Valencia
CAMERON STRONACH REPORTS ON ROUND ONE OF THE SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP AT VALENCIA.
Media Release – Story by John Innes innesphotografix@aapt.net.au
Following his first race of the season Cameron Stronach (Team O Six Kawasaki Superstock 1000) flew home to Perth for some R & R with his family before heading back to Italy and then to Holland for the second round which will be held at the world famous Assen circuit on the 27th April.
He agreed to speak with me, and I asked him to describe the weekend at Valencia.
THURSDAY.
“The weekend began early when we arrived at the airport in Rome at 3.00am on Thursday 3rd April for the flight to Barcelona. The flight was uneventful touching down at 6.30am and then a hire car for the 4 hours drive down to Valencia. There were only four of us on the flight. Within an hour of arriving we had the riders briefing for the 1000cc Superstock race, and I was surprised to find it is done in much the same way as at Barbagallo. Most of the riders speak in English, even my team mate Baiocco manages quite well. After that we had a quick look around the paddock and then caught up with the rest of the team.”
FRIDAY.
“We got up at 7.00am, and had nearly 2 hours before our 1st practice session of 25 minutes for the day. It was cold with the track temperature only getting up to about 11 degrees. After I flew home from the last test Baiocco stayed and tested some parts including some brake pads that he said were brilliant, but when we used them in the morning session we both found that they weren’t that good at all but we stayed out to get some laps. It is hard to get any feel from the front end when you can’t stop properly. It was a lot warmer but overcast for the first qualifying session of 45 minutes and although the bike was better I could only manage 33rd on the grid of 40 riders.”
SATURDAY.
“It was warmer, and the team had fitted a new rear shock, front forks and brake pads for the practice session which again was only 25 minutes. Things were going well with the only problem being the forks would bottom out. On lap 4 they caught me out and I ran off the circuit and into the gravel at the final turn I rode almost to the fence before I dropped it. The bike wasn’t damaged and after the marshals pulled it out I rode back to the pits. I was a bit faster but nowhere near what I wanted to be doing at 1: 41.2. The final qualifying session was at 4.50pm and the bike was better again with another new rear shock and some changes to the gearing, the forks were still bottoming out and try as I may I could only do a 1: 41.5. and finished in 37th place on the grid for Sunday’s race.”
SUNDAY.
“The warm-up went well with yet another rear shock and more changes to the gearing it felt like a new bike. At 10.40am the time that I have been waiting for since January had come and it was race time. When the lights went out I got a shocking start and realised that the launch control didn’t work properly and was last into turn 1, but by the end of the lap I had worked my way up to 32nd place and was going quite well. Whilst I was adjusting my helmet I inadvertently hit the speed limiter switch and by the time I got going again the field had pulled out an enormous gap. I put my head down and by about lap 5 I could see the RG team Ducati 1098R of Gianfardoni and chased him finally passing him on lap 8 at turn 1 and I managed to pull out a 10 second gap over him by the end of the race to finish in 32nd place.”
“I fly back to Rome for five days on the 18th April before I fly to Holland for the second race of the series at Assen.”
BHS Engineering are still the primary sponsor of Cameron Stronach whilst he is in Europe on what is “10 months unpaid apprenticeship” and with that in mind BHS management are seeking Australian companies to become business partners in helping them to achieve the strategic goals of both Cameron and their companies.
Valencia Test - 17th - 20th March.
Day one of testing at Valencia and the weather is very nice. Sunny but not too hot. The track and paddock are unbelievable and have to be seen to be believed. The entire circuit is surrounded by massive grandstands and you can basically see every corner from almost every seat.
From my first viewing the track is not as big as it looks on TV and is quite compact but still with enough run off in every turn.
The bikes were not ready for the test, so the night before we ride, the mechanics work long into the night. After finally getting some dinner at 11 pm and my stomach calming down from its horrendous growls I head off to bed. But still the mechanics continue to prepare our bikes. I later find out they had four hours sleep. Keeping in mind we left Rome at 3.00 in the morning and have been awake since!
I sleep like a log awake to what looks like will be another lovely day, and it is.
The bikes are still not ready and I miss the first session. I have to tell the team I am not happy as I MUST be in every session as there are not many. I MUST learn this track and was told earlier we would not have the afternoon on Wednesday because we had to leave the track in order to get our flight home in time. So again our test like Sicily is not 3 days but turns into 2 by the time sessions are missed and so on.
As usual my first couple of laps are crazy. All over the track and I hope no-one is watching or behind me, I hate it, the bike, the track, and my riding. But remind myself this is how all my first sessions are.
In the second session I feel totally different. I have sorted out my gears and some positive lines. And soon enough I lap in the 1.46s the sessions are over very quickly. 20mins from when the track opens till when it closes. A quick stop to talk to Enricho and boom, the session is over.
So after 2 x 20minute sessions its lunch time already 1 o’clock and I have only done 11 laps. I soon realise how hard the season is going to be with only 2 x 30minute sessions before qualifying at tracks I can’t even remember the names of.
