vtec
16th October 2008, 13:12
Well, went racing again. Also really lucky that work needed me to go to Bright nearby on the monday morning to do a depreciation schedule, so they'd hired me a commodore station wagon, and organised accommodation for me in wangaratta on the sunday night. Still on the saturday I had to somehow get my bike from my house in Prahran to the wreckers in Heidelberg. Was planning on riding it 20km through the busy streets of Melbourne, and then catching the train back after checking out my brothers new place in Heidelberg, but because the hatch that work had ordered me was delayed, the guy gave me a commodore wagon instead. Managed to get the help of some young lad up the road from my to put the bike in the back of the wagon on its side, and drove it to the wreckers, didn't leak too much fuel thankfully.
This time I had to drive about 300km to winton. Got up at 4.30am on Sunday morning. Got my crap in the car and got moving. Borrowed my mates GPS Navman, cause I lose my bearings so easy.
Got to the track by about 7.30am, and soon afterwards Dan turned up with my ride in tow. I always hate scrutineering cause they always look at my bike closely, and there's always something wrong with it, and it does look like arse. This time I had crankcase protectors on so they couldn't pull me up for having damaged crankcases, but still there's plenty of other little faults they could get me on. Pointed out my radiator cap wasn't lockwired, and the weights on the wheel weren't taped down. Thankfully failed to notice that the right handlebar comes back to the tank at full lock. Hadn't fixed that after my last off previously at Philip Island.
So anyway, first practice was Formula 3 which includes my class (250 4 stroke) and 650 twins and 400's and 250 2 strokes. Great class. Most people were taking it easy to start with, and the wideness of the track meant that I could start going in to corners hot straight away. Felt really good. But obviously there were plenty of people faster than me.
First race. I was on about 4th row of the grid for the whole F3 class which put me in front of all the other 250 2 strokes. But as usual on the launch I stick with the field to the top of first gear and then everyone leaves me in their dust as I kick shit out of my gear lever trying to get it into second. It's still a fun way to race though, because it means you get to pass lots of people (around the outside :)). Got past Keith the front running 250 four stroke by about the second lap a nice little one on the inside after braking late. His bike's pretty quick he's put quite a bit of effort into modifications. Then started battling with a 250 2 stroke, then a 400, then a 650 twin, and then got on the back of this nice looking aprilia motard, he wasn't very good on the brakes, and after following him for a couple of laps, managed to make a pass stick and get enough space so he couldn't pass me on the straights.
Well, I could go on and do descriptions of all my other races, but they all sort of blend. so I'll just let you know the results. 3 wins from 3 starts in the 250 4stroke category, they call it production superlites or something like that. Had some great battles in the interclub races the last of which I was following a 600 supersport around for ages, he was leaving me for dead, and wasn't all bad on the brakes but I was making up tonnes of ground in some of the high speed corners. Got lapped by the superbikes after about 6 laps though :P
All up had 6 races I think. And had a blast in all of them. Loved Winton, a brilliant motorcycle racing circuit. For the little bikes it's even better than Philip Island.
Also, other news in my life... Marcel my german rock climbing mate has gone to Perth. Liam is still about. Vicky Marcel's girlfriend has gone too. My little brother and his wife have moved to Melbourne, although for some stupid reason they've moved to the outer suburbs (boring). Stacey and a friend of her's Eva came and stayed with me before they did the Melbourne Half Marathon. My mate Rusty in the Red ferrari shirt with the shoes, is the best wing man EVER. And I keep getting abused by Melbournites taking the moral high ground and telling me off for riding my bicycle in a way they often disapprove. If they tried it in Auckland they'd get some Maori trying to take their heads off. They love tooting here.
Oh yeah, and the girl next to the green motorbike is possibly the hottest motorcycle racer ever she flew past me at Broadford in the wet and then promptly flew into a ditch hahaha. Gave her my card then she introduced me to her boyfriend.
Finally, if anyone wants a partner for the endurance race at Taupo of the 29th. Think of me please :) I'll be back in NZ on the 6th and working as a bike courier till xmas... yippeeeeee.
This time I had to drive about 300km to winton. Got up at 4.30am on Sunday morning. Got my crap in the car and got moving. Borrowed my mates GPS Navman, cause I lose my bearings so easy.
Got to the track by about 7.30am, and soon afterwards Dan turned up with my ride in tow. I always hate scrutineering cause they always look at my bike closely, and there's always something wrong with it, and it does look like arse. This time I had crankcase protectors on so they couldn't pull me up for having damaged crankcases, but still there's plenty of other little faults they could get me on. Pointed out my radiator cap wasn't lockwired, and the weights on the wheel weren't taped down. Thankfully failed to notice that the right handlebar comes back to the tank at full lock. Hadn't fixed that after my last off previously at Philip Island.
So anyway, first practice was Formula 3 which includes my class (250 4 stroke) and 650 twins and 400's and 250 2 strokes. Great class. Most people were taking it easy to start with, and the wideness of the track meant that I could start going in to corners hot straight away. Felt really good. But obviously there were plenty of people faster than me.
First race. I was on about 4th row of the grid for the whole F3 class which put me in front of all the other 250 2 strokes. But as usual on the launch I stick with the field to the top of first gear and then everyone leaves me in their dust as I kick shit out of my gear lever trying to get it into second. It's still a fun way to race though, because it means you get to pass lots of people (around the outside :)). Got past Keith the front running 250 four stroke by about the second lap a nice little one on the inside after braking late. His bike's pretty quick he's put quite a bit of effort into modifications. Then started battling with a 250 2 stroke, then a 400, then a 650 twin, and then got on the back of this nice looking aprilia motard, he wasn't very good on the brakes, and after following him for a couple of laps, managed to make a pass stick and get enough space so he couldn't pass me on the straights.
Well, I could go on and do descriptions of all my other races, but they all sort of blend. so I'll just let you know the results. 3 wins from 3 starts in the 250 4stroke category, they call it production superlites or something like that. Had some great battles in the interclub races the last of which I was following a 600 supersport around for ages, he was leaving me for dead, and wasn't all bad on the brakes but I was making up tonnes of ground in some of the high speed corners. Got lapped by the superbikes after about 6 laps though :P
All up had 6 races I think. And had a blast in all of them. Loved Winton, a brilliant motorcycle racing circuit. For the little bikes it's even better than Philip Island.
Also, other news in my life... Marcel my german rock climbing mate has gone to Perth. Liam is still about. Vicky Marcel's girlfriend has gone too. My little brother and his wife have moved to Melbourne, although for some stupid reason they've moved to the outer suburbs (boring). Stacey and a friend of her's Eva came and stayed with me before they did the Melbourne Half Marathon. My mate Rusty in the Red ferrari shirt with the shoes, is the best wing man EVER. And I keep getting abused by Melbournites taking the moral high ground and telling me off for riding my bicycle in a way they often disapprove. If they tried it in Auckland they'd get some Maori trying to take their heads off. They love tooting here.
Oh yeah, and the girl next to the green motorbike is possibly the hottest motorcycle racer ever she flew past me at Broadford in the wet and then promptly flew into a ditch hahaha. Gave her my card then she introduced me to her boyfriend.
Finally, if anyone wants a partner for the endurance race at Taupo of the 29th. Think of me please :) I'll be back in NZ on the 6th and working as a bike courier till xmas... yippeeeeee.