2016 July - Dec MX
Please scroll down to find all entries for July - December 2016
17 December, Central HB Xmas MX, Junior 125/250.
Vinny had not been on the bike for a few weeks. Gave me time to sort out the motor issues and now the bike runs as good as ever. So we went to this years final CHB MX knowing that the bike was good but not knowing how Vinny would cope.
The sign-in was at a pleasant 1pm. We got going just after 12noon but then got lost on the backroads of Waipukurau and turned up after the practice was done.
In Race 1 Vinny settled in to the back of the small 4 rider field to get a feel for the track that was on a large grass paddock. He also finished in 4'th.
For Race 2 the ride was to go backwards on the track. Joe got the best start but forgot re the new direction, so while the others turned he did not. This put Vinny in the lead. At end of lap 1 Jacob passed Vinny just before finish line. But Vinny was not ready to give up and came back only to get tangled in Jacobs bike. While they tried to sort that out Daniel passed both. Jacob managed to catch and pass Daniel and win, Vinny came 3'rd.
Then it was time for the pairs racing where two riders used one bike. Joe and Daniel rode as one pair, but the earlier tangle meant that Vinny and Jacob did not... So Vinny rode alone and managed to win the race (he was held back in the beginning as he had an advantage in the pits, but managed to catch up and pass the rest on the track and not in the pits).
Race 4 was also a pairs race, this time a 125/250 paired up with a 85cc. Vinny and Jed were initially in 2'nd but soon passed for the win.
A cool day of riding and a fine way to end the season for us.
(Sorry re vid. Forgot the memory card at home for the camera so had to use Vinny's RePlay helmet cam)
Central Hawke's Bay MCC Club Day
20 November 2016
After a few weeks of no racing this was a good day to get back on the bike. We had done repairs to the KTM 125 and were keen to do some minor adjustments to get her to run as she did a few months ago before all went wrong.
The day was a fraction windy but warm and sunny. The club had laid out a short-ish track over natural terrain that everyone seemed to enjoy.
For Race 1 five riders lined up. Jacob was back on his 125 (after been riding 250cc 4 stroke for the last months) and told me that he has more fun on this 2'stroke! (But that was no news to us). He took the lead straight away and nobody else got close to Jacob the whole day. Vinny was in 3'rd behind a good rider on a Kawa 85cc (Who only did ride this ride). But on the second lap he passed and kept second to the end even if Ollie initially was on his heels. Sam on his newly acquired Honda 125 placed 5'th.
For Race 2 George had got his front brake working on his Yamaha and also lined up. With George and Sam being from Vinny's school (Havelock Nth HS) Vinny wanted to ride with his mates. But after a few laps he found the going too pedestrian and started the chase to catch Ollie. It was too late and a 3'rd was the outcome for Vinny.
We made some minor changes to the bike for Race 3 hoping that this would improve the performance. Sadly it turned out that we had gone the wrong way. Vinny was struggling to keep the motor going on low revs. When the muffler came loose he lost the back-pressure and had to settle for another 3'rd.
Not a perfect day for us. But a relaxed one and we are on the right way! And it was cool to have Vinny's school mates there racing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBq0Kfv89ds&t=4s
HB Champs Round 3 (final round).
16 October 2016
The w/e before in Round 2 Vinny placed 2'nd in the last race. But the motor was very sick. So I stripped the motor and did some major repairs. With a lack of new parts we did as well as we could the night before the racing. Sadly the day turned to the worst one for us in 8 years of MX racing. (Not counting the days when Vinny had got injured as they were obviously worse!)
Without a working kick start Vinny had to line up after the previous race's white flag, by roll starting the bike down a hill. We had not had time to test the bike and soon realised that this was not a good approach. Vinny came out at half speed from the start and settled in to the back of the group. He raced OK but not to his normal standard and finished in 9'th out of the 17 riders.
Back in the pits he told me that he could not use more than 1/2 throttle, that the bike vibrated and there was a major noise in the motor. I re-jetted the motor, found that in the haste (and working through the night) I had forgotten two of the four motor bolts behind, and realised that the damage from last w/e was more than I had noticed with a tooth on the clutch basket gear damaged. With limited tools I tried as well as possible to fix the issue and managed to limit the noise a little. But things did not look good. I had also looked everywhere for some bolts I could use but failed.
We missed the start of Race 2 and Vinny went out to just circulate. He placed 16'th.
For Race 3 we agreed that Vinny would take it easy and just finish the race. Any chances of a good placing in the champs was gone, so it did not really matter. Again Vinny placed 16'th.
This dropped Vinny from 5'th to 7'th in the Champs. Clearly not what we wanted, but just one of those things. In 65 and 85cc racing we always had 2 bikes and that saved the day a few times. Now in 125 I have not had the funds sadly. Let's see what the future brings.
