Improvement in lap times, cornering confidence and planned, thought out riding were my goals for round two.
I was also out to test my engine rebuild ability as I had all new bearings, rod, piston and rings since a bigend seziure in January.
I did the whole thing (including pressing and aligning the crank) at the olds in an old shed, not rocket science but somthing I havn't tried before and If blows early It will be my bad for sure!
The morning was fairly cold with relativley low lap times being posted in qualifying across the board, I was a bit dissapointed to show no improvment since last time seeign as I have come a bit further in riding skill and also had wider and much stickier tyres than I have been using on manfeild.
I was happy to see I was at the front of the second row on the grid, (5th) a position I think is quite good at Manfeild because It allows a good shot an the inside on turn one.
The 250 streetstocks were gridded differently to how they were at round one in taupo and this time started off the back of the grid rather than amongst the one fiddies, this I hoped, would help us keep ahead to hold them up for a while before the faster ones enevitably reel us in down the straights.
I was wrong on that!
I got a shocking start in race oneThe launch was ok but everyone else was a wee bit faster and holding onto second for a fraction too long didn't help.
After this I tried to muscle up a better spot on turn one but only managed a rude block on Dan Plaisted. :Whistle:
Used this chance to try learn some other peoples approaches to corners and braking points, I found I brake deep into corners but I sometimes go too far an end up with a lower than ideal exit speed. EXCELLENT! this is just what I was aiming for, good constructive info on how I could improve.
Finished race one with all those ahead of me clearly out front, but felt my riding improving on each lap, usually with at least one botched corner in each lap to slow me down overall. This show the value of practice as I was trying different ways to navigate corners (esp the hairpin) which Is somthing I could (should, would if I could) have been doing on test or track days.
The second race was changed to one ten lapper due to time constraints.
I was determined to get a good start on this one and try to not get swamped in turn one by the front row slowing up ahead and the fast guys at the back belting up for a good position.
Billy is great at carving into turn one and making a space on the inside so I thought If I can follow him though on the very inside I would get a favourable position out of the turn.
That didn't happen!
as we took off I launched as good as I could but DAMN! everyone else just had so much more pace?!
My launch and changes to the first turn were great and on song but the bike just didn't move fast enough, Billy rocketed past (as expected) but I was gutted when the other 150's behind me crept up and closed the gap.
I ended up with a worse position than I had on the grid, I'm not sure by how much but at least two 250s and one 150 got past.
Although I wanted a god start I was still in for a race and the next couple (or more) of laps were an awesome battle!
Kris Currie was in front of me for a long time and in the past he has been decentley faster than me but I was stoked to find I could keep up to him in mosty corners.
Again I got a wee bit over-excited and left alot of the braking too late, killing my drive off the corners but as I got used to it and nicked a bit of his style I began too see quite clearly which corners he was faster than be in (Coke - now Toyota, and the hairpin) it was an even spit though Higgins and In the sweeper I was WAY faster in but couldn't get enough extra speed out to pass down the main straight.
It was an awesome racing experience following him and devoting a bit of thought to how to get past him, while also learning how to improve in the bits he was faster than me.
In the end I think I passed him on the hairpin of all places!
By the end of the race I was already starting to tire and had no idea where I was in the placings but I wasn't that worried because I had such a good time and was comfortable with the speed enough to be slowly edging faster and faster cornering speed.
When the results sheets were done I ambled over to get mine in good time, certain I had improved my best laptime significantly and this all I was really hoping for when DAMN! I came third!
Zane Brookes (who is much faster than me... at the moment...) had dropped out early in the race, that led to my first podium!
Poor Zane also missed out on any points for that race, putting me not only third for the day but third for the series so far!
I may not hold 3rd for very long with 4 very fast riders in front of me and Natasha Hollows threatening to overtake me at any point but I'm rapt to taste it for this round. (and Iv'e got somthing to hang on the wall)
Even without my better than expected result I had a great time, made possible by the awesome people that make up Motorcycle road racing in New Zealand.
It was a great weekend for so many with good, hotly contested racing and great weather.
So thanks again to th Marshalls and orgainisers who make it happen, to all the great people out there racing and to my lovely crippled girlfriend Hells being interested and supportive
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Originally Posted by Clivoris
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I just wish that I could actually help you out in the pits rather than being a lazy cripple arsed bum!
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