VMCC #2, F1 - Superbike
Ducati 998
Time for a new round, dust off the bike and getting used to not sitting in an office chair but on a sport bike again.
I wasn't expecting too much this round since I had been knocked out with the flu the week before.
I had also run out of pocket money so no new tyres for this round.
My mate Jovic had decided to come along for this round. It was his first time at a race meeting and I thought it was great he decided to join even though he's not into motor sport that much.
At the end of the weekend he told me every one was very friendly and he got really into it and was screaming out load while we were racing. He'll be back!
Qualifying F1:
I was trying to start the bike in the frosty morning. It turned over but that was it, it didn't fire up. We ended up jump starting it from Spud Slowpoke's car and off we went to qualifying.
I had changed the geometry of the bike quite radically the night before so this was the first time to try it out. I felt very different but after a few laps I decided it was a good improvement and I quickly got the confidence back with the bike. It now gave me a lot more feedback in the corners and it was like on rails around the long sweepers.
After qualifying second to last at Taupo, I was hoping to be in the somewhere at middle this time and had a wish to be in top 10 for once.
I was stoked with qualifying 8th @ 2:04.05.
I passed the F2 practise as I wanted to save my self and the tyres.
Race 1 F1
I was gridded on the outside of row two.
I didn't nail the start but got away ok.
I then lost maybe four positions in the first lap, held the position over the next few laps and then tried to pass the guys in front of me.
I seemed to be gaining a lot of time around the corners of the extended track and did a few overtaking attempts in the long left hander sweeper coming onto the back straight.
I managed to pass a few bikes and finished 10th @ 2:02.45.
The bike felt great and I was really happy with this result.
Race 2 LG Superbike
The F1 qualifying put me 5th on the LG grid.
This race was changed to 10 laps.
I got a decent start, lost a few places during the first laps again. I take too long to get up to speed!
A few laps later I was trying to pass a gixxer but it wasn't until lap 5 I passed him. I lost valuable time behind the gixxer because as soon as I passed my lap times dropped two seconds from 2:02 to 2:00. I need to harden up and make that pass as soon as I catch another rider instead of falling into the same pace.
I was way behind the rest of the guys but I tried to keep my pace to the end of the race because I could see a shadow chasing me throughout the race. That was Captain Spud right behind me.
The checker flag came out and as I came up to the slip road after the race I saw all the bikes waiting there already and I thought I must have finished outside top 10.
It turned out I had finished 5th with a best laptime of 2:00.08!
I couldn't believe it and have no idea how I manage to pull that off!
Sunday
Race 2 F1
This was a 10 lapper for breakfast.
I got away pretty well but braked too early and lost 4-5 places in turn one again.
Did a few overtakes and had a ball around the sweepers side by side with the other bikes. I had a big grin on my face!
I also seemed to be running a very different line through the infield that worked pretty well, cause I closed in on the guys in front of me going through these corners.
Head down, lean hard while I did an overtake at the last sweeper again slamming through the gearbox with the slipper clutch glowing red hot and finished 9th. Sweeet!
Race 3 F1
The last 6 laps race of the F1 class.
I started to struggle in this one. I don't want to make any excuses but after using the same tires for 3 race meetings this race was more an exercisers in throttle control than anything else.
I kept loosing places and finished 13th and my time dropped to 2:03.
And that was it. A great weekend that finished way over my expectations.
Whatever it was Robert Taylor put in the front last year, it is working a treat over the bumps while leaned over and the stiffer rear spring we installed for round 1 is the business!
Thank you VMCC for another awesome event.
Catch you all come round 3!
For all fallen friends heal up quickly!
Thanks for reading!
johan
photo: Darryl Seymour
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