Hi all. Had my first ever Nationals race meeting since I started racing about a year ago. Was at Manfeild was a bit apprehensive cause I had seen how Johno had been going in the South Island, and he runs a similar pace to me usually. Was worried I was going to be fighting not to be last. Turns out I had nothing to be worried about.
Spent the previous couple of weeks fixing the fibreglass on both mine a Gavs bikes, doing oil changes, brake bleeds and the like. Was up quite late most nights and was getting a bit stressed. Only really just got the bikes ready in time to drive down on the friday. Gav had managed to get down for a couple of practice sessions on Johno's K2 GSXR600, was good of him to lend Gav that bike. Arrived down at about 7.30pm.
Was still quite calm about it all until mum bought up the fact that to even get into the races I was going to have to qualify within 15% of the fastest lap time on the course which would mean that I would need to do at least a 1.17 around manfeild which is pretty swift considering I won the streetstocks on my 250 around Manfeild with a best lap time of a 1.27. Started to get a little worried.
Turned up at the circuit early Saturday morning got into our hired garage and started unloading the trailer and truck. Upped the preload by one ring, to stop the forks bottoming out on the brakes. Checked the air pressure. Out for the first practice session, and felt the bike was tipping over really nicely into the corners. Felt alright, but had some of the fast guys hoon past like I was standing still. Posted a 1.17 I think so I was pretty happy, until I saw that the fast guys were doing 1.08's. Put me 18th fastest out of 21. Doh. Was going to have to make some big improvements to not get lapped twice in twenty laps, cause they only need to be 10% faster to lap you in 10 laps.
Second practice session. Got more confident on the track, tried finding some better lines to dodge pot holes especially at the midfield left hand hairpin, started feeling reasonable there, but the massive tailwind before the sweeper meant that you had to take a very conservative braking point, and transversely at the end of a couple of other straights you could haul the bike up real fast with the headwinds... made a huge difference to braking markers. Ran really wide at the sweeper right to the edge of the track, just hauled it up. But generally I felt pretty fast going in there. Managed a 1.16.267. Good improvements already.
Next was qualifying, starting to get pretty nervous cause it would have been really embarrassing if I didn't qualify. Wouldn't even get to race the next day. Followed a nice green Kawasaki around for most of it, but he was holding me up a lot in the corners. Decided to shoot past after getting really comfortable at his pace. Picked it up and left him behind. Managed to post a 1.15.780, so more really good improvements, but this still left me back in 17th place out of 21 for the qualifying. So was going to be quite far back on the grid. Wasn't too fazed about this cause I was still a bit overawed by being in with the best motorcycle racers in NZ, so I didn't want to get tangled up with an angry Nationals field into the first corner... Supersport always looks so ugly in the first corner.
Went back to the motel that night, had a burger in Feilding with Cherie, and saw Jay Lawrence at the fast food joint there. Had a good talk with him, as he used to ride my CBR600 a few years ago, and tried to garner a bit of info about setting up suspension (as I've still got not much of a clue), tyre pressures, and how to take a few of the trickier corners. He told me he was doing 1.09's on a pretty much standard 06 R6... phenominal. What a weapon. Was really happy to have a chat, told me to come over to check out their pits the next day and have another chat. Good bloke. Also pointed out that he had noticed that I was using my clutch for upshifts, and said that it would be unstabilising the bike in the midfield section.
Next day, I decided to try upping the rebound dampening, as the front end of the bike was getting really light and wobbly coming out of a lot of the corners. Rechecked the tyre pressures, cause I was running the same secondhand set of Dunlop's for the whole weekend, all I needed to do was check the pressures. Was actually looking forward to getting out there and getting 20 solid laps of going as hard as I could ride, and since I've moved my rearsets forward to take weight off my arms, I've found that I've got awesome endurance being a bicycle courier by day (8-9 hours pedalling with a pack).
First race, and I got an average start, don't think I made up much ground, like I was saying just wanted to stay clear of the trouble in the first few corners and put down some good lap times. Felt myself getting faster as the race progressed despite me getting more and more tired and my tires getting older and older. Was spinning up out of quite a few of the right handers. Especially after seeing Gav's bike down, he'd laid down all his brake fluid and fork oil on the right hander onto the back straight, had a decent slide there. Plus I think the right side of the tyre had already gotten a decent bashing over the past day. Found myself closing on Johno, managed to get past pretty easy, I think his chest infection was messing with his endurance big time, and I noticed I was way faster in the midfield left hand hairpin, and the sweeper onto the front straight. Finished in 13th with a 1.14.691. Was definitely stoked with this, as it was another huge improvement in my riding on the tricky Manfeild circuit. And 13th in my first ever Nationals race was a great result from my perspective. The clutchless upshifts had worked a treat even though I'd never practiced them before, I could tell it was getting me more pace on the straights and as Jay had pointed out stopped my bike from destabilising in the midfield.
A bit bummed about Gavins highside, it shook me up before the next race, and my foremost goal in my head was to bring the bike back in one piece. But I was still thinking of chasing a 1.13 as a secondary goal. Got a good launch in this race, the bike's front wheel was just pulling into the air as I hit the top of first gear, and came down as I chopped it to second. Made up a good few places, but was really uncomfortable with all the bikes so damn close in the first couple of corners, let a couple cut me up, just trying to keep my space. Got on the back of Johno as he was on the back of a good group including Chris (Two Smoker). Slowly he started to drop off over the next couple of laps, but he was holding me up in a couple of the corners. But was looking good on the brakes. Tried a pass, but ran wide on the exit which let him back through. Then thought I don't have anything else to prove, so decided to stick in behind Johno, and just work on my lines and corners while comparing them to his, as by this stage the group had cleared off, and I don't learn as much from just playing a lonely game. Eventually he made a big stuff up and missed a gear so I shot through, and instantly worked on clearing a gap by going through the next few corners pretty hot to stop him carving up my lines on the brakes. Cleared off pretty quickly, but from then on I was on my own, till the leaders came through for some lapping. Saw Shirriffs come up on me into the sweeper, just decided to hold my line, as that's the safest thing you can do when you are getting passed. He ended up just passing me down the front straight. Was really happy with my riding in this race as I knew that I was going consistently quick throughout the whole race. I think I managed 9 1.15's and 4 1.14's with a best lap time of 1.14.230.
Stoked, as I felt that I was still riding cautiously and never felt in danger of crashing the whole weekend, and the fact that I was getting faster as my tires were getting older meant that I was making huge strides in my riding of the supersport bike upon which I am still a newbie (still ride a CBR250 on the road). Another thing is I think that I was on the only Honda in the field and also the oldest bike in the field. I don't know if there were any others older than 2005. Came 13th overall, far exceeded my expectations for the weekend. Only really expected 1.16's or 1.15's. Very happy.
First and foremost thanks go to Peter from Carbines Engineering. Secondly my parents, without you three people I would probably be racing buckets, or another season in Streetstocks.
To Gav, heal fast mate, and I'm sure you'll get back out there in the future. KZ, bummer about the cold, but still happy I beat you, you were definitely my target for the weekend, cause usually it's you mowing me down. And everyone else who turned up to support, spectate and harrass, wouldn't be the same without you.
Cheers
Jason McCamish
#78, 2003 Honda CBR600RR (Blue)
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great man ,keep going .........
see ya's at puke
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