vtec
24th July 2007, 21:44
Well, coming back from my disastrous second round where I crashed into a tyre barrier and then highsided in the next race, I was looking forward to shaking history and having a much better meeting this time round. However, I'd had some upheavals in my personal life and had been quite depressed over the preceeding few days before this race meeting, and I hadn't been able to sleep more than about 5 hours a night.
Race Day
Woke at 1am mind whirring. I had come to the realisation that my dreams of motorcycle racing glory on an international level were not only extremely slim, they would come at a huge cost in terms of my own life and in a monetary sense, and it had the potential to cost me my life or at least my quality of life... I couldn't stop thinking and I didn't go back to sleep, so with about 3-4 hours sleep under my belt it was not the best preparation for racing.
Supersport Practice
First ever time on brand new tires, and first time on my new (to me) K5 GSXR600 race bike thanks to Peter, Mum and Dad. I had no clue how the suspension was set up, but wasn't expecting too much on a bike that was new to me, so I was quite happy to try it as it was.
The track was still wet in places with puddles helpfully located around the circuit, I tootled around slip sliding all over the place, barely managed to up the pace as my new tyres slowly lost their slick coating, saw the white flag and began trying to put in a hot lap, and bugger me, before I got half way round, the red flag was out. Apparently Phil Snowden had been chasing me on that second to last lap and had come to grief quite spectacularly, sliding through puddles at pace. Was feeling really disappointed about not getting in a hot lap, but was very pleasantly surprised to see myself ahead of some very speedy characters such as Jay Lawrence, Nick Cole and Nick Odermatt on the grid. Johno qualified first, well ahead, his wet tyre gamble paid dividends, and Chris Sucich was flying in second on drys.
Superbike Practice
Went out feeling quite confident and stoked with the results from the supersport practice. Went out near the head of the field and only had the odd rider come through on me, till on the last lap a pack of about 6 superbikes carved me up. Bummed, qualified half way through the field in 17th. The track had been drying in a few places, and I had been too busy pussy footing around to take advantage of the dry patches. I really did not want to drop my new bike.
Supersport Race One
Two warm up laps and I formed up by the pit wall on the front row - yee ha. The green flag dropped and I got a pretty good launch, it was me and Jay Lawrence out front till we got on the brakes too early and Chris Sucich came through up the inside, as seems to be standard fare for him. Over the next lap I lost a couple more spots to guys like Nick Cole, Gordon Pullen and Johno still flying on his wets. Throughout the race I became more and more accustomed to my new bike and my new tyre profiles, and was fuguring out the pitfalls to avoid on the track. I started making good head way and caught back up to Nick Cole and Gordon Pullen and was right on their tales when I nearly highsided coming out of a corner on the power, I lost about 50 metres on them but started to regain it again but ran out of time as the chequered flag fell. Johno unfortunately endured his first ever high side crash which put me up to 5th postion.
Superbike Race One
Went out for the warm up, another two laps, got nailed past by a few bikes, gave me the craps. Came around a corner on to the midfield straight to see carnage all over the track. We all slowed down and as I cruised past avoiding debris one of the riders hobbled off the track as fast as he could, I was shocked to see one of the older racers with his visor and glasses broken and blood over his face lying spread-eagled. My emotional state already on tenter hooks, I just cried, I broke down right there while riding round and cried. I managed to get myself together by the time I got into the pits, but broke down again to my parents, this was the final straw. I have seen too much carnage in my year of racing. I had my first highside at the previous meeting and was concussed. I watched today as Glen Skachill hovered around after his crash with an agonisingly painful leg (worried about permanent damage), and sympathised with him over his badly damaged bike. I cried at Darryls funeral at the end of last year, and mourned Bruce. I was shocked by Shaun Harris' terrible accident at the Isle of Mann this year. I visited Paul in hospital with a broken back. I saw a man killed on a side car at the Puke Nationals just before my supersport race. For me it had finally become too much. I decided I would do only one more race. I didn't go back in the superbike restart after an extended lunch break. I would do the second supersport race and I would make it a good one.
