vtec's road race spectacular

**vtec** · 1st January 2007, 20:38

(Excellent pics on page 2

and sweet animations on page 3

)

Well,

Was pretty excited leading up to this meeting on the 30th and 31st, fixed a few things, did a bodge job on the fairings after my last minor off, and sourced a much softer rear spring a 90 down from a 105, and finally got some tyre warmers (cheers Peter). Was hoping for great things, despite the fact that all of my crashes have been at Taupo. Still it's my favourite track, and most of the crashes have been very minor.

Well we got down there on the friday evening, chilled out with mum and dad and watched starwars. Woke up at about 4am, got excited and only got about another 30mins of sleep. So we decided to head over to the track early and set up. Put the ezy-up up. But then Kit and his brother turned up and they found someone willing to share a garage with all of us if we shared the costs. So we shifted in the garage just in time for the heavens to open. Spent the next hour or so, adjusting the preload on the rear shock with my new spring. Then made a few stabs in the dark at compression and rebound on the front forks and rear shock (I'm such a noob). Rained pretty solidly at times, but it saved the best downpour for me just as I was leaving pit lane. Absolutely bucketed down, and I got a wet crotch in about 3 seconds, brilliant. Got round one lap, but the circuit was a bloody swimming pool so I brought her in and chucked the warmers back on. Was feeling like a bit of a wuss, and had noticed that the bike hadn't wanted to turn, so checked the tyre pressures, and noticed that the front was well down.

Next session, I went out and got through about 1 lap before my bike just cut out in the hairpin at the end of the front straight. It's funny how it always happens in a corner. I suppose you are nearly always cornering on Taupo though. Pulled off to the side, figured pretty quickly that it was the power cable to the power commander. The plastic connector gets pressed on by the fairings when I chuck the tail piece on, and it's happened to me before. Managed to just get a finger up to it so that I had it sitting just connected. Took it back into the pits to get properly sorted, and wrapped it in electrical tape to stop it happening again. Got back out for maybe one or two laps before the session was over... damn. So far I think I had about 3 pretty slow laps under my belt, and I only had one more practice session before the practice race to sort out the grid for the next day.

3rd practice session, went out on nicely hot tyres so I got stuck in pretty quickly and was riding pretty hard... or so I thought. A couple of guys just blasted past me after the left hand hairpin in the middle of the circuit. Damn, was feeling a bit stressed that I was going to get my arse handed to me in the race. Still I got some good laps in and got progressively quicker throughout the session. Came in at the end, and started to get properly nervous, because me and my mate Gavin are sort of in a race team, and I knew he'd been making good ground on his K5 gsxr600, and was definitely looking hot. I knew we wanted to beat each other.

The practice race/qualifying came up, didn't realise till I saw the other bikes going out to the dummy grid, so I had to hoon to chuck the tyre warmers off. Dad was mildly annoyed cause he wanted me to make sure I was up the front of the grid for the start of the race. I ended up being last out onto the track hehe.

Hooned round to the start and just went straight up to the second row of the grid, the other guys left a gap so I took advantage. I think Gav was next to me. Green flag dropped and I launched straight into a bloody wheely, so I grabbed the clutch and let it out smoother, and actually ended up with a pretty damn good launch. Took the inside line into the first left hander, and came out in 4th place. Was stoked but a little panicky cause I'd never been at the pointy end of a superbike/supersport race before. Adrenalin was pumping bloody hard, and I just rode really agressively, was still on the back of the guy in 3rd place towards the end of the second lap. But my iron grip on the bars had taken it's toll. As my arms packed up, I screwed up the odd corner from not being able to haul it up on brakes in time. and a 1 litre vtwin aprilia came through on me. Still I managed to hold that position to the end of the four laps. Was stoked as. My best ever performance in the top class. and at least one of the guys that beat me was on a superbike. So I qualified 5th for the first race the next day, this put me right on the outside of the front row of the grid. Rather chuffed really. I think Johnno (KZ) was a place or two back, and Gavin in his first ever race on the supersport was in 10th. Top stuff all round. But I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

Went back to the motel that night in a brilliant mood but a bit nervous about the next day.

