So far, I have done little to prep her kart for next race season other than make shopping lists. I'm going to have to get busy though as we expect to be practicing in April and that is just around the corner. Anyone have any scrap lead weights?
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Trophy
We couldn't make the club awards dinner earlier this month. I was out of town in training with my company so we missed out. The club officers held on to Lian's awards and passed them to a trustee who lived in our area. Diana and Lian stopped by their house a few days ago and got them. Here is a picture taken after she got home:
Clearly she was pleased! Lian finished 9th out of 15 racers in her class as a rookie who missed a few races due to my schedule. Nice size trophy for 9th. The other award may be hard to read but it is for "Most Improved Jr. Sportsman". Another nice accolade for here grit and determination on the track. We are all proud of her accomplishments!
So far, I have done little to prep her kart for next race season other than make shopping lists. I'm going to have to get busy though as we expect to be practicing in April and that is just around the corner. Anyone have any scrap lead weights?
So far, I have done little to prep her kart for next race season other than make shopping lists. I'm going to have to get busy though as we expect to be practicing in April and that is just around the corner. Anyone have any scrap lead weights?
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Fall Fun Race
No worries, just fun. The club didn't hesitate to waive many of their rules because this was not for points. For the kids that planned to move up a class, they were allowed to - even if their kart was not up to weight. We were about 35 lbs light ourselves but they told us not to worry about it.
I probably should have thought of this before but on the way to the track, I began to wonder if I needed to change the rear sprocket to optimize the new engine set-up. I asked the father of one of the consistently fast drivers when we arrived at the track. He not only told me what we should run, he offered a gear for me to borrow. When we re-checked his ratio table, we both realized that with a 16 tooth front sprocket, neither of us had a large enough rear. He immediately offered a 14 tooth clutch sprocket which would get us in the ball park with the collection of rear sprockets I had on-hand. Great folks in this sport!
Gear ratios and weights didn't matter much because we were also without the correct rear tires for the class and Lian struggled for traction. Watching her on the track was impressive. I've gotten accustomed to watching her with the smaller plate, she is so much quicker! The Mychron gauge also revealed that the engine is spinning much faster - max RPM today 6,900 versus typically around 5,200 RPM in the other class.
After the first practice, we adjusted the air pressures slightly and went to the driver's meeting. Even though they spoke about doing something different like running the track backwards, the club officers decided to begin with a conventional race format. That was to be followed by the "Halloween intermission" then the fun races. The fun races were planned to be in a relay format where a competitor in one class would pair with a competitor in a second class. The first group would be arranged on the front straight with drivers standing nearby. At the green, they would run and jump in their kart, thier parent would start them and send them on their way (this is known as the Le Mans start even though that race doesn't start that way anymore). After 4 laps, they would head off the course and when they passed a cone on the pit lane, their partner would be cleared to leave the start grid and enter the track.
Out of six racers, Lian started 4th and finished 4th in Heat one. She complained that the kart was making her nervous by tipping up on two wheels in a fast left-hander. I countered by increasing the track-width of her rear wheels (surprisingly easy to do). Her kart was more stable after that change but still slid quite a bit. In the second heat, she started 3rd and finished 5th but felt safer. She added that the forces are tougher to deal with than before. In the Feature, she started 5th and finished 6th. Not what she hoped for but recognized that dad wasn't going to buy new tires for one race. We'll do that in the spring.
The race day dragged on a little long. It was made longer when the race director split the group in two to make it easier to officiate. Unfortunately, during the second feature race, the leader had her steering wheel come off at the end of the long straight. She sailed-off into the tire barrier and the race was red flagged. She escaped with a minor injury to her hand after a thorough check-over by the paramedics. Her kart was in drivable condition as well with some cracks and breaks in the nose. By the time all this was cleared-up, the sun was setting.
We decided to forgo the fun races. It was starting to look like we were not alone as other families were beginning to pack-up. I quickly removed the borrowed clutch and profusely thanked the other crew for letting us borrow it. We then loaded-up and headed home with a long list of things to buy or change on the kart.
At the top of Lian's list is new bodywork and wider tires. For me it's the right clutch sprocket and the additional weight. We are also considering a different seat as Lian complained it was hard to breathe when she was in the corners. She may benefit from some additional support if we can find one that fits better.
Here is a early twilight picture taken before the last sunset on this race season:
I'll keep this blog going over the winter as we prep the kart for next year. Thanks for reading!
I probably should have thought of this before but on the way to the track, I began to wonder if I needed to change the rear sprocket to optimize the new engine set-up. I asked the father of one of the consistently fast drivers when we arrived at the track. He not only told me what we should run, he offered a gear for me to borrow. When we re-checked his ratio table, we both realized that with a 16 tooth front sprocket, neither of us had a large enough rear. He immediately offered a 14 tooth clutch sprocket which would get us in the ball park with the collection of rear sprockets I had on-hand. Great folks in this sport!
Gear ratios and weights didn't matter much because we were also without the correct rear tires for the class and Lian struggled for traction. Watching her on the track was impressive. I've gotten accustomed to watching her with the smaller plate, she is so much quicker! The Mychron gauge also revealed that the engine is spinning much faster - max RPM today 6,900 versus typically around 5,200 RPM in the other class.
After the first practice, we adjusted the air pressures slightly and went to the driver's meeting. Even though they spoke about doing something different like running the track backwards, the club officers decided to begin with a conventional race format. That was to be followed by the "Halloween intermission" then the fun races. The fun races were planned to be in a relay format where a competitor in one class would pair with a competitor in a second class. The first group would be arranged on the front straight with drivers standing nearby. At the green, they would run and jump in their kart, thier parent would start them and send them on their way (this is known as the Le Mans start even though that race doesn't start that way anymore). After 4 laps, they would head off the course and when they passed a cone on the pit lane, their partner would be cleared to leave the start grid and enter the track.
Out of six racers, Lian started 4th and finished 4th in Heat one. She complained that the kart was making her nervous by tipping up on two wheels in a fast left-hander. I countered by increasing the track-width of her rear wheels (surprisingly easy to do). Her kart was more stable after that change but still slid quite a bit. In the second heat, she started 3rd and finished 5th but felt safer. She added that the forces are tougher to deal with than before. In the Feature, she started 5th and finished 6th. Not what she hoped for but recognized that dad wasn't going to buy new tires for one race. We'll do that in the spring.
The race day dragged on a little long. It was made longer when the race director split the group in two to make it easier to officiate. Unfortunately, during the second feature race, the leader had her steering wheel come off at the end of the long straight. She sailed-off into the tire barrier and the race was red flagged. She escaped with a minor injury to her hand after a thorough check-over by the paramedics. Her kart was in drivable condition as well with some cracks and breaks in the nose. By the time all this was cleared-up, the sun was setting.
We decided to forgo the fun races. It was starting to look like we were not alone as other families were beginning to pack-up. I quickly removed the borrowed clutch and profusely thanked the other crew for letting us borrow it. We then loaded-up and headed home with a long list of things to buy or change on the kart.
At the top of Lian's list is new bodywork and wider tires. For me it's the right clutch sprocket and the additional weight. We are also considering a different seat as Lian complained it was hard to breathe when she was in the corners. She may benefit from some additional support if we can find one that fits better.
Here is a early twilight picture taken before the last sunset on this race season:
I'll keep this blog going over the winter as we prep the kart for next year. Thanks for reading!
Friday, November 9, 2012
Beaver Run race - victim of Sandy
Hurricane Sandy came ashore and combined with a strong cold front from the midwest and, well, you probably know the rest. Suffice to say that the entire weekend was a complete washout. Fortunately, with the forecast looking gloomy, we did not send any money to the organizers so we didn't have to ask for it back.
We expected that to be our last race of the season. Lian was disappointed we missed out. The club planned another "fun" race on Nov 4th but we were going to skip it because it was a non-points race and I would have had to trade my work day. Being the good dad, I leaned on a friend and swapped shifts. Unfortunately, I'm not writing about that race because Superstorm Sandy's after-effects postponed that race until Nov 10 (tomorrow).
