Post by Simon on Jun 30, 2014 17:03:03 GMT -5
Here's my race report, others will have their own view. We had a good turnout with 7 World Formulas and the LO206 guys were there with 6 karts. As we were all Briggs and were running pretty much the same range of laptimes (and there were LOADS of classes) the WFs and 206s ran together which worked out well.
A big thanks for Jeff and Rich J for coming down from Redding. I hope you guys had a good time ! Jeff, you did a great job at maintaining the perimeter security. I didn't see a single rattlesnake in my pit all weekend.
On Saturday Rich H was the hot shoe, breaking into the 49s and justifiably had high hopes for race day. Rich's high hopes diminished slightly when Jeremy was spotted in the Sunday morning tech line with a 80 shifter in one hand, and a WF in the other. Rich was going to have some proper competition.
.... but then things started coming unraveled for Rich. In morning practice he threw a chain. Subsequent investigation also showed that he lost the bottom two bolts from the side cover. While replacing the lost 2 bolts, one of them snapped ! (Dear Mr. Dan, where can we get the upgraded side cover bolts from ?)
Rich then pulled the whole side cover off, removed remains of broken bolt, luckily the gasket was still good, and then put it all back together.
Then came qualifying. In general I had been running slower than Rich, Paul and Brad, but quicker than Jeff and Rich J, so was expecting to grid to be something like Jeremy, Rich, Brad or Paul, then me. To my surprise I out-qualified Brad, which was good, but that put me on the outside for Heat 1, which is always a bit of a bummer at PC. We gridded the WF and 206s together based on times to create a big field. I was on the 3rd row with Brad on the inside a row back. Rich missed qualifying as he was fixing his motor, so started heat 1 from the back.
Heat #1 start ... I'm always a bit nervous of claiming the inside line into T1 from the outside row, so I left room and Brad came down the inside. I thought, hmm, I'm not ready to give that place up yet and decided to claim the inside line for T2. Unfortunately I kind of ran out of road. Brad says he intended leaving me room, and he may well have, but as I saw him turning into T2 I thought "Crap, where do I go now ?" So I decided the dirt on the inside would be fine. It was fine until I lost all ability to turn in said dirt, so I understeered back onto the track where Brad and I collided, sending him onto two wheels and into the dirt on the inside of T3. I kept on going and Brad rejoins the track just ahead on me between T3 and T4. Rich throws his chain in T3 and retires.
I chase Brad around for a few laps, until he pulls off into the pits as his kart was handling strangely. It turns out our collision bent his axle. I also suffered a bent axle, but nothing too severe. Jeremy wins heat 1.
Heat #2, I start from the same place on the grid. Some 206s get into a rubbing frenzy going into T1 so I lift off and let a load of 206s down the inside to keep away from any mayhem there. I have a quiet race pretty much on my own, apart from a late challenge from a 206 which I hold off. Brad didn't make heat 2 because of axle bentness, Rich throws his chain .... again.
Main .... uneventful start and was just cruising as I thought I likely had 3rd in class pretty secure and there was no point doing anything crazy. That and it was 100F, and I really didn't want to do anything more than the bare minimum. About 3 laps in, I have a bobble coming onto the straight and all of a sudden Jeff is driving past me on the inside. I had no idea he was there, otherwise I would have been a lot more defensive in my line down the straight ! That wakes me up and I start trying again. I was hanging with Jeff pretty well until a lap later Rich H (who started from the back again) passes me on the straight. He was way faster than me, but just the act of him passing put a gap between Jeff and I, which I never recovered. Half way through the race, Rich threw a chain .... yet again. Brad did start the main with bent axle (in the hope his chain would stay on longer than Rich's), but he lost his in T3 lap 1.
Jeremy broke a seat stay, but soldiered on, but ended up 3rd overall (but still won WF). Paul took 2nd. I don't think I saw Paul all day on track !
There were many, many classes, and even with only 6, 6 and 8 lap races, the racing was barely finished by 6pm. We drank beer, Rich won so many raffle prizes that it took 3 people to carry them all back to his van.
Brad needs to find a new axle and rim, Simon needs to find a new axle and rim. A frustrating day for some of us, it was too hot for me but it was good to meet the 206 gang. Hopefully we'll race together at some races in the future, the 206s at 370lbs against the WFs at 390, 400, 410, 415 lbs, were a pretty good match for each other. Kenny Manchester and Michaela LaSpina were hauling ass in their 206s.
