Here goes then..........
After going down for testing on Fri and back to Napier(to test new rear shock),then back down on Sat morn I'm already feeling on the tired side,was supposed to bring my support crew (wife) back with me on Sat but she was just too tired after 2 weeks without a day off from work.
So I set off early and ran straight into thick fog and ice on the way down,not nice.
Arrive at track at 7.45 and get set up,this time getting warmers on nice and early.Am pitting with Nicki and Frenchy again which is really cool as Frenchy and I are both in our 1st season and Nicki showing us the ropes
Qualifying sees me trying to catch Frenchy but he's way better on the brakes and I can't get past him even with better HP,but still manage to better his time by .01 with a 1.14.131 putting me 10th,happy with that as I've only been to Manfeild twice before.
Race 1 : As usual my start is not the greatest and I'm swamped into T1 but manage to pass a couple around the outside before the left hander then another crossing over in the hairpin.Then I'm chasing Frenchy which was great fun,I keep catching on the straights but am outbraked over and over,until I come out of the hairpin to see him lite up the rear and take a wee dive,which way to go?Left or right?I chose left which worked well as Frenchy's bike blocked another bike so I passed easily.
Then it was onto catching Drew,I didn't want to get beaten by a Ducand was gaining well,but he's fast out of the corners so I sit behind for a couple of laps ready to pounce.
Last lap and I take my chance out of the hairpin and use the HP heading for Higgins?(over the far side) and finally get past late braking and getting good drive onto the back straight,awesome,thinking job was done I head into Dunlop for the last time only to have Drew come round the bloody outside onto the ripple strip and across the dirt to pip me at the line by 0.1 buggar
11th.Enjoyed watching that Drew,you are truley a mad bastard
Finished with a best of 1.13.249,so getting better.
Race 2 :12 laps,hope body can cope as I'm an unfit buggar.
Off we go,slightly better start but not much,stay on the inside and keep an eye on Frenchy and Drew,this time I get infront of Franz pretty early and set after Drew knowing a longer race may help me out.Theres bikes going down into the 1st left hander every lap it seemed,then I see Jimmy out of the hairpin sitting on the wall,buggar,but another place for me,sorry Jimmy.
I manage to outgas Drew about lap about mid race,and this time make it stick
The only other bike I can see infront is Eddie on his Gsxr thou,which he is much faster on at this round than at TaupoSlowly I start to catch him but then I start to run out of puff and start making mistakes and manage to keep the same gap and not gain.End up on my own over the line to take 8th,with a best lap of 1.12.731.
So times were coming down nicely after a couple of tweeks to the new TTX,and even running my too soft SC0 rear for 3 days now its still got another test session in it.
Overall am happy being in the second "fast group" and am now 7th overall after 2 rnds,so will try and stay inside the top 10 for my first season.
Bit of a long read huh?
See everyone next month
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Originally Posted by Tony.OK
lol. Another test day out of it ? hmmmm maybe not .
I'll take that advice but do it my own way
you had me nervous enough when you started playing with your shock!! not to mention a new tire, I'm sure by the next round you'll be a distant vision again.
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