Continued

**Sketchy_Racer** · 1st January 2007, 21:25

haha, good shit dude.

I guess your 'race' report is going to be a bit of a novel huh??

Haha, even i managed a novel this time

good shit

**vtec** · 1st January 2007, 21:33

Well Sunday started at 4am for me dammit. Woke up again heart pumping. Maybe got another 30 minutes of sleep. Headed out to the track by about 8am. Had all the stuff in the garage, so I could just think about what was ahead for me. Did all the anal stuff like rechecking tyrepressures, chain tension, oil level fuel level and the like, just cause I couldn't sit still. Went to rider's briefing and was impressed to see a 14year old girl was going to be racing in streetstocks. I think I read somewhere that she took it out aswell. Awesome. Might be looking at getting my little sis on one of my 250's. Need to teach her to ride first though. But she's a talented badminton player, so she's definitely got the reactions and coordination skills to make a good streetstock racer.

Back to the story. Went out for practice session again felt like I was starting afresh dammit. Was shit scared out there again. Was starting to feel a little negative about it again, seeing as there were a lot more good racers showing up like Stroud and Motoracer (Sudeep) and many more. Tried to go around quickly but couldn't get my head in the right frame of mind. Was quite worried about being on the outside of the grid, cause I never get good starts from the outside. Came back in at the end of the session and chucked the warmer on again (I feel like a real racer now I've got warmers

)

First race came up, and I wizzed around to the front row of the grid. Got nervous again on the warm up lap cause I had trouble keeping up with the guys that I was going to be lining up next to, and it was only the damn warm up lap. Lined up on the grid. Only to be told that we were going back to the pits due to all the crap that the sidecars had just chucked on the circuit. This was to be a recurring event. Hehe, damn sidecars always having issues... Dangerous, faulty, dropping parts, collecting stones, and crashing seems to be a major part of sidecar racing. I don't envy the swingers at all. So we dawdled around the circuit and went back into the pits. Not long after we went around again for another warm up lap and lined up again. The green flag dropped, and I did another bloody wheely, pulled it down, and powered on again. Heaps of guys shot up the inside as I was pushed wide around the hairpin. Got stuck in again, and passed the odd guy back before the second corner forcefully. Thought I was going pretty well, passed Karl Morgan on the brakes at the end of the front straight. Got the front end bouncing a few times on the brakes due to one of me discs being a bit out of shape. Then Sudeep and Johno came through on me at some stage. Managed to stick on the back of them for about a lap, but my arms again ran out of steam. And they got about 100m on me. Finished in that position, 10th. I think the reason why my arms pack up is because I'm just not comfortable or relaxed on the bike. I spend all my time on 250cc fourstrokes, and once a month I get to blast around a race track on an absolute beast, and I just never get the chance to get fully used to it before I have another break of a month. I think getting a 600 for the road to commute on will help me get used to the feel of the bigger bikes and help me no end. Felt mildly frustrated at the end of that race although I knew I should be happy with how I was riding, especially in the first couple of laps.

After that race Karl Morgan and his dad came over to have a go at Gavin, cause Gavin passed him and had to run over a white line which gave him a bit of a front end slide, which could have taken them both out. These things happen in racing. Especially when you are new in a class, and things are happening faster than you are used to, gaps that appear to be plenty big enough for an overtake can dissappear pretty quickly, and you can only brake so hard, I think Gav will probably give his version of events anyway. Nothing in it as far as I could tell, just an everyday racing moment.

