I hope everybody has enjoyed reading what I have to say up until now, and as soon as I'm back doing anything motorsport related I'll be sure to let you know about it :)
Until next time..
Ben
Monday 1 April 2013
News in brief..
Unfortunately I've had to make the difficult decision not to enter the next BRKC round at Matchams due to other commitments. I've also decided to take a short break from karting in general, although I am hoping to do another experience day at Thruxton in the next couple of months!
I hope everybody has enjoyed reading what I have to say up until now, and as soon as I'm back doing anything motorsport related I'll be sure to let you know about it :)
Until next time..
Ben
I hope everybody has enjoyed reading what I have to say up until now, and as soon as I'm back doing anything motorsport related I'll be sure to let you know about it :)
Until next time..
Ben
(Almost) 200 Laps Later
120mins of racing was the daunting prospect facing me & seven other drivers as we lined up on the grid at the Teamsport Bristol circuit in Avonmouth on 29/03/13, and after a short briefing, we were ready to go!
A short practice/qualifying session had seen me set the 6th fastest time which didnt fill me with confidence as Id purposely held back to try and get a bit of space instead of fighting and losing time for the entire session. Perhaps the writing was on the wall and in hindsight, I should have used the opportunity to have swapped karts in the hope of something with a little more grunt. However, as is the always the way in rental karting, you play the hand you're dealt, and besides, we had a long race ahead of us.
I admit that my mind was elsewhere as we made our way onto the grid, and just before the lights went out I found myself rolling forward. I applied the brake, and just as I did the lights went green, resulting in me getting an awful start, and I was dead last by the end of the lap one.
A few laps later I was back up to 7th position after passing with a late braking move, and I was soon on the tail of the next guy, who proved alot more difficult to pass. Lap after lap I followed him, mere inches from his rear bumper, as I tried to establish a weakness and create an opportunity to pass. It soon became apparent that I was able to get close coming off of the flyover and into the right hand hairpin at the bottom of the track, but in the acceleration zones he was able to pull a small gap on me, which made it really tough to pass.
After what felt like an age, I finally got a run him coming over the starting grid, and as he moved to left of the track to take the racing line for the next corner, I stuck my kart up the inside-a move that requires late braking and and fair bit of peripheral vision from the other guy. Luckily, he saw me coming and the pass was clean. 6th place!
I was finally getting into a rhythm, and shortly after I was with the next kart up the road, who was battling for 4th and at the same time closing down the guy in 3rd. I started to think that I could make the top four at least, and before long a train of karts had formed with me at the rear. On lap 52, as the dogfight infront of me started to heat up, I got a tap on the rear as I turned into the fast right-hander at the end of the main straight, which spun me through 180 degrees, and dropped me back to last. I found myself with the nose of the kart sat in the tyres, and had to wait for a marshals assistance before getting on my way again, half a lap down on the field. To say I was furious at the time doesn't even cover it!
Things settled down after this first half hour or so, and I found myself with plenty of track to myself for what felt like forever, the only moment of interest coming when the top two drivers came through to lap me for the first time.
As the hour mark approached, it became apparent the pace wasnt going to letup, and I hadnt noticed anybody making any pitstops (we were entitled to stop as many times as we like for a break or to throw in the towel) and it was about the same time that I started to seriously regret necking two bottles of sports drink before the practice session.
Id honestly thought that hydrating properly was the right way to do things, but as the laps went on, I started to experience an overwhelming need to use the bathroom, and as any guy will testify, sooner or later, the call of nature needs to be answered.
I lost somewhere between 3-4 laps during my short but much-need break, but I felt reinvigorated as I got back into my kart, emerging from the pitlane just as the race leader came over the starting grid infront of me. I was able to follow him for a few laps, before I had a tardy couple of corners and lost sight of him again. If Chase the Ace has taught me anything, its for the need to be consistent with your performance- a fact amplified in a race lasting three times as long! Its certainly an area I know I need to improve on if I'm to find myself moving up the grid in future.
For the next 20mins or so, I tried to just get my head down, and by the '30 Minutes Remaining' board was shown, I felt like I was driving to my full ability and what felt like the kart's limit.
Lap after lap I nailed each apex perfectly, carrying maximum momentum through each turn and trying not to lose time by sliding too much-yet I found I was still losing time..
Anytime was even close to another kart, it became clear that I simply didnt have the acceleration needed to get the laptimes I felt my driving was deserving of. I was passed again & again along the two straights, even on one occasion on the short uphill section of the flyover, almost as if I was standing still.
As the two hour mark passed, I crossed the line a desolate 7th of 8 drivers, having lost another position late on as a group of karts came through to lap me, along with the opportunistic Luke McKay. I was left wondering what might have been if not for the accident earlier on and my unscheduled pitstop, as Id felt a top four place would have been achievable given my early pace.
