, from qualifying at 1:54.7 to 1:48.9 Was a bit gutted to be thrashed by motobob and cleve brown ;) But experience might give me some remedies in due time.
As per usual, my darling wife helped me put the tyre warmers on, (albeit heavily heavily preggers!) and we settled in till Kellys next race on the bike.
She got out there and did her thing, and again, did DAMNABLY well! Her first ever ride on my bike was better than my first ride on my bike! Incredible!
Struggled to stay on top of the gas in the tank, and nearly went out a couple of times with the fuel light on! Not a good idea, just ask Craig Sheriffs after the last F1 race!!
First F1 race, and I was just so stoked, on going out and gridding up, everyone is giving each other the thumbs up, and just generally looking after each other, what a bloody good fraternity to belong to!
Got a real good start that time, and made up quite a few places (despite john baker roaring past me as if I were standing still!)
This was the most frustrating and yet fun race.
I was duelling at around 18th place, with Ed Molijn on his 996. I had the corner speed, and he had the straight line speed. Tried a few times, but couldn't make it stick, meanwhile holding defensive lines to try and keep those on my tail back (death inc, rhys holmes ;)) Came into the hairpin, Real hot, was gonna run around the outside of Ed, but he cocked up his turn, and ran way wide, nearly running off the track!! I was right on his tail, about to turn in, my front wheel touched (lightly) his rear, and I was hard on the brakes, and dropping the bike to the left to try and get under him without crashing. All this just in time to see 5 or 6 bikes go flying past!!! Arrghh!! They were hard won places! Then my front tyre is skidding and nearly running off the side wall, in a world first for me, I pointed the left knee down, and pushed the bike back onto the meat of the tyre!! Sheesh, felt all motoGP about myself after that!!
Got past Ed, during that manouvre, some how!! And then set to catching up the guys that had squeezed through.
Got back 3 of them, and then the race was over
Finished the race in 23rd, and wandered around the pits GRRRing. Was great fun!
Race 2 F2, another better than usual, but far from ideal start saw Mikey fly past, yet again, and me having to make up places.
Got red mist a plenty this time, and for the last two laps had Vtec and Greg Percival in sight. Was gonna catch them hell or high water. Late and hard on the brakes, saw me catch up maybe 600 or 800 metres on jason, and it came to the final run down the back straight, neck in neck, both on the gas, and niether budging. I had the inside, so I knew I could brake a tadge later than him, I just had to hold it together. That run down the straight took an eternity!! never moving by more than half a bike length, we hit the do or die point, and I saw him brake, then I hit mine, then I saw him fly past and onto the grass!!! The last thing you want to see is one of your racing buddies go down, and I was going oh crap!! Hes gonna be dead, still doign well over 100 kmph! He flys onto the grass, and straight through, back onto the track, and gets the lead on me by about 5 metres!!!
Shucks, if I knew it was faster to go dirt tracking, I would never have bothered with those esses!!!
That was incredible! We were both amazed, and cracking up all the way down the front straight, until we nearly ran off the end of the track!!
Bloody awesome bro! That was some great racing!!
The next F1 race was a bit of a scramble, Kelly had come back through the guys who take the transponders, and they had cut it off! She ran off to get it back again, and all was hunky dory, till I came into the midfield section, and saw Darryl on all fours, bike in the metal. Red flag came out, and we watched darryl limp his bike back in. Truely gutted for him. We got a four lapper of a restart, and I got another OK start, not jumping places, but only losing one or two. Raced, passed people, didn't get passed by anyone apart from the start, and came home a credible 16 of 26 starters.
Currently looking forward to spending a lot more time on the track, and getting some experience at making passes stick, and I will be spending a bit of time on my race starts. I need to make them work better if I want to stick it to em.
Thanks to all the friendly KB faces, Keystone, Motobob, Rossi Gal, Cowpoos, Sugilite, Goblin, Shaun, Torque, Dss3, LooseBruce, Mental Trousers, Cleve Brown, HDTboy, Vtec, Texmo, SVS, Death inc, Two Smoker, and anyone else who I can't think of at the moment, you guys all help make it such a fun environment. Loving every second of it!
