The Curse of Glan-Y-Gors

The last corner. 

Unfortunately we have found out the my kart, or its previous and current drivers, are cursed. Whenever there is a race at G-y-G and the Easykart Junior kart number 17 enters, it never finishes the final in full working order, in fact it never finishes the final...

As the double header this year is at G-y-G, so quite a journey for us we decided to go up on Thursday afternoon, the weather looked miserable (heavy rain) so pitching a tent was not a good idea, we booked a travel lodge for Thursday night and had a little chef dinner and breakfast.

Our set-up and sleeping quarters

Friday morning we got up, had breakfast and traveled to the track, we weren't particularly early but early enough. It was DRY! We needed to get a front sprocket after I broke one at Whilton, and some more oil. We got set up and were out for the first session. It was more of a remember the track session rather than get set up sorted. I was going well, for me, not particularly quick and wrong lines but on track when I overcooked a corner and went spinning, luckily I didn't damage the kart. I got out for the second session as well but grip felt quite low, dad was wondering if the tyres were shot.  3rd and 4th sessions were uneventful with me quick in one but slower, feeling quicker, in the other. 3rd was faster. I had an uneventful day but feel I am struggling, in my driving not in getting the set up. I think I just need to think less and remember more, of what Richard has said.

What I did to my chain! SNAP

Saturday was a complete contrast to Friday and also to Sunday, it was very wet. Well I say wet but it only really got wet in Qualifying, and you cannot go in to the pits and then back out. The warm up was simple enough, blast around for the full time as I wasn't on new slicks. Qualifying everyone could tell it was going to be wet, but not when. I think there was about 4 minutes of dry before the rain came, it was only a few spots but enough to make the slicks lose traction and heat. As qualifying isn't usually my strong point I didn't mind as I lost nothing, well no real positions. I was starting the heat in 20th out of 22 and managed to finish 18th after passing someone, James Hattersly, by taking a much quicker and grippier line. The Pre-Final I finished 17th but only as some people either didn't finish or got disqualified for being under weight. The final.... well. I didn't finish. I was up to around 15th or 14th but then my kart started to die, I was hoping to be able to limp it home, but I couldn't I thought it was the carb that was the problem but it was actually a broken reed block, not good! We didn't go and get it checked till Sunday morning, so  no warm up...

Sunday as all ready stated, was dry and things looked hopeful. We were up bright and early and sorted, not. We went to see Andy about the kart, he said the kart was fine but the carb was broken. He also said he would fix it ready to be picked up at 9:30 in time for the warm up. We picked it up, same problem. One of his mechanics then took a look, told us our battery was pretty low, as they all do... WE WILL NOT BUY A NEW BATTERY!! but anyway he showed us the broken reed block and we had to buy a new one, no warm up for me. I had to go out in qualifying on brand new slicks. I managed to wear a hole in the fuel line thus destroying my chances and making me only qualify in 2nd last, and barely use my slicks. The heat I had newer slicks on than everyone else so more grip, but I managed to clip Jess on the 2nd lap and spun myself putting myself down to 2nd last, again. it didn't affect Jess. I finished the heat in 18th but due to new rules had to start in 21st, you get points for your qualifying position and heat position and they are added together to work out your pre-final start position. I finished the Pre-final in an amazing 14th place, I just hoped I could use that well in the final, knowing that if I finished it I would change personal history, I didn't. At the first corner someone spun out and I had to go around the outside, finding myself once again in 22nd place I had some work to do. I was up to around 15th place with 5 laps to go and closing in on a group of 5 ahead of me. I went ever so slightly too fast around the 1st corner and barely touched the kerb. But it was enough to take my chain off and end my weekend with yet another DNF in the final. Ahh well.

On a lighter side Whilton Mill has been confirmed as the track easykart is using for the E-plate in november!

EK Spa (AKA Glan Y Gors) 2012

22nd September 2012, Glan-Y-Gors Practice. Throughout the Saturday I was doing 48 second laps around this amazing fast circuit which is known as the Spa of the Easykart Calendar. 

