MementoMori
19th August 2007, 12:28
Hmm. An interesting day to say the least.
Arrived at the track just before 8 and the early morning ran without incident.
Soon enough, it was time for qualifying.
Felt a bit uncomfortable out there, and throttle was sticking but was making my way around the track which is more than can be said for my races.
Exiting the sweeper and heading up the main straight when I saw the black flag, as did a few people so just to be on the safe side, pulled in to that little lane thingy before the hairpin as did a couple of others. Was some confusion about that but am sure someone else will relay events much better than me. Later asked Andy about that and realised that if I ever were black flagged, should continue round the track and pull in to the pits etc etc but wasn't a problem and came in last.
Race One must have been my most successful and disastrous race to date! I got a good start and gained about 4 or 5 places which I managed to hold right up until the hairpin where another rider squeezed tight up the inside then put the power on real early and I had to go wide and went for a little trip along the rumble strip to avoid having my front tyre kiss his rear! (his rear tyre I mean! :$). So I found myself either last or second from last again, I'm not sure which. Think it was last. But I managed to keep up with the pack and ended up following a guy around on an RG for about a lap. I managed to pass him somewhere around the new section which I was quite shocked about as I had never passed anyone like that before. I hope my pass was a clean one... I'm pretty sure it was. So yeah, I passed the guy and found myself following Jill around that long, sweeping left hander that joins the end of the new section to the back straight of the old section. I love that part!
I think I might have screwed up around the sweeper or something, I dunno but I found myself quite far behind Jill yet somehow I was miraculously catching up. About 2/3rds of the way down the main straight I had managed to catch up when I realised I had the opportunity to pass yet another person. My mind was screaming, 'no! don't try and pass the experienced nationals competitor and 650 racer you n00b!' but I thought sod it, I might aswell give it a go while I had the chance. I passed, and found myself in total surprise. Also found myself rapidly heading towards Toyota so braked and braked and changed down and changed down but stayed in my position in the middle of the track as I was worried about cutting up anyone behind me who could outbreak me. So, chucked the bike in to the corner and I ALMOST made round.
Before I figured out what was happening, I heard a kind of screech as my head hit the ground, then suddenly I saw sky, which one second later turned to ground, then sky, then ground, then sky, then mud. Stood up and dithered, trying to figure out how I felt about my first ever crash (went in waaay too fast and lost the front) then tried picking the bike up but kept slipping in the mud so waited for a marshal to come help. I think we left my bike at the side of the track and he checked my wrist out which I somehow managed to graze through my leathers and gloves but otherwise I was fine.
For some reason, I don't know whether it was the adrenaline or my insanity being knocked to the forefront but I couldn't stop laughing. The car dropped me off outside the ambulance where my mum met me, wondering what the hell I was doing with a big grin on my face. Got my wrist plastered up and about 5 minutes later, my bike arrived in from the track. The RHS handlebar had been bent down, the brake lever had snapped off and my rear brake lever was bent up.
Was pretty sure at this point that I wasn't going out again, yet after one hell of a bodge job later, courtesy of Andy and my dad, the bar had been bent back into place, and a new RG brake lever filed down to the fit the KR was added. Miraculously, they got the bike up and running again and I was pretty sure I wanted to get back out there again as soon as, and after being talked into it for sure, the Streetstock riders headed out to the dummy grid for the second and final race.
Intent on taking it easy, I stayed near the back and pottered around. Suddenly, every single corner became scary as hell and I was half-expecting to come off again. Still came as a surprise when I actually did manage to come off again, at Toyota, in exactly the same place as before, in exactly the same way. Wasn't going so fast this time round, and when I came to a stop I was still on the track, so after a mad scramble on all fours to get off the track I stood up in complete disbelief, and was absolutely gutted. Walked away, kicked a tyre wall then snapped out of it and realised I had better try and get my bike out of the edge of the track whilst the other racers were around the new part. Managed to pick it up but couldn't push it through the mud so had to wait for a marshal to help push it to the side. The marshal seemed a bit pissed off, so I apologise if I did anything drastically wrong. My crashing experience was nil until then so wasn't too sure whether I was supposed to get the bike out the way, or me out of the way.
