15-10-06
MOTEGI OPEN CHALLENGE
INTRO
well it started badly, crashing on wednesday at tsukuba, the on thursday not being able to run any faster than 2.07 in my three sessions. experiencing gearbox troubles. actually (i found out later!!) i had snapped the lug off holding the throttle in place and thus couldnt open the throttle properly. so i fixed it and cut and rejoined my chain to run the proper gearing for motegi.
QUALIFYING
i had arrived early at motegi to re-fit the chain and get things sorted. shaken happened, time rolled around and i headed out for qualifying. ran a 2.05 then a 6, 7 and a 2.04.8 and decided to end it there. the bike was feeling good and i was happy with that time. it gridded me 22 in a field of 32.
RACE
sighting lap, warm up lap and the grid, i was phsyched to let rip. and from the start i did, i got an average start, picked up a few, lost a few, but coming out of 2 i nailed the exit and sailed into 3 almost colliding with a dude as i over braked but got 4 places back. there was loads of bikes in front of me and i was determined to not let any of them get away.
unfortunately lots did but i slipped under one on brakes at the end of the main straight. i had a group of 4 bikes up ahead and they were my target, i slowly gained on them, picked an R1 off coming into 5, then a CBR954 ran wide and i snuck under him. then i late braked past another GSX-R (so late it was almost a collision) and then the last R1 in the pack….. he had been moving up as i did, i knew my corner speed was better but he walked me in the straights, so i waited and after the esses on lap 8 i made my move i was right on his ass as we came out and i sailed up the inside, fucked the corner but kept him on the outside of me and was clear i was now in 13th position.
i knew he was going to try and take me back at the end of the straight and sure enough as i sailed past a guy i was lapping so he appeared trying my move up the inside, but he fucked it ran wide and i snuck through again, i looked over at my pit board and saw it was lap 9 i just had to hold him out for one lap, i made some ground and checking before the final hairpin i saw he was about 30 meters behind me… not enough to keep him out down that back straight…… i nailed the exit and was going to brake as late as i could, at about the 160m i nailed the brakes the back reared up…i was out of sorts, couldnt turn in, ran wide, he appeared on the inside and lost the rear, almost threw him off but he saved it, style had gone to the wind, it was time for the kill…but i was in the wrong gear and he snuck past that was that, we sailed home to the checkered flag…..
i came in
14th over all
5th in Open challenge (another plastic momento to take home)
with a new PB of 2.02.8
very happy with my riding, there wasnt a lot of drifting, i got out of sorts on the brakes but it got me past people who i couldnt out power. so you do what you can!!!
the bike is up for sale now. its done and i wont be riding until january next year when i pick up the new Gixxer….
special thanks to my buddy who pitted and was invaluable. sorry to rowshi who got stranded on the highway… but that is his story to tell. god knows where Dr Phil was….
results page
race
http://www.twinring.jp/result/2006/2wheel/1015_12f.html
qualifying
http://www.twinring.jp/result/2006/2wheel/1015_11p.html
