Lingering Pain...

28 Feb

I will go for a swim during lunchtime every now and then,
as the swimming pool is near to my office. I take it as a
cardiac workout and a back muscle strengthening program
too.

Yesterday, as usual I went and was planning to do 4 sets of
200m breast stroke then 200m freestyle. But when I start to do
my freestyle strokes I could feel my left shoulder hurting.
As a matter of fact it had been hurting for awhile now.

Agreeing with myself that I will not push it, I just swim the
rest of the distance with breaststroke.

There after, I went for a consult with TCM doctor.
As he started the light massage over my left shoulder blade,
I almost started to yell and scream for HELP...
And yes, he was only just starting and it was on very little
strength on the 'injured' area. 20 minutes of enduring and 'near
death' later, my left arms feel immobile. I cannot raise the hand
to my shoulder level, nor could I reach my back pocket with my
left arm.

this SUCKs!

So I now have to rest the arm, and pray for a quick recovery
for March 15.

I just have a belief that this hurt is derive from the accident I had
from the last race... darn.
Can only hope that like most injuries, one will recover and be stronger
in the area. I sure hope so for my case here.

How to win a race

The next club race in Plentong track will be about three
weeks time from now on 15 March 2009.

It will be of 25 laps of this track configuration
From the track layout, we should be expecting a very fast race
with the long straights.

Ahh, I entitled this entry as "How to win a race" not because I
had won a race previously but I am asking myself on how to win
a race.

To win a kart race, I believed I will need a reliable and quick engine.
I had been using Vortex Rok 125cc, it is a dependent engine and had
not given me any major issue. However, for the previous years with
the standard minimum weight of 160kg for all engine classes Rok
just can't cut it.

This year with minimum weight requirement for different classes of
engine, I do think the engine stands a better chance. My friend, Tony,
prove it so in Race 1.

Chassis Setup has been be near perfect for any chance to be leading
and finishing the race ahead of others. For the races in Plentong, we
will have to try out different rear sprocket sizes for the different
configurations. E.g. with the configuration with the longer straight,
we will have to use a smaller size. If the configuration include the spoon
then I may have to mount a bigger rear sprocket for the uphill climb
before the spoon. Other setup like front width, front alignment, rear
width and seat fixing all had to be nicely put together.

Tires management. In a race weekend, there will be 3 different
components. Qualifying, Heat 1 and Final. We do have a 'no tires
change' rule once we started the qualifying with the set we had on
the kart. Exception will be that if the tires are too bald and may burst.
That will be a safety issue. Thus, it is important not to drive over the
limits and get too gungho and wild. If you are sliding too much by going
too hard in Heat 1, then one will suffer from a obvious lack of grip in
the Final.

Physical aspects of the driver will be vital in getting the kart to the
front. Driving at the limits demand a lot from the drivers. Maybe I should
not say driving, it is Racing! One have to concentrate very hard on
driving very fast, and at the same time have to prevent others from
taking the position away. Most times, this happened in a very hot
and humid environment. So the driver have to be relatively fit to drive
fast in a race distance. I would add skill / talent in the mix here.

And in the end, one has also depends on Luck. Believe me, you can have
all the necessary attributes and equipment to win a race but one
tiny unfortunate / unforeseen circumstance will just end the chance
to win a race. But the brave and the prepared make their own luck.
They can align the stars in their favour.

I wish there will be a day soon I can be the 1st take the chequered flag.

What a Race looks like from camera..

During the last race, Mark had 2 other cameras on tripods
to capture our race.
And it did caught some good moments of it too.

Please view it at:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=700365271&ref=profile#/video/video.php?v=53469291669&oid=45212103499

Take Off... and Out!

I got this video extract from Tony showing how I got
crashed out in Heat 2.

I'm in the red kart.

At 13 second of this clip, you will see that Wee How's kart
somehow ran over Mark's tire and missiled to my left side
pod as I was already turning for the downhill section.

That explain why I did not know anything about it.
As a flying kart is the least I would expect at that spot.

At that point I lost out some positions to Allan and Mary
but I was expecting myself to gain the ground back in the
course of the race. I believed the Heat 1 incident make me
more tentative at the start of the race. Which cause me a
little bit of speed for the straight.

Although I reckon this to be a racing incident, I think Wee
How is wrong to just jinked left without due care running
over Mark's tire and then heavily into me.

Ah well... oh well....

