Record attempts personal

When Featherston speedster Ivan Juggins, 18, attempts to smash two New Zealand records next month, he'll be doing it for more than personal satisfaction.
He'll be doing it in memory of a friend who died in a motorcycle accident this year.
The young motorcycle racer is planning to break two long-standing records in the 125cc ?-mile, one of which has been set since 1981, along Murphy's Line in Featherston on September 9.
The records currently stand at 119.06mph for the standing start, set in 1995, and 13.42 seconds for the flying start, set in 1981.
He unofficially broke the records in February but because Dalefield Road, where the event was held, has a two-degree slope the times did not count.
Ivan suffered a further blow when the next month, a friend of the family Derek Hill died in the final lap of a race at the Pukekohe nationals.
That almost quelled Ivan's motorcycle-racing career, but a part of him knew that Mr Hill would want him to carry on.
"The beginning of the year was the hard part.
"When someone you know close (to you) dies, you get to the stage where you think: "Do you want to continue?"
"You just have to. You know that they died racing, doing something that they enjoy and they wouldn't want you to stop because of what happened to them."
His attempt to break the flying and standing start times for the ?-mile will be his last run on a 125cc bike, as he has this year stepped up to a 650cc.
"When I first broke it I went to do it for myself, but after that happened there's a (part of me) that wants to do it for him as well a way of remembering him. The way I'll remember him is by riding with his numbers on the day. It's sort of a tribute run to him."
He is hoping for an even temperature on the day to ensure a smoother running of his bike "if the air changes it causes it to run really lean or causes it to blow up and it will run really bad" but the attempt will be fraught with other challenges aside from the weather.
"The challenge is going to be finding the right gearing and the perfect start. Without that, the runs are wasted."
A perfect start would be to "hold it at the end of the revs line and holding the clutch for as long as possible and not getting held up on the spot too long".
Joining Ivan in November will be Tauranga company director Paul Heard, who will attempt to smash the world production motorcycle record of 311km/h on a Ducati Desmosedici RR.
Ivan began riding competitively five years ago and is this year having a good season despite his step up in class and switch from a two-stroke to four-stroke engine.
"It's actually been a lot better than what we expected it to be my first time on a four-stroke & and the biggest field in New Zealand. I'm managing to finish in the top 15 places in races.
"From what people say I'm finishing 10 places higher than what I should be for my first time on it."
And his family is no stranger to the sport either in fact, he said he has a lot to thank them for with his brother William, 16, taking to the track regularly.
"It's what we do as a family. We all go to the events together me and William race, Mum and Dad help out.
"If I can thank mainly my Mum and Dad and my brother for always being there and all the people that continue to support us as a family."