Supersport Race Two
I wanted a podium from this race, and I wanted to do my family proud. We lined up on the grid. As the green flag dropped I got a good launch and was behind Jay Laurence into the first corner. Wasn't long before Chris Sucich came through followed by Nick Cole again. This time I couldn't quite stick with him though. Gordon Pullen and Kyle Key made a few attempts on me, and one of them got past. He made a small gap, but I hauled him in again. For some reason I was way better on brakes than him, and eventually outbroke him into the high speed entry to the sweeper. I was having a blast, I felt on top of the world but this was my last race, I was overcome with emotion and I was now riding harder and more passionately than I had ever ridden before, taking it to red line, I found myself screaming with the engine inside my helmet. I don't think I had ever lost control like that before, but it felt really good, a perfect outlet. I found myself doing this several more times on the final few laps. Near the end Kyle or Gordon managed to pull alongside me on one of the straights, I thought the K5 that I was on was fast, but some of those K6's were a lot faster. However in the state I was, he didn't have a chance of making it stick. I held onto 4th place to the line, physically screaming in my helmet. I had never ridden like that before, and I knew that I couldn't do it again. So I quit racing on a high, riding the best I had ever done. I made my parents proud and they were supportive of my decision to quit.
I have found that I need a new direction in my life to be happy. I need to experience other things in life. I need to become more than just a motorbike racer, which is all I have become over this past year and a bit. I need more depth.
I have loved my racing but it is time to move on. I'm also thankful I made it out the other side largely unscathed.
Racing motorbikes was something I had to do to truly understand what it would take to be a top motorcycle racer. I didn't reach the dizzying heights, but I think taht I did bloody well considering that my first track experience was on a pukekohe open day on a CBR250 just over a year ago, and I've spent about the last 9 months on a not quite competitive CBR600.
Some of you will be happy to know that I have decided that I have to race the last round of the vic series at Taupo, because I have finally got a competitive bike, and some new tyres, and it would be rude to not campaign them on my favourite track so that I'm not left forever wondering how good I could have been.
Thanks to my parents, thanks to Peter and Ally (Carbines Engineering), thanks to Ian (Pinto Trailers), thanks to Daphne and Colin, thanks to Cynthia and Ross, thanks to Leong. You all know the reasons. Spent a lot more writing time in my draft devoted to thanking and reasons but will save that for my finale in a few months.
Pics are from the previous round on my trusty old CBR600RR, Will have pics on the GSXR soon.
Cheers
Jason McCamish (#97, formerly #78)
Race Day
Woke at 1am mind whirring. I had come to the realisation that my dreams of motorcycle racing glory on an international level were not only extremely slim, they would come at a huge cost in terms of my own life and in a monetary sense, and it had the potential to cost me my life or at least my quality of life... I couldn't stop thinking and I didn't go back to sleep, so with about 3-4 hours sleep under my belt it was not the best preparation for racing.
Supersport Practice
First ever time on brand new tires, and first time on my new (to me) K5 GSXR600 race bike thanks to Peter, Mum and Dad. I had no clue how the suspension was set up, but wasn't expecting too much on a bike that was new to me, so I was quite happy to try it as it was.
The track was still wet in places with puddles helpfully located around the circuit, I tootled around slip sliding all over the place, barely managed to up the pace as my new tyres slowly lost their slick coating, saw the white flag and began trying to put in a hot lap, and bugger me, before I got half way round, the red flag was out. Apparently Phil Snowden had been chasing me on that second to last lap and had come to grief quite spectacularly, sliding through puddles at pace. Was feeling really disappointed about not getting in a hot lap, but was very pleasantly surprised to see myself ahead of some very speedy characters such as Jay Lawrence, Nick Cole and Nick Odermatt on the grid. Johno qualified first, well ahead, his wet tyre gamble paid dividends, and Chris Sucich was flying in second on drys.
Superbike Practice
Went out feeling quite confident and stoked with the results from the supersport practice. Went out near the head of the field and only had the odd rider come through on me, till on the last lap a pack of about 6 superbikes carved me up. Bummed, qualified half way through the field in 17th. The track had been drying in a few places, and I had been too busy pussy footing around to take advantage of the dry patches. I really did not want to drop my new bike.
