Posts : 177 Join date : 2011-08-28 Age : 31 Location : Gisborne, New Zealand
Subject: Harding Racing :) Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:20 am
As a few of the guys know I do a bit of Speedway racing. I traveled to Paradise Valley Raceway in the weekend for the Bay of Plenty Production saloon champs.
When I was there I caught up with a friend of mine who is running a few in car camera's. He put one in my car for the last race of the champs.
The car in front of me (Orange and Black) is one of my best mates (explains my post race antics) that races out of the same track as I do, he has been racing for a few years and is one of the top runners in the class who usually pulls away from the field. This time I latched onto the back of him and we both pulled away from the field. He won the champs by a record 7 points (passed 7 more people than anyone else) and I came home in 5th spot two points off the podium. My best finish at a championship with a total of 17 races under my belt (3 done on the night). Anyway enough jibbar jabber, enjoy.
lylow JOKERS CLAN FOUNDER
Posts : 4190 Join date : 2010-01-05 Age : 38 Location : Brisbane
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Tue Feb 21, 2012 11:42 am
Awesome work Harding mate! I cant watch the vid now.... but I'll suss it out tomorrow! Wanna see you flogging the shit out of the competition
I know you'll only go up from here. Lots of podium finishes in front of you yet mate.
Congratulations!
AUS-Jailbird JOKERS CLAN MEMBER
Posts : 112 Join date : 2011-11-26 Age : 41 Location : Radelaide
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:20 pm
Nice dude
Union.Jack JOKERS CLAN FOUNDER
Posts : 2148 Join date : 2010-01-06 Age : 47 Location : Townsville
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Tue Feb 21, 2012 12:33 pm
I hate to tell you mate but your speedo doesn't seem to work
Great job mate, looks like loads of fun!
Au_reefer JOKERS CLAN ADMIN
Posts : 1031 Join date : 2010-01-21 Age : 53 Location : WA
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Tue Feb 21, 2012 1:17 pm
cool man
when I was dirt racing like that it was down the drive and left around the marron dam, Then up to the wheat silo to your left and then down pass the chicken pen, if you got a chick 10 points but mum kicked your ass, then it was back up to hay shed where you had to go round twice then back up the hill to the tractor shed, figue 8, then back towards the house and pass the finish/start line. The old holden 1 tonner didn't have a window like your car as well.
Yours seems a bit boring though
LOL just kidding
Nice work man, looks like fun
lylow JOKERS CLAN FOUNDER
Posts : 4190 Join date : 2010-01-05 Age : 38 Location : Brisbane
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Wed Feb 22, 2012 1:50 am
Post of the week goes to Reefer, ... again.
Ahhh LMAO! *wipes a tear from his eye*
HardingNZ JOKERS CLAN MEMBER
Posts : 177 Join date : 2011-08-28 Age : 31 Location : Gisborne, New Zealand
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Wed Feb 22, 2012 6:59 am
Yeah, the Speedo cable must have unplugged itself through the ruts in the earlier races and I didn't notice until I watched the video myself. I'm in 2nd gear pinning it so you get an idea of the speed .
haha Reefer awesome man! Unfortunately I didn't have a farm to grow up on driving or anything like that. Would have loved that experience, still would lol. Most definitely boring in comparison. It's not the cars I would really want to race. But I'm racing so I enjoy it as much as I can. Cant afford much more >.<
cranky JOKERS CLAN MEMBER
Posts : 788 Join date : 2010-01-08
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Wed Feb 22, 2012 4:08 pm
nice work
HardingNZ JOKERS CLAN MEMBER
Posts : 177 Join date : 2011-08-28 Age : 31 Location : Gisborne, New Zealand
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:14 am
From last weekend, my second win in 20 races. Had to fight tooth and nail for this win! most rewarding race I've had yet!
Thanks to Liam Clayton for the lovely shot
lylow JOKERS CLAN FOUNDER
Posts : 4190 Join date : 2010-01-05 Age : 38 Location : Brisbane
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Tue Feb 28, 2012 10:24 am
Check out your eyes bro!
They will come for you in the night! HSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSK!
Seriously though mate - congratulations! Bloody well done!
HardingNZ JOKERS CLAN MEMBER
Posts : 177 Join date : 2011-08-28 Age : 31 Location : Gisborne, New Zealand
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Wed Feb 29, 2012 1:21 am
I was "A man on a mission" in that race
HardingNZ JOKERS CLAN MEMBER
Posts : 177 Join date : 2011-08-28 Age : 31 Location : Gisborne, New Zealand
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Fri Mar 16, 2012 12:00 pm
I have a big weekend ahead of me this weekend.
I have worked hard getting my car ready after last weekends racing (been racing solid every weekend since the start of February). I got a bit of damage and had to get stuck into some aspects of the car that had been getting a little neglected (panel and paint mainly). A few upgrades too and the car is in probably it's best shape since the season started. Finally tonight have got the car fully loaded up and ready to go.
