The 800km journey to Misano from Vienna was quite uneventful, which is a novelty just lately. I was joined by bike journo and owner of www.ladyrace.net Katia, an Italian born, Austrian resident and fluent in Italian, German and English. Perfect company for an Italian track day organised by a German company.
We arrived after dark, so after a pizza stop (when in Misano), we set up camp. The bike was relegated to the paddock as my race truck is about the same size as me and any extra people get accommodated in the mechanics quarters, which is in the bike compartment. Bike out, airbed in. Apparently is quite cozy back there.
The Adriatico weather was perfect: bright and sunny, shorts and T-shirts weather. I was feeling pretty rested and really looking forward to playing on track. This was just another getting to know you day between me and my bike, and also getting my sadly lessened perception to speed back that I always lose in the winter. I feel I am arriving at corners way too fast then actually find I could get off and push by the time I get there. I didn’t want to get caught up too much in pushing for times, the bike is still not mapped and fueling wasn’t all that beautiful.
I had no idea what a good lap time looks like as the track has been changed again during the winter and in any case, I didn’t take any times on Friday morning. Katia then informed me that I needed a transponder for grouping for the afternoon. I knew this would be helpful as there was a big scale of rider on this track day. I spent the day gradually knocking seconds off, getting the not so amusing anymore rearsets sorted out. A two-minute lap was the best I could do. Not good…
Day Two
I found a couple of more seconds and had a bit of a battle with a cheeky Italian dude who was determined he was going to be quicker than me. Most of it in the paddock as he was passing us between his bike and the lap sheets, with various hand signals and I think Italian swear words.
Day Three
After being up three times during the night, firstly for rain to put everything under cover, then for battening down the awning when the wind picked up, then for winding the awning in when the wind really got giddy with it. It was 4.30 in the morning and there were an awful lot of Italian dudes running round in their underpants trying to sort canvas out (Playing tents with boys, Deb? – ED).
I did a few of laps in the morning to check the wind situation, then went out for the ladies’ race which was a mix of us, street-fighters, old dudes and a few others.

I was gridded four places behind Italian rider Milena Milani who was on her new ZX-6R. It was a rolling start and I was caught napping after the two warm up laps as we’d all been slowed right down by the pace bike, then I missed the flag. Oops.

Still, no one came past.
I played follow-my-leader (I thought you were the pilot, not the navigator – ED) for a few laps, then remembered I was racing. I quickly began to pick off targets, (including cheeky chappy from yesterday) but I’d lost a whole heap of space from Milena who I could barely see at the start of the second to last lap, she was now the bike in front.

I managed to reign it all in and pull a dodgy pass out the back which saw me more screwed than she was and she passed me straight back, but I knew I could get her through the fast section. However, I got my intentions mixed up with my capabilities and screwed that up as well.

I tried on the last right but was a bit too hard and ended up with a bigger gap, but was on her back wheel for the line which, I have to say, I was disappointed in as I should have made and held the pass.

What I didn’t realise was that the result was calculated on overall race time due to the rolling start, so I’d taken the win without being in front. My last lap was the fastest of the weekend, a 1.56, still not that good I don’t think, but I’m a long way on from Pannonia last weekend and feel a lot happier than at this stage last year.

I have another three days at Pannonia in two weeks’ time before heading back to Misano for the first race of the season on the April 13. All in all, I am feeling happy and confident for the year.
Both EWC champions from 2007 we’re there. Nina Prinz, who is racing in the German Superbike championship this year and Iris Ten Katen who’s racing in the Dutch Supersport championship. Congratulations to both riders who are already proving that they really deserve the rides. Both were on fire, and I mean blazing.
There were also a couple of Russian ladies, Natasha Lubimova and Nadin Yakhnich, two of really very few Russian girls riding on the track. They will be representing Russia in the European Women’s championship this year also, they both improved massively throughout the weekend.
It was also nice to see Magreet Zant again, with the trickest paint job in the paddock. She found a huge four seconds in the race off her lap times!
Last but by no means least, I really have to thank Katia for giving up her entire weekend to come Misano and help with everything. Really the best people to have with you helping are the people who’ve done it themselves, I get the feeling a little of the racing bug may have been transmitted though, just a teeny leap from trackdays ;o)
Until post-Pannonia
Ciao
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