Post by bikeboy on Dec 30, 2009 11:05:27 GMT 12
Race Report NI Saloon Champs,
We packed up and headed to Rotorua for the first time for the NI Champs, drama started on the 23rd when I learnt the hard way not to lend anything to a stockcar driver, as my trailer ended up getting badly damaged as it decided to do a 180 turn on the motorway at about 100km/h, a huge thanks to Karl from E & H Motors in Pukekohe for lending me his trailer to get us down there and racing.
With Rotorua offering a practice session for the saloons it was awesome to get out and have a run on the track, I had never raced at Paradise Valley before and the track took a bit of getting used to, a few changes to the setup and I was pretty happy with the way the car was going, it was running much better than the 2 previous meetings this year,
I was in the red group and drew grid 13 for the first race, with the tight track I was expecting a bit of carnage but it never really eventuated, I did not make any major inroads in the 1st race finishing up 12th, the car felt pretty good but I could not really get the high line working to make any headway, I managed to watch the first blue group heat, and watching Phil Twogood go from 15th to 2nd proved that indeed you can make passes here,
2nd race and I was off grid 6, i got an ok jump but was nailed on the inside coming into turn 1 and it pushed me wide letting a couple though, it knocked my game a bit and I went backwards for a few laps, I ended up 11th in this race, with very few retirements in both races it ment that it was going to be a tough ask to qualify,
3rd race and I was off grid 5, I got an ok jump and was battling with both of the Cowling cars, the car felt much better in this race and I managed to stay in between the cowling cars to get a 5th, this left me out of qualifying position, but with grid 3 for the repercharge,
All in all it was our best night of the season, the car got better and better all night and the last race we were on pace, without a big loss of places in race 2 we were in with a chance of qualifying on a track we had never raced at before.
Monday dawned with showers in Rotorua and we headed up to the track about 2pm to sort out the car, and change things around, with Steve Cowling off 1 and Graham Brockelsby in the 5r car off 2 we had a tough road to qualify, off the start Brock was gone and it ment we had to make a pass, down the back straight for the first time and I thought to myself that the later in the race it would be harder to pass, so I tried to do my best Phil Twogood impression and run the outside, unfortunalty, I either ran out of grip, track or talent, but either way a decent hit to the turn 4 wall was the result, and a lot of lost places, not to be deterred I tried in vane to make up some more places, but then a half spin and the brakes going away left me near the back of the pack, and when we left the track the gearbox decided it did not want to work in anything but top gear so the tractor was needed to load it on the trailer.
I am happy I at least I went out fighting, I would have been pretty pissed with myself for just running the line and not trying to make something happen, will need to work on that outside line tho.
In the end the night was rained off a couple of races later, so everybody got an early trip home,
Big thanks to my Mum and dad for making the trip, Chris Street for CSR for all the help and advice in the pits, your help made the car much better and I am stoked to have the help.
We have looked into the gearbox problem and it is a bit terminal to fix before the NZ Champs, and without time to source a spare and with a lot of other small problems we have decided to withdraw from the Baypark event, not sure when my next race will be as next month I change from racer to promoter, I am running the final round of the NZ Supercross Champs in Manakau city, if anyone is interested in another form of motorsport come and see some of nz best dirt bikers battle, www.supercross.co.nz ,
Cheers, and good luck and safe travels to everyone in speedway
Scott Wilkins
67H
We packed up and headed to Rotorua for the first time for the NI Champs, drama started on the 23rd when I learnt the hard way not to lend anything to a stockcar driver, as my trailer ended up getting badly damaged as it decided to do a 180 turn on the motorway at about 100km/h, a huge thanks to Karl from E & H Motors in Pukekohe for lending me his trailer to get us down there and racing.
With Rotorua offering a practice session for the saloons it was awesome to get out and have a run on the track, I had never raced at Paradise Valley before and the track took a bit of getting used to, a few changes to the setup and I was pretty happy with the way the car was going, it was running much better than the 2 previous meetings this year,
I was in the red group and drew grid 13 for the first race, with the tight track I was expecting a bit of carnage but it never really eventuated, I did not make any major inroads in the 1st race finishing up 12th, the car felt pretty good but I could not really get the high line working to make any headway, I managed to watch the first blue group heat, and watching Phil Twogood go from 15th to 2nd proved that indeed you can make passes here,
2nd race and I was off grid 6, i got an ok jump but was nailed on the inside coming into turn 1 and it pushed me wide letting a couple though, it knocked my game a bit and I went backwards for a few laps, I ended up 11th in this race, with very few retirements in both races it ment that it was going to be a tough ask to qualify,
3rd race and I was off grid 5, I got an ok jump and was battling with both of the Cowling cars, the car felt much better in this race and I managed to stay in between the cowling cars to get a 5th, this left me out of qualifying position, but with grid 3 for the repercharge,
All in all it was our best night of the season, the car got better and better all night and the last race we were on pace, without a big loss of places in race 2 we were in with a chance of qualifying on a track we had never raced at before.
Monday dawned with showers in Rotorua and we headed up to the track about 2pm to sort out the car, and change things around, with Steve Cowling off 1 and Graham Brockelsby in the 5r car off 2 we had a tough road to qualify, off the start Brock was gone and it ment we had to make a pass, down the back straight for the first time and I thought to myself that the later in the race it would be harder to pass, so I tried to do my best Phil Twogood impression and run the outside, unfortunalty, I either ran out of grip, track or talent, but either way a decent hit to the turn 4 wall was the result, and a lot of lost places, not to be deterred I tried in vane to make up some more places, but then a half spin and the brakes going away left me near the back of the pack, and when we left the track the gearbox decided it did not want to work in anything but top gear so the tractor was needed to load it on the trailer.
I am happy I at least I went out fighting, I would have been pretty pissed with myself for just running the line and not trying to make something happen, will need to work on that outside line tho.
In the end the night was rained off a couple of races later, so everybody got an early trip home,
Big thanks to my Mum and dad for making the trip, Chris Street for CSR for all the help and advice in the pits, your help made the car much better and I am stoked to have the help.
We have looked into the gearbox problem and it is a bit terminal to fix before the NZ Champs, and without time to source a spare and with a lot of other small problems we have decided to withdraw from the Baypark event, not sure when my next race will be as next month I change from racer to promoter, I am running the final round of the NZ Supercross Champs in Manakau city, if anyone is interested in another form of motorsport come and see some of nz best dirt bikers battle, www.supercross.co.nz ,
Cheers, and good luck and safe travels to everyone in speedway
Scott Wilkins
67H