Motorsports - get involved! Racing is life, everything before or after is just waiting...

[linkster]

Quarter finals were tonight. In spite of just having got off an 11 hour flight from LA, both holly and I got through from the 30 who made it this far. Off to Whilton Mill for the semi finals on Halloween, which will just be awesome.

[minstrels]

You race in a league thingy? How much does that cost then?

The place that I go to costs £20 for 2 x 20 laps, with the laps lasting about 25 seconds each. Costs less if you're a member, obviously.

[linkster]

Actually this is the national championships

http://www.nkachampionship.co.uk/

I've started entering open races though, and there's a league in Milton Keynes which I'm going to give a go later this month even though it's already half way through this year, see if there's any point in me aiming for the whole thing next year

[GwiDan]

What's the best kart circuit in the West Midlands? We've tried a few like Teamworks and the one near Wolverhampton, someone was also saying there's a pretty great one near Stourbridge the other day...

[marsh]

Whilton mill is the dogs bollocks of a track.

[linkster]

I think I've been to the Stourbridge one, it's an absolute blast cos the floor is polished so you basically HAVE to drift which is very unusual.

The one I go to most regularly is Mr Karting which is near Leamington, but can massively recommend Daytona Milton Keynes. Come to think of it, add in the Stourbridge one and you've got a huge amount of variety between the three for racing style

[linkster]

Whilton mill is the dogs bollocks of a track.

Aye, it looks amazing, only been there once but never done any laps, annoyingly they don't do Arrive and Drive. I'm trying to get some of the other semi finalists from my circuit to book some sessions with me, otherwise the track marshalls said they'd do it

[GwiDan]

Forgot there's an OKish outdoor one near Lichfield, but we didn't find the karts were equal, annoyingly for our mini tournament.

[Basement St. Thomas]

I was doing it this one time and after the race this guy came up and said "no professionals". I said "I'm not a professional". He said "well, you should be" and I said "no thanks, I'm making shitloads in computers".

[linkster]

And then the President called and said 'can you get to Washington right away'

[marsh]

Aye, it looks amazing, only been there once but never done any laps, annoyingly they don't do Arrive and Drive. I'm trying to get some of the other semi finalists from my circuit to book some sessions with me, otherwise the track marshalls said they'd do it

Used to race (fall off alot actually) riding minimoto's. The hill up the back stretch to the hairpin is alot steeper than it looks and there was a section of left right left which could be taken flatout if you were feeling brave on two wheels mind. I'm fairly certain the layout has been changed since I was last there, but it's an awesome cicuit all the same.

I never made it to Daytona at milky beans, I've seen the pictures and that looks great too.

You can't quite beat the waiting on the line shitting your pants feeling eh?

[morcs]

Mini motos looks like a right laugh. Can you go places and do that in the same way you can for karting?

I can't ride a motorbike mind.

[marsh]

It is, the proper race verions are awesome little machines and there are right crowd of characters that race them week on week. As long as you can bend your legs enough it's an awesome feeling to go round a corner knee down flat out at 50mph.......

and then falling off, sliding into the tyres feet first in my instance at least. I was awesome at predicting the weather, and amazing at falling off.

Stretton is a great karting/minimoto circuit too. Though last I heard the noise bastards were giving them a hard time despite them being at the pointy end of an airfield.

[marsh]

And I can't ride a motorbike either, I tried my hand at MX but found my skills lie in quad racing. I only gave up due to the lack of practice and the cost that travelling involved.

I'll see if I can dig a picture out .......

[linkster]

Used to race (fall off alot actually) riding minimoto's. The hill up the back stretch to the hairpin is alot steeper than it looks and there was a section of left right left which could be taken flatout if you were feeling brave on two wheels mind. I'm fairly certain the layout has been changed since I was last there, but it's an awesome cicuit all the same.

I never made it to Daytona at milky beans, I've seen the pictures and that looks great too.

You can't quite beat the waiting on the line shitting your pants feeling eh?

haha I get so frickin nervous it's ridiculous but once it starts... I dunno, I'm sure there should be something in your head that says "er, maybe going flat out this close to him isn't such a good idea" but by the time you can even think it you've done it. there's one corner at MK which techincally can be taken flat out but given varying conditions you can never be sure if the grip'll be there and I almost always lose the back end just a little which I suppose is a good sign as I must be pushing as much as possible.

[marsh]

Yep, I hate that too. Once the lights go out it goes, I've known people to get so worked up they've barfed in their helmets.

