Just loaded and getting ready to head off to King of Ruapuna, looks like it'll be some wet racing today
Just loaded and getting ready to head off to King of Ruapuna, looks like it'll be some wet racing today
King of Levels Rd 4, 12/09/15
Once again Pete and Matt from Independent line services came to the rescue and gave us a trailer to cart all the gear down there so were loaded and ready to go the night before
We didn’t have the -5 degree temps or the rain of we’d experienced at the two previous rounds when we arrived which made it a bit more pleasant at the track
Practice
We’d been looking at a couple of areas on the track to concentrate on with one being braking off the end of the back straight and started going in a little deeper each lap and trying to find a better way into the decreasing radius
It was all feeling pretty good but with Alex/Andy there we knew it’d be hard work for us to get a win
Race 1
Our starts have got pretty good and we make turn one in the lead, I can hear what I assume is Alex/Andy behind us and sure enough down the straight they poke a nose up the inside and then let us have the corner
Over the next few laps they torment us a bit by showing the nose on the inside, outside and pretty much anywhere they damn well please on the track to let us know they’re there
A lap to go and they pull the pin and pass us and start pulling away to take the win
We don’t have too much to do between races but give it a look over, check the gas and get ready for the next one
Alex suggests a handicap race so we promote new guys James/Hayley up to P1 with Goober/Matt alongside and we go off 3 with Alex/Andy off 4
Race 2
Goober/Matt and James/Hayley launch and we let them get out of sight before we leave the line
Alex/Andy gives us until half way around the sweeper onto the back straight before they go after us
Lap 2 and we catch and pass James/Hayley and set off after Goober/Matt and a lap later we pull alongside under brakes into turn 4 then let them back in front
A lap later I’m regretting giving it to them when I duff a corner and let them get more of a lead than I wanted but we close them back down over the rest of the lap and with the white flag out and a lap to go we’re running out of options to get by
We’re right on the back of their tray into T6 decreasing radius and looking to make a move when Alex/Andy blow past us around the outside blocking us in and pretty much cut Goober/Matt’s nose off into the next corner
I have a half arsed attempt into the hairpin but don’t really have the room to pull it off and we finish 3rd with Alex/Andy taking the win and Goober/Matt 2nd
Race 3
We run the same handicap, although Alex decides he’ll give us a slightly less as he was close to not making it to the front in the last one
Goober/Matt deicide to play about with James/ Hayley and we catch them both on lap 2
We come onto the straight and can see them a wee way ahead and are rapidly running them down but there doesn’t look to be enough room to get by while they’re running side by side
Just before the 200 metre mark they move slightly apart and there’s a gap through the middle we take and pass them both
I can’t hear Alex/Andy behind us and with the white flag out and a lap to go think we might have a chance
Off the end of the straight they still haven’t come past us but that soon changes as he goes down the outside and cuts across in front to take T5
We can’t hold the same speed through T6 and he pulls a couple of lengths on us, we gain a little back into the hairpin but not enough to make a challenge and we finish 2nd with Alex/Andy 1st , Goober/Matt 3rd and Hayley/James 4th
That gives us enough points to take the win for King of Levels which was run 3 rounds with Alex/Andy and James/Hayley taking the next two spots
Thanks to
Joanne van der Westhuizen @ Career Success - www.careersuccess.co.nz
Pete and Matt @ http://www.independentlines.com/
Scott McCone @ http://prometal.co.nz/
Andy Kippen pulled the 'broken' rear hub of his outfit today, hasn't been touched since last raced in 1995 and found it wasn't a broken hub, but just a rod end. he's now looking for a different disc to fit, as that was on the upgrade list......
don't think that's on the list, but at least get it on it's wheels, apart from the rear hub issue he lent his hot cylinder head to colin brewer who never returned it, so that's got to be sorted.
he's only in the country occasionally, and lots to do to get it presentable again, don't really know who'd bother carting it all that way to put on display.
What's it powered with?
Is this the one Spyda?
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jorvikiwi/6148158003
Cheers
Merv
While looking for pics of Andy's sidecar I found this lot of pics of a lot of NZ history - very cool. Even that fellah Shaun Harris features on a 250.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/jorvik...7616567897336/
Cheers
Merv
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