Yeah left this one for a while cause I've had a hell of a lot to do since what with fixing up mine and Gavins bikes, and moving into a flat, and working long days.
Well, this weekend was going to be fun, nice little (old) short track at Taupo. Tried fitting a larger rear sprocket cause I had it geared for Puke, and found that it didn't fit the chain, had to race to chuck the Puke gearing back on it. Went out in the practice definitely felt quite slow, Gavin looked to be one of the fastest and I never saw him for the rest of the practice. Think I was only getting into 3rd gear by the end of the straights, really quite a tight track. Think that suits the motards quite well.
First F1 race, got my usual good launch from about 7th on the grid and was in 2nd by the first corner. Managed to hold 2nd for the whole race, and was stoked to get my first ever podium in one of the elite classes.
First F2 race, got another good launch, in 2nd by the first corner again. But into the second left hander a couple of motards cut up my lines into the hairpin, and rattled me a bit, another supersport bike got through on me, and I finished with a 5th.
Second F1 race. Made sure I was on the front row of the grid for this race, another good launch, 2nd by the first corner again I think KickingZebra (Johnno) on his GSXR600 got through on me when I ran way wide into the hairpin. Finished with a tidy 3rd place. Find that I'm running into corners too hot every now and again as I try to keep pushing harder, costs me time, but is improving my riding.
Second F2 race. Pretty much a repeat of the first F2 race, the 2 motards ruining my lines, they go in hotter into the corners and then slow down mid corner to change directions and then use the torque to shoot in the next direction. Means they can brake later, then point and shoot, totally ruins roadbike lines. Still I can spank them on more open circuits or if I can clear them from the start and make some space I'll be sweet, but if I end up dicing with them I'm screwed cause it's easy for the motards to pass us cause of their lines, but hard for us roadbikes to pass them cause we brake earlier and set up to keep the speed through the corner. I think the fastest motard was telling me that they are about 110kgs and 70 hp, that's a pretty formidable ratio when considering that 70hp is all torque.
Third F1 race. Similar to the last F1 race, 2nd at the first corner, buggered up the hairpin a few times which let through another dude on another K6 GSXR600. Happy with another 3rd. Pushing pretty hard happy with my riding.
Third F2 race. Started well 2nd at the first corner, then buggered up the hairpin which let through that GSXR and a motard. Ended up tussling with the next motard. Pushing my braking markers hard, overcooked the slight lefthander at the end of the back straight to try and keep the motard from cutting my lines new I'd overcooked it and trailed the brakes hard into the corner. Locked the front the bike hopped and down I went at comfortably over 100kph. Slid along, saw my bike hit the tyres, and then I sort of slid underneath it. Felt pretty sore after that one, cause my leathers got ripped open by the footpeg and dragged my knee on the road a bit, and sprained my wrist pretty badly, and my ankle had a mild sprain. First time I've ever got injured in a racing crash, I think it must have been from the impact with the bike and tyres. Pissed right off, the motards were really riling me up.
Well that was my weekend over, went to the hospital to get the wrist checked out, but they didn't have xray staff on, so the lady just gave me a pressure bandage and sent me on my way. Haven't been back to the doctors cause it's not like they can do anything, just need time and a bit of wrist support.
Bike wasn't pretty but mostly just fairing damage and a few bolts, thanks to Peter Carbines and dad we had both mine and Gavs bikes mechanically sorted the day we got them back to Auckland. Spent the next week doing some butt ugly fibreglass repairs in time for the track day on the long circuit at Taupo the next weekend.
At the track day, my wrist felt pretty crap, and aches like hell, but with a bit of adrenaline I had a great day, and in the last session Gareth_D strapped a camera on the back of my bike and I went for a bit of a play, footage looked good on the LCD screen, can't wait to see it on the computer. Had a bandage around my knee inside my leathers but with my leg bent it was cutting into my leg a bit, made it bleed a bit, but I've since found that the skin all down the back of my calf has lost feeling and it hasn't come back, the muscle is fine, just the skin is permanently numb, any advice about this would be appreciated. I think it hurt a fair bit while I was out riding, but with adrenalin up you can ignore anything, and in doing so I think I've damaged some nerve.
Thanks go to Jill and Nicksta's parents for helping me out with my knee graze. Thanks to Peter and Dad for help with the bikes. Thanks to Carbines engineering and mum and dad for making my racing doable. Thanks Cherie for taking care of me when I was sore. Thanks mum for making me eat and drink.
Summary: My best performance to date, pity about the crash, racing dreams still on track though.
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