Chain Reaction | Easykart UK 2015 Rd 5 Glan-y-Gors

See that kerb in the front? I don't like it

18th/19th July was the weekend of round 5 of the Easykart UK championship, this time at G-y-G. Last year was the first time I'd finished the main final at G-y-G so I was hopeful this year, especially after my performance at Llandow.
We arrived at the track Friday evening to drop the trailer. Then off to our B&B, the same as last year and the same room, to leave our stuff. The pub was full when we went for dinner so I settled for scampi and chips from the chippy opposite.
Saturday, Testing. We arrived and got setup in time, as usual, and got an extra screw for the carb in case we should have a repeat of Clay. The practice sessions were OK, I definitely wasn't the quickest out there but I was there or there abouts. I had some fun tailing people and working out where I was quicker and giving them the odd nudge down the straight. Some people, no names, seemed to feel a dive into the pits would solve the problem. Anyway, testing over, the Easykart Cricket/Rounders match thing occurred. The team I was on won, mainly because the other team couldn't hit the ball....

Starting the Heat in 10th place

Sunday, Race day. Warm up felt half decent, didn't try too hard on the tyres as usual but still did a 44.something lap - bit fast I thought but didn't feel I was going over the top.
Qualifying came and the kart felt under powered. I was struggling for top end and acceleration was about as good as on Saturday, so not a trade of acceleration for top end, just a lack of top end. Anyway I completed 2 laps in traffic, then had some clear air and decided I just had to go for it and try and make the most of what I had. Unfortunately on that third lap I threw my chain going slightly too far over the rumble strip on the pit straight. That signaled the end of my qualifying session. Somehow I managed to get 10th place out of 19 with only that 1 clean lap.

Throwing it into the first corner

Heat. This was a good race for me, didn't get into the top 3 or get into the same times as them, but I managed to make up places. I was in 5th place before the half way mark - that's under 4 minutes! The rest of the race was rather uneventful, only making up 1 place to finish in 4th.
Pre-final. We had a couple of false starts but eventually got going. I managed to get the jump on Toby in 3rd, and held 3rd for a couple of laps. Unfortunately a mistake from me allowed Toby past and dropped me to 4th. In my attempt to get back to 3rd I had a repeat of Qualifying and threw a chain on the same rumble strip. However I didn't go fully over the kerb so we assume the chain was a bit loose, rather than hit by the kerb. Anyway this meant I had to start the final from the very back of the grid, all the way in 19th place - such a long way from the podium!

See, 4th place. I can do well at GyG sometimes

Final. As usual a couple of false starts were necessary to make sure everyone knew where the accelerator was, then we were under way. I had made up 3 places by the end of the first lap and then proceeded to gain at least 1 position for the next few laps. I was up to about 9th position by half way, looking good for a decent finish, when I was tagged from behind and spun around. I got dropped down to 16th. Anyway I managed to gain places as before but could only manage 10th place as the field was so spread out. Looking at the "Sum Diff" on the timings it looked like, had I not been spun, I would have been on course to challenge for the podium positions as a kerfuffle at the front meant both Sam and Toby had to retire.
Ginetta, an Easykart UK sponsor, were at G-y-G as well. They were giving passenger rides around the track for 4 Cadets, 4 Juniors, 2 Lights and 2 Masters. Unfortunately I wasn't picked so no lovely pictures of that. Good to see sponsors taking an interest in the series enough to go to deepest darkest Wales to give competitors an experience of the next step on the motorsport ladder.

White Pods obviously improve aerodynamics!

Not our best weekend at Glan-y-Gors but definitely not our worst. Roll on Whilton Mill, Double Header!

Wets to Slicks in 13 minutes. A how to

Racing between 4 drivers

#Well, this isn't actually a how to but it did happen. So don't expect to find any information or tips on getting an extra set of decent slicks here.#

The weekend of the 14th-15th September saw the final round of the Easykart season. A total of 20 drivers were racing and it was an eventful weekend. Harry Barlow had already wrapped up the Cadet championship but turned up to add the cherry on the top. Thanassi Barnicoat had the Junior Championship sorted but didn't risk racing, in case something happened and he lost his title. The Senior classes I believe were still up for grabs. Anyway, onto me. We, dad and I, arrived at our premier inn on the Friday after getting lost as dad took a wrong turn... it was a great place with a restaurant that seemed to go all over the place.

Battle between 3 Drivers. I am the middle one.

Saturday 14th September. Practice Day. We arrived at the track to find a space directly opposite our friends, Jacob and Matt Wardle. We were set up in plenty of time, kart sorted and signed on ready for the day. It started out as a damp track so I went out more to get a feel for the track rather than to get a good time. The weather was supposed to get worse throughout the day but it didn't, it got drier. So on the second session I went out on slicks. It was still slightly damp in some places but it was obvious that it would be a quick and demanding track. Quick as there were many fast corners and demanding because of the amount of bumps I felt round the track throwing me about in my seat. The day just got quicker and quicker. I managed to get a 47.2 second lap as my fastest, which was quick but not quick enough! I felt ok and looking back I think we should have been happy with it, but I felt the lack of a 46.something lap time was down to me. I felt sure I could get one but I wasn't sure how.

Me going round a corner - dry track

Me having gone round the same corner - damp track

Sunday. Race day. According to the BBC we were either going to get rain at 1pm, 4pm, 6pm or not at all. So we were hopeful. It started off as a dry track, so the warm up was fine, as was qualifying and the heat. However once the heat was over (I finished 13th but would start 16th) it was lunch and that just opened the door for the weather.

The Tyre. This may look like it has trread, but it doesn't!

By the time we were on the grid again it was a damp track, the weather was threatening to drop a bucket on us and I think everybody was hoping it wasn't. The track wasn't dry enough for slicks at the start and so the decision was wets. This is where the title comes from. I was out on track for 13 minutes and I was working those tyres to their death, quite literally although I didn't know it. I was up to around 12th by the first corner and battling for 10th by the second when suddenly I was spun. I was now at the back of the grid and chasing someone with a broken rear bumper, it was trailing along the ground. I like firework displays as much as the next guy but not whilst I am trying to race! I was now on a mission to catch up after he went in. Although in my head I was sure it would take only just less than a miracle to gain on Jess or Matthew. I was close at the end but not close enough. I finished 18th so down 2 places. The tyres looked OK but when they have been used in the dry you can't see much of the tread anyway.
By the time the final came it was a really damp track and I had to use the wet tyres. I was up to 16th almost immediately off the start and I was hoping it would go well. Up to 13th by the second corner and all looked good. However I then felt my grip going, or at least I realised I had to slow down a bit more than I wanted to to get into the corners. Most of the time when I was following someone I would try to take their line a little bit slower than them and my kart would just understeer massively. I couldn't get round any of the corners like other people could. After the race, with me finishing in 17th but last past the chequered flag, I looked at my tyres and saw how little tread there was on them, They would have been classed and dry-intermediates. Not even intermediates! there was so little tread on them. It was a wonder and proof of my driving capabilities that I :
1) finished the race
2) managed to keep up with the guy who finished just ahead of me

Next race/blog post will be the e-plate in November unless I have a training day before then. This year it is at Whilton Mill so if you want to see some racing just come along, but don't expect me to come 1st, that might happen next year but who knows!