If I had had a better feeling and better stopping power at the front, I could have finished higher but at least it felt good to finish both races. I didn't get the best of starts in the first race as I was beaten up in the first corner when Barros sat up, forcing me to sit up too. But then I managed to get past a few before I could feel oil on my boots from a leak and my feet kept slipping off the pegs. But I was determined to finish the race and not pull in so just tried to keep it as steady as I could. I had a good start in the second race and got my elbows out for the first couple of corners to make up some places. I was doing consistent lap times and when Bussei passed me I thought he would pull away but I found that little bit extra that I had been looking for and he was then holding me up! But whether it was down to me or the bike, I experienced a few false neutrals going into the turn one and, when I couldn't get back into gear I ran off into the gravel which lost me my race-long battle with Bussei, but it was good to feel like I'd actually been in a 'race'.
Monza is another new track for me and I'm looking forward to learning it, but it's not a good track for our bike and so I'm going in to that race with realistic expectations. The field of bikes and riders is incredibly strong this season and so at this stage the realistic level I'm working to is to try and make strong and consistent progress and finish every session in the top twenty.
Craig
