What a race it was yesterday! Fantastic!
But firstly, I think I just have to say this:
Thank God for the great weather!
When I first mapped out the race schedule, I was just
thinking of having races before Christmas, after the New
Year Day holidays but before Lunar New Year.
When the 1st race was about to get underway, it was
pouring so much that I thought... SHOOTz!
Then the rain just stopped with both "Go 2 Races" in Dec
went well in great weather conditions!
Although the number of participants is small, I believed
everyone really enjoyed it and learnt something.
e.g. Graeme discovered that Rotax Max engine can in fact
give him a great race on Sunday. It has been awhile when
he had completed 2 heats without any hitches and in
competitive times too. Into the bin will be his Iame KF2,
he said!
He was so close behind me after I overtook him in Heat 2
for a few laps before he trailed off.
Graeme, if you are reading this, time to get some pounds
off and into a better shape and you will be really really
quick in 2010!
Before I started the race on Sunday, I went around my kart
and took some pic of it.
Darn... battle scars!
Luckily still one nice side! 
Qualified 2nd beside young Thaddeus who is about 0.5sec
faster. 3rd was Ivan who was 0.1 or 0.2 sec behind me.
Followed by Graeme and CK.
Louis's Biland was poised to take the grid but failed to make
it. So much for a 4 stroke engine in a 2 stroke race.
I cannot stop him from racing too, since he's the track boss!
Heat 1
Main point was my start again! "Darn it! !@#!@$!!" was
practically out of my mouth when I saw Graeme and Ivan
shot past me when the green flag dropped!
I do need to learn to start as quickly and as aggressively.
Guess I will have to find one day just to practice this and
this only! No two ways about it, I just have to learn and
get it spot on.
Because the times that is lost in the 1st lap sometimes can
never be recovered again in race. Every second or 0.1
second counts.
I was lucky in this race. Firstly, there were only the 5 of us.
Soon after Ivan went off wildly after the Spoon sections
throwing up much soil and sand on to the track.
It certainly brought back memories what happened in the
previous race!
Thankfully, Ivan recovered and continue the race from
the back.
That was all in lap 1 !!
At the start of lap 2, I could see that I was faster than
Graeme so I managed to tailed him at the 1st hairpin
and promptly overtook on the straight.
After which my aim was to chase Thaddeus and see if I
could race him.
The first few laps after overtaking Graeme, I saw that the
gap between me and Thaddeus was almost constant.
No matter how hard I pushed, I dun seems to get closer to
him at all. Turning my head to see where the rest are behind
me, I realised both of us in front had established a good gap.
I continued to push but in the mid stint... I sort of lost it.
No... I did not spin or anything... it's just that I sort of
just driving it ... without a focus..
Then I did not see where Thaddeus was anymore.
I was just driving...
A few laps of that, I 'woke up'. But by then, he was
gone. I could not even see him. He seems to be in my blind
spot on the track.
At the end, I think he also slowed slightly which had me
finished some 9sec behind him.
Heat 2CK left early as he had to picked someone up from
Changi Airport.
Rory, a Scottish, joined us for this one along with
Uncle Foo's brother. Oh, not forgetting an 'outlaw'
Biland was in the race too.
Since it's a reverse grid, Graeme is 1st on the grid, then
Ivan, me, Thaddeus, Foo, Rory, then the Biland.
Is my start better this heat? It is, but only slightly.
Perhaps the word to describe it is 'not Aggressive
enough'
After the 1st hairpin, I was behind Thaddeus with Rory
close behind. Then Rory overtook me at the hairpin from
the downhill. He was always driving very aggressively,
and sliding wide upon exit. Which he did again at the 1st
hairpin, and when he did I overtook him and was on to
Graeme back quickly. Once again, I overtook him on the
straight. This time though it is much closer as we were
fast approaching the fast Monza turn.
Making it sticked, and moving on in closing to Ivan.
As I mentioned though, I had to be careful then for
Graeme was very close to me as well.
It was fantastic! Three of us having a real go!
This is what kart racing should be about.
Close racing! with similar engine make, no less!
For about 5 laps, we were so close together that Graeme
did overtook me at the hairpin before the start finish line
before I overtook him again.
I guess after that I was pretty much stuck behind Ivan,
who drove well.
There are a few moments at some sections of the track
that I tried to overtake but couldn't.
Some sections he was slow in getting out of the corners
while I can see that I am faster. Then I was also just
slightly faster in the straight but just not fast enough to
challenge for the position fairly. I may have to take too
much risk which may have both of us touching at very
high speed. Not a good idea.
It was back to back all the way to the finish.
At the last corner of the last lap though, he slide wide and
when I was gunning for the gap he drove back and we
touched.
It was crazy!!!! in a good way!
Then again I think I did waved wildly at him for awhile...
heat of the moment especially when I had to stay behind
him with all the hot exhaust blowing into me for a large
number of laps.
But then it was all good fun, very enjoyable!
And we are already looking forward to the next one!
What I required for a kart session
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