August the 20th and 21st was an eventful weekend with a lot of major ups and one very major down.
It was round 7 of the Hooton IRK 2022 championship which I hope will be the event that changes my karting career - read on to find out why.
Results can be found here: https://results.alphatiming.co.uk/hootonik/2022/7/
The race was like usual £45 for Saturday practice and £55 for the race day and £10 for transponder hire.
Before I begin though, I must say a huge thank you to John and Zach Turner without John our weekend would have ended much earlier and they supported us throughout the weekends which was amazing making this weekend one of the best ever - a big thanks.
Weather report
Weather was good for the 2 days having rain during Saturday night, but this was late and didn’t really effect our sessions. Temperature was mid 20s and overall a hot day. Saturday was windy with an northerly wind and Sunday still with little to no wind which unfortunately made the pungent aroma from Eastham refinery linger in the air.
Saturday
A typical karting get up at 6am, Dad had made my breakfast, 2 soggy slices of previously warm bread (should be toast), caked in butter and jam and a random Vimto, we set off after hooking the trailer up to the car and set off. Arriving at about 8:30am, we found a nice empty spot on the concrete section and hastily made camp.
Initial set up:
We ran on the things we used on our last practice session a 76 toothed sprocket same spacers and jets.
The biggest change was we were now leaving the relms of the slow mojos about to embark on a Komet session. Daniel Whitfields and his Dad from Matt-finish Kitchen spraying, had generously donated the 1 day old Komets which performed exceptionally well during practise.
Practice Session 1
A very good practice to our standards at the time with already beating our personal best at hooton which went down to a 36:41 from a 36:64 which proved to us the importance of new tyres. It’s was fairly uneventful I just got used to the track feeling and steering etc but there was some work to be done as I was struggling to turn in fully into the 2nd of the double left handers. We stopped at John and Zach Turners for some advice and adjusted some of our setup
This included
Widen rear wheels to 1395mm
11psi all round
Mid level front tyres
Lowered the ride height
Arriving back at out pit the gazebo yet again has taken a battering from the breeze. We really need to invest in a new study one.
Practice Session 2
Another good practice session with the new changes I was able to turn into the corners better but still a new personal best at 36:21 we again stopped at John and Zach Turners camp to ask for advice which we then used on our kart which were
1400 rear width
10 psi back left
10.5 psi back right and
11psi front
Practice Session 3
Was a good practice and valuable experience but no faster laps would be made being short by 0.02
At a 36:23 we asked John and Zach Turner for advice and we ended up dropping tyre pressure to 9 rear left 9.5 rear right 10 on the front
Practice Session 4
This was a very eventful practice session with starting off well but coming down the back straight my engine stopped and there were no revs and a loud crush sound I pulled over out of the way of traffic to the grass run off at turn 3 and I could smell smoke so got out turned of the battery and waited to get the kart on a trolley as I suspected the engine had seized.
Engine Change
What I like most about Karting is not the racing and the thrill, its the community and help and support you get from other karters. Dave from Modus Motorsport and Karl from Kartal motorsport were quickly round to confirm our deepest fear - The engine had gone POP!
Not only that, they both identified the motor as a "Pre-Evo". What does that mean? Well it means we were robbed when we bought the Kart as it was advertised on Market place as an EVO to which we paid the EVO premium. the seller had pained the part to make it look like an evo.
Now that answer a lot and explains why I have been struggling as the Pre-evo is less powerful
Luckily, Dave had an Evo we could hire for the race tomorrow so Dad and John swapped the engine and got the kart ready for the final practice of the day.
Practice Session 7
Excited to have made it to the final session I was thankful I was able to race. I set off from the grid for the final practise and immediately felt the difference in the engine.
So much more responsive and a considerable amount of power and a crisp sharp delivery of it. This is going to be a game changer.
Accelerating out of the corners I though my head was going to come off. it was amazing.
It is now very clear that it was the engine that was the issue and not my driving. I was a driving God!
Smashed by personal best - again and now with a very competitive time @ 35.568 almost a full second quicker. Very excited for tomorrow now.
The day ended on a very high. From being distraught and gutted about loosing the engine, we finished feeling like something had been a accomplished. Lesson to learn:
Buy cheap - buy twice.
