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2nd Annual Western States Road Race Classic - Karting @ Infineon Raceway

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Old 11-27-2007, 03:51 PM
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Default 2nd Annual Western States Road Race Classic - Karting @ Infineon Raceway

3:00am...2 more hours to go.

4:00am...1 more hour to go.

5:10am...OH MAN, I am late!!!

Yes ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, the 2nd Annual Western States Road Race Classic has begun! Just like last year, I have to preface the whole thing with a WOW.

We leave Brentwood at 6:15am to get into Infineon at 7:15am. The pit area was already full of activity. There were many racers that had camped over night and were doing final prep on their karts. This time around, we had one 80cc and one Stock moto 125 in our stable.

From the year before to this race, I was much prepared to race than last year. As soon as we got our pit area situated, we headed to tech. After getting our tech sticker back to the pits we go and do some final prep work before the Driver's meeting. Final prep consisted of removing the air box and running a straight air filter for more powah!!!

As we walked to the winner's circle for the Driver's meeting, I saw a lot of the Dixon karters that I race with there. It was a strong showing of the Dixon crowd and it was good to see familiar faces there. Down to the driver's meeting we go and get info on track conditions, flags, and most important: Safety.

Be sure to keep your line because there will be some fast karts on the track. The race director mentioned that a superkart was able to reach a speed of 155mph on this track. Compare that to a 90mph speed of an 80cc shifter, traffic comes up quick. Stay your line!

After the Driver's meeting, the Novice meeting took place. Having only raced one road race, I am still very much the novice. Here we got instruction on the novice practice session and what to expect during the day. After some words of encouragement, back to the pits we went. As we got back to the pits, we were greeted by the SVH pit crew. Many thanks for Chris S and Alan for their help in the pits all day long. Extra mad props and shout outs and everything else for Alan's MacGyver skeelz on the hot grid.

Pit crew and pits




I did join into the first practice session to get a feel for the track. The kart was equipped with an 18t drive sprocket with a 22t axle sprocket. Both 1 tooth less than last year. The carb was running a 195 main jet, just to be safe. The front rims were DSM (direct spindle mounts). Also, I was using a new RLV short silencer. Very pimptacular. As we were gridding up in the hot pits, I remembered how poorly I launched last year. SVH suggested that I slowly let the clutch out and give it a lot of gas. To quote myself, shucky ducky! It worked. I let the clutch out slowly and was giving it a very healthy amount of the go pedal. The kart launched hard and did not stall. I was happy.

Yes. Green means go:


Pre-race concentration:


Out of the hot pits into turn 1...So it begins.

The kart was on cold tires so I was taking it easy and not revving into the power band that quickly. I waited until water temps hit the 90s and then I started to dip into the power band. As I went around the track I saw the crest that would eventually dump me into the carousel. First time around all I was thinking was, "Wait till the next lap when I have warm tires..."

Next time around I was starting to give gas half way thru the carousel just to get a feeling for the kart handling and the side G-load. And as expected, there was plenty of that. Some more laps were driven and I opted to pit a couple of minutes early as I was worried that I would run out of gas. As I got back to the pits, my hands were numb. I just thought they were cold for being out in the cold weather...more on this to come.

I filled up the kart and went out for the novice practice. Hot grid was set and off we went. Another excellent practice launch and off to turn 1 we go. For the novice practice, we went around the track following a lead kart. Going into turn 2 I realized that I was having a shifting problem. I couldn't get into a lower gear very easily. I would have to go off line so that the kart behind me didn't run into me and so I didn't hold up the novice lap. After struggling to get the shifting sorted on track I continued with practice. As the 2nd practice wound down I entered the pit area and began to make adjustments to the kart. After a quick discussion with SVH, I opted to put a smaller main jet in. The 190 went in very smoothly. I then adjusted the shift linkage. The prior to practice sessions netted me a best lap time of 2:09. The top speed that I was able to read was an 85 mph. That is 10mph slower than last year.

Novice hot grid. Thumbs up y0!



I figured the slow times were due to the inability to down shift correctly. As for the slower top speed, I wasn't sure why. After looking the kart over there was some time to take in the view. I also needed to get my transponder from the scoring tower. Man I am glad the elevators were running. The scoring tower is on top of the S1 floor of the grandstands. You get out of the elevator and the still go up a flight of stairs to get to the scoring tower.

Just a quick note, SVH did very well at the races. Wall start for Race 1. Nothing like the smell of 2 stroke gas in the morning.


