Hey everyone,
Before I start my race report, HUGE THANKS TO MOTORACER (give him heaps of rep points) for taking my bike down
It was a cold morning at Manfield and I was very nervous because I had never done the long track. Met up with a few KB racers (Nicko, johnboy and vfr_dan) and got my bike ready for the days racing.
First up was Qualifying. I headed out towards the front of the pack, latching onto Craig Sullivan's SV650 and SVS. I was taking it nice and easy, getting used to the track and bike again. The long track is simply AWESOME, huge amounts of corners with heaps of technical ones. I was quite happy sitting behind them and put down some lap times.
First race was up. We were given our Grid positions at the dummy grid, I was shocked to find out that I had qualified in 6th place, with a 2:12 to my name. Now i was even more nervous about the race. I went out and did my warm up lap and got as much heat into the tyres as I could. Lined up on the grid, revved my engine, down the flag went and i slipped the clutch. Then NOOO too much clutch, up came the front wheel and i bogged down to 8000rpm... ah well. I was now in about 8th place, flew into turn one and went around the outside of about 3 people. I was now behind Craig and gaining on him, I felt really good and on the second to last lap got him under brakes. WOHOO 4th PLACE!!! Now i just needed to hold it there. Managed to hold it there even though i had a little moment of going slight too hot in to one of the sweepers. I put down a 2:07.2 as my fastest lap.
Second race. I was really pumped for this one, and a whole heap of top racers, like Mike Smith, Nicko and Motoracer, said they were going to watch me race. So out I went in first place to warm up my bike. Got to my grid position then "cough-cough, splutter-splutter, DEAD" NOOOOO my bike died, I tried everything, kill switch and ignition, but to no avail. I pushed my bike to the side of the track where one of the marshalls tried it. Nup dead as a dodo. So I hoped of my bike and jumped the pit wall, then another marshall tried it and screamed at me "ITS GOING!!!" I jumped back over the pit wall, just as the green flag dropped. Hit the start button, DOH DEAD AGAIN!!! So I started to push the bike, and the marshalls gave me a push as well, first gear, pop the clutch WOOHOO SHES GOING AGAIN!!! By this time, the last rider was just going around the hairpin at the end of the straight. I slipped the clutch like mad in 1st, and HAD to get past everyone as fast as I could!!! Well within the first lap I had past 10 people!! Stoked, but have to go faster.. I pushed it as hard as the bike could go, doing some very demon overtaking and sliding the bike over the oil patches. Every so often my bike would splutter and cut out, all I was thinking was "Please dont stop!!!" I finished the race, and the bike didnt cut out. I later found out that I had gone from 37th to 9th in 5 laps!!! The best thing was Racey Rider got it all on Video!!! In that race i was still managed to do a 2:07.6.
It ended up that the battery terminal was loose (had a felling that was the problem, and i was right) so tightened up those and got ready for the last race.
The last race was a sprint race, 2 laps, and it was all about the start. Sitting on the start line, revving my bike, slip the clutch, NOO too much clutch and the front wheel comes up "DOH" I watched a whole heap of bikes go past... Slowly but surely i wheeled most of them on, and ended up coming 5th, just behind Craig Sullivan.
The other 3 riders infront of me were Hayden Fitzgerald, Jason Nalm and Derek Hill some of the fastest F3 and F2 racers in the country. I was happy just to be on the track with them beating me.
Ive got a ground clearance problem, my pegs are grinding nearly every corner. So im going to do a small modification to them and see if i can drop another second off my times.
Huge thanks to MR, Nicko and ofcourse ChloeAlso to the KB'ers that came over and said gidday and came to watch...
Cheers, Chris
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