As always Holeshot motorcycles have been invaluable in providing me with parts, and tyres to actually get out on the track.
After seeing Motobobs new GSXR 600 with nice drool arrow system etc, I am soo close to taking that pretty red one off thier hands!
Turned up on Friday for a valuable practice day, and was struck by a general malaise... See, normally I am as excited as a school boy who has been invited to a girls school ball when I get to the track, but my mind has been elsewhere on business and life developments. Not off too a good start.
We had the new track, which in and of itself is pretty fun, but I just wasn't clicking with it, and not even pushing was badly wearing into my rear Supercorsa pro SC0.
Shaun came to the party with some advice. I would have sworn I had checked my chain, but had done something stupid there, as it was wayyy to tight. That certainly wouldn't have helped my tyre wear.
Mental note to anyone considering doing taupo, take harder compound tyres!! Usual soft compound race things, will just dissolve at taupo!
I had a new set of tyres in the car, but resolved to finish shagging the ones I had on the bike and preserve the new ones for race day.
That turned out to be a wise decision, as there is no confidence like going out on brand new rubber for race day.
It was a violent day, I just couldn't get my head around the track, nearly highsided out of the esses onto the back straight, tank slappers every where, couldn't get body position right, was sweating bucketloads, all into my eyes (and contact lenses) so was losing vision... ARGH!
Left the track that night thinking, OSHit, better pull my game up for tomorrow, and focus on the task at hand!
Big thanks on the day to Texmos Mum!! She did a rescue package of food and powerade supermarket run! What a lady!!!
Race day came up, I was glad to be staying locally at a motel, so got up and out to the track for 7:00. There was a que! Jacked up with Anthony and Kelly (Sugilite and Goblin) and we all crammed into Anthonys easy up. Cheers for that Anthony!!
My first order of the day was to change my tyres. After we set up the easy up, and everything, it was 8. I had till 9 to sign in, change tyres, check fuel... the list went on!
I was honestly not expecting to be able to do it in time for the scrub in session.
Lucky for me expert advice was at hand, and with Anthonys guidance, I was able to do both tyres, from wheels on the bike to changed in 50 minutes, by hand!! That is by far my best yet! (ask HDT boy!!)
Just in time pour some petrol on my hands, wipe the grease off, sign in, and join riders breifing!!
Some people were kicking up a stink about having to follow a safety car for the scrub session, but I thought that was a good idea. There were just so many riders there!
Tyres scrubbed, and feeling OK on the track, but still not really firing, I came in. Prepped myself for F2 qualifying. Came down to it, I just didn't have the killer instinct going, so I qualified a distant 24th on the grid.
Was really quite dissappointed with that, and started wishing the day would just hurry on by.
Then it was Kellys turn on the bike for clubmans qualifying. Big thanks to the officials for letting her change class like that.
Watching her go out and put in some pretty damn quick laps for someone who has barely ridden the bike, put some shame into me, and so I started getting "angry" grrrr... Like a big tiger... A big stuffed animal tiger, with a stupid look on its face. Gggrrr.
That made me laugh, and rediscover the joy I normally feel at being out on the track, having the opportunity to enjoy my bike at its limits (as close as I can get it to them anyway!!)
So up came superbike qualifying, and I was feeling heaps better. Started picking some better lines, and just having a ball. Wow, what a difference that made!
I came in off the bike with a huge grin on my face. Funny thing was, in a much harder field, I qualified in the same position! 24th!
Saved me having to remember too many grid positions I suppose!
Could have gone faster, but a bit of experience should solve that for me.
The wait for f2 first race began.
The races all kind of merge in the memory after a few, but here are some recollections fo that race.
I thought to myself on the start line, wow what a good start I am getting, only to see mikey (amongst others) flying up the outside of me! Couldn't easily use the tactic I employed at manfeild, of holding off the brakes into turn one to make up some easy places, as my left hand turning is a weak point, so held off the brakes for a bit, but didn't continue on around the outside. Pity really.
Remember being real annoyed that texmo was beating me. He has some pace that guy! Came into the transition to the back part of the track, and the right hander just in time to see texmo tumbling through the air in a cloud of dust! Well, I beat him in one race!! LOL.