My next session I am now comfortable with the track and my lap times are as follows;
Lap 13-1.46.7
Lap 14-1.44.6
Lap 15-1.43.6
We are not allowed to know our lap times until the end of the day as Luca does not want us competing with each other and crashing. So I was not aware of these times until now. But I could tell it was faster and I was learning the track and finding faster lines.
We change a couple of things as I am not happy with the front or rear and I head out to finish the session off. I come in and am even less happy than before so I have a long discussion with Enricho about the setup and we will try completely new forks.
This takes time and threatens the loss of my next session, but they make it in time and Alex sits out the next session because they change my bike before they change his. But this is ok because he rode in the first session while I didn’t. I head out and the bike is so much better. So I push and still feel very comfortable.
My first lap is a 1.43.6 flat and a Suzuki rider comes past me. I stay with him through the first sector of the lap. He is a couple of seconds faster than me and I can stay with him. This is good for me….. And then…… into turn 10 which is not much of a corner is more of a kink, I crash hard, without warning the bike falls beneath me. Third gear and I have lost the front. I can remember thinking while skidding across the road and into the gravel trap, what the hell just happened?
I finally stop and the dust settles, I pick the bike up after I have finished swearing and inspect the damage. Big dent in the tank, half a fairing, bent exhaust, no throttle body, bent foot peg, but it seriously wasn’t that bad. I return to the pits and hope that maybe Luca won’t see the bike.
Everyone comes straight to me without looking at the bike and makes sure I am ok. Which I forgot to tell you I am perfectly fine. I made an exquisite slid without tumbling, about an 8.3 from the judges and have not felt any soreness… yet.
My day is over but no-one is angry. But I see my mechanic who has been working non stop and his face is emotionless. He knows it is another long night ahead. I tell him I am sorry and in broken English jokingly he says “I brake your balls”
I tell Luca I am sorry and he sends me on my way back home to Australia. Ha-ha he wouldn’t do that. He needs Barry’s money!! Hahaha. He says its ok and that tomorrow he will buy me an extra session. Because after all I am Cameron Stronach“bastronach”
But I swear to you all… I was on a flyer! The lap before I crash was my fastest of the day, 1.43.665
They have brought my spare bike to this test so tomorrow is no problem to ride. Will let you know how it goes. But now with my crash out of the way for the year I can get on with the task ahead.
Day 2 of testing:
I awake with a sore neck and legs from the crash. The weather is better than in Sicily so I warm up and stretch and slowly loosen up throughout the day. The first 2 sessions of the day and I am slowly regaining my confidence back with the front end, but still fail to find a good set up. I change a few lines and by the afternoon I start pushing again. The front is still not turning into the corner. We seem to find an ok setup but then I push a half a second faster and again the same problem, pushing the front past the corner.
The last couple of sessions and the rear is starting to slide. Luca buys me and Alex another session but in a slow group. The setup is again better but when I go half a second quicker than the last session we run into the same problem. With the day over everyone is scratching their heads as to what else we can try.
We wake the next morning and I know I only have one 20 minute session and an 8 lap race. I am worried and start to realize how close we are to the first race and how much work we still have to do to be on pace come round 1. We start the first session fresh with all new forks and try to come from a different direction.
My second lap and I push into the corners. The front forks bottom out hard and I come straight back in, we change a few settings and I head out for a couple more laps, again the forks still bottom out. I come in and we have to add more fork oil, so with that, a few laps, I have to stop and the session is over so we change the forks again and new tyres on the rear is good it drives and goes where I point it. I explain to Enricho we have a good exit but I cannot at all get into the corners with the brakes on. After I let the brakes off the bike turns into the corner fine.
Valencia is very hard on the front end with a lot of late apexes and standing the bike up, driving out of the corner. With only an eight lap race there isn’t any time for changes. For sure I am not actually competing in the race and can enter pit lane for small changes but I stay out on the track as it is my last chance to memorise the layout before we race. The setup is the best it’s been all test and it shows in my lap times.
My last lap was my fastest a 1.41.4. My test is over but I know when we come back I can do a high 39.
With a lot of discussion I am told that my set up is better and easier to achieve.
I will be getting a 3 day test at Bruno with Baiox and all the support of the mechanics and suspension technicians. I talk with a lot of people, all of the talking eases my mind and I am now happy going into the first round.
Just before we leave the track to fly back to Rome Bosco crashes. He has high sided out of turn 2 and again destroyed the bike. He has a broken collarbone but is otherwise fine.
After leaving the circuit and on our way to the airport Luca receives a call and Alex has just crashed the bike is fine as too is Alex. A bent foot peg and Alex rides the bike back to the pits.
It was quite an intense test with a lot of stress on everybody’s shoulders. But for me with a lot of time to think about the last few days and the months to come I am happy and confident of still having a good season, and staying racing in the world championships.
I am confident of making a good debut at Valencia and look forward to racing in front of my dad and my second family, Barry and Myra. Can’t wait to see you guys again.
From bastronach, ciao ciao.
First World Superstock Race will be Sunday 6th April Valencia - Spain 2008…..