Tuesday was the first round of the 2009 PCA Karting League Championship. The league has been going on for years and I have been racing with them since 2005 I believe. The season lasts until May with 21 races over nine rounds. Things went well last night in the first three races of the season.
Twenty-three people showed up including all the regulars fighting for this year’s championship. Last night was a triple grand prix format which means we run a quick five lap qualifying session to set the starting grid and then three races. With 23 people we run three groups of 7 or 8: groups A, B, & C. I didn’t think I qualified too poorly even though Tony passed me quite easily, but as I pulled in to the pits they flagged me to the side and pulled my kart out of the running without even asking me how it was. I was a few tenths slower than everyone else in my qualifying session and started fifth in the B group (12th overall). Not the best start to the season so far.
The first race was 25 laps, the second 30, and the last race was 35 laps. Starting fifth in the B group I was able to work my way to the front and win the race. Passing people is the fun part so I don’t mind starting in the back as long as there is a happy ending. We reposition the starting grid after each race by fastest laps of the night (qualifying or race times) and my fastest lap from race one moved me up to last position in the A group for the second race. I sat seventh on the starting grid for the second 30 lap race and had the six fastest people in front of me.
In an attempt to even things out we reverse the order of the karts after each race. The theory is the fastest kart wins so it goes to the back to the slowest person for the next race. Being the last person in group A I got the fastest kart. And it was a very fast kart. Normally it takes a few laps to get around someone. You have to judge which turns they are slow and you are fast before setting them up just right to get a run on them. Traffic was my advantage in the second race. Everyone in the A group was close together and trying to pass each other. That meant they weren’t going as fast as they probably could if they were running by themselves as opposed to defending their position. As I came through the pack with my high powered kart I was able to take advantage of everyone else fighting each other. I flew through the field and was in the lead by the half-way point. I finished the race with the fastest lap of the night so far. It’s nice having good equipment.
Starting on the pole in the A group for the third race I got the slowest kart from the previous run. Before I pulled out I was told the motor wasn’t running so good and I said "Race on! Things are going well." It was a new motor and it hadn’t loosened up yet apparently. A few laps in the race as I was attempting to fend off the whole field behind me my motor sputtered. It did it a second time and I lost all power. I made it to the sin bin (black flag pit box) and they put me in the fast kart again which they removed for the last race because it was too fast. A few laps down I pulled out on track at the back of the pack. I was doing well again but I didn’t have a seat pad so I was moving around in the seat and couldn’t get my rhythm. I passed a few people, had a photo finish with 3rd place, and got fastest lap again, but I never was comfortable in the kart that race and think I could have done better. Driving on the edge takes very subtle hand and foot movements and an intense focus on how the kart is reacting to the track. Moving around in the seat doesn’t allow for a keen sense of feel or small minute inputs to the wheel and pedals.
This puts me in first place in the championship after the first round. Not a bad start. My back is a bit sore today. I got lucky this round with a fast kart and I’ll take those points shamelessly as it usually all evens out in the end. Next time I’ll probably get the kart that won’t turn left on the counter-clockwise track.
Kevin took video from a helmet-cam during the night. He had the camera facing behind him during the second race and I am looking forward to watching me pass my way by. So far he just has his qualifying session posted.
Results after round 1. You might want to look now because I’m not sure how many more times my name will be at the top of the list.
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