On the day Jacob was unstoppable and won all 3 races. Louis placed 2'nd, 2'nd and 3'rd, Luke had two 3'rds and George a 2'nd. Louis won the champs with consistently placing in top three and getting 173 points, Jacob with one DNF came 2'nd with 165 points and Oliver 3'rd with 136 points.
Final points: http://www.mxvinny.com/2016-hb-champs-junior-125-250cc
Thanks to all our sponsors, who most of them have been with us for years. Our aim is to do much better than this time in the future!!
MOTOZ Dirt Tyres http://www.motoz.co.nz/
MOTOMUCK Cleaners http://www.motomuck.co.nz/
JT Racing http://www.trusport.co.nz/
Broxy Rider Coaching http://www.broxy.co.nz/
Patterson O'Connor Motorcycles http://www.pattersonoconnor.co.nz/
MOTOZONE http://motozone.nz/
454 Unlimited.https://454.co.nz/
Sandra.
Watch the racing here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPe5oQVvepw&feature=youtu.be
Hawke's Bay Champs Round 2 Junior 125/250cc
9 October 2016
After a couple of weeks since riding last, Vinny was keen to race. The track was laid out on hilly grass paddocks by the HBMCC. 22 riders lined up for the Junior 125cc 2 stroke/250cc 4 stroke class on a day that promised rain but luckily only delivered some drizzle in Race 2.
In Race 1 Ollie flew out and easily took the holeshot. Vinny was 8'th. But a crash by Jacob, that also brought down two other riders, changed all that and Vinny was suddenly in 2'nd. He was soon caught and passed by Joe and Louis, but then Joe dropped the bike in the big uphill and Vinny found himself in 3'rd where he finished. Louis caught and passed Ollie, and Vinny also started to catch Ollie but did run out of laps.
The Race 2 start was very similar with Ollie again claiming the holeshot and Vinny in 8'th. Jacob was on a mission and soon passed Ollie for first. Vinny had by that stage climbed up to 6'th but a mistake at end of the lap saw him drop to 11'th. He worked hard for the rest of the race and managed to climb up to 5'th by passing Joe (who also had a quick tumble earlier in the race) with an inside move a few corners before the end. Jacob easily won the race with Louis 2'nd and Luke on his 2007 Honda 125cc in 3'rd. Ollie finished in 4'th. Vinnys bike had by now started to blow puffs of blue smoke and we were crossing our fingers hoping the bike would not die before end of the meeting...
This almost happened just a couple of minutes before start of Race 3. We quickly took the bike back to the pits and with a new plug + some 'White Mans Magic' Vinny was back on the start line just in time. But he had lost his starting position and had his worst start of the day with a 12'th at the holeshot. At end of lap 1 Vinny was in 5'th and by start of Lap 3 he was in 2'nd after having spent the two laps passing all and anyone he could find. The KTM was now sending serious smoke signals of distress and the compression was dropping... Vinny had plans of trying to catch Jacob, but some crunching noises in the motor killed those ideas and instead he focused on keeping the bike running to a well deserved 2'nd placing.
After two rounds (of three) the top ten are:
1. T Louis Twigg 109
2. 43 Jacob Beal 90
3. 722 Oliver Mackie 89
4. 684 Joe Thelwall 79
5. 333 Vincent Andersson 76
6. 75 Hunter Donghi 64
7. 243 Luke Redmond 62
8. 3 William Duff 57
9. 9 Lewis Wilson 57
10. 21 George Kerr 52
Now we just have to try and get the bike healthy for the coming weekend!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6MU6Ol_FmY&feature=youtu.be
Hawke's Bay Champs Round 1,
18 Sept 2016, Junior 125/250cc
On an, initially..., nice and warm day 28 riders lined up for the Junior 125cc 2str/250cc 4st class. The track was laid out over rolling grass paddocks outside Waipukurau. This is a three round Champs that is run together by the two HB clubs (Central HB MCC and HB MCC) meaning that there will be riders to compete against that are not so familiar.
Vinny complained about the motor bogging down in practice, so I fitted a bigger main jet hoping it would solve the issue.
In Race 1 Vinny had an average start and was in 9'th at the holeshot corner. The bike was still not working to 100% but the riding experience he has gathered is starting to show as he pulled of some nice passing moves and climbed up to 4'th. Hadleigh won the race.
For Race 2 we had done more work on the bike and managed to solve the 'bogging' issue. A slightly better start and Vinny was in 7'th. Then very similar riding as in Race 1 and with three laps to go Vinny found him self in 4'th and thinking that there might be a chance to catch up to the leaders... That was before the heaven opened and we got gale force wind, lightning, torrential rain and hail. The track became very slippery and it was tricky to see ahead. It all became a little of a lottery. After dropping the bike and falling down to 8'th Vinny climbed back to 5'th before he had a bad crash a few corners before the chequered flag. Vinny had pain in his right wrist and did not finish the race. Jacob and Hadleigh were fighting for the win, but I chickened out in the hail and rain and did not see who won the race. I slipped and slided and found my way back to the van feeling like I had fallen in to a river with my clothes on.