When we arrived we tried to start up the engine however the starter motor wouldn't cut out, we would turn it on with the button, it would go, we would release the button and it would still keep going, the only way to stop it was to pull out one of the wires that connect the starter motor to the electrical part. We went to see Andy and he said that it was probably the starter motor that was the problem; I missed all 3 of the morning sessions just trying to get it sorted! We bought a new starter bendix; however that did not stop the problem so Andy said to open the electrical part even though it explicitly says not too. Nothing seemed to be out of place so we just tightened every screw we could see and that seemed to do the trick - it must have just been a loose connection. I made the afternoon sessions but I couldn't get below a 48 second lap. I thought 48 seconds was good until I saw what people like Thomas Bukman and Mitchell White were doing, Thomas was doing 46.6 seconds a lap I think but I knew I would never get close to his time, Mitchell however (who I am usually the same as) was doing 46.8 or 46.9 second laps so I knew I was well off the pace. Really annoying. So Saturday did not go well however we did go out for a really nice meal at a pub called Y Giler Inn, the food was really nice and all the staff were friendly, so Saturday was not all bad. We slept on site in a tent, it was FREEZING. Dad and I got warm inside our sleeping bags and tried to get some sleep.

23^rd September 2012, Glan-Y-Gors Race day. When we woke up it was freezing and I happened to be the 1^st junior driver up on site. Everyone else was either off site or asleep in their caravan e.g. Mitchell White. We had delicious Bacon butties for brekkie from the Cafe on the ground floor of the club house, it was very nice.

We got the kart sorted and went out for the warm up however I still wasn't getting any faster! Sophie Harris and I both waited for everyone to go out, however when we were coming up to the 2^nd corner at about half speed we both spun as if we got to the corner, we were both amazed that we spun because although we knew it was quite slippery and damp we didn't think it would be that easy to spin. When we got off the track and I looked at my times I was still doing 48 second lap times and this really frustrated me. We talked to Sophie afterwards and she said to me that if I braked later into one of the corners I might go a bit faster and also that I should go straight from the brake to the throttle, no coasting. Weirdly that made me strip one second off my time and so in qualifying I managed to do a 46 second lap, I was really pleased with that.

In qualifying I drove pretty much as I would normally maybe braking slightly later and a bit less coasting but I was astonished that that had really taken a second off my time, but that doesn't matter, the point is I did.

The Heat went quite well for me because at the start I managed to gain 3 places which is a real achievement for me as I have rarely gained places off a rolling start before. The race was going well and I was pulling away from Sophie who I overtook at the start until I tried to take the last corner too sharply and it pulled me wide at the exit, my wheels hit the grass and I found myself spinning around at 60 mph going towards a barrier. Luckily I had slowed down by the time I reached the barrier and I didn't do any obvious damage to me or the kart. Unfortunately Sophie got passed me when I was trying to get back onto the track. Scott was very close behind me and I was just trying to keep ahead of him for long enough to finish in front of him. However Scott had set his kart up for top end speed which I didn't have, so along the straights he would gain on me however through the corners I would pull away, but it was not enough. About 4 laps from the end Scott overtook me so I finished in 27^th, ahead of Mitchell.

The Pre-final was carnage because one of the people at the front managed to knock the cone over making it fly across the track almost hitting Sophie who swerved to avoid it at the same time Scott swerved, they collided causing at least 3 karts to crash, I got through unscathed and managed to follow quite a few people who weren't slow. Throughout the race there were quite a few crashes and by the end I had managed to get into 21^st place, which I thought was pretty good.

The Final was quite tense because before we went out it looked like it might start to rain and lots of people were wondering whether to put wet tyres on; we were sure it wouldn't rain so we went for slicks. Luckily we were correct so we didn't have to rush back to get the wet tyres  Unfortunately at the very start of the Final when we were racing, not just doing the rolling start laps, I didn't see Brandon Bishop, who had spun, and so I somehow flew over the top of him, all 4 wheels in the air. My front bumper got crushed and my steering was messed up, I had to go to full left lock to go round most of the corners slowly. I was a hazard on the track so I decided to come in before I caused anyone to crash or mess up their race. In the end I came 26^th out of 29 which isn't great but it isn't last.

My next entry will be after the E-plate at Clay Pigeon on 24^th-25^th November which leads into the 2013 season!(Although the 1^st race of 2013 is in March I think)