Grand Prix Rejects

Today I went karting with some friends. It was the first time I could drive go-karts that can actually go fast, with timed laps and such... and in pure Délétraz style, I managed to get lapped 6 times in only 20 minutes of racing... and there was even a time when I was blue-flagged with a train of 10 karts behind me... I had to stop on track and let everyone through until I could resume. I just don't know how I managed to escape finishing last, but I think I now have had a little taste of how driving for HRT might feel!

In the end it wasn't so bad, my fastest lap was only 2.8 seconds slower than that of the winner... well, if I don't mention that fastest lap was around 25 seconds. Even though I only barely escaped ROTR, I'd say, it was a lot of fun... just thought I'd like to share it with you guys.

Wow! Who stole ROTR from you?

I can only imagine that I would be worse. I'm useless at changing gears in a normal manual car, God knows how bad I'll be with a kart gearbox...

East Londoner wrote:Wow! Who stole ROTR from you?

I can only imagine that I would be worse. I'm useless at changing gears in a normal manual car, God knows how bad I'll be with a kart gearbox...

Changing gears in a car becomes second nature after a couple of driving lessons.

I remember one time I went indoor karting in Birmingham, there was this hairpin you could get around just by tapping the brakes and sliding. One time round, I thought i'd attempt it full throttle, and went straight into the barrier. Hurt a bit too. I can't even use the excuse I was trying to impress some girls as there weren't any there.

I drove a racing kart once, at Spa with my godfather for my birthday. I wasn't especially rejectful on the track, and I wasn't that embarassing (yeah, I was getting lapped every three laps by the big guys), but I was strangely prone to stalling in the pitlane. I wasn't wearing a racing suit, so my bum starting burning after a few laps, and when I was confident enough to push harder, I could barely breathe because the air was crushing my chest. Apart from that, I still go karting a few times a year at the rent-a-kart indoor Eupen circuit.

I also like go-karting.I actually try doing it in every foreign country I've been to and during every school holiday.

Also,am I the only one who enjoys the feeling of spinning around and crashing>

WaffleCat wrote:Also,am I the only one who enjoys the feeling of spinning around and crashing>

I don't really like that feeling, but in the many times I've been go-karting, three spins/crashes stand out for me.

1. XTreme Park Sunway Lagoon (Malaysia) - under braking for a downhill right-hand hairpin in the wet. Always going to turn out badly. The kart snapped right and I ended up in the tyres in the officials' blind spot and had to turn the kart around myself.

2. XTreme Park Sunway Lagoon (Malaysia) - the same day, third corner, a quick one. I tried it flat out, I lost control and went towards the tyres. I actually managed to cross the barrier and ended up full of water in the process.

3. Shah Alam (Malaysia) - in the slower rent-a-karts while pros were driving by themselves in their race karts at the same time. I had to run wide to avoid getting hit up the back by one of them, climbing on one of the very uneven kerbs. Two corners later, a screw in the steering lets go and I hit the wall. The only time I was actually half-ejected from the thing during the crash. We actually had to pay RM10 (roughly 2-3£) to buy a new screw

I think this qualifies me as a kart reject:

In my Yoof (youth) days I was in a Junior Kart championship! never did that brilliant (I once made the C final!) but it allowed me to meet David Brabham as his son was competing in the championship (said son was very mediocre it has to be said!) In monsoon conditions my brother beat me for 42nd in the championship (43rd!)

Since then I occasionally take part in hire kart non championship races, once by finishing 2nd in all 3 of my heats wound up with the most points and was pole position for the A final, where I came home 4th, Heidfeld to the max!

Never been in a proper racing kart, considering I like to run before I can walk I can imagine binning it on lap 1!

'tis an expensive hobby!

Priceless wrote:In the end it wasn't so bad, my fastest lap was only 2.8 seconds slower than that of the winner... well, if I don't mention that fastest lap was around 25 seconds. Even though I only barely escaped ROTR, I'd say, it was a lot of fun... just thought I'd like to share it with you guys.

That's over 111% of the fastest time, then. I think HRT went faster than that during the Australian GP.

But don't worry, I'll be happy if I go under 120% the first time I drive a kart

Shadaza wrote:but it allowed me to meet David Brabham

Nice, you got to meet a Simtek legend

redbulljack14 wrote:

Shadaza wrote:but it allowed me to meet David Brabham

Nice, you got to meet a Simtek legend

Yeah that's a win. I can imagine him being one of the nicest guys in Motorsport.

Never been karting, although I was offered the chance to go to Buckmore Park last year, which is regarded as the best karting track in the UK, but had to work. I'm more of a car person, so much so that I'm currently prepping a 2.0l saxo for a Championship for this year.

I started go karting at age 6, and I beat my friend who has won a lot of trophies! I also beat my dad!

MinardiFan95 wrote:I think this qualifies me as a kart reject:

"OH MY GOODNESS!" How did that happen?

Shizuka wrote:

MinardiFan95 wrote:I think this qualifies me as a kart reject:
[img]crashuuu!!!!

"OH MY GOODNESS!" How did that happen?

This was quite a while ago as you can see from the date stamp on the bottom, so I can't quite remember the details - from the looks of things I slid into the wall, bounced off the tyres and ended up parked nose first in the tyres. Another time I went go-karting on the same track a year earlier and hit a grass tree when I had to go back to the pits for the end of my run.

I went for another run with the guys last week, just had no time to post about it... this time the guys went faster. I qualified second-last, again, but finished 9th out of 12, and my fastest lap was within 107% of the fastest lap of the race! I was only 1.5 s slower than the race winner! See, I told you I'm getting a feel for how driving for HRT should be! Over 107% in the first race, but getting the hang of it, just like them!