ArcherWC
17th June 2007, 19:44
Part I, the lead up
The weekend started for me on thursday, running around like a headless chook, worrying about forgeting something for my first race.
Met up with Keystone and Madduc at midday and hit the road. After taking what im sure was the longest way to Feilding, we were finally settled into our motel.
Up nice and early for macdees breaky (why does it always seem like a good idea, but realise it really isnt half an hour later).
Setup up my pits, broke out the new tyre warmers (thanks to the itchy trout team) and tried to figure out how the lap timer works (left the manual at home, dope)
Met some of the other Kiwibiker crew, Nicksta, Death, Affman, Trash, Rusty, cheers to you all for being so friendly, it really helped with the nerves
Since I had never been to mansfield, the plan was to just get a feel for the place and see what sort of laptimes I could manage, after talking to Jill, i really needed to be close to 1:20's.
The first session really didnt feel right, I have a real phobia about right turns, which kinda buggers me for mansfield, and my times showed just how badly I was doing with 1:30's being average
After that the day just got better, with my times coming down to the 1:20's I needed by the third session.
Then early in the afternoon disaster struck, the last couple of laps, my bike was back firing more than usual and seemed to have lost a bit of go, I thought maybee one of the exhaust brackets had come loose and i had an air leek....... close, as soon as I got off the bike the first thing i noticed was the big airgap where my pipe should have been WTF its gone. Then the stories started, the scariest of which was Kickingzebra flying over the pipe with both legs in the air, narowly avoiding the concrete barrier, sorry mate.
Well thinking my weekend was done, I was pretty depressed, I loaded up the busted pipe and went searching in town for help. Luckely the local muffler man managed to sort a solution for me in double quick time, top bloke, unfortunatly sorting it ment a large bright orange coby poking out the ass of my bike, oh well at least i get to race.
The weekend started for me on thursday, running around like a headless chook, worrying about forgeting something for my first race.
Met up with Keystone and Madduc at midday and hit the road. After taking what im sure was the longest way to Feilding, we were finally settled into our motel.
Up nice and early for macdees breaky (why does it always seem like a good idea, but realise it really isnt half an hour later).
Setup up my pits, broke out the new tyre warmers (thanks to the itchy trout team) and tried to figure out how the lap timer works (left the manual at home, dope)
Met some of the other Kiwibiker crew, Nicksta, Death, Affman, Trash, Rusty, cheers to you all for being so friendly, it really helped with the nerves
Since I had never been to mansfield, the plan was to just get a feel for the place and see what sort of laptimes I could manage, after talking to Jill, i really needed to be close to 1:20's.
The first session really didnt feel right, I have a real phobia about right turns, which kinda buggers me for mansfield, and my times showed just how badly I was doing with 1:30's being average
After that the day just got better, with my times coming down to the 1:20's I needed by the third session.
Then early in the afternoon disaster struck, the last couple of laps, my bike was back firing more than usual and seemed to have lost a bit of go, I thought maybee one of the exhaust brackets had come loose and i had an air leek....... close, as soon as I got off the bike the first thing i noticed was the big airgap where my pipe should have been WTF its gone. Then the stories started, the scariest of which was Kickingzebra flying over the pipe with both legs in the air, narowly avoiding the concrete barrier, sorry mate.
Well thinking my weekend was done, I was pretty depressed, I loaded up the busted pipe and went searching in town for help. Luckely the local muffler man managed to sort a solution for me in double quick time, top bloke, unfortunatly sorting it ment a large bright orange coby poking out the ass of my bike, oh well at least i get to race.