Team MaD racing at Taupo Spectacular.

**Cleve** · 2nd January 2007, 06:33

Team MaD racing at Taupo Spectacular.
Jonno (Kicking Zebra) was there from the Saturday but I was unable to make it until the Sunday.
(and Jill wasn't coming at all as she was in the Camper Van with her family)
Cheers Jonno for getting there earlier and setting up an awesome pit position (if you like to be as far away as possible from scrutineering, control, coffee shop, ...) NO but seriously thanks and good luck with the South Island National rounds. See ya at Minefield...

Bugger I didn't realise that grid positions would be decided on the Saturday so race 1 of Superbike/F2 I had to start from the back row. (Mind you I learnt later that a large number of riders had completely ignored the grid positions...)
I got a really good start - now many would say I jumped the start - but I just think it was spot on perfect launching at just the right time with just the right amount of revs.
Regardless it was still a mess at the first corner and many places that I had got from the start I lost at that first corner...
I managed to pick a few off during the 6 laps to finish 11th not too far behind Jonno, Vtec, Sudeep, Nicko...
Race 2 was grid position from 1st race, thank goodness so was on the 3rd row not the 5th row. Another pretty good start and with fewer slightly slower bikes/riders to pass was able to settle into a fairly good ryhthm from early on and pick off a few riders (Karl Morgan on a nice sky blue K6) and more importantly beat Jonno. Some fella on a ZX10R (I think that's what it was) got me on the last lap. Not sure where I came but was in top 10 (7th perhaps?)...
Race 3 was also a blast of a race with an RSV Aprilia down on the 2nd of the right handers causing quite a few bikes to take rapid evasive action. Managed to avoid the RSV and Nicko as he took his Trumpet off for a bit of grass tracking. The rest of the race went off without too much incident getting past an "improving" Karl Morgan with a lap to go. Pretty sure I bet that young whipper snapper team mate as well...

Overall it was a fun day and pretty well organised. Next time I will come for both days.

**kickingzebra** · 2nd January 2007, 07:02

Argh, I'll be flying after the SI nationals...
Flying doctors!!
Well done, next time I'll just t bone you too, LOL

**Goblin** · 2nd January 2007, 10:39

Nice write up Cleve.

I think the guy that got you on the last lap was young Rhys Holmes...an extremely talented teenager!

**motobob** · 2nd January 2007, 14:19

Good to see you had a fun day Cleve. More importantly is keeping those young fullas in their place lol.

Hasn't that Johno worked on his race report. He's not doing a good job since taking over my spot in the team is he.

**MattRSK** · 2nd January 2007, 14:35

Originally Posted by Cleve

See ya at Minefield...

Thats clever

**Steve_R6R** · 2nd January 2007, 20:28

Hi, you must have been in front of me all day, did you do the last race?
See you next time.
Steve.

**Cleve** · 3rd January 2007, 10:14

Originally Posted by Steve_R6R

Hi, you must have been in front of me all day, did you do the last race?
See you next time.
Steve.

Hi Steve. I wanted to say Hi to a fellow R6er that day but you seemed a bit busy every time I wandered past with wife and kids... (I guess that was you?)
I passed you in the first race (after a SUPERHUMAN late braking effort...

) and then grid positioned and stayed in front of you in the 2nd and 3rd race.

I wasn't on the list for the feature race because I wasn't there on the Saturday...

See ya round...

**Steve_R6R** · 3rd January 2007, 20:58

Yea, there was a few people I would have like to meet, but I kind of get focused on the racing.

I didn't realise it was the Saturday only guys allowed to race in the last race, didn't Stroud or Love race either?

Catch you next time.