EML - HUSABERG - AYR
Wednesday, 20 March 2013
First training session in the snow
Hello everyone,
last Saturday we were out on the track with the sidecar for the first time. Never before have we finished the preparations of the bike this early ;-). not so many changes either.
We went for Orimattila and with 7 sidecar teams it was a nice start of the season. The sun was shining and that took away some of the cold. As everywhere in Europe it's a long winter. We had fitted tires with studs in the front and rear. For me this was the first time I used them and especially the front tire has a very good grip.
No technical problems during the sessions and we had actually a very nice afternoon at the track. Coming weekend we go again and probably to Orimattila again.
Maria took some pictures, here some of them:
last Saturday we were out on the track with the sidecar for the first time. Never before have we finished the preparations of the bike this early ;-). not so many changes either.
We went for Orimattila and with 7 sidecar teams it was a nice start of the season. The sun was shining and that took away some of the cold. As everywhere in Europe it's a long winter. We had fitted tires with studs in the front and rear. For me this was the first time I used them and especially the front tire has a very good grip.
No technical problems during the sessions and we had actually a very nice afternoon at the track. Coming weekend we go again and probably to Orimattila again.
Maria took some pictures, here some of them:
Sunday, 7 October 2012
Changes for 2013
Hello all,
already before the last race of this season we started with planning for the next season. Mikael has started training sessions with Joonas Saloniemi who was racing until 2 years ago with his brother. Joonas finished his house building project and wanted to pick up racing again. He purchased a VMC-Zabel and was looking for a new passenger because his brother switched to the GP-series.
For Mikael this is a great opportunity to get to an higher level of racing than to continue with me in the back of the pack. For this moment he's adapting to the differences this transfer entails. Not only Joonas is driving faster but also the brutal character of the large two-stroke Zabel engine demands a different way of acting as a passenger. He's inspired and the change makes him motivated for the job.
In the meantime I'm not lying on the coach either. With Mikael's old school friend Markko Styrmann I've found replacement. Markko has tried last year some laps already and was interested to step in Mikael's place. We've started our training sessions too and in the beginning it's always hard for a new passenger. But Markko made quickly progress and we did more laps already than I expected.
I hope the arrival of the Winter will wait for some time so we will be able to get as many laps as possible behind our wheels. Both teams will need this. I'll continue with the same hack for now and I'm planning to get spiked tires to continue training sessions during the Winter.
Greetings,
Stephan
already before the last race of this season we started with planning for the next season. Mikael has started training sessions with Joonas Saloniemi who was racing until 2 years ago with his brother. Joonas finished his house building project and wanted to pick up racing again. He purchased a VMC-Zabel and was looking for a new passenger because his brother switched to the GP-series.
For Mikael this is a great opportunity to get to an higher level of racing than to continue with me in the back of the pack. For this moment he's adapting to the differences this transfer entails. Not only Joonas is driving faster but also the brutal character of the large two-stroke Zabel engine demands a different way of acting as a passenger. He's inspired and the change makes him motivated for the job.
In the meantime I'm not lying on the coach either. With Mikael's old school friend Markko Styrmann I've found replacement. Markko has tried last year some laps already and was interested to step in Mikael's place. We've started our training sessions too and in the beginning it's always hard for a new passenger. But Markko made quickly progress and we did more laps already than I expected.
I hope the arrival of the Winter will wait for some time so we will be able to get as many laps as possible behind our wheels. Both teams will need this. I'll continue with the same hack for now and I'm planning to get spiked tires to continue training sessions during the Winter.
Greetings,
Stephan
Results of our season 2012
Hi again,
this wasn't a season to be proud of, our results are not what we expected. Last year we participated at 22 races and had only at the first races some minor problems like flat tires. This year technical problems started already during the training sessions before the first races; I had to rebuild the engine 3 times in 3 weeks time. And as a reward the engine failed again at the first race.
When I finished our new larger engine the carburettor didn't fit anymore and the hack was shipped to the AYR workshop for modifications.
Then the problems with the van started; hydraulic pump, belts and spanner, water hoses and at least the water pump. Now I can say I've some experience with fixing Ford Transits. At least we got the hack back from Estonia and we finished it quickly to make it to the next event.
With the settings from suspension and carburettor we were way of and it took some additional weeks to sort them all out. Only a few races during the Summer months and most of the time we were riding training sessions. When everything was getting better it was to late to sign up for the Baltic GP's. With so many races missed I thought to compensate and get more time racing. After the Summer only 5 races left and even then we had to cancel one.
