Very late report, but this was my most exciting race meeting to date, and having uploaded the video soon after, then getting busy I thought a report might still be in order. After some issues with the suspension in the last session of Kiwitrackdays I contemplated not racing, but after an uneventful practice session I decided to. The bike was essentially new - with a new engine, full exhaust, new rear shock and new Continental RaceAttack Streets on which I'd only done 1.5 sessions at Pukekohe on the day my engine blew in December.
Race One (Clubmans) was a bit of a blur - didn't have the video camera going as I'd left it on overnight and flattened the battery. I started 9th out of 10 as grid placings were based on series points ( I had none! ). Got an average start so was about ninth into turn 1. Over the duration of the race there were numerous overtakings then being baulked and passed by people I'd overtaken (mainly Brent) , then passing them again, making mistakes and being passed, etc. Slowly though I made my way up the order and in the end was scrapping with the second R1 for third place. Gah spent most of the race dicing with Frederick for the lead and we were around two seconds behind. So the finish order was R1 first, GSXR600 second, R1 third and GSXR600 fourth.
Between races there was some discussion about the points situation. Gah had said on the way down that while he was in second place in the championship, Frederick wasn't far behind. He didn't comtemplate that Brent - leading the championship, would have an engine problem leaving him down on power on the straights. With Brent finishing sixth or thereabouts in the first race, Gah had halved his points lead, and if the same happened in the second race, then Gah could either finish first equal, or better!! I said to them both at the time that it would be too complicated to work out the points situation during the race - and so it was!
Race Two started much better and I come out of turn 1 in fourth, but Gah is on my inside and makes a moderately aggresive pass on the outside going into turn 2. Down the back straight for the first time Frederick passes Paul for the lead, and Gah and I pass the struggling Brent for third and fourth. Lap two and Paul and Gah get past Frederick who goes wide on the A1 corner, but Fred passes them both on the back straight. Paul's a bit hard on the brakes at the end of the straight, with Gah baulked behind him so I manage to get on the outside of Gah, and we are side by side coming onto the front straight. I'm ahead, and make sure I close the door on him going into turn 1. That lap I also make a relatively easy pass on Paul outside turn six and inside turn seven, for second place. Next lap I get a better exit on turn two and get around the outside of Fred on three. I lead for two laps and manage to pull out a couple of seconds on Fred.
Race Two Part One
Race Two Part Two
Coming out of turn 5 I see Alan on the GSXR600 ahead and I realise that catching him at the wrong point on the track could lose me the lead. Coming around turn six, he's exiting turn seven, as I exit eight he's exiting the AI turn. Somehow I catch right up to him going into the sweeper onto the back straight, but not enough to pass on the inside, and I figure that I won't get pass on the outside until the exit, and if he takes the normal line, I'd be pushed off the track. So I follow him around, and can imagine Fred lining me up for a pass down the back straight. I get past Alan on the exit, and sure enough Fred zips past on the inside. I get close to him at the end of the back straight and get a good exit onto the front straight but Fred's covering into Turn one. Don't manage around the outside of three. At the end of the back straight I brake much later as I see Fred being possibly baulked by Abby who we were coming to lap. (I had this done to me in the last race). He shuts the door on the right hander, and I'm outside and slightly behind him onto the front straight as we both pass Abby. I didn't notice the white flag as we went past. I make a few more feeble attempts, but it's not to be and I finish second. Despite "losing" the race - I might have won if I caught Alan two seconds earlier or later than I did, it was an awesome experience. The video really looks quite boring in comparison.
Later we worked out that Gah finished only two points behind Brent for the Championship - If I hadn't passed him he would have finished 1st equal!! To his credit, he didn't mention this at all on the way home!!
Below, a photo of me, Fred and Gah exiting turn seven!
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Originally Posted by CHOPPA
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