Jonno KZ Gnats

[kickingzebra]

This is an unapologetic rip from my Sportsbike post. Which is unapologetically poorly written, something about internet cafes just doesn't inspire me as it should... and my hands are damn sore cause I was going soo low I kept scraping my hand sliders (gloves) on the ground...

OK you get the pic... here tis. I am officially not the slowest. But nearly.
The calibre of guys out there is incredible, you just don't get this in club racing. Very humbling, but as has been pointed out, I have nothing to prove, and everything to learn.
Shaun has been great working with me over the weekend, can't thank the man enough. Shining example of humanity despite what some may think. ;) Thanks Shaun.

Nationals round one survived!!!
Practice was windy, quailifyinbg was windy.
I ran off in turn one of the eventual actual qualifying, (we had three..)
Qualified 9th of 16 in the pissing down rain (not everyone out)
then a bit lower when the rain had lightened, then they decided to run actual qualifying. I ran a real hot first lap on the tail of sam smith and nicko. Was going swimmingly well, until the final turn Elbow. That is a very hard turn. Incredible. Tryed to break from 4th gear, drop to second and belwo 100 km all from on the 100 metre marker. Then I target fixed. Off into the gravel I went. But it is deeep. Couldn't keep it up long enough for pregnancy to be an issue. Took a spill into the gravel, and my lanyard pulled.
The bastard thing of tuning a bike is that they can be really hard to start when hot. Or cold. argh. Took 5 minutes to get it started. The gravel was too deep to push out by myself, I am right in the crash zone, my bike won't start, no marshalls are helping...
What a bastard. So after the 5 minutes and a nearly flat battery it started for me, and I put in a few nice laps with gravel rattling around in my helmet.
Pulled a 1.08.4 which put me exactly last on the grid.
22nd out of 22, could be worse. Still, the fastest were 1.01 or so. So within the 15 percent cut. Wheww.
Racing, what a series of dramas.
Andrew Stroud came off in turn one on lap 8, after his coolant hose blew off, and leaked water onto the tyre... At 220. Ouch...
He didn't move. Lets just say there is so much more to the competitive edge of this racing game than just going faster than everyone else. Spect.
Red flag, ambul;ance comes out. Then eventually we have a restart, as they try and figure out if we should be restarting 20 laps or just the remainder.
Stroudy comes out with us, and that is a great story in itself, but 8 minutes on the timer says I must type fast.
Lap 9 of 13, I was lapped by Sam smith, Craig Sheriffs and eventually Seaton.
Then I lost concentration for half a second. Up onto the ripple strip, and down onto the ground.
Thinking to myself, bugger this, Im gonna pack up and go home...
I roll and roll and roll. It is a forth gear corner, but not flat out. Thankfully I didn't touch my new helmet down.
My lovely new blue quasimoto suit isn't soo lucky unfortunately...
Hurt my hands pretty bad, but they are coming right slowly.
Got the thing back together and re scrutineered... (duct tape hides much... muhahaha) and went out for the second race.
Managed to pass a 05 zxr600 on the end of the straight, and kept him behind me for the whole race, to my surprise. I am seriously noticing the lack of horsies. End of the nats is definitly a new bike for me.
So I am coming 20th of 22 entrants in 600 SS with 0.000001 points (or something like that, but I am learning a hell of a lot.
It is the best race environment ever, everyone is so friendly and great.
Full respect to the guys campaiging 2 bikes. Hell of an effiort.
Thanks to Shane (MT) Quasi, and Shaun, Chris, Chloe, Rob, Anthony, Nick, Frosty and Robert Taylor. All these people, and everyone else in the paddock who is making it such a worthwhile experience.
I'll come back a faster little boy!!

[Keystone19]

Good on you Jonno. At least you are there and doing it - unlike the rest of Team MaD Racing...

Glad everything is repairable...

Love you long time...:yes:

[skelstar]

A great read Jonno. Good to hear youre having 'fun'.

