Luke and Portugal

[shafty]

Bloody good on ewe Guys - GO KIWI!

[Trudes]

Awesome!! Looking forward to the write up from Luke and some more pics! Don't forget to post some good ones of KB stickers in this thread, I think you may be the winner of the chocolate fish!

[ajturbo]

A real track
Day 1
We got to the track at 7:30 and we had to be there at 8 o’clock so we where a bit early we were also the first there too, we waited till 8 then when in, dad parked the car inside of the track, we got out and looked around and saw that everyone else was looking at a time sheet by the big RedBull trucks, I was glad to see my name up there! After, we had a good look at the times, I signed in and got a bid number which was No.16. this meant I was in group D
There where groups A,B,C,D,E and group F. There where about 4 to 5 some times 6 in each group. There where 32 riders.
We all listed to the briefing, they where talking about the bike and track and what they are looking for. Meet some cool Aussies ( yer right …)and made friends with them, soon after that the first group went out and about 4 of them crashed in the first or 2nd lap. They finished their time and come in we all went up to them and asked what was the track like is it warm, cold is it wet? Is it slippy? Talk like that. Soon it was my turn to go out on a track that I’ve only played on the PS2 and a bike I never been on before! I was very nervous I tried to be clam and tried to relax, they give my group a quick brief and told us not to crash because they where getting pretty pissed off with it. lol

Jumping on to the bike, they weighted us, with us on the bike. I was the heaviest guy there sadly, but it didn’t stop me going hard on it. Come out of the pits and I was off! In to the 2nd turn I could feel the tyres let go, the track was very cold and damp so I took it easy and ran wide coming up to the 3rd turn was very different it was a very new corner for me, it was off camber and it was up hill not a little hill ether…
but I gave it gas and I went up it nicely, it was like the corner in the game if you’ve play MotoGP4, the 4th corner was flat so I knew I was good at this one, I come in it at 3rd and go down a gear and give it gas half way around it and ran it wide on to the ripple strip and I came out perfectly, 5th turn wasn’t really a corner more like a bend in the track I just keep the gas hard on, 6th turn was a awesome corner one of my favorites. I braked really late for it and gas it before half way and I quickly roll the gas on hard and come out prefect again,
The 7th corner I dislike the most. I just couldn’t get it right till day two, I would come in to the corner and I would drop in too early I need to drop in really late (late apex it) and I needed to go in faster because I was going in and I had to pick the bike up half way thought the corner and loses all my corner speed, turn 8, 9 and 10 was the s bends they where awesome corner it was the best s bends I’ve ever been on very close together very tight. Turn 11 was just a bend in to turn 12 the longest corner ever, I felt like I was on there for ages. The straight was boring because it was so long and the bike was revving out, the day end quickly and I had a great time there.

Day 2

It was abit colder than yesterday but I was ready to go I my gear on and waited for the group to go out, I was going to go harder to day because I knew a little bit of the track and a little abit of the bike so I wasn’t as nervous as yesterday which made me feel better. (but his dad was …)Today I was gonna go as hard as I can without crashing the bike. They change the groups so I was in group A the first one's out I got my gear on and waited for them to open the waiting room, they opened the wait room and I got a drink and sat down and went over the track in my head, soon they called up my group, I said to myself its now or never, I got the number for the bike and I jump on it and relaxed they push the first 3 of my group out then me, I was off got out of the pit could still feel my back wheel let go but I ignored it and kept going with out backing off I wanted to show them how good I really was I could feel myself getting faster and faster each time I went around but I still couldn’t get my head around turn 1, I could take it at gear 2nd or 3rd I was taking at 3rd and lossing all my drive but if I took it at 2nd It would be over revving and I had no more power so I kept taking it at 3rd and dropping it in too early, every other corner I felt prefect at but I knew I could make up more time on turn 1, 6, 7 and 11 get on the gas sooner and harder drop it in later keep more corner speed and brake soon, but id need more than two days to do that.
At the end of the first session, I went to the first corner stand where you could see everything I watched the next group and how they come in to the corner and was gear they where taking it at I could see I mean, hear them taking it at 2nd gear and drop it in at the flag box which was way later than me, the rest of the turns were to far away so I didn't go to turn 6, 7 and 11 so I just stay at turn one till lunch, oh the food there was just amazing! And it was free for the riders! It was great! Fuelled up on food and water and talked to the Aussies (and the aussie’s sister...mmmm) some more about the track and their history. It was way different than NZ, soon lunch was over and I got my gear back on and ready for the last time on the bike and track for this year… got the numbers again and jump on the bike and was off again I was going hard, came up on to turn 1 and tried what I saw and it worked!
I was feeling so fast but on the 4th lap one of the Spanish guys past me going in to the S bends, I stayed on him, flicking the bike over and gave the bike so much gas that the back wheel was letting going… I kept the bike from falling over by using my knee picking it back up and went hard in to the turn 11 he was slowing getting away so I pined in coming in to the last corner went right up behind him just about touching his back wheel I was slow pasting him and he knew it he stared running wide I backed off abit then nailed it back on the gas and tried drafting him didn't work that well because he was so much smaller and lighter than me, we come in to the first corner and he must have been 20 meters in front of me I went around the turn 1 and then turn 2 and he was losting me I tried harder going up to turn 3 foot peg grinding around it coming up to turn 4 I could still see him I wasn’t as far behind, came in hard in to turn 4 I was right behind him again then he gas it at the same time as me and I lost him again power to weight he won that. Came in with a big smile on my face and feeling great! I had such a get time that last race, was tried too, I watched the rest of the racing and enjoyed myself finally it was time to go back to the briefing room where we signed in from I was buzzing from my last race and was telling the aussie about it soon the RedBull people came out and told everyone how well they done and said “If you don’t make it don’t stop racing” and other stuff like that, that I cant remember they read out the names, one Aussie made it one 2 UK guys that I had been taking to one South Africa and the rest where from Spain I didn't make it but I wasn’t that angry about it, they said at the start of day one that they where gonna chose 12 riders but they only chose 8, 6 racers and 2 resevers riders, the day quickly end and he said good bye to everyone and when out to tea with the aussie it was a great thing to end the day!

We had an awesome holiday loads of fun we (dad and I) went for a swim in the sea it was so cold! But big waves it was good! But cold, we could have come home a week early I had, had enough of dad and the food and I think dad was the same he had, had enough of me and the food haha
Thank you to every one for making this trip of a life time possible it was so nice of you to do that for me I really appreciate what you did!

[MadDuck]

Great write up Luke. Glad you and your Dad got there and gave it your best.

I am a bit worried however about you making friends with Aussies. But you never know you may end up over there racing.....

[chanceyy]

Great stuff luke .. now I know you wrote it but did ya post it under ya dads log in or ya dad posting it for ya

[babyB]

way cool write-up luke was good reading. stay proud mate thats a hell of an opportunity/experance for ya

[shafty]

Well done Luke, and Congratulations - you are a WINNER in my Book!

[Trudes]

Good for you Luke! What a great experience!

[Her_C4]

Great write up Luke - well done

[saul]

Well done Luke and dad, great write up and a great life experiance.

[Colapop]

Good write up lad! Now go and walk the f*cken dogs!!

[nudemetalz]

awse write-up, Luke

[portokiwi]

Way to go mate ..... did you make down south to Portiamo?

[CHOPPA]

Whats the plan for this year? You doing the nationals etc??