A good day at Hampton Downs!

**Biggles08** · 11th December 2011, 10:39

Originally Posted by Edbear

Marcus had done a heroic job of getting his Kwaka back on track and up to speed, and while not in the top placings, he blamed his head rather than the bike needing to get into the right space again. He certainly had the speed and drive out of the corners and despite a couple of tyre issues, is looking good for the the rest of the season. He didn't make mistakes and I feel he got the best out of the bike on the day. It's fast, for sure! He's obviously got talent and I was impressed with his determination and his understanding of racing. He's endeavouring to build a business that can support up and coming riders and wants to be as successful and as helpful as he can be. He's running on a shoestring and doesn't have the budget to have the best of everything and relies heavily on his sponsors for their support. He deserves it too, in my opinion, a genuine Kiwi battler with talent that needs to be acknowledged.

Mate! thanks for the kind words...its very unlike Kiwibiker!? I must say however it was not just me working on getting the bike back together for this weekend just been, I had a heap of help from people volunteering there time in the evenings to get that bike back to race condition, it was a mammoth effort by all involved. I must say It was a nervous time getting out on the track on it not knowing if it was all ok. Basically took me all weekend to get back up to speed on it. And I'm probably no worse than any other National privateer rider with regards to being absolutely broke!

**Dutchee** · 11th December 2011, 10:46

Has anyone heard how Richie is?

**Edbear** · 11th December 2011, 11:10

Originally Posted by Dutchee

Has anyone heard how Richie is?

Unfortunately I wasn't in the commentary box by then so didn't get to hear anything about him. Hope someone can advise.

**Kickaha** · 11th December 2011, 12:27

Originally Posted by gixerracer

Sure was till I crashed

I was really hoping you'd have learnt how to stay on a bike by now

Originally Posted by Dutchee

Has anyone heard how Richie is?

What Richie?
Richie Lawrance? does he owe a beer fine?

**Shaun** · 11th December 2011, 12:40

Originally Posted by Edbear

Okay my ignorance showing there. What made them so fast?

Adam and stu are a very good team, both are trades man to start with from the old school

The HUGE king pin of there chair quality is Vince Stuer ex NZ Sidecar swinger champion, he has fully rebuilt the chassis over the winter and done a brilliant job of it

It was rebuilt to the same quality an airforce jet would have been, as Vince is trained to do just that

Good healthy write up ED

**Fast Eddie** · 11th December 2011, 12:41

Originally Posted by Kickaha

What Richie?
Richie Lawrance? does he owe a beer fine?

haha.. been there

**Edbear** · 11th December 2011, 12:54

Originally Posted by White trash

Ed. I know you haven't had a whole lot to do with road racing in the past five years so I'll save the abuse. Suffice to say. what you saw is far from the future, but none the less spectacular. Adam and Stu are a phenominal team, but their Windle is old. And comparatively, slow. Sidecar racing got SLOWER at the end of last season BECAUSE sidecar teams COULDN'T adopt new technology. Apparently, if you have the best sidecar technology in NZ, you're cheating.

Adam and Stu will go on to be champions and they truly deserve it. They're also top blokes and true gentlemen.

Shame really. Obviously what is needed is clarity in the regs as to whether it is run like F1 cars were, with free reign on technology with few limitations so basically anything goes if you can afford it, or a set formula like V8 Supercars with standardised components to level the playing field as much as possible, thereby focussing on rider ability. F1 has gone down this route, trying to make it fairer for the teams with less money. Not by standardising componentry but by regulating to make it cheaper to compete which is having the same effect.

I can't get over the disparity though yesterday between these guys and everyone else! They were on a different plane altogether!

Originally Posted by gixerracer

Sure was till I crashed

I was really taken by just how critical tyres are! You can have everything else spot on and working fantastically, but the fact that there were more right-hand turns than left meant the bike was very different on left hand corners, read - less able, and because lines are critical and you guys are on the edge, there really is no margin for error. When the likes of Nick, yourself and Andrew can crash out or slow because of tyres, it really shows just how hard you are pushing the envelope. You guys ride consistently with few mistakes, but the fact that one corner you've ridden all day can suddenly be your undoing, seems to indicate an inconsistency in tyre wear.

Your left shoulder was dead smooth, Marcus's right shoulder was cut up and apparently Andrew's rear had bits out of it. (No, I mean the TYRES!!!

)

On a day when some riders were breaking lap records and putting in personal bests, I came away feeling better educated and with more understanding of just how tricky this racing game is. Also how addictive it can be to the competitors. ONe comment Marcus made was how narrow the front straight looks from the rider's perspective when doing speeds of around 250km/h+. It looks like a very small and narrow tunnel and while as spectators we may think it has the width to choose your line, the sheer speed means you have split seconds to get it right with no chance to change your mind half-way down it. If anyone can do that, they are very special riders! This is for the superbikes and 600's of course, the slower bikes may have a bit more time to adjust their lines.

One thing I observed was that turn one seemed to be better if taken wide on the way in, yet few riders seemed to be doing that. Craig mentioned the need to have full confidence in the front for that so I saw most riders take a closer line in.

**Mental Trousers** · 11th December 2011, 13:18

It's a complicated game. Lots of things need to come together to get a bike/rider across the line first. Tyres are just one of those factors.

Entering turn one wide means getting reamed up the inside. Besides, it's bumpier out wide. The racing line in close is smoother and shorter distance.

**Biggles08** · 11th December 2011, 13:42

Originally Posted by Mental Trousers

It's a complicated game. Lots of things need to come together to get a bike/rider across the line first. Tyres are just one of those factors.

Entering turn one wide means getting reamed up the inside. Besides, it's bumpier out wide. The racing line in close is smoother and shorter distance.

With one bump in particular about halfway through the corner as you cut back in...if your front isn't good you will loose it there from a wide line. If you go in tighter you tend to miss the worst of it...but this is slower on the exit.

**Edbear** · 11th December 2011, 14:40

Originally Posted by Mental Trousers

It's a complicated game. Lots of things need to come together to get a bike/rider across the line first. Tyres are just one of those factors.

Entering turn one wide means getting reamed up the inside. Besides, it's bumpier out wide. The racing line in close is smoother and shorter distance.

Originally Posted by Biggles08

With one bump in particular about halfway through the corner as you cut back in...if your front isn't good you will loose it there from a wide line. If you go in tighter you tend to miss the worst of it...but this is slower on the exit.

That's what it looked like from the balcony, with some coming in fast on the inside only to be cut off by the rider coming down from wide as they braked and either losing their place or failing to get by. Shame about that bump, then as that would definitely be the fastest way around it to get speed down the straight.

How many corners were first gear? Gearing had to be high to maximise the long front straight, but around the back you needed good acceleration esp. up the hills. Dennis said he ran his tallest gearing at Hampton Downs. I wonder what the riders think about the track as to getting the gearing just right? Apparently Manfield is easier to gear for?

**Mental Trousers** · 11th December 2011, 14:49

Bumps and how you deal with them is one of the things that a rider has to figure out. Those that do finish ahead of those that don't. Bumps are part of life on NZ tracks.

Puke runs taller gearing, but Dennis would've been referring to the tracks used for the most recent Nationals series.

**gixerracer** · 11th December 2011, 16:57

Originally Posted by Mental Trousers

Bumps and how you deal with them is one of the things that a rider has to figure out. Those that do finish ahead of those that don't. Bumps are part of life on NZ tracks.

Puke runs taller gearing, but Dennis would've been referring to the tracks used for the most recent Nationals series.

I run taller gearing at Hampton than Puke