Round 2 National BEARS Mac Park, SA

 Friday 2 April
Practice went well, and I got a full day on the bike to experiment. The only issue on the day was the inability to record speed, as my dataloggers speedo sensor failed. Still I got down to a flat 1:20. Which was just over a second off my best time here on the db1 in 2001.

Goose readies himself for action

Saturday 2 April
Today proved a lot of fun. I qualified the Beta EVO on the second row and second in F3 behind Dean by four tenths of a second. Race one had Dean do a bolter while I could not beat Glen into turn one, and the power of the 748 could hold me off from attacking in the tight stuff. Damn I was loosing seventy meters down the back straight to the more powerful F3 bikes (all of them four valve engines of course).  Race two was a repeat of the first race, Deano taking off and me unable to attack Glen through a pack of F2 bikes. My best lap time for the day was a 1:19.1, and I know I could go faster once clear of the bikes ahead of me.

Race 1: Fastest lap: 1:20.060
Race 2: Fastest lap: 1:19.757

Race 1 start

Tim West F2 leads Dean and Goose in Race1

Sunday 4 April
Today I threw some soft springs in the front end of the bike, seeking some more turn in at this tight, tight track. Race three saw me all over Glen, as we tussled early for second place behind Deano. This all changed on lap four at the old turn one as Deano got in their to hot and lost the front end, sliding uninjured into the dirt. I could not find a way past Glen for first, but came in stating I would have him in race four come what may.


Race 3: Fastest lap: 1:20.060

Race 3, Dean flogs Goose and Glen

 So, what do they say of best laid plans? It all came undone on the line for me so I thought, the bike slipped the clutch and I was left standing to watch most of the field dissapear into turn one. Lucky for me I ride better when I am pissed off. I quickly got the best of a bunch of F5 guys, staying just ahead of Deano who had to start rear of pack. My dashboard showed I was doing my best times of the weekend, 1:18's, as I mowed down the field. With two laps to run, I'd caught Glen running second in F3 and passed him with ease out of the pine tree? Problem or not I didn't care. Ahead of me in F3 was Mike Coates (Moto Guzzi MGS01), unfortunately for him my dander was still up. Mikes bike is so quick in a straight line, but no match for the DB-EVo as I closed down two hundred meters of gap in two corners to slide under him at the water tower. With an unobstructed final lap I set the fastest F3 time of the weekend (1:18.4)), and bar a missed shift out of the pine tree would have had the lap record on the way to winning F3 for the weekend!

Race 4, Goose passes Mike Coates

Race 4: Fastest lap: 1:18.636

The final race victory put me top F3 scorer, on 81 points equell with Glen. No points back on him, but moving myself into a clear second ahead of Deano for the title. My best lap time being 1.3 seconds better than my pervious PB in 2001.

Goose bores the crap out of everyone

Points after round 2
1. Glen Bauder 171
2. Phill Gray 147
3. Mike Coates 139
4. Peter Smith 136
5. Dean Holmes 135

F3 Podium, Glen, Goose, Coates