7 June
Starting Heat 2, Damp condition, 3rd Slot but 1st in my class.
Amazing! Fantastic! Delightful!
Finally, I had done what I hope I set out to do. A 1st place overall. As I mentioned, never in my mind I would thought my 1st place finish will come in a wet Sunday. It is just crazy!
The day started with rain while I was driving to JB, and I thought to myself this is going to be challenging day if the rain followed through to the track.
Arriving at the track, there was no rain but huge overcast at first.
Come before the qualifying, the skies opened up and the track was wet truly and thoroughly.
Qualifying was a little bit tricky for me as the MyChron on the kart was not displaying the lap times properly. Hence, I had no idea how fast I was doing except in some of the laps it shown 49something.
At the end, I was in second behind Selvan by about 0.2 second, and Graeme was about 0.2 behind me. If I recalled correctly, the rest of the field, bar the open class, was a second off from the 3 of us.
This set up the Heat 1 for me.
And the rain continued to pour without any sign of stopping.
The start of Heat 1 was okay for me except that Graeme pulled slightly ahead of me going into the 1st hairpin. Then in the hairpin, he drifted wider and wider, and I took second back promptly. This followed by a long straight. It was crazy driving that stretch as the spray from the few karts in front was really really too much. I had to move away to the side more else I could not see anything. Imagine a someone take a pipe and spray the water into you, and do this while you are driving at full speed. It was simply nuts, but absolutely brilliant at the same time!
Selvan was constantly in front of me. It was sort of a déjà vu because last race I was behind Sin Wie form the start to the checkered flag. This time round I tried to push a little harder bit by bit, but the gap was fluctuating without me being really close enough to challenge at all.
Then he had a moment at the Black Hole, he spun! I tried to approach the concrete hairpin as quick as possible but he recovered and drove off. We were close then but still not close enough! That was with about 5-7 laps to go.
I told myself I had to push to really stand a chance of taking the checkered flag 1st this time, I did. The gap reduced and widen from section to section, and we hold our position rather steadily.
3 more laps, I was thinking where can I take this boy, or where can I find time... then something happened...
I saw him spinning at the Black Hole Sister... I told myself I had to gun it and challenge him now. However, as I approached I saw one of his rear wheels came off! I told myself not to look, and just concentrate as it was still slippery on the track.
With no one really close to me, I thanked my lucky star while I finished Heat 1 in 1st place. I knew during the race I did not have enough pace to get the top place, but this is motorsports. And sometimes luck will smile on you when it is your day. That day, 5 June, it seems was mine.
Heat 2 only started at 2.30pm. The rain had stopped sometime back but there was no sun. To me, the track was still wet for wets rubber. However, the rest of the field had decided to swap to slick. I shared my opinion, and to those who heard did not listened. Only Selvan did. And I am glad he did. Because of his DNF in the earlier heat he was going to start at the back, and to stand any chance of recovering from the earlier disaster is to stay on wets.
If anyone asked me now if there was any doubts if wets were the right tyre choice, I have to be honest to say I had my doubts for sure. Especially so when almost everyone had switched over. I stood firm on my belief and testing experience that I am correct.
Once the green flag dropped for Heat 2, I knew immediately I was correct. While the shifter and the rest was struggling for traction for hairpin I was going through with relatively ease!
But this is where it got a little bit disappointing for me. I did not adjust the kart settings for the damp track, and was still on a full wet setting.
This promptly showed half way through the race when I was overtaken by Graeme and Selvan at the Black Hole. I tried to stay with them but somehow I felt the kart was not ready to do so.
In the end, I had to be pleased with 3rd.
Considering all things put together, I am really happy with a day's work.
However, there are many things I had learnt from the day too. I will sure hope to remember and apply them accordingly.
Now, relax and looking forward to the next race!
CHEERS!
Told myself I must to try to get these ones more often.
My thoughts of the coming race this weekend on 26 June are that I could be struggling if I do not get my neck sorted out, and hence importantly I pray for a wet wet race to minimise the G and save my neck... literally!
