Cresson opener a fast one

MSR Cresson provided an excellent venue for the combined karting event to start two clubs' 2008 seasons.

Southwest RoadRacing Association along with Midwest America's Road Racing Series brought out their clubs to mix it up. Along with some very intense racers, the size of the fields was akin to a national competition. The more popular classes such as TaG and Formula 125 and Rotax had 25 to 30 and more entries.

The Kt100 Ltd Lights raced Saturday, and although it technically wasn't my first 'Lights' race, it was the first I was competitive in. Random draw saw me start 15th out of 18. Oscar was driving PPK's '08 entry and was near the front and got away well. The start was chaotic and our two first year drivers at the back had to avoid a melee. When too many karts squeeze into a space too small for them all, someone is going to spin. That spin happened right in front of me and I avoided to the outside. Out of my perifery I saw another kart spin but I got away clean, (I found out later that it was Luke spinning to avoid the other spin).

The downhill section after turn 6 is a fun run down, reminds me of skiiing, but close proximity to slower karts made me nervous and I dropped two tires off at an extremely fast speed. Luckily the Birel popped right back onto the track with nary a bad result. At the bottom of cresson's new section, from turn 6 has two high speed kinks that I was able to go flat out, and braking hard and driving deep into turn 8, a steep uphill hairpin, I'd let my forward motion carry me over the hump and drift all the way to the bricks. Cresson is noteable for its several blind, high speed turns. This one isn't as blind, but you cannot see the exit once you enter it. I was catching karts as a consequence of this turn all weekend. During the Sunday race, I was bumping Oscar up the hill after this turn.

I had passed several karts in the first lap, and gotten away clean from the start where 3 or 4 got caught up or slowed down. Mike Jones, driving a Randy "Socks" kart and Dale Posinski both passed me and I settled into a rhythm. I had adjusted my carb to a hotter, leaner position and I watched it and my lap times for a few laps. I was seconds faster than yesterday's practice times. In the 2:49's and :48's, just a few seconds off of last year's times. There were slower classes on track, and I was able to make passes without affecting my racing line, but I had begun reeling in some other karts in my class. Ahead was the 44 kart of David Munden.

David and I had had several great battles on track. We were friendly to each other off track and treated each other with respect on track. While driving up on him, he'd raise his hand and signal he was slowing, having some kind of problem. I passed him safely and come the back straight and he passed me back going into 12. From there we'd stay in each other's draft, I'd catch him in 8 and 9 and he'd pass me back from 10 to 12. When the white flag flew I was trailing him going into the snake section of 2, 3 and 4 and made up some time, when we got to 8 I was ready and passed him going up the hill to 9. Then came 10 and I knew he'd try to repass there. I moved over to the right to change my line and confuse, and when I didn't see him right, I leaped back and entered 10 in the lead, I didn't know if he was there or had had another engine stutter but I pressed hard through the last turns and took the checkered...but at the very last moment, he flew from behind me and passed on the right. It was a photo finish for sure, though there weren't cameras set up for that. I felt like he completed the pass, I was turned towards him as we went across the line and I think his bumper reached the line first, but just barely. Ironically, electronic timing wouldn't help because I had dropped my transponder somewhere during lap 6, the last lap recorded. I think David's pass put him into 5th, I finished 6th out of 18.

Justin had a short race, he went off early at turn 8, and Luke had a mechanical failure causing his motor to die. Both of these guys would come back Sunday with strong improvements.

Reflecting on the race that night, Dale suggested I lengthen my gear ratio, or take a few teeth away. This caused me distress because I had spent time and energy changing the rear sprocket because I wanted those extra teeth. I had to hunt the sprocked down though, I didn't bring an 88. But I couldn't find a two-piece which meant I had to dis-assemble the entire rear end to put the one-piece sprocket on. Now, he was telling me it was better to have straighway speed than corner speed. Let me go on the record now, and if history proves me wrong then so be it, but I would rather have corner speed. If I had to choose between the two- If I had to, it'd be corner speed. Which is the decision I made: even if I made that change, and it helped a little, I still wouldn't catch the leaders. This was a fact I knew before the first laps of practice Friday morning. I was not going to challenge for the lead in lights. This combined event had John and Jamey Brown in the field, and another Marrs Kt driver, who dominated the field, finishing one two three exept Saturday where the third place driver failed post-race weight tech, handing Oscar third place points. I'm glad I didn't change it back, when I thought about it Sunday morning, it didn't make sense; I was unhappy with it when I changed it.

