First Final

The last race of the year was probably the best event we've ever been to, and certainly the most successful.
We wanted to try some different fuel graphs on teh nitrous controller and so the first 2 runs on Saturday were used as test sessions. Neither of the graphs seemed to work as the graph from the 02 sensor looked just the same. The bike seemed to have lost it's edge a little too, and the times seemed to show it as both runs were 7.9's.

For the last run it was changed back to the 7.7 settings from the previous meeting. And it worked better than expected and went another personal best time... and into the 7.6's with a great 7.687 @166.68mph. The strange thing was, that the time was only good enough to qualify us in 4th place! Comp bike really is hotting up, 7 out of the 9 bikes entered running into the 7's.
Unfortunately Allan Davies and Phil Leamon suffered engine damage and were going to be out for the rest of the weekend. Jemma Venables also had engine damage, but her dad Steve had a spare motor in the trailer and they were able to fit it overnight.

In the first round of eliminations we raced Kevin Osman who has been getting faster at each event, and qualified 5th with a 7.9 (his first run into the 7's). Kevin had a poor run and had to feather the throttle to stop the bike spinning. Meanwhile the bopchop was on a good run and we went 7.72 to take the round win. In the next round we had Lizz McCarthy, who was number 1 qualifier and had run into the 7.4's twice this weekend so was definitely on form (and was now ACU champion for 2013). I didn't change anything for the run, and we were lucky as Lizz was ahead by a bike length at half track when her engine let go, and we took the win with a 7.73 and were through to the final.
We have made a final once before but in the 6 years we have been racing we've never actually been in one (it rained before it could take place). So in our first ever final we raced Jemma Venables, and what a good race it was. Normally Jemma comes past at 3/4 track, but i didn't see her the whole race until the finish line when suddenly the win light came on in her lane and she came hurtling past ... it was close.
The split time was 9 thousandths of a second or 26.40inches. Real close.
So 2nd place it was, our best finishing position ever and a nice way to end the season.