2023 Club100 Senior Championships
Lightweight Sprints
Round 1
Buckmore Park
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| Photograph by John Patterson @johnnyp5000 |
Overview
New season. Excited to be back with Club100. Plenty race entries this year, so buying a National Railcard should make travels more cost-efficient as I embark on a cross-country return to full championship racing since 2019. Round 1 features live coverage by Alpha Live with commentary from Double Dash Motorsport Media bringing added value to the whole racing experience.
Format
Entering in Novice Class 3 (NC-3), the format is 3x 7-minute heats, randomly selected grids, novices usually towards the back. The overall results from the heats qualify the grid for 12-minute Finals. NC-3s usually end up in the C final, although finishing in the Top 4 earns promotion into the B final. So, much to play for!
Practice
Heavy sleet falls upon Blue Bell Hills. Not what we were expecting. So it's a slippery test session, which I sensibly opted into after last year's reflections on not doing so. Practice is where to learn from your mistakes, so I pushed the limits, within reason (plus a few spins), to ensure I knew how not to take liberties into Heat 1.
The Heats
Starting in P17, a nice inside line opens up for me to slot into for turn 1. As such, the slippery surface means everyone on the inside understeers towards those with the grip on the now famed outside "wet karting" line. This is usually cause for chaos, but it's a very clean opening sequence. Except downhill into the high-speed Symes Sweep, where karts disperse into a frenzy of zero traction, as best demonstrated by a spinner. But navigating the start with moderate caution earns me 5 places into P12 by the end of lap 1.
I'm now the leading NC-3, albeit unbeknownst to me at the time. As a novice, it's actually quite difficult to pick your moments and who to race. A pivotal point to note for later races, but for now I've gained another place off a C2 racer into P11. I have clear air to focus on my pace. Frustrated with low grip on the usual dry line, I dare explore the widest sections of the track. Pleasantly realising more traction this way brings me closer to the top 10, well within C2 territory. I promote myself to P10 on the penultimate lap, then put an end to last year's trend by drag racing to the line successfully to finish P9.
2nd Heat P19 --> P14 | P2, NC-3
This heat was a bit slower on the progress front, but we got some moves done. Another decent opening lap sees me up into P16. But I have to deal with a very aggressive driver for something like 5 laps in a row. At one point, I'm shunted off, exit of Hairpin 2. Perhaps hitting the kerb too hard on re-entry, my engine completely cuts out into the Esses which is flat-out now the circuit is drying. I press the ignition, foot lightly but desperately on the throttle; the kart revs back into power, continuing on as if it did not just try to fail me. I eventually dispatch of this driver and on my way I am to gain some more ground.
A strong pace advantage in Sector 3 enables me to close down the pack. With track conditions still damp, coming off line to overtake is risky. But we need to clear these man. Picking my moment, I'm up to P14 onto the last lap. I gain massive over-speed on the kart ahead into turn 1, so pull out beside them and make a move for P13, the leading NC-3. But the traditional racing line is still wet. They hang on around the outside, but this slippery surface means I'm going to understeer into them. I haven't completed the move cleanly, so wave them back through. I keep honest with them to the line, but have to settle for P14. P2 in class for that one.
3rd Heat P14 --> P16 | P3, NC-3
It's becoming a theme here that the 3rd heat ends up rather unremarkable. The track is pretty much dry now, yet I'm struggling to keep up with everyone around me more than when it was wet. As a result, I make a few errors, drop down 2 places from grid position and have much head scratching to do for the finals.
The Finals
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| Photograph by John Patterson @johnnyp5000 |
C Final P8 --> P13 (penalties applied) | P10, NC-3
Starting on the outside line is not usually ideal at Buckmore Park. However, the outside into turn 1 has been offering more grip today due to the earlier sleet so I'm reassured to stay wide on exit and stay out of any first lap chaos. Objective complete, I check my surroundings before slotting into the inside line for Hairpin 1, turn 2. I'm up to P6 on exit. That's where we complete the first lap.
The race settles. I'm seriously dominating sector 2 and have a competitive edge in sector 3. These are the more audacious overtaking areas, though, so completing a move is a sketchy enterprise right now. Symes Sweep, for example, has weirdly retained some wet patches so that you can only go through there single-file, diluting any preparations for an overtake into Pullmans or Garda. Why not line one up for Turn 1 or the hairpins? Because I'm noticeably off the pace of the frontrunners in Sector 1!
How to manage this race, then? I'm bringing up the rear of a 4-kart train led by P3, so I'm fixated on the prospect of finishing Top 4 and breaking into the B Final. But I'm being held up in P6, getting more conscious that the karts behind will catch up if this order prevails. And it's a sprint, not long to go so come on, get on with it. I'm also catching up in the braking zones to the kart ahead; they're braking slightly earlier every time. Perhaps managing their own pace to the kart in front of them.
We head into lap 3, my objective is improve sector 1 to establish a complete lap time advantage, then pounce. However, I push a bit too hard into turn 1 and lose ground on exit. Heading into turn 2, I brake slightly later than P5 so to avoid overshooting into them, I lean the kart unusually wider on entry. The tyres did not like this, for they slipped - perhaps some residual damp. Small but multiple snaps of oversteer yield into a half spin. And with that, I'm out of contention and cost myself a good race result.
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| Photograph by John Patterson @johnnyp5000 |
Hindsight says even though it is a sprint, the finals are the longest races of the day. 12 minutes. You can break the race down into phases, be a little more patient in the early laps. But I was still mentally in sprint mode. And I punished myself for it. Frustratingly, only a few corners later, the karts in P4 and P5 I was running behind start battling for position and drop back considerably to the leaders. That would have been the moment to capitalise, clear them and exact my pace into the Top 4. Even more importantly, all this would have had me start the season right up there in the Novice Class 3 standings. A lesson in racecraft for me to improve on.
The rest of the race unfolds with me picking up two penalties on technical grounds - an unsafe release, which I'd argue against ... if I did not receive another penalty for knocking some track furniture later on. Nevertheless, while out of contention, my pace still feels dominant in Sector 2. And lo and behold, I set the fastest S2 time on lap 10. An accolade unmatched to the chequered flag. So despite classifying P13 once penalties applied, we leave Buckmore Park with a statement of stronger pace. Better racecraft and strategic discipline is the seasoning required to reward myself better race finishes as we progress throughout the season.
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| Purple in Sector 2. Made me smile to see this on the timing sheet on my way home! |
A mixed day in mixed conditions. I enjoyed a steadfast climb from P17 to P9 in the wettest race all day, then set a best sector time in the finals, both good benchmarks for starting the season. However, I need to iron out a few strategic flaws in good positions to ensure results are converted. Keeping active on a competitive platform is the key to unlocking results. See you next month, when we sprint again!