Re-Booting

28 Feb

This is somewhat long long overdue!

I sincerely apologize if someone out there is awaiting my post from the last race and the 'juicy details'.

Anyway before I go any further, yesterday was my first track visit.
It was almost after a 6 weeks break. It certainly does not help when I put on almost 2kg ++ while I was on a 2 week reservist!
Then after the week of Chinese New Year, I had flu and ran a high fever for 2-3 days.And yesterday, I found out for myself how far off I had dropped off.
Today, I felt I had kart for the first time in my life.
I had ache here, there and everywhere!!

Time to shape up, I must!


The Jan 2011 race

During end Dec 2010, the bunch of us (9, i think) caught up and discuss the race we wanted to have and see. I believed I had posted some details of our discussions here and brought it up to Louis too. After which, the details were input and reflected on the FB and permasgokart website.
http://www.permasgokart.com/date.htm

But in the morning, some were making noises claiming no one had been informed and it was unfair.

Perhaps it was, perhaps they felt the advantage was gone in an instant.

But I do not think I deserved to be told 'No Time La!' curtly when I tried to gather everyone for this briefing.

Then again, I was then somewhat cheesed off by the constant waiting for one another for the briefing. Most times, I would gladly took the role to facilitate the brief because I felt it is important to have everyone align for the race ahead especially newcomers.

But that particular briefing was tough. Firstly we had to dealt the some people, and how should we proceed, one class, same weight, split classes, weight??

Everyone was somewhat looking at me! But we may forgot that I was merely a messenger. I articulate the messages from Louis to some of our expat friends and vice versa. I do not make and surely cannot make decisions!
Louis is the decision maker. Truth to be told, I could have strongly advise him of splitting into 2 classes there and then, but I felt it was not the time yet.

In the end, we went ahead with one race format with everyone in it but with promise that something will change either with minimum weight requirements or engine classes.

It was both a bad and good call.

In the 1st heat, one arse climbed into their kart and joined the race without proper weights in some strange engine. It certainly disrupted some of our races, and cause unhappiness.
For me, I constantly kept a lookout and just let him through without putting up a fight. Why should I stoop to their level and give them the 'privilege' of racing me.
Sod OFF, I say.
In the 2nd heat, it was even worse because instead of having the silliness of one arse we had silliness and stupidity both on the track together! Amazing!!
They wreak havoc in the race, and pushed one young karter off.
Then not long after, I witness divine intervention when one of the arse engine seized and another had problem. Amen.

These was all bad.

The good?
It was through these all of us then saw how it can be dangerous to race with crazy arse who care nothing but to win unfairly, and to mix too many classes of engine in one event. And henceforth, we got rid of the bad, and leave behind the good along with different classes. Yeah!

Some juicy details there, which I sincerely hope there will be less or none of these and just more good racings!

Enough of the Juicys.... and now to my race.

Trying to remember now was that Heat 1 was really exciting.
I did not do myself any favours by qualifying in just 6th.
6th, on the outside is even more tricky for the 1st hairpin with a long run down.
I believed I went through it ok. The main highlight was my tussle with Graeme during the earlier part of the race. He clearly had some advantage with the KF2 engine even with his heavyset body. I would came very close or even overtook him on the hairpin or corners but he would just moved ahead of me on the long straight stretch.
It was nonetheless good racing with much dicings for about 4 laps until he went off slightly at the hairpin. After which I could breathe easily.
Finished fourth from 6th. And weigh in at 165.5 kg! Barely make it!

Heat 2. I developed some cramp in my right forearm! It was definitely a sign that I had little time to workout and little track time after the December 2010 race. I had to concede position to Hong Yang then Louis who was later DQ for not having enough weight! And I finished fourth again it was a easier heat with lesser actions which I am glad of because I knew I could not move as freely as I was doing in the earlier heat.