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11-09-2007, 10:43am
East coast Nationals race report.
My first experience in the most exciting motorcycle drag racing class, Top Bike!
Well, I hadn't slept much in the week leading up to the event, with 12 entries signed up and only 8 positions available, qualifying was going to be tough. The bike had gone through an almost complete tear down and re-assembly in the weeks leading up to the event, new tyre, belts, clutch and various consumables also replaced in anticipation for the big day.
In reality I had 2 goals that I was trying to achieve, one was to qualify and the next was a 6sec pass, I actually thought that the two would go hand in hand. With the level of racers entered, a 6 was needed to qualify!
Qualifying against Athol Williams started off quite poorly with a very early shutoff due to a center line headed run at 10.8 sec.
2nd Qualifier again against Athol was better, still only managing 7.8sec. This placed me in 5th position. The only problem was there were a lot of faster riders beneath me with one qualifier to go , the pace was about to heat up!
3rd Qualifier had me paired up with Phil Parker, Phil had Qualified 3rd at that stage and wanted to run as the last pair. By the time we lined up I was in 8th position and Phil was in 6th, Phil opted not to run and I had a solo, which I promptly stuffed up with an 8.2 pass!
Anyway, after qualifying one thing we did learn was with 60â€s in the 1.08 area and .089 reaction times, they would be the things I would use to my advantage the next day in eliminations.
1st eliminations had me paired up with top qualifier Athol Williams at 6.6, Athol just kept getting quicker and quicker through qualifying so I knew this would be very challenging. Athol picking the Left lane and this put me into the “Head for the center line†lane in the case of my riding experience.
We took up our positions on the start line after a couple of smoky burnouts, I put the bike into low gear then crept forward into the pre-stage beam, took a couple of deep breaths, this is it I thought, only one chance, put my visor down, flicked the data logger on and crept into stage, eyeâ€s fixed straight ahead with the tree in my peripheral vision, Yellow flash, BAMM goes the throttle, weâ€re off to a really good start 0.143 with a 1.07 60â€, canâ€t see Athol yet, 330 flashes by in 2.7sec, but weâ€re headed for the center line “Damm†(actual words said would be unprintable, you get the idea) Shut off try to correct and stay off the line and try to peddle the throttle all at the same time as still no Athol! By this time were closing in on the 1000†mark.
Then I heard it, the sound I wonâ€t forget in a hurry, Imagine the sound of a jet going passed that was the sound of the induction roar of Atholâ€s bike as he whooshed passed at 200+ mph only inches away, (more unprintable words came out), then all of a sudden bits of timing block filled the sky as Athol smashed through crossing into my lane. I relaxed my grip on the bike and allowed it to merge into Atholâ€s lane.
What a rush, as you can imagine! Athol informed me that I had won but I didnâ€t believe it until it was officially decided. Then reality hit, I am in the semi-finals to meet up with Brett Stevens in my first Top bike event!
The team was pumped and the bike got turned around in record time, all checks done and with a quick fire up in the pits for the fans and crew, we were ready.
Nerves of the previous days runs had now subsided somewhat and anticipation had grown.
It was time to meet “the Bossâ€.
We were given the left lane…excellent!
We fired first and preformed a short quick burn out, Brett was ready to stage once I was pushed back, Low gear, into Pre stage, anticipation was high as I knew Brett and crew would have been “keeping an eye†on the “oppositionâ€. Visor down, logger on, full stage, yellow flash, weâ€re both out of the hole and headed down the track, fast! All the candles lit, a couple of seconds, shift into top gear keeping Brett at bay, then just as the 660†comes up the bike starts to wobble around a bit, it gets worse, I ease off the throttle still no good, I shut off …Brett sails past and gets the win with a 6.6.
I find out I ran 6.9 as my crew Steve, picks me up for the tow back, Iâ€m more than happy with that result, my first 6sec pass. Thereâ€s more good news to come, the 660†et was 4.1sec which equalâ€s a possible 6.3 to 6.4sec pass !!!
On checking the data logger it is discovered the bike had overpowered the track and wheel spin was causing the wobbling, and I had indeed held the throttle wide open to that point!!!
The happiest loser! I finished equal 3rd in my first national meet in Top Bike!
I learnt a lot that weekend, racing at this level is very serious stuff, the competition is out there to win, they donâ€t give up, even if you are in front, they know youâ€re riding, strengthâ€s and weaknesses.
I think Iâ€ll like it here !!!!
I would truly like to thank my crew, Steve & Ben Dunn, Steve Tobin, and Wayne Smith. Also all the friends and well wishers that believed in me and came to watch my debut.
A big thanks must also go to ANDRA and WSID and staff for a wonderful event and for all the help I received leading up to this event.
Oleon has helped me along the way by suppling an Australian oil that keeps the high demands of a nitro engine running like clockwork. Thankyou!
Most thanks go to my wife Deanne who without her support none of this would have happened.
Leonard Azzopardi.
Azzopardi Racing
Here is a couple of vids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyHJiAQ0XbE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzasZ0u7NU
Hope you enjoy.
We did.
Cheers Dee
My first experience in the most exciting motorcycle drag racing class, Top Bike!
