Luke and Portugal

[ajturbo]

Hi all

we have finaly found our feet..
we are here in Estirol Portugal,

thanks to all those who have made this trip possible for luke and I...

Tomorrow is the start of the testing....

Where Luke goes from here is in his hands now... he has managed to open the door....now to step up and be counted,

he has checked and re-checked his gear and paperwork required for the test, we have the rental car all sorted.

we have even done a test run out to the track, to see how long it will take at 7.30am... lucky for us, all the traffic is coming INTO Estirol, where as we are heading out...

Luke is very calm, we have even been for a swim in the ocean!!!
:cold::cold:

we have managed to crash the reatal scooter... :scooter:only a small scratch to the plastic... and my pride:whistle:

so apart from seeing some (read LOTS) of stunning women... there is only been R&R being going on... beach walking, ....
resting up in motel...

more to report in 2 days....

AJ

[unrealone]

Sounds fantastic, good luck!

[Mom]

Great to hear you are finally there. I hope Luke is too nervous, I am sure he will do himself proud.

Stop perving the girls AJ, it will help prevent anymore damage to your poor little scoot :dodge:

[Duke girl]

Glad to hear that everything is going good for you over there so far even if you cant stay up right on a scooter. Just as well Lukes racing in the Rookies Cup and not you AJ if thats what you do on a Scooter. Good Luck Luke in the Rookies Cup and I am sure that you will give it 110%. Enjoy the moment and like alot of us back here in NZ you have done us proud with being giving the opportunity to achieve the experience of racing with the best young and upcoming road racers of the world in this years Red Bulls Rookies Cup and we all know that regardless of the outcome you will give it your all. Once again Goodluck and i wish you well. Cheers.:2thumbsup:clap:

[Meekey_Mouse]

Woo! Thanks for the up date AJ :) Go Lukey! :jerry:

[Skunk]

so apart from seeing some (read LOTS) of stunning women...
This thread is useless with pics.

Oh, and good stuff - good luck with the test itself...

[jonbuoy]

MMM European women :drool:

[Hanne]

Good luck Luke, look foward to hearing the results!

[portokiwi]

Good luck mate..... Hope you do well. :headbang:

[saul]

Fantastic all the best you two:rockon:

[babyB]

glad things are going well & maybe the nerves settled down a bit by now.
as said no matter what happens Luke you are one lucky lad to have such a wonderful oputinity made possible for to you. i know you have done your best & ride with pride & enthusamim for all thoses that have supported you. i know im real proud of ya mate. oh and maybe ya better start givin dad tips on how ta ride a dam scooter ah lol.
take care guys & enjoy thoughts are with ya

[ajturbo]

hi all......

first luke and i would like to say how sad we are with the news from home about Grub, .. Kari, we are thinking of you, hugs.


luke´s test days....
on friday it was raining, the heavens had opened up and was washing the track for us... someone must have thought it was dirty....

wet´s were put on for the frist group of 5 to go out, they decided to leave them on for the whole groups A-F, they were devided up into groups of 5-6, luke was in group D, he was with boys that could hardly speak english ...
but he managed to befriend them all...( and i their mothers... lol... i wish)

there were a lot of boys falling off in their first and second lapps!... they didn´t ride to the conditons, yes i was worried for luke, but he used his head and went out and sighted the track, got the feelof the bike and got some solid laps in... he was not the fastest.. but he was there at the end, that is what they were looking for!!! people that used their head !!

second test:


this was the longer one, this is where luke again used his head, as in the lunch break the coaches spat the dummy about not falling off in first couple of laps!!... then some just did that!!!

luke went out on a dry track with TT900´s shod wheels, he was smiling.. he knew what these did....
he put some fast times in (fastest time of the day was 2:06:00) LUKE´S times were around 2:11:00.... not bad for damp condtions... some of the faster rides again fell off!!!

he came in with a smile and we then had to wait for the word weather he was to come back the next day or not...

the organisers were VERY good, they understood that some riders had a awet track and some had dry.. so they invited the whole 32 riders back again.. EVERYONE was pleased with this.. especialy the ones that had fallen...(unfortunatly for them, they already had a black mark against their name...)

more later... with photo´s

[koba]

nice, definatley keep it coming!

[NordieBoy]

Good on 'im :D

[portokiwi]

:niceone: Way to go Luke. Did you guys manage to catch up with Andre (streetfighter)?

[merv]

So far so good. Thanks for the update AJ.

