Cheese down under

As I am typing this …..Its Monday morning and I ache: every part of my body seems to hurt -  forearms, lower back, shoulders, thighs, shins, even my bloody hands hurt… but  cannot get the smile from my face or the warm glow from my inside following 3 days riding and racing around the greatest racetrack in the world – A technical, smooth version of Thruxton a longer and Faster donington with better cambers; its hard to compare– it was designed for bikes by a genius and it shows WOW!

So to the “bucket list”: things to do before I die…

I made a small error in the build up – as this is a different club and championship to Hartwell I decided to compete in the Superstock class and the superbike classes and then a week before going realised that this meant using treaded tyres, twat, last time I raced on treaded tyres was 2004! So I purchased some very expensive BT003 tyres medium front and 2 x medium rears and set off for the practice day on the Friday.

Practice day I used my miraculous hard Dunlop tyres which still looked serviceable after a day whizzing round PI. Got some good insights into the circuit and some hints and tips from the guys in the garages around me. Shared a garage with Jamie Spence (who is organising the 6hr race at PI in December – watch this space) and Mick Chrisostomos who was at PI for the 1^st time too… On a nice R1 with some lovely N-Tecs!

So 1^st things 1^{st –} what’s it like I hear you cry…. Fast just about everywhere and anti clockwise…

A lap of Phillip Island

Coming on to the start finish straight in 4^th gear running out of revs by the end of the rumble strip and snatching 5^th – head down tacho watching to 13500 then snick 6^th full noise now peering through the screen to seek the double white lines then the single white line which s your ‘sit up and change down a gear’ marker (no brakes required!!) turn into Turn 1 (Doohan) at 140mph(ish) HOOOOOOOOOLY SH#T that is heart in the mouth quick…. Accelerate to turn 2, then deep breath, down a gear (or two) and turn left (brakes required but not much as steering scrubs off enough speed to stay on track) left hander goes for ever looking for power looking for power NOW – too late (again) driving hard hard downhill up to 5^th gear for the fastest left hander i have ever known keep the throttle in as much as possible (extra testicular mass required) soon as you are out of the left HARD on the anchors and down 3 gears for Honda (turn 4) a tight right hander which is difficult to judge after the high speeds you have become ‘accustomed’ to… quick squirt and snatch 3^rd for a positive cambered left which fires you out onto the rear of the circuit hard on the throttle 4^th and 5^th gear as you swing left then right through the hayshed Huge speed again – this track is more like the A6 than a race track!! – off the gas hard left double apex over Lukey Heights then downhill and hard braking into the other tight right hander (watch the front for grip here – see later!!). On the throttle again up the hill and turn left flat out again hook third then snatch 4^th before turning in for the turn 13 left onto the start finish – drive here is vital early on the throttle and heart n the mouth as you cannot see the exit until you are on the rumble strip (at about 140mph and acceleratng hahahahahahaha! Head down snick 5^th and repeat.

So into Saturday morning and I have 2 qualifying sessions one for superbikes followed by one for the Superstock races

Q1 got me down to a 1:49 lap which I was pleased with on the treaded tyres, got me 23^rd on the grid – but bear in mind that I am now racing with the grown ups in the Victorian Road Race championship – riders from all over Australia in attendance….

Q2 got me some gravel rash!!! Coming into MG (the slowest corner on the track – fortunately) the negative camber and colder track temperatures catch me out and the front is well and truly lo-o-o-o-o-st bang screech, bugger, bugger, bugger… got the bike back to the pits and start the repairs, with some help from the guys in the pits – thanks to Jamie for the exhaust bandage (lots of it) and to Alistair Maxwell for a spare handlebar, Rob for swapping the bar ends and helping with the lockwiring (ugly but effective) Back on track for race 1 Superbikes

Race 1 – Superbikes

Mick is 2 rows in front of me but has never done a race start  – I catch him through turn one and then watch some numpty barge him off the track exit stage right (we got him back on track for Sunday) I then spend 6 very entertaining laps trying to pass a guy on an R1 – I fail by a couple of seconds in the end but the lap times are down to the 1:47’s