So we are looking forward to the final race of the 2012 season. The club officers told us that we could let Lian run in the next class so we are setting-up for the Briggs Restricted Junior class. We'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully, she won't overheat her rear tires with all that new-found power!
We expected that to be our last race of the season. Lian was disappointed we missed out. The club planned another "fun" race on Nov 4th but we were going to skip it because it was a non-points race and I would have had to trade my work day. Being the good dad, I leaned on a friend and swapped shifts. Unfortunately, I'm not writing about that race because Superstorm Sandy's after-effects postponed that race until Nov 10 (tomorrow).
So we are looking forward to the final race of the 2012 season. The club officers told us that we could let Lian run in the next class so we are setting-up for the Briggs Restricted Junior class. We'll let you know how it goes. Hopefully, she won't overheat her rear tires with all that new-found power!
Monday, October 22, 2012
Last points race of 2012
So we reached the end of the season. The weather was a little cooler than nearly any of the other races. The windy conditions made it uncomfortable for the crew and the crowd but the action on the track was still hot.
Lian drew a starting spot of 6th out of 8 in Heat 1 and finished 6th. In Heat 2 she started 3rd and fought of two different challengers from behind to hold her position to finish 3rd.
The feature race saw Lian starting 6th. Although she had an opportunity to advance on 5th place, some of that hot action I mentioned ensued. Some light bumping and Lian found herself in the grass. When everyone straighened-out in the end she finished 8th. Below is Lian leading a group out of the right-hander during warm-ups for the second heat.
With her best 10 points race finishes added up for the season standings, Lian finished 8th. Her good friend Alex won the feature - yet again. Alex managed a perfect season this year taking the title for the class for a second year.
We discussed the next season and what Lian's next racing class would look like. Lian will be moving up to what the club calls Briggs Restricted Junior which is for 12-15 year-olds. There are several competitors moving up with her so she will be among friends - at least off the track.
The changes for her will be a larger restrictor plate and a higher minimum weight. The restrictor goes from three holes at 0.25" diameter to a single hole of 0.625" diameter. The areas of each are 0.1473 square inches and 0.3068 square inches respectively. This doubles the amount of air and fuel that the engine can take in and will come close to doubling the power! The weight must increase from 265 lbs to 305 lbs. Our club friends warn that it will be an adjustment to drive.
We hope to run at a different track in Pennsylvania next (Beaver Run) at a fall fun race. It is a big course with 17 turns and elevation changes. I'll let you know how it goes.
Until next time...
Lian drew a starting spot of 6th out of 8 in Heat 1 and finished 6th. In Heat 2 she started 3rd and fought of two different challengers from behind to hold her position to finish 3rd.
With her best 10 points race finishes added up for the season standings, Lian finished 8th. Her good friend Alex won the feature - yet again. Alex managed a perfect season this year taking the title for the class for a second year.
We discussed the next season and what Lian's next racing class would look like. Lian will be moving up to what the club calls Briggs Restricted Junior which is for 12-15 year-olds. There are several competitors moving up with her so she will be among friends - at least off the track.
The changes for her will be a larger restrictor plate and a higher minimum weight. The restrictor goes from three holes at 0.25" diameter to a single hole of 0.625" diameter. The areas of each are 0.1473 square inches and 0.3068 square inches respectively. This doubles the amount of air and fuel that the engine can take in and will come close to doubling the power! The weight must increase from 265 lbs to 305 lbs. Our club friends warn that it will be an adjustment to drive.
We hope to run at a different track in Pennsylvania next (Beaver Run) at a fall fun race. It is a big course with 17 turns and elevation changes. I'll let you know how it goes.
Until next time...
Monday, October 15, 2012
Racing hard - healed up
Gone were the effects of Lian's injury and she had no complaints about her shoulder while on the track. Again, her peers raced her hard and there was some good competition on the track.
We traveled without a trailer this week, stuffing all our equipment and the kart in the bed of my new pickup. Here is a shot of all that junk piled-in the back.
We traveled without a trailer this week, stuffing all our equipment and the kart in the bed of my new pickup. Here is a shot of all that junk piled-in the back.
The down side it that if the weather is damp, everything will get damp. The tonneau cover you see rolled-up won't fit over the kart's steering wheel or the kart stand. We put a tarp over all this with a complex network of bungees and kept the afternoon drizzles off our investments.
Speaking of the weather, the club succeeded in finishing all the races before the afternoon rain arrived. We had mostly clear, sunny conditions but very windy. We didn't put our canopy up because we didn't think we could control it. Lian said she couldn't feel the wind on the track in her suit and helmet but I'm pretty sure it effected her lap times.
Lian started mid-pack of eleven racers in both heats (7th and 5th). She finished both heats in those same positions. In the Feature, she started 7th but had a good shot at making a pass on one kart in the hairpin. While she was on the inside of that kart, she got a tap from behind and she slid a little bumping the kart she was passing. She got a warning for that - bad call by the officials but they probably didn't see the whole thing. She did pass a few competitors who spun early on so was looking good to finish 5th but in the final turn of the last lap, she got pushed off in the grass buy a couple others that were fighting for the finish and slid back to 7th.
Overall, another enjoyable day at the track. Lian didn't participate in the football games between heats but still threw the ball a little and had a good visit with her friends.
One more points race to go. Thanks again for reading.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Back to Racing!
After a few days at school without her sling, we decided to go to the track for practice and feel-out how her shoulder would do in racing conditions. The track was open Saturday (29th) and we had good weather. There was a only a small crowd of folks there making it easy to get right to the track for a trial.
In the days leading up to the practice, I tinkered with the engine making sure that all would be ready. I discovered a sticky float needle which I replaced, and reset both the plug gap and the ignition air gap. I even adjusted the valve lash for optimum performance. Cleaning and lubing the drive chain rounded out our preps.
In practice, Lian came off the track with "a burning sensation" in her right arm. Most likely from muscle fatigue from lack of activity in that arm while stuck in a sling. She pressed-on and did another 15 lap session, bringing her times down to the high 23 second range. Quick enough to keep up with the field.
Despite her discomfort, she really wanted to be back Sunday to compete. We got some thermal wrap for her and made plans to race.
Here she is on the starting grid with her old buddies plus one new competitor in a purple kart.
In the days leading up to the practice, I tinkered with the engine making sure that all would be ready. I discovered a sticky float needle which I replaced, and reset both the plug gap and the ignition air gap. I even adjusted the valve lash for optimum performance. Cleaning and lubing the drive chain rounded out our preps.
In practice, Lian came off the track with "a burning sensation" in her right arm. Most likely from muscle fatigue from lack of activity in that arm while stuck in a sling. She pressed-on and did another 15 lap session, bringing her times down to the high 23 second range. Quick enough to keep up with the field.
Despite her discomfort, she really wanted to be back Sunday to compete. We got some thermal wrap for her and made plans to race.
Here she is on the starting grid with her old buddies plus one new competitor in a purple kart.
In the first Heat, she started 6th and finished 10th out of 10. In the second Heat, she started 5th and finished 4th. In each run she was getting steadily faster lap times. She came off the track with no real complaint about her arm. She worried mom during the warm-up laps before the second heat when one of the karts in front of her spun out in the hairpin right in front of her and she had to bail out in the grass. Fortunately, she wasn't jarred and only became stuck briefly until a flagman pushed her back to the pavement.
With those finishes, she started 8th in the feature. When traffic got tight coming out of the first turn, she elected to back-off rather than defending her position, settling into 9th. She ran there the rest of the race but actually showed quicker and quicker lap times during the race. She told me later that she was glad that her peers didn't race her any differently.
Her good buddy Alex won the race, working hard to pass the leader for most of the laps. After Lian was injured, Alex promised to win a race for her and give her his trophy (he has many). Diana told him that was very nice but that he didn't have to do that. He insisted saying that he didn't want to break a promise. Here they are after the awards were given (notice the big trophy and the heat wrap).