Race 2, and I was feeling a bit less afraid and a bit more determined. Was in 10th place on the grid for this race which meant I was on the bloody outside again, only this time on the second row of the grid with Johno and Sudeep on my inside. Can't remember too much about this race, but I got another average launch, and Karl Morgan came flying past quite a few of us. His K6 hauls ass off the mark, a bit of skill involved in that too though. Ended up passing him around the back of the circuit on the really high speed left hander as you are heading toward the chicane with the tyres, just outbroke him before the tyres. Pretty dangerous to do it there in hindsight as you could get ploughed right into the tyres, but he was being pretty tame on that section, as it was only his second day on Taupo. I think I must have been in front of Sudeep and Johno, as they both passed me on the second to last lap again (I think, memory is a bit cloudy about this race). Pretty sure that I finished another creditable 10th. I know 10th probably sounds pretty average to most people but the fact of the matter is, there are very few chumps racing in the Superbike/Supersport class, in fact if you are only mediocre there is now way you would want to get in there with the big boys, so I was trying to convince myself to be happy with where I was currently placing, seeing as I'm still a relative noob on the 600, and my bike seemed to have the least punch out of the corners. Still it's a great bike for conserving tyres, cause it's got next to no midrange, so on corner exit it's not putting through enough power to cut the tyres loose, but as you straighten up and the power kicks in you get reasonable power at the top end of the range. Jay Lawrence who used to ride this CBR600 a couple of years ago, definitely agreed that it rode like a 2stroke, you have to rev the crap out of it if you want to go fast Can't rely on any midrange. Problem is, you don't get a chance to look at the revmeter on Taupo. Definitely need more time on a 600.

3rd race, got a pretty good launch in this one. No wheely, but still a 1 litre vtwin and Karl came flying through into the first corner, that K6 rizla suzuki is a bloody weapon. Someone lowsided on the double right hander, and the bike slid slowly along the track. I saw Nick Odermatt run off the track. And some bastard got a sneaky pass on me while we dawdled past the fallen bike and rider. As the race progressed was going quite well think I was in about 8th, arms started to pack up again in the last couple of laps, and I had a big slide after the first left hand hairpin and got a bit of a kick in the butt from my seat for it, and ran a couple of corners wide and Sudeep and Nick Odermatt came through on me. Only realised afterwards that I was being a pussy and hadn't even been revving it out for the second and 3rd races, that was going to have to change for the feature. Might have been 10th or 9th in this race. Not too sure. Anyone know where to find results?

Feature race. This was the one I was really excited about. This invitational was open to all the fastest riders from all of the classes, I was put in 7th on the grid in this one due to my 5th place in the race the previous day, with Stroud and one other chucked in ahead of me just cause they were fast bastards. Got a brilliant launch in this race, no wheely, tonnes of power to the ground, but still a little rizla came through and another 1 litre vtwin I think, so I was in 9th after the first corner. Really got into my groove in this race. Had a couple of dudes challenge me, but I held my lines, and was going great guns. The dunlops really work for me, and they've lasted through quite a few meetings now aswell, even on the highly abrasive Taupo. Caught up to the much improved Karl Morgan, and I think I passed him on the brakes at the end of the front straight, pushing him a little wide. Then I really got ragged, just nailing it harder than I had all day, arms straining, but I was determined to hold him off. On the second to last lap he out broke me on the downhill before the left hander and came on my outside and just shut the door on me... grrr. I knew I was faster than him through quite a few places, but I didn't risk it heading towards the chicane with the tyres on it, instead I got right on his tail and was setting up for a sprint to the checkered flag. I went wider than him out of the last chicane pulling it back earlier than him so I could get on the power first around that lefthander onto the final straight, my front wheel came level with his rear wheel, but that was when he started pulling the power on, and just shot out in front again. I should've known that outpowering him to the line was being a bit hopeful. But damn that was fun. Gave each other the thumbs up after that race. Him and his dad came over to chat after the race as excited as anything, can't remember whether they got any quality out of chatting with me, my mind was all over the place. Seriously I was so pumped I couldn't think straight. Was stoked with a 9th placing in the feature. With trophy's up to 7th I was probably only 50metres short of a trophy. Never mind. The true reward is the act itself of racing.

Continued below Rg's next post :P

**Sketchy_Racer** · 1st January 2007, 21:47

haha, if Karl morgan cant beat you on a old CBR600, and hes on a K6 Gsxr, he needs to harden up .

Good stuff Jason, look foward to seeing at the track again.

Are you doing any of the national rounds??

