F5 Dave’s BOB & 50cc GP race.

[F5 Dave]

Part 1
Well a mixed meeting for me but thoroughly enjoyable.

Practice found me undergeared so after a gear change or two I got it close. The weather was great, but they said it would close in. And it did.

The 50cc NZGP race was the first time it was held since 1982, this being eligible for all 50cc bikes under GP rules. Of course F5 buckets are legal. I was concerned some really hot bikes would turn up & there were a few that were competition based machine engines but weren’t of a high calibre or it would have been a (probably losing) fight, having said that the old bikes would have been on old 18” wheels so maybe not.

The class attracted some entrys, like about 17 I think. Pretty impressive, although some were a bit of a joke, like Tyger on his scooter, but good amusement value.

In the prelim races I had already hung back to gauge the competition. One RG was a bit faster than the rest. But after a while I decided to just go do a few good laps.

In the race it started spiting on the line so I decided to make some ground for a few laps in case it drenched it down & there were a few on cut slicks that would know how to push it in the wet.

Well I took off & just settled into a decent pace. I love racing at this track, it was so much fun just riding around concentrating on getting drive for all you are worth. To cut a long story short the rain never came & I lapped everyone, some a few times.

So next year maybe there will be some hot rods to make me work for it. I got awarded the cup that night at the club do & a certificate with a close approximation of my name. Sadly they didn’t bother giving certificates for the other podium places which I thought was a bit rude. Think Luke was 3rd, but I don’t know.

Now the silly part, the MNZ was still messing around with whether this was really permitted properly so I don’t know if I really have a NZ title or not. They seem to have a vendetta against me (joking) but in the last MNZ report they didn’t include me for winning the 07 F5 GP or send a medal as they did in 04. They didn’t print F4 winner either. - So it’s ok to take your money & make you abide by their rules but you aren’t as important as some tyke winning a junior MX race.
The logo on the marshal vests at the meeting
“MNZ Safe Fun Fair”
made me sneer a special sneer.

Still I have the trophy (last winner Bob Toomey 1982) & I had fun so that's what counts.

[James Deuce]

Nice!

I'll sneer on your behalf as well. Does that help?

Wonder what Bob's doing these days? He always used to look after me at WMCC and he managed to beat the hero worship out of me as well.

[Trudes]

Congrats Dave!! It was wicked to watch you flying around out there on a bigger track, very impressive!!!
And hey, you're a winner to us!

[Kickaha]

The 50cc NZGP race was the first time it was held since 1982,

The bike I was riding raced in it

having said that the old bikes would have been on old 18” wheels so maybe not

I think it still had the tyres from that 1982 event fitted

Well done on the win, if the event is going to become a feature of the BOB then I think a few more 50cc bikes might be built so maybe you'll get some better competition

I'm hoping I'll be able to ride the same bike next year and maybe make it a bit quicker and fit me better

[MIXONE]

I'll never forget the headline on a early 80's? NZ bike mag "Toomey on Suzi at Puke" after he'd won some big race on a gsx so you are in good company mate.Well done and a good write up.

[F5 Dave]

Part 2

OK GP win over & congratulated by Welly crew I was feeling pretty good.

So onto the 100 & see if I can get my act together. I have trouble swapping from bike to bike & hadn’t had enough time on the 100 to feel confident. I lead the prelim race briefly, but faded when I had some wobbles & weaves & the faster guys came through, but I was fairly confident I could be first welly through & make a good showing.

But I had a few scares I stepped the rear end out coming out of the hairpin about a foot or so in the prelim. Had to be careful then, power was hitting in hard. But this bike is a monster. On the straights it was “I’ll have you & you, and. . .you” See ya. Although the eventual winner was considerably harder to pass, that is a fast FXR. However a lot of it is being able to get launch & maintain momentum on this track.

I got the first-come-first-served pole position so was ready, but Hels accident meant a delay. So we pitted & next time out I needed to speed ahead to do the same. I wanted to lead the race & was confident I could holeshot, then see what happened after that, but in the wet I was scarred that I wasn’t going to make the whole race without falling off.

So I took off & didn’t make it past the hairpin. RAAAAP the rear end lights up & spits me off, tumble tumble WHAP some front wheel hits me, more tumbling, slowly try to get up & get off the track & not get hit again by the rest of the field. Turns out by then I was already off the track but the beeder road confused me, but me poor nads ‘urt & felt like I’d been punched in the back of the ribs. Actually maybe I’ll writhe around a bit. Pick myself up & decided it was better to get the bike back to the pits rather than be stuck in far corner for a hour long race. Gave Bayden a tow back near the end, blown his engine poor sod.

Footpeg was munted & gearchange twisted in. Didn’t feel much like racing so flagged the idea. Took us ½ an hour to fig peg next day anyway. Andy Mc son of Tony that family we were staying at was pretty upset he’d hit me but I said I’d enjoyed the experience, that’s racing.

- - - - - - --

OK so the next day was a club meeting, we weren’t sure if we could race. The snow that had fallen was pretty deep. At the track it was tarmac dry but quite snow on grass obscuring any green.