There was one competitor missing this race and we all missed him and his family. Tyler is his name and even as a rookie, he has had a dynamite season. We all trust all is well with him and his family and hope to see them at the track next race.
Just a few more races left. We plan to make them count. Thanks for reading!
Monday, September 17, 2012
September 16 - spectators and volunteers
Lian was greeted by her fellow competitors warmly and with sympathy. She enjoyed the attention but eventually grew tired of telling the story. Mom and Dad visited with other families, even helped one with a chain alignment issue before heading over to do our volunteer duties.
Mom signed-up to run the scales and Dad became a corner worker for the Heats and Features. During the practices, we also told Lian's story over and over but it was nice that all the other families were concerned.
When intermission time came, Lian asked if she could announce the starting lineup for her class Feature race on the PA system. The club president graciously not only allowed her to do it, but introduced her and her circumstances to the crowd. He added lightly "...she was hurt playing football, not on the track. It just proves that Karting is safe and football is not!"
Here she is giving the lineup to the crowd on the starting grid...
Mom signed-up to run the scales and Dad became a corner worker for the Heats and Features. During the practices, we also told Lian's story over and over but it was nice that all the other families were concerned.
When intermission time came, Lian asked if she could announce the starting lineup for her class Feature race on the PA system. The club president graciously not only allowed her to do it, but introduced her and her circumstances to the crowd. He added lightly "...she was hurt playing football, not on the track. It just proves that Karting is safe and football is not!"
Here she is giving the lineup to the crowd on the starting grid...
I gained an appreciation for the work the corner workers and Race Director have to do to put the races on fairly and safely. Sometimes, things don't seem fair to the competitors but the volunteers I worked with did their best to be unbiased and responsive. It is a long day in the sun for a track volunteer, and it was not even that hot Sunday! Fortunately, concessions are free for corner workers at intermission.
We will see what the doctor says about Lian competing on September 30. I'll try to post here with news.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Race day cut short
I had to work the night before the race so I was tired at the track. I was also excited to see how our new gauge would work and to see how comfortable Lian would be with yet more padding in the seat.
Practice went pretty well and we tried a few different air pressures to get Lian the best traction. The new guage was working great and I was adding a little tape after each of the practice sessions to get the engine hotter and reduce drag from the cooling fan.
After the first heat, the drivers did there normal "touch" football in the field nearby. This is where our day went wrong. Lian tumbled to the ground and while she was there, one of the boys fell on top of her. She heard a "pop" followed by pain in the right shoulder. When Lian came to the trailer to describe the events, she was obviously in pain. After a short visit with the EMT posted at the track, we packed-up and headed for home to have her seen at our local ER.
She didn't cry until the EMT told her that she was done for the day. That is when it became tragic!
Here she is in the ER treatment room after the doctor did all that can be done for a non-displaced clavicle fracture (sling).
After a Motrin and some ice, she was feeling a little better. Sleep was not easy the first night so she didn't go to school on Monday but she has managed every day since so the worst is behind her.
Lian has asked to go back to the track next week as a spectator so she can watch the action and catch-up with her friends - even the one that landed on her! We plan to go. We can get some volunteer points with the club to offset the two (at least) DNFs she will have. Next week, Lian will see the family doctor and we'll get an idea if she can race again on Sept 30.
Practice went pretty well and we tried a few different air pressures to get Lian the best traction. The new guage was working great and I was adding a little tape after each of the practice sessions to get the engine hotter and reduce drag from the cooling fan.
After the first heat, the drivers did there normal "touch" football in the field nearby. This is where our day went wrong. Lian tumbled to the ground and while she was there, one of the boys fell on top of her. She heard a "pop" followed by pain in the right shoulder. When Lian came to the trailer to describe the events, she was obviously in pain. After a short visit with the EMT posted at the track, we packed-up and headed for home to have her seen at our local ER.
She didn't cry until the EMT told her that she was done for the day. That is when it became tragic!
Here she is in the ER treatment room after the doctor did all that can be done for a non-displaced clavicle fracture (sling).
After a Motrin and some ice, she was feeling a little better. Sleep was not easy the first night so she didn't go to school on Monday but she has managed every day since so the worst is behind her.
Lian has asked to go back to the track next week as a spectator so she can watch the action and catch-up with her friends - even the one that landed on her! We plan to go. We can get some volunteer points with the club to offset the two (at least) DNFs she will have. Next week, Lian will see the family doctor and we'll get an idea if she can race again on Sept 30.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Preparations for September 9 race
Over the off weeks, I wanted to make two changes to the kart. First to the seat and second to the tachometer. The first was to improve driver comfort, the second to improve our ability to analyze what was happening on the track and with lap times.
The seat issue as mentioned in the previous post has been bugging Lian for a few races where she found the back of her arm hitting the top of the seat where it wraps around her ribs. Although the seat fits her well around the hips, it is a little too tall and her upper arm is getting bruised by the top of the seat. This is a quality seat but seat makers don't seem to get the proportions right for the smaller drivers and it is just too tall. The added padding to the seat bottom and back to move her shoulder away from the seat top only partially improved things.
Thinking a new seat was in order, Lian and I looked over the seat inventory at a local shop and found none that fit her better (the best fitting one was identical to the one we had). Modifying the existing seat seems the only way to get her more comfort. I considered cutting the seat top, shortening it, and re-attaching it with an extensive fiberglass patch. In the end, I chose the less drastic path of adding yet more padding to the bottom. We'll see if she likes it better. Here is a shot of the additional layer of self-stick foam in the bottom.
Hopefully, this won't change the CG shift in the turns very much. This is a distraction I wanted to eliminate for our driver.
As for the tachometer, it is giving good data as far as the rpm but I wanted more. With engine tuning, I wanted to operate it as hot as I could without compromising engine life. The old tach is capable of giving me the engine temperature at the base of the spark plug but the kart did not have this sensor installed. When I investigated a replacement sensor for this old gauge, I made an important discovery. The engine temp sensor that works with our old gauge does not fit our newer engine (without rule-violating modifications to the engine). A new gauge was in order. Here is the old instrument with it's simple, two -window display.
The new standard for Karting instruments is the Mychron 4 tachometer which has not only a tach and temp sensor that fits, but also an optical sensor. The sensor is for an infra-red beacon setup trackside (usually at the start/finish line) that starts and stops the internal timer. This feature allows it to record lap times error free! Mom won't have to fumble with a stopwatch anymore. This was not inexpensive but it was needed to step-up our game. Here is what the new gizmo looks like mounted on Lian's steering wheel.
It was a little bit of a chore to install, mostly because there was a modification needed to the engine air shroud near the spark plug. I didn't want to do the cutting with this still on the engine so a few hours worth of disassembly and re-assembly and about 10 minutes of cutting and filing got the job done right. Now it is giving me what I need to squeeze the max from our trusty Briggs & Stratton engine.
Next post - the results at the track...
The seat issue as mentioned in the previous post has been bugging Lian for a few races where she found the back of her arm hitting the top of the seat where it wraps around her ribs. Although the seat fits her well around the hips, it is a little too tall and her upper arm is getting bruised by the top of the seat. This is a quality seat but seat makers don't seem to get the proportions right for the smaller drivers and it is just too tall. The added padding to the seat bottom and back to move her shoulder away from the seat top only partially improved things.
Thinking a new seat was in order, Lian and I looked over the seat inventory at a local shop and found none that fit her better (the best fitting one was identical to the one we had). Modifying the existing seat seems the only way to get her more comfort. I considered cutting the seat top, shortening it, and re-attaching it with an extensive fiberglass patch. In the end, I chose the less drastic path of adding yet more padding to the bottom. We'll see if she likes it better. Here is a shot of the additional layer of self-stick foam in the bottom.
Hopefully, this won't change the CG shift in the turns very much. This is a distraction I wanted to eliminate for our driver.
