Clubmans newbie, South Island Cup Round 3
Well my first race ever was at round 3 of the Sth Isl cup held at Ruapuna & my first race start is something I will never forget.....
Mainly due to the fact that I wasnt expecting to see my front wheel waving down at me against a background of blue sky!! At that point I didnt expect my arse to catch back up with the bike again either before it hit the deck but, somehow it did. So with a bit of bumpity bump as it sort of tankslapped itself straight again & a wee chuckle in me helmet....Tally bloody ho !!
A lot of bikes obviously had left me for dead & as I got going it was like "Wow man, great start you 
Anyway,getting along into turn one I'd caught up to the back of the pack & under brakes into the Hairpin picked up a place or two into there...
By now, my plan of taking it easy had evaporated along with my nerves & so I settled into the pack & concentrated on my lines as well as trying to suss out where I was quicker than those in front. Turned out to be most corners under braking....
Coming out of the sweeper for the first time was a buzz...cranked over, watching the riders in a line filing out of the corner & powering on, 4th, 5th, 6th gear, Yee fa#$king haa !!!
Pass a few more bikes under brakes into turn one & another through the Pothole & another into the hairpin....get passed into Fulton hogan
Get him back before Jeffs corner, then get passed into the 1st lefty before the dipper,pass someone on the way out of the Dipper....
Lap three by now.....Use the grunt of the R6 to get a couple of easy passes down the front straight but are struggling abit with my head telling me "No fricken way are ya gonna slow down from 230 plus & make that corner
....but figure if those in front of me can, then me can too.
lap 4...
About 6 or so of us left in the bunch,someone or 2 have cleared off out front. Enjoying myself immensely, I get sucked thru the infield right & left & right combo of fulton hogan & the carousel,Jeffs corner & then the 2 lefties that drop you down into the tight right of the Dipper,get a pass on the kink before the sweeper.
lap 5...
Get someone under brakes into the hairpin again & just as Im about to tip in the Fella in front of me runs a tad wide , so I grab that too
Rest of the lap was chasing the Repsol Honda & Gsxr of the Fella I was next to in the pits,checking out my options
final lap....
Had a great tussle with these two,a good intro to close racing & clean riding.
I had figured though, that I had a chance to try something in the Dipper, & so as we all dropped into it I stayed out wide to the left, late apexed to get the the inside line powering out & passed the Gixxer on the way into the kink.Coming into the sweeper I saw where the cBR was heading & so changed my line to run in deeper & try to come out hopefully on his inside.....
On the gas as soon as I dared,drag to the line....3rd, 4th 5th gear
4th place!!
I was f@#king stoked !!
Race 2...
Well instead of nearly flipping the bike this time, I bogged it instead
And just as we were all getting into the groove & starting lap 3,a fella had a major tankslapper on the main straight,I saw a hand go up & stuck my head up to see a very sad looking v-twin coming to rest & bits & pieces off it scattered all over the place,put my hand up & thought FUCK...
Some poor sod didnt see it to too late & locked up & dropped it too.
Red flagged & that was all she wrote really ,as 'cause due to the ammount of offs during the day we didnt get a restart...bugger!!
So it was a great day in one way & a stink day in that I travelled so far for just the one race, but you get that seemingly & it might be me coming off sometime that stuffs it up for everyone else.....thats racing I 'spose.
Best lap of 1:52 something...
King of Ruapuna rnd 1
Awesome day man!! Fine weather,not too warm...
Feeling much more relaxed this time, but still quite anxious about my crap starts, so figured I'd actually try & just get rolling normally...worked a treat.
Dont want to bore you much longer,ended up with a 4th this time too...
Race 2
Another not to bad start & am realising that a good start really helps as it saves you alot of work later in the race
Surprise myself in being able to get to the front of the pack quickly, but by then the the front two are gone so ride a pretty lonely race for a 3rd..
Race 3
Coming onto the start line & I see a spare spot on the front row so think " oh well, why not"....
Starts not to bad, & Im pleasantly surprised to find myself leading out of turn 1 & into the pothole
So I go as hard as I fricken dared man!!! & managed to hold it untill lap 3 or 4 when the fella on the 675 rode round the outside of me in the sweeper & Brendon on the ER got me on the infield somewhere in the same lap.
So from then on it was a lonely ride as I tried for a lap to stick with 'em but they got bigger nads than me so I backed off, but found that with being alone & having no one to chase I lost a bit of concentration & my riding suffered a tad,...still got another third though...
Best time of the day was a 1:50 :2
Now I just got to find another 4 secs somewhere....
The Heart is the drum keeping time for everyone....
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Originally Posted by Tony.OK
Was good to get my first bin outta the way & at low speed was thinking at the time "whats wrong with the bike" & then "Oh its cause its falling over & sliding !!"
for a 4th or 5th
overall in Clubmans in the King of Canterbury series & that I'd come 
overall in Clubmans for the King of Ruapuna series.....
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