GODSpeed

15 Feb 2009

"Godspeed, as a word, is a wish for a prosperous journey,
success, and good fortune."
---------------
Today is the 1st proper club race of the year. I was not
really dying for it to happen, but was somewhat looking
forward to karting again.

At about 5pm, I had already reached home, picked up a
pail of water to wash my dirty car. Then I bathed, and by
6pm I already started to write this.

You may think that I must be Superman to have plentiful
of energy after a kart race to do all these that I did and doing
now.

Well, obviously I'm not. And let me back up to the start of
the day and you will know what unfolds throughout the day...

Waking to the my normal hours when I'm head north to
JB at about 6.30am, I reached the track before 9am after
having breakfast at the usual place.

It seems to me that things go on well enough as a start
for me to have a okay race for the rest of the day.
Or so I thought...

For today, one of the important aspects is to have the
Qualifying and the 2 Heats started on time. Some of us
had put in some efforts to discuss this at length and was
eager to make it work.

We did have a drivers briefing at 10.45am, follow by
Qualifying from just before 11am till 11.30am.

Qualifying is an odd ball for me. When I did about 7 laps and
seeing that my time had better Louis's time I slowed and
return to the pits. However, the time on the screen reflected
it as slower by about 0.2 second. So I went out again to try for
a better time, but I could not. Thus it is 8th place for me on
the starting grid.

It's odd, because I realised later the setting of the MyChron
had to be set differently for it to have close time check with
the circuit timing device.

12.30pm. Heat 1.

We all did one good rolling lap. And then it's a green flag for
a race start. 1st corner was a bit of jostling, and when I was
approaching the apex I was going to floor the throttle....
suddenly Mary been just by the side of me edge slightly ahead,
then spun right in to my path and we crashed!
I reckon she had overcooked her throttling being too eager to
get ahead for the straight ahead and just loses the rear end then.

Her right wheel and my left wheel somehow got locked
together and the mech/marshals rush to separate both of us.
By the time I got going, the field had already went 2 laps.
Darn !
My race had ended even before I cleared the 1st corner!
Thinking back, I would say I could not do anything to prevent
it as it was the spot when we will start to accelerate hard for the
long straight. For Mary to spun there, right in front of me, crash is
inevitable. The only good thing is that none of us got hurt.

Once I got going again, I had a thought of should I continue
or should I get back to the pits for a early day. 2 laps down,
there's no way I can really hope for anything. I did continue
however and take it as a practice runs.

Heat 1, I 'finished' 8th. But will start 7th for Heat 2 as Lai Wee
How was later found to be under the min weight and will
start at the back of the grid, last.

Since Heat 2 was scheduled to start at 3pm, we all had about
more than 2 hours to kill. Some had lunch. Some laze around.
Some checked their kart. Some of us sat around and chatted.

At about 2 pm, we all decided that since all our karts are good
to go we will have Heat 2 at 2.30pm instead.

Heat 2.
Starting from 7th, right behind Louis. Before we started Heat 2,
I looked at the times Louis was doing for Heat 1 I thought it will
be possible for me to stick close and possibly overtake him at some
stage.
Rolling Lap was good for everyone, I think.
Green Flag, everyone got off the 1st corner nicely. At least I did.
Long straight. Some overtaking took place by who on who, I can't
recall.

Fast right hand turn for the uphill. I believed I overtook Mark's
6th position right after the turn.

After that I was readying myself for the fast downhill following
Louis's kart.... then BANG....................!!!!!!

I did not know what happen......

The impact was rather violent

My kart went into the ditch just before the downhill turn by the
left and facing the traffic. In effect, I was turned around by the
impact of something by someone.

My rib hurt a wee bit when I tried to get up. So I stay in my seat
for a while more before I got up. When I did, I realised that Lai
Wee How was sitting in his kart behind me.
Now, I know who hit/crashed me out.

Later, I'll update from a video and write what exactly happened
here.


Since there wasn't any way to get back to the pits then, so both
of us just sat there and watch the entire race.
Noel won it, followed by Tony then Graeme, fourth goes to Ivan.

Damage to my kart is the rear axle. I guess I have replaced it.
Just my luck that such serious damage for something that is
not my fault at all.

That's racing, for you I guess.
It just seems that this year I seems to 'attract' incidents.
Not good !

Anyway, the year is long. There's always a next race.
So I hope to learn something from today.
But I do not know what yet..

I really need GODSpeed !

Until the next track day / race.

cheers

& it ended with a BANG!