As for the tachometer, it is giving good data as far as the rpm but I wanted more. With engine tuning, I wanted to operate it as hot as I could without compromising engine life. The old tach is capable of giving me the engine temperature at the base of the spark plug but the kart did not have this sensor installed. When I investigated a replacement sensor for this old gauge, I made an important discovery. The engine temp sensor that works with our old gauge does not fit our newer engine (without rule-violating modifications to the engine). A new gauge was in order. Here is the old instrument with it's simple, two -window display.
The new standard for Karting instruments is the Mychron 4 tachometer which has not only a tach and temp sensor that fits, but also an optical sensor. The sensor is for an infra-red beacon setup trackside (usually at the start/finish line) that starts and stops the internal timer. This feature allows it to record lap times error free! Mom won't have to fumble with a stopwatch anymore. This was not inexpensive but it was needed to step-up our game. Here is what the new gizmo looks like mounted on Lian's steering wheel.
It was a little bit of a chore to install, mostly because there was a modification needed to the engine air shroud near the spark plug. I didn't want to do the cutting with this still on the engine so a few hours worth of disassembly and re-assembly and about 10 minutes of cutting and filing got the job done right. Now it is giving me what I need to squeeze the max from our trusty Briggs & Stratton engine.
Next post - the results at the track...
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
18 August Points Race
What a contrast in weather we enjoyed this week. Gone is the heat and humidity of July and we escaped the rain showers from last week. Instead, mid to upper seventies with clear skies met us on race day. Ideal for spending the day at the track!
Leading up to the race, I swapped in a 60 tooth rear sprocket. This reverses the changes we we seeking earlier in the season. During practice, the highest RPM Lian saw was 5220 but she was just as quick as ever and had no trouble keeping pace with the rest. This confirms that even though a bigger rear sprocket will give you a higher RPM, the power drops off at that RPM and the engine stops pushing as hard. Most likely, it just can't flow enough air through that small restrictor plate to make the power.
Another recent adjustment was to Lian's seat. She has complained that her upper arm has been banging into the tall rib support - mostly on her right side, while making the tighter turns. I couldn't really add padding to this as it would make contact with her arm earlier in the turn so instead, I added two pads in the seat. One on the seat back to move her slightly forward, and another on the seat bottom to move her slightly up. I hoped that this combination of 1/2" padding would move her arm further away from this rib support "wing" that has been bothering her. Here is a picture of the modified seat with some toolbox foam added.
This hasn't completely resolved the issue for her so we may be looking for a new seat. That can also change the dynamics of the chassis so we will look at re-weighing and making adjustments if we go that way.
I'm also a little concerned that there may be some corner weights that are off after the damage repairs I made last week. To change this, I can either install an adjustable bearing cassette on the rear axle (this raises or lowers one end of the rear axle) or I can twist the chassis (carefully) to get the cross weight where we want it.
Looking back at where this all started, we realized that Lian may have been predisposed to this sport. Here are a few pics of her motoring around the yard in the neighbor's toy Gator...
Here is a picture of her working on her own toy Corvette with her dad's tools. She told Mom "I'm fixing my Corvette so it will go faster!"
Lian started the Heats in 6th and 2nd, finishing 6th and 3rd respectively. She started the Feature in 6th and was overtaken at the start by one kart and never found the chance to make a pass. She finished 6th out of 7. Her best lap time was 23.07 sec, a few ticks short of her best. I guess everyone in the class was just getting better. Lap times like that would have earned her a top three earlier in the season.
The crew chief is thinking about re-jetting the carb and a few other adjustments. I'll keep you posted. Next race is Sept 9th.
Leading up to the race, I swapped in a 60 tooth rear sprocket. This reverses the changes we we seeking earlier in the season. During practice, the highest RPM Lian saw was 5220 but she was just as quick as ever and had no trouble keeping pace with the rest. This confirms that even though a bigger rear sprocket will give you a higher RPM, the power drops off at that RPM and the engine stops pushing as hard. Most likely, it just can't flow enough air through that small restrictor plate to make the power.
Another recent adjustment was to Lian's seat. She has complained that her upper arm has been banging into the tall rib support - mostly on her right side, while making the tighter turns. I couldn't really add padding to this as it would make contact with her arm earlier in the turn so instead, I added two pads in the seat. One on the seat back to move her slightly forward, and another on the seat bottom to move her slightly up. I hoped that this combination of 1/2" padding would move her arm further away from this rib support "wing" that has been bothering her. Here is a picture of the modified seat with some toolbox foam added.
This hasn't completely resolved the issue for her so we may be looking for a new seat. That can also change the dynamics of the chassis so we will look at re-weighing and making adjustments if we go that way.
I'm also a little concerned that there may be some corner weights that are off after the damage repairs I made last week. To change this, I can either install an adjustable bearing cassette on the rear axle (this raises or lowers one end of the rear axle) or I can twist the chassis (carefully) to get the cross weight where we want it.
Looking back at where this all started, we realized that Lian may have been predisposed to this sport. Here are a few pics of her motoring around the yard in the neighbor's toy Gator...
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| Three years old and jammin' gears... |
Here is a picture of her working on her own toy Corvette with her dad's tools. She told Mom "I'm fixing my Corvette so it will go faster!"
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| "You are going to put all those tools back where you found them, right?" |
Lian started the Heats in 6th and 2nd, finishing 6th and 3rd respectively. She started the Feature in 6th and was overtaken at the start by one kart and never found the chance to make a pass. She finished 6th out of 7. Her best lap time was 23.07 sec, a few ticks short of her best. I guess everyone in the class was just getting better. Lap times like that would have earned her a top three earlier in the season.
The crew chief is thinking about re-jetting the carb and a few other adjustments. I'll keep you posted. Next race is Sept 9th.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Last night race of the season
This week's race was the last night race on the schedule and the day did not start out promising. There had been rain showers through the area all night and the morning was marked with even more. The club president posted on the forum that the weather was dry at the track and that we were a go for racing until otherwise notified.
It drizzled on us while we were setting-up our canopy and equipment. Drag racing at the track next door was curtailed and eventually cancelled. The practice session was interrupted twice by rain. After the second time the track was soaked and the club brought out the wheeled leaf blower to try to dry the track. Eventually, the senior karts were sent out to practice and finish the drying process. Drizzle came and went during the heats but it was always very light so it didn't impact the program. With dark clouds in the area, the club decided to have no intermission and go straight to the Features before rain fell again. Here she is during the Heat 1 when we had a glimmer of sunlight peek through.
Lian started 7th in Heat 1 and 5th in Heat 2 out of 11 racers. Again a crowded track but mostly clean racing. One competitor hit Lian while passing and backed her up a couple of spots. The same racer hit a few of the other karts as well and after warning, was shown the full black flag. The disqualification was a tough penalty and kept him out of the Feature but he will be more courteous next race.
Here is a shot of the new front end numbers as required by WKA. The club informed everyone that they were going to start to enforce this rule this week.
Lian started 9th in the Feature race and moved up to 8th in the first turn traffic. One kart passed her a couple laps later putting her back to 9th. Later, a few racers ahead of her had trouble and spun out. The same thing happened again two laps later. The difference this week as opposed to the last race was that she was able to pass cleanly. That luck combined with her very consistent laps to allow her to move up to 5th at the checker flag!
Although I was happy about not needing to do more repairs, I was very proud of Lian's cool hand on the wheel. She managed track conditions that changed every lap with the intermittent drizzle, droplets on her helmet visor and 10 other very competitive racers sharing the track. Through it all she never got frustrated and always showed good sportsmanship. If I can make her kart the best it can be, she will probably win a race soon. Now it is time for the Crew Chief to step it up!
Drizzle became heavy after her race and after a few false starts, lightning was spotted. In the end, only one other class finished their Feature race. We were lucky indeed! The drive home was through some pretty heavy showers at times but with the prospect of future races looking bright and the confidence of two fresh-new tires on the trailer, I wasn't stressed at all on the highway - just pondering where I can find more track speed.
