Keystone19
26th February 2007, 10:43
For some insane reason, late last year I started thinking about doing a couple of rounds of the Nationals. Being a relative newcomer to racing I wasn’t too sure how I would get on. I decided that I’d do a trackday at Manfeild before I had to enter the Nationals proper just to see if I could do some laptimes that might be ok. I mean, I didn’t want to make an idiot of myself completely – I don’t mind coming last, but I didn’t want to look silly.
Anyways, the trackday went well so I posted my entry.
For some other insane reason I decided that touring the south island the week before the Nationals at Manfeild would also be a good idea. Needless to say, I arrived in Palmerston North the Thursday evening before practice on my road bike with no race gear in sight! Fortunately my trusty pit crew of Nicksta and team mate Cleve Brown turned up shortly afterwards having lugged my race bike and all my gear from Auckland! You guys rock!
Practice day and I was literally shitting myself! I had no idea how I was going to measure up against some of the country’s most seasoned F3 racers. I knew I had no chance against the likes of Terry Fitzgerald and Andy Bolwell – these guys have seriously modified bikes that put out way more horses than my standard SV, but there are enough guys running standard bikes to make it a bit of fun if you can keep up!
The practice day went well and I managed to get some decent times in and was pleasantly surprised to find that by the end of the day the transponders were working and I was in the ball park!
Saturday morning we had two 20 minute qualifying/practice sessions, from which the combined results gave you your grid position for the weekend. I was stunned to find that I qualified 10th on the grid (3rd row) just behind Garry Pendleton in a field of 17.
Our first race was that afternoon. I have never ridden so hard or so well in my life! In practice I had been struggling with lines around the final sweeper and through the S bends. In the race everything clicked. I pulled a fastest laptime of 1.18.189 and finished in 9th place. The grin on my face was so big crossing the finish line I thought my jaw would break! Coming into the pits I could see all my mates in the stands cheering me so I gave them all a big wave! What a buzz! That has to be one of the biggest, most memorable moments of my life, knowing I had ridden the best I ever had and to be able to keep up and to see everyone cheering – it was awesome!
After that I was able to relax a bit – my pit crew will testify that I was a gibbering mess most of the weekend up until then! Still, Sunday lay ahead and I seriously doubted if I would ever be able to ride like I had on the Saturday ever again!
There were two races Sunday. In the scrub in session I went out and circulated for a bit thinking I was doing about 1.23 or 1.22, came in to find I was doing comfortable 1.19s! Wow! The first race Sunday was interesting – first lap and I realised after I had tried my usual braking markers that my brakes were dodgy to say the least! I got a good start and held my 10th place going into corner one but after I realised the breaks were dodgy my usual efforts at out braking were not going to be happening. I got stuck behind a couple of riders and couldn’t get past despite clearly being faster than them in a couple of spots. Finished 9th again so still very pleased with that effort.
Last race of the day and the brake fluid had been changed and the brakes were working again. I was optimistic that I might even break into the 1.17s. Well, after my excellent start in the previous race, who would believe it but I stalled on the start line! LMAO! So, I was left standing while EVERYONE shot past. I shake my head, start the bike and get going, thinking to myself that I was going to have to ride like I’d never ridden before! I managed to pull in some of the slower bikes in the first lap and then started hunting down the rest. Pulled in Garry Pendleton but that took a couple of laps until I could out brake him into Higgins and duck underneath. Then I had Torque in my sights. I knew that was going to be a little more difficult. Torque and I are very evenly matched, the only advantages I have are size and weight. Much to my disbelief (and his I suspect) I got past him and eyed up the two bikers in front but time was running out and it wasn’t to be. Unbelievably I still managed to pull up into 9th place again. So although I should have/could have been a couple of places ahead, it wasn’t going to happen this time. But I left with a huge grin on my face, two sets of completely shredded tyres, an empty wallet, and a plan to come back and try it all again (and get those 1.17s which remained elusive).
So, three 9th placings in my first ever outing at the Nationals and a PB of 1.18.189 at Manfeild, I am still buzzing despite having ridden my road bike all the way home last night arriving in Auckland at 1am!
Thanks so much to everyone who helped me get to my first Nationals! You know who you are! I wouldn’t have been there without any of you! Nicksta, Cleve, KickingZebra (and assorted family members), Quasievil, Madduck, MikeyG for their help at Manfeild, Paul for the bike, Haldanes for helping me out, GIXser, Kiwitrackdays, hubby for giving me the time off to do it! And anyone else that I haven’t mentioned. Oh, and Frosty, who put me on a race bike in the first place.