[slimjim]

yeah...sound's like he's riding like he stole it..and wants to keep it...best of all to follow..

[portokiwi]

:buggerd:Remember to watch out for those Portuguese girls.... cant have those types here in Kiwi land:lol: What do you think of them.:dodge:

[R6_kid]

Good work young sprog! Keep it up Luke, stay focussed and do your best dude :2thumbsup

[Trumpess]

Fantastic!

I look forward to the next instalment!!

[chanceyy]

excellent stuff .. way to go Luke :clap:


look forward to next update :D

[nudemetalz]

Good stuff, Luke and AJ !!!

Looking forward to some pix :)

[CHOPPA]

Stoked that he made day 2! would have been great experience!

Invited riders from Selection Event
Robin Barbosa (FRA)
Brad Binder (RSA)
Xavier Figueiras (ESP)
Taylor Mackenzie (GBR)
Alexander Kristiansson (SWE)
Manuel Pardo (ITA)
Alex Rins (ESP)
Fraser Rogers (GBR)
Arthur Sissis (AUS)



Provisional Entry List
Robin Barbosa (FRA)
Brad Binder (RSA)
Deane Brown (GBR)
Kevin Calia (ITA)
Alessio Cappella (ITA/NGR)
Xavier Figueiras (ESP)
Hayden Gillim (USA)
Daijiro Hiura (JPN)
Taylor Mackenzie (GBR)
Nelson Major (FRA)
Florian Marino (FRA)
Dylan Mavin (AUS)
Leandro Mercado (ARG)*
Jakub Kornfeil (CZE)
Alexander Kristiansson (SWE)
Manuel Pardo (ITA)
Alex Rins (ESP)
Fraser Rogers (GBR)
Daniel Ruiz (ESP)
Mathew Scholtz (RSA)
Arthur Sissis (AUS)
Benny Solis (USA)
Harry Stafford (GBR)
Nico Thöni (AUT)
<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->__________________

[Toast]

Well done, Luke! Very good performance in the damp, can't wait to read how you get on in the dry.

[MadDuck]

Well done Luke. :scooter:

Thanks for the updates AJ.....great to hear he kept his young head given the conditions.

[R6_kid]

From MotoGP.com

Final 2009 Rookies selection event takes place at Estoril

Monday, 10 November 2008
The sun was out on Saturday in Estoril for a beautiful second day at the final selection event for the 2009 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

Riders came from New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Malaysia and across Europe from Sweden to the Czech Republic, putting their talent on the line at the Portuguese Grand Prix circuit of Estoril over the weekend, for the last selection event of the 2009 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup.

Hiroshi Aoyama, a Grand Prix winner who finished second in Estoril in 2006, was on hand to give the young riders the benefit of his experience and commented, `It is very nice to see so many young riders here enjoying themselves. I have never seen anything like it. We certainly did not have it in Japan when I started riding. There is so much talent here and they are so young, they have so much possibility for improvement it is very difficult to pick the right riders to go forward to the Rookies Cup.´

The riders come from very different backgrounds, some with a good amount of experience on 125cc Grand Prix style machinery, others had to learn new skills in a short time. One example is Arthur Sissis, the 13 year-old Australian, more accustomed to racing speedway who thrilled everyone with some sideways moves on the 125cc. `It´s great to be here, a fantastic experience,´ he enthused. `I´m having great fun on the track. I think the most difficult part was the tight twisty section, that´s a real test of skill.´

For others the travelling itself was something new as it was for Syafiq Omar, the 16 year-old Malaysian. `This is the experience of a lifetime for me, to come to such a great track and get the international experience. It is all very new to me and not easy of course but I am learning the bike and the track. It is a lot of fun and I am trying very hard to get into the Rookies Cup. That would be fantastic.´

On the other hand some of the youngest participants already have lot of racing under their belt including 12 year-old Briton Fraser Rogers. He has been racing since he was six but said that the Estoril Circuit was the best he has seen, `I like Anglesea and Donington but this is more fun I think. It is also more technical and it´s warmer here. I like this track´s tight twisty corners but it is also flowing.´

`At home I race an RS125 Aprilia but the Metrakit is smaller, faster and nicer really. I like it. I really want to get into the Rookies Cup, it´s wicked, I want to race on the same tracks as the MotoGP guys and be in the same paddock. I´ve learnt a bit of Spanish and French, enough to order food and say if the bike is good or not,´ said Rogers, obviously well prepared for the life of an international superstar.