[k14]

Yeah good stuff mate. I'm a dumbass for not meeting you, or did i? Will see you at levels. Oh yeah, got some photos of you too. Will post them up later.

[ZeroIndex]

wow... that sounds awesome. Good luck with the rest of the Nationals

[Cleve]

Good for you teammate. Proud of you regardless of your distinct lack of podium finishes.
Maybe in Manfield you will not be last (that will be me instead!! - ha ha...)
A great report and the reading was almost as entertaining as the riding must have been...
Any TV cameras out there?

[k14]

Any TV cameras out there?
There was one on the 125 dummy grid for the last race that I saw. Apparently they have got TV coverage of all rounds. With the first report of levels/teretonga on the 21st of this month on tv one motorsport, sunday afternoon.

[motobob]

Great effort Johno. That 1st National is hard aye. Good luck in the next round and keep that bike sunnyside up.

[sugilite]

Great race report, great effort and superb attitude dude!
It was encouraging to see your smiling face throughout the weekend.

kudos to you and see you at levels!:rockon:

[Shaun]

Johno, you did dam well mate, and you are doing yourself proud.

It is great to see guy's like you out doing it, you have nothing to prove but keep on trying, that is exactually the attitude that will take you far in life.

Great to see your whole family along with you as well

[Torque]

Good on you mate!! really enjoyed watching you race and good to see you walking around with a big smile on your face, i still owe you a coffee.:yes:

[kickingzebra]

Hehe, Rob, you owe Bron the coffee I am told... She is a Hot choco drinker ;)
Thanks guys, am really loving it, Beginning to realise that to go fast for someone like me, though possible, certainly isn't just a matter of getting a fast bike and not thinking of consequences.

Gonna take a year or two of learning to get up to a reasonable pace, but I am gonna give it my best shot.

Bron is really enjoying the South Island, as we are meandering our way through all the little towns, staying in camping grounds etc.
Sarah is really enjoying all the hugs and adoring smiles from complete strangers, and all the sleeping time in the truck.

Levels this weekend, scared and excited. The bank balance is demanding I keep it rubber side down this time, so I'll do my best to finish all of the races.
Let y'all know how it goes!

[Cleve]

Good luck matey. Can't wait to catch up in Fielding.

[FROSTY]

Bloody good effort mate--It was cool seeing you dicing with sam there for awhile --Im only upset I diddnt get to be stepdad to ya lil gal--she is serously cute --Nahh mate Im kidding --bloody good to be out on the tr4ack with ya

[kickingzebra]

That was a slow weekend, but thanks to the generousity of the stewards, I was allowed to continue racing despite being lapped twice.

They instituted a rule saying in the interests of safety, if you are going to be lapped twice, you will be black flagged. I was fuming, because there were only two people on the track who that would apply to, and me, being at the back by a few seconds, was one of them.

the fast guys were seemingly not too bothered about having to ride around me, and I wasn't racing aggressively, to try and hold others up.

The goal for me for the weekend was to hit 1:15 s. didn't care where in there.
In qualifying I ended up getting a 1:15.8. I was pretty stoked, and thought, I will have to up my aim a bit. After hearing the black flag news I went out for 2 laps in tyre scrub session (on decidedly second hand tyres) and set a 1:15.2 on the second.

Was pretty happy, but had to be turning over 1:12s in order to avoid being lapped twice, in a 20 lap race by the heads of the feild doing 1:06.5s

Went out in the first race, fair pissed off (trying to foster the angry) and got an average start, last into turn one, 20/22 on the grid. Put in a couple of quick laps till I hit a nasty false nuetral at 240 on the straight. Bucked my rythym, and I settled from doing a 1:14.08 back to 1:16s and the like. really erratic. I was waiting for the black flag, being curtious to let the fast guys take the fast lines, and the next thing I see is a black flag with 16 written on the board. Aye?? I am 132? I know I am dead last, and I am expecting it.