SVH leading the freight train. The 125s were getting some crazy drafts going:


Now it was time to get ready for Race 4 (the 80cc class I registered for). Everything went as planned. First call for Race 4, Second call for Race 4, and finally Third call for Race 4. The wife and kids were able to make it out to the track. As I was in the hot pits I looked up and saw my little cheering section. Everyone was hot gridding after the quick driver's meeting and off to the warm-up lap we go. But the time I got to turn 7 I noticed that the motor was signing it's beautiful angry song. The 190 main jet was spot on. But I also did noticed I didn't adjust my shift linkage enough. Too late, we are gridding up for the standing start.

Hot grid:


Griding for start of Race 4


"Don't bog it..."

"Don't bog it..."

Lost in thought...Did I turn off the coffee pot???


Flag man signals visors down...

"Don't bog it..."

Left arm comes out and moves slowly down...

"Don't bog it..."

Green flag!

"GO GO GO GO!!!!"

Not only did I not bog, I was off to the races!!! Grabbing gears going down the front straight and up to turn 1, for those who have raced at SP/Infineon there is nothing quite like it. And just as soon as I get into the crest of turn 2 I down shift...err...try to down shift...oh man not again...please down shift!
It was apparent to me that I had not adjusted the shift linkage enough to get enough clearance from the j-arm to the seat strut. I had to change the way I down shifted to get it to work. I had to grab the shifter and push it with my hand as opposed to rolling my hand on the steering wheel and bumping the shifter with my knuckle.

Then a big accident happened. A kart had flipped in turn 7 and there was a bunch of us behind it. I know that I had to go way wide to avoid all the stopped traffic and as I was going wide there were kart parts on the track and I had to avoid that as well. The good news was that the kart driver was OK. After this incident the black and yellow flags came out at the corners and the red flag came out at the Start/Finish line. The race had to be restarted and was done so after lunch.

So back to the pits we go and I now start tweaking the shift linkage some more. I had adjusted the front eye bolt that attaches to the shifter itself and that helped a little. After adjusting the eye bolt that connected to the j-arm, the shifting work. So onto lunch: Lunch came and with it was 2 bottles of water, 1 Red Bull, and some warm chicken pot pie (Costco FTW) that the wife and kids brought to the track.

Race 4 was called again and off to the races we went. During the race I was determined to conquer the carousel. Last year I coasted through it as I thought the kart would not stick. This year, 5th gear was my friend. It was a struggle to turn the kart into the carousel at this speed and keep it pointed in the right direction. There were times where the kart side stepped for a brief second. I would have called it a day last year, but no sir. I was going to slay this dragon. There was a lap where I was going darn near flat out in 5th and I was screaming in my helmet "COME ON!!!" as I was ripping through the carousel. The g-force side load is something I have never experienced ever. And just when the carousel is done, come forth turn 7 to 11. Again last year I was told I could go flat out and not lift once or hit the brakes and I power through this portion of the track. Last year I thought SVH and company were crazy. Not today. My go pedal was mashed and I was going for it. I had to have a good line or this wouldn't work right. Into turn 7 I go and just start grabbing gears. Flick left and setup for then entry to turn 8. Be smooth into 8a as you go downhill. Don't lift and keep on going! Turn 9 is flattening out and man I am cooking. The rush of air in the helmet is amazing. Turn 10 is coming up and I need to setup for it. If I don't, there is a concrete wall that will set me up. Down that straight and into turn 11. Wait...Wait...Wait....brake, downshift, downshift, turn...wait, there is a kart there! Gas Gas Gas, I got the line!!!! This happened thoughout the race and was all worth the wait. Then unfortunately another incident occurred in the very end. The race was called finished and to the scales we go.

I tipped in at a very svelte and petite 401lbs. The class weight limit was 360. I won't do the math...

Out of turn 11:


Yes, SVH using the 125 powah and the freight train technique to pass me.


The only Red Bull sponsor I'll ever see...Note: Empty can


Since the race schedule was a little behind Race 7 was coming up quick. I topped off the fuel tank and started getting a game plan in my head. I did look at the MyChron 2 for an update on lap time. I was able to post a 2:04 this time around. I know that being able to down shift and stay in the power band helped the time. I did notice that my top speed was still lower than last year. Then I started to analyze what was happening. And then I finally realized that the kart was vibrating at high speed. It wasn't the cold that was making my hand numb, it was vibration I was picking up through the steering wheel.

Then it all came to me. My steering column guide had worn throughout this past kart season. I thought nothing of it on the sprint track because every time I was going out, I was getting faster lap times. Plus, the straight at the Kinsmen Kart Club track (Dixon) is a touch smaller than Infineon. As a rookie mistake, I did not balance my tires this year which means I wasn't as prepared as I thought. So with my worn guide and unbalanced wheels, the vibration was going straight into my hands. This would eventually hurt me in Race 7. So mental note: Replace the guide and balance my wheels.

