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Thanks bro – great to see an account of the races from the point of view of other drivers! Certainly, I have a feeling that 2006 is going to be one tough year. Those guys from K3 are going to be very quick. I had my own big moment during Q2, but I will save that for my blog. *wink*
Other drivers, pls give your account of the races as well.
Azlan @ saa73 is absolutely spot-on regarding the fun factor.
From a dubbed “K2 virgin†point of view, I basically have “butterflies in the tummy feeling†before the event. Not that I haven’t drove 100cc karts before (which I have drove many times. I even have the experience of the steering rod coming off (at the fast long straights) just like Zainuddin Zainal experienced in the K3 Heat2a) but not in a tight sprint race situation with sifus-sifus. I was wondering what have I got myself into. (No thanks to Ahmad Fairus for cucuk-cucuk)
Came race day on 7 Jan 06, the sky was still pouring from the night before. Alas, the race was postponed to Sunday 8 Jan 06. (Blessing in disguise, I believe). Aaahh, another extra day to calm down my feelings.
I was shook-up at 4am with sharp stomach upset. Gosh! Don’t tell me my race is already over! Woke-up again at 6am, popped in some pill ‘chi-kit’ and hoped for the best. Boy, the pills really worked.
Came to the track, found the track is still quite damped at certain strategic places. That certainly didn’t bring up my confidence (especially in a virgin 100cc race). After witnessing how Fazz & a couple others struggle and sliding out of the wet patch at the last corner (while marshalling at the start/finish) before the start/finish line definitely knocked my confidence level down a few pegs.
I was selected into the same group (K2B) as Azlan @ saa73. I was balloted kart 29. Luen who had raced the kart in the earlier K2A race gave some feedbacks regarding the handling characteristic of the kart before the race where it oversteers a lot on left turns and understeers on right turns. I indeed had some horrifying time trying to control the kart where the kart will spin around if you gave it just a little too much gas on the left turns. Heck, I even spun the kart on my out lap coming out of the sharp left turn just after the bus-stop. The kart basically has a mind of its own where it wants to go instead of where you want it to go.
Starting at the back row for K2B heat 1 somehow is a blessing in disguise for me as I don’t have to worry about the sifus-sifus banging into me for being too slow. The race started and I saw a few guys spinning off and I was thinking to myself this couldn’t be any better. All I have to do is maintain my pace and don’t make any mistake but alas, that didn’t last for long especially on a slightly damp track, it is difficult. On lap 4, I was turning at turn 2 after going through the wet patch between turn 1 & 2 and out of the blue, the kart spun. What happened??? Composed myself and set off. On lap 5, again at turn 2 saw someone skidded and I took the inside line and out of the blue again, I spun and lost some precious positions. Aaaarrggghhh!!!!! Eventually I was lapped by Muhaymin & Zool at the end of lap 6. It was a race to forget.
Fun factor : 3 Kart condition factor : 3 Race position factor : 2
Heat 2 certainly threw the gloomy picture out. Assigned to kart 16 and again Luen gave me some feedbacks. Starting from the front row sure gave me some pressure. Screwed up my start and basically let everyone passed me by the end of the long straight (just too gentleman of me). By end of lap 2, the handling of the kart suddenly improved when the tyre temperature came up to the optimum temperature. I found I was catching up Azlan very fast and I noticed he was fiddling with the airbox at the same time. I could even power drift out of turn 2 and that was fun (2 thumbs up). I believe by lap 4 I was right at Azlan’s tail and I took a peek to overtake him at the start/finish line but the straight was not long enough. Then I lost a little time avoiding the wet patch between turn 1 & 2. At lap 5, I tried overtaking Azlan again on the long straight and Azlan not realizing me just right behind him closed off the gap before the sharp 170 right turn and I have to lift-off to avoid hitting him. Realized Azlan was not aware of me just right behind him as he was concentrating of catching up Razmyn & Faez and we were catching them up very fast, I decided to wait a bit for the next opportunity. I recalled that Azlan did try to make an overtaking move on Razmyn at the last lap at turn 1 but failed. I was hoping they make some mistakes and left the door wide open for me to go through but they are the sifus and they don’t make such mistakes. Drat!! I set myself up very well on the long right parabolic turn and kept as close as possible at Azlan’s tail out of the sharp left turn coming to the start/finish straight and I was already halfway through overtaking his kart at the start/finish line and only then I saw the chequered flag waving at us. AAAAAaaaarrrhhhHHHHH!!!!! With all the excitement going on, I forgot to keep track of the lap count!! All I need is 1 more extra lap!!!
Fun factor : 9 Kart condition factor : 8 Race position factor : 3
For FINAL B, opted for kart 23 instead of 31 not realizing the problem Azlan had with the kart in heat 1. This time I had Yusnee giving some tips on the handling of the particular kart. Starting off from the front row and was holding mid-pack position for the next 2 laps, suddenly the handling of the kart went bad. It was understeering quite badly on right turns and I basically have to use my body strength to turn the kart to the right. On top of that the kart is slightly longer and I have sit slightly sliding forward (not a good sitting position) in order for me to press the brakes fully. By end of lap 4, my right wrist started to ache badly trying to steer on right turns. That’s when Razmyn took the opportunity to overtake me. I tried holding off Ed but the handling of the kart has become unbearable and Ed overtook me on lap 5. I basically took it easy from there just to finish the race. On lap 6, on the slight turn on the long straight, the tail suddenly twitched at the slight turn (there is definitely something wrong with kart). At turn 2 of lap 7, I saw Ed spun-off. Hee,Hee,Hee, suddenly got free durians to collect. I just kept on to my pace hoping Ed will not be able to catch up on me and on the last lap just as I was just started taking the long right parabolic turn, the kart twitched strongly again. Boy, was I glad when I saw the chequered flag.