Well, I hadn't slept much in the week leading up to the event, with 12 entries signed up and only 8 positions available, qualifying was going to be tough. The bike had gone through an almost complete tear down and re-assembly in the weeks leading up to the event, new tyre, belts, clutch and various consumables also replaced in anticipation for the big day.
In reality I had 2 goals that I was trying to achieve, one was to qualify and the next was a 6sec pass, I actually thought that the two would go hand in hand. With the level of racers entered, a 6 was needed to qualify!
Qualifying against Athol Williams started off quite poorly with a very early shutoff due to a center line headed run at 10.8 sec.
2nd Qualifier again against Athol was better, still only managing 7.8sec. This placed me in 5th position. The only problem was there were a lot of faster riders beneath me with one qualifier to go , the pace was about to heat up!
3rd Qualifier had me paired up with Phil Parker, Phil had Qualified 3rd at that stage and wanted to run as the last pair. By the time we lined up I was in 8th position and Phil was in 6th, Phil opted not to run and I had a solo, which I promptly stuffed up with an 8.2 pass!
Anyway, after qualifying one thing we did learn was with 60â€s in the 1.08 area and .089 reaction times, they would be the things I would use to my advantage the next day in eliminations.
1st eliminations had me paired up with top qualifier Athol Williams at 6.6, Athol just kept getting quicker and quicker through qualifying so I knew this would be very challenging. Athol picking the Left lane and this put me into the “Head for the center line†lane in the case of my riding experience.
We took up our positions on the start line after a couple of smoky burnouts, I put the bike into low gear then crept forward into the pre-stage beam, took a couple of deep breaths, this is it I thought, only one chance, put my visor down, flicked the data logger on and crept into stage, eyeâ€s fixed straight ahead with the tree in my peripheral vision, Yellow flash, BAMM goes the throttle, weâ€re off to a really good start 0.143 with a 1.07 60â€, canâ€t see Athol yet, 330 flashes by in 2.7sec, but weâ€re headed for the center line “Damm†(actual words said would be unprintable, you get the idea) Shut off try to correct and stay off the line and try to peddle the throttle all at the same time as still no Athol! By this time were closing in on the 1000†mark.
Then I heard it, the sound I wonâ€t forget in a hurry, Imagine the sound of a jet going passed that was the sound of the induction roar of Atholâ€s bike as he whooshed passed at 200+ mph only inches away, (more unprintable words came out), then all of a sudden bits of timing block filled the sky as Athol smashed through crossing into my lane. I relaxed my grip on the bike and allowed it to merge into Atholâ€s lane.
What a rush, as you can imagine! Athol informed me that I had won but I didnâ€t believe it until it was officially decided. Then reality hit, I am in the semi-finals to meet up with Brett Stevens in my first Top bike event!
The team was pumped and the bike got turned around in record time, all checks done and with a quick fire up in the pits for the fans and crew, we were ready.
Nerves of the previous days runs had now subsided somewhat and anticipation had grown.
It was time to meet “the Bossâ€.
We were given the left lane…excellent!
We fired first and preformed a short quick burn out, Brett was ready to stage once I was pushed back, Low gear, into Pre stage, anticipation was high as I knew Brett and crew would have been “keeping an eye†on the “oppositionâ€. Visor down, logger on, full stage, yellow flash, weâ€re both out of the hole and headed down the track, fast! All the candles lit, a couple of seconds, shift into top gear keeping Brett at bay, then just as the 660†comes up the bike starts to wobble around a bit, it gets worse, I ease off the throttle still no good, I shut off …Brett sails past and gets the win with a 6.6.
I find out I ran 6.9 as my crew Steve, picks me up for the tow back, Iâ€m more than happy with that result, my first 6sec pass. Thereâ€s more good news to come, the 660†et was 4.1sec which equalâ€s a possible 6.3 to 6.4sec pass !!!
On checking the data logger it is discovered the bike had overpowered the track and wheel spin was causing the wobbling, and I had indeed held the throttle wide open to that point!!!
The happiest loser! I finished equal 3rd in my first national meet in Top Bike!
I learnt a lot that weekend, racing at this level is very serious stuff, the competition is out there to win, they donâ€t give up, even if you are in front, they know youâ€re riding, strengthâ€s and weaknesses.
I think Iâ€ll like it here !!!!
I would truly like to thank my crew, Steve & Ben Dunn, Steve Tobin, and Wayne Smith. Also all the friends and well wishers that believed in me and came to watch my debut.
A big thanks must also go to ANDRA and WSID and staff for a wonderful event and for all the help I received leading up to this event.
Oleon has helped me along the way by suppling an Australian oil that keeps the high demands of a nitro engine running like clockwork. Thankyou!
Most thanks go to my wife Deanne who without her support none of this would have happened.
Leonard Azzopardi.
Azzopardi Racing
Here is a couple of vids.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyHJiAQ0XbE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pzasZ0u7NU
Hope you enjoy.
We did.
Cheers Dee
Give em hell and congratulations to you and your team. I suppose your next sydney outing is boxing day, but i hope you keep us updated on your progress.
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