Sort of scrambled over the tyre wall and had a chat to the other marshal who stayed with me till the race was over, then they loaded up my bike into the trailer and I got in the front of the truck thing. Was really pissed off at this point because I was really looking forward to racing and I couldn't understand why I had done it again. Managed to snap the new brake lever off and bent my rear brake back up again.
So yeah, a pretty interesting day. Got away with a bollocksed knee, swollen and grazed wrist, and minor grazes on my elbows and shoulders and hip bone. Pretty good going I reckon, could have been loads worse. Feel a bit pathetic limping everywhere. Awesome leathers repair man repaired the busted seams in my leathers, and repaired my knee slider velcro that had ripped cleanly in two for 20 bucks which I'm pretty chuffed about cos he did a bloody good job. I love my leathers now, they look so much better with all the scratches and scuffs on them. I've no idea why, I guess it makes me look like less of a n00b.
Would like to say a huge thank you to the marshals. I was aware they do an awesome job but when you've crashed and you see them coming to help, they're like saints. The two that sat with me during both crashes were really friendly so yeah, I really appreciate their help a lot.
I also owe a huge amount to Andy who spent all of his time between race one and two fixing my bike and making it rideable again. Can't thank you enough for doing that, even if all I did was smash it up again! Was funny when I came back into the pits and saw Andy, my dad, Kyle, Luke and a couple of other guys staring over my bike like surgeons over a body on the operating table.
Thanks to Jas and her mum for making sure I was alright and helping me figure out why I kept coming off! (will watch over that rut like a hawk next round!) My mum for putting up with me scaring the shit out of her twice in a row, and my dad for finding the whole thing hilarious once he found out I was OK. And cheers Luke and Kyle for giving me a hand with my bike in the morning. Oh and the St. John lady in the ambulance who patched up my wrist! She was great, made me feel like less of an idiot, hah.
All in all, it was a good day. Well it was going really well until I hit the deck and I would have liked to have seen how I would have progressed if I'd stayed upright but at least now I know what it's like to crash!
Woah, just previewed this and I've waffled on and on! If you managed to read through all this, then well done!
Arrived at the track just before 8 and the early morning ran without incident.
Soon enough, it was time for qualifying.
Felt a bit uncomfortable out there, and throttle was sticking but was making my way around the track which is more than can be said for my races.
Exiting the sweeper and heading up the main straight when I saw the black flag, as did a few people so just to be on the safe side, pulled in to that little lane thingy before the hairpin as did a couple of others. Was some confusion about that but am sure someone else will relay events much better than me. Later asked Andy about that and realised that if I ever were black flagged, should continue round the track and pull in to the pits etc etc but wasn't a problem and came in last.
Race One must have been my most successful and disastrous race to date! I got a good start and gained about 4 or 5 places which I managed to hold right up until the hairpin where another rider squeezed tight up the inside then put the power on real early and I had to go wide and went for a little trip along the rumble strip to avoid having my front tyre kiss his rear! (his rear tyre I mean! :$). So I found myself either last or second from last again, I'm not sure which. Think it was last. But I managed to keep up with the pack and ended up following a guy around on an RG for about a lap. I managed to pass him somewhere around the new section which I was quite shocked about as I had never passed anyone like that before. I hope my pass was a clean one... I'm pretty sure it was. So yeah, I passed the guy and found myself following Jill around that long, sweeping left hander that joins the end of the new section to the back straight of the old section. I love that part!
I think I might have screwed up around the sweeper or something, I dunno but I found myself quite far behind Jill yet somehow I was miraculously catching up. About 2/3rds of the way down the main straight I had managed to catch up when I realised I had the opportunity to pass yet another person. My mind was screaming, 'no! don't try and pass the experienced nationals competitor and 650 racer you n00b!' but I thought sod it, I might aswell give it a go while I had the chance. I passed, and found myself in total surprise. Also found myself rapidly heading towards Toyota so braked and braked and changed down and changed down but stayed in my position in the middle of the track as I was worried about cutting up anyone behind me who could outbreak me. So, chucked the bike in to the corner and I ALMOST made round.
