It's mine...ALL MINE! NYAHAHAAAA!

**slowpoke** · 16th February 2011, 15:09

Just had one of my all time dreams fulfilled last week: a race track all to myself for a day......WOOT!

Manfeild test day on Thursday 10th, just prior to the tin top NZGP. Wasn't sure if bikes would be allowed so rang up and: "Yep, normal test day fella."

Drove 2 hours to find the place chockablock with Porsche's, Toyota single seaters, saloons, sparkly lights, shrubbery, and more marquee's than I thought existed in the Southern Hemsiphere. Fucken' hell, it's only Thursday and it's already obvious that the tin top crowd know how to put on a helluva show. The grass had been mowed, the kerbing/track markings painted....the place was primped and preened and generally looked better than a burqa on Helen Clarke.

I immediately thought I'd blown time and money on the drive........but a check with track control says they've allocated time for bikes, albeit only 3 x 20min sessions. Fuck it, I'm here and with so long between drinks I sign up, along with.........absolutely nobody else.

Haha, felt blardy weird, and very fuggin' important, rolling out on to the track by myself with a gazzilion dollars worth of four wheelers parked up waiting for me. And eyes, lots and lots of eyes, watching......

Was brilliant fun though, and more to the point, with absolutely no distractions on or off track I felt like I made some real headway with both bike and rider setup/attitude. The last 12 months have been an exercise in frustration, no track time, no confidence in the bike and generally feeling like I'm starting all over again every time I get on the thing, not doing what should be a great bike or myself justice. After an embarrassing Tri-Series where my lap times were down the shitter I realised I'd gone off on a bit of a tangent, and it was great to get some of the old feeling back as I chased my own black lines around the track.

So if ya get the chance, don't flag it if you find yourself Johhny-no-mates at the track, it's an awesome opportunity to try all those things you've been thinking about. Best part is even a mug like me was faster than everything else there bar the Toyota single seaters (63/64 sec lap) for a fraction of the cost...how can that not put a smile on ya dial?