My Saturday will start at 5:30 waking up having a quick breakfast and crawling into the truck where we will start on our 7 hour journey down then back up the island to Huntly (20km's above Hamilton). Since the one and only road heading north from Gisborne is closed we have to go down the island 200km's to Napier before heading back up through Taupo (centre of the island). Turning a 4hr30min trip to 7hours. Hopefully we will get there with a few hours up our sleeve to relax and socialize a bit (maybe sneak in a kip) before heading to the Huntly track unloading and getting ready for the Waikato Champs! A track I have never raced at, racing with only a handful of drivers I've had experience with. My night will end around midnight after a few social beers and a trip back to Hamilton to stay with friends.
Sunday morning I will be up at the crack of sunlight to access the car for any damage and give it a general check over and a bit of general maintenance. Breakfast then heading down the island 50 odd km's to KihiKihi Speedway for the King Country Champs, this meeting gets ran in the day starting at 2pm, requiring us to be there around 11am. Again a new track, new faces. The meeting will finish around 7-8pm. Depending on how well the weekend goes depends on when we will leave the track.. However a 7hour trip home after the meeting. Followed by you guessed it, work on Monday.
Wish me luck =D
Union.Jack JOKERS CLAN FOUNDER
Posts : 2148 Join date : 2010-01-06 Age : 47 Location : Townsville
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Fri Mar 16, 2012 1:46 pm
Good luck mate!
You should put the JKS tags on the car somewhere, it'll bring you luck!
lylow JOKERS CLAN FOUNDER
Posts : 4190 Join date : 2010-01-05 Age : 38 Location : Brisbane
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Fri Mar 16, 2012 3:07 pm
Jesus brother! This is exactly why I've been petitioning government: We need a 3 day weekend!!!!!!
Hope you get through it all ok, both the driving to, and the driving at. Good luck man! Go for the win!!!!
HardingNZ JOKERS CLAN MEMBER
Posts : 177 Join date : 2011-08-28 Age : 31 Location : Gisborne, New Zealand
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Mon Mar 19, 2012 10:49 am
Had a good weekend! The car instantly took a liking to the Huntly track and really hooked up well. Got faster throughout the night and managed to come from grid 3 to pass two of the fastest cars in the country to win the last race. Had to battle it tooth and nail the whole way but come up trumps. Ended up 3rd overall for the event on the podium with a trophy to bring home.
KihiKihi I struggled with getting the car setup in the firs two races. Still managing a 4th and a 6th placing. Having my rear grid in the last race I was really out of top 5 contention unless I went really well, because all the quick guys were having their front grids in the last race. I started on the outside rear of the grid and straight away went to the high line and started passing cars around the outside. Had the car handling waaay better! I was doing the same laptimes as the breakaway race leader. He had a Vtech Type R Integra and was in open space and I was in my big V3000 in traffic I managed to do a final pass on the line in doing so breaking the old lap record. Which had been broken earlier in the race by another driver. I got the last position by 0.06 of a second. Bring me a 4th spot.
A 3rd and a 4th on new tracks I am stoked! Cant wait to finally get back to the old stomping ground my home track this weekend with all the new experience I have now
Thanks for the support guys. I shook that checkered flag extra hard
Au_reefer JOKERS CLAN ADMIN
Posts : 1031 Join date : 2010-01-21 Age : 53 Location : WA
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Mon Mar 19, 2012 1:14 pm
Thats wicked Harding, bet there was some piss sunk that night Lol
lylow JOKERS CLAN FOUNDER
Posts : 4190 Join date : 2010-01-05 Age : 38 Location : Brisbane
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Mon Mar 19, 2012 11:01 pm
Ah well done son! Thats awesome
Love the way you tell the story. Made me feel like I was right there. But I reckon that tale is the type of story that will grow in the re-telling:
"And so there I was on the beaches of Normandy, facing an enire platoon of crack Nazi Storm troopers, with nothing but my combat knife, and my Type R.... And I still got 4th place!!!!"
Hahaha, nah mate, seriously well done. I'll have a beer on your behalf when I get home this evening
HardingNZ JOKERS CLAN MEMBER
Posts : 177 Join date : 2011-08-28 Age : 31 Location : Gisborne, New Zealand
Subject: Re: Harding Racing :) Tue Mar 20, 2012 1:46 am
Unfortunately not much piss was sunk on Sunday night as we had to jump straight into the car for the 7 hour drive back >.< Got back in the early Monday morning am.. work at 8am . There will be plenty sunk this weekend though! I'm driving my car. My brothers Stockcar (swapping cars for a race) and doing a streetcar race at the end (like a derby car but just race them. I'm testing out a car I hope to turn into a full time race car next year so hopefully that goes well. Haven't had a decent night on the beeewaaats in quite some time!