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| Goose leads Andrew Lear (Ducati 198) in race one! |
Qualifying: in Q1 I did 8 laps without getting a clean run at all. Second qualifier was wet so me an Mike used it to test another crank position sensor to fix the top end misfire. No luck with that… but I did get pole!
Result: Pole position with a 1:19.215
Race 1 BEARs Nationals, 6 laps
It feels very odd to start a race bike from 3000rpm, but it works a treat and I get away well from pole. The only guy faster was local Andrew Lear (Ducati 1098), Andrew beat me into turn one. David Clarke tried to get his 675 Triumph up the inside into turn one, so I politely closed the door on him. Getting a great drive out of turn one, I pass Andrew under brakes into the pine tree. From here I pull a 50 meter lead and despite making numerous mistakes at various places hold this to the line. My fastest lap comes on lap five before I hit back markers. This allowed Andrew to close the gap at the line a little. The Beta EVO draws first blood, and bad news guys I think it likes the taste!
Result: First F3, First outright! Fastest lap 1:18.563, best rolling lap, 1:18.261, Ultimate lap: 1:17.344
Race 2 BEARs Nationals, 6 laps
Another good launch, with the same result. I come out of turn one behind Andrew, he's a bit more cautious into the pine tree this time, taking tighter line. I throw the Beta EVO down the inside anyway! I pass Andrew with the back wheel hopping about and execute an ugly but effective block pass. This time I don't muck about. Staying smooth and focusing on braking markers into the slower corners. This lets me free up the drive on the exits to maximum effect. I see 1:18.5, 18.3, and an 18.1 on lap five. Excellent that's a new lap record for the Beta EVO. My margin at the line is six seconds. Another great race. Much more consistent, the 1:17's beckon.
Result: First F3, First outright! Fastest lap 1:18.192, best rolling lap, 1:18.092, Ultimate lap: 1:17.065
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| Leaving the rest to scrap it out in race 2. |
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| The Beta EVO takes the checkered flag! Twice even! |
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| Race 3, Goose leads Dave Clark, Paul Coleman and Derek Morton |
Race 3 National BEARS 6 laps
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| What happens when two bikes can not go into one! |
Start 1 - I got a good launch but the others got away well to, Marc Belestro (F1 - Ducati 1198) lead us down into turn one. I saw many riders either side of me but no one got between me and Marc. In my left peripheral vision I saw a red bike all out of shape on the way into turn one, to the inside of me. As I tipped in I had a bad feeling I was about to be collected. Bang! A bike smacks into the left rear side of the Beta EVO. I am pushed well wide nearly into dirt. Paul Coleman (F1 - BMW S1000RR), Derek Morton (F3 Ducati 851) come by as I get the bike turned up to the kink before pine tree. Desperate not to let anyone else through I get the gas on and try to feel any vibration from damage to my bike. As we hit the top corner red flags are waving and I look back across at turn one to see recovery trucks and Ambulances abound! The collision has broken the right rear fairing on the Beta EVO, and damaged the rear exhaust mount. Me and Mike quickly repair this before the restart.
Start 2 - A full rerun of the race see's me get a good start with only Dave Clark to beat to turn one. Poor Marc Belestro's bike had quit on the warm up lap with a fuel leak. I tail Dave for five laps while waving at his camera, mounted backward on his Triumph duck tail. On laps two, three, and four I show him the front wheel at the water tower. Lap five I push my way past him at that point and set out to do my best lap of the race, a 1:19.090.
The bike is still not running right, we are trying some different spark plugs today, colder ones, and this seems to have improved the top end. However it only lasts a few laps before it deteriorates to misfiring badly. Checking the plug colour we find they are still showing a lean condition. We add 5% fuel to the problem zone for the next race.
Result: First F3, First outright! Fastest lap 1:19.090, Ultimate lap: 1:17.600
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| Goose and Clarkie shake hands after race 3 |
Race 4 National BEARS 6 laps
Dave Clark gets another ripper start. I get my best of the whole weekend and the Beta EVO is right on Dave's tail out of turn one. I shadow him down to Pinetree, and knowing he is not that good out of here, I slow my entry to get a good drive up to the top corner. This works a treat with Dave moving to right and I go left to overtake him into the fast left kink before the top corner. From here I slowly pull away with Mike giving me signals that I have pulled an extended lead over my pursers. At the line 2nd placed Paul Coleman (F1 - BMW S1000RR) is a little under eight seconds back.
The increased fuel supply to the top end has not cured the misfire, however it is leading to an better plug colour at long last. With the easter cup race to come we add an other 5 percent in across the rev range looking for a darker plug.
Result: First F3, First outright! Fastest lap 1:18.470, best rolling lap 1:18.193, ultimate lap 1:17.375
Easter Cup, 12 laps
Damn 12 laps is a long time on this track. I get away well, and find myself dicing with Trevor Fitzgerald on a Kawazaki Zx6R. He is fast and I latch on the back of him all the while I am getting a one signal from Mike indicating some one is on my arse. Into pine tree on lap two Darren Willis (Suzuki GSXR) dives down the inside of me. I let him through and we carry on like this for another five laps. On lap seven Darren out breaks himself at turn one, I slip past. However Mike was showing me a one again, meaning someone has closed the gap behind me. Down the back straight I have a CBR1000 with Travis Gilmore about come past me on breaks. I am thinking he can have it. I am stuffed! I cruise to the line without further incident.
The result sheet says that I am eleventh place. However this is great news on as I have just beaten my personnel best lap by nearly half a second with a 1:17.735. In the process I have done four laps in 1:17's.
Mike checks the plug colour, we are slowly getting there with some darkness. My lap timer has failed again! I am just about over this for one weekend.
Result: 11th outright, Fastest lap 1:17.735, Best rolling lap 1:17.308, Ultimate lap 1:16.463
Wrap up
All said and done a great weekends racing. Four starts, four wins, and new lap record. Shame about the damage to the bike, but shit happens. We seem to have made some head way on the engine misfire, with the colder plugs working better for at least a while. More work to do there.
Thanks to Mike King from Beta Engineering for all you help and wisdom. My lovely lady Lin and her friend Julie for the photos, and it was great to meet Julie's mum, and nephew Domenic.
I'd like to dedicate the Beta EVO's wins this weekend to my old mate, Leon Joubert who was killed by an errant driver last weekend. RIP Leon, Ride In Peace!
Cheers for now.
Goose
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