k14
27th February 2008, 09:33
The long and arduous drive from Cromwell to Feilding was taken on the preceeding two days and I arrived at the track at 0830 Friday morning ready for the practice session. Thanks to Stewarts Electrical I had a pit garage for the weekend so unloaded the van and readied myself for the practice sessions.
I had some new clip-ons to try on my bike so fitted them up and got sorted for the first practice session. The first two sessions were spent adjusting these to my liking and then I could start to focus more on the rest of the bikes setup and adjusting to the new seal on the corners that had been repaired. Not having anyone to time me I didn’t have any idea on what lap times I was doing. I had a good dice with Cam Jones in the final session of the day and could keep up with him easily enough so knew I was there or there abouts ready for Saturday qualifying.
There had been rain forecast all week but Saturday dawned fine and sunny, hopefully it would stay like this for the duration of the meet. After riders briefing we had out first qualifying session. I was intending on fitting new tyres for the second session as I had the tyres I used at Levels and Teretonga still on the bike. So I went out for half a dozen laps to set a solid lap time and then came in. I finished the session with a 1.16.7 lap time (two tenths faster than I went last year) but still had a bit in reserve for the second session. This put me in sixth for the session and 0.9s off pole. I was very keen to improve upon this, knowing how important that front row start is.
I fitted the new tyres and left all other settings as they were and went out to try get a good lap in early on. I started off cautiously and after 3 laps I managed a 1.15.8, getting a bit of a tow from Jason Easton. I came into get the times off my pit crew and seeing as I had already improved by nearly a second I chose to conserve my energy and tyres and finished the session off then. I had greatly improved my position and with virtually everyone else improving their times I was fourth in the session and also fourth on the grid for the three races of the weekend. I was very happy with this and relaxed for the next two hours whilst I waited for my race to come around.
By now the temperature had soared to over 26 degrees so I made a small modification to the jetting and fuelled up the bike ready for the first race. We lined up on the dummy grid and went out for our two warm-up laps. I took my position on the outside of the front row and waited for the lights to go out. I got a fairly good start and was even with Jason Easton going into turn 1, I tried to go round the outside of him but he had the slightly better line and I took my position in 2nd behind him. I held this for the next lap and just focussed on getting my brake markers right and getting on the throttle as early as possible. On the second lap I was coming out of the hairpin and doh, neutral! So I slammed it into first and got on my way again. Not before James McKay flashed past but I managed to hold out anyone else into Higgins.
I crossed the line for the fourth lap in 3rd position and was feeling comfortable with how the race was progressing. By now the engine temp was up to 70 degrees and this was sapping power from my engine. There was nothing I could do about it now though, I just had to cross my fingers and hope it didn’t go any higher. As the race progressed I slowly lost touch with the group of riders in front, I just couldn’t match their speed down the straights. I slowly dropped back to 6th position with three laps left. I daren’t look over my shoulder to see how many more riders were behind me so I kept my head down and was determined to hold this position. On the ninth lap I again missed getting into first gear going into the hairpin, I had to have two stabs at getting back into first and lost a lot of time. Nick Cain came flying past and I was back on the throttle hard to try and get back past him. He gapped me by the end of that lap and that was where I finished the race.
Seventh position across the finish line wasn’t the best start to the weekend but I guess it could have been worse. Looking at the time sheets my fastest of 1.16.1 showed I finished the race right where my pace deserved to be. I was also just on 10 seconds off the leader, something to ponder overnight. Where can I pick up 10 seconds?
Again the forecasters were predicting showers for the Sunday but it was overcast when our scrub session started. I was also very humid, this would effect the jetting but I went the opposite way to try and stop the engine temp rising too far in the 10 lap races. I also made a gearing change and in the three lap scrub-in I instantly knew I had made the right decision. In two laps I had equalled my fastest time from the previous days race and was ready to dip into the 1.15’s.
We were called up to the dummy grid for our race but after a bit of waiting were sent back to our pits and a premature lunch was called. In typical fashion, a sidecar had decided to drop oil on three corners of the track. So the officials had some work to do. They did a great job and after they let the clubmans class go out to be the guinea pigs and make sure the track was ok.
So finally our race was underway and this time I got a blinder of a start. First into the first corner and managing to hold this for the first lap. On the second lap Cameron Jones and Tim McArthur came flying past after the hairpin and next lap Jason Easton came past. This was ok and I was still managing to keep the guys in front of me in touch. On lap four Adam Chambers came past and this was the precursor for a great battle. At various times on the next six laps I was anywhere from 4th back to 7th. Adam, James McKay and Kenneth Jones and myself were all swapping positions at every corner. At one stage we were four abreast coming into turn one, something I have never experienced before. It was very hard to gauge the trade off between braking late and compromising your drive out of the corner and track position.
