Karting Corner

1 - Slip Slidin' Away.

What a response! For the sixth and final event in the Duckhams Oils sponsored, 1998 Southern Car Club Karting Trophy, we had no less than 27, yes twenty seven, entries vying for the 20 places available.

Special thanks for this great turn out must go to Peter Noble of Newbridge Networks and to Tony Ross of Williams Motorsport who between them brought thirteen teams along. The Newbridge teams had also clubbed together and bought a trophy of their own to race for in addition to those provided by Duckhams Oils and Slipstream Racing.

Everything looked promising as we arrived, there had been a shower of rain earlier but the track was drying out nicely. Thankfully with 80 drivers to sign on and kit out, everyone turned up on time and we were able to start fairly promptly but just as the cars were forming up to leave the pits, a light drizzle began and the pattern for the evening was set. Mayhem! Some drivers were doing more RPM than their engines as they discovered that a kart in the wet is a very sensitive beastie.

Shortly after practice began, the timing system stopped clocking and by the end of the session, only six cars were showing times. The fault was eventually traced to a dislodged connection on the start finish line where a car had run down the grass and ripped out the wiring. Several bales of tyres were placed around the area before the start to discourage a repeat performance.

With no practice times to hand, the grid was formed up in team number order, putting Williams 1 - 6 on the first three rows followed by X and Beetle Juice (McLaren - yes really) on row four. BP Oil shared row five with the BP Sunbury Fire Team ahead of 'F' Racing (MGF Cup racers) and the first of the Newbridge teams, Pencil Heads. Sandhurst Motor Spares were alongside Screamin' Buicks with Smokin' Cavaliers and winners of the last round Southern One back on row eight. The final two rows were an all Newbridge affair with Spare Parts alongside Team Edgy and Teams Jobby and Trixie bringing up the rear.

Risking life and limb, Van Kaiser bravely (stupidly) held his ground in front of the advancing horde to flag away the first ever-rolling start in the championship and 110 clattering and whirring horsepower surged forward into the first corner.

Amazingly almost everyone made it round but it wasn't long before those with previous experience in the wet began to show up. By lap three, BP Oil were in the lead with 'F' Racing, Williams 4, Williams 1 and Southern One in pursuit.

Just as they flagged their first driver in for a change, disaster struck BP Oil in the shape of brake failure, which left Peter Noble ploughing across the grass to rejoin on the opposite side of the circuit! As I watched him disappear, I was thinking - he's lost it - then - hang on, he can't go that way. - then - he's in the pond, he's in the pond! But he wasn't and eventually he reappeared and came into the pits shouting, no brakes, no brakes - and everyone ran for it. A new kart was quickly readied and I rejoined the track but we were now two laps down - and the new kart was running so lean that it was popping and banging and occasionally cutting out so when I came back in we were swapped back to our original kart - with brakes.

After 20 laps, Southern One were 0.15 secs clear of 'F' Racing with Williams 1 a further 19 secs back. Then came Williams 4 and the BP Sunbury Fire Team. Williams were obviously taking this seriously with Williams 3, Williams 2 and Williams 5 next up in 6th, 7th and 8th. BP Oil had recovered somewhat to ninth but was still over a lap down. Sandhurst Motor Spares were just behind in tenth with Team Jobby and Smokin' Cavaliers in close attendance. The last of the Willams entries Williams 6 was in thirteenth, well ahead of X who were only 0.01 secs ahead of the McLaren entry, Beetle Juice. The final five were all Newbridge entries, Team Trixie held sway over Team Edgy, Spare Parts and Screamin' Buicks with Pencil Heads bringing up the rear.

BP Oil were awarded a lap back as compensation for their brake problems which raised them back up to fifth, still over a lap down but they were taking 4 secs a lap out of leaders Southern One - hang on chaps were coming.