We packed up and took the trip to the HB hospital where we, after 4 hours, got the good news that nothing was broken, only a sprained wrist was the outcome. A few days of taking it easy and some painkillers and Vinny should be back on the bike!
The third race was cancelled as the water got too deep in places on the track.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtlwpGuD6qQ&feature=youtu.be
Wairoa Round 4
28 August 2016
We considered Taupo, but with having missed most of the series we decided that a fun day in Wairoa would be more what we were looking for.
Shorty and his crew had done a good job on the track, it was sunny, warm and no wind. A perfect day for MX!
Vinny was entered in Senior B. At 14 he was one of the youngest ones. But the boys he normally ride against were also in same class making it the right choice.
In Race 1 Vinnys start was not the best, but he soon settled in to 3'rd and kept that spot till the end. Thomas, on his 85cc Kawa, won the race, but as he also raced in Senior A he would not get points here. Keegan placed 2'nd. Vinny had been struggling in the corners and it became obvious that the clutch was slipping. (As Vinny rides the clutch hard this was not a surprise, but it happened much earlier than expected).
Before Race 2 we swapped all clutch plates with an old clutch setup we carry as spare. Last time when used this one worked well. Initially it looked like we had solved the issue. Thomas was now on a 125cc Yamaha as his Kawa had developed strange motor noises. As a result he was even faster and easily won the race (but as in Race 1 would not be counted in the results). Troy came second and had to protect that placing against Vinny who, until Lap 6, was on his back wheel (and at times by Troys side). But then even these clutch plates gave up and Vinny finished in 5'th.
For Race 3 I 'locked' the clutch plates on Vinny's bike. This would mean he had no clutch but could ride. At the start he needed a push before he could put the bike in gear. He then spent most of the race in 3'rd gear doing jumps and some wheelies. Again Thomas won with Keegan 2'nd and Keith 3'rd. Vinny came 8'th a lap down.
Apart from the clutch problems we had an awsum day and will be back for next round with the clutch sorted!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_nlGZBwkQ0&feature=youtu.be
Central Hawke's Bay MCC Club Day
21 August 2016
We never really have the chance to race the CHB MCC events, always racing a series somewhere. But the way this year has gone we were able turn up this time!
The track was on farm land and there were two gates to race through. At briefing we were told NOT to pass when going through the gates for safety reasons! (And to stay inside the track markers!)
Two of Vinny's school mates from Havelock Nth High School were also racing in the Junior 125/250cc class: Joe and Sam. 19 riders lined up with only a couple, including Vinny, on 2'stroke 125cc's. The rest racing 4 stroke 250cc bikes.
In Race 1 Vinny had an OK start and was 4'th at the holeshot. He quickly passed for 3'rd to sit behind Joe. At end of the first lap Vinny was in 2'nd after #9 on a Suzuki (sorry, have no idea re his name!) but soon after he was relegated back to 3'rd by Jacob who was on fire! Joe found the going tough and crashed a few times and finished approx 10'th with Sam a few placings behind him. Vinny raced well and kept the 3'rd place after Jacob and #9.
Race 2 became a 2-way fight for the win between Joe and Vinny. Joe held the lead the whole race, but Vinny was on his heels and at times by his side but could not get the pass done! Jacob was the only one who got close. Twice he was catching up but crashed both times. (Check the separate video from Race 2 if you want to see how it all transpired).
For Race 3 the rules were clear: Vinny and Joe were to prove who was the fastest of the HNHS racers! Joe once again had the better start, but at end of Lap 1 Jacob was in the lead with #9 in second and Vinny having passed Joe for 3'rd place. Coming up to the first gate Joe cut a corner and then cut Vinny off in the gate. Vinnys front wheel hit Joe's bike and Vinny was down. He got up quickly, but not before a few riders had passed him and he was now in 7'th. Vinny kept racing but had lost the spark and after dropping the bike once more finished in 6'th. Jacob took the win, Joe 2'nd and #9 third. Poor Sam got stuck in the dirt for 3 laps and finished last.
Vinny is not a CHB club member so his placing does not count in the results.
Edited vid of all 3 races:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IKBbMdXpfs&feature=youtu.be
Vid of complete Race 2:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ra1sjB9OC3s
Vid of crash at gate in Race 3:
HBMCC Junior 1.5h Motocross Round 3 (final)
14 August 2016
Vinny had raced in BOP two days ago, but with the weather being soo nice we decided to do this one, even if Vinny had missed the two earlier rounds. With no pressure of placing requirements it was a day of fun riding for Vinny.
