F1 Singapore

24 Sept




The streets are lit like day once again...
The engines are blaring through the darkness keeping everyone
widely awake...

Welcome F1 back to Singapore!

So Much....

20 Sept

I had a great session yesterday in Plentong, and I learnt so much again!

To start the good day, it did not rain!

Then, we had about quite a few regular race participants there.
KP and I had arranged to come, same as Cydric.
Then James came, along with Ang and Gary.

Albert was there on his regular sessions, and met a new guy, Chang.
I did not took pic of the nice brand new CRG kart, but here is it anyway
from his FB page.
I had always love the CRG sticker kit! It is just way too cool.

Had managed to do 3 good sessions.
As usual the first one, I had always just treat it as a warm up.
Warm up for the kart, and for the body.

I will try to do only about 10 laps.
After which, normally, I do feel somewhat tired.

But I know that I will be in a better shape to drive longer and harder in
the next session. In terms of lap times, I usually do 0.3 to 0.5 faster.
Perhaps it's the kart, engine, tyres which all warmed up, or it could
be the body & mind that made the difference.
I will go for a combination of these factors.

Second session was where it got really interesting.

It's where KP and I race together.
Man, we will sort of going for it.
We even had a touch going round the Spoon section together!


At the first few laps, I was really catching up with him quick and overtook
him uphill going into the spoon section.
He was particularly slow on the exits. I guess this will be a classic e.g. of
"fast in, slow out"
Soon after I overcooked the corners after and was slow in the pits section,
which he caught up and took the lead again.

It was interesting after that, as I was in 2 minds sometimes to be honest.

As I was out of the exits a tad faster, I was always come up Right behind
him at the straights. So do I go for it then? If the move do not come out well,
it will be a huge shunt..! I thought about it again, and wanted to do so.
However, it was not worth the risk on a nice non-race sunday.

Instead I just piled up the pressure on, by sticking very close to him.

And in about 6-7 laps of doing so, he somewhat lost it... going into the
grass patch when checking where I was.
It was a hairy moments for me too, because I was afraid his kart might
veered out and collect me too.
Thankfully it didn't. I continued on, and drove a total of 16 laps before
I pitted.

It was hot... when I noticed the temperature climbed all the way to 70C.

The second session with a total of 15 laps, we went out again and I
promptly overtook him at the entry of the spoon so that I will have
more distance to build the lead if possible. It worked. After that I
managed to go easy on the tyres, and the lap times were fairly
constant at low of 46s.

When I drove for about 13 laps, I was checking how much fuel I had
and started to contemplate to pit..
Then James pull alongside me and overtook me at the spot I
overtook KP. I tried to follow him for the next bits, then I looked at
my fuel again and thought better of it.
James then started to pointed to his back, and I thought to myself
"Oppphs... is my suit not wore properly or something amiss at the
back of my kart?"
And so I pitted.... in fact there lies my best opportunity to learn
from the best!!! He was actually telling me to follow him so that I
could learn his line!! DARN... silly me!

Anyway, I still had good advice from him.
I need to look at my front setup as he could tell from my tyre wear
which suggest understeer.
Then I need to play with my jetting as I could be running a jet or
so too rich. When sorted, he reckoned it will be about 0.2-0.3 faster..!


This is fantastic !
Because no matter how hard or long I drive, without a optimal
setting I will not be getting the max out of the equipment.

Now, I just want to go back to the track and test the setting he
recommended!


Oh, for anyone interested in serious karting, please get a rib
protector! You do not want to be like Chang, who is hurting now
from his drive without it. I had been there before.. so take my
words for it. Get well, Chang and we will see you soon enough.

Likewise, for anyone who is really serious about karting, do get
into shape. KP who has not been karting for about 2 months, was
well and truly knackered.
He was, in fact, asking for neck brace before our final run.
It is this important to be fit in this sports....
Yes, this is a sports unless one choose to be in a fun kart.

Unexpected

8 Sept

Unexpected… this is what Sunday had all about.

Leo had unexpectedly won his first race of the year. To begin with he had unexpectedly sat in his kart to race.

Because the day started with much rain pouring down, and he did not even bothered to bring his bag of equipment from his car to the track!

However, it was really nice to see him completed all 3 runs from Qualifying to Heat
2. Topping all of it, no less.

I would like to claim some credits… as I had kindly loan him my battery, gloves, and sold him the wet tyres set at a good price!


So, how did I do then?

Without wets, I just had to sit out of the Qualifying. Just like Leo, we were thinking of going to locate a good spa and relax instead.

Unexpectedly, the rain just ceased after the qualifying with the sun shining through the layers of clouds.

Seeing the track drying, I changed out and try the track out.

It was generally okay, but some sections remain wet with stream of water running across the track making it quite tricky to negotiate.

Since I had not done the Qualifying, I will start Heat 1 from the back at 9th.It should be quite fun! And it is.

I finished 5th. Honestly speaking, I was somewhat disappointed with that. I would expected myself to be more competitive.

I’m kicking myself because I screwed my start once again. Not only in Heat 1, but in Heat 2 too!

When the start is bad, it is extremely tough to get past the pack especially so when the guys and one lady are all very experienced drivers.

Results aside, I think I enjoyed the drive. It was fun to do some catch up from the back. Only wish I had been more adventurous in the initial laps, then perhaps I can do some more about a better finish.

Heat 2, started at 2pm. Starting in 5th is relatively a good position, taking into account that I will be having the inside line for the 1st corner.

I was ready... or I think I am...

At the start, straight after the hairpin I was overtaken by 3 karts!
I was like at the very tail end again!

Crap... how could I do so bad at the start... again.
Perhaps I should have not meddle with the carb setting in anticipation of more cool weather.

Anyway it was a good lesson learnt, and I had seen the differences in what each setting does.

To make myself feel better, I managed to recover nicely from 8th in the 1st corner to finish 4th.

Considering that I had not even think I was kart on Sunday to doing 2 heats it is good to have some muscle ache on Monday.