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12-13/06/2010 - Actrix VMCC Winter Series Rnd 2.
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Saturday comes around and its wet but not raining, and with clearing skies. Luckily we had changed all but the front of the SV over to wets on Friday! After unloading the Chev I set about changing over the front of the SV.
Went out for qualifying on the SV first. For some unknown reason we had a Dunlop 125/80/17 on the front and it really didn't seem to work - every time I'd start to really lean her over, it would get really vague and felt like it wanted to wash out. Can't of been too bad though as I managed a 4th on the grid, last spot on the front row.
Next was F1 on the gixxer. By the time this rolled around it was pretty much dry but with wet patches and puddles. Not dry enough for slicks, and not really wet enough for wets, so wets it was! I decided to do the the siting lap and then one quick lap. Dion Sellers on his RSV4 was right in front of me for the "fast" lap, and put on quite a show with the rear stepping out at the left off the short track on to the extension. The whole time all I could think of was the money I'd spent on the wets now being shredded to pieces. I had the rear step out a little coming out of the hairpin on the extension but I managed to get round all right and picked up 10th on the grid.
After the F1 Qual I set about changing the bikes over to slicks as the track was now fully dry. This is where another set of rims for the bikes would come in handy! Luckily for us Kerry was at hand, and we were set to go!
F3 Race 1: I got swamped at the start as usual, but managed to be about 7th into turn one. I could see Deano just ahead so set about catching him, (which I managed), and after him was Geoff Both. That had me up to 3rd on the track, but unknown to me, 1st in F3! Lap 6 and I'm in turn 3 just about to pick up the gas, when the front hit the edge of the new seal patch, and before I knew it I was looking at the track inches from my face, knees sliding on the ground but still holding the bike for a metre or so and ended up in the wet muddy grass! I was not happy. Luckily the damage was repairable, and Peter had the bike fixed in time for Sundays racing. One positive from the race was the 3rd over all fastest lap time of 2:02.673.
F1/Superbike Race 1: Had not too bad a start to this race. I managed to get around turn one in around 6th or 7th place, then picked off Marcus and a few others and come across the line 4th with a best time of 1:59.269.
Saturday rolls around and it's raining with no sign of letting up - back on with the wets!
F3 Race 2: Had a bad start with this one getting through turn one around 7th I think. Deano out-braked himself and went very wide with Geoff Booth getting the hole shot and checking out. I managed to get up to 3rd on track but 1st in F3. Best time of 2:15.762 on a very wet track.
F1 Race 2: This was a good start. I managed to get out of turn one with about 4 bikes in front of me. I slowly reeled Jamie Rajek and got by him after a couple of laps. Just before I passed Jamie I was trying to set up a pass into Dunlop and was right behind him. There was so much spray from his bike that all I could see was the back of his bike! Fully expecting him to try and pass me back, I 'head-down-bum-upped' it to the checkered flag and was very happy to find that I'd finished 2nd!
F3 Race 3: Had another good start and tried to keep up with Geoff Booth but he was just too fast, so I thought I'd settle for 2nd. Rob Berrington had other ideas after his start from pit lane, and absolutely flew past me going into the long left after the hairpin on the extension - legend! He finished 2nd but set the fastest lap of the race! So despite being third across the line I again picked up 1st in F3, mint!
F1 Race 3: I had a blinder of a start and came around turn 1 in 3rd behind Sloan, and Jamie just ahead of him. Sloan passed Jamie at the hair pin. I managed to just hold onto them until the hairpin where I saw Jamie lose the front, this put me into 2nd! Derek McAdam had other thoughts and passed me going into turn 6 I think, and put me back into 3rd. The track had formed a dry line by then so I was riding just off of that wherever I could to keep my wets from over-heating. Second to last lap and Phil Endon tried to get past on the long left on the extension, this gave me a hurry-up as I was rather keen to keep the 3rd place, and keep it I did!
It was a great weekend and I'm stoked with the results!
I have to say that none of this would of happened without the Vic Club, and all the volunteers that made the weekend happen - thanks guys, girls and kids! Also I wouldn't racing, again without the help and support of a lot of people - thanks to Peter Harkess, MotoTT, Gigabyte Solutionz, Expand a Sign, Dunlop, Kerry Dukic, Chris Mitchell Motorcycles, Acacia Bay R&R and Alick Saunders Photography, also everyone else who offered their support and came up and said hi!
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