We race next week so I plan to go to a 60 tooth axle sprocket to see if I can advantage her with more top-end speed. I'm also looking at leaning the carb a little but don't want to play that until I can get the Cylinder Head Temp (CHT) sensor working. I'm working with Digatron right now to see if I can get the right sensor. I've already adjusted the valve lash to 0.002" on intake and exhaust so it will flow as much as possible. I'll let you know how we do...
It drizzled on us while we were setting-up our canopy and equipment. Drag racing at the track next door was curtailed and eventually cancelled. The practice session was interrupted twice by rain. After the second time the track was soaked and the club brought out the wheeled leaf blower to try to dry the track. Eventually, the senior karts were sent out to practice and finish the drying process. Drizzle came and went during the heats but it was always very light so it didn't impact the program. With dark clouds in the area, the club decided to have no intermission and go straight to the Features before rain fell again. Here she is during the Heat 1 when we had a glimmer of sunlight peek through.
Lian started 7th in Heat 1 and 5th in Heat 2 out of 11 racers. Again a crowded track but mostly clean racing. One competitor hit Lian while passing and backed her up a couple of spots. The same racer hit a few of the other karts as well and after warning, was shown the full black flag. The disqualification was a tough penalty and kept him out of the Feature but he will be more courteous next race.
Here is a shot of the new front end numbers as required by WKA. The club informed everyone that they were going to start to enforce this rule this week.
Lian started 9th in the Feature race and moved up to 8th in the first turn traffic. One kart passed her a couple laps later putting her back to 9th. Later, a few racers ahead of her had trouble and spun out. The same thing happened again two laps later. The difference this week as opposed to the last race was that she was able to pass cleanly. That luck combined with her very consistent laps to allow her to move up to 5th at the checker flag!
Although I was happy about not needing to do more repairs, I was very proud of Lian's cool hand on the wheel. She managed track conditions that changed every lap with the intermittent drizzle, droplets on her helmet visor and 10 other very competitive racers sharing the track. Through it all she never got frustrated and always showed good sportsmanship. If I can make her kart the best it can be, she will probably win a race soon. Now it is time for the Crew Chief to step it up!
Drizzle became heavy after her race and after a few false starts, lightning was spotted. In the end, only one other class finished their Feature race. We were lucky indeed! The drive home was through some pretty heavy showers at times but with the prospect of future races looking bright and the confidence of two fresh-new tires on the trailer, I wasn't stressed at all on the highway - just pondering where I can find more track speed.
We race next week so I plan to go to a 60 tooth axle sprocket to see if I can advantage her with more top-end speed. I'm also looking at leaning the carb a little but don't want to play that until I can get the Cylinder Head Temp (CHT) sensor working. I'm working with Digatron right now to see if I can get the right sensor. I've already adjusted the valve lash to 0.002" on intake and exhaust so it will flow as much as possible. I'll let you know how we do...
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Hard hit last race
Well, after the contact on the track last race, I found significant damage to the nose bodywork on the kart. I knew this needed my attention before next race but I kind of put off repairing the cracks. I finally got the nose off the kart to fix it on August 7th and made an important discovery. There was some significant structural damage to the left front spindle and mount. Here is a picture of the right front. This is the way it is supposed to look:
Notice that the mating surfaces are flat and there is a bolt in the middle of the spindle carrier that goes into the frame in the center. That acts as a pivot point when adjusting the caster.
Here are some pictures of the damaged left side:
Notice the separation between the parts. The second photo shows the bottom bolt with the damaged washer, and the last photo shows where the middle bolt should have been. In addition, I rotated the king pin (the large vertical bolt the black spindle pivots around) by hand and could see that it has a slight bend in it.
Well, fixing this consisted of disassembling, hammering the frame mount flat, and replacing the washer and the center bolt (after using an extractor on the remains). I should eventually replace the spindle bracket and king pin but it will work for the next few races.
After working on this, I had little time to do the body repairs I planned. As a result, my fiberglass work was a little hasty but there are no longer any open cracks apparent. I'm declaring victory and re-assembling everything. Next post will be after the last night race on Saturday, August 11.
Here are some pictures of the damaged left side:
Notice the separation between the parts. The second photo shows the bottom bolt with the damaged washer, and the last photo shows where the middle bolt should have been. In addition, I rotated the king pin (the large vertical bolt the black spindle pivots around) by hand and could see that it has a slight bend in it.
Well, fixing this consisted of disassembling, hammering the frame mount flat, and replacing the washer and the center bolt (after using an extractor on the remains). I should eventually replace the spindle bracket and king pin but it will work for the next few races.
After working on this, I had little time to do the body repairs I planned. As a result, my fiberglass work was a little hasty but there are no longer any open cracks apparent. I'm declaring victory and re-assembling everything. Next post will be after the last night race on Saturday, August 11.
Sunday, July 29, 2012
July 29 Points Race
Third race of the month and there was a slightly smaller crowd at the track this time. In the Junior Sportsman class, there were only eight. Some of the classes had only two! This race had plenty of excitement though. Fortunately, there were no injuries or serious damage to any equipment but dad will be doing some bodywork in the coming week...
Lian wanted to go to the track and practice the day before when the track was open so we went there and let her get some seat time away from the pressures of a race day. Talking to some other "crew chiefs" with some more experience, I found that the pursuit of higher top RPMs may not be the optimal. Looking back at lap times bears this out - plus the news that some of the fastest racers were running lower RPMs than we were. With this new understanding, I went back to the 62 tooth gear.
Lian wanted to go to the track and practice the day before when the track was open so we went there and let her get some seat time away from the pressures of a race day. Talking to some other "crew chiefs" with some more experience, I found that the pursuit of higher top RPMs may not be the optimal. Looking back at lap times bears this out - plus the news that some of the fastest racers were running lower RPMs than we were. With this new understanding, I went back to the 62 tooth gear.
Lian drew a fifth place start in Heat 1. After a few laps, she was well positioned to pass two karts that were slow entering the hairpin. She made her move to the inside. Unfortunately two karts stacked-up behind her as she slowed at the apex and bumpers met bumpers, karts were turned and when the dust settled, she lost two positions. On the next lap, she was following another pair of karts that tangled in the sweeper leaving one spinning in the middle of the turn. Lian tried to steer around him but clipped his back tire, rolled over it and lofted her kart on two wheels briefly, landing with a thud back on all four. She complained about her butt hurting but got going again and managed a sixth place finish.
In Heat 2, she started fourth and there was no passing or other drama on the track. Lian finished fourth. The combination of these results got her a sixth place start in the Feature race.
The Feature start gave Lian another opportunity to pass and exited the sweeper in fifth place. Much of the race was without any passing action until after the halfway point. Lian found the track blocked by two slow moving karts exiting the hairpin and had to bail out on the grass. She managed to get restarted but not before the kart she had passed at the start, passed her back. She finished sixth.
The race day is not over until you get home and unpacked. Unfortunately, we blew-out a trailer tire on the interstate and waited about an hour to get help mounting the spare. It was violent enough to tear the fender off but no one was hurt and we made it home. Amen!
No racing next week. If I can adjust my work schedule we'll be doing the night race on August 11th.
Monday, July 23, 2012
Summer Shootout
Welcome back. I managed to get a few days off for the race weekend so we set up the kart with a larger sprocket (66 tooth) and mounted up the repaired bodywork (more fiberglass) and off we went. This was the season's second night race so there was excitement about that. Lian made sure to stop by the dollar store and get some chemical light wands to add to the kart for the Feature race.
The class had 13 competitors this weekend. With approval from the parents, the race officials planned to have all of them competing together rather than splitting the group into an A and B heat. By this time, we had seen the entire group practicing together without any issue and we all had confidence in our drivers to be civil on the track.
Lian worked on the corner entry for "the hairpin" during practice and was consistently smoother through that corner without chattering tires. This will pay dividends I believe. Her mom even thinks that the tires were in better shape than expected - perhaps getting less abuse? Anyway Lian reports that the right hander was more consistent than before.
