Vallelunga, Italy – Race

Posted on September 30, 2007 by matt

Matt Bond, 28/09/07 – 30/09/07
FIM European Superstock 1000 Cup
Round 10

Friday – First Practice

First thing about the track is that its fast, very fast in-fact, with some high speed sweepers but also some dead slow technical, twisty bits, and also the surface was fairly new, so still a little bit slippery. The track was covered in dirt n muck form where the circuit vehicles had been finishing off the track preparation, and on certain parts of the track mid turn grip was close to non-existent.

We worked on getting a good base setting and getting the gearing right ready for the first qualifying later in the day. A few tweaks to the front of the bike to help it enter the turns faster and maintain corner speed, something that was made harder by the track conditions. I was having a few problems with the bike cutting out coming out of a few of the turns. A problem we later fixed after a few hours of fiddling with various wires by Mike and my old man!

Friday – First Qualifying

We started the session on a new front and old rear tyre, which we were planning to change mid session, just to try and get some faster times. I stuck in a few laps that were much improved on the morning session, thanks to grabbing a few tows from some of the quicker guys that were ahead of me.

We put the new tyre in for the last half of the session but it lasted all of two laps before it started to spin up and break traction in places where it really shouldn’t have been spinning up. I was getting thrown out of the seat all over the place and it was a little bit scary to say the least. I did improve my time but it was very marginal and didn’t put me any further up the grid, despite my best efforts.

Saturday – Second Practice

With the problems from the previous day sorted, and the bike remapped and run on the dyno, the team and I were happy and hopeful of a further improvement was to come on the second day. The bike was feeling much more responsive now than on the previous day, and it made the bike easier to ride also. The fact that it wouldn’t try to chuck you over the bars mid-turn was a big relief to, the team had done their job well!

Instant improvements in lap time helped boost my confidence, and a few more minor adjustments helped improve the bike, and make the spin from the rear end more controllable, consistent and predictable. This again helped inspire more confidence inside me. The gap to the top guys was closing down once again, and the entire field was bunching up by now, making a one tenth improvement in lap time an equal to two or three places on the time sheets!

Saturday – Second Qualifying

With the session being so short I stuck another new front and old rear combination onto the bike, but planned to do only two or three laps to get up to speed before going for a few fast laps.

The plan went well and to plan and I was able to get some good tows from some of the fast guys in the few laps that I got to push hard. Again I took a big chunk of time out from my previous best, as did most of my competitors, so although I didn’t move up the grid much, I closed in on the top of the field. A second covering 18 riders! I was a little gutted not to be higher up, but at least I was getting closer!

Sunday – Race

Despite the relatively low grid position I was pretty certain that I could make in-roads towards the front half of the field and was confident that I would make big improvements throughout the race.

I got off the line really well and forced my way into the first turn, making a fair few places in the process. I kept tucked behind a row of riders down the back straight and as we hit the brakes I went round the outside of them as it was the only space I could find, but it played into my hands as I managed to get by another three entering the following hairpin.

I then latched onto the back of Greg Guildenhuys on the Pedercini Ducati, and followed him through the end of the lap, narrowly avoiding a cruising Barry Burrell on the home straight entering the flat out first turn. I got a better run than Greg on the exit but couldn’t make the most of it, and for the next few laps we began closing in on the group of riders in front of us. I was beginning to get a bit frustrated behind Greg and then just as I was about to make a and move on him he suffered a big high-side right in front of me and took a big hit as he fell. I narrowly avoided his spinning body and sliding 1098, but made it through.

Unfortunately the time it cost let the group ahead get away, and my brakes began to fade, making it harder and harder for me to keep pace and also slow enough entering some of the slower turns. I hung on as much as I could but struggling to stop I lost a few places on the final laps, a bitter disappointment but I was still pleased to come home just outside the top 20, enjoying one of my better rides in the process.

Posted in 2007, Matt Bond, Race Report, Vallelunga | Leave a comment

Eurospeedway Lausitz, Germany

Posted on September 9, 2007 by matt

Matt Bond, 07/09/07 – 09/09/07
FIM European Superstock 1000 Cup
Round 9

Friday – First Practice

The first session was really just a shakedown for myself, having not ridden for nearly 5 weeks I was a little apprehensive, and not even close in terms of speed and confidence, as to where I should be and previously was.

Either way a few laps in and I was starting to get my head round things and just focused on going forward bit by bit and finding out what the bike was doing and how the track was, the latter being incredibly inconsistent and very slippery.

The lack of grip did play a few games with my head, but I just got on with it, and felt much improved by the end of the session.

Friday – First Qualifying

Just going as fast as possible in this session was going to be key as it looked like the next day’s qualifying would be wet, and therefore a lot slower.