We continued to jostle for position and on the ninth lap I came across the line in 4th position. James passed me under brakes going into turn one and I was right on his tail coming out into the fast left hander turn 2. We came up upon a lapped rider (Ivan) through splash and I was very cautious through here, not wanting to have an accident. I lost a few bike lengths to James and then Ken came up under me into the hairpin. This put me in sixth position with half a lap left. I was right in Ken’s slipstream down the straight and had already decided not to have a go under brakes into Higgins. He was very good under brakes but I also didn’t want to give him the advantage of the slipstream. James had cleared out by a few bike lengths due to the lapped rider a few corners previous. So I got into Higgins comfortably and got on the throttle as soon as possible. A little wriggle from the rear wheel but I kept it pinned and came out right in Ken’s slipstream. I went past him and kept my head under the screen as much as possible into the last corner. I rode a slightly defensive line knowing no one could go round the outside of me due to the oil on the exit. I held the throttle open to the finish line and finished the race in a very satisfying fifth position.
It was quite obvious to me that I had made a stuff up with my gearing for the previous days race and my best lap of 1.15.3 was 0.8 seconds faster than the previous days race best. That race was very enjoyable and taught me a lot of things about passing and track position in a “classic” 125 duel. The reaction from the supporters up in the Stewarts Electrical corporate box was also very pleasing. Glad I could be a part in putting on a good show for the crowd.
There was however the small matter of the final race of the weekend still to run. I now knew I had the speed to keep up with the leaders and was determined to get a top 3 position. The rain clouds were still brewing in the distance but it looked like they would hold out for my race at least.
We gridded up and the lights were out! I again got a great start and managed to holeshot into turn 1. I ran it a bit wide under brakes into turn 3 and Jason Easton was right behind to capitalise on my mistake. I took the semi wide line into the hairpin and James McKay came up under me. I did the switchback and tucked in behind his slipstream on the straight. I went past him under brakes and then I had Kenneth Jones to contend with. I had to sit up to avoid being hit by him and ran slightly wide on the exit. James came back underneath me and I crossed the line in 4th place at the end of the first lap. Next lap Cameron Jones came past and I was down to fifth. Not the best start to the race but I was right in contention for third with James and Cameron.
I had some new clip-ons to try on my bike so fitted them up and got sorted for the first practice session. The first two sessions were spent adjusting these to my liking and then I could start to focus more on the rest of the bikes setup and adjusting to the new seal on the corners that had been repaired. Not having anyone to time me I didn’t have any idea on what lap times I was doing. I had a good dice with Cam Jones in the final session of the day and could keep up with him easily enough so knew I was there or there abouts ready for Saturday qualifying.
There had been rain forecast all week but Saturday dawned fine and sunny, hopefully it would stay like this for the duration of the meet. After riders briefing we had out first qualifying session. I was intending on fitting new tyres for the second session as I had the tyres I used at Levels and Teretonga still on the bike. So I went out for half a dozen laps to set a solid lap time and then came in. I finished the session with a 1.16.7 lap time (two tenths faster than I went last year) but still had a bit in reserve for the second session. This put me in sixth for the session and 0.9s off pole. I was very keen to improve upon this, knowing how important that front row start is.
I fitted the new tyres and left all other settings as they were and went out to try get a good lap in early on. I started off cautiously and after 3 laps I managed a 1.15.8, getting a bit of a tow from Jason Easton. I came into get the times off my pit crew and seeing as I had already improved by nearly a second I chose to conserve my energy and tyres and finished the session off then. I had greatly improved my position and with virtually everyone else improving their times I was fourth in the session and also fourth on the grid for the three races of the weekend. I was very happy with this and relaxed for the next two hours whilst I waited for my race to come around.
By now the temperature had soared to over 26 degrees so I made a small modification to the jetting and fuelled up the bike ready for the first race. We lined up on the dummy grid and went out for our two warm-up laps. I took my position on the outside of the front row and waited for the lights to go out. I got a fairly good start and was even with Jason Easton going into turn 1, I tried to go round the outside of him but he had the slightly better line and I took my position in 2nd behind him. I held this for the next lap and just focussed on getting my brake markers right and getting on the throttle as early as possible. On the second lap I was coming out of the hairpin and doh, neutral! So I slammed it into first and got on my way again. Not before James McKay flashed past but I managed to hold out anyone else into Higgins.
