OS Racing - When a plan comes together!

[SWERVE]

Well we have been running young anthony (ANTS) on the 150 streetstock for his first season. He started of lapping at 2.05 at ruapuna then managed a 2.00 at the last sth Is national round earlier in the year....(his first competitive race meeting)
Our plan was to try and get him into the top 5.
Started steady with 7th/8th/9th at teretonga in April.
Slowly improved once we moved to levels for the winter series. A 5th place at the first meeting had us quietly pleased. Then a 3rd came which gave him a big boost.
He left levels with a 3rd place in winter series and leading King of Canterbury (Streetstock) also having been awarded "most improved rider"
A trip to Manfield in Sept saw him qualify badly but mamaging a 4th place in the last race after starting on the back row.
We then moved to Ruapuna for three rounds. He has always struggled a little here. Straight into the 2.00 laps but other than one "stop-watch" lap of 1.58 in a fri practice he seemed stuck at the 2.00 barrier. This was seeing him run at the front of the 2nd pack of bikes but unable to "tag-on" to the leaders.
That was until this weekend!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We went to practice on fri.He was only lapping at 2.00 again but the style and general aura was very positive. He had done a clubmans race at the last meeting on my 675 and managed a 1.55. Our other rider & sponser Pete was now lapping in the high 40s and he was Ants target. Out on the 675 on fri ants was lapping consistantly 1.51s so improvement was starting to show.
With the extra junior session in the evening too...lots of tracktime was good.
We arrived on sat to a warm sunny day(perfect for racing) I had never seen Ants so positive and focused. We had discussed some different lines in a couple of corners after the training session as i had been out on the 675 helping coach the juniors, so had a chance to follow him for a few laps.
Qualified with a 2.00!!!!!! but pole only on 1.58 so not too bad. Second row start behind pole position.
A good start and 4th out of T1. This time he managed to hang on to the leaders in the first lap(another area we discussed) By lap 3 he had moved up to 3rd and was matching pace of the leaders. with a couple of laps to go the leader fell, so promoting ants to 2nd, with the leader only 30/40 mtrs ahead ants put his head down in the final lap but had to settle for 2nd. (Should i say "OVER THE MOON FOR 2ND) And to put the icing on the cake a 1.56 lap.
Race 2 Saw him again in the lead bunch for the entire race but with the guy infront falling right under ants front wheel in the later laps he lost precious time and finished 5th a lttle back from the leaders, but still running 1.57s.
Race 3. same as race 2. But this time it was anybodies win from 5 riders. Some of the best racing ive seen for a while. Ants went from 5th - to 2nd - and back to 4th in 2 corners at one point. At another the 5th place rider out-braked them all into the hairpin to take the lead. Eventually finishing 5th with only 1.4 secs seperating top 5.AWESOME STUFF from the young guys.. More 1.57 laps.
What a result for us, all the hard work and help from Pete with the sponsorship "HAMILTON SEED LTD" and Trevor & Mark at "FORBES & DAVIES" had paid off. THANK YOU GUYS.
The 150 is now having a top end rebuild before the Nationals and we are quietly confident of some results after this performance.
It doesnt end there............. At the prize-giving Ants not only picked up the KOL 3rd place but got Sportzfotoz Cup "Best newcomer" Big thanks to PAUL & JENNY from SPORTZFOTOZ and JAMES SMITH(for the prize)
And not forgetting the man without whom none of this would have ever happened PETE JONES (OYSTER) legend.
Oh did i say it ended there!!!!!!!!!! Ants then proceeded to race the 675 in clubmans.........beating team mate Pete in all races( although pete had incidents in first 2) But in final race they had a whole race head to head with Ants leading from the beginning to finish. And recording a 1.47 too.
This has seen Pete handing over the keys of the SV650 to Ants. Who will race both the RG150 and SV 650 (pro-twin) next year.
WELL DONE SON I AM VERY PROUD OF YOU.

[kit]

WOW thats awesome Good luck for next yr!

[Harvd]

Yeah He went bloody well on sat it was great fun racing with him.

At another the 5th place rider out-braked them all into the hairpin to take the lead.

Lol 5 wide into the hairpin certainly was fun! (espescially since i was the 5th place rider :P)

Eventually finishing 5th with only 1.4 secs seperating top 5.AWESOME STUFF from the young guys.. More 1.57 laps.

That had to be one of the best ever races ive been in

See you guys next weekend?

[SWERVE]

yes that last streetstock race was AWESOME to watch ,,,,,,,,,must have been even better to have been in it,
You really are the "man" for the "round the outside " pass Harvd.
Ants was impressed with your runs along the rumble strip at pothole.
We wont be at the CAMS meeting as the RG is having its pre-nats strip down this week.
Good luck mate.

[puddytat]

That was the best racing Ive had....hat off to all those involved.Im way impressed with the young fellas skills & enjoyed some close racing especially in the fist 2-3 laps which was about when the likes of Ants ,Harvd et al start leavin us in the dust....
Nice write up Swerve, there were some very very proud parents at the prize giving

[SWERVE]

Totally agree Puddytat. The young talent is really something else at the moment. Not just in streetstock, but most classes.
How is ya enjoying it on the 250..

[puddytat]

Im lovin' it man...& it seems to fit in well to the streetstock class.It'll take a way better rider than me to get it up the pointy end though, even with fatter tyres Im only managing to hang on to the tail enders of the lead group.
Being the only 250 has had its advantages though....automatic