2023 Club100 Senior Championships
The Club100 Novice Experience
Round 4
Buckmore Park
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| Photography by @johnnyp5000 |
Overview
After securing two consecutive victories at Lydd and Rye House, we're back at Buckmore Park. My 5th visit here makes this the track I have come to the most with Club100. However, whether starting out of position or right in the mix, I am yet to convert a result here. I come into this round tied on points for the championship lead with Sam White. Therefore, I would be hoping for better fortunes from here.
Format
The Club100 Experience includes 15 minutes' practice which transitions into a 5-minute qualifying session. Qualifying determines the grid for Race 1. The fastest lap from Race 1 determines the grid for Race 2. Both races are 20 minutes long. The person with the most points across both races wins the event.
Practice and Qualifying
For the first time ever, I could practice with minimum interruption. Very few spins or yellow flags. No-one trying to race during qualifying. I had the luxury of clean air for the most part to just set down as many hot laps as possible. As a result, I really enjoyed this session.
Despite that, my kart was down on top speed was compromised come the end of the straights. Afterwards, I was told everyone was apparently catching back up at the end of the straights, but there was no strong sensory offset from within the kart to realise this within the session. Although I was not expecting to be only good enough for P13.
Therefore, with a 47.1, some 6 tenths off a 46.5 I recorded my last visit here, I would go into Race 1 anxious, mystified and honestly a bit downbeat.
2023 XP Champs R4 Results - Practice
https://results.alphatiming.co.uk/club100/e/142160/s/327659/result
2023 XP Champs R4 Results - Qualifying
https://results.alphatiming.co.uk/club100/e/142160/s/327662/result
Race 1
Starting out of position in P13, I would at least have the inside line for Turn 1. Being in the midfield, however, everything kind of bottled up. Although I gain a handful of positions at Hairpin 1, I end up being tapped sideways at Hairpin 2. Someone else nudges me back in the right direction. However, I complete the opening lap down in P17.
Then I electrify the racetrack. I leap back to my starting position the following lap, then I'm on the charge, gaining a position every lap. By Lap 6, I'm into the Top 10 with the fastest lap so far, a 46.8. Fast forward to Lap 15, I've exhibited my way up the field into P6. Then I set the fastest lap of the race: a 46.515. Only the leaders, Joe Kennedy and Sam White, would match this time to the tenth.
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| Kart 5 Isaiah Egwuagu chases Kart 7 Sam Martin for 5th place. A battle after which I should have settled. |
Two laps to go. I close in to the back of two karts squabbling. One of them overtakes the other. I tuck in behind as we head into Garda, hoping to capitalise on their dice. Both brake early. I edge right to avoid running into the back of them, but the one directly in front of me then weaves across my path mid-corner, as if to make a late move on the guy ahead. In edging further inside and away from the initial kart, I end up tagging the innocent party in front. That innocent party, Kart 42 - Nick Hutchinson, is sent sideways. This sucked and I can only apologise.
Worse, the guy in between us going for a late dive was actually a lap down! I have to accept a 6-place penalty for that collision. Therefore, with only a lap to go, an incredible charge from P17 on the opening lap to P5 is undone. A post-facto P11.
2023 XP Champs R4 Results - Race 1
https://results.alphatiming.co.uk/club100/e/142160/s/327665/result
Race 2
By virtue of fastest lap from Race 1, I'm starting in pole position for Race 2. That is despite the low finishing position. Take that rule how you want. Of course, this works to my benefit as I've been put back in position to recover a decent overall result.
A rather clean start on my side. I lead the opening lap from Kart 34 - Joe Kennedy, and Kart 20 - Sam White. Although I quickly notice a deficit in the low-speed corners and can't pull away. Sure enough, Joe overtakes me on Lap 2. Sam swoops by on Lap 4. Okay, hold station. It's a long race.
Except duplicating Sam around a lap confirms I have no low-end to even keep up. Reading the data, I'm almost half a second down from both the previous race and Sam's laptimes. The gap becomes too big. Instead, I spend the next 15 laps defending from karts with whom I usually don't race. Until with 8 laps to go, I hit the second apex of Hairpin 2 wrong and receive a big snap of oversteer for it. The kart behind, Kart 24 - Jonny Fletcher, swoops by as I struggle to recover power on exit.
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| In the meantime, Kart 34 Joe Kennedy would go on to win the race. Pole and 1st in Race 1 too, the first clean sweep of the season. Big up yourself man. |
I prepare to recover the position the next lap. I still have a pace advantage to them, so make my advances known. Kart 24 starts going defensive. They defend the inside line on approach to Garda before I can consider a move there. I revert to the racing line, preparing to out-drag them into Café Curve or onto the main straight for Turn 1. However, no sooner do I line this up does Kart 6 - Rizwan Mangat dive-bomb into Garda. They overcook their exit, so block mine for insurance. I'm down to P5, for goodness sake.
I'm feeling rather aggrieved at this point. Pace is off in this kart, but I still feel fast enough I should not be in this position ... yet I'm struggling for a response. It's the last lap. I gain the slipstream on Kart 6 onto main straight. Fletcher is going defensive from Mangat, Mangat defending from me towards the line. However, I run out of road. P5 at the flag.
2023 XP Champs R4 Results - Race 2
https://results.alphatiming.co.uk/club100/e/142160/s/327668/result
A kart with poor top-end in qualifying. A kart with poor low-end in Race 2. In between which the fastest Race 1 was undone by that penultimate lap incident. An opportunity to lead the championship squandered after such incredible results at Lydd and Rye House. Now, I'm three points off in P2.
We return to Buckmore Park twice more this season for the finals. Firstly, the sprint series then the Club100 Experience Championship. By which point, I wish to have discontinued this tale of misfortune. A month's break before the next race. Revitalisation is key for the final third.