Post by Super Saloon 11m on Jan 12, 2010 15:25:10 GMT 12
For those interested thought I would throw a few words down about my races at the NZ Super Saloons just gone this weekend. My crew spent a heap of time working on the car prior to the Friday night, people giving up their time is amazing in times when money is tight for some, these guys gave up their free time and work days to assist me, thank you.
Anyway, Friday came as we made the trip across to Huntly race way, I was the most nervous, make that anxious about these champs. After not racing for a couple of years and a bit to live up to after getting 2NZ at my last champs, I was being realistic in maybe attempting 3rd at best case scenario. Both Emerson and Mcintyre have been impressive at all the races I have been too and expected these two would be there at the end. Our draw for the qualifying was on paper reasonably strong, 58C is very strong anytime and rated him my main opposition, I figured we had 7 strong and 3 not so strong racers in our group. I was gutted for 58c (Richie Taylor) when hearing his motor had blown in the first race, not a nice way to end a champs after all the cost and time getting there from Chch, bugger!
Race 1 pace was relatively slow I thought and I quickly went from grid 6 to 3 and sat there not trying to make any more passes as the 18 points would give as a good chance at making the cut off with 58c out and one other quick driver doing a no-show.
Race 2 and our race plans, well my plans, were not to risk fighting for a position or two and as long as we sat mid to lower half we would cruise into the next night where points start again. No use trying being a hero too soon and end up not qualifying! The crew had different ideas and were wanting me to push the car harder and maybe this could have good or bad outcomes.
Race 3 pace felt much quicker this time and with a not so good set up we came home 3rd or 4th from memory, knowing we had qualified for finals night. It’s time when the pace is hot that you do wonder what the hell am I doing this for, must be mad.
Race 4 and it was time to try a new slick set up (Thanks to previous owner Mark Pitcher) and risk damaging the car as we were home and hosed. We had the final place on the grid and man the car felt good, as you do sometimes you sit back thinking you are going ok then realise you can easily pass the car in front and away I went. I drove the outside line and picked off cars at will to get to 3rd before gaining on the two 2 cars, but by then there was not enough laps left but happy with the car and was looking forward at the finals the next night.
Finals night (Saturday)
We dragged the car back to Tauranga and arrived at 2am, back down with the crew at 10am for another long day! With assistance from fellow racer Russell Donovan and the crew we checked over the car and thought we had ever nut and bolt checked and double checked.
We arrived back at Huntly full of hope after the last race and a game plan to see what we could do, I was shattered as it was after the long previous days and lack of sleep, but that’s what makes the nationals special I guess.
Grand parade time and I asked Nigel Wilton to join me on the car, he had worked huge hours to get the Champs happening, besides he’s not a bad guy!
First race – I had gone over and over in my head not to go too early on the wet track, check my position and put some points in the bank, oh how the best plans can go to bits when the flag drops. I was passed by the ever fast Steve Williams and dropped a place so was keen to get it back if possible, I seemed to have the corner speed to keep up with Steve and after a few laps the outside line appeared to be drying. Why would you risk hitting the wet stuff is beyond me, remember the plan Nev, but the temptation got the better of me and tried it on too soon! Paying the penalty of pushing on the wet stuff into the wall on turn 4, god hind sight is a great thing, if only it worked in reverse. The impact was slight but broke what looked like just a tie rod so retired to watch from the middle (Silly bugger).
When we made it back to the pits we found more damage than we thought, broken bottom arm, brakes you name it. With an awesome effort from the crew, they got me to the grid still doing up my helmet and no communications in the ear which was darn hard to know what was happening when everyone else had one! I was told I would be advised of my grid position from the guys in the middle if required, as is way too common everyone just steered at me in the middle as I frantically asked where I was supposed to be........ The race was full of crashes and for a change I avoided them all so far, making my way from the back grid of 20 to somewhere around 10th. Then down the front straight I saw a car slide in field then back onto the track in front so locked the brakes a bit to avoid hitting cars, “wham” up the back end a car clips me and takes off my left rear tyre. No real drama as I had already a few points in the bank from the cars that had crashed.
3rd race – This was going to be the one that got me a half decent grid position I told myself as I got ready to go out. Then a crew member finds a leaking hydraulic fitting on the power steering, a decision was made to run the race with or without power assist steering, not an easy one to make as running these cars without power assist is a nightmare, like wrestling an elephant (Not that I have tried that). With a good grid I lined up to take the green flag and bang the engine is vibrating like you would not believe, first thought was, “darn, blown the engine probably got a rod out the side of the block”. With a whole field of 700hp cars behind you, there is no such thing as just stopping after the flag on the front straight, not a show so managed to get the car as far over as I could in the first turn and with the power steer gone managed to hit the wall to go with it............ I was just waiting for a massive hit in the rear from a following car as the yellows never came on, something I question, however it worked out and I limped to the infield gutted....
Back in the pits we find the ring gear (flywheel) had broken in half, still better than a blown engine I guess, however that was it for my team, no running in the final race. Sometimes you just get bad luck despite the effort you put in to triple check everything, a new ring gear braking, a fitting let go.... just things you cannot see.
What a final race and deserved winners all round, well done. Another champs over and done with, brunt up a couple of grand worth of tyres, smashed a couple of grand of panels up, used $350 of methanol, spend countless hours and dollars getting the car ready all this and miss the final race. Could a shrink really reason why drivers would do this, and yet we all will be back chasing the numbers next year!
Thanks to all the other drivers and people that made the event a success.
