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Round 05
13/15 May 2005
Mondello Park
Being on a high after Oulton Park I was determined to do well at Mondello. Although I've only ever raced here once before, I do like the track and was hoping for another good result.
Friday practice went well and I learnt a lot about the set up and got the bike working well for the weekend. The weather was perfect conditions for the Metzeler tyres and I was enjoying riding. I was fastest in the first qualifying session and I didn't think it would be possible for me to better my time in the second session. I was amazed when I went nearly half a second faster and got my second consecutive pole position. I was really chuffed that my qualifying time was two seconds under last years lap record.
In the race I went off like a shot as I knew the front row were all very close on race tyres. I led the race and every time I went pasted the pit wall I just kept seeing 0.2 of a second on my pit board! We were running a very fast pace at the front and I was pleased that I was leading and holding my own against the rest of the pack. On lap ten of sixteen Tom Sykes came past and my team mate Craig Jones on the same lap. I lost my momentum a little as I tried to stay with the leading two. Tom Sykes started to pull away at the front as Pere Riba came passed me too.
I turned into a three-way battle between myself, my team mate Craig Jones and Riba. I was trying my hardest to stay with them for a last lap go when they collided on the second to last corner. I squared the last corner off and tired to drag Pere to the line but it didn't work. I finished one thousandth of a second behind him in fourth place. I was very disappointed with this result as having led again for so long. I learnt a lot from this and I will try my hardest for it not to happen again.
Another strong result moves me now to fifth in the championship and I now look forward the World Supersport race at Silverstone on 29 th May. It will be great for me and Craig to see how we compare against the best 600cc racers in the world.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the whole of the Northpoint Honda Racing team, my mechanics and all my personal and the teams sponsors! |
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