Time for more street racing yippee. Anyone who knows me knows i’m a big street race fan. So it was off to Nelson for some fun. My parents were in town and mum booked accomadation in nelson at a very convenient time so was luckily already there and sam brought the bikes up on the first. Got through scrutineering no problems which is nice cause it really scares me. Got to walk round the track which was nice to spot it out a few cautions. I wish we got to walk tracks before every meet as you do just get to spy your eye in and understand whats going on.
Showed up on the day at just after 7 and already there was hardly any pit spots. What the hell is wrong with you people. Don’t you sleep and relax. We had everything set up prior to 8 so we just poodled around and had a yarn to those about. Found out i was racing both f2 and f3 races which was both good and bad, for i wanted race time but knew itd be hot and worried the bike might boil over. Anyway we had a verrrrryyyy brief riders briefing and we were away.
The first session was the sighting session and immediately it was obvious the first corner was a nasty wee number. Its quite narrow and sharp and a heavy braking zone and if you don’t get the line on right you push wide easily and have to kick back along way the other way to miss the exit of the corner (its the wrong way around a round about).The rest of the course was pretty good actually. We were warned about the slickness at turn 4 but i found it pretty good most of the time. Looked dodgy than it was i think but maybe im too much of a slow pussy to know.
The next sessions were the f2 practice and f3. Things went fairly normally but its hard to overtake and during the f3 practice i got held up behind a really old 750 ducati as i stoped the bike to make sure it wouldn’t overheat. Bad idea, decide for the races the thing will either blow up or make the grid but im not getting stuck behind everyone. so i backed off to get some clear track space and by the time i started to move again the leader of the practice took me and the chequered came out. Fuck it damn arse son of a bitch was spoken alot into the helmut.
First race time and there was a race call for f2. Get ready and sorted and arrive at the gate and im last one on track. Crap. Decide ill just start off the back of the grid and see how things go. Start is ok but nothing flash and kinda just hold my line and wait and see how things go at the first corner goes. Get taken by a few bikes but just let it go and throughout the race start taking a few back for much of the race. Still taking it easy to get my head in. Sam never showed up and i thought i mighta finally beaten the prick but as i roll in at the end of the race hes still sitting there so i realise he never made the start. Damn.
First f3 race is much better and start getting into the groove properly. Theresa lot of guys doing a few things awkward. Alot of people were pushing the braking at the first corner and alot of very close incidents. Alot of guys were really slow around the corners but it was difficult to get around people. Im a timid passer as i don’t wanna take someone out but alot of the moves were pretty aggressive in my opinion. Had i been inclined to block pass back it would have been a long and aimless race. But maybe thats street racing.
Anyway the next f2 started with a call after lunch along the lines of “we watered turn 4 to keep it together”. Ok. Dubious but onwards and upwards. Start to get knees down and get comfortable for a push in the final races. Get taken by a 750 at the start but take him back at turn 4 (yea the dodgy one) but the front jsut slides and it works so it was good fun. Start to get some slides going outta turn 6 and things are feeling nice.
The next f3 race was probably the most fun of the day. Get stuck up behind the #41 vfr at the first corner again. Take him back each lap outta the final corner but hes got much larger testicles on the brakes to the first corner. Decide to jsut hold off and take him on the last lap at the straight. Come fast and hard outta the last corner but bang the rev limiter and thought i fucked it but fortunately i had a bit more power and speed still and got him just before the line. Yay. Spot my parents on the way in and give them a nod before forgetting im running race pattern and flick the bike into first at the the limiter. Knew i was doing it but couldn’t stop. Pulled about 18 thousand revs on the motor which musta sounded interesting. No damage done.
Last f2 race was a shocker. Bombed the start and never really got going till about the 3rd lap. Started to try to move forward but coming outta the last corner spot arms all over the show in the international symbol of Slow down! Bad shite ahead and come to the first corner to see a number of bikes down. Hope all the fellers were ok. Heard a few nasty injuries but nothing that don’t heal. Dont know what happened to the red flag prior to the straight as im sure they musta gone down long before. For that matter the only prob all day was random appearances and disappearances of yellow flags.
The final f3 race i got a good start (the only bloody one of the day) and i whipped up behind daneil on the #198 RGV. Couldn’t find a way round but had my best race of the day. Sam musta bombed the start and i thought i had the bastard. Final corner i thought id try use my slight power advantage to take the rgv down to the line so braked early to set up ideal drive and spot sams red fucking gsxr (#119) on the inside. Ping the throttle to the stops but there was only enough go to get alongside and not infront. Damn. Ill have to wait till next year to try and beat the prick.
Only got to see one race but it was the king of the port. Tanner on the aprilla was a beast but the guy on #76 honda did a bang up job (sorry really should know his name as he is at every meet ive ever been too). Jock on his wee RGV250 held his own well and Andrew? Rangi on the SV really was impressive. Nice wheelies too, always good to see the rules blatantly ignored.
Overall i gotta say it was a great day. The weather held off which was stunner and it cooled off nicely in the arvo. The track was really good i thought outside a few spots which is pretty normal prob for a street track. The racing was aplenty and not too full of incidents and the bike was a good sort outside all the bar waving (but thats quite fun and must look cool). The Crew that run the race did a really bang up job and i looked forward to heading back next year.
A few pictures the olds took. Have a good one
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Originally Posted by wharfy
That was probably me! Heres a pic of you passing me down the start finish straight...
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