Scottish Superbikes 28/29th September

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DarrenR
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Scottish Superbikes 28/29th September

Post by DarrenR »

Thought id do a quick write up of my last weekend of racing in the Scottish Superbike/Clubmans Championship.

Before this race weekend i had done a trackday at Knockhill to try and get my 2009 zx10r set up better as i was continually struggling on corner entry, at the point of letting the brake go it felt like the front was going to wash out and i was loosing all confidence in it. Maxton cartridges fitted to the forks and tweeks to the rear shock had done nothing to change anything, came away from the trackday scratching my head wondering how i was going to bridge the 2second a lap gap to the big boys. So....

Rather than prick about anymorw with a bike that was never a good race bike in the first place i bought a 2012 zx10r that had been on the podium in the 2nd round of the championship!

Image

Trackday booked on the friday to get used to the bike and basically spent the morning on wet`s and managed to get some half decent dry laps in the afternoon, not ideal but instantly felt comfortable on it!



Saturday and qualifying. I seem to struggle with qualifying, cant get my head right for it and find myself doddling round wondering what im going to have for tea at the hotel... Qualified 7th in the end which was good for me, and some pretty fast guys in front of me!

1st race. Passed in a blur! First race start on a bike that has anti-wheelie and traction control wasnt too good and found myself in 11th, picked off a few guys and got back to my original 7th place, and breaking the clubmans lap record with a 52.386 which is a 1/4 sec faster than my previous best.

2nd race. Better start but still passed by a couple guys, eventually picked them off and back up to 7th where i finished.

So onto Sunday...

3rd race. I was comfortably finishing 7th and wanted to better this, but yet again same old story loosing places then spending the race gaining them back, finsihed 7th.

4th race. Prety fired up for this one, with a better start i knew i could hang with the guys just in front dicing for 5th & 6th, and i managed to get off to a flyer. From memory i held my position or lost 1 place, was a lonely race until 6th place Martin Jowett and 5th place Roy Houston began to come back to me and with them coming up to a back marker on the last lap i managed to get myself close enough to pick up the peices if anything went wrong, sure enough the back marker got in the way so i launched my bike up the inside of Roy Houston (who had now been passed by Martin Jowett) and nicked 6th from him, went defensive all the way to the hairpin and eventually finished 6th which i was delighted with! New Clubman Lap Record also

5th and last race of the weekend. Buzzing from the previous race and wanting to build from it i set my sights on another 6th. Starting line Martin Jowett was creeping over his line and i knew there was a jump start heading his way afterwards, got off to a cracking start and away with the big boys, 2 laps in and Mike keith throws his bike up the inside of Torquil Patterson at the hairpin and their both out after Mike looses the front. Suddenly i find myself in 4th with Martin Jowett in front who i knew had a jump start?! Held my place over the next few laps and i could hear someone getting close at the bottom of duffus and thinking it was Craig Shirlaw i was confident no banzai manouvres were going to be pulled......

Next lap im cottage from behind at the right hander at the bottom of duffus, pretty hard and im the gravel considering jumping off the bike, managed to stay on and ride right to the chicane on the grass wondering what just happened. Back on track in 11th place and over the next 3 laps i got myself back into 8th place.

Turns out Norman Brunton cottage me from behind trying a banzai move, fairs fair tho as id probably have tried something aswell given what was on offer! Gutted i didnt get on the podium tho, wouldve been a good way to finish the season and thank everyone thats helped me this season. On the plus side, motorsTV had a camera on the back of my bike for the whole sunday so there should be some good footage of the days racing! :2up

Really encouraging weekend with the leading guys still within a stones throw of me at the end of the races, and the lap times i was consistently doing, exactly how i wanted the season to finish.

Id just like to thank a few guys from this forum who have helped me as without them the season wouldve went very different...

Martin Towler
Ian & Carolyn Spencer
Gary Wright
Shirlaws Motorbikes
Craig Shirlaw

It was also good to see a few familiar faces for the Sunday races! :2up

Roll on next season!!!! :biggrin2
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Coddy
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Re: Scottish Superbikes 28/29th September

Post by Coddy »

Im nae sure about this Cottaging you mention in race 5. :log

Anyway, was good to be helping out for the year, and good luck for next year.
As we spoke about, you are easily top 7 for next years full Scottish Superbike championship.
With Torquill supposedly not racing next year, that would make you 6th.
So target may well be a realistic 5th place, and better starts ;) .

Last round was good, with a new bike to get used to, and getting better lap times and breaking the Clubman's lap record.
Saw the incident with Norman in the last race, and knowing Norman, he was gutted to hit you.
As he said, he was just glad you never fell off. Should look nae bad if Motors TV show it though.

Also good having 2 people to watch in the same race, with Craig involved.
Well 3 actually, as my old bike is in there, bit further back though.
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haiax0
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Re: Scottish Superbikes 28/29th September

Post by haiax0 »

:2up
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Dickie
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Re: Scottish Superbikes 28/29th September

Post by Dickie »

Good loon, looking forward to seeing the footage. :2up
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Sheep24
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Re: Scottish Superbikes 28/29th September

Post by Sheep24 »

Get it up ya bobby 3rd place to me......... :deal

Na it was yours loon and you have done MEGA in your first season :lurk plenty of folk talking about you :2up

Bring on next season with the pink team bikes
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Big Little Dave
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Re: Scottish Superbikes 28/29th September

Post by Big Little Dave »

Cracking racing that weekend. And well held when the human torpedo put you off the track :2up
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DarrenR
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Re: Scottish Superbikes 28/29th September

Post by DarrenR »

Cheers for the help for the season Coddy, it's muchly appreciated and there's a little something I need to drop off at yours this weekend...

You've had a bloody good season too Craig, and considering you've not raced a superbike either you've went really well! Id rather one of us got on the podium :2up

Looking forward to the MotorsTV coverage of the weekend and I think it's on next Wednesday/Thursday around 7pm? Def worth a watching!

Cheers all.
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