Well where the do I start. This was an important meeting for our little team. After four races, we'd finished only two and languished way back in eigth place in the points, I needed some solid results. Got a ride from Wellington to Manfeild on Friday morning with ajturbo and the weather was questionable all the way. Turned up to the track to find Dodgy Matt and Gixser all set up with good ol' Gareth and Lis hard at work keeping the boys happy. My team was missing in action as they wanted breakfast. Had a catch up with Craig Shirriffs and showed him the only photo in existance of me in front of him and Stroud. That was nice. Mike, Martin and Steve arrived eventually and we set about putting the final touches on the WBP Racing bike after it's rebuild.
Got the bike tickety boo, went out for what looked to be a dry session but it started pissing down in Dunlop on lap three and the slicks were a bit cold so I pulled in. Cleaned the bike, talked a bit of shit, then went back to the motel. Had a really nice dinner with Martin, Steve, Matt, Eddy, Gareth, Lisa Mike and Aria. Then all our race teams then went back to the motel for a couple more drinks before bed. What goes on tour stays on tour.
Saturday
Went out in the scrub session to try and scrub a new slick in case we needed it and that would have been the driest session of the day. Halfway through it pelted down so I came into the pits, the guys got stuck into swapping the wets onto the bike and ready for Superbike qualifying which was second out this meeting.
Tried to get out at the front of the qualifying session so as not to be blinded by spray. Instantly I knew I'd made a mistake with my tyre pressures, the bike was simply loose and not at all "planted" on the track. A heap of 600s and Carey just mowed away from me and I followed young Rhys Holmes for a few laps, desperately trying to get some warmth in the rear tyre. No luck and I wobbled my way around to an extremly disapointing 7th place on the grid.
What I wanted to do was try and work the tyres a bit harder for the races so I made some adjustments and reduced the pressures drastecally. I made a couple of suspension adjustments in the hope of finding a bit more grip as well.
Race I
Due to the absolutely persistant rain, all the grid positions had been washed away but the girls did a fantastic job of getting all 35 bikes gridded individualy and it wasn't a hellishly long wait before the lights started counting up. As they went out I got a simply blinding start heading down to turn one in second place. Sloan was on the outside and graciously left a decent amount of space as he went round me in turn one. I figured I'd try and stay with him a while but the grip just wasn't there for me and I very quickly lost touch as Nick Cole, Jonny, and Sam came past. Jamie Galway chasing them hard. I figured that finnishing was definitely going to be important so I let them go and settled in for a very slippery 12 laps. The bike felt great on the brakes, but as soon as I started to turn in the back just felt unhinged. I coudn't accelerate at all either and as I'd come out of Dunlop, the bike would start wheelspinning, getting a violent slap as it hit each white line. Young Glen and Jay came past early on in the piece and Jay took off. I sat behind the RS250 marvelling at the way Glen could get off the turns so bloody quickly while I wobbled and slid until two thirds of the way down the straights. Managed to get past him with a couple of laps to go but the little bugger came back at me quickly and made it stick. On the last lap I was planning on squaring the hell out of the sweeper and outdriving the 250 on the straight. Didn't work as some womble who we were about to lap for the third time was parked right in the middle of the turn, stuffing my run completely. Anyway, managed to get home in eigth place safely which could have been alot worse.
Watched the F2 race and Nick Cole and Jonny were having a fantastic battle untill young Mr Burkhart made a decent break, set some 1.14s in the wet (that's fucken fast) then get tossed off the top of his 600 in spectacular fashion.
Race II
Got another good start and was sitting in third for a good portion sticking with Sloan for a bit and Sam. They had a bit of breathing space and I came through Higgens for the third time to see Sam getting to his feet. Get my head down and tried to make an inroad on Sloan but the red was shown and it was back to the pits. Sat there for a while untill they; got the track cleared then we were out for five more laps. Had a pretty lonely race although I could see Sloan and Carey batteling just ahead of me and I think we were all slightly catching Nick at the front. Had a comfortable gap on Glen this race and could see from my board that the gap was growing by about 0.8 seconds a lap. The bike felt a heap better but was still not perfect so we knew Roberts advice was heading us in the right direction. Crossed the line a comfortable fourth which was nice after our run of bad luck so that'll keep the bosses a little happier.
So all and all it wasn't a great day, but we finished it and that's what's important. Massive thanks to so many people as usual.
My pit mates Eddy and Matt, wouldn't have actually even been there if not for you. You guys rock. Mike for driving the van and shit all over the country and Martin and Steve, team owners, for spending the whole weekend with me to help out as much as possible. Quasi for coming all the way from Hamilton to watch and help out, can't wait 'till next round when I'll be wearing the real flash leathers. Chrissie came and took some nice shots of the bike while it was still shiney and of course limbimtimwim (Simon's easier) for giving me a lift back to Wellington airport so that I could fly home.
Role on round four where we need to seriously gain some points on the opposition.
Edit: And then, I was that pissed off I went out last night and robbed the NZ Swimming team of all their togs apparently. In my sleep no less! http://www.nzsportsnews.co.nz/vid.php?id=91949
Fuck I'm good!
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Originally Posted by White trash
, see you at Rnd 4!
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