wharfy
30th September 2008, 08:17
This is pretty long, read it if you have some time to kill , otherwise
Executive summary
Katie and I had a shit hot weekend, I got 2nd in Clubman's B and the Vic Club and all the helpers put on another great show, thanks to all who helped and competed.
Qualifying
I was feeling pretty good about the weekend I had done a few practice laps on Friday and had tried out my new tyre warmers (It turned out packing the paddock stands and tyre warmers on the bike for the ride up was was easier than I thought it would be)
I thought I had finally got the tyre pressure's right and had new Conti sport attacks that had only done the previous round qualifying and the trip up and they felt good. I stayed out for the whole 13 laps but my best time was in lap 5 and 1.25.995 put me 13th on the grid. That is about my usual spot but I had hoped for better :-(
Race one
I was looking forward to 15 laps as I had really enjoyed the 12 lapper that was my previous longest race.
My start was not bad and knowing that my tyres were not stone cold meant that I didn't back off early for the first corner has I had always done in the past. I was not however quite ready for the crowd I found there !
I managed to get through OK and settled in to what has become the norm of watching the leading bunch get further ahead and me in my own little race. That soon changed and I discovered I was in a battle with a ZX6 and we swapped places a few times and I was lucky enough for it to be my turn to be in front for the chequered flag !!
With mixed classes and a few "xtra's" you are never quite sure how you have done (unless your first across the line I guess - but that ain't likely in my case:) So I waited impatiently with Darrin (scuzeme) for the results to be posted, 2nd in Clubman's B and 1:22.247 my best result so far !!
Race two
Sunday was forecast to be good weather, my bike was all ready to go in it's stall at the track so Katie and I were planning a leisurely start to the day with lie in and a coffee from wild bean. A fielding wide power cut put paid to the coffee, but it was still nice to know everything at the track was ready for the tyre warmers to be put on.
With plenty of time until the first race of the day I thought it would be good to watch the big boys and get some tips I thought if I could get a better start and just go a bit harder in turn one (taking advantage of my warmer tyres :) I could maybe get ahead of Darrin and hold him off as he was only a second ahead of me in race one. Any thoughts of a ripper start were blown away by events at the start of the super-bike race.
The clubman's start was uneventfully and I managed to negotiate turn one OK but I had lost a couple of places. I had watched the super-bikes carefully as they negotiated the oil spill at the hairpin and Craig Sherriffs and Sloane (and Glen Williams in super-sports) all took the inside line so I tried that a couple of times, but I ain't Glenn Williams and was very slow so I joined the majority and started going round the outside ( my "normal" line would have cut right across it ) I was trying to get past a Ducati (#944) and nearly ran into the back of it in turn one which put the wind up me a bit but I managed to keep close to him and on the very next lap was going inside him on turn one when someone went inside me - and promptly high-side on the exit right in front of me !! I backed off the Hornet stood up and I managed to get round him and was suddenly all by myself again. By now we were into about lap 8 and I was starting to get my second wind and really enjoying myself when a ZX6 out-braked me into a corner (I don't remember which one), bugger me if I am not in another duel with Lee Bradford !! I chased him hard for what seemed like forever and although I was all over the back of him in the esses the crappy surface there makes overtaking a bit scary for me. After several laps I decided that the only way to get past was to try something different so I got right up his arse in the infield and when he went round the outside at the hairpin I took my "old" line going wide then cutting across the apex (and the chalk line !!) and manged to get past him. It didn't stick and he was ahead again by Higgins - crap what now ? I tried going round the outside at Dunlop and that didn't work - but it was close ! I was pleasantly surprised at how fast the Hornet could go round there so decided I would try that again (plus all the other shit that had not worked as well just in case) I had been following him into Dunlop and waiting for him to tip in and go for the inside line but thought I could go a bit faster. On the last lap we battled really hard and I made sure I was right behind him coming into Dunlop for the last time and kept outside him as he slowed to tip in and got ahead and managed to hold it to the line 0.170 the gap !! 2nd again !!! 1:22.250 (didn't get close to Darrin though :|
Race three
Six laps only, means a good start and no cock ups or your out of the money ( or sashes in this case :) I got an OK start but couldn't seem to really get my shit together, Lee and Darrin were way ahead and I think I was trying to hard my best lap was 2 seconds slower than the previous races. Oh well I guess that means you won't have to put up with me droning on :)
Once again a great show put on by Vic Club and thanks to all who make my adrenaline fix possible.
