Cheers sushifiesta . I was working the track corner by corner and then started putting it all together at the end.
Karting
- Thread starter ExtremeNinja
- Start date
Race Report - Club100 Rye House Sprints: A familiar story, unfortunately, albeit with some promise. I had great pace in all sessions with my laps consistently matching the top three. My racing fortunes, however, did not match my speed. My best qualifying for the final, scuppered by a penalty for jumping the start. This meant I started 13th of 26. Moving on to the race, after having made up some spots off the line, I found myself getting sandwiched between two karts on the exit of the first hairpin. Ended up mounting the back of the guy cutting in from the run off and stalled the engine. Last place and way off the back of the field. Spent the rest of the race putting in front-running pace to get back up to 17th, where I finished. My best chance of a decent result and I didn't convert. I leave, again, encouraged by really good pace but looking for a better return.
Wowsers! Went for a burn at the local indoor track at North Greenwich last night and did three consecutive half hour races with ten minute qualifying sessions. Won the first one by half a lap from pole, swapped karts with the guy who came second, led most of the second race and then he got past me through heavy traffic. I hounded him for the last ten laps to the line and finished 0.2 seconds behind him. Final race was only half full so much less traffic with about 14 karts on track. Smashed my best laptime and finished three laps up on second place finishing on 35 laps to 32. It was just a bit of indoor fun, but three laps. I think it was something to do with my new helmet.
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Sounds like a challenge, my money's on the skinny one!
Yep. It's a brilliant track. They pick you up in a minibus at North Greenwich tube and then it's a five minute drive up the road to an industrial estate by the Thames barrier. Really good indoor circuit. Best I've driven. I know the guys down there now so go fairly regularly. Once a month, something like that.
The thing is, you need to book through the groupon deals they do and they sell out thousands of places in a couple of days. I should easily be able to sort something out if you wanted to go down there. I normally go on a weeknight after work.
The thing is, you need to book through the groupon deals they do and they sell out thousands of places in a couple of days. I should easily be able to sort something out if you wanted to go down there. I normally go on a weeknight after work.
86kg 
Race Report - Club100 Heavyweight Sprints - Forest Edge: Brilliant circuit and a step forward for me. New circuit and no practice so qualified right at the back in 20th. Brilliant start making up four places in the pre-final and a further 4 before the chequered flag. That gave me my highest grid slot of 8th for the final. In the final, my first lap was good and I made up a place, second lap I went wide and bumped along the grass for a bit, losing 5 places and rejoining in 13th. Hunted and hounded the guys ahead of me and made my way back up to 10th where I finished. My first top ten position! Not a perfect weekend but I am getting better and better and improving in confidence. Onwards and upwards. Bring on the next round! I'm ready.
Race Report - Club100 60min Challenge - Bayford Meadows: Hmm, this is my second 60minute here and I've raced sprints here too. The track is revealing itself as a bit of an Achilles heel for me. Lots of long sweeping corners requiring very precise input on steering and throttle. My qualifying was poor, starting 27th of 30. Not happy with that but got my usual charging start and made up some places on the first two laps. Was off the pace at the beginning but eventually settled and started to pull away from the back and move into the midfield. Good pace towards the end and finished 23rd. Today was fun but the result was less than I hoped for. Back at Bayford in two weeks for sprints and looking for consistency.
Few pics attached.
Few pics attached.
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Race Report - Club100 Heavyweight Sprints - Bayford Meadows: Well, in a word, brilliant. Today's report is a good one. Friday practice was called off due to track flooding, which set the scene for Sunday's race-day - a rain-sodden affair. Donning my new race-suit and waterproofs, I took to the track with a good head on. I kept it on the black stuff all through practice and qualifying and set some good times. From a field of 48 heavyweights I came in 16th which not only put me into the A-Final for the first time (my target for the year) but also right up in the mid-pack. The rain came down heavy in the middle of the pre-final and I was a little overexcited. A couple of spins and finished in 20th. The final was a happy tale. I made up 6 places in the first lap, putting myself in 14th from where I slipped down to 19th over the first half of the race. Keeping focus I kept my laps consistent and didn't fall off. I crossed the line in 15th with a huge smile beaming through my visor. Three weeks until the final round at Buckmore. Perhaps I'll get a little rain if I'm a good boy 'til then.