8 Feb 2009

Darn, sleep had not been well again the night before.
Just my luck, AGAIN!!
I really wonder why had it been so anyway and regardless
I have to wake at 6.30am to travel to the track

One of the intentions for the day will be to fix the caster nuts
on the lower front so that Tony can help to set my alignment in
terms of caster angle.

That was done nicely, and during the sessions and the mock
race I feel the handling was good. Jason helped to eradicate the
rear from swinging upon the corner exits.

However the engine suddenly lacks in overall power. Have to check
if the clutch shoe had actually been worn too much already.

The few of us who were there managed to get together and have
a quick discussion on the race improvements for this year.


Come this Sunday, 15 Feb, we will see if it will all pan out as we hope
it will.
Finger crossed!

Did I mentioned we had a mock race?
We did a 25 lap race using Track A.
Start position was determined by drawing lots, and I got to start 3rd.
Total, there were 9 of us in it. Tony and Mark started in the front row
in 1st and 2nd respectively.

The 1 rolling lap was not particularly good as Mark was dropping too
far off, when he should just be by the side of Tony. When the green
flag dropped, he was behind me.
Not a good start for him and those behind him.

As I was saying earlier, the engine refuses to work that day and I
was promptly passed by a couple of guys at the start of the 2nd lap
and never recovered from there. At one stage, I was following Mary
and Ivan, but then drop off.

At about 3/4 into the race, I saw Mary and Ivan overtaking Graeme
and I knew that either Graeme was tired or he was having some
problems on his kart.
So I pushed a bit more and within 2 laps I overtook him just before
the turn in at the pit area. But lacking in power he overtook me again
before the start finish line.

Next lap, the same happened again as I saw that he was slowing for
the downhill section meaning his rear is losing grip. Seeing this, I tailed
him all the way and brake for the late corner entry. However, the power
of my engine cannot make this overtake sticks for long straight, and he
always overtake me then.

About 3 or 4 more laps to go, and I think to myself that there's no point
challenging for the position now as we may hit one another when it does
not matters as much.

So I waited. I'm just happy to be at his tail. Waiting. And made known
to him that I am there. See if there will be a mistake.

Last Lap. I know that I will do the same overtaking maneuver again at
the same spot. Downhill. I was just about half a kart behind Graeme. I
went straight for it, braked late, hold him off at the corner exit, and
power through to the uphill at the pit area. Last corner. was taking the
middle line thinking he should have no way through to the finishing line.
BUT I was wrong... we were side by side exiting the last corner.
My kart was on the outside, Graeme on the inside...
Side by side to the finish!

I just lean forward hoping I can out run him on the last stretch!

Then I think our front wheel touched. I went a bit to my right, and
had to steer back left so that I will not end up on the grass..
As it happened, our wheels touched again.
Gees... this is getting exciting as we are still neck to neck, side by side!

As we finally approached the finishing line, we touched again but I
had to hold my line and prepare for the right turn through

Race was over then, and I seriously dunno who finish tops but as
I was turning I saw Graeme heading straight, spun and hit the barrier!

BANG !

Oh Oh... Later, I realised not only did he hit the barrier, he ended up
in the wall too. I feel bad though as it was supposed to be clean fun.
But then again, this is racing.
Things like these happened sometimes.
Thankfully, Graeme and I laughed over it after I pitted

After all these, the boss, Louis lighted up 40 belts of fire crackers!
CNY celebrations to the max!

It was not a bad day at the track, but I need to work on it.
Solving the lack of power mystery again.
I need to recover from my blocked nose too, as it was very blocked
when I started to drive back.

Hope all will be well this coming race. And it to end with a Good Bang
for everyone!

Moving along to Feb 09

Feb 15 will start a brand new 'season' of kart races in Plentong.
So with the new airbox fitted nicely on the kart, I would think
it will easily go faster... And I was wrong! It's about the same.
Hence the only good thing about this airbox is now it has a filter
that keep dust and debris going into the engine.


The session on 1 Feb is quite odd, to be honest. Although I going at
about high of 47 sec, I was feeling really out of place in the kart.
Or should I say out of pace. Perhaps with the caster was set too much
for the front. The kart feel too much nervous for my liking. It's like
I had to prepare to counter steer for any steer inputs I gave it.
Yes, it turn sharply into corners, too sharply.
I was ok when the tyres are new, I reckon. But when the grip start
to go away, it pose some problems. For me at least.

Ah well, something for me to do the next time when I hit the track.

A friend took some pics of me on the track....