Whoop one more sleep until blatting up to the Teesside Autodrome to take part in the British 24 hours go kart endurance.
Adrenaline is starting to pump a little bit now - about as much fun on 4 wheels as likely to have .
(and the meal and rock jam session on the Friday night before the race) . .
Radio Leeds Georgey Spanswick has also asked for us to perform Hysteria (Muse) for her so we will be videoing that and putting it up on youtube after the event .
Have a good bank hol weekend end all and catch you on the flip side..
Im never gonna be able to sleep properly. .
Good Luck! Alan
I wouldn't sleep either if I knew I had to eat rock jam, I thought karting was tough enough, and if that wasn't enough you've got to go hysterical on youtube
24 hour racing over for another year and like normal my body feels like its been in a karate tournament
72 teams took part but with wet quaifying which dried towards the end we managed finally to get a fastish time right at the end - but when other teams decided to put their fastest driver in- ours was away with 5 mins to go - so I tried to put a time in - got caught with a slightly slower kart and got a 1:23.5
we put our fastest driver in 1st - and ~Tomos pulled back 7 places on his first lap when the race started - by 20 minutes he had brought us up to position 38
average 1st session times (45 minutes a session between driver changes) Tomos low 1m 21s Helen mid 1m22s tcat low 1m23 Dai low 1m25 Gary low 1m27 Ming 1m29s
fastest of the hire karts were about 1 minute 20 Clubman (self owned and prepped karts) were lapping 1m18 Pro Karts (higher skilled teams) lapping in the 1m16s
After I fueled up and handed over to Helen - she noticed that the fuel bay mechanic (the circuits mechanic not ours) - had cross threaded the cap - it was leaking fuel over her legs as it slowly came undone and she had to refit it mid lap - however she had to pull in early due to petrol burning her skin - blistered she had to go home and change and would only return the next morning - although she wouldn;t have been doing full time like the rest of the team mates anyway due to other commitments.
After Tomos took the kart after the next fueling - he noticed that the tank was leaking again - this time due to the mechanic dropping the rubber seal out of the fuel cap and he had to return to have it refitted (it was still on the floor next to the pumps).
Coupled with Dai being nerfed off in the braking area into the tyre wall (no injuries) we dropped down to 69th place and quite a few laps down on 68th- frustrating but it happens.
Sunset, and floodlights came on - I took the kart out and halfway through me session - noticed that the engines were beginning to sound rough - fuel level was ok - and as the kart was also seeming to fly now I put it down to either the cooler air, or maybe the engines had coughed some crud out - Whatever the reason our kart was now seeming to really move and I began to overhaul other hire karts without too much problem, even matching some of the clubman karts on top speed (but couldnt match them on initial acceleration)
Early morning shortly before sunrise some nice person decided to nick our seat insert - which Tomos needed to race - while he tried to find another - and the rest of the team getting some sleep - I double stinted a 90 minute session - 15 minute scrap with stockton and district motor clubs kart (and even taking on some of the slower clubmans) This got us back up to 57th place - and coupled with a serious looking kart flipping over the barriers and catching fire (no inuries luckily) - we were closed up on course red flag.
Another nerf into Dai again into the tyre walls dropped us back to 63rd place. but the return of a showered and fragrant Helen managed to pull us back to 58th.
I did manage to stay awake for the whole event, although this was more down to adrenaline and some events that happened through the night - but felt it after the end and the adrenaline wore off (fell asleep at our table during the awards ceremony) -
Body is now knackked and even lifting a cup of coffee needs both hands . but its been worth it, and we didn't come in last - although we are there for fun as we know we are not going to win.
Best laps Tomos 1:20.22 Alan (me) 1:21.07 Helen 1:22.43 Gary 1:23.18 Dai 1:23.55 Ming 1:24.02
Brilliant way to spend August bank holiday and would recommend it despite the pain Im going to be in for the next few days.
Also there is a vid of us all rocking out the night before which will be posted up at some point .
Hope everyone else had a good weekend (and theres still Monday to go yet)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJJndvSLpFE&feature=...r_embedded
<< this is the night before the race - sorry about the high notes - I had been singing for about 3/4 hour before this, and playing drums and my voice was getting a little hoarse - despite the two glasses of blackberry wine I gargled with.
Helen on drums
Dai on guitar (and Ming on other guitar but sat behind me out of sight)
Me singing
Pete filming
Tomos sat laughing on sofa (wuss too afraid to join in on other microphone booooo)
was a good laugh though . .
![But we're too excited! - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8mobileLQ.jpg)
![But we're too excited! - Forums [Biker Match]](/images/backgrounds/strips/8desktopLQ.jpg)