I have just signed up for all rounds of the 2013 Heavyweight Sprint Championship, The Winter Race and all rounds of the 2013 60 minute Challenge Endurance Championship.
I'm also going to try and do a bit of Daytona and get a team together to do a couple of 24 hour events.
They must have seen me coming because I am snagged hook, line and sinker.
I'm also going to try and do a bit of Daytona and get a team together to do a couple of 24 hour events.
They must have seen me coming because I am snagged hook, line and sinker.
Nice!! Certainly sounds like you've caught the bug. I managed to do a BUKC test day at Rye a few weeks back actually and I'm hoping to be able to do 3 race days (25 min sprint + 60 min endurance race each day) between now and April. In fact, a picture of me that turned up on facebook looks rather similar to your avatar:
Awesome. Great photo and looks just like my avatar, except a bit lighter. I've got my own suit now but don't have any pics of me racing in it. I hope your having a lot of fun. I absolutely love turn 1 at Rye House. I raced there last week to finish off this year's racing. Having started the year about 3.5s off of pole I have finished the year 045s off of pole. The mistakes are getting fewer but when I do make them now I am much more capable of making up for them or minimising my losses.
Was it as much fun as you remember? I don't know about you but I'm buzzing like a bee in baked bean tin as soon as I sit in it and get bumped off by the pusher karts.
I hope your having a lot of fun. I absolutely love turn 1 at Rye House. I raced there last week to finish off this year's racing. Having started the year about 3.5s off of pole I have finished the year 045s off of pole. The mistakes are getting fewer but when I do make them now I am much more capable of making up for them or minimising my losses.Was it as much fun as you remember? I don't know about you but I'm buzzing like a bee in baked bean tin as soon as I sit in it and get bumped off by the pusher karts.
I was quite surprised how comfortable I felt in the kart after a year off, but it was wet so it was all a bit tentative! My fastest laps were generally putting me around 3rd or so, but there weren't many teams there and a lot of new drivers. Really looking forward to the first race, if I get selected.
So what was meant to be my first race after a year off ended up being getting up at 4.30am for five hours of driving (half in snow, half on the M25) just to stare at Buckmore Park buried under snow and ice for a few hours. Not fun.
That sucks. I ran in round 1 after round 5 because round 1 was at Buckmore this year and it was snowed off. It worked out for me though, as I joined late. "unlike" to your post.
I have just signed up for a third karting championship next year. In addition to the Club100 Sprint and 60 minute series, I will also be running in the BRKC (British Rental Kart Series) in the heavyweight class.
I am going to have to carry 3kg of lead to scrape into heavyweights and, unlike Club100 where I am learning the ropes at a higher level, I will be aiming to win this - with a prize of entry to the WRKC (World Rental Kart Championships) in July. The first round (of 6) is at my local indoor circuit in Greenwich on Jan 13th. I'll keep you all informed of my progress.
I am going to have to carry 3kg of lead to scrape into heavyweights and, unlike Club100 where I am learning the ropes at a higher level, I will be aiming to win this - with a prize of entry to the WRKC (World Rental Kart Championships) in July. The first round (of 6) is at my local indoor circuit in Greenwich on Jan 13th. I'll keep you all informed of my progress.
Just put in some practice at The Raceway ahead of the first round of the BRKC, next week. 1st race I was given a dog of a kart and had to fight against some much quicker guys to take the win. It was Alonso-esque. 2nd race I got given one of the staff-karts and left everyone for dust. That one was Vettel-esque.
Here is my profile on the BRKC, site: http://brkc.net/automatic/driver.php?id=84
Here is my profile on the BRKC, site: http://brkc.net/automatic/driver.php?id=84
