Hartwell series Round 5, mac park south Australia race repor

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SJTFZR1000
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Hartwell series Round 5, mac park south Australia race repor

Post by SJTFZR1000 »

Hartwell series Round 5, mac park south Australia race report
Hi all
Well the final round of my first series has arrived and been run. The weekend was not a fantastic round, weather wise as it was a bit damp all of Friday and Saturday.
I had worked out that I had to win the first two races to clinch the title by two points or just finish all the races, so I decided to go out and win the first two races. I woke to the sound of rain on the roof. This is not the sound I wanted to hear.
As everyone started to move around and get ready for the start of the days racing the rain eased and stopped. The first run was a warm-up couple of laps to check out the track condition. I went out on slicks for a tip toe around the mac park circuit as it was still very wet.
The showers kept coming so you had people running around trying to get tyres changed and trying to predict if they would have a wet or dry qualifying run or not. This always makes for entertaining viewing. It was even better because we were pitted next to the tyre changing guy.
As the qualifying sessions drew closer to my turn the track started to dry a little so I decided to stick with the slicks. I had done a few track days before at mac park when it was wet and found that if there was no or not much water running across the track the grip was pretty good on new surface.so I went out on slicks for a 12 minute qualifying session.as the session went on a dry line was appearing and my slicks were starting to get some heat into them and work whereas all the other guys were on full or intermediate wet tyres and were having trouble with these super soft tyres going to mush. The session finished and it was time to find out the grid positions.to my amazement I was in pole position. I was amazed because I was on pole with a 1.25 lap which is pretty slow.
So with this bit of good news I went into the first race. I got off to a great start and was running second to the whole group and 1st in my class (we run with about 4 different categories of bikes) into turn one, I have been chasing a faster bike/rider combo (he is in a different class) all year and now on my home track I wanted to catch him and prove to myself I had become a better rider than I was at the start of the year. This rider was always so far in front of me but today I was on his rear wheel and was pushing him. I stuck with him for 3.5 laps and then decided to back off a little as the rain started to mist the track and my nearest rival was a fair way back. I took first for my class and second in the race.
The second race came just after the lunch break and as usual it was clear weather during lunch but as the first race approached it began to rain. After a few races of different classes it was out turn to have our second race of the day. I had another decent start and was running the same as race one, but this time the race leader was just pulling away. I tried to keep with him but I was just too slow.so I took another race win and a second in our group….
I was now the Hartwell road race series period 6 winner for 2011 with a narrow 2 point buffer. I had accumulated enough points so If was to be called home or crashed out for Sundays races I would win by 2 points. But I hadn’t finished proving the point that I was better now than I was at the start of the year. There was still one challenge left to do. Beat the rider that was always riding into the distance on me.
I woke Sunday morning to no rain on the roof, which was promising. Racing was soon underway and the historic race was soon up. I had been talking the night before to a couple of guys with bigger cc engines than mine about the starts and how to control the front wheel, so I was going to try something new as the race started. I had a shocker of a start and was running 5th into turn one (scrap the new start plan).so if I was going to catch the leader bike and pass him I would have to pull my finger out. I passed two in the first lap and was running 3rd. The guy in front of me was the guy running second to me in the championship. He had been working on his bike over the break between the series races and had more power than me, so whenever he would come to a straight he would pull away. I managed to get fairly close to him at the end of the straight and out braked him into turn 7. I then set out after the lead bike, he had about a 20 meter jump on me so with a lap and ¾ left I started to haul him back in, I came up on his back wheel at the end of the straight with ½ a lap to go and out braked him into turn 7 at the end of the main straight and went on to hold him out for the remainder if the lap to score my first victory of our group for the first time this year.
The next race rolled around and I decided not to push my luck as the rear tyre was not going to last that much longer. I had a fairly good start and was running 2nd again but as the tyre started to warm up it become greasy or too soft and began moving all over the track. I backed off a bit more and the guy running 3rd behind me passed me ,the race stayed the same and I got my first second place for the series.
When I came back to the pits I had a bit of a look at the tyre.it had got too hot too quick and that’s why it felt bad in the middle of the race. I adjusted the tyre pressures and waited for the last trophy race to begin. The group I was racing with had pretty much had enough so I decided to ask if I could go up a class and race with the pre modern bikes (bikes up to year 2000).I would be racing against some mated that were also in pre modern, so it was going to be a lot of fun. I had not qualified for this class so I started at the rear of the grid.
I made a great start and was up into position 5 by turn one on one of the mates rear wheels. I followed them for about 2 laps then one of the mate’s high sided (fell off) in front of me. I managed some manoeuvres and didn’t run over him. I then set of after the 3rd place runner and just couldn’t pass him to take third but I pushed very hard and was really happy with the result. I ended up with three 1st places, one 2nd and one 4th place.
And a hartwell championship title…….
I have also been invited to do an international race meet called the island classic, which is for historic race bikes from as early as about 1919. this will be held at Phillip Island on the Australia day long weekend in 2012.my class has just been added to the growing number of classes and will be the newest class. The race bikes from 1983 to 1990 aka period 6 are the true first super bikes and should drag a bigger crowd in. I will be racing with some pretty fast ex superbike riders and some current superbike riders so I am looking forward to learning a heap more about racing at the island. There will be racers from as far away as England and New Zealand and Tassie......and heaps of fun...