Before I figured out what was happening, I heard a kind of screech as my head hit the ground, then suddenly I saw sky, which one second later turned to ground, then sky, then ground, then sky, then mud. Stood up and dithered, trying to figure out how I felt about my first ever crash (went in waaay too fast and lost the front) then tried picking the bike up but kept slipping in the mud so waited for a marshal to come help. I think we left my bike at the side of the track and he checked my wrist out which I somehow managed to graze through my leathers and gloves but otherwise I was fine.
For some reason, I don't know whether it was the adrenaline or my insanity being knocked to the forefront but I couldn't stop laughing. The car dropped me off outside the ambulance where my mum met me, wondering what the hell I was doing with a big grin on my face. Got my wrist plastered up and about 5 minutes later, my bike arrived in from the track. The RHS handlebar had been bent down, the brake lever had snapped off and my rear brake lever was bent up.
Was pretty sure at this point that I wasn't going out again, yet after one hell of a bodge job later, courtesy of Andy and my dad, the bar had been bent back into place, and a new RG brake lever filed down to the fit the KR was added. Miraculously, they got the bike up and running again and I was pretty sure I wanted to get back out there again as soon as, and after being talked into it for sure, the Streetstock riders headed out to the dummy grid for the second and final race.
Intent on taking it easy, I stayed near the back and pottered around. Suddenly, every single corner became scary as hell and I was half-expecting to come off again. Still came as a surprise when I actually did manage to come off again, at Toyota, in exactly the same place as before, in exactly the same way. Wasn't going so fast this time round, and when I came to a stop I was still on the track, so after a mad scramble on all fours to get off the track I stood up in complete disbelief, and was absolutely gutted. Walked away, kicked a tyre wall then snapped out of it and realised I had better try and get my bike out of the edge of the track whilst the other racers were around the new part. Managed to pick it up but couldn't push it through the mud so had to wait for a marshal to help push it to the side. The marshal seemed a bit pissed off, so I apologise if I did anything drastically wrong. My crashing experience was nil until then so wasn't too sure whether I was supposed to get the bike out the way, or me out of the way.
Sort of scrambled over the tyre wall and had a chat to the other marshal who stayed with me till the race was over, then they loaded up my bike into the trailer and I got in the front of the truck thing. Was really pissed off at this point because I was really looking forward to racing and I couldn't understand why I had done it again. Managed to snap the new brake lever off and bent my rear brake back up again.
So yeah, a pretty interesting day. Got away with a bollocksed knee, swollen and grazed wrist, and minor grazes on my elbows and shoulders and hip bone. Pretty good going I reckon, could have been loads worse. Feel a bit pathetic limping everywhere. Awesome leathers repair man repaired the busted seams in my leathers, and repaired my knee slider velcro that had ripped cleanly in two for 20 bucks which I'm pretty chuffed about cos he did a bloody good job. I love my leathers now, they look so much better with all the scratches and scuffs on them. I've no idea why, I guess it makes me look like less of a n00b.
Would like to say a huge thank you to the marshals. I was aware they do an awesome job but when you've crashed and you see them coming to help, they're like saints. The two that sat with me during both crashes were really friendly so yeah, I really appreciate their help a lot.
I also owe a huge amount to Andy who spent all of his time between race one and two fixing my bike and making it rideable again. Can't thank you enough for doing that, even if all I did was smash it up again! Was funny when I came back into the pits and saw Andy, my dad, Kyle, Luke and a couple of other guys staring over my bike like surgeons over a body on the operating table.
Thanks to Jas and her mum for making sure I was alright and helping me figure out why I kept coming off! (will watch over that rut like a hawk next round!) My mum for putting up with me scaring the shit out of her twice in a row, and my dad for finding the whole thing hilarious once he found out I was OK. And cheers Luke and Kyle for giving me a hand with my bike in the morning. Oh and the St. John lady in the ambulance who patched up my wrist! She was great, made me feel like less of an idiot, hah.
All in all, it was a good day. Well it was going really well until I hit the deck and I would have liked to have seen how I would have progressed if I'd stayed upright but at least now I know what it's like to crash!
Woah, just previewed this and I've waffled on and on! If you managed to read through all this, then well done!