Later I found out the left rear tyre lost some air pressure. I’m still aching on my right body as I typed this race report.
Fun factor : 5 Kart condition factor : 4 Race position factor : 2
Did I make the right move of coming over to K2? You can bet that I did.
Watch out guys, you won’t see the gentleman side of me much for the next rounds.
Overall fun factor : 6 Would be very much better if the karts are in a reasonably good condition.
Cost factor : 4
[quote=Nohad]After witnessing how Fazz & a couple others struggle and sliding out of the wet patch at the last corner (while marshalling at the start/finish) before the start/finish line definitely knocked my confidence level down a few pegs.
[/quote]Coming to think of it, I don’t remember seeing Steward slide on that wet patch.
So heavier weight is an advantage on wet tracks?[quote=Nohad]
Coming to think of it, I don’t remember seeing Steward slide on that wet patch.
So heavier weight is an advantage on wet tracks?[/quote]another good reporter.. i guess guys u can rotate with fazz to help him with report writing.. sure he will be more than happy.. is it ok mr fazz?
[quote=Nohad][quote=Nohad]After witnessing how Fazz & a couple others struggle and sliding out of the wet patch at the last corner (while marshalling at the start/finish) before the start/finish line definitely knocked my confidence level down a few pegs.
[/quote]Coming to think of it, I don’t remember seeing Steward slide on that wet patch.
So heavier weight is an advantage on wet tracks?[/quote]Sure does but he is also an accomplished driver too and that was evident when the track became drier.
Mr Nohad, great reporting! I think your “chi kit” pills must have given you some extra “oomph” in your karting skills!
I also like your fun factor ratings in the report! Overall very nice to see other points of views that come straight from the heart (or was it stomache) and laced with a lot of humour too! heh heh…
[quote=saa73]Mr Nohad, great reporting! I think your “chi kit” pills must have given you some extra “oomph” in your karting skills!
I also like your fun factor ratings in the report! Overall very nice to see other points of views that come straight from the heart (or was it stomache) and laced with a lot of humour too! heh heh…
[/quote]The dogfight with you was fun and it has definitely brought up my confidence level in racing 100cc. Just can’t wait for Rd 2.
for me…round 1 was full of bad luck..i span qualifying 1 and 2…but i won the coca cola cup…okay la…hahha. i did enjoyed it…ahhahahha
Well,for me this is one round I want to forget!
I remember registering in K3 class for this round,but found my name listed in K2 instead. Halamarkkk… not quite ready yet la! I’ve always told myself a racing suit is a definite pre-requisite to race the 100cc karts. I’ve seen some of the incidents in K2 last season and I must say it scares me a bit.
Anyway… somewhere between tons of work at the office and a lack of real effort,race weekend is suddenly here and still no racing suit! Bad omen…
When Fazz announced Saturday morning that the race is postponed due to the rain,I was so relieved! I took the opportunity to shop for a suit that day,got some tips from Naza too (thanks bro!),but something came up and I had to delay the purchase. Not good…
Sunday morning came and Fazz called to say “all systems go”… aaarrrggghhh!!!
Starting on P8 in K2 Heat A1 was great. I thot,I’d let these lunatics go and try to learn a thing or two from the rear. No chance… quite a few spun on the notorious turns 2 & 3 and I found myself up a few positions. Then,first time out of the last bend and flat out towards the start/finish line the kart twitched big time at the right kink…whoaaa… these 100ccs are a real handful in the wet!!! I decided there and then that I should treat the throttle with a little more respect. I managed to avoid any spins,but only finished in P8. I suck!
K2 Heat A2 was a nightmare! Kart 18 was vibrating a lot worse than my mom’s 30-year-plus Philips washing machine! I was coughing throughout the race (a natural reaction,I was informed earlier by Muhaymin,when you drive a badly vibrating kart). Tarmizi had the kart in Heat B1,and when he spun at the 1st turn, he got hit on the front left and I think that must have screwed the kart a bit. But the engine had lots of torque… just floor the throttle and it simply goes… and then you cough like crazy too! All the vibrating was blurring my vision and approaching the corners was a tricky affair. Between vibrating and coughing,I spun at turn 2,lost a lot of ground,and finished last (I think). I suck!
Somehow I didn’t qualify dead last,but a mixture of lack of choice and no knowledge of the other karts left me with kart 18 again. Putting a cushion did help to absorb the vibration a bit,but a bad start pushed me from P3 almost to the back in little time. I was chasing Patrick for quite a bit,but after a while Razmyn came flying past,and after much effort I finally managed to squeeze past Patrick. Then,in a repeat performance,I spun at turn 2 on the penultimate lap and let Patrick regain the position. I finished last. I suck! Big time!
Bad results calls for drastic action… maybe it’s time to consider joining the ‘winter testing’ bandwagon… 😀[quote=ed]Bad results calls for drastic action… maybe it’s time to consider joining the ‘winter testing’ bandwagon… :D[/quote]
bro… great personal report. you guys are excellent reporters! as for drastic action: get yourself a race suit. at least if you suck, you suck in style. he he he.
but seriously, you can always ask the other guys on tips, and I am sure many will volunteer it willingly. if that fails, we can also arrange for Wai Leong or somebody to conduct a coaching session. Unfortunately, Wai Leong will only want to do this on Friday afternoon / evening.
[quote=TheFazz]
as for drastic action: get yourself a race suit. at least if you suck, you suck in style. he he he.
[/quote]oh man that’s mean…you wait you…one super duper kawkaw nasi lomak in the next round for you…! 😀
ed bro…., that kart 18 was like a drill to me…it shakes like a crazy…forcing me to sit up…cuz i dont want any contact with the seat…or ill batuk like hell…hahhahaha…
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