CARNABY 6 APRIL 2003
The start of the season is as if someone reset everything. The nerves before the fist race of the year are alot worse than normal and begin as soon as the entry application is sent.
This year it was no different;..... will I still be good enough?, will the competition be better?, how will the bike perform?....these and lots of other little questions make the first outing very intimidating.
Over the winter season, the engine was stripped, but it only needed new piston rings and for the valves to be re radiused in the cylinder head (to maximise compression and maintain the competitive edge). Once more thanks to Howard at Howard Selby Autos (North Berwick).
We took the bike down the East Fortune Raceway to run it in and check for any running problems. The suspension received a complete strip and rebuild this year, so there would be slight differences in damping etc.
Everything went very well and it seemed as if the bike was just rearing to go. In fact it felt REALLY good.
Part of this was down to Herbie taking care of the carbs over the Winter (I think he’s done something to make them work better) but he wont say what "tricks of the trade" !!!
So Neil and me drove down to Carnaby ready to race.
Neil worked absolute miracles with getting the bike prepared for the first meeting ....Thank you !
There was not a huge turnout for this race meeting, so they put the Steel Framed (older) 600cc bikes on the grid with the 400’s (this proved to be very entertaining).
In practice the FZR was just going great, I got out in front and had the track to myself, so I got into a rythm really quickly. Everything seemed to fall into place and i began really enjoying it from the very first lap.
It helped that I had a new set of tyre warmers and a nice new (reliable) generator to get the tyres up to the right running temperature.
Race 1
I was off row three behind a row of 400’s and the 4 600cc bikes in the race. My start was pretty good and I was about Fourth (overall) into the first corner. This improved to third out of the second corner and after lap three i was in second. This is in front of 3 600cc bikes ! ( the 400’s were a bit behind).
I had a really good dice with the lead 600 and was catching him all the time (despite him pulling away from me on all the straights....the 600cc machines have a 20-30bhp advantage over the 400cc ones).
By the second last lap I was pretty close and could see that I could get past, coming out of the hairpin/horseshoe complex at the start of the straight. So I lined myself up behind him at the hairpin and went for the inside line on exit....he blocked it and i had to back off and go round the outside, but he pushed me out wide and I couldn’t make up the lost metre.
But 1st place in the 400 class and 2nd overall was great.
Race 2
I got in front of the guy i was dicing with in the first race, very early, but another 600 had entered the race and despite trying as much as possible to catch up on brakes, he gradually pulled away, lap after lap.
But maybe I was concentrating too much on the 600 class....my class was already won....by me. I could hardly believe it....
Race 3
This was a 10 lap final race for the class and i popped a wheelie of the line for the first time on the 400. (its usually very planted, due to the long first gear). It was a good sign that it was pulling very strongly through the revs. I wonder how much Herbie and his secret carb work was responsible for the little extra pulling power????!!!
The race went pretty much as race 2, with my dices being with the 600cc machines rather then the 400’s.
It is good to be the underdog....you have to work harder and use tactics to pass faster bikes....but it makes it all the more exciting.
Race 4
(All the finalists from all the classes were placed in an open race (125cc machines to 1300cc superbikes)
This was also held over 15 laps(with only 1 race break from the previous 10 lap race)
Off row 3 again I got a good start and was up with alot of the faster 600’s at the first corner, where I come out in 8th after some usual first corner antics.
I had really good dice with a 125 GP bike (remember the 400’s and the 125’s are quite close in top speed). I eventually lost out to him as he could brake so much later on the vastly lighter bike.
It was great to get out with a complete selection of bikes (most of which were R6’s and R1’s). I had a great time and finished 10th out of 21. Very satisfying.
So winning all the 400cc class races, I was awarded a trophy, which is currently sitting in the middle of the livingroom and everytime I look at it I get a wee adrenaline rush and a nice warm glow.
Oh yes....and....as if I could forget over the Winter....thats why I race !
Duncan