I crossed the line for the fourth lap in 3rd position and was feeling comfortable with how the race was progressing. By now the engine temp was up to 70 degrees and this was sapping power from my engine. There was nothing I could do about it now though, I just had to cross my fingers and hope it didn’t go any higher. As the race progressed I slowly lost touch with the group of riders in front, I just couldn’t match their speed down the straights. I slowly dropped back to 6th position with three laps left. I daren’t look over my shoulder to see how many more riders were behind me so I kept my head down and was determined to hold this position. On the ninth lap I again missed getting into first gear going into the hairpin, I had to have two stabs at getting back into first and lost a lot of time. Nick Cain came flying past and I was back on the throttle hard to try and get back past him. He gapped me by the end of that lap and that was where I finished the race.
Seventh position across the finish line wasn’t the best start to the weekend but I guess it could have been worse. Looking at the time sheets my fastest of 1.16.1 showed I finished the race right where my pace deserved to be. I was also just on 10 seconds off the leader, something to ponder overnight. Where can I pick up 10 seconds?
Again the forecasters were predicting showers for the Sunday but it was overcast when our scrub session started. I was also very humid, this would effect the jetting but I went the opposite way to try and stop the engine temp rising too far in the 10 lap races. I also made a gearing change and in the three lap scrub-in I instantly knew I had made the right decision. In two laps I had equalled my fastest time from the previous days race and was ready to dip into the 1.15’s.
We were called up to the dummy grid for our race but after a bit of waiting were sent back to our pits and a premature lunch was called. In typical fashion, a sidecar had decided to drop oil on three corners of the track. So the officials had some work to do. They did a great job and after they let the clubmans class go out to be the guinea pigs and make sure the track was ok.
So finally our race was underway and this time I got a blinder of a start. First into the first corner and managing to hold this for the first lap. On the second lap Cameron Jones and Tim McArthur came flying past after the hairpin and next lap Jason Easton came past. This was ok and I was still managing to keep the guys in front of me in touch. On lap four Adam Chambers came past and this was the precursor for a great battle. At various times on the next six laps I was anywhere from 4th back to 7th. Adam, James McKay and Kenneth Jones and myself were all swapping positions at every corner. At one stage we were four abreast coming into turn one, something I have never experienced before. It was very hard to gauge the trade off between braking late and compromising your drive out of the corner and track position.
We continued to jostle for position and on the ninth lap I came across the line in 4th position. James passed me under brakes going into turn one and I was right on his tail coming out into the fast left hander turn 2. We came up upon a lapped rider (Ivan) through splash and I was very cautious through here, not wanting to have an accident. I lost a few bike lengths to James and then Ken came up under me into the hairpin. This put me in sixth position with half a lap left. I was right in Ken’s slipstream down the straight and had already decided not to have a go under brakes into Higgins. He was very good under brakes but I also didn’t want to give him the advantage of the slipstream. James had cleared out by a few bike lengths due to the lapped rider a few corners previous. So I got into Higgins comfortably and got on the throttle as soon as possible. A little wriggle from the rear wheel but I kept it pinned and came out right in Ken’s slipstream. I went past him and kept my head under the screen as much as possible into the last corner. I rode a slightly defensive line knowing no one could go round the outside of me due to the oil on the exit. I held the throttle open to the finish line and finished the race in a very satisfying fifth position.
It was quite obvious to me that I had made a stuff up with my gearing for the previous days race and my best lap of 1.15.3 was 0.8 seconds faster than the previous days race best. That race was very enjoyable and taught me a lot of things about passing and track position in a “classic” 125 duel. The reaction from the supporters up in the Stewarts Electrical corporate box was also very pleasing. Glad I could be a part in putting on a good show for the crowd.
There was however the small matter of the final race of the weekend still to run. I now knew I had the speed to keep up with the leaders and was determined to get a top 3 position. The rain clouds were still brewing in the distance but it looked like they would hold out for my race at least.
We gridded up and the lights were out! I again got a great start and managed to holeshot into turn 1. I ran it a bit wide under brakes into turn 3 and Jason Easton was right behind to capitalise on my mistake. I took the semi wide line into the hairpin and James McKay came up under me. I did the switchback and tucked in behind his slipstream on the straight. I went past him under brakes and then I had Kenneth Jones to contend with. I had to sit up to avoid being hit by him and ran slightly wide on the exit. James came back underneath me and I crossed the line in 4th place at the end of the first lap. Next lap Cameron Jones came past and I was down to fifth. Not the best start to the race but I was right in contention for third with James and Cameron.