Hmm, this was the race weekend to end all race weekends for me, after a chequered 2 round career in clubmans, after consultation with those in the know (Cheers Shaun and others) I decided to give f2 and f1 a go, twice the track time, ten bucks extra, and racing in a class where you can watch and chase (and one day beat) the much faster guys out there.
Thursday morning saw me wildly packing the truck and trailer, and chasing wet tires. With a good supply of wets secured (Thanks brother Love!) and some tyre levers, I was on my way.
Until I remembered I had promised to take 3 young guys out on the track, so, added an hour to travel time, and went back home to pick up my rear seat and footpegs.
We reached Shauns place to pick up my bike (suffering from a jolly good helping of Ohlins) later than we had planned, and this muppet had the lack of foresight to not make the curtesy call to shaun to tell him I'd be late.
Finally managed to back down the drive, at night, and in the rain, and set sag etc, loaded the bike up, and shaun loaned me a rear that would be much better in the wet than my supercorsa.
Headed on our merry way, and just past stratford realised we had left paddock stands at Shauns place. I was getting way too tired to turn around, so we carried on to Mum and Dads place in Marton.
Friday morning of the test day saw us on the phone trying to get a hold of some stands. Eventually found some, picked them up and got to the track, in time to miss the first session.
Spent some time on the bike, bled brake lines etc, and made it out in the second one.
My first thoughts of new ohlins etc, WOW, what a difference, like a completely different bike! Then I noticed the oil leaking.
Last round I had crashed, ground my alternator cover to nothing. Nicko had a spare, with a crack, so I put some metal bond on it, and carried on. It still leaked, but I had blithly assumed that was because of the gasket, which I got Shaun to replace.
Found out the leak was where the pressue had blown the metal bond off the crack. So had to chase a spare alternator cover. Not easy on a friday in Palmerston North and districts!
Phil turnbull MotorCycles had one, which I duly sent my darling wife off to pick up, only when she arrived back, and we went to put it on, it was the wrong one.
Panic set in, but after a few calls to find Brian Bernards Number, turned otu that he had one, and would bring it out on Raceday morning.
I contented myself with going over the bike with a fine tooth comb, and watching the other guys until my greatest fans arrived for their ride.
Big thanks to Jason (Vtec) Gav (HDTBoy) and Jasons Dad, they did the honours with the young fellas, and gave them two laps each.
I doubt an atomic bomb could have wiped the smile off those boys faces!!
That all said and done, and the proud mother having taken her photos, we loaded up the truck again, and left for the night.
RACE DAY!
Arrived at the gate (first, yeeha) at 6:30. Got in and secured a pit, and started the waiting game. Went to sign in, and realised my race license was on the table at home!! What a twat!! Fortunatly day licenses can cover that eventuality, so $30.00 and all that remained of my pride later, I was allowed to race.
Brian Bernard turned up with a brand spanking new Yoshi magnesium cover, and we bolted it on, just in the nick of time for riders breifing. Fairings were on just a tad too late, so I missed the scrub in session. (I figured new suspension would be allowable as a reason to scrub!)
Finally it was all ready to go for F2 qualifying. Went out, and was basically getting used to a new bike, so posted a pathetic 2:20 odd, 24th on the grid (just behind Vtec, dang it!!)
I came back in with the front brake lever touching the bar, and I wasn't wonderfully happy with that, so tried to bleed the brakes again. It just wasn't happening! Asked Anthony for some advice (as he was getting ready for superbike qualifying) He gave me a few pointers on where the air would most likely be, and I gave it a valient effort, but still no lever feel. I had by now drained my brake fluid trying to bleed it, and was starting to panic! Fortunately my "pit crew" turned up, and went for a run to get some more brake fluid. Drained the system and started again, this time with some success.
I had however missed superbike qualifying, along with my bestest mate Cowpoos. Being the nice chap I am, I elected to start right at the back, with him one in front. 34 and 35 on the grid.
F2 race one, and my starts are pretty weak, so I ended up taking the outside line into turn one, and staying on the gas past the bunch. Was pretty pshychotic race, with 11 not finishing!! I was just in time up the back straight of the new track to watch 2smoker and a gp bike hit the tyre wall!! Knuckled down, and then came into the hairpin behind Motobob just after nicko had lain his bike down. The consequence of bike on the track eluded me, and I rode around it and pegged the throttle, then wondered why I had ridden past Paul like he was standing still?! Looked up, and saw the red flag waving!! Felt like a right dick!!
So a restart (with a substantially smaller grid) saw me take 14th. high 2:10 fastest lap.
I wasn't overly happy with that, as my aim was 2:07.
first superbike race, I felt like I was going a lot faster, but was getting stuck in traffic. Tried to overtake a CBR 600 and ducati 999 coming onto the front straight, and just slid (on the gas, cranked right over) slide halted on the ripple strip. I thought this is it, I'm going to be highsided into the fence, and that is gonna HURT!! But, the nice rear ohlins saved the day, gripped, powered on and wheelied off the ripple strip. Crapped my dacks, and lost that passing opportunity!!
Netted 24th (jump of 6 places of starters, not too bad!) but still only down to a low 2:10.
Back to my new suspension, the major difference being now I can feel what both ends of the bike are doing. That in itself is quite scarey as I counted 14 near highsides!! Loving it now, though I wasn't convinced at the beginning of the day!!
Third race, F2 and I was in fighting mode, discovering on the dummy grid that I was still only 2:10s. So I started to actually pass like I meant it, and in the process, managed to ace one of my more important goals, got past Motobob!!! and Cleve Brown!! That was the most fun race of the day, as I wasn't as timid on passing as I have been, and I gave it heaps!!
I was still screwing up gear changes, as I have some new alpinestar boots, witha lot thicker sole than my other formas, which means I have to make a concerted effort to get my foot under the lever. (I run standard pattern).
I came in over the moon, and was rewarded, when the results came in with arriving squarely in the middle of the 2:07 range!!! Ne'er a victory so sweet, Still only finished 14th on the grid, but that is middle of the feild now, not blunt end!!! YAY
The final race of the day, 7 laps in superbike, and I was humming, my unfit body holding up damn well, and I had a heap of really excited friends and family watching! Usual start tactic, and I remember thinking coming out of turn one, Ha, how funny is that, all these guys get awesome starts, and I just have to hang off the brake and go wide, risking somebody crashing into me, to make up the majority of places!!
Diced with a very nice yellow Yamaha GP250 bike, and eventually got him (if I recall rightly) after he had a wicked slapper on the extended track transition. Finished at 24th or 23rd, and was stoked with the days progress. To the ohlins credit, I have gained that many seconds, and yet only touched the knee down once in the whole day!!!
Thanks so much to the guys there for the kind support, and Gav for helping me out, My absolutely amazing wife, heavily pregnant, and still putting on my tyrewarmers etc! WOW, what a woman!
Shaun, you're a bloody great gem, thanks heaps for the help, advice and work, really really appreciate it.
My Guys at holeshot, responding to the strangest requests in the shortest possible time, Thanks heaps for getting a hold of tires for me on no notice, and trying to get the odd strange parts that I am after!
Brett, the legend behind Quasimoto, Cheers bud, after that last crash, my confidence in the gear is huge! This stuff really does do the trick, comfort, functionality, and perhaps even more importantly, in the crash situations, it does its job!!
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Originally Posted by Drew
, I too kinda have a curvy figure which makes it worse beacuse im a guy. Well the waist kinda goes in and the bum pushes out. When I was in college the girls in my year would slap me on the arse and squeeze because apparently it is firm, tight...
I wear jeans
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