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!

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!

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...

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.

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.

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 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!

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...

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.

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.