For this practice, I quickly cobbled together a helmet mount for the video camera. I figured if we could find speed in the right hander, maybe we could find speed in other parts of the track using video footage. I reasoned that a velcro patch large enough to hold about 4 pounds would be able to hold the light little camera that weighs in at just over 6 oz. Here is a couple of looks at the crude mount with a curved aluminum part to stick the velcro to.
Ahhhh, guess again. In the very first practice, in the very first turn, the camera departed the helmet and disappeared in the grass. Ooops... Fortunately, it was not only easy to find with the grass freshly mowed but the camera still works! Hooray, the gift from Lian's grandfather can still be a tool for a learning driver - as soon as Dad figures out a functional mount. Back to the drawing board...
Lian drew a pill in the middle (they draw numbered pills to determine their starting position in the heat races). She started 8th and 6th in the two heats and qualified 8th for the feature. One of the kids near the front dropped out of the feature so Lian started the feature in 7th.
We applied the lights as before and there were plenty of lights shown in this group. Here is a picture on the starting grid.
The class had 13 competitors this weekend. With approval from the parents, the race officials planned to have all of them competing together rather than splitting the group into an A and B heat. By this time, we had seen the entire group practicing together without any issue and we all had confidence in our drivers to be civil on the track.
Lian worked on the corner entry for "the hairpin" during practice and was consistently smoother through that corner without chattering tires. This will pay dividends I believe. Her mom even thinks that the tires were in better shape than expected - perhaps getting less abuse? Anyway Lian reports that the right hander was more consistent than before.
For this practice, I quickly cobbled together a helmet mount for the video camera. I figured if we could find speed in the right hander, maybe we could find speed in other parts of the track using video footage. I reasoned that a velcro patch large enough to hold about 4 pounds would be able to hold the light little camera that weighs in at just over 6 oz. Here is a couple of looks at the crude mount with a curved aluminum part to stick the velcro to.
Ahhhh, guess again. In the very first practice, in the very first turn, the camera departed the helmet and disappeared in the grass. Ooops... Fortunately, it was not only easy to find with the grass freshly mowed but the camera still works! Hooray, the gift from Lian's grandfather can still be a tool for a learning driver - as soon as Dad figures out a functional mount. Back to the drawing board...
Lian drew a pill in the middle (they draw numbered pills to determine their starting position in the heat races). She started 8th and 6th in the two heats and qualified 8th for the feature. One of the kids near the front dropped out of the feature so Lian started the feature in 7th.
We applied the lights as before and there were plenty of lights shown in this group. Here is a picture on the starting grid.
The kids all did a great job and the racing was very clean. Lian had a great start and was a little quicker than the karts ahead of her. She attempted a pass coming out of the hairpin but was cut off sharply enough that she had to get hard on the brakes and lost two spots. She did pass one of those racers back though and finished 8th. With everyone so evenly matched, it was amazing to see any passing at all! I was very pleased that I didn't have to do any more bodywork!
Thanks again for reading...
Sunday, July 15, 2012
Finding ways to improve
Sorry this post is so much later than the race. I've been getting home late this past week and getting to this blog hasn't been my top priority.
Here we are again but with continuing problems with video uploading. I'll try to tell the story without video but instead with concise descriptions of photos. This was good week of racing overall. Lian had some good laps but didn't better her record. She did show good strong average times for her heat races and the Feature. There were only ten racers in her class at the track this week so they all ran together. Her performance in the Heat races only gained her a 8th place start in the feature. She finished 9th.
Below is a sequence of photos that shows the competitors entering the tight, right-hand turn called the "hairpin" by most club members. Notice where each positions his or her kart prior to turning into the hairpin.
First the leaders:
Notice how they are to the far left of the track. Below, the subsequent racers follow suit.
Here, you can see the Third place racer, really hugging the left edge.
Same with Fourth place...
and Fifth place...
and Sixth thru Eighth place follow suit. Lian is just exiting the turn prior in this picture.
Here you can see her entering the turn just ahead of the last place kart. She is hard to see but if you look at carefully, you can see her kart just about centered in the track using a completely different line to approach this turn.
Here we are again but with continuing problems with video uploading. I'll try to tell the story without video but instead with concise descriptions of photos. This was good week of racing overall. Lian had some good laps but didn't better her record. She did show good strong average times for her heat races and the Feature. There were only ten racers in her class at the track this week so they all ran together. Her performance in the Heat races only gained her a 8th place start in the feature. She finished 9th.
Below is a sequence of photos that shows the competitors entering the tight, right-hand turn called the "hairpin" by most club members. Notice where each positions his or her kart prior to turning into the hairpin.
First the leaders:
Notice how they are to the far left of the track. Below, the subsequent racers follow suit.Here, you can see the Third place racer, really hugging the left edge.
Same with Fourth place...
and Fifth place...
and Sixth thru Eighth place follow suit. Lian is just exiting the turn prior in this picture.
Here you can see her entering the turn just ahead of the last place kart. She is hard to see but if you look at carefully, you can see her kart just about centered in the track using a completely different line to approach this turn.
We will be focusing on this corner next race. I hope that we can find some real improvement by changing her approach. I was also compelled to buy new tires before next race. Although there was useable tread left after the feature, a friend with a durometer (a device that measures tread hardness) checked them and found that they have hardened significantly since new. The harder tires are not as sticky and their competitiveness is reduced.
I'm also going to make another rear sprocket change to up the RPM a little more. The last change got us up to 5,540 RPM and I understand that we should get up to 5,700 to 5,800 RPM. I'm planning to go from a 64 tooth to a 66 tooth gear. I'll let you know how that goes.
Thanks again for reading!
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Rookie no more!
Well the race on June 24 had some important differences from our typical experience. First, it was called the Charity Grand Prix and raised money for a nearby children's hospital. Second, we learned from the race officials that Lian and her group of rookies would not run in their own group but would run with the rest of Junior Sportsman class!
This news brought both excitement and worry about how the competition would go. This particular day, there were 13 competitors that were entered in the class. To reduce the number of karts on the track at once, they were split into two heats. The top 4 in each heat raced in the feature. The rest were in a "conci" race and the top two in that race were put in the back of the feature.
This plan further raised our concerns but I did my best not to let Lian see me worry. I had no idea what kind of lap times these Junior Sportsman kids had been running so I really didn't know what to expect. When they went out to practice though, all the rookies seemed competitive.
During the short week off leading up to this race, I asked what our max rpm should be with the class restrictor plate. When I heard that we should see between 5700 and 5800, I knew I needed to make a change. We never saw any higher than 5350 on Lian's memory tachometer so I ordered up a new rear axle sprocket. Here is a picture of the old one after I swapped them out.
Lian held on to finish 2nd and transferred to the Feature! A race official ran over to me as she was shutting off her engine. He told me that I could make adjustments after weigh-in but that the Feature was taking the starting grid after the Restricted Junior class finished their race. Only about 8 minutes! I didn't even listen to the weigh-in official read our weight. At this point I was a mess but Lian was very excited and we were all excited for her. By the way, top rpm for that race was 5510.
Lian started 10th of 10 in the Feature but she was in. Incredibly, 3 of the 4 Rookies were in the field for the race. Not too shabby. Here she is in the back of the grid getting a high-5 from one of the race officials before they started the Feature.
Most of the race, Lian just followed the field. In the waning laps, one of the racers slid off the track and continued at a slower pace. When the racer in front of her was trying to pass this kart, he slowed greatly allowing Lian to close-in on both of them. Lian didn't slow down and gained an inside position for a pass but was cut-off by the 9th place racer who apparently didn't see her. Instead of backing off, Lian turned harder to the left an passed both the 9th and 8th place karts - through the grass! Ahhh if only I had the camera ready!
