BRM Summer Series Rd3 - Report

Just finished round 3 of the summer series yesterday and was racing Taupo track 1 for the first time (for me). I feel like I have been through 12 rounds this morning as Taupo is about 400km from Wellington, so after a day of racing, I then had to sit in the van and drive home for 5 hours Still, had a great weekend - especially first time out at Taupo and improved my laptimes by around 6 secs from fastest in practice to fastest in race

Taupo is super technical with 14 corners in just over 3km of track so you really move around the bike a lot. Also, the competition was really quick!Some very talented guys out there!

Sat Practice

Just learning the track today (and there is a lot of it to learn!) Lucky for me, I randomly share a pit garage with a guy whom my local bike shop keep saying I should meet and have a chat with. He also happens to be trying out as a CSS instructor and offers to practice some coaching on me! This was really invaluable as he shows me some lines and gives me a lot of advice which is very helpful. Best today was a 1:52, but I really wanna be sub 50s.

Qualifying

Goes to sh!t! We get a 10 minute session. I (stupidly) don't overtake on the out lap and lose 1/4 of the session just doing that lap! Then get 2 laps in before the white flag comes out and never clear track. We are sharing with open twins again, so it is fairly busy. Qualify 14th on a mixed grid with a 1:55. Not happy.

Race 1

Arrive to the grid last and barely get myself sorted before the lights start coming on! Barely find biting point as they go out and get the worst start ever. Drop back like a stone but get my head down and drop straight into the 48s On the 4th lap (of 6), 3 riders have gone down and the race is red flagged. We then break for lunch so I figure that's it due to time and after stuffing my face, it is announced over the tannoy that the race will be restarted as a 3 lap sprint!

Race 1 - restart

Much better start this time and make up a place or 2 into turn one. Drop back a spot in the next two turns, but get up to pace straightaway. I actually beat my qualifying lap by 3 secs from a standing start! Really picking up the pace now and drop into the 47s but keep on outbraking myself into turn 1. Unaware how close the guy behind me is, I take it waaaay to gingerly into turn 1 on the last lap and he stuffs it up the inside. I catch him through the complex and am on his back wheel just before the back straight, but he gets better drive and it's pretty much over - finish 6th in the end, but very happy with my time improvement.

Race 2

With 1 Practice and 2 races (albeit shortened ones) already done today, I'm starting to feel it. Still, get a good start and make up a position or two into the first corner again. It's hard to tell who I'm racing against as it is a mixed class race, but have a great dice with 250 stroker for most laps even though we aren't competing against each other. Laptimes are pretty consistently in the 48s, but more importantly I get up to pace straight away which is something I wanted to work on. Finish 6th again in the race.

Overall, I'm really pleased with this weekend - especially being at a new track and improving times a lot over the weekend. Also getting up to race pace within a corner or 2 from the start.

I really look forward to coming back next month for the final round!

Nice to read again Luke, somehow I missed this over the last couple of weeks. Long until the next race now?

Originally Posted by Tim in Belgium

Nice to read again Luke, somehow I missed this over the last couple of weeks. Long until the next race now?

Final round in 2 days time!

I'm so looking forward to this one. Back at Taupo, but on the shorter track which cuts out the corner I was losing the most time on. Coupled with a practice trackday the day before, a gearing change and some suspension tweaks, I'm hoping to really fly this weekend.

Besides, I seem to have wound up 5th in the championship and I missed the first round (of 4)! So it's all to play for this weekend

Good luck with the race.