The two days of testing resulted in a list of nine riders who will be invited to take part in the 2009 Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup joining those from 2008 who have been invited to return.

List of riders selected so far as per Choppas post.

[sweetp]

Go Luke! Glad to know it is finally here and i will be following the tread with great interest. Have fun, ride hard and come back to show us all you have learnt.

[Quasievil]

wheres the fucking update and inside goss the pics FFS?? or is it another thread that I missed ?

[boomer]

how exciting.. soak it up boys !

[ajturbo]

wheres the fucking update and inside goss the pics FFS?? or is it another thread that I missed ?
we have been back one week matey, luke is writing his report ...sloooowly, but he is writing it, i have not had the time to even take a piss ( you should see my pants)...

we have over 500 photo's, most of them are not kid safe... so we have to go threw them all, i was HOPING to have time this weekend coming to spend an hr or so on KB to "do it".. . but ii still think that luke's words would mean more, i could spout on for pages about how I felt and what I did and what i SAW luke do... ( i wont tell about the waitress that couldn't keep her hands off him) or ( th time that we had the rental scooter out and he did a burnout in the carpark of the race track....)
or the time that he got kicked out of the race track.... (found out that we were not suppose to be there for another few days..... )
or the fact that luke didn't fall off..... and the KB stickers got put everywhere

[shafty]

Bloody good on ewe Guys - GO KIWI!

[Trudes]

Awesome!!:wari: Looking forward to the write up from Luke and some more pics! Don't forget to post some good ones of KB stickers in this (http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/showthread.php?t=85298) thread, I think you may be the winner of the chocolate fish!

[ajturbo]

A real track
Day 1
We got to the track at 7:30 and we had to be there at 8 o’clock so we where a bit early we were also the first there too, we waited till 8 then when in, dad parked the car inside of the track, we got out and looked around and saw that everyone else was looking at a time sheet by the big RedBull trucks, I was glad to see my name up there! After, we had a good look at the times, I signed in and got a bid number which was No.16. this meant I was in group D
There where groups A,B,C,D,E and group F. There where about 4 to 5 some times 6 in each group. There where 32 riders.
We all listed to the briefing, they where talking about the bike and track and what they are looking for. Meet some cool Aussies ( yer right …)and made friends with them, soon after that the first group went out and about 4 of them crashed in the first or 2nd lap. They finished their time and come in we all went up to them and asked what was the track like is it warm, cold is it wet? Is it slippy? Talk like that. Soon it was my turn to go out on a track that I’ve only played on the PS2 and a bike I never been on before! I was very nervous I tried to be clam and tried to relax, they give my group a quick brief and told us not to crash because they where getting pretty pissed off with it. lol

Jumping on to the bike, they weighted us, with us on the bike. I was the heaviest guy there sadly, but it didn’t stop me going hard on it. Come out of the pits and I was off! In to the 2nd turn I could feel the tyres let go, the track was very cold and damp so I took it easy and ran wide coming up to the 3rd turn was very different it was a very new corner for me, it was off camber and it was up hill not a little hill ether…
but I gave it gas and I went up it nicely, it was like the corner in the game if you’ve play MotoGP4, the 4th corner was flat so I knew I was good at this one, I come in it at 3rd and go down a gear and give it gas half way around it and ran it wide on to the ripple strip and I came out perfectly, 5th turn wasn’t really a corner more like a bend in the track I just keep the gas hard on, 6th turn was a awesome corner one of my favorites. I braked really late for it and gas it before half way and I quickly roll the gas on hard and come out prefect again,
The 7th corner I dislike the most. I just couldn’t get it right till day two, I would come in to the corner and I would drop in too early I need to drop in really late (late apex it) and I needed to go in faster because I was going in and I had to pick the bike up half way thought the corner and loses all my corner speed, turn 8, 9 and 10 was the s bends they where awesome corner it was the best s bends I’ve ever been on very close together very tight. Turn 11 was just a bend in to turn 12 the longest corner ever, I felt like I was on there for ages. The straight was boring because it was so long and the bike was revving out, the day end quickly and I had a great time there.

