Manfeild NZSBK Rd 4
2010-03-06
Round 4 NZSBK Manfeild
On the Pace
Friday Test
I had been looking forward to round 4 of the Castrol Power One NZSBK series for quite some time. The previous three rounds had been quite a battle for the team and I so I was looking forward to getting back onto a familiar track and set up!
From first thing in the morning I was feeling very comfortable and relaxed which is a big difference to how I was feeling for the previous three rounds. I have learnt a lot about my mental preparation since we were down south for the first three rounds so it was a great opportunity to put into practice this new skill.
The weather was a bit dicy in the morning with quite a downpour to wet things up a bit. Thankfully the sun came out and dried it all up for us and we ended up with a nice dry track by 1pm which meant we could still get a few sessions in. The first session went well and instantly felt comfortable on the bike. I was throughly enjoying being out on the track and was happy to see a time of 1:09.5 on the timer, not a bad start I thought.
By the second session the track had a bit of temperature into it which helped quite a bit with grip and feedback from the bike, particularly through turn 3 which is the first left hander of the track and the left side of the tyres are usually quite cold. At some point Craig Shirriffs came past on his superbike which was great for me as it allowed me to latch onto the back of him for a short period of time and get a bit of a tow down the straights, this advantage showed in lap times, reaching a 1:08.4 in that session. Definitely a good start to be only 0.1 of a second off the lap record in the second practice session, albeit with a tow from a superbike.
I got two more sessions on the track before we ran out of time, unfortunately the track was beginning to get very busy and putting together a string of fast laps was hard due to traffic. Overall I was very pleased with how practice went and was looking forward to qualifying with a good feeling that a front row start would be possible.
Saturday
First Practice
We were still running on old tyres for this practice and this showed as the times were not as fast as the day before. I think also the track surface may have been a bit colder than the day before. Not a bad start but knew that we could go much faster. Best time was 1:08.7
Second Practice
I started this practice session with fresh tyres on so was hoping to get out there and get into clear track without any traffic so could get a run of clear laps in. In the opening laps there was a lot of traffic but thankfully after 3 laps I ended up with a massive clearing ahead of me and I could really put my head down and focus on getting some fast laps in and also absorbing feedback from the bike to see if there was anything we could do to improve the bike before qualifying which was the next session. The bike seemed bang on though as I saw 1:08.3 pop on the pit board which meant we had just matched lap record!
Qualifying
I have to admit the nerves were starting to rise quite a bit before this session, I was subconsciously putting a lot of pressure on myself to get a good position. Part of what I have learnt about my mental preparation is that I need to remove some of this pressure as it makes me tense on the bike which instantly makes it much harder to gain speed on the track. I find a combination of calming music selection and good control of my thought patterns seems to be the most effective way of controlling some of these subconscious thoughts. With that taken care of I was looking forward to getting on the track and doing the best I possibly could.
The session was almost a perfect repeat of the second practice session with quite a bit of traffic followed by a nice big gap where I could string 5 or so laps together and hope to put the fastest time in. After the 5 laps of clear track I saw up ahead that there was a huge amount of traffic and knew that it would be near impossible to go much faster, so I opted to pit in and see where we were sitting and take a look at the track to see if I could get back out in a clearing. Unfortunately there seemed to be to many bikes now scattered around the track which would make putting a quick lap in hard. I decided I was happy with my time which was exactly the same as the previous practice session of 1:08.3 and felt that would be enough to get me a top three position on the grid. Much to my delight it was fast enough to give me my first pole position at national level in the 600cc class! I was happy for the team and I, it felt like an achievement for all of us and the racing hadn't even started yet!
Sunday Race Day
I awoke feeling refreshed and relaxed, so relaxed that I could eat breakfast which I have never done at a race meeting before due to anxiety that usually makes me feel ill!
I went out in the first scrub session to get my head up to speed and make sure that there was no problems with the bike. All was well and we were ready to race!