Then The white flag, then the checkered!!! I was soo stoked to finish the race. Guy Merryweather, the MNZ steward, saw me on the grid, while marking my (now very very second hand) tyres, and said, the race was spread, so there wasn't any danger, so we let you finish. That man deserves a DB (sorry Nicko!!)

Much happier, at being allowed to finish the race we have spent thousands of dollars to get to, the day bore on, soo damn hot, it was unbelieveable.

Watched Hayden Fitzgerald throw his mighty honda 3 metres in the air at 280 kmph, land on the roof and windscreen of one of the marshalls vehicles, parked up and off the track. Shit that would have been scarey, sitting in the seat!! Hayden hit the tyre wall. I Thought that boy, hes dead. He wasn't. Got on the spare bike after the restart, and put in some smoking laps!! Let down by a loose clip on, but I suspect the hurt of the impact was catching up.

They trimmed our next race to 15 laps, which was good. I actuallly jumped about 3 places on the start, not turn one! (gradually lost them unfortunately)
Put in 14 laps, with each lap being within 1.8 secoonds, so the consistancy was coming.

I would like to come back to the SI mid year, and just refresh my memory.

Next year I aim to be a lot faster, and not have to worry about black flags.

Any, up to Ruapuna with the beautiful Bronwyn, and the sweet Sarah.

Is gonna be a goos week.
Love you all, buh bye!!

[skelstar]

Awesome writeup dude. Sounds like youre having fun.

[Joni]

I popped in to the shed to say hiya... Pity we never got to meet.

However I did meet your baby, she is lovely :love:

See you at Ruapuna... hopefully...

:sunny:

[Kickaha]

Good to meet you and glad you got to race, bit harder than those tracks up North aint it:yes:

[Toast]

Good stuff KZ, keep it up.

Man that Fitzgerald incident sounds amazing. How did it happen?

[Cleve]

Good stuff Jonno. Well done and keep up the great writeups.

[motobob]

Good on you Johno. Cool to see you had a great time out there. Must help the confidence going into the next round.

[chanceyy]

awesum read jonno .. hope you guys have a great week down there noice to be able to spend sum quality time with bron & the wee one ..(they grow up so fast )

good luck for next weekend :)

[JayRacer37]

Good stuff KZ, keep it up.

Man that Fitzgerald incident sounds amazing. How did it happen?

From what was going around the pits, Hayden got tangled up with Chris Seaton at the end of the straight, Hayden went one way and the bike the other, when the bike hit the dirt it picked up and ground looped the wall....slightly intimidating to anyone standing around there i'd imagine.....

[kickingzebra]

Jay has it on the nail, ripped a large chunk out of seatons rear tyre! Flicked the bike up, and onwards! Would be great to have a video of it, that was amazing!!

[kickingzebra]

Oh yeah, and I hit ruapuna, confidence is coming up for sure now, I am really liking that track. Third lap I hit 1:50, and got it down to pretty easy 1:45s on rooted tyres. Stroud and Sheriffs were doing 1:37s, so If I can get to 1:42s or so I will be stoked.
Really looking forward to the north island rounds now too!! Only hope she stays dry for us!

[Cleve]

Oh yeah, and I hit ruapuna, confidence is coming up for sure now, I am really liking that track. Third lap I hit 1:50, and got it down to pretty easy 1:45s on rooted tyres. Stroud and Sheriffs were doing 1:37s, so If I can get to 1:42s or so I will be stoked.
Really looking forward to the north island rounds now too!! Only hope she stays dry for us!

Go Jonno. The Mini's are doing 42's as well...

[k14]

Go Jonno. The Mini's are doing 42's as well...
Mini's? As in cars? Yeah but they don't use the same circuit as bikes do, they cut out the dipper.

[Cleve]

Mini's? As in cars? Yeah but they don't use the same circuit as bikes do, they cut out the dipper.

Awwww OK... but just trying to wind up Jonno mainly :innocent:

[Nicksta]

keep the reports coming Jono.... hopefully i might make it to manfield to watch that round and Puke after that..... ride safe dude!!

