September 28, 2004

Pro Kart Endurance Champs September 2004

Milton Keynes Round 7

Disaster

I have to say that for round seven we were probably the most optimistic we have been for any round. The kart has been running well all season and the tuned motors are getting stronger. We arrived at the track and I thought I would set the front end geometry up with our laser alignment tools. This would haunt us later but its all a learning curve I guess. Without getting too technical we can alter both castor and camber. I noticed that these were not lining up so added some camber one side of the kart only. The problem with doing this (I didn't know) is that it alters the castor and the castor is what makes the kart turn round corners :)

Qualifying

Amazingly considering the kart was handling pants and sliding all over the track (due to my adjustments) Chris managed to qualify us in 12th place!!!! We and the rest of the field couldn't quite believe it :)

Race

I was elected to start the race as I seem to have a knack of staying out of trouble! Sitting on the grid at the back is one thing! Sitting in the middle of 40 karts is quite another I can tell you :( I was feeling very nervous about the start because you are right amongst it and I wasn't happy with the serious lack of grip we were experiencing either. Race away and we do 2 rolling laps to warm the tires up then we are off. Coming round the bottom left a kart shot up my inside whilst at the same time one came round the outside. Both karts hit my front wheels which snapped BOTH track rods. I went off the track with no steering :( This on the first lap.

The quad came and picked the kart up and towed it back to the pit and I ran all the way back 200 meters. I arrived back at the pit to chaos. 6 hands none of which knew what they were doing all trying to change the front track rods! Jon and I finally took over and got it repaired and I rejoined the track some 15 mins later well pissed off at our turn of luck. The kart was awful to drive and I was glad when my session was over to be honest. Chris went out and didn't fair any better. He put in a good effort but we just couldn't live with the lack of grip. Chris pits and Jon goes out for the third drive.

About 20 mins into Jons drive he was coming round the pit corner before the pit straight and the rear wheel came off and bounded along the track (I did laugh) and you would too if you knew Jon! Fortunately this happened just before the pit entry so he came straight in and we had to change the rear hub and also the wheel, both of which were mangled! Out he goes again to get back into the thick of it. After another 10 mins the front left wheel stub axle snapped off leaving him on 3 wheels again! We wait for the trolley to bring him back in. Back in the pits a very dejected team decide that we would retire :( We were running in last place and 4 laps down on the next team in front of us and we still had to repair the kart. We called it a day and had an early one.

In hindsight we all learned a lot again and it is our first season so we are not to hard on ourselves. In saying that to go from 12th to last is a bummer :(

Roll on round 8..

Mark...

Posted by Mark at September 28, 2004 8:28 AM

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