I really put in all my effort throughout the session, and used as many people as possible to help get the best time possible, even if I only managed to stay on them for a few turns. It helped just showing me where I should be on track on some of the more complex sections of track, and helped speed up the process of getting used to going fast after the lay-off I endured.

My lap times really improved and we worked on the settings of the bike, especially with the suspension, which needed a lot of softening, just to try and get some grip and feedback from the front end of the bike. It defiantly helped, but a small interruption and red flag didn’t. I was on my fastest first two sections and then had to pull into the pits as someone decided to jump off.

Saturday – Second Practice

As we predicted the heavens opened and the track became exceptionally slippery, with many people falling foul to the conditions, fortunately I wasn’t one of them, and spent the session getting an ideal set-up from the bike as we hadn’t enjoyed much time to test in the wet.

It was a really progressive session and the bike was getting set up better each time we made adjustments. I still didn’t have as much confidence in the front end as I would have liked but we were getting there and I was beginning to feel more comfortable riding in the wet than I ever have before on the big bike. A few adjustments to the back of the bike helped stop some of the wheel-spin and helped keep the bike a lot more stable mid turn and on the exits of the tighter turns.

I was a lot higher up in the time sheets than in the dry conditions the previous day, so I was cheered up by that fact and began to hope we’d be having a wet race on Sunday!

Saturday – Second Qualifying

I went faster than the mornings session and was really chuffed with actually being inside the top 20 for a change. I managed to get in a fair few laps and the bike was really feeling good, but still a bit too hard on the rear end so we decided to chance it and put in a new rear spring, slightly softer than what we had in, for the following day.

Even so I still used the time to get myself sorted with different lines and using different reference points, just in case I ended up somewhere on track that I hadn’t been before! It was useful to see how it affected the speed at which you could turn and corner in the wet, and lead to further improvements.

Sunday – Race

It was a bit hit or miss as to what the weather was going to do, but finally it made its mind up and stayed dry for our race, somewhat of a pain in the backside for me as I knew a wet race could see me well unto the points, but for the dry all I wanted to do was improve.

Despite one of the Alfa pace cars dropping its entire internal fluids over the track right on the final complex, and the very clever marshals using water to wash it away making it exceptionally challenging, we were under way in dry and overcast conditions!

I made a decent start, despite getting forced wide at the opening turn, and just tagged onto the back of an R1 and used him as my marker. Straight away I felt a lot more settled and back to riding at a decent pace. I did my best to hang onto the back of the bike in front but he just gapped me after we passed a couple of guys and I had no answer for him.

I just got my head down and rode just like I was learning a new circuit and made small improvements lap after lap, then Greg Gildenhuys (Sorry if spelled it wrong mate), the South African on the second of the Pedercini Ducatis caught me.

I was determined not to let him past and I instantly went a second a lap faster, thanks to Greg’s pressure, which was kind of a motivational technique for me! I could hear the big thunderous sound through the first half of the lap as he closed in, but id manage to stretch away from him in the latter half.

I was relieved to see the last lap flag come out and I just dug really deep and managed to keep enough distance between me and Greg to come out on top in our little battle, even if we were near the back half of the mid pack I was still jubilant! I’d managed to match the lap times of the guys in the points so I was pleased with the effort of myself and also all the work the team had done.

Next up we have Vallelunga in Italy, a completely new track to many of the riders, including myself, hopefully we can build on this meeting and keep moving forward over these final rounds!

Posted in 2007, Lausitz, Matt Bond, Race Report | Leave a comment

Brands Hatch, UK – Race

Posted on August 8, 2007 by Mike Edwards

Matt Bond, 03/08/07 – 05/08/07
FIM European Superstock 1000 Cup
Round 8

Friday – First Practice

Despite not having tested either the new engine or at the Brands Hatch I was still confident that we’d have a good weekend, at a track that pretty much represented my home round.

First practice went well and I felt comfortable on the bike straight away, even with the engine still feeling tight and laggy, but still top end wasn’t too bad, having not rode for what seemed like months, it felt like a ballistic missile with handle bars! I think I’d forgotten just how fast these bikes really are!

The track was completely different to the previous year on the 600. Everything felt much faster, bumpier, more cambered and generally just a little bit crazy to tell you the truth! I loved every second of it and would seriously describe the place as a small piece of heaven on earth! I’m sure some people would have been whinging about the bumps, but it just made things a little bit more exhilarating in my view.

Lap times were good and once again I found myself inside the top 20, in a respectable 18th place, even though I wanted to be higher up I was pleased with the positives in the session, and knew there was more to come form me and the bike.