[kickingzebra]

Down to 1:42s... Legend has it the lap record on a 125 GP is 1:37, so got a way to go. Qualifying was interesting, I was geared up for doing 3 laps on wet tyres, as it was pretty wet. Then she dryed out in a hurry. Still the odd river, but mostly dry, hurridly changed to drys (Thanks heaps Bret!!) adn got on the track, but forgot to put more gas in....

Got through 4 or 5 laps, and was worried about running out, so came in for more gas, put in an OK 1:46 lap, then slowed down (not sure why, but thats what the lap times say) Pretty confident that with a nice dry track I can keep lapping at the 1:42 or 1:43 pace, and will do my damndest to get to 1:40s.
Having real fun on this track, and really enjoying myself. Skill level is slowly climbing, though not as quickly as I would have hoped....

Will keep at it, and hopefully get a bit quicker yet.
See any that will at PMCC rd 3!!

[kickingzebra]

Internet cafe race report...

I had fun but went slow. didn't make my 1:40s, well, may have, but i don't have the times for our restarted race.

First race, I got an OK start, arm pump by lap two screwed me proper. Came right by lap 8 and I started catching up to the next slowest guy, but never quite got there. If it was the full 20 laps, he would have been history. ;)
3 crashes meant I didn't get no points, but still had less than 0.1 of a point!

Second race, I got a mint start, jumped a full row, and Then lost 3 or 4 places into turn 1 and 2. Went bugger this, fought back to get in front of Daniel, and start chasing Chris and co. Was doing ok, and had opened a nice gap on Daniel, when someone threw it away big time in turn one. Saw the dust and red flag, back to the pits, wait, go again.

Back to the start, I had no idea how long the race was to be (none of us did till we were on the grid, turned out to be ten laps) Got the worst start in the history of man, not quite stalling, but lost over 100 metres before I finally got her rolling. Gutted!! Went about the catch up business (the first lap is always slowest, as traffic makes it difficult to put in clean laps)

Caught up to Daniel, again, but I wasn't quite brave enough to cut him up, and didn't have the horsies to do it on exit, despite higher corner speed, later braking etc. Basically sat there, on his arse until the straight, reel him back, not be able to pass, lose him, reel him back, so on so on. Then, on lap 9, knowing the fast boys are gaining on us (the hairpin is great for that) I think, I have to take him before they get to us, otherwise that is the race over,

Sam Smith catches me just before the entry to the dipper. Cuts me up, I stood it up, then dropped right in. The fast guys can figure out a SAFE pass I figure. Then Seato, Charlton, and Sheriffs go flying through in close order. I hug the inside line, still hoping for a chance to get Daniel, Next thing I see is Daniel and Craigs bike into each other, and Both going down, I put head down and arse up, to hit the finish line with no more lappers getting me.

Dumped the bike and sprinted over to check how the guys are.

Both ended up being fine, but several points must be clarified in my opinion. All of the news reports make it seem as if the lapped riders (Daniel and I) were in the wrong for the crash.

The rules state that the onus is on the overtaking rider to ensure the pass is safe. Like a rear end crash on the motorway, regardlez of circumstance, the overtaking rider is supposed to ensure the safety, and though I don't personally have a beef with Craig Sheriffs (I quite like the guy) I am very frustrated that the lapped rider is painted to be the bad guy.

Everyone has to start somewhere, and without slower riders on the grid, racing would not be possible. Sure, we may be slower this season, but what about next? the one after? Don't scare away the fresh blood to the sport by painting them as the bad guy when something goes wrong.

If Daniel doesn't officially protest this, then he needs his head read, unfortunately, the news is already out there, and slower riders are demonised.

That is my weekend rant over. I am to catch the ferry in an hour and a half, and have a grumpy baby, so till I elaborate (which I shall) I bid thee all adieu!

[Nicksta]

thanks Jono.... interesting read.... hope it gets sorted....
i wonder if they think that the lapped bikes should have got out of the way (off the race line).... i'm with you on this one...

