I missed Paeroa last year due to family commitments so was looking forward to getting back there for 2011.
I have to thank Alan Denovan and Drew Avery for their help in getting my bike back into shape after my mishap at Wanganui. The bike was finally back together Thursday night, all ready for the road trip the next morning.
I took the family so had the Friday and Monday off work to spread the trip out – 6 hours is a long time in a car with 2 kids under 3 !!
We stayed at Rotorua Friday night, courtesy of The Station Sports Café and Bar. Fuel costs were covered by The Office Relocation Company and a silent sponsor. Without their support I would not have been able to compete in all the races I wanted to over the past year.
On Saturday morning we left Rotorua for Paeroa, via Tauranga and Highway 36. What an awesome piece of road !! I last went over it in 1997 and it was only gravel. It looks like a great road for a ride, as did Karangahape (sp) Gorge.
We arrived at the track just before scrutineering started so I unloaded the bike and gear and set up in the shared pit between Paul Duncan and Paul Taylor.
I had a slight panic attack when the sign in lady said my club membership had expired – she was looking at the wrong date. Grrrr
Anyway – after all was settled in we left for dinner with some local friends before hitting the hay.
Up bright and early for riders briefing. The weather was overcast and keeping these nice and cool initially, but I knew it wouldn’t last.
Practice went fairly well although I got stuck behind Paul Buckley for a while. Second qualifying was better and I dropped about a second from the first session to place in 5th and on the front row.
My pit mate Paul Duncan was scorching, placing 3rd behind Terry Fitzgerald and Glen Williams.
Jarrod Wintle and Nick Southerwood were 4th and 6th and I knew it would be all on between us, with 3rd to 6th all qualifying within a second.
From the grid looking ahead, the track narrows with the plastic barriers right up to the kink. It didn’t look like we would all fit into there and something would have to give. I jokingly asked Jarrod (beside me) if he would make room for me…….he laughed and reassured me that he would……..YEAH RIGHT !!
The flag drops and I’m relieved to see Jarrod’s front wheel go lofting skyward – I chuckle thinking he wouldn’t be squeezing me out of the kink.
I had got a good launch and chased Glen and Terry into turn 1 – totally stoked I was in 3rd place.
I pretty much kept up with them until the hairpin on to the main straight, but cocked up my braking and went in too deep, giving Paul the inside line and a better drive up the straight. He was obviously hell bent on catching “the Glen and Terry show”, and I couldn’t match his pace.
A lap or two later and Nick Southerwood came past into turn 1 and I chased him for a few laps. The white flag came out and Nick went in a little hot into turn 1, allowing me to slip up the inside – we then caught Shane Taylor at the esses – I had to back off a little and shot up the inside, Nick obviously didn’t back off, went around the outside of Shane and got better drive past me down the back straight…….GUTTED!!
So 5th in race 1. Pretty happy with that.
Race 2 and this time it’s me pointing the front end skyward. Luckily though I managed to regain control quickly and went into turn 1 in 4th, behind Glen, Terry and Nick.
It didn’t feel like I was making any ground on Nick so I just kept hammering away trying to hit my markers and being as fast and smooth as possible.
With 2 laps to go, Paul sneaks inside and past under brakes into turn 1, but ran a little deep, giving me the inside line over the hill. I’m not sure exactly what happened next. It may have been that I had a burst of the red mist after passing Paul back, and gassed it up a bit early or a bit too much, I’m not sure but I know I wasn’t in the right place on the track – I was about half a metre too far out so I rolled off the gas a little and felt a bump from behind.
When I next hit the main straight I looked back and Paul was no where to be seen…….DOH !!
Coming around the hill on the last lap I took a quick peek and saw Paul lying on the grass holding his arm and not moving. Double DOH !!
On the wind down lap I rolled past the hill slowly and Paul was still in the same position…..OH SHIT !!
Thankfully Paul was ok – he did however break his wrist. Paul crashing out meant I took 4th place in race 2, and 4th overall for the day.
I do feel bad for Paul though – it was my mistake that contributed to his off and he was certainly faster than me on the day and deserved to get 3rd place – but that’s racing.
Big thanks to all those who help support my racing (see below), my family for their support and sharing my racing experiences, the AMCC for putting on a great event (the day went very smoothly from my perspective), and the volunteers and marshals that worked on the day and with set up/tear down etc.
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Originally Posted by Matt Bleck
. And no I don't want you to get even LOL.
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