The winner of the race, 'Ironman' Matt Horgan, completed an astonishing 200 laps, followed home by Drue Thompson (199) and Luke Atherton (198) I finished on 190 laps, ahead of last placed man Jamie McGregor, who had unfortunately been sick at some point during the race!
Although I was disappointed, I still had a good night racing. Andy Collins and the guys at Teamsport put on a great event, and overall the standard of driving was high. At the end of the day, its only abit of fun, isnt it? ;)
A short practice/qualifying session had seen me set the 6th fastest time which didnt fill me with confidence as Id purposely held back to try and get a bit of space instead of fighting and losing time for the entire session. Perhaps the writing was on the wall and in hindsight, I should have used the opportunity to have swapped karts in the hope of something with a little more grunt. However, as is the always the way in rental karting, you play the hand you're dealt, and besides, we had a long race ahead of us.
I admit that my mind was elsewhere as we made our way onto the grid, and just before the lights went out I found myself rolling forward. I applied the brake, and just as I did the lights went green, resulting in me getting an awful start, and I was dead last by the end of the lap one.
A few laps later I was back up to 7th position after passing with a late braking move, and I was soon on the tail of the next guy, who proved alot more difficult to pass. Lap after lap I followed him, mere inches from his rear bumper, as I tried to establish a weakness and create an opportunity to pass. It soon became apparent that I was able to get close coming off of the flyover and into the right hand hairpin at the bottom of the track, but in the acceleration zones he was able to pull a small gap on me, which made it really tough to pass.
After what felt like an age, I finally got a run him coming over the starting grid, and as he moved to left of the track to take the racing line for the next corner, I stuck my kart up the inside-a move that requires late braking and and fair bit of peripheral vision from the other guy. Luckily, he saw me coming and the pass was clean. 6th place!
I was finally getting into a rhythm, and shortly after I was with the next kart up the road, who was battling for 4th and at the same time closing down the guy in 3rd. I started to think that I could make the top four at least, and before long a train of karts had formed with me at the rear. On lap 52, as the dogfight infront of me started to heat up, I got a tap on the rear as I turned into the fast right-hander at the end of the main straight, which spun me through 180 degrees, and dropped me back to last. I found myself with the nose of the kart sat in the tyres, and had to wait for a marshals assistance before getting on my way again, half a lap down on the field. To say I was furious at the time doesn't even cover it!
Things settled down after this first half hour or so, and I found myself with plenty of track to myself for what felt like forever, the only moment of interest coming when the top two drivers came through to lap me for the first time.
As the hour mark approached, it became apparent the pace wasnt going to letup, and I hadnt noticed anybody making any pitstops (we were entitled to stop as many times as we like for a break or to throw in the towel) and it was about the same time that I started to seriously regret necking two bottles of sports drink before the practice session.
Id honestly thought that hydrating properly was the right way to do things, but as the laps went on, I started to experience an overwhelming need to use the bathroom, and as any guy will testify, sooner or later, the call of nature needs to be answered.
I lost somewhere between 3-4 laps during my short but much-need break, but I felt reinvigorated as I got back into my kart, emerging from the pitlane just as the race leader came over the starting grid infront of me. I was able to follow him for a few laps, before I had a tardy couple of corners and lost sight of him again. If Chase the Ace has taught me anything, its for the need to be consistent with your performance- a fact amplified in a race lasting three times as long! Its certainly an area I know I need to improve on if I'm to find myself moving up the grid in future.
For the next 20mins or so, I tried to just get my head down, and by the '30 Minutes Remaining' board was shown, I felt like I was driving to my full ability and what felt like the kart's limit.
Lap after lap I nailed each apex perfectly, carrying maximum momentum through each turn and trying not to lose time by sliding too much-yet I found I was still losing time..
Anytime was even close to another kart, it became clear that I simply didnt have the acceleration needed to get the laptimes I felt my driving was deserving of. I was passed again & again along the two straights, even on one occasion on the short uphill section of the flyover, almost as if I was standing still.
As the two hour mark passed, I crossed the line a desolate 7th of 8 drivers, having lost another position late on as a group of karts came through to lap me, along with the opportunistic Luke McKay. I was left wondering what might have been if not for the accident earlier on and my unscheduled pitstop, as Id felt a top four place would have been achievable given my early pace.
The winner of the race, 'Ironman' Matt Horgan, completed an astonishing 200 laps, followed home by Drue Thompson (199) and Luke Atherton (198) I finished on 190 laps, ahead of last placed man Jamie McGregor, who had unfortunately been sick at some point during the race!
Although I was disappointed, I still had a good night racing. Andy Collins and the guys at Teamsport put on a great event, and overall the standard of driving was high. At the end of the day, its only abit of fun, isnt it? ;)
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