2011 Actrix VMCC Winter series round 3 Sam Croft
Qualifying: We had a dry track! It was really good to have a dry track because the last few rounds have been raining, although it was a bit cold at least it was not wet! I had a good session getting the feel for the bike in the dry and getting more confident in the tyres. I qualified on pole overall ahead of the other Pro-lites, mini-lites and streetstocks. I was looking forward to a nice dry day of racing!
1st race: I had a great start off pole position and we still had a cold track, so the times I was getting was a few seconds off my best but I was right in between a dice with 3 mini lite bikes, it was the first time all season I was able to have a dice like that so I stayed with them and had some close racing. The mini lites have more power on the straights but I caught them up in the corners so it was a good dice. I managed to get in front of the 3 bikes and put on a bit of a lead to finish the race 2nd overall but fist in my class by 21 seconds.
2nd race: last minute race check! I noticed that the safety clip on the master link on my chain had disappeared. This is the 2nd time it had happened, hence why I just checked it to be safe, luckily noticing it before I was on track. If I had not seen this it could have ended nasty. Because it had happened before, we had a spare link we took the clip from and frantically put it on the chain. I got to the dummy grid about 30 second late and was forced to start from pit lane. This is ironic because I had told dad earlier that I would like to start from the back and see what I can do. Be careful what you wish for! I had to do the first lap on cold tyres so I was taking it easy, I managed to catch most of the bikes, I finished 8th overall out of 19 so not a bad effort. I got a new personal best, only 0.7 seconds outside of the lap record.
3rd race: now we have learned the importance of pre-race checks, and would you believe it in the last race I somehow managed to lose the nut that holds on the front sprocket on. It is a 19x1.25mm bolt, so not one anyone had lying around. We frantically rushed into town to try and find somebody with anything similar, repco had nothing nor did supercheap auto. As dad drove past a Toyota dealership we thought we had nothing to lose and went in to ask. Out the back was a tractor workshop and the mechanic gave us a few bolts that he found lying around underneath things. It was a long shot but we had to try. We got back to the pits and tried the first two nuts, too small. It was the last one we tried, the one that came off a tractor that magically fit. It must have been my lucky day. I got to the grid first to make sure I didn’t start on pit lane. On the start I popped a huge wheel stand and ruined any advantage I had of being on pole position as the front row went straight past me. I under braked them all apart from one into turn one, and tried to keep up with the leading mini lite. In doing so I left a gap between me and the other mini lites I was dicing with in race one. I crossed the line second and felt like I was going faster. As a matter of fact I was, I broke the outright Pro-lite lap record set by the current national champion (in the middle of summer!).
So another 75 valuable points to add to my previous 175 gives me 250 points from a possible 250. 10 race wins, 2 pole positions and a new lap record half way through the season gives me a comfortable 52 point lead on 2nd place in my class. I am only one of two who has won all races so far out of the 12 classes. I cannot thank my supporters enough: Motorad, Croft Racing, Horsepower Motorcycles, Dunlop Tyres, Kapiti Bearings & Locksmithing, Neptune Mufflers, Plastic Welding Repairs, RPS signs and Graphics and 1tonne quality motorcycle gear. Without these people I would not be able to race, I cannot recommend them enough. I look forward to round four and hope for some more dry weather!
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Originally Posted by CHOPPA
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