[svs]

it's not your place to protest :) there's 2 sides to every story, and it'll probably go down as a racing incident. (disclaimer: i wasn't there, i didn't see what happened, so i am in no way to qualified to comment!) did daniel hold his line? or did he sit up and try and move out the way?

there's always going to be quite a difference in speed over here in NZ. in the UK you can't get a national level license until you have finished in the top 50% in at least 10 meetings at 4 different venues. that's after you've done your 10 meetings at 3 venues to get rid of your novice bib!

I think it's great that you've got out there and done the full nats series, but the level of competition is higher and there is more at stake than at the club level. guys like shirriffs may not be riding at 100% when they do the vicclub series, but when the NZGP is up for grabs, they'll be going all out.

[FROSTY]

Jonno mate you and I are never gonna agree on this one--it was sam that gave him a tap-- a very light barely a touch tap none the less Honest injun I saw the whole thing.Sam has said sorry to all concerned
No question craig shouldnt have tried the move he did --it was a very ballsy call and he himself did say he shoulda just followed sam through and tried up n over the top at the sweeper -

[kickingzebra]

My frustration isn't that the incident occured, it is that the slow rider is automatically to blaim. Frosty is apparently right in that Daniel had to move his line because Sam was coming through. Again, no beef with Sam either, the guy is doing amazing things, and I am amazed at the balls and control the guy has.

Fact of the matter is I intend on being a much faster rider, to which end the wheels are in motion, at which point, my personal vested interest from the lower end of the feild will cease, However, The easiest way to learn speed and race craft is by following the faster guys where possible, and from the meeting at levels, regarding black flagging on the second lapping, I didn't talk to any of the fast guys who said they wished the slower riders weren't out there. Talking to Andrew, he was saying in some respects, the slower riders help the fast guys to be faster. As they have to whip through the corner or brake even harder, in order to get past them as quickly as possible.

I am just severely pissed off that the slow rider is painted as the casue of the crash. We all alter our lines to suit the situation, and this particular situation was a no win. Fact of the matter is, If I had been trying to get Daniel on the outside line, rather than going in tight hoping for the exit, it would have been me who was crashed into. And that is not lost on me.

Still, the onus is on the over taker. We have discussed blue flags etc, but unless the slower riders are called in, ie black flagged, you are always going to have this predicament.

Again, for perspective, there is qualifying at the national level, set at 15 % off the fastest guys pace, In this case, Sam Smith, with 1:33.
Daniel and I both easily made that grade, Previous years, qualifying has been 10 %. Daniel didn't go out in qualifying, but had been setting 1:43s, with a personal best of 1:40s or so. I qualified at 1:46, with a PB of 1:42.9 Just outside the 10 %, but well within the 15.

I understand some of what is at stake for the few professional riders we have in NZ. and I for one, have tried my damndest to not hold anyone up. Hell, the way everyone on the grids bikes are tuned, you can hear them all coming anyway with the overfueling and subsequent backfires.

From now on, my goal is to be in the not lapped at all segment of the feild, because I am beginning to realise I have not too much time to try and make something of this if I wish to take it seriously. If at all possible, I will try to become one of those professional riders. Like all things, give it time. But I am going to change my focus from trying to run a race without holding anyone up, to being on or closer to the pointy end pace.

I approached the rounds thus far with the goal of fun first and formost, which it has been GREAT for, and learning to be faster secondary.

Now I am going to try and be faster, while still enjoying myself.

I would encourage anyone thinking of giving it a go, to do it, but be prepared for disappointment. My head bubble was popped at Wanganui, and then slightly inflated again at Taupo, only to be utterly destroyed, with an all time low at levels.

Yes, racing should be gentlemanly in some respects, but I need to put a bit more mongrel in me to get to where I want to go. Watch this space I guess!!

I do not think there is sufficient money, riders or races within the NZ system to allow a mirror of the UK system.