We planned for 14 races and optionally the 2 Baltic GP's but did participate only 9 times. A huge difference with the 2011 season. At the end the bike was better than the crew, that's the only positive thing. For next year there will be changes but these in a different post later. Here are the final results from our season 2012:
Finnish championship 4th
Estonian championship 22nd
Latvian championship 32nd
Latvian Veterans championship 7th
Greetings,
Stephan
this wasn't a season to be proud of, our results are not what we expected. Last year we participated at 22 races and had only at the first races some minor problems like flat tires. This year technical problems started already during the training sessions before the first races; I had to rebuild the engine 3 times in 3 weeks time. And as a reward the engine failed again at the first race.
When I finished our new larger engine the carburettor didn't fit anymore and the hack was shipped to the AYR workshop for modifications.
Then the problems with the van started; hydraulic pump, belts and spanner, water hoses and at least the water pump. Now I can say I've some experience with fixing Ford Transits. At least we got the hack back from Estonia and we finished it quickly to make it to the next event.
With the settings from suspension and carburettor we were way of and it took some additional weeks to sort them all out. Only a few races during the Summer months and most of the time we were riding training sessions. When everything was getting better it was to late to sign up for the Baltic GP's. With so many races missed I thought to compensate and get more time racing. After the Summer only 5 races left and even then we had to cancel one.
We planned for 14 races and optionally the 2 Baltic GP's but did participate only 9 times. A huge difference with the 2011 season. At the end the bike was better than the crew, that's the only positive thing. For next year there will be changes but these in a different post later. Here are the final results from our season 2012:
Finnish championship 4th
Estonian championship 22nd
Latvian championship 32nd
Latvian Veterans championship 7th
Greetings,
Stephan
Dobele, Latvia 9.9.2012
Hello,
I'm a late again with updating this blog, maybe I need a secretary ;-). Dobele was already the last race of this season for us. The weekend before we should have been riding in Vaabina, Estonia, but Mikael had to move to an other apartment suddenly and we had to blow the trip of. Instead of riding gear we had furniture in the van that weekend.
We took the midday ferry to Tallinn accompanied by Maria who wanted to make some pictures of this last event. Our hotel was located in Jelgava and when driving through this city we saw this huge palace, the Jelgava Palace. It's dimensions are an enormous contrast with the surrounding buildings. It's huge!
During the night I woke up due to some noise outside and when I looked out of the window, we had the van on the parking lot, I saw a car with its front wheels hanging in a pit made during construction work at the road in front of the hotel. The streetlights are not always in working order and the markers of this pit were good as non-existing. A taxi helped them back on the road again.
In the morning we continued with the last 30 kilometers to Dobele. In spite of the many rain showers we had the last weeks, the track was in a very good condition. It was hard packed clay and the surface damp so that dust wouldn't be a problem. It was a fast and technical track, choosing good lines and really hanging on was the message. I thought we did very bad during practice but still had the 12th position with 15 entries.
Our start didn't work out as planned and by crossing the lines from behind to the inside of the first corner we still could pass 2 teams in the first corners.The first laps weren't bad and at the 13th position we tried to get the team in front of us. But then I already started to get tired and with a fast track that means loosing ground rapidly. Last place was the result.
The start of the 2nd heat was the same but now I pushed more and at the 3rd lap we were on the 10th position. But again I became tired and we saw our competitors passing one by one. When I'm not able to ride regularly I'm always having difficulties to get my rhythm back quickly and without rhythm it's like a fight against odds.
2 last places was not the way I would have ended our season but it was what it was. We stayed overnight at Baltezers and I was so exhausted that I slept the same moment I saw my bed. The next day I had fever rising and had to stay in bed for the rest of the week. With the 16:30 ferry back to Helsinki.
A link to Maria's pictures: http://crossiacrossia.blogspot.fi/
Till soon,
Stephan
Trip to Dobele: map
Results: Mylaps (BV = sidecars)
I'm a late again with updating this blog, maybe I need a secretary ;-). Dobele was already the last race of this season for us. The weekend before we should have been riding in Vaabina, Estonia, but Mikael had to move to an other apartment suddenly and we had to blow the trip of. Instead of riding gear we had furniture in the van that weekend.
During the night I woke up due to some noise outside and when I looked out of the window, we had the van on the parking lot, I saw a car with its front wheels hanging in a pit made during construction work at the road in front of the hotel. The streetlights are not always in working order and the markers of this pit were good as non-existing. A taxi helped them back on the road again.
In the morning we continued with the last 30 kilometers to Dobele. In spite of the many rain showers we had the last weeks, the track was in a very good condition. It was hard packed clay and the surface damp so that dust wouldn't be a problem. It was a fast and technical track, choosing good lines and really hanging on was the message. I thought we did very bad during practice but still had the 12th position with 15 entries.
The start of the 2nd heat was the same but now I pushed more and at the 3rd lap we were on the 10th position. But again I became tired and we saw our competitors passing one by one. When I'm not able to ride regularly I'm always having difficulties to get my rhythm back quickly and without rhythm it's like a fight against odds.