Did this cause my top speed loss? I don't know. I need to tear down my engine and have a looky loo.

Race 7 is called and to the hot grid we go. The race started great. A clean start for the 3 classes and we had some racing to get done. Unfortunately for me, by mid way into Race 7, the vibrations were getting so bad that I could barely hold on to the steering wheel. With no sensation in my hands, I was not going to try to run fast. I had to lift and regain some feeling. This will not happen next year. What felt good was finishing the race and having the checkered flag waved as I went on through. On the cool down lap, I cruised up until the carousel. I had to run though it hard as a good bye until next year.

I'd like to get on my soapbox right quick for a second.

First with the negative:

For those non-novice drivers who were yelling at the novice drivers, please use some decency when speaking to them. This event had families there. The use of profanity was uncalled for. Also, please remember, at one time, you too were a novice driver learning this wonderful sport. If you yell at the new novice drivers, they may get discouraged and then leave this sport.

Now for the positive.:

I don't know this karter's name, I just know he had Toddzilla Racing on his suit. In the past 2 Infineon races I have attended, I have listen to the racer speak. He has been helpful to those around him and was always full of info. That is the kind of karter that this sport needs. I know there are more of you out there, just wanted to point him out as it stood out very clearly in my mind this past event.

Overall, I would like to give a big thanks to the NCK guys and gals who put this event on. It was a great time and yes, I'll be back.

m-
Old 11-27-2007, 03:59 PM
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Default Re: 2nd Annual Western States Road Race Classic - Karting @ Infineon Raceway (Mario_D)



jason going for the "clean" unpainted white look again huh?

Old 11-27-2007, 04:19 PM
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Kosmic, baby!

Sonny
Old 11-28-2007, 01:14 PM
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Default Re: 2nd Annual Western States Road Race Classic - Karting @ Infineon Raceway (Tyson)

Yessir!
Old 11-29-2007, 12:17 PM
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Here is a video of the flipped kart that mario was referring to. This was from my helmet camera setup.

http://videos.streetfire.net/v...0.htm
Old 12-03-2007, 09:30 PM
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<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jasonb &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Here is a video of the flipped kart that mario was referring to. This was from my helmet camera setup.

http://videos.streetfire.net/v...0.htm</TD></TR></TABLE>
wow that could of turned out tragic
Old 12-04-2007, 08:41 AM
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The ambulance was brought onto the track for this and the race was obviously red flagged, but the driver whole flipped was okay. My wife said she saw him walking the pits not long after the wreck. He even managed to make it to the BBQ and awards banquet after the racing.

-J
Old 12-04-2007, 09:03 AM
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<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jasonb &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">The ambulance was brought onto the track for this and the race was obviously red flagged, but the driver whole flipped was okay. My wife said she saw him walking the pits not long after the wreck. He even managed to make it to the BBQ and awards banquet after the racing.

-J</TD></TR></TABLE>
Old 03-13-2008, 04:20 AM
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damn look @ that 4 wheel discs!!!!
I wish my kart was half as nice as some of these guys
but o well the road bandit will do for now..
Old 03-13-2008, 05:24 AM
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Thanks for the memories. I have such fond memories in the early eighties going to seca and sears running supercarts... Looks chilly, rads are 2/3's covered in your one two five class


Two Fiddy FTW
Old 03-13-2008, 05:38 AM
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those superkarts look like they;ll do 120+ your lucky to say you drove one.
and lived to tell about it.
Old 03-13-2008, 05:44 AM
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Two fiddies will do 160+ geared correctly
Old 03-13-2008, 05:54 AM
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nevermind... that was a dumb question
Old 03-13-2008, 08:36 AM
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<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MSchu &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Two fiddies will do 160+ geared correctly</TD></TR></TABLE>

In the rookie driver meeting, we were told to keep our lines because some of the 250s were reaching in excess of 150mph @ Sears.

And it was cold. Nov 24 = cold.

m-
Old 03-13-2008, 11:24 AM
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Nice... you picked the right series
Old 03-13-2008, 11:26 AM
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hey mario, can you post up some association links and some of the more successful reatilers links of supercart goods?
thanks
schu
Old 03-13-2008, 04:09 PM
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<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by MSchu &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">hey mario, can you post up some association links and some of the more successful reatilers links of supercart goods?
thanks
schu</TD></TR></TABLE>

Only if you can spell it right....

http://www.250superkarts.com/

http://www.p1superkart.com/

http://www.superkartsusa.com/eleven/

m-
Old 12-05-2008, 12:05 PM
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Bump for reference.
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