Sunday's race had a field of 14 and again I was near the back. At the start I got a good start and passed a handful of karts before the first turn we came to, turn 6. Down the hill I passed several more and got around another coming out of 8. Ahead I could see Oscar battling with a Marrs driver. When they got in line and drafted, I could not catch them. But when one driver tried to pass, they'd get side by side for a while and I'd start to catch them. Just as I came up behind we came out of 12 and I blew by on the right. I had to brake hard to stay in front but I had passed Oscar and John Thompson. But as I expected, they passed me back on the front straight and I came up behind them fast coming out of 8. This was my best turn. Pretty soon it was just me and Oscar, we say the other guy standing by the side of the track out of the race with a failure.

At Friday's driver meeting, the SWRA let it be known that bumping was going to be penalized. With the strong draft at this track, karts were bumping everywhere. As Oscar and I began lapping together, I was able to stay in his draft and pass. Unfortunately, I didn't realize that I should be tucking in behind him and trying to draft. It wasn't until Oscar signaled me to stay behind him that I fell in consistently. Along the way though, SWRA thought I was bumping and dropped the 'rolled' black flag to me. I wasn't sure what this meant because of the direct statements they'd made at the driver's meeting. "There won't be a warning flag for bumping. The won't be any warnings, there better not be any bumping." It wasn't that I was bumping, I was coming up fast behind Oscar and I didn't want to slow down. When I got the rolled black flag, I signaled the started next time by, "do I need to go into the pits?" He signaled "yes" by giving a thumb's up. I dove into the pit lane and when I came around to the hot pit area the race director Mac gave me a frantic "GO GO GO" signal and I nailed the gas and sped back onto the track. I had a little squirrely moment on the pit exit lane, but I had lost Oscar's draft ( I found out later they didn't intend for me to pit, saying 'it was a rolled flag') but I hadn't lost a position and that's how I finished. Oscar in fourth, Me in fifth.

It should be said that the race winners Saturday and Sunday are nothing new to their club, our club and national events. John Dale and Jamey Brown have been winning in the Yamaha KT class for years now racing motors prepared by their dad, Gene Brown. This weekend was another testament to the deathgrip on their region, they led start to finish, though both days Jamey started near me at the back. The winning margin was some :55 seconds.

Both Justin and Luke did well, though Luke had more bad luck, first with a nose cone falling off and a sever front end chatter, then he threw a chain late in the race and DNF'd. Justin drove a steady race and finished, earning good points in the first race of the season.

Although the severe thrashing dampened the celebratory feeling, Frank, Oscar and PPK left leading the KT 100 Ltd Lights points. I scored points in both races and finished both and held my ground with Oscar, who had extra weight bolted on. I was very happy with this finish against the large field that turned out.

-Katykarter

Cresson Countdown

It's Tuesday night, March 25 and I'm home from prepping the kart over at Frank's after work. I got there about 5 and stayed till about 8. He'd been doing 10 to 15 hour days this week and last and has just two more days(and three nights) till load up.

The Birel is doing well. It's not as pristeen as in recent memory, last season took a toll. The underside is in need of addressing. It has been banged around a little since I took ownership, and it needs paint there badly. But the secret recipe of metallurgy and design is still there: it's still the same chassis, and it's systems are all but in place and race-ready. I have only two more evenings before load, and I'd like to load early Thursday and sleep till edt 3:45am Friday.