Anyway, Friday came as we made the trip across to Huntly race way, I was the most nervous, make that anxious about these champs. After not racing for a couple of years and a bit to live up to after getting 2NZ at my last champs, I was being realistic in maybe attempting 3rd at best case scenario. Both Emerson and Mcintyre have been impressive at all the races I have been too and expected these two would be there at the end. Our draw for the qualifying was on paper reasonably strong, 58C is very strong anytime and rated him my main opposition, I figured we had 7 strong and 3 not so strong racers in our group. I was gutted for 58c (Richie Taylor) when hearing his motor had blown in the first race, not a nice way to end a champs after all the cost and time getting there from Chch, bugger!
Race 1 pace was relatively slow I thought and I quickly went from grid 6 to 3 and sat there not trying to make any more passes as the 18 points would give as a good chance at making the cut off with 58c out and one other quick driver doing a no-show.
Race 2 and our race plans, well my plans, were not to risk fighting for a position or two and as long as we sat mid to lower half we would cruise into the next night where points start again. No use trying being a hero too soon and end up not qualifying! The crew had different ideas and were wanting me to push the car harder and maybe this could have good or bad outcomes.
Race 3 pace felt much quicker this time and with a not so good set up we came home 3rd or 4th from memory, knowing we had qualified for finals night. It’s time when the pace is hot that you do wonder what the hell am I doing this for, must be mad.
Race 4 and it was time to try a new slick set up (Thanks to previous owner Mark Pitcher) and risk damaging the car as we were home and hosed. We had the final place on the grid and man the car felt good, as you do sometimes you sit back thinking you are going ok then realise you can easily pass the car in front and away I went. I drove the outside line and picked off cars at will to get to 3rd before gaining on the two 2 cars, but by then there was not enough laps left but happy with the car and was looking forward at the finals the next night.
Finals night (Saturday)
We dragged the car back to Tauranga and arrived at 2am, back down with the crew at 10am for another long day! With assistance from fellow racer Russell Donovan and the crew we checked over the car and thought we had ever nut and bolt checked and double checked.
We arrived back at Huntly full of hope after the last race and a game plan to see what we could do, I was shattered as it was after the long previous days and lack of sleep, but that’s what makes the nationals special I guess.
Grand parade time and I asked Nigel Wilton to join me on the car, he had worked huge hours to get the Champs happening, besides he’s not a bad guy!
First race – I had gone over and over in my head not to go too early on the wet track, check my position and put some points in the bank, oh how the best plans can go to bits when the flag drops. I was passed by the ever fast Steve Williams and dropped a place so was keen to get it back if possible, I seemed to have the corner speed to keep up with Steve and after a few laps the outside line appeared to be drying. Why would you risk hitting the wet stuff is beyond me, remember the plan Nev, but the temptation got the better of me and tried it on too soon! Paying the penalty of pushing on the wet stuff into the wall on turn 4, god hind sight is a great thing, if only it worked in reverse. The impact was slight but broke what looked like just a tie rod so retired to watch from the middle (Silly bugger).
When we made it back to the pits we found more damage than we thought, broken bottom arm, brakes you name it. With an awesome effort from the crew, they got me to the grid still doing up my helmet and no communications in the ear which was darn hard to know what was happening when everyone else had one! I was told I would be advised of my grid position from the guys in the middle if required, as is way too common everyone just steered at me in the middle as I frantically asked where I was supposed to be........ The race was full of crashes and for a change I avoided them all so far, making my way from the back grid of 20 to somewhere around 10th. Then down the front straight I saw a car slide in field then back onto the track in front so locked the brakes a bit to avoid hitting cars, “wham” up the back end a car clips me and takes off my left rear tyre. No real drama as I had already a few points in the bank from the cars that had crashed.
3rd race – This was going to be the one that got me a half decent grid position I told myself as I got ready to go out. Then a crew member finds a leaking hydraulic fitting on the power steering, a decision was made to run the race with or without power assist steering, not an easy one to make as running these cars without power assist is a nightmare, like wrestling an elephant (Not that I have tried that). With a good grid I lined up to take the green flag and bang the engine is vibrating like you would not believe, first thought was, “darn, blown the engine probably got a rod out the side of the block”. With a whole field of 700hp cars behind you, there is no such thing as just stopping after the flag on the front straight, not a show so managed to get the car as far over as I could in the first turn and with the power steer gone managed to hit the wall to go with it............ I was just waiting for a massive hit in the rear from a following car as the yellows never came on, something I question, however it worked out and I limped to the infield gutted....
Back in the pits we find the ring gear (flywheel) had broken in half, still better than a blown engine I guess, however that was it for my team, no running in the final race. Sometimes you just get bad luck despite the effort you put in to triple check everything, a new ring gear braking, a fitting let go.... just things you cannot see.
What a final race and deserved winners all round, well done. Another champs over and done with, brunt up a couple of grand worth of tyres, smashed a couple of grand of panels up, used $350 of methanol, spend countless hours and dollars getting the car ready all this and miss the final race. Could a shrink really reason why drivers would do this, and yet we all will be back chasing the numbers next year!
Thanks to all the other drivers and people that made the event a success.
felt for young buson not only crook but to change a complete diff between races only to find brake wouldn't bleed up .should have gone out the gate then called the 2 min bell ;D Jeff fletcher threating to retire & become a referee ;D .thanks to Steve for signed tee shirt for Mr pickles my grandson & also the golfing shirt for work he said :(thanks for the endless bottles of beer that ended up on mine & j5 s table .from where i don't no .the hat from 32auss .the 20.000 miles i walked up & down the pits .couldn't get out of bed till lunch time Sunday :'(so missed racing golden olde Sunday at waharoa .all in all excellent meeting .some strange calls from the tower but managed to change some decisions 8-)or there could have been a fair bit of sodomizing going on 