Race One
Lining up for the grid I could feel the nerves starting to kick in. The worst point that I get nervous is on the starting grid, and it is so hard to control! I got a shocking start, the clutch engaging before I had anticipated and leaving me going upwards in a wheelie and not forwards with the rest of the pack! Coming out of turn one James Smith had already pulled a gap on me which was not a good start but I felt I could pull him back in. Sam Love, Nick Cole and Midge Smart were all right on my tail out of turn one, I was almost expecting one of them to try make a pass on me. By lap two I had made up the gap to James Smith and was looking for a way past. I tried one out braking maneuver which didn't quite work. I didn't brake any later than I normally would but I back shifted the gears to fast and caused the bike to compression lock and put me sideways trying to turn in. This meant I missed the apex and let James back through, but importantly I didn't lose any time!
I tried the same maneuver again at turn one this time pulling it off successfully and putting me into the lead. I knew it was important to put my head down and try get a gap if possible as this would give me a bit of a safety buffer at the end of the race if my tyres started to go off a but. Fortunately the Conti Race Attacks weren't bothered by the number of laps on them and were still gripping great. I crossed the line in a fit of excitement, I had just won my very first national level race in the 600 class and set a new track record in the process, I could not have asked for better! I was so happy to be able to bring home a result that I know the team deserve so it was a great feeling for me to be able to do that.
Best time in the race was a 1:08.001 which is now the new track record for 600cc sports production.
Race Two
This time I was determined not to get a bad start, I was feeling a lot more relaxed on the start line which I think had a big effect. I got a great start and was first into turn one. I was determined to put my head down and make the most of the advantage and try gain a gap. The plan was working and after 5 laps I had a 1.5 second gap over 2nd place. Unfortunately a fellow competitor Jamie Galway had a nasty crash exiting the hair pin and was injured on the track so the race was red flagged so that the ambulances could get to him. It took more than 30 minutes for the track to be cleared which meant that the race would be called and would not be restarted. This meant that we won the second race but it was bitter sweet, bitter for me to see a racing mate injured on the track, hope you get well soon Jamie. Also to not be able to finish the race with the checkered flag was not the way I would have wanted to finish the last race but alas it is part of racing!
The weekend was a total success for the team and I could not of asked for more from my team or the fantastic Museum Hotel Suzuki GSX-R600. We do have some political problems to do with an alleged jump start to sort out, but I feel that it is important to not let that put a damper on the weekend. I am now waiting with anticipation for the final round of the NZSBK series at Hampton Downs where all competitors will be faced with the challenge of a new track to learn which is what we have been practicing for 3 rounds of this series so I am feeling confident to be able to be able to get a good result there.
I want to take this opportunity to thank the following companies and people for there support, I really can't explain to which level I am grateful for the support as I would simply not be able to race without them;
Museum Hotel Wellington For their amazing support and dedication to motorcycle racing. It is an absolute honor to be able to race under this name. The hotel is an amazing place so be sure to stay there if you are ever in Wellington.
Suzuki NZ For the fantastic 2009 GSX-R600. The bike has been flawless all through the series and once again showed its capabilities at this round by smashing the lap record!
Ozzy Performance The bike ran so great over the weekend, this is a testament to Chris Osborne's engine building and bike preparation skills. Thank you Chris for you time and effort you have put into the bike and me this season!
Continental Tyres The Conti Race Attacks surprised a lot of people this weekend, and I was so glad that I was able to help show the capabilities of these great tyres! Also a huge thank you to Hamish from Darbi Accessories for his help this weekend it really is so appreciated!
CKT and Ohlins Robert and Dennis for making the bike handle how it should. I feel we have a great base line for the bike now so thank you for your time and support making the bike work like It should.
Skunkworks Andrew and Leigh, thank you for your ongoing commitment to help me in so many aspects of my racing, I am so fortunate to have such great people backing and supporting me!
Finally a big thank you to all my other product and services sponsors:
Wynns Performance Products
Spectro Oils
HJC Helmets
Berik Leathers
Wellington Motorcycles
DID Chains
Sidi Motorcycle Gear
Vesrah Brakes
Autocycle Refinishers