It's been a stoopidly busy time in the Slowpoke household lately but I've been trying to find a few spare moments between crises to slap some new paint on the new fairings Martin/Motomart supplied at a nice price. Umpteen spray cans later, and much more work than I initially thought, and the ol' girl was looking suitably tarty, which is pretty much the same way I like my women.
No Friday testing for me so it was rocking up to a frosty Saturday morning wondering just where the hell track extension actually went. My bike didn't appreciate the cold temps either and popped, farted and died all through qualifying. I was seriously considering pulling in, the thing would just cut out mid corner, and hardly rev over 6 grand, dangerous really.......but it slowly got better and by the end of qualifying nearly ran ok. So, qualifying was a write off with a best of 2.07 and 17th on the grid.
I thought the fuel pump was dying as it seemed to take an age to prime, but a chat with one of Craig Shirriffs/Hayden Fitz's mechies had me looking at the battery. Sure enough, a lousy 10.75 volts was never gonna do the job. I leave it on a battery tender but with no starter motor to run (pain in the arse itself) there's no indication that the battery is on the way out.
Luckily that good bugger Johan had a spare....unluckily it was too tall to fit under the seat, but at least connecting it up verified that the fuel pump was priming instantly again. In to Feilding but the only bike shop in town didn't have one that would fit so off to Palmy it was. The local Honda shop didn't have the correct jobby but found a smaller unit that I could make work, especially with no starter motor to run.
Racing, oops I mean cruising at legal speeds, back to Manners and it was bolted in and looking good, just in time for race one...fingers crossed.
Typical ordinary start but the bike was feeling good again. Worked my way up to 13th and a best of a high 2.02.
Race 2 (LG) and I was looking forward to the compressed grid and not having to work through so many bikes, starting from 9th. Then told there was a bit of time up our sleeve so it was now a 10 lapper...oh oh, throw a bit more gas in the bike and a bit more coffee in me, figuring that caffeine can make for years of bio-abuse. Not too bad a start and eventually managed to catch up to Phil Derby on the GSXR fending off the ardent affections of Johan on his 998 Ducati. Best seat in the house and very interesting watching Johan using corner speed and early throttle to make up for a comparative lack of horsepower. Eventually Johan made his way past, then it was my turn. Phil rides some tough lines so while it's one thing being faster it's another to get past. I eventually copied Johan's drive around/off the L/H sweeper onto the main circuit to sneak in front and bolted as best I could, imagining that bloody GSXR all over the back of me. All in all a great fun and 6th (I think) with a best of a low 2.02.
Race 3 (another mongrel 10 lapper) was fuggin' freezing, and I wasn't looking forward to starting from 17th. The lights go out, get swamped into/around the first corner and I'm struggling to see with a fogging visor, after the hairpin and I crack it open but I can already see the leaders streaming around onto the extension: fuck! Ok, it's 10 laps just be cool and start workin'. I've made it past a fair few bikes with eyes streaming from the polar blast and I find myself in a bit of a gap. There can't be many laps left and it's a fair gap to the next so I'm kinda resigned to finishing where I am....hang on I think I'm catching him...fuggit, put head down and see what happens. Another lap I can see it's gonna be close. Pass him on 2nd to last lap only for him to come back again! Last lap and sneak in front coming on to old circuit, he pokes a wheel back inside on Dunlop but Honda horsepower (who needs skill?) prevails in run to line. Who'd have thought it would be so damn hard to finish 11th, LOL. But a best of 2.00 flat which I'm reasonably happy with.
Race 4 was another 6 lapper. I get my best start (still nothing flash) and opening lap of the weekend managing to get on to Phil Derby battling with Kevin Brookes on his 600. Brookesy is doing a great job of harrassing Phil, taking him a few times but getting re-taken whenever a straight appeared. I add some chaos to the mayhem by jumping in front of Brookesy only for Brookesy to come back at every opportunity. It's fuggin tough trying to line up the guy in front when you've got someone trying to do the same to to you. I get in front of Brookesy again on the last lap and am all set to have another go at Phil on the L/H sweeper when Brookesy sneaks up the inside at the 2nd hairpin, aaargh! We end up coming around Dunlop in a bunch but with a slight balk I don't get the drive to the line and come up 1/2 a bike length short. Good fun all the same and both Brookesy and I were cacking ourselves in the infield as we waited to come back in.
The last race was cancelled. So, a lousy qualifying effort made things tough results-wise but it also made me push harder and learn more than I otherwise would have.
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Keep it coming man.
Originally Posted by codgyoleracer
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