2 last places was not the way I would have ended our season but it was what it was. We stayed overnight at Baltezers and I was so exhausted that I slept the same moment I saw my bed. The next day I had fever rising and had to stay in bed for the rest of the week. With the 16:30 ferry back to Helsinki.
A link to Maria's pictures: http://crossiacrossia.blogspot.fi/
Till soon,
Stephan
Trip to Dobele: map
Results: Mylaps (BV = sidecars)
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Tihemetsa 25.8 Estonian championship race 5
Hello again,
last Friday evening we took the ferry to Tallinn for round 5 of the Estonian championship in Tihetmetsa located not far from Pärnu. We had rooms in a small hotel in Pärnu and in the morning only a 40 km drive was left to arrive at the track. We noticed that it had been raining a lot in this area seeing the many puddles on the fields.
During the training session the track was already very soft and some wet parts made only a single line possible that did wear out quickly. 16 entries had arrived this time. The season is nearing it's end and injuries have taken their toll. We were the only team from Finland and also from Latvia and Lithuania arrived only one team per country. Last place in the timing but we didn't care so much because the track would become very demanding as we remembered from last year. I've never been good at timed practices and I need some time to get adjusted to the track.
From the second row we got on our way and after the first lap we had the 15th place. During the race some teams got problems and with a steady going we passed the finish line at the 12th position. We could need the points very well because we did miss the first 2 races and it took time to get the hack set up correctly.
After the first heat we got some heavy rain showers and the track became real bad. Even for the solo bikes it became a test of endurance. Especially a lower area of the track looked more like a little stream than a motocross track. When it was our turn it stopped raining but we had no idea if it would be possible to do a lap without getting stuck. Luckily the organization realized this too and shortened the track and excluded the worse part hereby. Even the faster teams were happy with this decision. For the spectators, there still were spectators in spite of the weather, it was also nice because it was now like a stadium and they could follow the whole lap.
I had changed the rear wheel back for our Russian tire and that was a good decision, the hack was easier to drive through the deep ruts. The race was very dynamic with everyone that close and during the first rounds happened all kind of actions. Everyone was stuck for at least once and so did we. But with a little help from spectators we got the hack going again until we got lapped. I tried to take a higher line in a corner but the hack reacted like in a slow motion movie and the hack behind us bumped in our rear wheel. It was that slippery that we turned 90 degrees around. With a little shoving and pulling we were on our way again and finished 9th this time. Again some teams had technical problems but we were lucky to ride out. Directly after the finish line most of the coolant squirted out of a joint and we had to walk back to the van.
With the evening ferry back to Helsinki and a lot of work to clean all the riding gear and the side car. Also the van's interior looks more like a swinery than a transporter for racing equipment. Even we didn't have the speed to mix with the Estonian teams we still did well on this demanding track with very deep ruts everywhere. Last year we didn't finish the second heat after getting stuck and then the track wasn't even as bad as it was this year.
Greetings,
Stephan
Results at Mylaps (kv=sidecars)
Trip to Tihemetsa 24-25.8.2012
last Friday evening we took the ferry to Tallinn for round 5 of the Estonian championship in Tihetmetsa located not far from Pärnu. We had rooms in a small hotel in Pärnu and in the morning only a 40 km drive was left to arrive at the track. We noticed that it had been raining a lot in this area seeing the many puddles on the fields.
During the training session the track was already very soft and some wet parts made only a single line possible that did wear out quickly. 16 entries had arrived this time. The season is nearing it's end and injuries have taken their toll. We were the only team from Finland and also from Latvia and Lithuania arrived only one team per country. Last place in the timing but we didn't care so much because the track would become very demanding as we remembered from last year. I've never been good at timed practices and I need some time to get adjusted to the track.
From the second row we got on our way and after the first lap we had the 15th place. During the race some teams got problems and with a steady going we passed the finish line at the 12th position. We could need the points very well because we did miss the first 2 races and it took time to get the hack set up correctly.
After the first heat we got some heavy rain showers and the track became real bad. Even for the solo bikes it became a test of endurance. Especially a lower area of the track looked more like a little stream than a motocross track. When it was our turn it stopped raining but we had no idea if it would be possible to do a lap without getting stuck. Luckily the organization realized this too and shortened the track and excluded the worse part hereby. Even the faster teams were happy with this decision. For the spectators, there still were spectators in spite of the weather, it was also nice because it was now like a stadium and they could follow the whole lap.
Greetings,
Stephan
Results at Mylaps (kv=sidecars)
Trip to Tihemetsa 24-25.8.2012
Monday, 20 August 2012
Final round of the Finish championship Alavuus 18.08.2012
Hi all,
this weekend it was the third and final round for the Finish championship already. The race took place in Alavuus at a deep sand track with significant height differences. A beautiful track especially for the spectators but also very demanding for the sidecar class.
