National Superstock 600 - Tim Hastings Brands Indy

Give us your views on the world of Superbikes
Post Reply
User avatar
Auld Twister
Tube steak
Posts: 83
Joined: Tue Jan 13, 2009 4:23 pm
Location: Falkirk
Contact:

National Superstock 600 - Tim Hastings Brands Indy

Post by Auld Twister »

Well, it was an eventful weekend to say the least.....

Friday went sort of ok, with Tim in 7th in FP1 but being troubled with the bike backing in too much as well as "snapping" sideways? A good look at the clutch revealed nothing obviously untoward so we turned our attention to the rear suspension and decided to soften things up a little.
Into Q1 on Saturday and the weather was acting up, cold and wet....by the time our session came about the rain had stopped and there was a drying line, about 10 inches wide. Tim decided on dry tyres but was told to be careful, check the changes we had made and wait until the last 10 minutes before pushing for a time as by then, (if the rain held off), the dry line would have widened.
Tim went to P1 with his first flying lap and continued to improve on his pole time with each subsequent lap, (some 2 seconds quicker than anyone else), until he pushed his luck a little too far on lap 8 when he ran slghtly wide at Graham Hill bend and highsided on cold / damp track...end of session and a trip to the medical centre, along with some repair work to the ZX6R.
Sunday was much of the same as far as the weather was concerned although we had a drying track for our Q2 and a battered and bruised Twister put the ZX6R on the 2nd row, equaling his best ever time at the Indy circuit, (as near as makes no difference), at 0.203 off the pole time. The ZX6R was still entering corners sideways - and Tim could hardly get off his bike post session, so a trip to the physio for Tim and a trip to K-tech for the rear shock was the order of the day, both visits paying dividends.

Monday saw the weather worsten and it was full wets for the Twister's "warm-up" session, which was anything but warm!!
Tim completed the warm-up in P11, I think? complaining of no grip whatsoever which was backed up by the van load of broken bikes being returned to the scrutineer's shed...oh dear..

Our race was just two hours away and Tim was told that his target was to complete the 22 laps and stay up-right! Tim then said he might as well not go out if that was the goal and readjusted his target to finishing in the points...(deep breaths)
A good start from Tim, marred by the expected carnage, resulted in lap one being completed in P12....phew..
Tim increased his pace as the laps passed and moved into P10 which is where he stayed until the red flag stoppage on lap 16, (huge sigh of relief), points and Tim + bike in one piece...Tim's ideal lap of a 57.7 was equal to the guys in front so it's all good and we move onto Thruxton next week.....I subsequently learned that the carnage continued throughout all the classes until the event was eventually cancelled....Something about Brands, in the wet, since it was re-surfaced...no grip and probably one of the slippiest circuits in the UK....
Post Reply