VMCC Rnd2 : Matt Bleck's most excellent adventure!
After 2 months of no racing I was keen as a bean! I grabbed a bus from Rotorua to Taupo Friday night after work, team DHR manager Peter was waiting with the Chevy blazer loaded up with the SV & gixxxer. After a quick stop to pick up my back protector and we're on the road to Manfield.
Saturday comes around and its wet, but not raining with clearing skies. Luckly we had changed all but the front of the SV over to wets on friday! After unloading the Chev I set about changing over the front of the SV and discover that we're pitted next to Dean Bentley, Luke Mair, Stevie and about 5 other bikes!
Went out for qualifing on the SV first. For some unknown reason we had a Dunlop 125/80/17 on the front and it really didn't seem to work, every time I'd start to really lean her over it would get really vague and felt like it wanted to wash out. Can't of been too bad though as I managed a 4th on the grid, last spot on the front row.
Next was F1 on the gixxer. Buy the time this rolled around it was a pretty much dry line with wet patches and puddles. Not dry enough for slicks, and not really wet enough for wets so wets it was! I decided to do the the siting lap and then one quick lap. So thats what I did. Dion Sellers on his RSV4 was right in front of me for the "fast" lap and put on quite a show with the rear stepping out at the left off the short track on to the extension. The whole time all I could think of was the money I'd spent on the slick's now being shreded to pieces. I had the rear step out a little coming out of the hair pin on the extension but I managed to get round all right and picked up 10 on the grid.
After the F1 Qual I set about chaging the bikes over to slicks as the track was now fully dry. This is were another set of rims for the bikes would come in handy! Luck for us Kerry Dukie was at hand and we where set to go!
F3 Race 1: I got swapped at the start as usual but managed to be about 7 into turn one. I could see Deano just ahead so set about catching him which I managed, and after him was Geoff Both. That had me up to 3rd on the track but unknown to me 1st in F3! Lap 6 and I'm in turn 3 just about to pick up the gas the front hit the end of the new seal patch and before I knew it I was looking at the track inches from my face, knees sliding on the ground but still holding the bike for a metre or so and ened up in the wet muddy grass. I was not happy! Lucky the damage was a repairable and Peter had the bike fixed in time for Sundays racing. One postive from the race was the 3rd over all fastest lap time of 2:02.673.
F1/Superbike Race 1: Had not to bad a start this race, I managed to get around turn one arond 6th or 7th, picked of Marcus and a few others and come across the line 4th with a best time of 1:59.269.
Saturday rolls around and it's raining with no sign of letting up, back on with the wets!
F3 Race 2: Had a bad start with this one getting through turn one around 7th I think. Deano out braked himself and went very wide with Geoff Booth getting the whole shot and checking out. I managed to get up to 3rd on track but 1st in F3. Best time of 2:15.762 on a very wet track.
F1 Race 2: This was a good start managed to get out of turn one with about 4 bikes infront of me. I slowly reeled Jamie Rajek and got by him after a couple of laps. Just before I passed Jamie I was trying to setup a pass into Dunlop and was right behind him. There was so much spray from his bike that all I could see was the back of his bike! Fully expecting him to try a pass me back I head down bum upped it to the checkered flag and was very happy to find that I'd finished 2nd!
F3 Race 3: Had another good start and tryed to keep up with Geoff Booth but he was just too fast so I thought I'd settle for 2nd. Rob Berrington had other ideas after his start from pit lane and absolutely flyed past me going into the long left after the hairpin on the extension, legend! He finished 2nd but set the fastest lap of the race! So despite being second across the line I again picked up 1st in F3, mint!
F1 Race 3: I had a blinder of a start and came around turn 1 in 3rd behind Sloan and Jamie just ahead of him. Sloan passed Jamie at the hair pin. I managed to just hold to them until the hairpin where I was Jamie loose the front, this put me into 2nd! Derek McAdam had other thoughts and passed me going into turn 6 I think and put me back into 3rd. The track had formed a dry line by then so i was riding just off of that where ever I to keep my wets from over heating. second to last lap and Phil Endon tryed to get past on the long left on the extension this gave me a hurry up as I was rather keen to keep the 3rd place and keep it I did.
It was a great weekend and I'm stoked with the results!
I have to say that none of this would of happened without the Vic Club and all the volunteers that make the weekend happen, thanks guys , girls and kids! Also I wouldn't racing again without the help and support of alot of people, thanks to Peter Harkess, MotoTT, Gigabyte Solutionz, Expand a Sign, Dunlop, Kerry Dukic, Chris Mitchell Motorcycles, Acacia Bay R&R and Alick Saunders Photography and everyone who offered their support and came up and said hi!
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Originally Posted by Toast
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