P.S. Many kart stand tires went flat due to the spiky stickers all over the place. I alone had 3 tires go down.
P.P.S. Our pits were a long way away .... from everything.
A big thanks for Jeff and Rich J for coming down from Redding. I hope you guys had a good time ! Jeff, you did a great job at maintaining the perimeter security. I didn't see a single rattlesnake in my pit all weekend.
On Saturday Rich H was the hot shoe, breaking into the 49s and justifiably had high hopes for race day. Rich's high hopes diminished slightly when Jeremy was spotted in the Sunday morning tech line with a 80 shifter in one hand, and a WF in the other. Rich was going to have some proper competition.
.... but then things started coming unraveled for Rich. In morning practice he threw a chain. Subsequent investigation also showed that he lost the bottom two bolts from the side cover. While replacing the lost 2 bolts, one of them snapped ! (Dear Mr. Dan, where can we get the upgraded side cover bolts from ?)
Rich then pulled the whole side cover off, removed remains of broken bolt, luckily the gasket was still good, and then put it all back together.
Then came qualifying. In general I had been running slower than Rich, Paul and Brad, but quicker than Jeff and Rich J, so was expecting to grid to be something like Jeremy, Rich, Brad or Paul, then me. To my surprise I out-qualified Brad, which was good, but that put me on the outside for Heat 1, which is always a bit of a bummer at PC. We gridded the WF and 206s together based on times to create a big field. I was on the 3rd row with Brad on the inside a row back. Rich missed qualifying as he was fixing his motor, so started heat 1 from the back.
Heat #1 start ... I'm always a bit nervous of claiming the inside line into T1 from the outside row, so I left room and Brad came down the inside. I thought, hmm, I'm not ready to give that place up yet and decided to claim the inside line for T2. Unfortunately I kind of ran out of road. Brad says he intended leaving me room, and he may well have, but as I saw him turning into T2 I thought "Crap, where do I go now ?" So I decided the dirt on the inside would be fine. It was fine until I lost all ability to turn in said dirt, so I understeered back onto the track where Brad and I collided, sending him onto two wheels and into the dirt on the inside of T3. I kept on going and Brad rejoins the track just ahead on me between T3 and T4. Rich throws his chain in T3 and retires.
I chase Brad around for a few laps, until he pulls off into the pits as his kart was handling strangely. It turns out our collision bent his axle. I also suffered a bent axle, but nothing too severe. Jeremy wins heat 1.
Heat #2, I start from the same place on the grid. Some 206s get into a rubbing frenzy going into T1 so I lift off and let a load of 206s down the inside to keep away from any mayhem there. I have a quiet race pretty much on my own, apart from a late challenge from a 206 which I hold off. Brad didn't make heat 2 because of axle bentness, Rich throws his chain .... again.
Main .... uneventful start and was just cruising as I thought I likely had 3rd in class pretty secure and there was no point doing anything crazy. That and it was 100F, and I really didn't want to do anything more than the bare minimum. About 3 laps in, I have a bobble coming onto the straight and all of a sudden Jeff is driving past me on the inside. I had no idea he was there, otherwise I would have been a lot more defensive in my line down the straight ! That wakes me up and I start trying again. I was hanging with Jeff pretty well until a lap later Rich H (who started from the back again) passes me on the straight. He was way faster than me, but just the act of him passing put a gap between Jeff and I, which I never recovered. Half way through the race, Rich threw a chain .... yet again. Brad did start the main with bent axle (in the hope his chain would stay on longer than Rich's), but he lost his in T3 lap 1.
Jeremy broke a seat stay, but soldiered on, but ended up 3rd overall (but still won WF). Paul took 2nd. I don't think I saw Paul all day on track !
There were many, many classes, and even with only 6, 6 and 8 lap races, the racing was barely finished by 6pm. We drank beer, Rich won so many raffle prizes that it took 3 people to carry them all back to his van.
Brad needs to find a new axle and rim, Simon needs to find a new axle and rim. A frustrating day for some of us, it was too hot for me but it was good to meet the 206 gang. Hopefully we'll race together at some races in the future, the 206s at 370lbs against the WFs at 390, 400, 410, 415 lbs, were a pretty good match for each other. Kenny Manchester and Michaela LaSpina were hauling ass in their 206s.
P.S. Many kart stand tires went flat due to the spiky stickers all over the place. I alone had 3 tires go down.
P.P.S. Our pits were a long way away .... from everything.
