The Final Showdown.Scratch Race: With no need to qualify for the WheelRace and no points on offer this should have been a chance to just warm up and not spend too much energy, but since I thought Fats had the series sown up I thought a win is a win and would give it a go. With a slow start Fats moved to the front with about 6 to go and upped the pace and sat a consistent pace for 5 laps with just over a lap to go I jumped with Nick Bregolin on my wheel and Aaron Frater on his junior gearing spinning like a frog in a blender to keep up with him. That's the way it finished.
D Grade Wheel Race: With the Limit marker all away around the track on 210m, I didn't think those of us up the back would have much chance. With a good start I was quickly up on to the wheel of the Bathurst rider in front of me as a group of 4 formed with Fats just of the back, so I sat back expecting him to come through, hoping that we'd pick up Anthony New and with the 3 of us working together have a chance of chasing down the limit rider. A lap on the back of these 3 and Fats still hadn't caught up & Anthony New was moving away from the next two so I rode around on to his wheel, settling in, then going around him just before we caught the next group. With two laps to go I'm clear but struggling, just managing to hold out the fast finishing Anthony New. 5 points to me & none to Fats, the difference was now down to 7 points, suddenly it's looking like I could take the series.
Sprints 3 Lap: With a 3 laps sprint rather than a 1 lap screamer I'd lost my advantage over Fats for this one. Fats lead out a very slow first lap with no one wanting to take the initiative. I probably should have attacked Fats sooner, he got the win, with me second and a fast finishing Asquith in 3rd. With that done the series was decided. Good win to Fats.
Mystery Lapper: Secretly I like this race, but don't tell Crafty. For the uninitiated this is a scratch race of unknown length, the lenght being determined by the drawing of a card from a deck so it could be anywhere from 11 to 23 laps but you don't know till you hear the sweet sound of the last lap bell. With the series decided, it was time to play a bit, so I just sat on the back on a very slow bunch, finally moving to the front with 8 laps down. Still on the front when lap 10 came and ... no bell. I kept sitting on the front, lifting the pace in the final turn each lap to try to make any attacks a hard. 11 laps, 12, 13, 14, Bell! on lap 15, Somewhere behind there was a crash but luckily only one went down and he walked away. Into the back straight & I was paying for my efforts as riders came around me. Oh well.
Motorpace: OK, this one is one of my favourites, no tactics, no thinking, just hold on tight! With David Wilmott providing the "Motor" Crafty gave him something to ride for with a dollar for every rider he dropped, provided he didn't drop them all (in which case David would have to pay Crafty). Started off very restfully for the first two laps, Crafty's money was looking very safe. Then the pace accelerated, the Bathurst rider who had the wheel of the "motor" had had enough and pulled out, leaving me with a short chase to get back on. Behind they're dropping off but I've got no idea who is there and can only vaguely hear Crafty's commentary. Coming around on the "Motor's" last lap and a quick glance a the speedo is showing speeds it's never seen before - normally I don't even ride down hills so fast! I know everyone else has been dropped but struggle to tell how far back they are (5m or 50m? I had no idea) Still with 3 laps to go, I'm still sitting on 50km/hr but the legs are really struggling now. 1 lap to go and I've slowed considerably and two Bankstown Sports riders of Asquith and New are now coming fast. Results say I held on for 2nd ouch ouch ouch.
Thanks Fats for some great racing, before the start I didn't think I'd be so close and thought I'd have to rely on you not managing to back up day after day! Thanks also to all the other riders out there.
Thanks to Crafty, the clubs, commissaires, volunteers & Sponsors, especially
Verofit (if you haven't yet, try the iced tea flavour) &
YBN Chains (last time I won a chain I build up a track bike around it
)
That's probably it for track racing for a while, it's back to single track for me until RAW starts up. Good luck to those racing the Opens, State & National Titles