Sure enough, as the rain got heavier and the slides and spins got more lurid, BP Oil's position continued to improve and by lap 40 they were holding a 5 second lead over Williams 4 who were in turn 27 secs ahead of Williams 1 and 'F' Racing. Southern One had mysteriously dropped a lap and four places along the way to fifth with Williams 3 now in sixth. The BP Sunbury Fire Team wouldn't be slow getting to a fire, they were a very creditable seventh, only 0.04 secs behind Williams 3 and well up on Williams 2, a markedly improved Williams 6 and Williams 5. Sandhurst Motor Spares had lost a place but were still running steadily. I think they're more used to selling parts than wearing them out. Smokin' Cavaliers were now the best placed Newbridge team in 12th ahead of X, Team Jobby and Beetle Juice. The last five places seemed to be an all Newbridge affair, Spare Parts now had the upper hand over Team Trixie ,Team Edgy, Screamin' Buicks and Pencil Heads. Still a long way to go though, there were a lot of spins before the end.

Just on half distance, Williams 4 took the lead from BP Oil as they refuelled; these two having pulled nearly a lap clear of 'F' Racing and Southern One. Any of these four could still come out in front as driver changes and refuelling changed the running order. Williams 1 and 2 were still running fifth and sixth but were now dropping back from the leaders and the BP Sunbury Fire Team were doggedly hanging on to their seventh spot. Williams 3 was now comfortably ahead of Williams 6 and Team Jobby had raced up to tenth to take over as best Newbridge team, demoting Smokin' Cavaliers to eleventh. Williams 5 were twelfth and Sandhurst Motor Spares were dropping back in thirteenth but were still well ahead of Beetle Juice and X. The 'lower quartile' was padded out by Spare Parts, Team Edgy, Screamin' Buicks, a fading Team Trixie and a good dependable performance from Pencil heads. A bit lead in them next time perhaps?

After 80 laps, and with refuelling over, BP Oil were nearly a lap in front of Williams 4, who were well up on Southern One and 'F' Racing. Williams 1 had finally made it past Williams 2 and of course The BP Sunbury Fire Team were still slogging away in seventh. Williams 3 were eighth and Williams 6 had dropped to ninth. Smokin' Cavaliers were still best Newbridge Team in tenth but Team Jobby weren't that far behind. Williams 5 still held twelfth ahead of Sandhurst Motor Spares who were now two laps up on Beetle Juice, X and Spare Parts. The tail of the field was beginning to look very set with Screamin' Buicks, Team Trixie, Team Edgy and Pencil Heads pretty much in a race of their own.

With 20 mins to go, BP Oil were almost a minute ahead of Southern One who in turn were nearly 30 secs ahead of Williams 4. BP had now completed their driver changes and Southern and Williams 4 had one each left to make. 'F' racing still held fourth albeit 2 laps down and 30 secs ahead of Williams 1 who were now powering away from Williams 2 in sixth. Smokin' Cavaliers now held seventh, not far ahead of Williams 6. Long time seventh place team BP Sunbury Fire Team had slipped to ninth and were less tan 4 secs in front of Williams 3 who were well up on Team Jobby. Williams 5 were still the lowest placed Williams's entry in twelfth, ahead of Sandhurst Motor Spares who were just holding off Beetle Juice for thirteenth. X still held fifteenth ahead of the five dicing Newbridge tailenders, Spare Parts, Screamin' Buicks, Team Edgy, Team Trixie and Pencil Heads.

By the finish, BP Oil had extended their lead over Williams 4 to just over a lap with Southern One a further 22 secs back in third. 'F' Racing held on to fourth, three laps down but comfortably ahead of Williams 1 and Williams 2. Smokin' Cavaliers were best Newbridge entry in seventh ahead of Williams 6 and the BP Sunbury Fire Team who had some problems late on trying to get their driver in to make their final change. For lap after lap, they showed him the pit board, shouted and waved - and each time round he gave them the thumbs up - and kept going! Obviously someone was enjoying himself. Team Jobby completed the top ten just 1.59 secs in front of Williams 3. Sandhurst Motor Spares had lost a bit of ground during the mid section of the race but held on to thirteenth spot in front of Williams 5. The lone McLaren entry - Beetle Juice, were fourteenth and X retained the fifteenth they had held for most of the race. The final five were still Spare Parts, Screamin' Buicks, Team Edgy, Team Trixie and Pencil Heads.