Wow, what a race! The excitement was great and Lian had a blast. Her top rpm was 5520 and she set a new personal best lap time of 22.51 sec. I was brought down a little during the post-race weigh-in when I found out that she was 0.4 lbs too light. I had failed to add fuel between the races and she was getting low. This combined with loosing lots of sweat that hot afternoon got me our first DQ. Oh well, it didn't let the air out of her balloon at all.
I could get used to this racing stuff!
This news brought both excitement and worry about how the competition would go. This particular day, there were 13 competitors that were entered in the class. To reduce the number of karts on the track at once, they were split into two heats. The top 4 in each heat raced in the feature. The rest were in a "conci" race and the top two in that race were put in the back of the feature.
This plan further raised our concerns but I did my best not to let Lian see me worry. I had no idea what kind of lap times these Junior Sportsman kids had been running so I really didn't know what to expect. When they went out to practice though, all the rookies seemed competitive.
During the short week off leading up to this race, I asked what our max rpm should be with the class restrictor plate. When I heard that we should see between 5700 and 5800, I knew I needed to make a change. We never saw any higher than 5350 on Lian's memory tachometer so I ordered up a new rear axle sprocket. Here is a picture of the old one after I swapped them out.
This sprocket has 62 teeth, the new one 64. I hoped that it would get the engine operating a little deeper into it's power band and allow her to accelerate more quickly. You can see that these gears are in two pieces, this allow a quick change without completely disassembling the rear axle.
During the practice, I was focused on getting the initial air pressures right and with most of the class on the track at once, I don't think that she was going 100 percent. The highest rpm we saw was 5400.
Lian drew the 7th starting position of 7 for the first heat and passed two that got tangled together to finish 5th. In the second heat, she started on the pole. Lian came full circle at this juncture. In this picture, you can see her next to the kart she drove last fall as an introduction to the sport. All three of the girls in this picture are in the Junior Sportsman class.
When the green flag flew, Lian was jumped by two experienced drivers at the start settling into 3rd at the first turn. One more passed her before the end so she finished 4th. Because her average finish was below 4th, she wasn't in the Feature race. Instead, she was in the race to get in the Feature.
So in the "conci" race (or the "B Main" as some would call it), Lian's heat performance had her starting second. She preferred this to the pole start because she felt strongly that going into the first left-hand turn on the outside was much better. This turned out to be very true. Although she didn't beat the pole-sitter into the turn, she stayed well ahead of the 3rd place racer and settled-in to defend the last transfer spot for 12 laps. I was pretty wound-up watching this going on!
Lian held on to finish 2nd and transferred to the Feature! A race official ran over to me as she was shutting off her engine. He told me that I could make adjustments after weigh-in but that the Feature was taking the starting grid after the Restricted Junior class finished their race. Only about 8 minutes! I didn't even listen to the weigh-in official read our weight. At this point I was a mess but Lian was very excited and we were all excited for her. By the way, top rpm for that race was 5510.
Lian started 10th of 10 in the Feature but she was in. Incredibly, 3 of the 4 Rookies were in the field for the race. Not too shabby. Here she is in the back of the grid getting a high-5 from one of the race officials before they started the Feature.
Most of the race, Lian just followed the field. In the waning laps, one of the racers slid off the track and continued at a slower pace. When the racer in front of her was trying to pass this kart, he slowed greatly allowing Lian to close-in on both of them. Lian didn't slow down and gained an inside position for a pass but was cut-off by the 9th place racer who apparently didn't see her. Instead of backing off, Lian turned harder to the left an passed both the 9th and 8th place karts - through the grass! Ahhh if only I had the camera ready!
Wow, what a race! The excitement was great and Lian had a blast. Her top rpm was 5520 and she set a new personal best lap time of 22.51 sec. I was brought down a little during the post-race weigh-in when I found out that she was 0.4 lbs too light. I had failed to add fuel between the races and she was getting low. This combined with loosing lots of sweat that hot afternoon got me our first DQ. Oh well, it didn't let the air out of her balloon at all.
I could get used to this racing stuff!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
June 17 Points race
Sorry it has been so long since my last post. I have been working a lot of days, really most of the days between the races have been on-shift. I'm behind a couple of weeks but I'll try to catch up here.
The race on the 17th was another good weekend for us. Lian posted some of her best lap times and the rookie group all raced well. Lian's best lap actually came during a heat race with a 23:17.
We studied the right-hand hairpin turn and worked on getting through that smoothly. Although Lian had some very good turn entries, she wasn't getting through consistently. I noticed that she was actually smoother when she had to slow for traffic. When I pointed this out, she was a little less aggressive and she rounded it more consistently.
I don't have much in the way of pictures from this race but here is a shot of her waiting on the grid for her practice.
The race on the 17th was another good weekend for us. Lian posted some of her best lap times and the rookie group all raced well. Lian's best lap actually came during a heat race with a 23:17.
We studied the right-hand hairpin turn and worked on getting through that smoothly. Although Lian had some very good turn entries, she wasn't getting through consistently. I noticed that she was actually smoother when she had to slow for traffic. When I pointed this out, she was a little less aggressive and she rounded it more consistently.
I don't have much in the way of pictures from this race but here is a shot of her waiting on the grid for her practice.
Lian started 3rd in the feature and finished 3rd. The race was very close for second but she slipped on lap 3 and the gap opened a little. She wasn't able to make-up the distance on the very competitive group.
Thanks for reading!
Sunday, June 10, 2012
Night Race!
Well, the Heat races were in daylight but the feature was under the lights. The fun was dampened by news of a fatal accident at Thompson Dragway next door. The club observed a moment of silence during the driver's meeting as a sign of respect for the competitor lost that day.
A local radio station was on-hand to brighten the mood for a few hours with music, games and prizes. Lian didn't win the cornhole game but won a drawing for discount movie tickets!
The Rookies were joined by an 80cc kadet kart that was significantly slower than the rest of the rookies and created a moving obstacle for each Heat and the Feature. Lian started on the pole for Heat 1 but she skidded a little in the right-hand hairpin and allowed the second place kart pass her in the last lap. I had her tire pressures at 12.5 psi cold for the heats because it was very warm that afternoon (upper 80s) and the pressures built up 1 to 1.5 psi from the heat of the track and friction. This seemed to work well for her as she had lap times in the mid to low 24 second range, as quick as she has ever been. We started with 13.5 psi in the tires for the feature which was about 30 minutes after sunset.
The most exciting event was Lian's pass of the second place kart during Heat 2. I was lucky enough to get video. She was being hounded by the #12 kart behind her when she managed to cut off his pass attempt while simultaneously establishing an inside position on the red #17 kart going onto the main straight. She turned a challenge for her position into a double pass!
Ok, so I'm having trouble with the video. I'll try to do it in another post.
There were different lights on the carts ranging from LEDs to chemlights to those little guys that go on the valve stems of the wheels. Lian was hoping to combine some old chemlights with the LEDs I got at a auto parts store but in the end, here chemlights were just not very bright (there are lights on the track) so the LEDs are all that really show in these pictures.
A local radio station was on-hand to brighten the mood for a few hours with music, games and prizes. Lian didn't win the cornhole game but won a drawing for discount movie tickets!
The Rookies were joined by an 80cc kadet kart that was significantly slower than the rest of the rookies and created a moving obstacle for each Heat and the Feature. Lian started on the pole for Heat 1 but she skidded a little in the right-hand hairpin and allowed the second place kart pass her in the last lap. I had her tire pressures at 12.5 psi cold for the heats because it was very warm that afternoon (upper 80s) and the pressures built up 1 to 1.5 psi from the heat of the track and friction. This seemed to work well for her as she had lap times in the mid to low 24 second range, as quick as she has ever been. We started with 13.5 psi in the tires for the feature which was about 30 minutes after sunset.
Ok, so I'm having trouble with the video. I'll try to do it in another post.
Friday, June 1, 2012
Minor body repair
As you saw in the video in my last post, there was a little contact with the 48 kart. Below is a closer look of the right side body panel where you can see the crease and tire mark. There is a crack and a weakened area that concerned me.
