What a weekend!
It all started on Saturday morning after some serious last minute work the night before just to have the FZR400 out to pukekohe for practise. Main thing was we did make it there, everything done in time (just)… The crew was Shade (equipped with EBR’s no.1 bike), Slipstream (equipped with a camera), and myself (Equipped with the No Hair Racing FZR400). Still running the bike in there was some minor carburetion issues I believe running rich on the main jets, so she was hesitant but no biggie I figured id continue to run it in anyway. Shade found his feet really well fighting the issues of the VFR including warped discs from a spare wheel – though he didn’t realise it was a problem and moreover thought it was just good brakes! (Haha!), struggling with an almost bald rear tyre in the wet he fought his times down rather remarkably and in my opinion is ready to see his first race as soon as he gets his licence. No such fortune with the FZR however in the 3rd practise session about 5-6 laps in bringing her up to around 10K in 6th something went a little funky… clutch in and finding neutral I coasted the hairpin and pushed her into the pits. This was the end of my day in practise and unfortunately it meant I would not be able to race her on Sunday.
Sunday came soon enough seeing some much needed sleep and the loan back of the faithful Honda from shade to me to race… After the practise/qualifying I was placed somewhere at the back of the grid – and it was not to be altered during the day. I just couldn’t find my groove and with all the time spent riding the FZR it had made the old faithful feel a little foreign.
Despite this a mediocre start caught some places in the first race, my head was in the right position, and so was my bike heading into the hairpin of lap 1, up the field I move again! Frosty was my main aim however I saw it too much of a mission from lap 1 as he had really made some space between us (mostly on that back straight!) but was quicker through turn 1 as well. Some 125’s got passed old Frosty and shook something in his head enough to make him fall back from what I saw and with it came more confidence on my part, he was reeled in enough and I was ready for the move… lap 4 and into the hairpin I go up the inside with another 125 and took the sharpest line smashing 1st gear to climb out only to change into after exiting to find her spit me back into neutral, Whiz went the tired gear driven cams of the VFR and a quick smash into 2nd still wasn’t enough… Frosty was coming on the outside with his front wheel just poking ahead and his line sure to cross with mine into the left… I wasn’t going to back down and was prepared to ride the ripple strip if I had to but to my fortune his return spring proved too much for his wrist to hold and off he backed as I swung thru the corner and out the other end! It was run rabbit run for me for the last few laps and that I did! And even managed to haul in 1 more 125, after some laps following realising the only part of the track I was doing better was after the hairpin to the finish line I planned it and it paid off, I created some gap to get the difference of acceleration and out of the hairpin I slingshotted well fast and catching up to the 125 I slipstreamed it over the hill just to pull out underneath and beat it by half a wheel length to the line! Didn’t count on places but was good for the confidence. A Fun race with a massive grin left on my face at the end of it and not a bad position at all up in 3rd.
The second race proved much similar; however this time I got passed Frosty and further ahead also grabbing another place, supposedly to have come in 2nd? With a fairly greasy track due to all the oil spilt and the race being declared “wet” just prior to that race starting... so times were down.
The third race! Yeehaw! With confidence glowing off me and the right frame of mind I was set to race! This time Frosty again was in view on around the third lap lined up in the scope of the VFR’s broken screen... This time not getting him properly at the hairpin but with a better line focused on exiting drive I came around his outside into the lefts, it was the same move he had pulled on me only 2 races before hand, only I wasn’t as gentle! I may have owed you one Frosty but couldn’t afford to loose anymore points in the series with all my DNF’s, and let’s face it! This Aint no match of table tennis! He backed off and around I shot, up and over the hill I went! With 2 laps to go and a fair lead on the ones behind and no way of grabbing 1st place it all turned pear shaped! She starts missing and farting about… I soon realised it was my tether kill switch not properly holding the power on and holding it down on the back straight gave me some much needed regular power however I had to let it go for the corners and on/off it kept flickering with the bumps only frustrating me more!.. I planned it as best I could looking behind me often and managed to hold position right till the end loosing my ground against those behind but at least not quite my position to the chequered flag…. What a race! What a day! I was spent and it was well worth it… Pity it hadn’t of been on the FZR but at least I got to race and enjoy myself nonetheless
Id like to say a big thanks to everybody that helped out (the usual, Dad, Shade, Bruno + Betty and EBR) and an extra big thanks to Slipstream for her company and helping in the pits for the weekend, also the wicked camera footage + Surferchick for helping her out!
Cheers guys, catchya at the next meet(no pun intended!)
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Originally Posted by Kwaka-Kid
Helped get me thru the working day allright!
, another great effort, as I said on Chris's post,"we sure do have some race talant on KB", always good to read
boo hoo~! 
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