Peter Noble presented Smokin' Cavaliers with the trophy for best Newbridge team and Van Kaiser of Slipstream Racing then presented each member of the first five teams with a trophy for their efforts, with the first three teams also receiving additional prizes from Duckhams Oils.

A wet night. If anyone had been asked if they wanted to spend an evening in the wind and rain in a kart they would all have said no, but after it was all over, everyone seemed agreed that once again, the rain had 'made the day'. All in all a fantastic effort especially by those - and there were many - who hadn't even driven a kart before. Well Done !

2 - They're Back !

Due to a hitch with the re-development of the site, Slipstream Racing are back in their old home in Camberley as of November 1st. Call Van on 01276 685655 for details.

3 - Kris Moose Bash

As usual, despite several (half-hearted) promises, I am a bit light on Competitors Reports. Remember that this is your chance to tell your version of events and say how you and yours fared.

The first (and only) report is from a very pleased Peter Noble of BP Oil.

Reading Race(water)way!!!

A nice wet Tuesday evening and a two and half-hour endurance race, to me, that's a LOT of fun!

For a change, we of BP Oil had little Adam Pearless racing for us (unlucky SSC1) but we had an idea that he wouldn't make all that much difference on a track that was totally new to him, and that turned out to be true!

There were 20 teams all in all for this event, the maximum that Van Kaiser of Slipstream could take on his computer's system. Which is a shame 'cause the event was over booked by 7 or 8 teams.

20 mins practice started on a wet track with breezy conditions, a lot of people found the track in the wet just too much, and slid off left right and centre, but after 15 mins the track started to dry a little and more grip was found. Gavin, Mark and Adam all found the conditions a little greasy and seeing that I was the starting driver in the race left me out as the last driver to qualify. Now, I love the wet!

Qualified on pole on a track that was greasy but drying out quickly enough for me to take the quicker corners with only a slight feather to the throttle. However my joy was short lived, as the timing system had been mushed by someone taking out the wiring at the start/finish line (was it team 1 or 2?) and only 6 karts showed as recording a time. The outcome was that the field would start in numerical order and we were team nine!

As the starting driver, I got a good start and moved up three places by the first corner, I kept my nose clean and picked off each driver ahead of me by lap 2. For a change I managed to stay away from trouble, or was it that trouble stayed away from me?

Then it started to drizzle and it became extremely greasy, and a little tricky! No problem, took it easy, but as quick as possible, by lap 8 and my change driver board I had pulled a gap of some 18 seconds to second place. Just before the corner that leads to the pit entrance, you have to brake. It is one of two areas on the track that you have to use a little bit of brake. What brakes! Due to an Allen key nut falling out, I had nothing, and found myself grass tracking and sliding across to the other side of the track! Surprised! You bet!

I struggled back to the pits (sideways!), where Gav, took over in a spare. We were now down in 9th, and Van wouldn't give us any time back! Bugger! Luckily, the transponder on our kart had stopped recording our time, so he had to make an amendment anyway. A lap or so was added and we were back in 5th place.

Little Adam, was finding it tough going, 'cause he was SO light, finding grip on the wet track, was tough for him. He drove well, but every time he came in, he would be shaking his head in disbelief and telling us of how he didn't stop wheel spinning until half way up the main straight!

Mark was solid as ever, hardly putting a foot wrong, on the damp track, pulled us back up to third place a lap behind the leading two who were Williams 4 and Big Bad SSC1. Mark comes in; I go out again, sod it I say, "I'm just going to give it as much welly as I can get away with". So I did just that. Crossed up, sideways and four wheel sliding, and not one wheel off the track! Brilliant!

Even better news was in the pits; we were in first place and a lap up!

Gavin and Mark were just so smooth and every time they got in the Kart another 15-20 seconds gap was added to our lead.

Adam was find it tough on the other side of dry, losing about 5 seconds per lap to Williams 4 and SSC1, who were swapping places frequently, but he held on to some 50 seconds lead after his final drive. We had Mark and Gav to follow him up, and they soon got the gap up to well over a lap and a half. Funny that Adam found it tough in the wet but in the dry he goes like a rocket!