Kart Coach News

Whilton Mill October 2008

Cadet driver Jack Macaulay progressed through his second weekend on yellow plates, finishing very respectively in all three of his heats. Unfortunately he just missed out on qualifying for the A Final, and thus started on sixth for the B Final. A hard fought race earned him a seventh place finish- but with a grid of over fifty cadets, a highly commendable finish none the less.

 

 

Andy King, Junior Max struggled throughout the morning heats with setup issues in the changeable conditions. Subsequently, he gridded fourteenth for the A Final, now on a dry track. A fantastic start and some hard fought battles throughout the race resulted in eighth place, a fine effort giving his starting position.

 

 

Ashley Longdon, a new driver to the team, had a fantastic race day, considering he had never driven in wet conditions. Three consistant heat finishes qualified Ashley for a grid slot in the A Final. His determination throughout the day and his spirited drive in the final earned him trophy for best novice, ahead of many full plates.

 

 

 

 

Tim Goodwin struggled with engine problems on Saturday, but with a fresh motor, courteousy of Kart Coach for Sunday, saw his lap times tumble. A interesting race day ensued, Tim quickly learned the wet driving techniques and thouroughly enjoyed himself in the conditions. Initially he was on a par with his contemporaries, but unfortunately he found Whilton very physically demanding, and this effected his lap times during latter stages of the final. Tim assures us he will be back to the gym for next month!

 

 

John Barnes made significant progress at Whilton Mill during his penultimate novice race. He drove impeccably in all three heats, in conditions he was unfamiliar with, qualifying higher than many full plates for the final. He drove a great race, and he seized his opportunity at the hairpin to claim seventh position and best novice for the third month in a row!

 

 

Keith Gatton in Rotax 177 drove a consistant race day, in spite of the changing conditions. Although some setup issues hindered his results during the heats, Keith endeavored to regain the positions in the final, which he did successfully- finishing just ahead of John Barnes in sixth.

 

 

 

Seven drivers in the awning gave Alex little time to fettle his own kart. Nonetheless he managed to win one heat, however two medioca finishes in the other two resulted in grid fourteen for the final. He made a great start and was soon up to third, but unfortunately the leading pair had escaped beyond reach, so he focused on consolidating his position. Third place was a great result considering where he started.

 

 

Shenington October 2008

A win, a sixth and a seventh qualified Andy King for third on the Junior Max A Final grid. A great start moved him straight into second place, from where a leading trio broke away from the pack into a race of their own, lapping to within a hundredth of second of each other. Andy shadowed the leader throughout the race in second, until with three laps to go, he took the lead with a superb move into Wilkins. Unfortunately, with two laps to go, he had to relinquish the lead to eventual winner James Hassall in the closing moments.

Although the top three crossed the line within half a second, Andy came home a fighting third.

Andy would like to thank Steve at Ogden Engineering for they're extremely strong engines, and Maranello Karts for they're continuous support and sponsorship. Thanks also goes to Alex at Kart Coach for his driver coaching and advice throughout the weekend.