Friday – First Qualifying

Relaxing and focusing on just make lots of small improvements in each section of the track were the aims for the session. It was simple really, and after only what seemed a short few minutes I was into the pits to change tyres, only they weren’t sticker, and therefore we couldn’t go out on them. No-one could find them and therefore I had to finish the session on very used rubber.

It wasn’t ideal but I clocked my fastest time on the last lap, which was good but I was right near the tail end of the field and less than happy.

The stickers had decided to fall down the back of the tool box, which no-one even thought of looking in, but it wasn’t that bad, at least I’d get new tyres for every other session over the weekend. And my ideal best time would have lifted me up about 6 places on the grid. So the pace was there, just not all together.

Saturday – Second Practice

New tyres equipped and engine ignition and fuelling remapped, the bike seemed completely different. Much more competitive, more responsive and yet easier to ride. It felt more confident with the bike, and the lap times improved, again boosting my confidence.

A few small adjustments to the suspension to help maintain mid corner grip and front end feel on corner entry were made making the bike feel slightly better, but there was still a definite lack of rear end grip, which a lot of people seemed to be suffering with. Andreani suspension advised more preload on the front of the bike, which we tried, but I didn’t gain enough confidence or feedback from the bike like that so we decided to undo those changes.

Saturday – Second Qualifying

All I had to do was string a good lap together and push everywhere in the process, I needed a good grid slot if I was to have any chance of a top 15 finish and therefore score some points.

I got my head down straight away and instantly bettered my best lap from the previous session, not hard really, but with more to come I still kept pushing further and further and was pleased with the forwards progress.

The bike again got slightly better and the engine was feeling much stronger than previously throughout the weekend, and despite lacking punch out of some of the lower revving and slower pace corners, I was able to stick with a larger majority of the people in front of me, time wise.

I didn’t get a decent tow from anyone, but the small tows I did get seemed to make all the difference and I learnt a lot after just a few laps behind some of the front runners. A few adjustments to the lines I was using made a world of difference, and again my lap time improved, even if the position didn’t improve as much as I’d have liked.

30th on the grid was really not where I wanted to be, but I was still assured by the team it was okay, I’d made a huge improvement form the opening session in terms of lap time, and having not ridden since the opening qualifying at Brno, I was well on the pace with even more to come. I was still ahead of one of the Brit wildcards still though, with Jon Boy Lee struggling somewhat, just behind myself.

Sunday – Race

Warm up in the morning had gone really well, and I was straight back onto the pace I’d been sat at over the previous sessions. The bike was running really good and thanks to some small suspension adjustments from Steve “The Guru” Jordan, I was really happy with the set up we had for the race.

The crowd was huge even if we were the first race of the day and the atmosphere around the place was really intense. It was starting to make me nervous but I just listened to Mike and the team and relaxed. Having my girlfriend Chloe beside me as my grid girl helped calm me down as well. Before I knew it we were starting the warm up lap, and all the worries of the journalists, fans, my friends and family, all seemed to disappear from my mind, and all that I could think about was getting around the first lap safely, but moving forwards too. I got a great start and ran around the outside of loads of the guys who’d started in front of me on the grid. I got squeezed out at Druids however and Graham Hill wasn’t much better, by the end of the lap I’d only passed two people from the start line. I could still see a large group in front of me and I just focused on picking people off one by one.

I’d close on people follow them for a few turns and then dive up the inside on the brakes, or use the drive from the previous turn to slip past. It was going well and I became involved in a battle with Marko Rotthlan, which included some paint swapping moments, but it was all safe and a good laugh to tell you the truth. I made my way through to 21st and then started to catch the MGM Yamahas of Dario Gisupetti and Timo Giesler with just two laps left.

I followed Dario through Paddock Hill bend and he slid slightly wide at Druids so I took the opportunity to go through and the move stuck, and with Giesler within striking distance I made a push to get onto his back wheel.

The last lap and I’d got onto him, and I tried numerous moves before thinking I’d leave it till the last turn and make a move there. I missed a gear however and he got away entering the final straight and beat me to the flag and 19th by a measly 0.019secs.

But I’d got my best result of the year, passed 10 people in total and overall, made a massive jump lap time wise, and had missed out on points by only 5 seconds over a 14 lap race. It was good.

The team was happy and so was I. Despite all the problems from Brno and over the start of the weekend, we’d been able to get right on the pace of the guys in the points, shown up all the wildcard riders who were highly rated back in the UK, and proved we belong at this level. It was good for the team to finally see there tireless work pay off, and the results are starting to come. If we can carry this speed over the end of the year I’m sure we’ll be on for points at each of the final three rounds.

Posted in 2007, Brands Hatch, Matt Bond, Race Report | Leave a comment