Thanks and sorry it was so long .Steven Taylor #36
1990 RACING FZR1040 & BROKEN 2001 YZF R1

gtlewis
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Post by gtlewis »

Well done Steve! Congrats on the title and a good write-up.

Regards
Tony

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stan
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Post by stan »

Thanks for the write up Steve, i have enjoyed following your progress this year, and it's great to see all your hard work pay off with a few trophys for the dash on the way home, and a chance to stand up and get a big trophy at the Hartwell end of year presentations

The island classic is a fantastic meeting, with some very well know riders taking part in the past (Mal Cambell, Wayne Gardner, to name a few). I even got to hold the bars of an ex-Barry Sheene RGB500, the highlight of my day!!!

Welcome to the club of Hartwell Club Champions, (Alright it was back in 1995, i won the 601-1000cc Novice Championship, and came runner up in the 350-1000cc!)

stan
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SJTFZR1000
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Post by SJTFZR1000 »

thx everyone it was a tough long season....hahahaha na it was an awsome 8 months or so.hope i can keep doin it next year.ive been invited to attend the island classic as the p6 class has just been added so this will be my biggest test to date.good riders coming from all corners of the globe im told......
1990 RACING FZR1040 & BROKEN 2001 YZF R1

spook
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Post by spook »

Well done Steve. I enjoyed reading the longest paragraph ever... Yes, yes, I know punctuation is just a waste of space... :poke

Island classic sounds great, congratulations! Should be plenty of oil on the track because those old bikes have exposed rocker shafts and a tendency to break down the middle. I'm sure they will have plenty of cement dust on hand!

Seriously... Congratulations on the Hartwell P6 Championship, and thanks for the write ups. I've enjoyed following your progress but more than anything your enthusiasm for the race. Cheers

JasonL
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Post by JasonL »

Steve, we caught up on the phone but well done again anyway! It's nice to get to the end of the season and achieved something significant and lasting.

See you at The Island Classic - its going to be mind blowing - Spook might even get his 1000 along if we badger him enough. So far looks like there will be at least 4 FZR's, yourself, Nigel Taylor, John Rickard and possibly Mick Onrust from NSW. I wasn't planning on racing again until end of March (Barry Sheene) but I need to get my skates on now - 3 months sounds like loads of time to get stuff done but it ain't. Not for me anyway! Better spend most of that time getting the VFR better presented since we need to make a good impression!

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