Clivoris
26th May 2008, 23:48
What a bloody great day. The huge number of entries prompted my usual anxieties about qualifying and to make it worse this year I am trying 2 classes. A test of my off season temperance and fitness program.
Superlight Qualifying.
To be honest I was dreaming of qualifying around 30th so went out with the plan to keep it simple and ride the track like it goes in my imagination. Despite the Tokyo subway like crowds, I had fun and qualified 29th on the grid with a best time of 1:54. Equalling my PB from a trackday last month. I was so stoked that people thought I'd qualified much higher. The bike had a small fluff/miss/hesitation at around 11,000 revs but it wasn't too bad.
Post Classic Qualifying.
Still buzzing on my F3 time I went out to have more fun and give that lap time a nudge. Fook me if I didn't start getting the knee down and feeling comfy with it. Working hard on the 4 corners that give me the most grief and still having fun. Discovered that I had qualified 19th with a new PB of 1:53. I was having more fun than a porn-star by this time.
Superlight Race1.
Mmmm. Don't know about these bloody start lights and once I did get going all the spots I wanted on the track were already taken or looking like they were about to be taken. Soo many bikes, noise and adrenalin. Absolutely hooting with the joy of it. I got tied up in traffic with a while and even got to dice with a good mate who was riding his SV for the first time ever. After I managed to put some traffic between us I had to deal with young Ivan nudging past at some point. This was proper racing with guys that I couldn't get close to last year. Finished 26th on the track with a best lap of 1:53 again.
Post Classic Race1
I got a better start and did my best to hang onto it. I think it was in this race where there was corner 1 carnage that I avoided by being late to the party. Again the details are blurred but I remember Bistard putting a very unbastardly pass on me at one point and I finished in 14th for juniors with a PB of 1:52. I was so stoked to be mixing it with the likes of B'stard and the Wageners. And determined to get a better start next race. I had to risk upsetting my Mum and forget some of the manners she had taught me.
Superlight Race2.
True to plan I got a much better start and held onto my real estate in turn one like it was a treaty claim. This paid off big time with Taupo being such a hard place to get the pass on. I have no doubt that I was holding some geezers up as my best time went down to 1:54. But I'm not proud, I'll take that 14th position. Nicksta getting tired and having a lie down was good for me and worried a few people that the other good looking honda had crashed. The misfire on my bike was starting to get worse and I had arm pump on the left fore-arm, causing me to consider calling it a day, but some timely advice from a few peeps got me out there again.
Post Classic Race2
Forgive a senior moment but I think this may have been the race where Scracha got over excited. But I do know that Nicksta and I had some great fun with the traffic. Finished in 13th with a 1:53. Absolutely shattered and totally buzzed. Bring on round 2. Must give my bike some love and deal to the misfire.
Superlight Qualifying.
To be honest I was dreaming of qualifying around 30th so went out with the plan to keep it simple and ride the track like it goes in my imagination. Despite the Tokyo subway like crowds, I had fun and qualified 29th on the grid with a best time of 1:54. Equalling my PB from a trackday last month. I was so stoked that people thought I'd qualified much higher. The bike had a small fluff/miss/hesitation at around 11,000 revs but it wasn't too bad.
Post Classic Qualifying.
Still buzzing on my F3 time I went out to have more fun and give that lap time a nudge. Fook me if I didn't start getting the knee down and feeling comfy with it. Working hard on the 4 corners that give me the most grief and still having fun. Discovered that I had qualified 19th with a new PB of 1:53. I was having more fun than a porn-star by this time.
Superlight Race1.
Mmmm. Don't know about these bloody start lights and once I did get going all the spots I wanted on the track were already taken or looking like they were about to be taken. Soo many bikes, noise and adrenalin. Absolutely hooting with the joy of it. I got tied up in traffic with a while and even got to dice with a good mate who was riding his SV for the first time ever. After I managed to put some traffic between us I had to deal with young Ivan nudging past at some point. This was proper racing with guys that I couldn't get close to last year. Finished 26th on the track with a best lap of 1:53 again.
Post Classic Race1
I got a better start and did my best to hang onto it. I think it was in this race where there was corner 1 carnage that I avoided by being late to the party. Again the details are blurred but I remember Bistard putting a very unbastardly pass on me at one point and I finished in 14th for juniors with a PB of 1:52. I was so stoked to be mixing it with the likes of B'stard and the Wageners. And determined to get a better start next race. I had to risk upsetting my Mum and forget some of the manners she had taught me.
Superlight Race2.
True to plan I got a much better start and held onto my real estate in turn one like it was a treaty claim. This paid off big time with Taupo being such a hard place to get the pass on. I have no doubt that I was holding some geezers up as my best time went down to 1:54. But I'm not proud, I'll take that 14th position. Nicksta getting tired and having a lie down was good for me and worried a few people that the other good looking honda had crashed. The misfire on my bike was starting to get worse and I had arm pump on the left fore-arm, causing me to consider calling it a day, but some timely advice from a few peeps got me out there again.
Post Classic Race2
Forgive a senior moment but I think this may have been the race where Scracha got over excited. But I do know that Nicksta and I had some great fun with the traffic. Finished in 13th with a 1:53. Absolutely shattered and totally buzzed. Bring on round 2. Must give my bike some love and deal to the misfire.