Archive for August, 2009
cromwell southisland champs
hey guys
left here on wensday night and stayed in kaikora that night.on thursday dad and i drove down to timaru and went to the track there and had a good couple hours pratice on it and stayed the night in timaru.on friday we drove the rest of the way down to cromwell we got there at about 12.30am then went to the track, it was mint as probaly one of the best tracks i’ve ever been on.It was a sand track with a concret start.when kees and myles finally turned up (after forgeting kees’s bike haha)we walked the sandy track in the scorching hot sun and set the tent frame up.when we got to our motel paid for by peter(thanks alot)the kids me,myles,kees and george went and had a nice spa.
day one:
a 6.00 start to the beautiful day then we drove up to the track just 2 minutes from the motel and set the tent up and unloaded our gear and bikes.
pratice:
33 riders in my grade i was aming to get around 20 or somethink. it was the first time i had race in the sand it was different but good, the track was real good. i qualified last though because i got kicked over a jump and went over the handle bars it hurt haha.
1st , 2nd & 3rd race:
my first race wasn’t that great i went up a table-top and got cross rutted i was flying through the air sideways, i new it was going to hurt (but it would look cool though)then i hit the sandy unforgiving ground and realy hurt my leg,luckly the finish line was only one more corner. i came a disipointing 27th.i could barely walk after that race but i still done my second race, it was hard to get my foot onto the peg but wen i started riding again it freed up.i lined up to the gates then we were off i didn’t have a bad race coming 22nd.my third race was bad again i got 24th i was disipointed bt came 26th overall for day one
day two:
another cracker day coming 22nd in my first race wich was a bit better than yesterday in my second race i had a real good battle with mitch keeping in front of him but the he passed me on the second to last lap but he fell off and i bet him coming 18th.
sumary:
it was an awsome experience racing at a big event like that although i only got 23rd overall it was still fun can’t wait till next year for it. the only downside is the sand is hard on your bike and gear owell till next time
isaac #94
Michael Godfrey
Hey Guys,
Well what can I say, what a weekend! Saturday was cold but the clear sky was reassuring to all us riders who had been following the weather forecast for the Michael Godfrey. It was great to see the green bikes dominating the pits and our tent looked especially outstanding with the Team Pygmy line up.
Racing:
Practice went without a hitch and I nailed the step down 2nd lap in. I immediately eyed up the competition and felt pretty good about my chances of getting a 3rd place trophy by the endof the weekend. The first and 2nd races were really smooth with my kxf250 handling the various terrain changes easily. After a couple of solid rides and sweet air time I had earned myself a sitting in 3rd place but a slip up in race 3 cost me my points so I dropped my3rd place points which was disappointing but I knew I could get them back with another two 3rd place finishes. Race 4 got me a 4th place and I was really happy with how smooth I rode and how in control of my bike I felt but as mother nature can be so unpredictable the clouds rolled in along with a freezing wind and I wasn’t so sure that Sundays racing would be very promising. So after a night of pelting rain and wind we returned to the track only to find the ruts had disappeared under water, snow covered the low hills and sleet fell for most of the morning and I wasn’t surprised to see half of the riders jump back into their vehicles and take off while they could! Crazily enough me and a couple of the other Team Pygmy riders decided to have complete faith in ourselves and our Kawasaki’s by attempting to ride and crazy we were! by the time my race came around the track had been chewed up beyond belief by the classes before so I didn’t dare attempt the practice to save my bike some mud and me some strength. It was absolutely freezing! I couldn’t believe it when it snowed on my class while we were on the line, I went for about 3 runs just to try and warm myself up. I didn’t complete race 5 but I was super glad that I had attempted it and overall I was pleased with my riding. Next year I’ve got unfinished business with race 5!
Sophie Palmer#199
Last Round of Marlborough Flat Tracks
Well I came into this event feeling pretty sharp as I had won all of my previous races and hadn’t even come off in a race yet! But the sight of a paddock swallowed up by a thick layer of white frost got my nerves going.
Practice for everyone was extremely messy and bikes were down at all parts of the track. I had a couple of crashes in practice but I was determined to stay postive for the races.
By the first race the track and been reduced to a skating rink with ice still covering most areas of the track. I got a wicked holeshot which of course was all thanks to my Kawasaki and started to pull away from the other riders but crashed down hard on one of the slippery sweepers. I ended up 5th in that race and had my first crash for the series so I was feeling the pressure just that little bit more.
In race 2 and 3 I got awsome starts again, taking the holeshot in both races and pulling out with a healthy lead. I got my confidence more in the slippery areas and worked on some different strategies for the track. In the 2nd race the tracks condition had not improved but I managed to stay aboard my Kawasaki to win the race. After that I was hyped up for the 3rd race which would for everyone, decide their overall placing. The final race had been changed to a 3 lap race so it meant I had to pull the lead early… and keep it! The track had dried out considerably so I was in my element and ended up having a smooth ride and a overall series win.
I had an awsome series so thanks to Peter Grinter and Team Pygmy for the support.
Sophie Palmer #199
