UK 24 hr Kart race

[RVF500]

Well it came around and after the disappointment of Le Mans the boys headed up to Cumbria (why Cumbria? you ask....well so did we and still haven't got an answer) for the UK 24 hr race.

Arrived in a howling gale with horizontal rain on Wednesday night (well ok, it is Cumbria after all) and wrestled with awnings etc in the paddock area while the boys went to pitch their tent for the night. After displaying their tent pitching skills, they slept in the van (wonder if they remembered to go and get the tent after the race )

Next day. Practice was wet (surprise surprise) so after 6 hours of sliding about it was generally hoped we would have a wet race as we had no other data for this circuit. The organisers had banned teams from testing in the run up to try and keep the field as level as possible for all. And miracle upon miracle, raceday dawned dry and sunny. Early morning practice went ok and then to qualifying. Running top 4 as we predicted and things ok until the times started to tumble. So did we, down the rankings . Decision made, get the driver in and put new rubber on for the last 10 mins. Enter cock up number one. Fastest driver comes in, another driver goes out, still on the old tyres Sh1te, that wasn't supposed to happen. Qualified 14th.

NOW we get the new tyres on having sorted out the mix up and nailed the culprit, spread-eagled to the start line....ok...not really but it was a thought . Good clean start. Lo and behold by the 3rd lap we are within 4/10ths of the pole time, good enough for second row of the grid. Talk about horses and stable doors. Still have an issue with tyre pressures which appear to be a bit high but we are gaining places slowly and are still in touch with the leaders. This continues steadily until a broken wheel rim after 4 hours causes an unscheduled stop due to the resulting puncture. New tyres, lower pressures.......FLYING. Only one team lapping as fast as we are Claw back up to 7th place.

11 1/2 hours in. Disaster! No brakes (same type we used at Le Mans too )....Down to the metal. Unscheduled stop, 5 minute job. Only it's not. Cuz we're not using our normal kart but another owners and it has a different brake system. 25 minutes later and back out in 25th place Massive effort sees the lads scrap back to 11th place overnight. The leaders are away, it's damage limitation now and pray for the disaster fairy to hit someone higher up.

1 1/2 hours to go. Up on the bumper of the next kart for position and one other on the same lap. But the brakes are shot again. We can get up onto the back of the team in front but can't get by as they outbrake us each time. Hold position and finally finish 9th. The brake pads are gone and we are halfway through the metal.

So more lessons learned. Disappointment as a top 4 finish was well on the cards and the boys are good enough to have taken the top spot (with a bit of luck too). So lessons learned and taken away for the next event. Racing is cruel and 24 hr endurances crueler still. Can't wait for the next one.

As a footnote. The guy who sold us (and some other teams) the brake pads, also had them fitted to his teams kart. His failed too.

[TiG]

RVF500, thanks for telling about this again, i loved the previous stories and its sad to have to fight so much because of mechanical failures. Your guys pretty hard on the breaks pushing so hard tho?, i've done a fair bit of karting nothing like 24hrs but i know how hard i tend to be on my breaks being light. Failing being able to find some better breaks that will last you out some more laps, not a possibility of getting some additional coasting into corners, sure a slightly slower lap but saves you the 25min pit stop?

I'm sure it will come good, let us know

TiG

[RVF500]

It is unusual to be getting through brakes like that and we weren't the only ones to suffer. What made the problem worse was the setup of the brake caliper. That's where the real time was lost. This circuit (Rowrah) is hard on the karts. There are 3 hairpins at the end of some significant straights where a lot of overtaking takes place on the brakes so they get used and abused much more than normal.

It's all a learning curve. Some of the teams are off to race in Holland next week (I think) but we can't a) afford it b) get time off work so close to this race. The boys are doing well in the 6 hour endurance series they are in and are concentrating on that for the remainder of the season before lining up for an assault on the 24 hour races next season.

Watch this space

[XTR]

jeez i loved the karting race i had the other week.... came 3rd but theres noway i could do 24 hours........ the race i done was a 30 minute one, with a 15 minute practice... 45mins... and i was knackered.....

I was hard on the brakes for that session i had.......... so 24 hours, i'd imagine it could be a costly hobby!!!!

[RVF500]

My son and his partner run a kart between them and the two of them race 6 hour enduros in stints of an hour and a half each. Team sizes vary but we took 4 drivers to the UK 24 hr, running in 1hr 30 min to 1 hr 50 min stints. The longer stints were to remove a driver change and eliminate the time lost going through the pits and refuelling.

It is very physical. I occaisionally drive in a team with my son for fun and have been reduced to having to steer with my thumbs under the web of the steering wheel as I have been unable to grip the wheel properly any longer. Blisters and cramps in hands and feet are common. My son is very strong across his arms, chest, and shoulders from doing this over the past 5 years or so. Having said that it is very good fun and very competetive. The other prohibitive thing is cost. It's not cheap and getting sponsorship is very hard.

The last 6 hour race they came second. 2/10ths of a second between first and second after 6 hours of racing. Each lap is a sprint so coasting isn't an option unless you are lucky enough to break away. Makes for good close racing for the whole event though