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Post by Simon on Sept 8, 2015 15:26:25 GMT -5
We're less than two weeks away from our next race, so start making plans! Race day is SATURDAY September 19th.
The official gas for the race is 91 octane from the Sunoco pumps across from Wine country Motorsports / Cafeteria etc. by turn 11 of the big track.
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Post by ron90 on Sept 8, 2015 17:24:06 GMT -5
I have tires and am ready to go. However, my son and I are looking at a bouldering competition in LA on Friday from 5-10pm. I am not sure if I can make both happen.
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Post by Dan Pell on Sept 9, 2015 13:12:32 GMT -5
Simon- let's take a couple BIG swings at freeing up that Italkart @ Sonoma. If the driver says "it feels like I'm on ice", we'll work backwards. We'll make a few adjustments to the kart in advance, will call you!
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Post by ron90 on Sept 14, 2015 13:44:12 GMT -5
I have tires and am ready to go. However, my son and I are looking at a bouldering competition in LA on Friday from 5-10pm. I am not sure if I can make both happen. I should have bought airline tickets a couple of weeks ago. Price has gone up 300%. What a ripoff. I have to keep looking. Alternatively, I get ready for Sonoma. |
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Post by Simon on Sept 15, 2015 1:58:43 GMT -5
Track configuration published ....
"This weekend's KPX race at Simraceway in Sonoma will be held on the Pro National Layout (National without the tic-tac section)
Practice for this layout will be held on Friday 9-5 with the racing on Saturday!"
I'll be an arrive and drive on Saturday (sadly my employer would prefer I work on Friday rather than drive karts), which will be entertaining on a track I know nothing about !
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Post by ron90 on Sept 15, 2015 16:49:45 GMT -5
I've looked but cannot find the layouts. Where can I find them?
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Post by RichH on Sept 15, 2015 21:08:56 GMT -5
It's no practice and used tires for me. I believe that is the layout that I raced on. I will post my gearing tomorrow
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Post by Simon on Sept 16, 2015 1:00:20 GMT -5
I've looked but cannot find the layouts. Where can I find them? Here you go, Simon's super professional track drawing service at your command ..... (make sure you follow my suggested line exactly .... especially T1)  |
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Post by ron90 on Sept 16, 2015 16:33:03 GMT -5
Thank you. I still do not know what my plans are for Saturday. Better safe than sorry. Unfortunately I think if I mount the stickers, tune the kart, and get everything organized, something will change and I will not be able to race. If I ignore everything kart related, I will be there bright and early to race.
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Post by RichH on Sept 16, 2015 17:31:51 GMT -5
OK, this is what I have on my notes.
temp. 75 deg. all day cool with wind
air density between 95 and 100 all day
gearing 14/54 ( notes say maybe add a tooth )
Been told the track has been over stuck for the Nationals
The straight and most of the corners are very Reno like. Very long and flat. The hardest and tightest section is the #2 and #3 corners combo
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Post by Simon on Sept 18, 2015 14:01:07 GMT -5
most of the corners are very Reno like. Which translates into "there will be plenty of crashing going on" |
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Post by ron90 on Sept 18, 2015 18:32:51 GMT -5
What time are you arriving?
I also don't have any sprockets that small. What are the chances they will have them in stock?
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Post by Simon on Sept 18, 2015 22:56:24 GMT -5
Sweet ! Glad you are racing Ron.
I'm planning on getting there 7:15 - 7:30. I think there is a kart shop there and Cambrian are a sponsor of the KPX series, so they should have their trailer there. I don't have a 54. But I have 55 upwards (but I put the 57 on there to start with), so worst case between Rich and I we should have *something* close to what you need.