**vtec** · 1st January 2007, 21:56

Also, brilliant performance by Sudeep muppet taking out the stunt show at half time. You still worry me man, even though you could do those stunts in your sleep. Good shaiser, keep it coming for Bruce and Darryl.

In summary, having the softer rear end, and some tyre warmers helped my performance no end. Had a brilliant weekend and would just like to thank the following people for various reasons.

Gav for being my best and craziest team mate
Dad for all the abuse and helping out with the tyrewarmers accommodation, would be nearly impossible without you and mum.
Mum for shoving food and drink at me and for similar reasons to dad
Peter for being a driving force and major help with mine and Gavins racing. Life would be a bitch if we didn't have you onboard.
Meekymouse and Wasp for help with the tyrewarmers, and the general support
Kit and brother for being a couple of good bastards and finding us a pit garage. Felt bummed you never got the VFR beast going, I love those bikes. Kit you were looking better than ever out there.
Greg and Karen Rose, thanks for making the effort to get out there and check my progress, I'm glad you got plenty of excitement from it.
And to all the other KB'ers and racers who make the weekend a rich tapestry of life experience including but not limited to the following:
RG100, GarryH, That italian dude (can't remember username) with the near mullett. Alex the dude on the CBR250, keep representing the mc22 man. Sudeep for being a top bloke, but under the facade a wild untamed bucking bronco.
Johno (KZ) for always being the happiest bloody nutter in town. Love you man. Just stop beating me dammit.

Cheers all, life couldn't be better.

**sugilite:Me** · 1st January 2007, 22:06

Way to go! Really enjoyed reading of your progress, sweet!

**kickingzebra** · 1st January 2007, 22:45

Bloody good, you are certainly picking up the pace, And you got me there in half the races!! Always a pleasure catching up, and chasing your tail when you damn near inevidably launch better than me

Keep it up bro!!

**Cleve** · 2nd January 2007, 07:50

Good stuff Jason. Yeah Karl Morgan was a funny one. I overtook him in those places too. I then had a quick word with him at the end of the 3rd race.
Maybe he didn't see the checkered flag but he cut me up coming into the first corner after start/finish still on the pace when I was up and relaxing. He also stonked past the next guy in front... all the way in to the pits. Told him to take cool it when the race has finished when I got back to pits... Maybe he was annoyed at club racers like Gav, me and you passing him or maybe he was told to take it easy before the Nationals and was unhappy about that. Dunno...
See you at next PMCC on 28th?

**TonyB** · 2nd January 2007, 08:56

That may just qualify as the best race meeting write up ever. RG100's was bloody good too. Some of you guys should go looking for sponsers, because you'd do them proud, not just with results but also with your attitudes and ability to communicate.

Anyway, good shit, really enjoyed reading this. Hope you get on top of the arm pump- it's a bitch eh.

**Matt Bleck** · 2nd January 2007, 09:55

Great write up Jas

**Goblin** · 2nd January 2007, 10:16

Well done Jase...excellent write-up! Cool to see your improvements at every meeting.

**Meekey_Mouse** · 2nd January 2007, 17:09

Great read

It was really cool seeing you and all the other KB'ers out on the track!

Thanks for lettin me help with the tyre warmers ^_^

**Steve_R6R** · 2nd January 2007, 20:14

Good on you, I think you must have been in front of me most of the time. I was right behind Gavin and Karl when this happenend.

"After that race Karl Morgan and his dad came over to have a go at Gavin, cause Gavin passed him and had to run over a white line which gave him a bit of a front end slide, which could have taken them both out. These things happen in racing. Especially when you are new in a class, and things are happening faster than you are used to, gaps that appear to be plenty big enough for an overtake can dissappear pretty quickly, and you can only brake so hard, I think Gav will probably give his version of events anyway. Nothing in it as far as I could tell, just an everyday racing moment."

I think Karl was giving his bike alot of respect (that thing went like hell on the straights) and getting his lines right, looks like alot of coin tied up in that thing so he may have been abit stressed and/or cautious? Especially this close to the nats.

Anyway the pass looked pretty good to me but I don't know shit.
Nice report