With Sullys bike blown I offered him the 100 to ride & would try my luck as underdog on the 50. Good on Sull he adapted to the 100 & rode it like he owned it, made me feel a bit ghey for complaining about the handling.

Went out for practise & felt pretty damn good. Changed the gearing one more time & got it just so it was revving out of puff near the end of the straight instead of after the pothole, or before in some cases (pothole drags your revs down even full open throttle on the 50).

At the race I got on the front & got a really good start, but was swamped a bit by the bigger bikes passing me in droves. But made up a heap in the hairpin & kept picking them off in the infield.

[Warning self appreciating drivel to follow ]

I was on fire & hot to trot & several other neat & groovy things & riding out of my skin. I’d make ground & then lose a bit on the straight but my launch was getting so good I could hold slipstream for a while & then make up braking at the hairpin. I was firing out of the last esse & as I came over the connection I even got the front wheel off the ground.

I was homing in on some child prodigy on one of these 150CBRs with the tyre warmers talked of before. I stalked & stalked & was determined I would get him & try & chase 2nd & 1st that were that far ahead. I lined up the last esse & launched. It was a thing of beauty I tell you. Visualise & planned I was going to get far better drive up the hill than the lad who had taken a covering line & even though I was further out than usual race line I had the slingshot I needed to be even with him by the top, at which point I would turn late & he would have no choice but to button off, I’d thus ruin his drive onto the straight & with some hairpin braking would retain the place for sure.

To paraphrase a Foos song:
Nothin satisfies, but Im gettin close
Closer to the prize at the end of the rope
. . .
If I get any closer, i
And if you open up wide
And if you let me inside
On and on, Ive got nuthin to hide
. . .
Done, done; on to the next one
Done, done, and Im on to the next one
Done, done, and Im on to the next one
Done, done, and Im on to the next one


Full throttle, knee on deck, DRIVE, just about alongside.

And then the front goes away. Biff, tumble, ho hum, this is getting monotonous.

PAFFF! Big plume into the snow. WTF!

Well that’s a first it has to be said.

And to continue that same song (heard in the van on the way home):

Calm down, dont you resist
Your such a delicate rist
And if I give it a twist
Somethin to hold when I lose my grip


Was a complete surprise but I guess the track was cold. Maybe that 10 year old Dunlop does need replacing though.

Bar & peg written off & tailpiece rooted a bit.
Sully & Mal (I think) helped replace the bits. Next race though I just couldn’t get the pace of the first race, just kept feeling the front being odd & rode a bit erratically.

Still it had made me happy, I had been competitive on a long track against the bikes 3x the size & was the fastest Welly. Yes my 50 is fast but even the sickest FXR would put out a chunk more power & do it over a wide spread rather than the spike I have to work with.

Big thanks to the SI guys, great event. Really friendly & hospitable crew.

My helmet ended up toast so a new HJC Carbon one is now the replacement for the old HJC, brilliant race helmet. Fortunately I sold my pipes & it helped finance another outlay. That's what I'll tell the wif.

See you all next year.

[merv]

Wonder what Bob's doing these days? He always used to look after me at WMCC and he managed to beat the hero worship out of me as well.

Crasher probably knows where he is these days but a while back he was spannering on the world circuit.

I last saw him at Wanganui in 2006 as mentioned in this thread http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=41166 when he was helping Richard Scott.

He was probably there last year too but I just didn't run into him.

[speedpro]

So I took off & didn’t make it past the hairpin. RAAAAP the rear end lights up & spits me off, tumble tumble WHAP

I've had a ride on that bike at one of the AK 2-hours. I only fell off 3 times, 2 of those on consequetive laps on the same corner. She's fast though. Makes you wonder just how fast it might be if any development had been done in the last ten years.

[spada]

Well done on the title Dave
I was one of the flag marshalls down there and yeah man you were looking real good as you went past.

I like the look of the 50's aye I might see if I can get hold of a bike and give you someone else to lap

[gav]

Crasher probably knows where he is these days but a while back he was spannering on the world circuit.

I last saw him at Wanganui in 2006 as mentioned in this thread http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/sh...ad.php?t=41166 when he was helping Richard Scott.

He was probably there last year too but I just didn't run into him.

Google is your friend!
http://www.instalwarmth.co.nz/cs/Services.asp?type=2

[merv]

Google is your friend!
http://www.instalwarmth.co.nz/cs/Services.asp?type=2

Interesting career change from ace mechanic to penguin.

[F5 Dave]

Cheers Spada, we couldn't be racing if it wasn't for people like you helping run the meeting.

[nudemetalz]

Great race report, Dave.
Sheez I wish I was there (I keep saying that !!)

[koba]

Very well raced and Very well written report.
Bring on next year aye!

Thakns for the advice about the H's problems too, It ran alot better after that!

[Str8 Jacket]

Excellent write up Dave! Congrats, you did really well out there! But did you really have to be so dramatic and crash all those times? I much prefer the crash once and do it properly method!