I have bitten off a mouthfull this season, I've decided to run in the lights as well as the heavies and two races per weekend will take some getting used to. I'll still try for Friday practice to sort the kart out, and get seat time, but a race on Saturday and Sunday will provide ample opportunity to get race experience. I don't hope to win on Saturday. If the fields are as numerous as last year, I might expect fourth. The first race is one of two dual-club meets which means there will be more entries than usual. Remember, I'm used to racing on Sunday in the KT100 "heavy" class. On Saturday, the competitive "lights" race and I'll be giving up a lot of weight. This will be a sizeable disadvantage, but I know I can be competitive and hopefully consistancy will again lead to success. On Sunday's I'll have less of a weight disadvantage, and as last year showed, consistency in this less populated class will pay dividends.

Driver weight is a huge issue. In the KT100 class, a 100cc Yamaha motor with a centrifugal clutch is a class where corner speed and acceleration is highlighted. Without a manual transmission, the clutch allows the driver to smoothly accelerate out of the turns, but it penalizes a slow turn, or slow corner speed. It takes a long time to get the speed built back up, and makes the driver seek every inch of track and inertia to keep his speed up. When more mass has to be kept in motion this way, the motor must work harder and makes a light driver naturally faster.

My weight is a known weakness and I've done a lousy job of keeping the excess bulk in check over the winter. Leading into this first race, I'm as heavy as ever, over 210. I haven't dropped a single pound, though I have let the gym membership lapse, and I had a couple of wierd injuries several weeks ago that dampened the workout regimen. I have resumed a regular workout schedule though and I know these first couple of races I'll be heavier than I should be, but I'll be down to around 200 soon. The food/eating issue is also being tweaked. I don't overeat as much anymore, but it doesn't take as much to turn into fat as it used to. I like to say I've slowed my metabolism down by not working as hard as I used to, but in reality my body is doing the typical, "oh well, it was nice but now we're going to be a fat-ass and die of heart disease" routine. What my body doesn't know yet, though it's getting hints is that I'm not going out like that. I know I can adjust my body's aging operation, and stay healthy and happy for many more years.

On Saturdays I'll be racing against guys that will have to bolt on weight to pass post-race inspection, while I'll be sweating away ounces off of 20-30 pounds of extra weight. It doesn't sound like I'll be competitive but we'll see: I will be out there, and I'll be consistent. I have a very reliable motor package from Frank, I have the best clutch money can buy, and dude, it took plenty of money!! The chassis is excellent, front wheel brakes, new tires, I cannot freakin wait.


-Katykarter

Budgetary Cosmos

Recently, I was describing the astronomical amounts of money Formula 1's teams are allowed to spend and the climate this creates. I then decided to find out just what recent F-1 budgets actually are. I was shocked.

Leading the pack is the highly successful, and highly penalized McLaren. Last year, they paid a $100m penalty for 'unauthorized viewing' of rival technical information. Team principle Ron Dennis brushed it off as a temporary minor discomfort. Projected 2008 expenditure: 400m

2. Toyota 393m
3. Honda 382m
4. BMW Sauber 378m
5. Ferrari 329m


I couln't believe it: Ferrari with only 329 million?? The gall.

-Katykarter

Bobby Rahal: American Icon

Gentleman Bobby Rahal is the perhaps the US's most prolific driver. He has compiled some impressive stats, and continues to as an owner.

As an owner, Bobby and partner David Letterman won the most prestigieous race we know of, the Indianapolis 500, of course, driven by Buddy Rice in 2004.

But Bobby had paid his dues for years, coming up in American open wheel ranks. He was the Championship Auto Racing Teams or CART points championship as a driver three times, in 1986, 1987 and 1992. He won the Indy 500 once, in 1986 on his way to his first CART title.

He was voted driver of the year twice, in '86 and '92. Bobby is the only owner/driver to win a CART title.

Along the way, Bobby crossed the pond and raced in as many forms of competition as he could. He had a short time in Formula 1, starting only two races for Walter Wolf in '78.

Back in the US, Rahal won the 24 Hours of Daytona in 1981 and 12 Hours of Sebring in 1987.

Bobby also had starts in NASCAR, Can-Am, and IROC. In every instance, he represented himself well, and gathered the esteem of everyone he competed against.

