Benk
2nd December 2008, 07:49
Summary:
Awesome day, awesome weather, horrendous hangover, OK qualifying, terrible starts for me, track 3 was good fun.
Well, might as well start at the beginning........
My weekend started on Saturday morning, going fishing for a work do. Drinking was always going to be on the cards. Not always conducive for a good performance (with life in general) the following day. Although, never one to back down from a challenge (or a chance to make a cock of myself), I set about ripping into the beers, rums, and champagne strawberry liquor mixes (oh dear). Fast forward >>
Sunday morning started at about 12:30AM when I went to bed for a few hours before springing out of bed at 4 to load up the bike and do the final check. This was followed by a terrible drive to Taupo (lucky Jake my brother, recently got his license, as at this stage I was in no fit state to drive). Several (s)pit stops along the way saw me moaning and groaning like the mating rituals of wild animals. Not cool.
Once we got to the track and the smell of petrol and sweat started circulating, I was pretty much sorted for the day, and feeling like a box of fluffies.
Qualifying:
Felt pretty reasonable in practice/qualifying, and got a couple of clean laps for the posties, and F3 sessions which was good. Sorted out my markers round the track, and felt pretty reasonable all in all.
Qualified 8th from 20 in posties with a 46.600, and in F3 15th from 32 with a 46.481, which I was pretty happy about.
Post Classics:
First race went alright for me. Got a terrible start and lost about 5 places before the first turn, this was to be a feature of my day. Ended up with 9th.
Second race was good fun. Chasing monsta56 round, and had a couple of go's but wasn’t quick or ballsy enough. Was a good close racing though and I was feeling pretty confident in the bike.
Third race was a non event; as my bike decided it would be hilarious to have no electrics as I was putting my gloves on to get to the dummy grid. Hilarious. Took the rear fairing off, turned the key, and it was working again. No visible obvious shorts, no nothing, so I ended up missing the race. Dammit.
Fastest lap for me in posties was 45.684.
F3:
F3 was awesome! Having a full grid was such a buzz!
First race, made a hash of the start once more, missed my braking marker and almost took out a few people coming into turn 1 far far too hot, sincere apologies and
tremendous thanks to those who managed to avoid me. Ran off the track, got back on, and passed a couple. Actually made some ground throughout the race and got behind Abby (I since found out through the mylaps website) but couldn’t make it past. Ended up with 18th.
Second race, same deal, shit start, and got stuck behind an rsv1000, which was quite a scary experience (see him in some of the attached photos). More than a few wobbles through the corners, but could blitz me down the straights .Lined it up round the sweeper on the last lap and got past it, only for it to come by and beat me about 10 yards in front of the start line. Oh to have horsepower. Ended up getting 19th.
Third race in F3 was my best by miles. Got a half pie reasonable start this time (thank Christ), and felt really confident with the bike, and felt like I rode pretty well throughout. I got passed by an SV and Abby on an NC30 as well. I was determined to beat Abby, after getting beaten by her the last couple, and we had a pretty good battle going for a while, but I managed to stay in front for most of it. She passed me on the sweeper, but I got her under brakes into turn 1, and got the SV coming into the hairpin straight after, and it stayed that way for the rest of the race. Ended up with 13th.
Current placings in the series are:
Posties: 10th/15 - but only ran in 2/3 races
F3: 11th/23
Right, look out Te Puna. Practice race starts are on the cards.....
Results available at - http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=378361
Awesome day, awesome weather, horrendous hangover, OK qualifying, terrible starts for me, track 3 was good fun.
Well, might as well start at the beginning........
My weekend started on Saturday morning, going fishing for a work do. Drinking was always going to be on the cards. Not always conducive for a good performance (with life in general) the following day. Although, never one to back down from a challenge (or a chance to make a cock of myself), I set about ripping into the beers, rums, and champagne strawberry liquor mixes (oh dear). Fast forward >>
Sunday morning started at about 12:30AM when I went to bed for a few hours before springing out of bed at 4 to load up the bike and do the final check. This was followed by a terrible drive to Taupo (lucky Jake my brother, recently got his license, as at this stage I was in no fit state to drive). Several (s)pit stops along the way saw me moaning and groaning like the mating rituals of wild animals. Not cool.
Once we got to the track and the smell of petrol and sweat started circulating, I was pretty much sorted for the day, and feeling like a box of fluffies.
Qualifying:
Felt pretty reasonable in practice/qualifying, and got a couple of clean laps for the posties, and F3 sessions which was good. Sorted out my markers round the track, and felt pretty reasonable all in all.
Qualified 8th from 20 in posties with a 46.600, and in F3 15th from 32 with a 46.481, which I was pretty happy about.
Post Classics:
First race went alright for me. Got a terrible start and lost about 5 places before the first turn, this was to be a feature of my day. Ended up with 9th.
Second race was good fun. Chasing monsta56 round, and had a couple of go's but wasn’t quick or ballsy enough. Was a good close racing though and I was feeling pretty confident in the bike.
Third race was a non event; as my bike decided it would be hilarious to have no electrics as I was putting my gloves on to get to the dummy grid. Hilarious. Took the rear fairing off, turned the key, and it was working again. No visible obvious shorts, no nothing, so I ended up missing the race. Dammit.
Fastest lap for me in posties was 45.684.
F3:
F3 was awesome! Having a full grid was such a buzz!
First race, made a hash of the start once more, missed my braking marker and almost took out a few people coming into turn 1 far far too hot, sincere apologies and
tremendous thanks to those who managed to avoid me. Ran off the track, got back on, and passed a couple. Actually made some ground throughout the race and got behind Abby (I since found out through the mylaps website) but couldn’t make it past. Ended up with 18th.
Second race, same deal, shit start, and got stuck behind an rsv1000, which was quite a scary experience (see him in some of the attached photos). More than a few wobbles through the corners, but could blitz me down the straights .Lined it up round the sweeper on the last lap and got past it, only for it to come by and beat me about 10 yards in front of the start line. Oh to have horsepower. Ended up getting 19th.
Third race in F3 was my best by miles. Got a half pie reasonable start this time (thank Christ), and felt really confident with the bike, and felt like I rode pretty well throughout. I got passed by an SV and Abby on an NC30 as well. I was determined to beat Abby, after getting beaten by her the last couple, and we had a pretty good battle going for a while, but I managed to stay in front for most of it. She passed me on the sweeper, but I got her under brakes into turn 1, and got the SV coming into the hairpin straight after, and it stayed that way for the rest of the race. Ended up with 13th.
Current placings in the series are:
Posties: 10th/15 - but only ran in 2/3 races
F3: 11th/23
Right, look out Te Puna. Practice race starts are on the cards.....
Results available at - http://www.mylaps.com/results/showevent.jsp?id=378361