Daniel Self's NZ Race Season Rundown
What a summer it’s been! I chose to tick off a full National Downhill (DH) Series, followed by National DH Champs here in New Zealand. Once the DH races wrapped up, and most of the DH crew called it time for a rest, I moved straight into the Enduro Series, competing in the full Southern Crown Enduro Series and the first of the North Islands 2W Enduro Series. From January 22nd to March 13th, I raced every weekend for 8 weeks! It was a welcome break before racing again the following weekend and then heading to Rotorua for the 2W Enduro just 2 weeks later. All in all, I spent 10 weekends racing, over a 12 week block!
For this season’s setup I had my Santacruz V10 running full FE-Sports Spec, with Pirelli on traction duties and Galfer on stopping. Galfers diskwave 223 rotors are my go-to, the thicker rotors move the lever bite point out a little which suits me well, and the extra leverage of the big rotors is ideal for keeping things under control at DH race speeds!
I have been fortunate enough to be riding Pirelli's Prototype DH tyres since April last year. I am a huge fan of the extra thick sidewalls, not only for puncture protection but also for the added support when cornering hard, there is nothing worse than feeling a tyre fold as you’re pushing hard. For DH racing, these tyres are an absolute must.