Post by bikeboy on Oct 20, 2008 17:17:53 GMT 12
Bikeboy race report,
Practice, race meeting 1 and 2
Back by popular demand, (well a couple of people asked anyway) and a lot of people seemed to read them last year so I will give it another go, with report on here for this season.
Ill try to spell check and proof read them a bit better this year, I know sometimes my typing lets me down.
The season seems to come around quicker to be over when you do not have the car ready.
During the off-season we did a lot of changes on the chassis, we took the car down to Kerry at K-Mac Automotive for some substantial changes to both the front and rear suspension. We hoped this would give us a bit more adjustability to the car and make it a lot better on later in the night when the tracks slicked off, I struggled in these conditions last year.
Another big change this year is contracting to Huntly, I really enjoy the atmosphere that Red/Nigel/Carol and the rest of the Huntly team provide, last year we were made to feel welcome every time we set foot on the track and they run a club well and for the right reasons. I am proud to have a H for my car, this year, I am going to miss racing at Baypark but hopefully Baypark might start letting outside saloons in so I get to run their sometime this year. I hope to race at a few more tracks this season.
We did not have the car ready for the first practice, but with it rained off we did not miss much, but we had the car ready for practice 2. I was really impressed with the changes to the car, It felt a lot more settled, things were looking good.
Huntly opening night.
1st night out and we had a full field of 16 cars with a lot of visitors.
We were race 1 on the night, and the 1st race was very slippery, I started on grid 5 and every one seemed to struggle early on, as the race went on Phil and Steve both got passed, and I ended up 5th, it was good to see Murray Guy get the 1st win of the season,
Race 2, off around grid 10, track was much better now and fast racing provided, I did not make many passes but the car felt really good, finished 8th,
Race 3, we had grid 4 in the draw but Phil Towgood elected to start off the rear, left the front row open, I made a good start and got to the front down the back straight, The car felt really good and I got a bit of a gap straight away, I felt very comfortable and the car was going very well, a rut had come up in turn 4 and I was trying to avoid it but around lap 5 I got a bit wide and put the car into the rut, the result was a tyre popping off the bead, I had enough time to get the car down off the racing line and onto the infield to prevent any trouble, their were quite a few cars joining me in the middle with outside rear popped off, I was nice and pissed off, but the car was going well and it was not a bad start to the season.
Huntly Night 2
Last Saturday night we were back at Huntly for their second meeting, a slightly smaller field of 13 cars fronted for the saloons,
I had grid 1 for race one, I got to the front and took off, 10 laps went pretty quick for the first race win of the year, pretty happy to be here so early in the season,
Race 2 and off grid 4, I followed the 808r car around the outside to be 2nd down the back straight, I managed to close up to the rear bumper of Joe car’s but did not have the pace to make a pass, I had a plan for the last corner but the yellows then red was thrown down the back straight after Brockie had a huge roll on the front straight, the race was declared and I ended up second, I am pretty sure Joe had me covered but would have loved one more chance to have a go,
Race 3 and off grid 8, the track was very dry by now and after watching the Super Saloons struggle to get the outside working their was little hope of a outside line working well, I got off to a good start and made a few places, Murray Guy and myself were trying out best to get around Andrew Ross in the 17h car, however our Huntly Saloon rep kept the inside line and did not make any mistakes and earned his 3rd place, My result , 5th.
This was my best meeting ever by results, and consistency, I was really happy on the way home,
Next week we are off to Hawkes Bay for their opening meeting on Sunday night,
Thanks for reading
Scott
67h
Practice, race meeting 1 and 2
Back by popular demand, (well a couple of people asked anyway) and a lot of people seemed to read them last year so I will give it another go, with report on here for this season.
Ill try to spell check and proof read them a bit better this year, I know sometimes my typing lets me down.
The season seems to come around quicker to be over when you do not have the car ready.
During the off-season we did a lot of changes on the chassis, we took the car down to Kerry at K-Mac Automotive for some substantial changes to both the front and rear suspension. We hoped this would give us a bit more adjustability to the car and make it a lot better on later in the night when the tracks slicked off, I struggled in these conditions last year.
Another big change this year is contracting to Huntly, I really enjoy the atmosphere that Red/Nigel/Carol and the rest of the Huntly team provide, last year we were made to feel welcome every time we set foot on the track and they run a club well and for the right reasons. I am proud to have a H for my car, this year, I am going to miss racing at Baypark but hopefully Baypark might start letting outside saloons in so I get to run their sometime this year. I hope to race at a few more tracks this season.
We did not have the car ready for the first practice, but with it rained off we did not miss much, but we had the car ready for practice 2. I was really impressed with the changes to the car, It felt a lot more settled, things were looking good.
Huntly opening night.
1st night out and we had a full field of 16 cars with a lot of visitors.
We were race 1 on the night, and the 1st race was very slippery, I started on grid 5 and every one seemed to struggle early on, as the race went on Phil and Steve both got passed, and I ended up 5th, it was good to see Murray Guy get the 1st win of the season,
Race 2, off around grid 10, track was much better now and fast racing provided, I did not make many passes but the car felt really good, finished 8th,
Race 3, we had grid 4 in the draw but Phil Towgood elected to start off the rear, left the front row open, I made a good start and got to the front down the back straight, The car felt really good and I got a bit of a gap straight away, I felt very comfortable and the car was going very well, a rut had come up in turn 4 and I was trying to avoid it but around lap 5 I got a bit wide and put the car into the rut, the result was a tyre popping off the bead, I had enough time to get the car down off the racing line and onto the infield to prevent any trouble, their were quite a few cars joining me in the middle with outside rear popped off, I was nice and pissed off, but the car was going well and it was not a bad start to the season.
Huntly Night 2
Last Saturday night we were back at Huntly for their second meeting, a slightly smaller field of 13 cars fronted for the saloons,
I had grid 1 for race one, I got to the front and took off, 10 laps went pretty quick for the first race win of the year, pretty happy to be here so early in the season,
Race 2 and off grid 4, I followed the 808r car around the outside to be 2nd down the back straight, I managed to close up to the rear bumper of Joe car’s but did not have the pace to make a pass, I had a plan for the last corner but the yellows then red was thrown down the back straight after Brockie had a huge roll on the front straight, the race was declared and I ended up second, I am pretty sure Joe had me covered but would have loved one more chance to have a go,
Race 3 and off grid 8, the track was very dry by now and after watching the Super Saloons struggle to get the outside working their was little hope of a outside line working well, I got off to a good start and made a few places, Murray Guy and myself were trying out best to get around Andrew Ross in the 17h car, however our Huntly Saloon rep kept the inside line and did not make any mistakes and earned his 3rd place, My result , 5th.
This was my best meeting ever by results, and consistency, I was really happy on the way home,
Next week we are off to Hawkes Bay for their opening meeting on Sunday night,
Thanks for reading
Scott
67h