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nicko
6th July 2004, 12:02
Team Metalform Racing 26 June - Vic Club Round 3 @ Manfield

Team Metalform is pleased to announce that Russell Josiah and the Bike Torque Racing team with outlets in Taumarunui and Otorohanga will be assisting Nick and Mike for the coming National season and we would like to extend our appreciation. Any of you racing types or just fun bike users that are passing the Bike Torque way should call in as they have two well stocked stores with all your needs for Yamaha’s and Suzuki’s and as Russell is a former NZ road racing champion plenty of good advice if needed, not only that but they’re also the top selling Suzuki quad dealer in the country. Thanks Bike Torque.

Now, time to go to race at dleifnaM! Things were backwards at the latest round of the Victoria Club Winter Series, Team Metalform joined a great turnout of riders to attack the Manfield track in reverse. Decreasing radius corners are plentiful, braking markers are non-existent and it’s easy to find yourself getting caught out running into a corner too hot.
Thankfully the team kept it together and Mike came away with a couple of wins in F1 to boost his position in the points now sitting 2nd to Johan Bruns and with teammate Nick close by in 3rd spot. Nick now sits 2nd in F2 as well. Here’s the low down from the Aucklanders…

Nick Odermatt #80 Formula 1 and Formula 2
The track was a little damp in the morning and qualifying was not my strongest with some average laptimes. For the first time in the series this year I wasn’t on the front row in either class starting 6th and 7th in F2 and F1 respectively so wasn’t the best start to the day.

Lucky for me I managed to get off the line fairly well so made up a number of places before the first corner in my races. Johan, Craig Shirriffs and Mike were the pace-setters of the day and got into the 1.11 bracket. My best was a low 1.13 which was over 2 seconds quicker than my best last year but not quite up to this year’s competition, apparently the reverse circuit is quicker than the normal way round. You can get really hard on the gas out of the big sweeper and can hold a fair pace into Higgins and with the track narrowing up you’re braking hard while trying to tip the bike over at the same time, good recipe for a front end tuck!

The first F2 race I came home in 3rd spot behind Johan and Craig with Derek McAdam not far behind me, was a good race and there were a couple of green machines I had to deal with earlier on. The 2nd F2 race my start wasn’t quite as good and Derek and Carey Briar got past to leave me in 5th spot by the end of the race. The 3rd race was going great, I was holding 3rd spot with Derek’s CBR gnawing at my back tyre. I held 3rd the whole race but on the very last corner I overshot under brakes just enough to let Derek on the CBR through the inside. Couldn’t catch him before the finish and he reckons he was laughing all the way to the line.

F1 races included most of the F2 riders plus amongst others, the big R1’s of Mike Smith and Bruce Hansen. I finished up 5th, 6th and 4th in the F1 races, had some good dices with Derek and kept my nose clean to finish 4th overall for the day. Hansen crashing out of the 3rd race gifting the rest of us a step up in the placings. The 3rd race had us staring into the setting sun at certain spots on the track which made things difficult braking into the hairpin, lucky for me I had a styley tinted visor on my FFM.

Not a bad day overall and I’m still in top 3 in both classes, we’re at the half-way stage and I’m looking forward to the 2nd half, should be good fun.
This round was also the final round of the North Island cup, while points aren’t confirmed it looks like I finished up 2nd place in both Formula 1 and Formula 2. Last year finishing 4th in both classes so good to see the laptimes are still coming down and the placings are going up!




Mike Smith #44 Formula 1

Eileen and I left Auckland Friday around 10:30am for an easy drive down to Manfield via Taumarunui. We went that way so I could stop in at Bike Torque to arrange delivery of a very nice YZF426 and to talk of next season support for our team with Russell Josiah.

To make sure we had all our three rounds of racing, practice was cut to just one outing per class and as I am only in F1 and had only ridden the reverse circuit once before was not thinking my qualifying position was going to be too good. Not only that but on the second of my attempted fast laps I ran into chain problems and had to pull in. To my surprise I still qualified pole and with a good second ahead of Johan.

So onto race one and with Johan going under my qualifying time in his F2 race I know it would be tough to pull off the win. I got off the line well but as always Johan’s start was also strong putting his wheel just in front of me for the first 300mtrs to turn 1, I managed to get through into the turn first but with such a tight entry I ran a little wide on the exit letting Johan and Craig get along side for a short time until the extra HP of the R1 pulled me away. Although I had the straight-line speed Johan was on my case for the total race only dropping back on the last couple of laps for me to take the win.

Race two Johan got a flyer and led for the first 4 laps I pushed hard and managed to take him at the hairpin and kept the lead to the finish.

Race three as Nick had noted was very tricky with the low sun coming down the hill to the hairpin. Johan again got the start and I followed him for the first 7 of 8 laps thinking it was a good idea to settle for second and stay in one piece as he is not an easy man to get past and I had had a good day so far with no falls unlike the last round and wanted to stay that way. As we came down the hill for the last time into the hairpin it was just too tempting and I had a dive under Johan we then both managed to go through the next couple of corners side by side without touching (not sure how but we did) in the end it was Johan’s race and I finished second.

Another great weekend supplied by the Vic Club along with Tim Gibbes keeping us all running on time.

Below is the list of our sponsors which we would recommend you support if they provide something you need as this in turn helps us write these riveting race reports for all to read.


Team Metalform Racing would like to thank the following for their support:
Metalforming Technologies, Bike Torque Racing, Il Woo Industries, Pacific Direct Lines, Corporate Design, Pacific Freight Management, Waikato Sandblasting Services, Armour Linings, Fredco Motors, Metzeler Tyres, FFM Helmets, GP Star Leathers, Nazran Gloves, Maxima, Izumi Race Chains, Forma Boots, Total lubricants.

Motoracer
6th July 2004, 12:19
Awesome write up as always guys!! I'll hopefully see ya on the track for the next one @ Manfield.

What?
6th July 2004, 19:59
Team Metalform is pleased to announce that Russell Josiah and the Bike Torque Racing team with outlets in Taumarunui and Otorohanga will be assisting Nick and Mike for the coming National season ...
Way to go guys. That sort of support speaks volumes.

Two Smoker
6th July 2004, 20:13
Awesome write up guys :niceone:

LB
7th July 2004, 05:39
Good write up Nicko/Mike.

Really good to hear about the new sponsorship - we sometimes call in to the Taumarunui shop if they're open when we're passing through.

My understanding is that Russell is married to Simon Crafar's sister.

Mike - it's not a bloody hill going into the sweeper!!!!! :confused2

Looking forward to 24th July.

nicko
8th July 2004, 16:23
Cheers guys, I've heard nothing but good things about Russell, I'm stoked to get some good support.

C'mon Lynda, it's sort of a hill?! We've got to cling to any elevation we get in NZ tracks.

Story for me is I'll more than likely be holding onto my K1 for another season. I'll be spending a bit giving the suspension a freshen up and making sure everything is ticking as it should, got a truckload of spares now so would be silly spending megabucks just for a few extra horsepower on a new model....just ride the bloody thing harder I reckon!