When we started our trip Friday afternoon the outer ring of Helsinki was completely blocked by an enormous traffic jam caused by a concert organized on a location with insufficient transportation options. Via small back roads we were able to escape this and suffered only a limited delay. We wanted to get the hack through the technical inspection already the same evening so we can sleep a little longer the next morning.
We made it in time and since Mikael is now having his driving license i didn't have to drive the whole trip alone anymore. Only 7 teams arrived at the paddock this time. This year's season isn't the best for our class. Let's hope that next year there will be less problems and injuries.
During the free practice and time training we tested different rear tires and decided for the famous Russian monster tire as did some other teams. These are old school tires with a size and profile used by the real 500 ccm motocross class eons ago. Nowadays they are used by the sidecars only when the sand is really deep.
With only 7 teams any place behind the gate is okay so we didn't really push during timed practice and the 6th position was ours.
The start of the first heat was good and at the fourth place we got through the first corner. We lost 2 positions soon there after but were able to overtake one place back again. We held this position for some laps but with a 20 minutes and 2 laps race on a heavy track like this I had to take it a little easier. At lap 5 we did loose one position and only then I noticed that the seventh team wasn't directly behind us. Only after the finish we heard that they got technical problems and had to retire. 6th position for our efforts and we were satisfied with our performance during the first half of the heat.
For the second heat only 5 teams showed up anymore due to technical or physical problems. During the exploration lap we noticed the track had gone so bad that we decided to concentrate on finishing the race and not to try to create some surprises. The track had worn out so much that between the already large holes and bumps from the first heat new ones had formed in between them. Not a single part of the track were it was possible to take a breath, all the time you had to push and pull the hack around. Especially a large down hill with deep sand had become rather scary. Keeping the throttle open to have the engine pulling all the time and dragging the rear brake the same time was the only option to keep the side car on it's line. I really counted down the times we had to descend there.
But at the end we went home with 2 fifth places and a fourth in the overall standings for the Finish championship. For the first time we have finished in all the heats of a series. Satisfied we started our trip back home and this time Mikael did the driving.
Very nice pictures from Alavuus in Markku Laukka's web album: http://mla.kuvat.fi/#/kuvat/Kuvat+2012/18.9+-12+SM+Motocross+Alavus/
Greetings,
Stephan
Mylaps results ( SV = sidecars)
Trip to Alavuus
this weekend it was the third and final round for the Finish championship already. The race took place in Alavuus at a deep sand track with significant height differences. A beautiful track especially for the spectators but also very demanding for the sidecar class.
When we started our trip Friday afternoon the outer ring of Helsinki was completely blocked by an enormous traffic jam caused by a concert organized on a location with insufficient transportation options. Via small back roads we were able to escape this and suffered only a limited delay. We wanted to get the hack through the technical inspection already the same evening so we can sleep a little longer the next morning.
We made it in time and since Mikael is now having his driving license i didn't have to drive the whole trip alone anymore. Only 7 teams arrived at the paddock this time. This year's season isn't the best for our class. Let's hope that next year there will be less problems and injuries.
With only 7 teams any place behind the gate is okay so we didn't really push during timed practice and the 6th position was ours.
The start of the first heat was good and at the fourth place we got through the first corner. We lost 2 positions soon there after but were able to overtake one place back again. We held this position for some laps but with a 20 minutes and 2 laps race on a heavy track like this I had to take it a little easier. At lap 5 we did loose one position and only then I noticed that the seventh team wasn't directly behind us. Only after the finish we heard that they got technical problems and had to retire. 6th position for our efforts and we were satisfied with our performance during the first half of the heat.
For the second heat only 5 teams showed up anymore due to technical or physical problems. During the exploration lap we noticed the track had gone so bad that we decided to concentrate on finishing the race and not to try to create some surprises. The track had worn out so much that between the already large holes and bumps from the first heat new ones had formed in between them. Not a single part of the track were it was possible to take a breath, all the time you had to push and pull the hack around. Especially a large down hill with deep sand had become rather scary. Keeping the throttle open to have the engine pulling all the time and dragging the rear brake the same time was the only option to keep the side car on it's line. I really counted down the times we had to descend there.
But at the end we went home with 2 fifth places and a fourth in the overall standings for the Finish championship. For the first time we have finished in all the heats of a series. Satisfied we started our trip back home and this time Mikael did the driving.
Very nice pictures from Alavuus in Markku Laukka's web album: http://mla.kuvat.fi/#/kuvat/Kuvat+2012/18.9+-12+SM+Motocross+Alavus/
Greetings,
Stephan
Mylaps results ( SV = sidecars)
Trip to Alavuus
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)