Do Not Stop & Stare - Plentong on 21 Sept

Once again, my need for thrill and speed is back!
Once more, let me show you what i have to drive through
to get to track.
In recent times, the dirt road had become worse.
The pot holes bigger and deeper. Rocks are more apparent on it.
I guess this is due to the rain that fell during the earlier part of Sept.
With much huge trucks that going in and out very often, it is
making some of the ditches very difficult to navigate through.

However the road condition is before the kart track may be, Tony and
I arrived and ready to put our kart on the track at about 9.20am.

The day started with me just check the kart in general.
Battery had to be charged, and so I leave it to the charger for about
30 odd minutes. Meanwhile, I observed Tony changed his Rotax Max
Air box and the Power Valve plastic cover and something...
While I just busybody around the track and took some picture of the track.
To be precise I took 2 !
It is where normal guys have their balls Shrank, and gals scream!
And on 20 Sept, one guy in a fun kart was very badly hurt when his
friend spun and hit him. He flew out into the tyre wall.
Accordingly to the mechs who are there on the scene, bone can be
seen from the gushes on his elbow area

Here is it, the down hill straight. Perhaps the picture do not tell
much of the gradient of it But it's steep. Also the picture do not tell us
that before this stretch is 2 long straight as well.


Thus the speed before this hairpin is FAST. And I kid you not that
I do hear gals scream plenty times like they are in a roller coaster.
But the fact is that, some accidents at here can be very awfully painful
whereas in roller coaster you are 99% safe.

It is also at this hairpin that Tony later crashed heavily into a fun kart
causing him a broken steering column. It is why I always allow fun
karters to go past the hairpin before I accelerate away. As the grip
level of the fun kart tyres are well almost non existent relative to
what we used on race kart, I cannot fault them for spinning for going
out of the track.

I just have to be more careful with them around.


I did 3 sessions with my kart. Only difference this time was that the
tyre pressure is lower as the tyres are balding.

1st session, I think I did about 7 laps. I felt good. Meaning I wasn't
puffing and huffing too much. The engine feel great, but I can
only get to 12700++ RPM on the main long straight.
I need to get another 1000 RPM out from it. How, is now the
question.

When I came into the pit, before i climb out of my seat. I was asked
to get out again. Kelvin wanted to kart together with me. David
wanted to see if Kelvin's shifter kart is better after some maintenance
works was done.

2nd session, interesting run of about 8 laps. Kelvin wants to be leading
the way so that he can gauge if his shifter can overtake me at which
points of the track. During this run, the lack of low end torque become
very apparent at corners and the hairpin. Yes, the shifter does have low
gear selections to push it out of the corners but mine was like almost to
a halt in relative terms. Something had to be done. However, I
discovered that I was able to pull some distance away in the straights
which make it slightly more difficult for him to overtake me.

3rd session, Tony, Kelvin, and myself got on to the track to have a mini
race. We all have a single warm up lap with Tony leading followed by me
then Kelvin. When the 'race' started we were all quite very close.
No clear gap. However, when we started our downhill descend I could
see a fun kart in front making the hair pin turn. I slowed. But Tony was
turning into it just as the fun kart spun and both clashed... thankfully,
drivers are ok. At that instant, I quickly glanced and focused where
I should go for the turn avoiding them. Cannot stop and stare, as the
'race' is still on. There wasn't much challenge from Kelvin until at a
later stages when he over took me somewhere... I really forgot where.
One of these laps, one fun kart spun right in front of me at the circle..
that was close, too close for comfort.
Then I started to chase after him. During these time behind the shifter
I realized I can catch up with him on the high speed straights.
Well, catching up is one thing. Overtaking is another.
The race ended quite abruptly as Kelvin went into the pits leaving me
to drive around for another 2 laps. His carb component broke.

It was a good day for me. Timing wise, I am not bothered. At least I do
not feel as if I am dying like the 2 previous track days.
Just got to find a better throttle control ,race line and physical fitness
to go faster and focus on the track better.