DLRA Speedweek 2019

[ajayro57]

Each generation seems to be just a little bit taller. My brothers and I were a little bit taller than our old man. My brother's kids are taller again. Better build those those doorways just a bit higher!

[Otago]

Or 52.26245798626334 mm, which makes it sound a bit bigger.
But seriously, congratulations on another successful meet, albeit beaten by the weather this time. Even so, the results must give you great confidence for next year.
I can't stop thinking that the attention to detail demanded by a career in roasting, mixed with a little of that black art that seems to be required, has so much to do with your success on the salt.
And that Brazen has to be the most impressive coffee maker that I've seen in a campsite! Makes an Aeropress look insignificant.
Once again, congratulations.

[Andy]

Same same here Mal, must be what we feed 'em.

Good one fellas, I'll let Zed know about the 2" (50mm to him). The best I calculated in my head while driving back was that he needed to be 6.5 meters an hour faster to get the record by 0.001 (which is all you need to beat it by).

[Javaphile]

Zed's best pass for the week was a 123.170mph average over the mile, the record for his production class is 123.174mph. I don't even know what 0.004mph is but it's small.

To refine theonetruepath's numbers a bit more, if the two bikes were racing side-by-side and Zed was *exactly* 0.004mph slower when the other bike hits the finish line Zed would be 2.05757708607336 inches/0.0009491579847482414 seconds behind him. Small indeed!


Java "Go Zed Go!" phile

[Dimal]

17.5 but wouldn't get asked for ID in a pub at 6'1"

Ah, good one mate...
Had the same with our two young blokes; eldest ended up at 6'2" and youngest 6'1" in their teens too.
The 'Old Man'? Well, I topped out at 5'9½" so not sure where the tall genes came from...

Mal.

[theonetruepath]

I don't even know what 0.004mph is but it's small.

It's just a tiny bit less than one thousandth of a second. Or two inches if that helps.

[Andy]

17.5 but wouldn't get asked for ID in a pub at 6'1"

[ajayro57]

Just out of interest, How old is Zed now? Looks about 16.

[Dimal]

Way to go Zed....
Awesome performance mate.

Well done again Team Freeman. Wonderful stuff...

Mal.

[Andy]

Following Zed to the startline in the Snob van while he's practising his tuck and getting the leather to stretch in the right directions. He twisted the throttle and left the van shortly after this pic



We had lots of down time this year, lightning strikes on the lake smoked the very expensive Tag Heuer timing gear and it took half a day for the timing guys to move it all to new channels. We also copped a lot of wind (cross winds) which stopped racing as it's really spooky at speed and even some rain which all added to the lag.

Waiting for another run in full gear during a "wait for the wind to lessen, Zed clocked off in a chair.




After each day it was back to the pits for changes, sprocket changes just done before sunset (and no light!)



Then drive back to camp for dinner, sleep and a pre-dawn wake-up for another day of racing.



Near all competitors were well off their best time this year, the environmental conditions just didn't allow for big powered things to get it down on the track or cross winds meant that no one could run straight.

Zed's best pass for the week was a 123.170mph average over the mile, the record for his production class is 123.174mph. I don't even know what 0.004mph is but it's small. To make it even more impressive, his bike is a 400cc in a 500cc class so he did that speed against bikes 25% bigger than his. The rest of the week strong headwinds and slippery track conditions had him running slower but I'm sure next year he'll come back faster. He peaked over 200kmh during the runs which we think makes this the fastest Kawasaki Ninja 400 in the world... that's awesome!

My best pass for the week was 198.74mph (320kmh) and after downloading the data from the ECU we could see that was at 48% throttle!!!! Track surface was my problem, I had tons of power (well over 300hp at the wheel) with near zero traction. During that run the front wheel of the bike was doing 320kmh and the rear 400kmh (worst slip) and the best was a 30kmh differential. The upside was that with my new ECU I get really great data after a run and can make fuelling adjustments and we have the bike tuned far better than you can on a dyno alone.

We'll be back next year and look forward to spending the "off-season" making the bikes better. There is a lot of dust and salt in the van and trailer which are still full in the driveway so I know what the rest of my day today looks like!



Camping roadside at daybreak on the way home, felt "normal".

[Andy]

The pits are on the salt lake and about 5km up and it's always a drive full of anticipation.



Get the two bikes ready and jump into the staging lake to queue for a run. Zed is having breakfast on the bike.



Here's a picture of 3 green ones in a row (total coincidence we were staged in that order). Sam from QLD turbo ZX1200 on the left, my supercharged 1000 in the middle and Jeff from WA ZX1400 "naked" class without body work. 3 Kawasaki bikes in a row and all 3 riders members of the 200MPH club.

[Andy]

Speedweek 2019 is done and dusted, literally (we collected lots of red dust!)

We drove to Port Augusta, headed to Iron Knob and this signpost is the last bit of bitumen and phone signal.



After 120km of red dirt and cattle-grid crossings and wildlife on the road (Roos, goats, sheep, lizards, emus) we get to the Mt Ive Submarine, time to take a photo of the snob van.



Drive another hour or so after the sub and setup camp near the lake, this is home for the week. We took the aeropress, kettle and small gas stove but this year also needed a generator to charge the battery in my bike so tossed in the Brazen too. It was pretty awesome to knock-out a pot of filter in the middle of nowhere. Oh yeah, before someone asks it was Yemen in the Brazen and Ardi in the Aeropress.



The drive onto the lake as the sun cracks over the hills is always special.

[Javaphile]

Good to see you've survived another year in the wilds of the salt, now you just have to make it through the long trip back through the dangers of civilization!


Java "Patiently awaiting the news" phile

[Otago]

"The cool crisp air" which quickly turns into 40c.

But it's still worth it for the spectacle.

Also, there is ready access to the pits where you find an openness of participants to talk about their passion.

A unique sector of motorsport in Australia.

[Jackster]

A event well worth attending, even if only for first 3 days or so.
The post dawn wail of big hp engines straining against the force of ever thickening air.
The cool crisp air with the echoes off the surrounding hills, and someone disappearing over the horizon - rapidly...

A great little shed that serves a hearty home style meal overlooking the lake. Breakfast, lunch and tea, with drinks!

Certainly a experience. Don't forget to take shade..