Anyways, the trackday went well so I posted my entry.
For some other insane reason I decided that touring the south island the week before the Nationals at Manfeild would also be a good idea. Needless to say, I arrived in Palmerston North the Thursday evening before practice on my road bike with no race gear in sight! Fortunately my trusty pit crew of Nicksta and team mate Cleve Brown turned up shortly afterwards having lugged my race bike and all my gear from Auckland! You guys rock!
Practice day and I was literally shitting myself! I had no idea how I was going to measure up against some of the country’s most seasoned F3 racers. I knew I had no chance against the likes of Terry Fitzgerald and Andy Bolwell – these guys have seriously modified bikes that put out way more horses than my standard SV, but there are enough guys running standard bikes to make it a bit of fun if you can keep up!
The practice day went well and I managed to get some decent times in and was pleasantly surprised to find that by the end of the day the transponders were working and I was in the ball park!
Saturday morning we had two 20 minute qualifying/practice sessions, from which the combined results gave you your grid position for the weekend. I was stunned to find that I qualified 10th on the grid (3rd row) just behind Garry Pendleton in a field of 17.
Our first race was that afternoon. I have never ridden so hard or so well in my life! In practice I had been struggling with lines around the final sweeper and through the S bends. In the race everything clicked. I pulled a fastest laptime of 1.18.189 and finished in 9th place. The grin on my face was so big crossing the finish line I thought my jaw would break! Coming into the pits I could see all my mates in the stands cheering me so I gave them all a big wave! What a buzz! That has to be one of the biggest, most memorable moments of my life, knowing I had ridden the best I ever had and to be able to keep up and to see everyone cheering – it was awesome!
After that I was able to relax a bit – my pit crew will testify that I was a gibbering mess most of the weekend up until then! Still, Sunday lay ahead and I seriously doubted if I would ever be able to ride like I had on the Saturday ever again!
There were two races Sunday. In the scrub in session I went out and circulated for a bit thinking I was doing about 1.23 or 1.22, came in to find I was doing comfortable 1.19s! Wow! The first race Sunday was interesting – first lap and I realised after I had tried my usual braking markers that my brakes were dodgy to say the least! I got a good start and held my 10th place going into corner one but after I realised the breaks were dodgy my usual efforts at out braking were not going to be happening. I got stuck behind a couple of riders and couldn’t get past despite clearly being faster than them in a couple of spots. Finished 9th again so still very pleased with that effort.
Last race of the day and the brake fluid had been changed and the brakes were working again. I was optimistic that I might even break into the 1.17s. Well, after my excellent start in the previous race, who would believe it but I stalled on the start line! LMAO! So, I was left standing while EVERYONE shot past. I shake my head, start the bike and get going, thinking to myself that I was going to have to ride like I’d never ridden before! I managed to pull in some of the slower bikes in the first lap and then started hunting down the rest. Pulled in Garry Pendleton but that took a couple of laps until I could out brake him into Higgins and duck underneath. Then I had Torque in my sights. I knew that was going to be a little more difficult. Torque and I are very evenly matched, the only advantages I have are size and weight. Much to my disbelief (and his I suspect) I got past him and eyed up the two bikers in front but time was running out and it wasn’t to be. Unbelievably I still managed to pull up into 9th place again. So although I should have/could have been a couple of places ahead, it wasn’t going to happen this time. But I left with a huge grin on my face, two sets of completely shredded tyres, an empty wallet, and a plan to come back and try it all again (and get those 1.17s which remained elusive).
So, three 9th placings in my first ever outing at the Nationals and a PB of 1.18.189 at Manfeild, I am still buzzing despite having ridden my road bike all the way home last night arriving in Auckland at 1am!
Thanks so much to everyone who helped me get to my first Nationals! You know who you are! I wouldn’t have been there without any of you! Nicksta, Cleve, KickingZebra (and assorted family members), Quasievil, Madduck, MikeyG for their help at Manfeild, Paul for the bike, Haldanes for helping me out, GIXser, Kiwitrackdays, hubby for giving me the time off to do it! And anyone else that I haven’t mentioned. Oh, and Frosty, who put me on a race bike in the first place.