The KTM has always started well, but perhaps the shotgun blast scared her as it took Vinny 3 kicks before the bike came to life. As a result he was 12'th at the first turn, but a few turns later Vinny had climbed up to 6'th and it looked good. That was before a crash on Lap 1 dropped him to 8'th.
We had agreed on only one pit-stop for fuel etc and this worked well. But with six more crashes Vinny was never in the hunt. His lap times also showed that he took this day as a fun day. As result Vinny finished 14 laps (2 laps down from the winner Louis Twigg who was the only one to do 16 laps).
With most riders having crashes in the boggy parts it was a lottery re how they would finish. In the end Vinny came 7'th from 20 riders (and 5'th in his 125cc/250ccf class).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EQ6dPvON_k&feature=youtu.be
BOP/Trident Inter-school MX
12 August 2016
Vinny was entered in the 12-14yo 125cc/250ccf class with 21 other riders. Our aim was a top-ten finish and a 'smooth' race meeting without issues. Once again the only Havelock Nth High School rider at a school event!!
We left home at 4am and were surprised with the amount of snow as we got closer to Taupo! The landscape was white and it reminded me of my childhood winters in Finland! We arrived at Awakaponga just after 8am and got sorted.
The day was turning in to a perfect MX day with sun and no wind. The track had just that right amount of dampness in it and handled the days racing well.
Vinny had a good practice/qualifier and placed 8'th. He also found that many of the BOP boys he had got to know through the Broxy coaching were here racing and they all hang out together the whole day.
In Race 1 Vinny had a good start and was sitting 4'th at the holeshot but just before the finish line he was passed by Jack and Caleb. Then on Lap 3 Jed managed to pass Vinny as he had his only small mistake. Vinny finished 7'th. We were OK with this but wanted to see if Vinny could climb a spot or two.
For Race 2 we sadly forgot to engage the Holeshot device making Vinny's start a little tricky from the concrete start pad. As a result he was in 9'th at the holeshot but climbed up to 8'th at end of Lap 1. On Lap 2 he passed Dylan and also Brodie, who had a crash. Vinny managed to stay ahead of Brodie for 1/2 a lap but again finished in 7'th.
In Race 3 Vinny had an OK start but was pushed wide. He finished each lap in 8'th even if he would move up a spot only to loose it again while racing. For most of the race Vinny had been fighting with Andy. On the last lap Vinny had one more go to pass Andy and it looked like he had managed it, but the sawdust section made him loose control for a split second and Andy bounced back (see end of the vid) and Vinny finished the race in 8'th.
After winning Race 1 on his KTM105 Brodie looked like a sure bet in this class, But Daniel had different ideas. And when Brodie crashed in Race 2 just after have taken the lead (and finishing in 4'th) and then not managing to get the 105 running for Race 3 (and having to revert to the KTM85) the win was Daniels. Brodie finished 2'nd and Caleb 3'rd. Vinny came away with a creditable 7'th and our 'comeback' from the 3 months of broken leg injury has taken one more step in the right direction! And we achieved our two goals!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5BluoTXymE&feature=youtu.be
Wairoa Winter Series Round 3
31 July 2016
For first time in 30 years Taupo was cancelled as the track was under water! So we went to Wairoa to race a Maize Paddock TT that was part of their Winter Series (this was Round 3 of the series).
Vinny was feeling good. His leg has healed well and he was hanging out for some racing. And with 3 months off a TT at Wairoa was a good way back in.
We got a chilly day with some wind, the sun was out and the rain stayed away, and we entered Vinny in Senior B with 10 other riders.
In Race 1 Vinny had an OK start and settled in to 3'rd. He then moved up to 2'nd behind Keenan. On lap 3 Vinny did a nice 'outside - inside' and took the lead, but only briefly. He then dropped the bike in lap 4 and decided to take it easy and just have fun. He finished in 7'th after allowing others to pass.
Race 2 had a similar start, Vinny settled in to 2'nd after Taine. In lap 4 he dropped the bike (he was after the race telling me that the throttle did not respond) and finished in 3'rd after Keenan.
Before Race 3 we spent some time on the bike. We adjusted the clutch and re-jetted the carbi. This made a noticeable difference in Vinnys racing. He and Taine were together at the holeshot but Taine had a better line and pulled away. Vinny followed him for 4 laps until the pressure of having Vinny on his back wheel all the tme got too much for Taine and he dropped the bike allowing Vinny to take the lead and run away with the race.
What a cool return to racing! Racing at Wairoa is always fun and we feel very welcome. The competition was just right after 3 months off and we easily achieved what we came here to do!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiT5Oe3Ck6o&feature=youtu.be