Race 1 – Superstock 1000

Out with the superstock 600 (apprentice axe murderers) and last on the grid thanks to my inability to get round the 1^st lap of qualifying! I blast past a few 600’s and popped past a chap on a CBR1000 for a 12^th spot and 3^rd in class – nice

SUNDAY

Race 2 Superbikes

Should have stayed in bed – couldn’t find rhythm and was slowest I had been all weekend? Shite – 21^st place

Race 2 Superstock \

Still starting from the back of the grid – Slight improvement on my first race this morning, but not where I was yesterday – why is this so hard? Just get on and twist that thing on the right hand handlebar…? 18^th and 6^th in class

Race 3 Superbike

Much better – back into the 1:47’s consistently and a good old dice 16^th place and nearly a point… on a standard fireblade on treaded tyres from 23^rd on the grid, think I am happy

Race 3 Superstock

Decent times and up to 15^th from last place on the grid. And a 5^th in class  – with hindsight not where I wanted to end up – must go faster and lose the treaded tyres (although tio be fair it is probably just confidence particularly the front end)

I need to spend money on suspension and more power would not go amiss!!!!!!

Setting off nice and early in the cold and wet on Saturday morning (1hr 45mins journey) didn’t bode well for a good day, but at least I have been round Broadford previously having done a track day there when I first got the bike and I have got some proper tyres on (Dunlop n-tecs)so we shall see how we go… bearing in mind that I take my lovely wife on Holiday next week (the words  Holiday – do not crash ring constantly in my head during the weekend!) chances will not be taken!!

Practice

Track looked damp rather than wet,  so left the slicks on and went for a wobble round to see how much grip was out there… answer –  none, spinning the back wheel up on the straight after short shifting into 5^th! So 2 slow laps make sure it all looks the same as it did on my last visit and then return to the pits.

Qualifying

The track was drying out (slowly) and was in the main dry with wet patches so a couple of gentle laps to settle everything down and then a couple of quicker laps in traffic (damn these tyres feel good mmmmm proper sticky rubber!) getting confidence together, then a couple of hot laps to see how low we could go… not bad at all Loomesy a 1:04 lap putting me 2^nd on the grid!

Race 1 (Saturday) Over 600 Novice championship

Bit weird being on the front row – definitely see the lights from here… Red goes on and off – Pole (John Triggs) seems to stall and I fly  off the line… bugger where do I brake for the 1^st corner, too early was the answer a couple of guys barge past on the brakes and I peel in, in 3^rd place… OK be calm (Holiday) follow for 3 laps and have a good look at the guy in 2^nd – a couple of places that I am stronger so wait for the last lap to try and sneak 2^nd off Brent Coleman as 1^st was someway in the distance by now (Pete Berry) running right up  behind 2^nd place into the last corner on the penultimate lap we run up to  a back marker! BLOODY HELL , Brent slips by on the way into the corner, I go for the outside but the backmarker keeps drifting towards the edge of the track (Holiday !!) so I back off; and the chance for second zooms off up the straight, cruise the last lap and take a 3^rd place – NICE

Race 2 (Sunday) Over 600 Novice championship

Right the track is dry but a little colder, this time I do not fly off the line (Bugger) – get swamped by the second row (Bugger, bugger) zip up to about 5^th by the end of the back straight and drop into 4^th by the start of the second lap behind Ryan Gorman (He is a bit lairy and spins up a couple of times then tries to dive inside the guy in 3^rd and nearly takes him out !) How am I going to get past (HOLIDAY!!) then on the 3^rd lap he does the decent thing and near highsides followed by exit stage left onto the grass.. hehehe 3^rd place. Tried to put a couple of smooth laps in but failed to reel 2^nd place in and settled for (another 3^rd) NICE

Feature Race : Balls tuning Novice race (7 laps)