:second:
Executive summary
Katie and I had a shit hot weekend, I got 2nd in Clubman's B and the Vic Club and all the helpers put on another great show, thanks to all who helped and competed.
Qualifying
I was feeling pretty good about the weekend I had done a few practice laps on Friday and had tried out my new tyre warmers (It turned out packing the paddock stands and tyre warmers on the bike for the ride up was was easier than I thought it would be)
I thought I had finally got the tyre pressure's right and had new Conti sport attacks that had only done the previous round qualifying and the trip up and they felt good. I stayed out for the whole 13 laps but my best time was in lap 5 and 1.25.995 put me 13th on the grid. That is about my usual spot but I had hoped for better :-(
Race one
I was looking forward to 15 laps as I had really enjoyed the 12 lapper that was my previous longest race.
My start was not bad and knowing that my tyres were not stone cold meant that I didn't back off early for the first corner has I had always done in the past. I was not however quite ready for the crowd I found there !
I managed to get through OK and settled in to what has become the norm of watching the leading bunch get further ahead and me in my own little race. That soon changed and I discovered I was in a battle with a ZX6 and we swapped places a few times and I was lucky enough for it to be my turn to be in front for the chequered flag !!
With mixed classes and a few "xtra's" you are never quite sure how you have done (unless your first across the line I guess - but that ain't likely in my case:) So I waited impatiently with Darrin (scuzeme) for the results to be posted, 2nd in Clubman's B and 1:22.247 my best result so far !!
Race two
Sunday was forecast to be good weather, my bike was all ready to go in it's stall at the track so Katie and I were planning a leisurely start to the day with lie in and a coffee from wild bean. A fielding wide power cut put paid to the coffee, but it was still nice to know everything at the track was ready for the tyre warmers to be put on.
With plenty of time until the first race of the day I thought it would be good to watch the big boys and get some tips I thought if I could get a better start and just go a bit harder in turn one (taking advantage of my warmer tyres :) I could maybe get ahead of Darrin and hold him off as he was only a second ahead of me in race one. Any thoughts of a ripper start were blown away by events at the start of the super-bike race.
The clubman's start was uneventfully and I managed to negotiate turn one OK but I had lost a couple of places. I had watched the super-bikes carefully as they negotiated the oil spill at the hairpin and Craig Sherriffs and Sloane (and Glen Williams in super-sports) all took the inside line so I tried that a couple of times, but I ain't Glenn Williams and was very slow so I joined the majority and started going round the outside ( my "normal" line would have cut right across it ) I was trying to get past a Ducati (#944) and nearly ran into the back of it in turn one which put the wind up me a bit but I managed to keep close to him and on the very next lap was going inside him on turn one when someone went inside me - and promptly high-side on the exit right in front of me !! I backed off the Hornet stood up and I managed to get round him and was suddenly all by myself again. By now we were into about lap 8 and I was starting to get my second wind and really enjoying myself when a ZX6 out-braked me into a corner (I don't remember which one), bugger me if I am not in another duel with Lee Bradford !! I chased him hard for what seemed like forever and although I was all over the back of him in the esses the crappy surface there makes overtaking a bit scary for me. After several laps I decided that the only way to get past was to try something different so I got right up his arse in the infield and when he went round the outside at the hairpin I took my "old" line going wide then cutting across the apex (and the chalk line !!) and manged to get past him. It didn't stick and he was ahead again by Higgins - crap what now ? I tried going round the outside at Dunlop and that didn't work - but it was close ! I was pleasantly surprised at how fast the Hornet could go round there so decided I would try that again (plus all the other shit that had not worked as well just in case) I had been following him into Dunlop and waiting for him to tip in and go for the inside line but thought I could go a bit faster. On the last lap we battled really hard and I made sure I was right behind him coming into Dunlop for the last time and kept outside him as he slowed to tip in and got ahead and managed to hold it to the line 0.170 the gap !! 2nd again !!! 1:22.250 (didn't get close to Darrin though :|
Race three
Six laps only, means a good start and no cock ups or your out of the money ( or sashes in this case :) I got an OK start but couldn't seem to really get my shit together, Lee and Darrin were way ahead and I think I was trying to hard my best lap was 2 seconds slower than the previous races. Oh well I guess that means you won't have to put up with me droning on :)
Once again a great show put on by Vic Club and thanks to all who make my adrenaline fix possible.
:second: