Scracha's VMCC rd 2

[scracha]

Arrived at the track on Friday morning to grab my blingin CBR from the lovely Drew and Vicki. Thanks again to Paul (Roadracingoldfart) for putting the thing together so well. New rubber, straightened forks, skinnier back tyre (150) and lower profile front made the bike actually handle like it was supposed to. It took me most of Friday to figure this out though. I’ll get the excuses in first; I hadn’t ridden the thing since binning it at the first PMCC round.

Post Classics qualifying.
Saturday morning and out for Post Classics qualifying. Paul’s advice to ditch 6 psi in each tyre certainly made a difference. Tootled round working mostly on remembering my turn in points and getting on the gas early. Front end lets go on left hander (t3) so I go grass tracking but stay upright. Probably should have got my finger out my arse a bit more as 1.27 got me a lowly 26th on the grid. At that point not enjoying the last corner’s new surface on what had previously been my favourite corner. Dived back to the pits, warmers on, fuelled up again, warmers off and then back out in a blur.


F3 Qualifying
Same procedure really. Finally managed to find a new line through the last corner and get Higgins sorted out. A 1:24.5 put me 20th on the grid. Fark me, a whole second under my personal best.

Post Classic Race 1
I must have missed the bit in the riders briefing about there being no green light. Bloody Kiwi’s, I’ll bring a translator next time and tell Drew to STFU. Anyway, back to 30somethingth by the first corner. Passed lots and lots and lots of bikes on the first lap. Wave to Tom as I pass just to be a complete bar steward. Johnothan Wagner keeps me keen but good clean racing. Interesting in the totally different lines I seemed to have to Johnothan and we must have passed one another about 3 or 4 times a lap. Secretly impressed with Nicky on the Team Showerbuddy CBR she’s hardly ridden, especially on the brakes. I’ll have to put some ballast in her tank for the next round. Consistent 1.22s, 9th in Post Classic Junior. The CBR is firmly planted…no drama’s whatsoever . Dear gawd it feels like a new bike. Back to pits trying to hide my shit eating grin. Paul asks if I’m happy with the bike.

F3 Race 1
A few laps on and the red flags are out. Fark…..I was going well...really well. Mutter something about half points but no dice. Not a happy bunny. Rear end spinning a little out of T1 and higgins. “Hey Paul, what can I do to stop her spinning up?” asks I. “Sit back a bit and there’s only one way to find the limit”. Refuel, wait on the supermotards and then back out.

Restart and at least I get a good launch. Fending off Eamon Timms this time. Nothing for it but to get a wee bit later on the brakes…I can’t turn the @#4ckin CBR any quicker as my right boot is all but destroyed. Where’s the drama, I’m still outbraking myself by whole seconds. “get your $hit together Steevie”. Ivan’s struggling with his new SV650 and we are slowing each other down big style (him sticking it in front of me on the brakes and me parking it in front of him on the exits. Can’t tell the difference between F3 and Pro Twins now can I?) but by the middle of lap 3 a little gap appears. Up to 6th place (10th overall?). Final lap, Eamon outbrakes me into T1 (for the umpteenth time!) and I yet again I go on the counter attack to pass him mid corner. Ease on gas, roll on gas, 11,000rpm, pin throttle, oops… too quickly whilst still cranked over and the rear says bye bye to the tarmac. Up out of seat, nope, she’s a goner, kick her away from yer. Tumbly wumbly tumbly tumbly…will I ever stop rolling? Don’t stand up yet you Scottish twat as you’ve not stopped sliding…doh. Helmet smacks the ground hard. Crawl away from corner exit and pick up bike once the traffic passes (Ivan looks like he’s on his second wind). Fastest I’ve crashed a bike. Cricked neck but no injuries at all…very impressed with the cheap Shark helmet and my leathers. Not so impressed with my stupid mistake. Oh well, found that limit Paul had mentioned a few minutes earlier. High 1.23’s this race but we were slowing each other down with block passes and suchlike.

Hide in recovery vehicle but from the spectator stands Helen Str8Jacket yells "Scracha ya useless Scottish wanker" and the game is up. Back to pits. Some HTFU comments when I ask for a whiskey and Paul’s stripping the $hite old CBR spares bike I’ve brought with me. Unfortunately the fork seals on it are gone so the CBR ain’t going out again. Vicky lends me a helmet and Boostin lends me his bike.

Post Classic Race 2
Oh…not worth reporting. Major thanks to Boostin for lending me his orangetang ZXR400 again but there was no way I was risking dropping the thing so I wobbled around with a best of 1.27 or something. Straight line speed aside (it’s a grunty fooker), I have no idea how the hell he managed to bang in 1.22’s on a bike with no brakes  Due where it’s due.

F3 Race 2
Boo hoo. No bike as nobody was stupid enough to lend me one. Boostin decides to scratch the paint on the last corner of the last lap of the last race. The decision is then made to spend another night in Fielding getting pished.

The bike was slightly down on grunt and especially top end compared to the other 400’s (especially after riding Boostin’s ZXR400 this and the last round). Lower gearing, ditching the stock exhaust/airbox and perhaps doing something about the aerodynamics (or lack of) is definitely on the cards.

To say the work Paul has done to sort out the handling was good would be the understatement of the year. Shame I’ve undone all the good work……. If I can keep the thing rubber side down, get confidence back in the braking and get a wee bit more grunt from her then I reckon consistent sub 1.20’s are achievable.

Paul “Boostin” Jennings and I broke the Fielding pub crawl record by finding 7 drinking establishments (could have managed 8 but the Irish pub was shut for refurbishment).

Thanks to the very nice ambulance peeps for checking out my head was still pointing the correct way.
Thanks to Nicky and Frenchie for letting us stack the bikes in the garage overnight.
Thanks to whoever the hell took my crashed CBR and spares wreck back to Paul’s place.
Thanks to Dunlop for the black stuff.
Thanks to Simon Limbtwin for the piccies

Anyone got a 17" rear for a CBR ?

[Nasty]

great read .. and really good to see pics .. makes it a little more real

[roadracingoldfart]

Your a great bloke to have in the team Steevie but i may have to teach you a few more english words soon, im crap at Italian translation.
You were doin really well till the binning at Coke and i was very impressed with the riding round 4 bikes at the sweeper in one go lol.

I just love a challenge so ill have the bike ready for round 3 and maybee i can have the next month off and you will maybee keep the forks straight for more than one round

Well done on your results ( PB ) and keep the attitude comin.
Will contact you soon.

Paul.

[Str8 Jacket]

Good race report for a grumpy ol buggar!

[Deano]

What a fucken hoot of a read. Your times have come down a lot mate, blardy awesome.

[Skunk]

I forkin couldn't understand a word ya said when ya came into the pit lane yellin something about someone doing something... But I did catch that you'd sort it yourself.

Good racing from you.

[Tony.OK]

Bad luck mate,ya sounded like you were getting on with bike really well too.Good to pit with ya

[boostin]

Nice one Steevie, shame about the little lie down. Was good traveling, riding, and drinking with you.

[flame]

Hey Stevie, cool as catching up with you again and drinking all your booze

Great results matie! you should be well stoked with yourself. (that doesn't mean you can stoke yourself btw!!)

[Nicksta]

well done Stevie
you did awesome getting 1:22's.... i'm a bit away from those yet....
must admit was a bit hard coming round T1 watching you and bike slide to the outside.. think i did yell oh shit in my helmet... looked like a hard crash and i did worry a little and look back a few times to make sure you were up

you did great and i have my work cut out for me to keep up this season i think! especially if you stop eating pies and work on your aerodynamics!!!!

Well done dude!

[Frenchy]

Well done mate don't let crashing bring you down its just part of the game

[moT]

yeah you got lucky

[Clivoris]

Fabulous skills Steevie. Get Celtic Sam to put a bullseye onya back next time he's stitching them up. I'm coming to get ya.

[Toast]

Good shizzle Steevie. As I said, you were riding awesome in that first race. It was pretty thrilling stuff to watch and you had the corner speed advantage over those you were tussling with.

Stink that you crashed but wtf is up with paper forks that only last one lowside? I'd be screwed if mine were like that.

Don't crash the fkn thing and I reckon you'll dip below 1:22's no prob.

Sweet catching up with ya on Saturday. Have to do it again

[Chrislost]

Fabulous skills Steevie. Get Celtic Sam to put a bullseye onya back next time he's stitching them up. I'm coming to get ya.

Get in line...

Nice going stevie, showed me a thing or two about the first 3 corners!(AND one line to not take on the first...)

Catch you next time