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Post by ron90 on Sept 20, 2015 16:07:08 GMT -5
I was having fun, fun, fun until the "other" karters shoved me off the track (Heat 1, Turn 1, lap 1, at the start of the race. With a broken kart seat I kept racing but the kart simply did not respond. I knew the seat was broken, but not quite sure how bad. In retrospect my butt literally almost fell out of the seat. During the break I figured I was done. Rich and Simon brainstormed. Then Tom Agan stepped up to help "fix" it with some scrap aluminum, a number panel, and liberal amount of duct tape. I was back in the race. For some they would have looked at the setup and said "I'm NOT driving THAT!" For me it was just another day at the track. Now I not only have zip ties holding me together, but a number panel, scrap aluminum, and duct tape.  Best part of the Main was starting behind some 206's that put me there, and flying past them just after Turn 1, and before entering Turn 2. I never looked back, trying to keep up with Rich and Tom. With Tom's repair I took off another 0.9 seconds. I know Tom probably does not look at this forum but without him my day probably would have been over. Thanks everyone. It was a fun, hot, day. |
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Post by Simon on Sept 20, 2015 17:45:53 GMT -5
Glad you made it to the race Ron. From my perspective, I had a fun day, but not having driven the track before it was a challenge to figure it out.
- First practice, kept spinning in turn 7 (I think that's its number, it's hard to tell!). The third time I span another kart collected me and unfortunately he demolished his front left spindle. Luckily I had a spare old spindle in the trailer I donated to them to promote good karma. For the last 2 laps for practice 1 I could hear something scraping on the ground and came in. Up on the stand I found a motor mount clamp bolt had backed out and was scraping on the ground.
- After practice 1 I fixed the motor mount, and at Dan's suggestion, widened the front end. We all pushed down to the hotpit only to fine practice 2 was just finishing, so no more practice.
- Qualifying. In WF it went Tom, Rich, Ron, Simon. It was very much a 2 tier grid with Tom and Rich running in the 56s and Ron and I in the 58s. A couple of the fast 206s were scattered in amongst Ron and I.
- Heat 1 - the 206 are a lot more aggressive into T1 that I was, and being on the outside, I lost a place or two into T1. The aggression was illustrated by Ron being unceremoniously shoved of into the dirt exiting T1 (which is where his seat damage occurred). I managed to pick my way through the 206s that were between Ron and I, either as they just went off into the dirt unaided, or by out dragging them down the straight. Finished heat one not too far behind Ron. The wider front felt a lot better, so decided go even wider for the main and add a couple of teeth as I felt a bit slow off a couple of corners.
- Main - again I was on the outside and rather than risk being taken out in T1 by the 206s on the inside, I conceded the inside line a lost a few places thinking I would easily pick my way past them in a few laps. The plan started out fine and I made up a place or two, but them about 5 laps in, two 206s span in front of me entering T7. Unfortunately they didn't get the concept of standing on the brakes one spun to stay in place and let the kart(s) behind pass safely. I tried to pass the spun karts around the outside, but one of them was rolling backwards, and even though I headed for the dirt my back wheel hit the kart rolling backwards. I extracted myself from the dirt and as soon as I was on smooth tarmac I felt the dreaded bent axle vibration. I kept on going, but as I was bent on the left side, every right hand corner lacked bite from the tire as the wheel was vibrating around. I kept of going as I had paid my money and if the kart was still going, I had nothing to lose. It seemed to cost me a second a lap which was annoying as I wanted to see if my setup changes actually helped.
Finishing order was Tom, Rich, Ron, Simon. Tom and Rich had a great battle with Tom having the edge in the twisty bits and Rich the edge on the straight.
All in all it was still a fun day, despite the flashbacks to the bad old days of racing with the clones and how easy it is to become an innocent victim of over enthusiastic driving. Having said that, I much preferred having the larger field rather than the alternative of only having 4 WFs is a race. The track is great, long and fast, pretty smooth and not at all tiring. The heat was 16 laps and the main 18 and I didn't feel completely dead by the end. The unanimous feeling was that Sonoma absolutely should be on our schedule next year.
Random observations :
- Ron's kart is really narrow
- Ron was muttering something about buying a new chassis :-0
- No kangaroo court infractions occurred (it was close as Rich nearly went off to the grid with no gas cap)
- Simon is very envious of Rich's new recliner chair. That would be perfect for mid afternoon power naps
- Dan knows absolutely everyone in the pits
- Watching the pit guy try and gap somewhere around 30 karts as he sends them of out for qualifying is really entertaining. The first kart out had already done two laps by the time the last guy rolled out the pit
- My arms hurt having gone so wide at the front
- Simraceway's trophies are better than our championship trophies !
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