After our poor performance last weekend, I spent a few hours at the track with Jason working on my driving and Joe working on my kart. Jason followed my kart around the track to see my line. Then he told me where I needed to make laps, while Jason watched and used cones to guide me through a couple of turns I was having problems with. The bottom line was that I needed to be much more smooth and brake earlier, so that my exit was much faster.
Jason also drove my kart and asked afterward how I could drive it. It was far too fight and was getting all bound up in the corners. We loosened the kart up and improved my times. Then we worked on the clutch and made more improvement. We then adjusted the castor in the front. We made good progress on all fronts and there is still plenty of room for improvement in the kart and driver.
Chris drew a high number on race day, which put me in the back of heat #1. The start went great as my row went right by the other. We made it clean through the first hairpin, buth the next courner had a spin right behind me that took out three karts. So I was sitting in great shape in sixth after starting in tenth. I was pushing hard to catch the next kart or keep up with the next kart. I over drove a corner, exited too wide and got into the grass. Not that uncommon for me, but this time I busted the chain. Breaking and DNF, hurt worse when they are self inflicted!
Heat #2, I started on the outside poll and got a great jump on the start. Actually, got a great push from behind. Exited the hairpin in P1. The #44 kart got past me, but I managed to finish second. I started midpack for the feature and came out of the hairpin in forth. I held my position for about the next 10 laps, but in the closing 4-5 laps the handling fell off. I think I built-up too much heat and air preasure in the tires. The #0 & #36 were all over me and we had a great race to the finish. Unfortunately, they both got by me, but it was good clean racing.
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