Weekend of 1st July, FEKC Round 6:
Saturday:
A good start to the weekend, with a lot of work done on the kart and my driving it all looked positive for the Sunday. Slight disappointment in the last session however as I was driven over with a few laps remaining.
Heat 1: Started 23rd, went for an optimistic start trying to go round the outside, got in a mess and hat someone go over the back of me and rip the radiator tubing. Had to stop after a couple of laps to stop over heating. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDJWlXvg8iY&feature=g-upl
Heat 2: Started 26th, finished 14th. A really good heat in the rain. Pace seemed good and places made up well, very close racing but did get fired off a few times. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XbQEc0UxJU&feature=endscreen
Heat 3: Started 4th, finished 7th. Despite ending behind where I started, a heat with glimpses of real pace needed to challenge at the front. A good race, leading for a few laps and having a good race with team mate Matt Ward (72). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSBeKHhtmf8&feature=relmfu
Final: Started 19th, finished 19th. Result says it all. Very average race, enjoyed racing Matt Ward, but not a great race and a shame to end Junior Rotax with nothing special. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjHsqdkQZhw&feature=relmfu
Next Event: Championship Round 7 at FEKC. August 4/5 .
Weekend of 3rd June, FEKC Round 5, Southern Championships:
After a fuel leak in first practice, it looked as if another tough weekend was ahead. However, in practice 2, we were back on track running easily 5th quickest, setting my best lap time of the season and the kart feeling great. The midweek testing at Whilton looked to have payed off.
Saturday racing went well, finishing in the top 10 for both of my heats, after starting from 11th and 16th. The final looked good, hoping to start top 10, and team mate Matt Ward winning his first ever heat and doing brilliantly to take pole. However, protests from further down the field meant racing was delayed until Sunday morning. Starting a disappointing 13th, the rain meant it was a wet race allowing me to move up to 9th out of 34, and set the 6th fastest lap. A good result, and a positive start to see my pace had stayed.
The first heat on Sunday was a greasy track, and the team and drivers made the correct call putting on slicks, giving me the chance to move up from 26th to 16th and set the 7th quickest lap. Heat 2 was hampered with problems, however, a top 10 finish was still achieved. The 3rd heat was more of bad luck. After having a good heat and moving from 11th up to 7th, I was excluded for having a bumper wider than the two rear tyres, something that gives no performance advantage, and only happened as wet tyres were used rather than slicks.
For the final, rather than starting top 10, I would start 30th of 35, my worst grid of the season. After a very exciting final, I finished in 13th, a good result, and a good drive, however, not where I hoped, and should have been.
After a great weekend, and an emotional one as I raced in memory of my dad, Neil Mainland, 13th was a good result, ending the weekend with 216 points, moving me up to 22nd in the Championship, with 470 points. The race to the top 10 is still on, and I look forward to next month.
Weekend of 4th March, FEKC Round 2:
A hard Saturday in dry conditions was more positive toward the end, starting to realise previous problems. Sunday turned Saturday testing upside down as it poured with rain. Three laps practice wasn’t a great start though, as I managed to bend a rear axel. All that behind us, it all came good in the first heat, starting 9th, I managed to drive my way to 3rd. At this point it looked like a Gillard 1, 2, 3 in the first heat was on the cards. This was soon not the the case, my airbox became full of water, resulting in a loss of power, and a drop in places in 2 laps from 3rd to last.
Whilst the weekend looked as if we could be on the pace, it didn’t matter as the race was abandoned due to poor visibility. A challenging but necessary weekend.
Next event: April 18th, Neil Mainland Life is Good Go-Karting Cup.
Next Championship race: May 5/6.