Shenington Testing 2014

Behind 2 drivers, closing in

Thursday 17th of April was a test day at Shenington, I went to it. I don't think there is another test day between now and the Easykart race at Shenington, so we went to simply get used to the track again, allowing us to focus on set-up during the race weekend. We arrived at just gone 9:00 expecting to start around 10:00, and the junior session did start at just after 10:00. However, as usual, we didn't get out for the first session. The gearing for shenington in an easykart was 78 teeth last season, but has been changed to 76 teeth for this season. As we hadn't got a 76 tooth sprocket we decided to put the 77 tooth one on, if only for the first session as the Spellfame shop was there.
The shop was open when we got to the track so we decided to quickly change the sprocket to the size we would be using on the race weekend. This took longer than expected so we missed the first session, but that didn't bother me.

Looking to overtake at least 1 of the trio

Having overtaken all three attempting
to pull away from Jordan Sanders

Throughout the day there were about 7 sessions for each class, each session being 8 minutes long. We put on the tyres that we had used at the e-plate, Whilton test and Buckmore practice day, so they were well worn, but still had a bit of life left in them. As was expected, in the first session, the easykarts - Jordan and myself - had the top speed over the TKM's and were about the same as the Rotax's, but the acceleration that the Rotax engines have is phenomenal. I forgot to set the mychron up for the first session so I got some 20 second laps... then set it to a pre-made Shenington and I got the same times, this didn't seem right. I checked the setting and there were no settings made for it.
Come the third session we put on the newer tyres that had only been used during the Buckmore race day - this gave me a lot more grip and I was getting times that were in the low 45 seconds, my quickest being 45.01 seconds. I gradually got quicker throughout the day finally getting a fastest time of 44.6 seconds. To put this into perspective the lap record for Easykart on the old tyres is/was 45.7 seconds, over a second SLOWER than my fastest of the day!
There are still a couple of corners that I need to work on but I feel very confident that a good finish is on the cards in 3 weeks time!

Recently I bought myself a Contour Roam2. Below is footage from the final session, more to be uploaded to both youtube and the blog soon.

A new beginning - The first steps

On Wednesday 20th February 2014 I went for a track/test day in my new Kart, #83. This new kart was provided by my chief sponsor who, after lengthy negotiations over the festive period, agreed that a new vehicle was needed to help my chances in the coming season. As this season will be my last season in the Junior class I will only get to use this kart this season, however it should provide the reliability we need.

We arrived at around 8:30 and were set up by 9:30. We signed on and went for a track walk and were glad that the track was dry and grippy. As this was to be the first time the kart had ever been driven I would need to run the engine in and bed in the brakes for the first two sessions, but that didn't bother me. As there were so many drivers there on the Wednesday the sessions were split into four; Cadets, TKM and Minimax, Junior followed by Seniors. We were classed as TKM so we went out in the first junior session.

Getting focused

In the first two sessions I took it easy, not too fast along the straights and not too hard on the brakes. It felt as if the TKM and Minimax drivers were very quick as I couldn't compare myself to them, so I was hoping that when it came to the third session I would be able to keep up.

A quick note about tyres. Last season in Easykart we were using Easykart specific tyres which, although they work, aren't the grippiest and therefore not the fastest. This season Easykart is switching to new Vega SL4s. We first got to use these at the E-plate last November, and they are much grippier but supposedly have a shorter life.

In the third session I went out on the old Easykart tyres and I was just about keeping up with the TKMs and Minimaxs, but not able to pass them very easily or catch up quickly. I also found that I didn't have much rear grip and was sliding through many corners at much slower speeds than I was used to.

In the zone

Come the fourth session we had switched the tyres and I was now on the SL4s that had only been used at the E-Plate. It was a revelation! I was going through corners much quicker than many of the TKMs and Minimaxs, and in straight line speed the Easykarts, there were four of us (Jordan Sanders, Mitchell White, Matthew Rainbow and Myself), were so much faster than the TKMs and Minimaxs. I was able to take at least 1 kart on the straight up to the top of the hill - I think I passed 3 at one point just along that straight. It was electrifying. I have never felt so quick in my whole karting career. I was beginning to think it is how people at the front of the Easykart grid feel during every race/practice session.

The next sessions all went perfectly and I was one of the fastest people out there, generally equaling Jordan's laps. Unfortunately the mychrons weren't working very well and didn't seem to pick up one of the mag strips, but when I set it to 2 rather than 3 mag strips it still didn't pick up the correct times, maybe only one was working? Fortunately I had my MyTach watch which allowed me to see my lap times. My fastest lap of the day was a 47.73 second lap. I don't think this is my fastest time around there but the track was not quick so on a good day who knows what time I'll get.

Cleaning the kart and sorting out the chain

If this practice day was anything to go by this season should be a good one, but I don't want to jinx myself too early on. There would have been some footage of my driving around, but the camera disappeared during the last session and had been playing up all day, so no camera. Hopefully we should have a new camera by mid-season. Any suggestions for on-board cameras are welcome but we are trying to keep costs down, so nothing too expensive.

This is where the camera was

Also follow me on twitter @EGoesKarting for regular updates throughout race weekends.