Day 2

It was abit colder than yesterday but I was ready to go I my gear on and waited for the group to go out, I was going to go harder to day because I knew a little bit of the track and a little abit of the bike so I wasn’t as nervous as yesterday which made me feel better. (but his dad was …)Today I was gonna go as hard as I can without crashing the bike. They change the groups so I was in group A the first one's out I got my gear on and waited for them to open the waiting room, they opened the wait room and I got a drink and sat down and went over the track in my head, soon they called up my group, I said to myself its now or never, I got the number for the bike and I jump on it and relaxed they push the first 3 of my group out then me, I was off got out of the pit could still feel my back wheel let go but I ignored it and kept going with out backing off I wanted to show them how good I really was I could feel myself getting faster and faster each time I went around but I still couldn’t get my head around turn 1, I could take it at gear 2nd or 3rd I was taking at 3rd and lossing all my drive but if I took it at 2nd It would be over revving and I had no more power so I kept taking it at 3rd and dropping it in too early, every other corner I felt prefect at but I knew I could make up more time on turn 1, 6, 7 and 11 get on the gas sooner and harder drop it in later keep more corner speed and brake soon, but id need more than two days to do that.
At the end of the first session, I went to the first corner stand where you could see everything I watched the next group and how they come in to the corner and was gear they where taking it at I could see I mean, hear them taking it at 2nd gear and drop it in at the flag box which was way later than me, the rest of the turns were to far away so I didn't go to turn 6, 7 and 11 so I just stay at turn one till lunch, oh the food there was just amazing! And it was free for the riders! It was great! Fuelled up on food and water and talked to the Aussies (and the aussie’s sister...mmmm) some more about the track and their history. It was way different than NZ, soon lunch was over and I got my gear back on and ready for the last time on the bike and track for this year… got the numbers again and jump on the bike and was off again I was going hard, came up on to turn 1 and tried what I saw and it worked!
I was feeling so fast but on the 4th lap one of the Spanish guys past me going in to the S bends, I stayed on him, flicking the bike over and gave the bike so much gas that the back wheel was letting going… I kept the bike from falling over by using my knee picking it back up and went hard in to the turn 11 he was slowing getting away so I pined in coming in to the last corner went right up behind him just about touching his back wheel I was slow pasting him and he knew it he stared running wide I backed off abit then nailed it back on the gas and tried drafting him didn't work that well because he was so much smaller and lighter than me, we come in to the first corner and he must have been 20 meters in front of me I went around the turn 1 and then turn 2 and he was losting me I tried harder going up to turn 3 foot peg grinding around it coming up to turn 4 I could still see him I wasn’t as far behind, came in hard in to turn 4 I was right behind him again then he gas it at the same time as me and I lost him again power to weight he won that. Came in with a big smile on my face and feeling great! I had such a get time that last race, was tried too, I watched the rest of the racing and enjoyed myself finally it was time to go back to the briefing room where we signed in from I was buzzing from my last race and was telling the aussie about it soon the RedBull people came out and told everyone how well they done and said “If you don’t make it don’t stop racing” and other stuff like that, that I cant remember they read out the names, one Aussie made it one 2 UK guys that I had been taking to one South Africa and the rest where from Spain I didn't make it but I wasn’t that angry about it, they said at the start of day one that they where gonna chose 12 riders but they only chose 8, 6 racers and 2 resevers riders, the day quickly end and he said good bye to everyone and when out to tea with the aussie it was a great thing to end the day!

We had an awesome holiday loads of fun we (dad and I) went for a swim in the sea it was so cold! But big waves it was good! But cold, we could have come home a week early I had, had enough of dad and the food and I think dad was the same he had, had enough of me and the food haha
Thank you to every one for making this trip of a life time possible it was so nice of you to do that for me I really appreciate what you did!

[MadDuck]

Great write up Luke. Glad you and your Dad got there and gave it your best.

I am a bit worried however about you making friends with Aussies. But you never know you may end up over there racing.....:niceone:

[chanceyy]

Great stuff luke .. now I know you wrote it but did ya post it under ya dads log in or ya dad posting it for ya :laugh:

[babyB]

way cool write-up luke was good reading. stay proud mate thats a hell of an opportunity/experance for ya

[shafty]

Well done Luke, and Congratulations - you are a WINNER in my Book! :)

[Trudes]

Good for you Luke!:2thumbsup What a great experience!

[Her_C4]

Great write up Luke - well done :2thumbsup:banana:

[saul]

Well done Luke and dad, great write up and a great life experiance.:2thumbsup

[Colapop]

Good write up lad! Now go and walk the f*cken dogs!!

[nudemetalz]

awse write-up, Luke :)

[portokiwi]

Way to go mate ..... did you make down south to Portiamo?

[CHOPPA]

Whats the plan for this year? You doing the nationals etc??