Supersport Race One
Two warm up laps and I formed up by the pit wall on the front row - yee ha. The green flag dropped and I got a pretty good launch, it was me and Jay Lawrence out front till we got on the brakes too early and Chris Sucich came through up the inside, as seems to be standard fare for him. Over the next lap I lost a couple more spots to guys like Nick Cole, Gordon Pullen and Johno still flying on his wets. Throughout the race I became more and more accustomed to my new bike and my new tyre profiles, and was fuguring out the pitfalls to avoid on the track. I started making good head way and caught back up to Nick Cole and Gordon Pullen and was right on their tales when I nearly highsided coming out of a corner on the power, I lost about 50 metres on them but started to regain it again but ran out of time as the chequered flag fell. Johno unfortunately endured his first ever high side crash which put me up to 5th postion.
Superbike Race One
Went out for the warm up, another two laps, got nailed past by a few bikes, gave me the craps. Came around a corner on to the midfield straight to see carnage all over the track. We all slowed down and as I cruised past avoiding debris one of the riders hobbled off the track as fast as he could, I was shocked to see one of the older racers with his visor and glasses broken and blood over his face lying spread-eagled. My emotional state already on tenter hooks, I just cried, I broke down right there while riding round and cried. I managed to get myself together by the time I got into the pits, but broke down again to my parents, this was the final straw. I have seen too much carnage in my year of racing. I had my first highside at the previous meeting and was concussed. I watched today as Glen Skachill hovered around after his crash with an agonisingly painful leg (worried about permanent damage), and sympathised with him over his badly damaged bike. I cried at Darryls funeral at the end of last year, and mourned Bruce. I was shocked by Shaun Harris' terrible accident at the Isle of Mann this year. I visited Paul in hospital with a broken back. I saw a man killed on a side car at the Puke Nationals just before my supersport race. For me it had finally become too much. I decided I would do only one more race. I didn't go back in the superbike restart after an extended lunch break. I would do the second supersport race and I would make it a good one.
Supersport Race Two
I wanted a podium from this race, and I wanted to do my family proud. We lined up on the grid. As the green flag dropped I got a good launch and was behind Jay Laurence into the first corner. Wasn't long before Chris Sucich came through followed by Nick Cole again. This time I couldn't quite stick with him though. Gordon Pullen and Kyle Key made a few attempts on me, and one of them got past. He made a small gap, but I hauled him in again. For some reason I was way better on brakes than him, and eventually outbroke him into the high speed entry to the sweeper. I was having a blast, I felt on top of the world but this was my last race, I was overcome with emotion and I was now riding harder and more passionately than I had ever ridden before, taking it to red line, I found myself screaming with the engine inside my helmet. I don't think I had ever lost control like that before, but it felt really good, a perfect outlet. I found myself doing this several more times on the final few laps. Near the end Kyle or Gordon managed to pull alongside me on one of the straights, I thought the K5 that I was on was fast, but some of those K6's were a lot faster. However in the state I was, he didn't have a chance of making it stick. I held onto 4th place to the line, physically screaming in my helmet. I had never ridden like that before, and I knew that I couldn't do it again. So I quit racing on a high, riding the best I had ever done. I made my parents proud and they were supportive of my decision to quit.
I have found that I need a new direction in my life to be happy. I need to experience other things in life. I need to become more than just a motorbike racer, which is all I have become over this past year and a bit. I need more depth.
I have loved my racing but it is time to move on. I'm also thankful I made it out the other side largely unscathed.
Racing motorbikes was something I had to do to truly understand what it would take to be a top motorcycle racer. I didn't reach the dizzying heights, but I think taht I did bloody well considering that my first track experience was on a pukekohe open day on a CBR250 just over a year ago, and I've spent about the last 9 months on a not quite competitive CBR600.
Some of you will be happy to know that I have decided that I have to race the last round of the vic series at Taupo, because I have finally got a competitive bike, and some new tyres, and it would be rude to not campaign them on my favourite track so that I'm not left forever wondering how good I could have been.
Thanks to my parents, thanks to Peter and Ally (Carbines Engineering), thanks to Ian (Pinto Trailers), thanks to Daphne and Colin, thanks to Cynthia and Ross, thanks to Leong. You all know the reasons. Spent a lot more writing time in my draft devoted to thanking and reasons but will save that for my finale in a few months.
Pics are from the previous round on my trusty old CBR600RR, Will have pics on the GSXR soon.
Cheers
Jason McCamish (#97, formerly #78)