4^th on the grid for the feature race, and it has rained ( a lot!) this should be interesting as qualifying was in the dry and I seem to have an advantage over a lot of the opposition as I am used to this weather and have experience on wets (see Winton Saturday races)…. SO a bad start is not what I wanted (oops) down to 7^th then up to 6^th when one of the leaders falls out of turn 3, then 5^th when another one tips off (It was bloody slippy!) I then nipped past 4^th and 3^rd and set off after the leaders the Jones brothers (Tyson and Nathan) were in P1 and P2 on their CBR600’s, only to run into about 8 back markers on lap 5… carve up seemed easier for me than the 2 Jones’s in front and by the last lap I had slipped past Tyson Jones for 2^nd and was hunting down 1^st … the overtake I had planned into the last right hander was rendered unnecessary by Nathan having a big moment out of turn 3 and leaving me a wee gap to power through.. ha ha the lead is mine… right need to leave the braking real late into the last right hander… nearly too late but we slid round and got enough gas on to keep the position to the flag… BLOODY HELL A WIN (I think) so many crashes and overtakes I was not 100% sure until the results came out to confirm it – It is a GOOD feeling, no it is a GREAT feeling.

Race 3 Over 600 Novice championship

Back to P2 on the grid on a damp but drying track , good start sees me into the lead at the 1^st corner and I hold the position for 3 laps strange position indeed start thinking about going faster, thinking I am braking to early into turn 1 and that I should be earlier on the power but not wanting to risk too much – should have been thinking about getting my finger out of my arse really… sure enough Pete Berryu and Ryan____ come past into turn 1 (I knew it!) and then proceed to barge and bash each other at every other corner (Holiday, holiday, holiday) eventually I decide I can probably get them into the last right turn, wait for the last lap and really screw the power on out of the turn before… wheeeeeee she slides up big style and I lose my precious drive only to watch Pete bump Ryan into the grass and run wide, if I had been on it properly I would have got through… however having seen Pete already nerf one bloke off maybe that wouldn’t have been sensible with another corner to go!!! Second place and move into 5^th place in the championship. Roll on Phillip Island in August…

IN one piece, 4 trophies in the car and ready for a holiday! A great day

A different kettle of fish altogether for this one, relatively local at 3hrs, some friends along as pit crew (Thanks Rob and family it is fab to have you around – some Team cheese t-shirts required!) and a ‘proper’ circuit although with a poor surface and we were only using the short circuit. It was also forecast rain and lots of it! Indeed for the 3 lap familiarisation (a great idea) it was like Pembrey rain; hammering it down so that the cold rainwater soaked through to your bollox… brrrrrrrrr! And you couldn’t really make out where you were going anyway!

Practice was wet – a few laps wobbling round and struggling with the 1^st left hander a double apex job which didn’t seem to work whatever line you took!

Qualifying was wet although this is of course a distinct advantage to those of us from Blighty with lots of wets experience and I found to my delight that even though I had never seen the circuit before today (work commitments kept me away from the practice day!) I had qualified 6^th fastest

Race 1 – Over 600 Novice

Very wet: still a reasonable start saw me in 7^th or 8^th then following round  a couple of guys who were faster than me in some parts but I was reeling them in on other parts… waiting for the last lap I removed my brain and out braked one of them into the 2^nd last corner and stuffed the other chap up the inside into the final bend – a 5^th place not bad for my first ever race here

Sunday and the sun shone….

Race 2 – Over 600 Novice

In warm up in the dry the 1^st left hander made even less sense… so before the race I asked somebody for advice (perhaps should have done that yesterday?) and found that there was an answer which worked during the race once I had settled, of course in the dry all the guys who new the circuit were back on it and I slipped back to 8^th for the race but getting the hang of the circuit and wondering why I am still using the hard (really hard) compound customer dunlops which even at the end of the day were showing no wear….. must tell Jim Lea about these!

Balls Novice feature Race

Further back on the grid now we are in with the pesky 600 boys, poor start sees me struggling just inside the top 10 for a couple of laps and struggling to overtake, a crash brings a restart though and this time I get a flyer rolling in 5^th and then snatching 4^th place at the flag (getting there with the circuit now). The times are then aggregated relegating me to 5^th – still a decent result though.

Race 3 – Over 600 Novice

A fairly uneventful race this one reasonable start and a 7th place, mainly following Brett Davies on his GSXR750 and not quite passing him at the flag.

In the end a good weekend, good people, excellent helpers, decent results, no tyre wear! and  home at a decent time too!