Not wanting to further disturb Lian's graphics, I elected to put a fiberglass reinforcing patch just on the backside of the panel.
While I was busy with that, Lian worked to clean the tires with a new heat gun we added to the toolbox. As you might imagine, the shop was really smelly with fiberglass resin and hot rubber!
Not wanting to further disturb Lian's graphics, I elected to put a fiberglass reinforcing patch just on the backside of the panel.
While I was busy with that, Lian worked to clean the tires with a new heat gun we added to the toolbox. As you might imagine, the shop was really smelly with fiberglass resin and hot rubber!
We also replaced the sticky throttle cable and made a plan for lighting on the kart. Next race will be at night so we were excited to race under the lights. The club allows the teams to add lights as long as nothing falls off during competition.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Points race 3 - part 2
Okay, now I'm back in town and have a little bit of time. Just wanted to add a video from the race two weeks ago. I was struggling with it when I literally ran out of time before my flight so here it is.
(Video removed)
Just so you know, this is not normally how a pass will happen. Lian did everything right and did not get black flagged for this. She clearly had the inside position going into the left hander and the 48 kart driver simply didn't know she was there on his inside. The rules are if you are passing and can get the nose of your kart up to the middle of your opponent's, your opponent must give you racing room. She was well beyond this when they made contact. He learned a lesson about being aware on the track.
Unfortunately, this contact was not without damage. Lian's right body panel now has a significant crack in the middle and a tire witness mark on it. I've cleaned most of the tire mark off but repairing the crack will be more involved. I'm going to try to fiberglass it before the next race. Oh and as far as we know, the 48 kart sustained no damage.
Next race will be a night race on the 9th of June. It will be our first under lights. Hopefully, my work will not keep us from racing. Thanks for reading!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Points race 3
The Crew Chief's new company has had him involved in training for the last few weeks. Fortunately, he got a break this weekend and we were able to gather our equipment and head to the track for Points Race 4. Lian even brought along her very good friend Emily to share the day.
Conditions were very warm with just a slight breeze. I bought a smoke visor for her helmet so that she didn't have to squint while on the track. Here is a shot of her on the grid waiting for the first heat to start.
We ran lower tire pressures due to the heat (high temp around 86 degrees). She again ran with the "Rookie Novice" class that was made up of 4 karts configured as Junior Sportsman and one that was a 80cc Cadet class. I have to go now but I'll fill in details on this post soon, including a great video. Thanks for reading.
Conditions were very warm with just a slight breeze. I bought a smoke visor for her helmet so that she didn't have to squint while on the track. Here is a shot of her on the grid waiting for the first heat to start.
We ran lower tire pressures due to the heat (high temp around 86 degrees). She again ran with the "Rookie Novice" class that was made up of 4 karts configured as Junior Sportsman and one that was a 80cc Cadet class. I have to go now but I'll fill in details on this post soon, including a great video. Thanks for reading.
Wednesday, May 9, 2012
Second Race
We were unable to get to the track for Points Race 2 because the Crew Chief had some company training he had to attend out of town. Anyway, we were back at the track for Points Race 3 and enjoyed terrific weather with clear skies, sunshine and moderate temps in the upper 60s. Here is Lian waiting for the start of Heat 2, sitting on the top of the seat back.
While Lian's lap times had gotten quicker as she gained experience, the same happened with the other rookies and the opportunities to pass became fewer. She started in the back of Heat 1 and finished 3rd of 5. She started on the pole of Heat 2 and finished 3rd of 5. In the feature, Lian started 4th and finished 4th on the lead lap.
Lian had her big brother Tyler in town this weekend and he helped out both in practice and race day with moving the kart, cleaning tires and other odd jobs. Here is a picture of the two of them.
All the other kids in her class (and several from other classes too) were often in the adjacent field playing football between events. We really had fun with the other racing families - helping each other, encouraging the kids and just visiting.
While Lian's lap times had gotten quicker as she gained experience, the same happened with the other rookies and the opportunities to pass became fewer. She started in the back of Heat 1 and finished 3rd of 5. She started on the pole of Heat 2 and finished 3rd of 5. In the feature, Lian started 4th and finished 4th on the lead lap.
Lian had her big brother Tyler in town this weekend and he helped out both in practice and race day with moving the kart, cleaning tires and other odd jobs. Here is a picture of the two of them.
All the other kids in her class (and several from other classes too) were often in the adjacent field playing football between events. We really had fun with the other racing families - helping each other, encouraging the kids and just visiting.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Race 1
Saturday was supposed to be the "Rookie driving school" and 6 rookie teams showed up on a cold, wet gray day. We were unable to get on the track though due to the persistent showers. I was however, able to get the weights right on the kart and install fresh tires all around. Those new Hoosiers look great with the white letters on the polished wheels.
Sunday was race day and started much the same. Fortunately, things dried-up enough to get some short practices in and we started the heat races. Normally, each class has a Heat 1, then a Heat 2, then a feature race. The weather cancelled the feature races but each class got the heat races done so the points were awarded based on what would have been the starting order.
Normally, her class would be the Junior Sportsman class but because there are so many rookies, they had their own class of 4 drivers. Lian drew the pole position for Heat 1. She was passed by one driver during the race and finished second. The start order was inverted for Heat 2 and Lian passed two drivers to take the lead (one driver elected not to race). Here is a video of her passing the other yellow kart for the lead.
Lian's times were much improved with the addition of new tires and her confidence was steadily improving as the heat laps went by. Her best time in Heat 1 was 27.92 sec. Her best in Heat 2 was 26.39 sec. This was all without the benefit of any real coaching from anyone. With temps in the low 40s, blowing wind and mist, she spent most of her off-track time in the car with her friend.
Here is a picture of her on the scales after the second heat. I conservatively had the kart at 267 lbs, a full 2 lbs more than required. She looks good with matching colors on her helmet!
Sunday was race day and started much the same. Fortunately, things dried-up enough to get some short practices in and we started the heat races. Normally, each class has a Heat 1, then a Heat 2, then a feature race. The weather cancelled the feature races but each class got the heat races done so the points were awarded based on what would have been the starting order.
(Video removed)
Lian's times were much improved with the addition of new tires and her confidence was steadily improving as the heat laps went by. Her best time in Heat 1 was 27.92 sec. Her best in Heat 2 was 26.39 sec. This was all without the benefit of any real coaching from anyone. With temps in the low 40s, blowing wind and mist, she spent most of her off-track time in the car with her friend.
Here is a picture of her on the scales after the second heat. I conservatively had the kart at 267 lbs, a full 2 lbs more than required. She looks good with matching colors on her helmet!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
First practice
The first event at the track for the club was a "work-to-practice" where club members may earn an opportunity to practice on the track by first working to clean-up and spruce-up the track for the season. We arrived on the last day of March to clear weeds, rake leaves, apply repairs to the structures and work on other improvements. That afternoon, we got our first chance to get the kart on the track.
Here she is with a borrowed helmet (the one we ordered had not yet arrived) and the first camera mount design. The helmet was fine, the camera mount, well, you decide. I've attached a sample of footage from a later practice run. This is the reason that some recommended we try a helmet mount.
(Video removed)
The first time on the track brought some challenges for this rookie team. First was the weather - cold and damp. Go figure in the north! Anyway, we also didn't have time to get fresh racing tires before the track opened for practice so Lian ran on the 4-year-old rubber that was really hard and slippery. She tried to scrape the worst of it off before getting started but they were still obviously less grippy than anyone else on the track that cold day. Her best laps were around 31-32 seconds. More important was just getting the experience turning laps and learning the limits.
The first time on the track brought some challenges for this rookie team. First was the weather - cold and damp. Go figure in the north! Anyway, we also didn't have time to get fresh racing tires before the track opened for practice so Lian ran on the 4-year-old rubber that was really hard and slippery. She tried to scrape the worst of it off before getting started but they were still obviously less grippy than anyone else on the track that cold day. Her best laps were around 31-32 seconds. More important was just getting the experience turning laps and learning the limits.
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