Perhaps his most staggering statistic: in an 18 year professional racing career, Rahal finished outside the top ten only once.

-Katykarter

IRL Fallout

Derrick Walker racing has announced it won't

compete in the IRL this year, leaving a decision

for next year up in the air. Meanwhile, Simon Pagenaud and Will Power, Champ Car Aussie Vinyard drivers are in limbo until their availability comes into focus.

Champ Car's race in Australia has been secured by the IRL. Surfer's Paradise, Queensland, Australia has hosted the Gold Coast Indy. During merger negotiations, it was expected early on the Australia, Edmonton and Long Beach races would be picked up by the IRL.

Alonso is back with Renault for the 08 Formula 1 season, but the car seems to be off the pace. Winter testing revealed inconsistent performance.

Mike Skinner to take over Red Bull Toyota.

NASCAR Team Red Bull has shown AJ Allmendinger where the door is, but didn't let him pass through yet, calling his replacement temporary.

Indy merger not a pipe dream

I am Indy
From day one, Tony George was painted as the bad guy. And why not, he was unwilling, as other track owners were, to divide the proceeds from the Indy 500, the yearly iconic auto racing event. Tony didn't have the negotiating position to get the owner group to commit to returning to the IRL. It was 1994.

So the two sides split with some of the same personalities in play in this merger some 14 years later.

Three years ago, Champ Car went bust and George bid on the lot of equipment the defunct CART governing body put up as property. A court had to rule in favor of a coalition of owners to become the new controlling interest-holders: Kevin Kalkoven, Gerald Forsythe and others. For three years after, Champ Car World Series changed chassis manufacturers and continued in business, seemingly oblivious to the Tony George machine. But in the end, it was a fairly lucrative offer by George to any team, Champ Car or other, to join the IRL.

As controlling interests, the CCWS owners group visited with George and a deal was inked: any CCWS team that wanted to could join the IRL and George, who owns a majority of the Indy Racing League, would provide a Honda engine lease (not sure for what length of time), a Dallara chassis and 1.5 million pocket change. Of course it'll take much more than that to field an IRL team with only one car, but it was a deal maker. Appearently witht the blessing of the minority owner members of CCWS, Kalkoven, Forsythe, Rahal, Haas and others committed to compete in this year's IRL season and abandon their established CCWS race dates with the only notable exeption of Long Beach. The organizers of the Long Beach race have been assured there will be a full field racing on April 20. Beyond that, there will be no more Champ Car.

I thought it'd be appropriate to recognize the champions of the Championship Auto Racing Teams, or CART and it's progeny Champ Car World Series.

1995 Jaques Villeneuve CAN Green (Reynard-Ford)

1996 Jimmy Vasser USA Ganassi (Reynard-Honda)

1997 Alex Zanardi ITA Ganassi (Reynard-Honda)

1998 Alex Zanardi ITA Ganassi (Reynard-Honda)

1999 Juan Montoya COL Ganassi (Reynard-Honda)

2000 Gil de Ferran BRA Penske (Reynard/Penske-Honda)

2001 Gil de Ferran BRA Penske (Reynard/Penske-Honda)

2002 Cristiano da Matta BRA Newman/Haas (Lola-Toyota)

2003 Paul Tracy CAN Forsythe (Lola-Ford)

2004 Sebastien Bourdais FRA Newman/Haas (Lola-Ford)

2005 Sebastien Bourdais FRA Newman/Haas (Lola-Ford)

2006 Sebastien Bourdais FRA Newman/Haas (Lola-Ford)

2007 Sebastien Bourdais FRA Newman/Haas (DP-Ford)


Bourdais bid farewell to CCWS at the end of last year, after his fourth consecutive title to go to Formula One. He'll drive a Ferrari powered Red Bull car for their European team, Torro Rosso. In pre-season testing he and his teammate, young Sebastian Vettel have been the class of the field.
Hard to imagine the Torro Rosso team vying for the lead against Ferrari, McLaren, and Renault.