All we need now, it our own new engine and that a major issues as they are a little over £2000.
Donations and sponsorship welcome.
Sunday
Practice Session
Second time out with the new engine and a brand new set of lovely Vega whites I was excited to what could happen. With only 3 laps no records were ever going to be broke, so I took it easy and scrubbed the tyres.
It felt amazing, the new power and the new grip I was confident and buzzing.
Qualifying
11psi in the front, 10 at the rear I went in to qualifying. I was nervous at first but found an amazing amount of grip.
Unfortunately I got stuck in a little traffic and began to race another driver that slowed me down where after 9 laps I had only managed a 35.694 second lap. When I say "only" I mean, it put me on 17 position on the grid but smashed my personal best so I can't complain too much.
Spinning off on lap 2 being a little egar I made steady progression however, getting in traffic and not allowing a gap caused me to end up in 17th.
Heat 1
A bad start lead me to drop 2 position to 19th on the first corner but by lap 4 I had managed to climb back to 17th where the remainder of the race was spent at the back of a large fast group with number 17 Ellie Anderson in front of me. Try as I might, I couldn't create the space needed to pass and she defended really well. Both Dad and Grandad said it was a great battle to watch. The heat ended with me back in 17th - nothing lost nothing gained.
The new engine and tyres are proving their worth. I am now competitive and keeping up and I am much more enjoying the racing. With yet another personal best of 35.429 I am now as quick as the leaders with the race winners fastest time being 35.178 I am only 0.251seconds off the pace.
Heat 2
Heat 2 saw me set my personal best of 35.237, putting this in perspective the heat winner Tom Holden's quickest lap was 35.216 just 0.021secons quicker. I now need to work on the race craft and consistency which should allow me to be in a chance for silverware.
Luckily avoiding an incident in lap one I gained a position. Now feeling confident I then managed to pass number 42 Kian Pedlow during lap 3 putting me in 15th but on the final lap, number 8 Robby Rathbone came on the inside pushing me wide and taking that position.
In the end, I was one place up in 16th and really enjoying the new competition.
Final
By now I was really getting grips with the new power at my fingertips and the extra sticky Vega whites. This was my last chance - now or never!
We had changed the sprocket from a 76 to a 75 as the lowest revs out of the slowest corner was 7400 and we were reaching 14200 at the end of the straight. Going one tooth should give me a higher speed at the end of the straights providing I carry the speed though the corners - which it did!
On the grid in P17 (average of the heats and Qualifying) I got off to a great start gaining one place on the first corner, then, continuing to push on through the first lap, I positioned myself ready to over take Number 42 Kain Pedlow down the final straight. I moved out off the racing line to take the inside of the corner one Kain went wide and off in to the grass, I followed but managed to quickly get back on the track maintaining the P14.
Continuing to push, I lost grip and spun in lap 6 loosing 2 positions to P16. It took 2 laps to close the gap and in the final moment of the final on lap 10, I pushed hard and took 3 positions allowing me to finish with the highest position to date at P12.
Extremely happy with my result and amazed at the performance.
Analysis of the times, and once again, comparable to race leaders with Tom Holden the race winner achieving a 35.323 second lap against my 35.501 - 0.178second difference.
Lap times of Tom Holden - blue against mine - green.
Consistency needs improvement however this is due to traffic.
Karting costs
Consumables:
Car Fuel: £60.01 - doh!!
Kart Fuel: £28.00
Kart Spares on/day or before session:
Engine Hire: £100
3 x M8 Grub Screws: £3
1 x Exhaust Seal: £10.00 @ Hooton
1 x Exhaust Seal: £9.23 @ Pre Race
1 x Set of Tyres (Vaga Whites): £206
1 x Exhaust Matting: £9.30
1 x Exhaust Spring: £3.11
Other Costs:
Lunch Sat: £12
Lunch Sun: £18
Drinks and snacks: £10
Practise £45
RaceDay£55
Total: £557.65
Thanks
This weekend wouldn't have been successful without the help and support of quite a few people so I just want to thank:
Ste and Oliver Green
Mum - for Absolutely everything, from lunches to support!
Dad - for making it all happen.
Grandad - for the financial and emotional support.
Wightman Stewart for the sponsorship.
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