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TSUKUBA EAST JSB 13-04-08

Written by Anthony faulkner

Monday, 22 February 2010 06:50

what a day!!.. with the weather forecast changing rapidly in the last few days and tsukubas tight pit arrangements i was left a bit wanting in terms of shelter. so i got there early and got a friend with a bicycle to save me a pit in the first race of the morning... the getting a pit bicycle race. he succeeded and a big weight was lifted off my shoulders with shelter from the immenant rain.

a few prospective pit crews had dodged the bullet at the last minute so it was me and the GF. come time for qualifying i was in a quandry. it was wet and raining a bit here and there but drying fast, i made the decision to stay with wets as it started raining again with about 30 minutes to go, with only one set of disks, changing tyres becomes a bit more exagerated...anyway it stopped, dried out and i went out on rains with a dry track, some people had just swapped a rear to slicks others were on full slicks, i ran 8 wild, sliding bucking, laps with a best of 1.04.5 to put me 10th of 18. iwas disapointed but also a little happy that i was even that high. ill post a photo of the tyre tomorrow!! :crazyeyes: :crazyeyes: :crazyeyes:

come race time the weather did the reverse, i had slicks on as it was drying fast again and then just before the warm up lap it started to rain again. :evil: i as most others quickly changed to rains. and out we went. the track was definately too wet for slicks. from the warm up start i shot to the front as is my ritual of late. and then putted around trying to save my tyres as the rain was so light it could stop, dry out and id be screwed...

on the grid in 10th the light goes out i get a great start and get into the first corner in 5th, i come out hot on the tail of a ducati and finnish him off coming 2, blast a honda going into dunlop and im in third and following two all japan riders. my race plan was basically get a good start and then do what the guys in front do. the thing is i realised not only were they not gettting away but i could out brake them off the back straight and into 1. on the third lap the second guy went into first and i drifted past the guy as well coming into turn 1. i was now in second. next lap same again coming into turn one i braked later and harder and took the inside line, the leader stayed on my outside but coming out i let it drift wide to cut him off I WAS IN FIRST!!! :!exclaim: :!exclaim: :!exclaim: :bday: i was finding it hard to believe. i just focussed and kept my head down and i hung onto first until the 15th lap, by then my tyres were really starting to shred, i was having truoble getting them hooked up down the back straight as the track had quite a dry line appearing. i made the decision to start conserving my tyres, the rear kicked out once coming out of the first hairpin and made me remeber it was still wet. then coming into 1 a honda drifted by, i couldnt hang with the guy, but held onto second until about the 18th lap when another guy passed me, by then id dropped about 2 seconds off my best of 1.06.5. the rear was spinning the entire way down the back straight, i had to baby the throttle all the way around. anyway i rode out the race in 3rd position!!

WOW!! I couldnt belive i was in third and that i had actuially led the race for the majority of it!! 8)

so i get 17 points to add to my 9 to move me to the top of the table in area JSB and only 14 points from my goal of an international race liscence!!!

also picked up a few prizes. a new tyre, 10,000yen coupon, about 5 tshirts, other stuff assorted bike related goodies and a 5kg bag of Tsukuba rice!!! ha ha ha!!!

so it was a very difficult and stressful day, and luckily for me a few mates (other JSB mates) chipped in to help me with last minute tyre changes!! 8) 8) 8) :mrgreen: and made it possible for me to compete!!!

…..
i cant say it felt great really, i as just a little shocked to tell you the truth. there were 4 guys in this race all with recorded race times in the 58s. but it seems they dont like the rain!! at one point as my tyres were really starting to lose grip i loooked back to see if i had any clearance. and the sight i got was the nose of a CBR right on my tail, i knew then that winning was going to be tough. but i did my best to keep them at bay, riding really tight entries and trying not to leave any room up the inside of the two main overtaking spots the back straight and turn 1.

i guess im used to riding with a bike all out of sorts so going in hot with the front and rear squirming isnt too diferent to normal... maybe those guys dont like it?? anyway the guy who came 4th has my division record at tsukuba of a 58.2 and he ended up about 26 seconds behind me. i dont understand really because i know i could have gone faster but maybe not without increasing my risk of crashing, and a few times throughout i remebered last years TC crash and just reinforced the DO NO CRASH OUT mantra i was carrying. in very changable and unpredictable conditions like these i guess everyone was feeling the same, and i guess everyone has different willingness to put there bike and themselves at risk.

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