Hey everyone,
As most of you know I am now riding a new bike (K4 GSX-R600). So with a bit of talking to the Clerk of the race I managed to change my entry from F3 to F2.
I've had the bike for a bit under 2 weeks now, and have managed to do one track day on it getting into the low 63's and high 62's around Pukekohe. I've never raced at Paeroa so was really jumping in the deep end with it being my first race on a 600 as well!!!
I didnt have any expectations for my results at Paeroa but I didnt want to go touring around the track either.
Because i have never been to Paeroa so i qualifyed to do some sighting laps. I was waiting on the grid for ages, focusing on learning the track and getting on the zone, and I forgot all about watching the temperature!!! Fucking idiot!!! I boiled the bike over and had to pull out of the sighting laps. After alot of work from Shaun and Milky, they got the bike cooled down and I was ready for Qualifying 1. Since these were basically my sighting laps, i did more of learning the track than putting down blistering lap times. AND WHAT A CIRCUIT IT IS!!! The front straight is like a tunnel and your speed is so high, into turn one and over the hill with turn 2 and 3 is wicked, where you can really crank the bike over. The back straight is just crazy with the front coming up off the first hump, and the bike getting airborne of the second hump, before touching the brakes for the kink crank it over and then brake hard for the hairpin. Out of the hairpin the rear is spinning up from the off camber then when it hooks up the front is coming off the ground again!!! WICKED CIRCUIT!!!
Qualifying 2: Was aiming to go alot faster, but still coming to grips with the circuit. Went out and felt alot faster than the first session, but had problems with the second hump and the esses. Plenty more to learn and heaps more speed to come.
Race 1: I was on the second row of the start, and was a bit nervous being around some of the big names and being my first race on a 600. The flag dropped and i got away with an average start which I was happy with. I settled in behind Darron Wheeler and Karl Morgan. Sticking with the tail of the front pack. Still learning the track, I made a few mistakes here and there, meaning I would lose ground on Darron and Karl, but then make it up again. I was getting into a good dice with Darron, and tried to out brake him on the front straight, but tucked back in behind him, and followed him closely until the hairpin, where I got chatter and gassed it up way to early resulting in a huge slide. I lost alot of ground from that, and set about making it up again. Then coming into the esses i got chatter again, and all of a sudden the bike died!!! Ah shit!!! I furiously tried the both kill switches, then turned the key on and off, but to no avail. I coasted to a halt outside the pits, where i tried to fix it again. But once again to no avail. I went from 11th place to last with a best time of 49.005.
Back at the Pits we found out that the positive wire to the battery was too taught. The wire then snapped from fatigue. So with the help of Milky, Shaun and Graeme Cole, we sorted it out and I was ready for the next race.
Robert Holden: Sadly I did not qualify for this race, as the did it off the qualifying times not the race times. Even though I had the 25th fastest race time I couldn't race in it... Very disappointing...
Race 2: There was a warning that the exit of the esses had tar bleeding through, so they had put down gravel and cement on the exit.... On the warm up lap I came around the corner, FUCKING HELL!!! Did they start a new quarry in the middle of the exit from the esses??? The gave me a big mind block for that corner, and my times showed this. Because of the DNF from the last race, I had to start from the back of the grid. Sitting on the line, flag dropped, slipped the clutch, but engaged it too much and got way too much wheel spin!!! I settled in behind a RS250 , who ran a bit wide in turn 2, whilst I was trying to go around the outside of him. Passed him going down the back straight, and settled in behind Ricky Mckay. I was right up behind him, and passed him up the inside of turn 2. I was constantly going to slow out of the esses because of the gravel mucking with my head. I was going much faster into the hairpin, and getting alot of chatter from the front end, when braking for the hairpin and esses. I felt alot smoother in this race, and even though I was going very slowly through the esses, my times were still in the 49's with a best of 49.625. The front end chatter was caused by my forks bottoming out, so for the street circuits I need to add a bit more fork oil. This will sort of the front end chatter and i can brake harder and later for these two turns. I ended up coming 11th in this race.
I wasnt really happy with my performance on the day, but i wasnt disappointed either. Ive had a good think about the track, and can see where i could have and will save time. I had a great day out, and throughly enjoyed myself.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE DAY: Signing two little boys shirts, who asked for my autograph!!! Stoked as with that!!!
Huge thanks for, Chloe, Milky, Shaun Harris, Graeme Cole, Trev, Dad and Kerry, Nick Cole and Colemans Suzuki. Cheers also to all the people that came up and said gidday, or showed their support by watching the races
Cheers, Chris
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good show old chap
Originally Posted by Two Smoker
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