You must be pretty good, is it your own kart or one that's supplied?.

[linkster]

Supplied, not even got my own suit or helmet (a £10 pair of gloves was a must though...).

As for being good I dunno, I certainly think I'm learning all the time now which is a relief as I went through a phase of months where I just didn't have a clue why I was better some sessions than others. Found the Haynes manual quite helpful, but no substitute for watching people who know what they are doing and that's proven pretty difficult as our local circuit doesn't hold any adult competitions to speak of. But it's kinda depressing when I see some of the qualifying times for the MK track which are literally a second better than I've ever managed (well I say ever, we've been to the track < 10 times in total). Hopefully it's just practice practice and I won't reach the point where age or fitness just let me down.

[minstrels]

Any good tracks in the Leeds or Manchester areas?

[linkster]

Did well in an InKart championship today, my first. Also my first black flag in a qualifying heat Little shit I was getting retribution on got his comeuppence later though Made up 8/10ths of a second a lap over the course of the day though but I need to get a lot fitter to beat the little bastards in front - seriously, I can't figure out why Seniors starts at 16 there's 20 years between me and the top 6.

[marsh]

Did well in an InKart championship today, my first. Also my first black flag in a qualifying heat Little shit I was getting retribution on got his comeuppence later though Made up 8/10ths of a second a lap over the course of the day though but I need to get a lot fitter to beat the little bastards in front - seriously, I can't figure out why Seniors starts at 16 there's 20 years between me and the top 6.

Makes you want to lose the pounds doesn't it? I don't quite have the same problem anymore, but when I did minimoto's you'd be forever trading places with little kids because you were quicker than them in the corners but they'd shit all over you in the straights. It's hard to remember sometimes that you're supposed to be beating the course and not really tacking any notice of anything else.

[linkster]

I'm sure you can understand the absolute FURY I felt when I got slammed and spun on the first lap of the second heat - it put me three corners behind and I swear I drove like a fucking maniac to catch this guy (had no idea who it was at the time). KNocked the utter shit out of him through a chicane, stayed ahead on the back straight but was still so angry I missed my braking zone and he got back in front. I got a no bumping warning and another right in front of the pit wall, then later going up the inside of a turn in which I had more speed the moron just turned in on me again and came off worse. I thought that was the most innocuous of the three but I couldnt believe it when I saw the flag. I let him past on the in lap and he gave me the finger!

Funny thing is next race I saw him do it to the leaders and thought "you ain't gettin awayG with that." He didn't. Got black flagged the next two races.

In the last race I found myself right on the arse of this kid in front for six laps, so much so I was bumping him cos I was just all together faster. I mistook a no bumping warning as being for me and found myself backing off rather than taking a different line which was dumb but you live and learn.

Fucking love it. Two rounds to go of this year's, then it starts again in March. I just need someone to teach me what the fuck I should be doing now!

Weight wise I should be ok - I'm 9'11 but could get back down to 9'6.

[linkster]

Today's our first laps at the venue for the national championships semi final on Halloween, Whilton Mill. Desperately swotting up on Youtube and my karting manual to learn as much about it as I can

Should be interesting to see our lap times compare with those who know it already and might be rivals on the day.. hopefully not too disheartening

[morcs]

That's nothing like I remember it! I did do it at night in the rain though

[linkster]

Fucking hell; an hour of that and I nearly fell over as I got out the kart

awesome weather, fantastic track, am sure I can do better than we did today, must try and squeeze in another session before the day itself. My work on my arms helped though, so I'll keep that up

[Hackign]

That video made me miss my racing days. Ah to be in the British Championships again.

[linkster]

I so wish I'd started sooner. But it's nice not too suck too badly.

[marsh]

Great track isn't it? I'm familiar with most of it including the bits your not supposed to ride on....

[linkster]

Great track isn't it? I'm familiar with most of it including the bits your not supposed to ride on....

Yeah it is awesome, even if it is shorter than Daytona by some margin somehow it feels more ... I dunno, professional. It is so wide.

Cannot wait to go again.

[marsh]

I miss it badly, but in my neck of the woods it's off road all the way, thankfully I've found myself to be a dab hand on a quad. Next yea I might enter the ten rounds of the ORE if I can convince my mates to ride the two wheeled events.

I'm sure I asked before but I take it your all using the same equipment?

[morcs]

Do they ballast the karts for fairness?