[FROSTY]

I agree totally mate--the incident I had with Terry fitzgerald -I went and said sorrry--He said I had NOTHING to say sorry for. He knew I had to turn in to nannas and was happy I held a "soft" line.
How in any way a lapped rider is responsible baffles me.
Dont sweat it dude -those that matter know what the truth is -theres more important stuff to worry about--like tyres for manfeild!!!!!

[JayRacer37]

yea these thing's happen eh, there called 'Racing incident's'. As Frosty found with Terry, most of the riders doing the lapping know whats happening. It's unfortunate, but sometimes things like what happened between Daniel and Craig DO happen. And Sam stood up at the prizegiving and admited fault, and appoligised for it. Top man, when your in his position I guess you just have to go for those gaps. Unfortunatly i'm NOT in his position (1st) YET- one day shortly though!

[Maido]

Unfortunatly i'm NOT in his position (1st) YET- one day shortly though!

when you get the right compound continentals you just might be supprised!!!

[JayRacer37]

when you get the right compound continentals you just might be supprised!!!

We certainly are hoping so!!! :Punk:
the slides are fun tho....how will I entertain myself?? oh-by thrashing Ant's 250!

[Maido]

how did you end up in race 2??, sorry i caused the restart :innocent:

[bistard]

Jonno mate you and I are never gonna agree on this one--it was sam that gave him a tap-- a very light barely a touch tap none the less Honest injun I saw the whole thing.Sam has said sorry to all concerned
No question craig shouldnt have tried the move he did --it was a very ballsy call and he himself did say he shoulda just followed sam through and tried up n over the top at the sweeper -

I agree,as well,I was not there,but spoke to Craig Shirriffs yesterday & he said the same thing

[kickingzebra]

how did you end up in race 2??, sorry i caused the restart :innocent:

Narrowly avoided the crash, to come in 14th. Less to do with skill than luck ;)
Hopefully come back next year, and do a proper job of it!

[JayRacer37]

how did you end up in race 2??, sorry i caused the restart :innocent:

Were you talking at me??
Restard did the business for me, knocked it back to ten laps lenth, and stuck with the leaders right till the end. after Craig's mishap ended up 5th. Happy with that, for now....
Went under last years lap record by 4 tenths..unfortunatly that was 7 tenths slow this year :angry: Do'h!!

[k14]

Were you talking at me??
Restard did the business for me, knocked it back to ten laps lenth, and stuck with the leaders right till the end. after Craig's mishap ended up 5th. Happy with that, for now....
Went under last years lap record by 4 tenths..unfortunatly that was 7 tenths slow this year :angry: Do'h!!
Was cool to see you in the onboard shot of derek mcadam, that was, until he crashed. Could see that you were alot faster through pothole than him.

P.S. KZ, the coverage yesterday shows very clearly how the incident was no fault what so ever of the back marker. Sam did a dodgy pass and was lucky he didn't get taken out too. It was however a racing incident and there was no way he could protest it, just how things go sometimes.

[JayRacer37]

Was cool to see you in the onboard shot of derek mcadam, that was, until he crashed. Could see that you were alot faster through pothole than him.

P.S. KZ, the coverage yesterday shows very clearly how the incident was no fault what so ever of the back marker. Sam did a dodgy pass and was lucky he didn't get taken out too. It was however a racing incident and there was no way he could protest it, just how things go sometimes.

Yeap. Yesterday's footage completly vindicate's Daniel's anger. It was a little dodgy though, Sam managed to badly cut up Jonno (KZ) just one corner earlier...and there definitly wasn't room to stick it past Daniel, that much is clear from the video. He was VERY lucky (Sam).

[kickingzebra]

for the record, I know any protest is not going to change the results, my point in the first place is, for the system to work, it has to hold people to account for dangerous actions. Nothing more than an official word of displeasure, and the vindication of us slow guys, from being at fault is what I was after. Its hard to make TV lie, I am looking forwad to seeing the video now!

[motobob]

Since when has it been the rider being overtakens fault. The rider performing the move is supposed to perform a safe manoevre. Craig has overtaken most of NZ so he should be intimate in each riders cornerining techniques lol. Got to go with Johno on this one.