Old demons...
After not doing round one due to supporting Jude at the DNT. Round 2 rolled around quickly and I had been a bit slack and not looked at my bike sense last seasons finals, yep I hadn't even cleaned it and it was friday night and Murray my cousin who I was going the event with is picky individual when comes to cleaning. (for you MTB'r along the lines of Big Gav, not sure who is worse) any way after last years success, I think I had been avoiding it as I was paranoid that some old issue's were going to come back to haunt me,
About 10 oclock friday night the bike was loaded into Murray's van the back home to pack gear, to be back at Murray's by 5 am for the trip to wiapawa were the event was to be held
The ground was very hard with a good covering of grass meaning it was going to be slippery, practise didn't go well it was slippery and felt very slow wheel spinning out of evry corner, not getting good drive etc, My back tire was showing its age,
Any way race one and I hole shot'ed it and lead for almost 2 laps but made a mistake on a section I never really sorted out all day and i was really struggling with rear grip, yes I need a new tyre, finished 2nd,
Race 2, 2nd around the first corner and at about the 1/2 lap mark 3 of us swaped the lead a couple of times with me ending up in front for the next lap till I was passed and as he went through he carved up my front wheel (don't think it was intentional but) it roiled my up a bit and pushed hard to try and get the lead back and missed a groove and ended up laying on the ground. By the time got up and restarted my bike I was back in forth where I stayed till the end.
Race 3 again 2nd around the first corner and manage to get the lead early but made a mistake in same plac as first
race which cost me a lead and ofter swapping the lead a few times I over committed my self into corner and he shut the door, i had lay the bike down or I would have slammed into him,i managed to keep the bike runing but still lost 2 places but managed to get one back, so with a 2nd, 4th and 3rd for the day I guess it wasn't to bad, considering I am the only one out of the top 5 at least who doesn't race a modern MX bike also. It is so hard to turn up 4/5 times a year and not be race fit.
the next round is not till feb next year! oh and my bike is clean already, but does need some TLC. Sorry he being Kev Hermansen