Best I could manage their was an 18th. Dropped the lap times a little, from qualifying at 1:54.7 to 1:48.9 Was a bit gutted to be thrashed by motobob and cleve brown ;) But experience might give me some remedies in due time.
As per usual, my darling wife helped me put the tyre warmers on, (albeit heavily heavily preggers!) and we settled in till Kellys next race on the bike.
She got out there and did her thing, and again, did DAMNABLY well! Her first ever ride on my bike was better than my first ride on my bike! Incredible!
Struggled to stay on top of the gas in the tank, and nearly went out a couple of times with the fuel light on! Not a good idea, just ask Craig Sheriffs after the last F1 race!!
First F1 race, and I was just so stoked, on going out and gridding up, everyone is giving each other the thumbs up, and just generally looking after each other, what a bloody good fraternity to belong to!
Got a real good start that time, and made up quite a few places (despite john baker roaring past me as if I were standing still!)
This was the most frustrating and yet fun race.
I was duelling at around 18th place, with Ed Molijn on his 996. I had the corner speed, and he had the straight line speed. Tried a few times, but couldn't make it stick, meanwhile holding defensive lines to try and keep those on my tail back (death inc, rhys holmes ;)) Came into the hairpin, Real hot, was gonna run around the outside of Ed, but he cocked up his turn, and ran way wide, nearly running off the track!! I was right on his tail, about to turn in, my front wheel touched (lightly) his rear, and I was hard on the brakes, and dropping the bike to the left to try and get under him without crashing. All this just in time to see 5 or 6 bikes go flying past!!! Arrghh!! They were hard won places! Then my front tyre is skidding and nearly running off the side wall, in a world first for me, I pointed the left knee down, and pushed the bike back onto the meat of the tyre!! Sheesh, felt all motoGP about myself after that!!
Got past Ed, during that manouvre, some how!! And then set to catching up the guys that had squeezed through.
Got back 3 of them, and then the race was over
Finished the race in 23rd, and wandered around the pits GRRRing. Was great fun!
Race 2 F2, another better than usual, but far from ideal start saw Mikey fly past, yet again, and me having to make up places.
Got red mist a plenty this time, and for the last two laps had Vtec and Greg Percival in sight. Was gonna catch them hell or high water. Late and hard on the brakes, saw me catch up maybe 600 or 800 metres on jason, and it came to the final run down the back straight, neck in neck, both on the gas, and niether budging. I had the inside, so I knew I could brake a tadge later than him, I just had to hold it together. That run down the straight took an eternity!! never moving by more than half a bike length, we hit the do or die point, and I saw him brake, then I hit mine, then I saw him fly past and onto the grass!!! The last thing you want to see is one of your racing buddies go down, and I was going oh crap!! Hes gonna be dead, still doign well over 100 kmph! He flys onto the grass, and straight through, back onto the track, and gets the lead on me by about 5 metres!!!
Shucks, if I knew it was faster to go dirt tracking, I would never have bothered with those esses!!!
That was incredible! We were both amazed, and cracking up all the way down the front straight, until we nearly ran off the end of the track!!
Bloody awesome bro! That was some great racing!!
The next F1 race was a bit of a scramble, Kelly had come back through the guys who take the transponders, and they had cut it off! She ran off to get it back again, and all was hunky dory, till I came into the midfield section, and saw Darryl on all fours, bike in the metal. Red flag came out, and we watched darryl limp his bike back in. Truely gutted for him. We got a four lapper of a restart, and I got another OK start, not jumping places, but only losing one or two. Raced, passed people, didn't get passed by anyone apart from the start, and came home a credible 16 of 26 starters.
Currently looking forward to spending a lot more time on the track, and getting some experience at making passes stick, and I will be spending a bit of time on my race starts. I need to make them work better if I want to stick it to em.
Thanks to all the friendly KB faces, Keystone, Motobob, Rossi Gal, Cowpoos, Sugilite, Goblin, Shaun, Torque, Dss3, LooseBruce, Mental Trousers, Cleve Brown, HDTboy, Vtec, Texmo, SVS, Death inc, Two Smoker, and anyone else who I can't think of at the moment, you guys all help make it such a fun environment. Loving every second of it!