August Report

Jurby 15th August 2004

The practice started with the rain clearing for the track to dry up. The practice progressed with me still setting the fastest lap, although my kart had lots of under steer.
The first heat I started at the back of the grid, the first lap I moved slowly through the field, I till I gained first position, I stayed in this position for the rest of the race. I set my fastest lap on the third lap.
In the second heat I was grided second. The lights went green and I made a break to gain the lead, the gap at the end of the race was 15.23 seconds ahead of second place.
The third heat would prove to be quite tough, as I was grided near the back. The lights changed and into the first corner there was a spin and karts went everywhere. I slotted through into forth place and by the end on the second lap I was first. I set the fastest lap quite close to the end of the race my tyres didn’t come on until the latter part of the race.
I had won all the heats and was positioned pole for the final. As the race started my tyres came on and I made a great start into the first corner. I broke and continued to increase my lead on the second driver to finish the race 14.74 seconds ahead. I set the fastest lap of the final, with a 59.76. This was five tenths faster than anyone else.

Rowrah 29th-30th August (2004)

On the weekend of the 21st and 22nd of August, I went with the Isle of Man Racing Team to the British 24hour race at Rowrah, Unfortunately I was too young to drive this year. The team gained a credible 6th place out of 15 in the clubman class.
After the 24hour event, the following week I spent with Howard Lucas Racing at their head quarters in Manchester, learning about kart set-up and kart preparation. Before returning to Rowrah on Thursday for the Super 2 round.
On the Friday I woke up rearing to get started. The whole day went very well with me being well on the pace after a slow start trying to find out how the kart went with different caster and rear end adjustments.
The final practice on the Friday was the fastest all day for me, setting a ballistic time of 57.40. This time was 8tenths faster than my fastest lap last year.
On the Saturday practice the weather was brilliant, the sun was shinning and the sky was clear. As the day started the times where slow, but that was due to the cold track. Later on in the day the kart performance was much improved. In the second to last practice of the day I set the fastest lap I had set all weekend so far. Which as a 57.26, this was the third fastest time in my class.
On the Sunday morning the black clouds were overhead and the weather was getting worse. The track was wet and all are set-up we had prepared for the last two days was useless. In the first heat I came third behind fellow teammate Ross Minty after a slow start by everyone.
The second heat the weather dried up a bit but, their wasn’t a dry line. In that heat I came second, after a struggle to overtake people in the wet conditions. In the third heat I made a mistake and came off at a very wet corner to finish in 7th position.
In the final, I was grided fourth. I was not going to let myself come forth, so into the first corner, up the hill I moved into third place. Along the same straight, I moved into second after going up the inside of the second place driver into a hairpin. The whole race I stayed in that position and my fastest lap due to damp conditions was a 1.07.42.
The second race day was a lot better than the first because the weather improved to sunshine and clear sky for the whole day.
In the practice I was the second fastest out on the track. This was due to the amazing set-up we had prepared, for the dry.
In the first heat I was on pole, the start was great and I was away into the lead, I was overtaken on lap three and followed the first place driver the whole race, until I got overtaken on the last lap, to finish in third place.
In the second heat I was on the back of the grid and I had all to gain and nothing to loose. I overtook the field following fellow MS driver Linda Playfair through the remanding drivers till I was forth. I finished in this position after again being the third fastest driver.
In the third heat I was forth on the grid. The start was good moving into third. After a few laps I was stuck behind another driver, who turned in when I tried to overtake and the nose cone came off. This caused me to make a pit stop to fit a new nose cone, which lost me 22 seconds and I finished in seventh position.
In the final I was positioned on forth, I followed the leaders for the whole race, to finish in forth place. Due to my roll at Landow, my chassis was bent; my chassis was sent away to be straightened as well as it could be, but it was always at one time going to creep back to being bent, and in this race it did. So considering, coming away with a second place trophy on the first day and forth on the second day. I also gained 50 points advantage in the race for the third place in the championship, the weekend was not to bad. I will have a new chassis for the last round at Clay Pigeon in Dorset.