5 - 6 July 2003 中國珠海摩托車賽第3場 趣味花邊

星期天-天氣睛朗    我和我的車隊伙伴一大清早就到了賽車場，為比賽作好準備：包括一般例行檢查，以及比賽前適量的熱身運動。當一切準備就緒，我亦穿上頭盔駕駛著我的戰車出賽道預備第一回合的比賽。
我參加的比賽是競爭最激烈的600SS組別。組內高手林立，今場更有澳洲過江龍作客比賽。賽前我己預計到自己的名次，所以今場的戰略都是以穩打穩扎為主，不敢有任何差池而影響總積分。我的問題在於機器調較方面未如理想，所以如果我能保持自己的名次亦是好事。第一回合賽事結束後，不過不失地奪得第六的名次。

到下午第二回合我亦預計自己的名次會和上一場的一樣。但當起步燈熄滅時我竟然排了第四位衝入T1彎！十分興奮！那種興奮的感覺還未退減時我己到達了T4彎，可惜因為自己輕微出錯，名次馬上跌到第九位！

眼見其他車手雖然拋離了了一段距離，但我未有灰心，沉著氣繼續往前追。不知不覺自己亦已攀上第七位。這刻張煒安出現在我的前面，我當然不甘示弱繼續勇往直前。
當到達T14彎時，我看見前排車手跌車，心想自己同時亦晉升一級到第六。因只有第一名至第五名才有機會站在頒獎台上領獎，自己不禁有般衝勁去爭奪第五名。

我和張煒安大家都知道這是「最後一張領獎的門票」，所以大家都各不相讓，全力施為。雙方埋身肉搏時出現很多精彩鏡呢！當到了第七圈時，我終於把握一個機會成功地超越了他，從而進佔了第五名的位置，並成功拿著這張「最後的門票」一直保持至完成賽事。
Team Dunlop Motorbike Race - Round Three ( 4 - 6 July 03)
 
If the last race was better suited for the fishes, this weekend was the total opposite. Riders this weekend would have fared better to be covered with sun tan lotion and an ice pack on the head, rather than 1.5 mm of cow hide! Man and machine were both at the limit of heat exhaustion.
Cheong qualified 6th for the first race and finished 6th. There was exceptional competition from Team Yamaha as they had the Australian Formula Extreme Champion as their guest rider. The Australian also brought with him a wealth of engine and chassis set up data, which saw the 2003 Yamahas totally transformed. One could hardly believe they were the same bikes that were used in Race 2 a month ago.

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Race order for the first leg was pretty much determined after lap 1 and Cheong finished as he had qualified, in P6. Leg 2 was a different story. Cheong was up to P4 half way through lap 1. Then a gear popped out in Turn 10 and had him on the grass, which relegated him to the last spot. But Cheong fought back hard and after about 5 laps was within shouting distance of Cheung Wai On. The gap closed visibly and the duel between Cheong and 'On Jai' soon showcased all the classic overtaking and defensive manoeuvres. Each was draughting and trying to get on the inside line to outbrake the other. In the end, Cheong came out on top and finished 5th in leg two. Considering the grass tracking excursion and an engine that was running too rich in the second leg, Cheong did well to complete the race in 17:54.
With René, the bad news first. His race in the second leg ended at the first corner. Cameron had jump started and the rest of the grid was confused as to the subsequent procedures. Consequently, there were far more bikes into Turn 1 from the start than would under normal circumstances. This resulted in a multi pile up and René had no where to go except become part of it himself. He was trying to avoid Andy Coombs who was lying immediately in his path. Apparently the 'stoppie' he performed during the emergency stop was quite spectacular. May be he could join Jimbo's stunt team...No injuries fortunately but the bike was pitted due to a snapped gear lever.

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On the technical side, René's ZX6RR was running rich due to the extreme heat. The Power Commander came in very handy as adjustments was only a few clicks away. By contrast, it was tiring just to watch Cheong change the jets on his carburetted R6! Off with the tank, the air box, the carbs...and you were lucky if you didn't burn your fingers. Hopefully with a laptop for the next race, even more precise fuelling could be dialled in. There was a fair bit of brake fade, but the new OEM pads soon cured that. No change to the suspension at all was necessary to accommodate the new D208 GPA (not to be confused with compound A) tyres.
　
The first leg went like a dream. René was psychologically upbeat about the new D208 GPA tyres that had just arrived. If anything that could be noted, it was the tremendous and predictable side grip on offer. Even with the track temperature high enough to fry an egg, the rear tyre did not slide once. Subjective observation is one thing, but there is hard evidence to support the superiority of the new tyre. René bettered his total race-distance time by a full 12 seconds from a month ago and beat his best lap time by 1.2 seconds. In fact, 6 laps were under his personal best. René finished in P7 in CL1, just behind Yuen and Jason, with whom he had diced with all race long.
The team would like to thank Dunlop for the new D208 GPAs and look forward to improving their performance again come the next race in September. Hopefully the weather will be more pleasant!

Rene


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