30th December is race day! Hope to end in the top 6 and get some prize monies.
Friday, December 28, 2007
K[p] - Race Day 30th Dec
I can only look forward to 2 races a year in June and December. And using rental karts where its condition is totally unknown, you could get a lemon and end the race even before you begin. Really hope it rains, will even the karts out.
30th December is race day! Hope to end in the top 6 and get some prize monies.
30th December is race day! Hope to end in the top 6 and get some prize monies.
Monday, December 17, 2007
2008 targets
it's almost there. Christmas is coming and a new year follow
soon after, so i guess it's not too early to set some form of
target for next year on the racing side.
1. finish constantly within the points.
2. lap 1.04 consistently. improved on the times is important,
so far my best as previously stated was 1.05+. hope i can shave
one second somehow.
3. one win. will be very tough, but a target and a landmark
am i looking forward to 2008 or what???!
=)
soon after, so i guess it's not too early to set some form of
target for next year on the racing side.
1. finish constantly within the points.
2. lap 1.04 consistently. improved on the times is important,
so far my best as previously stated was 1.05+. hope i can shave
one second somehow.
3. one win. will be very tough, but a target and a landmark
am i looking forward to 2008 or what???!
=)
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
3rd race, good race. tyre is key. fitness is primary
this is my 3rd race which unfolded on 2 Dec 2007.
this round i had more prep. managed to do a bit training like
swimming and some push ups. especially after the last race,
i found that i had no stamina and strength to finish the race
of 25 laps. i simply just struggle to hold on to the steering and
limped to the end. i want to be different the next race, and i
had 3 weeks plus to do myself some justice.
oh, one secret to be shared here on the last race... i was
unprepared, Yes... i had problems breathing... i have very
little training... i have difficulty breathing... cos i forgot to open
the top vent of my helmet!! FFFFF
anyway, this race i was feeling ready. ready to race. ready
to take on my kart and the track.
qualifying for me was horrendous. 1.08+ ! rubbish timing!
am i not ready? i went backwards on a good lap. the rear
end of the kart was sliding a lot.. i know the tyres were near
its end but i wanted to use it up to heat 1 then change for the
final 15 laps
anyway, i tried to have another go in the qualifying, but alas,
they turned off the timing monitor! sigh.. i resigned to start
from quite far back..
heat 1
can't remember much, except my crash with the French guy
named GUY.. this Heat 1 was actually quite bad for me, as the
rear end was getting from bad to worse. every braking point i
had to be more gentle, which means people catch me up at some
corners esp most hairpins. i was overtaken by Guy, then i overtook
him back, then he took the place again but i was on hot on his
wheels. his kart was not behaving well too. at the last lap of the 10,
in the inner hairpin, he was looking where i was while turning...
bad mistake.
that put him into the grass, seeing that i throttle hard!
but Guy oh Guy, he did the same and spun in the middle of the
track leaving me no room to move. i knew i braked hard, spun
and crashed heavily into his kart.
my race, at the last lap was finished. my rib hurt a bit. but the
impact was great, and i thot i never say this but i'm glad i wore
my rib protector else i will have a few broken ones for sure!
damage: NONE! only the side pod was badly dented, but Sam
did a good job in put everything nicely back together before the
15 laps.
Tyres changed. four brand new ones were on. and i did 3 laps of
scrubbing in before the race start. Totally awesome grip. every
corners, the kart go in and exit the way i want, the way i know
how. i knew although i will be starting from quite the back of
the field, i am roaring to go.
Heat 2.
this is one of the best race i ever had yet. and the best race for
those who came and watched. reason: the front runners were
the usual suspect. the mid field were make up of quite a few
new racer, and i can be consider at the back of this field. but
behind me was what make this race interesting. Leo, Sam,
Steven, Ah Pao. 4 experienced and quick guys at the back as
some misfortunes befall on them on heat 1 as well.
when the race is a go, i went. had to start overtaking. but i
took my time. bidding for the best chance. do not want to be
knock out for some silly mistakes. i can't recalled exactly when
and where i overtook the ones in front of me. but i can remember
i no longer looked at the board that tells me how many more
laps to go. i was really focused and concentrated on the kart in front.
i was that determined. i was feeling ready, and now i feel ready!
my real race started when ah poa tried to overtook me for 4 laps
and cldn't do so. it started after we overtook tony. i covered my
line all nicely, and with better acceleration. i slowed in the corners
and quick on the straight. he had no answer, no chance to overtake
me. then last lap... i suddenly was quite fearful, as ah poa
actually mounted on to tony's kart at his 1st attempt to overtake...
i was fearful that in his frustrations and eager to overtake me in the
last lap, i allowed a small gap which he took with it expertly...
yes, i shld not be fearful and fight. but i want to finish the races in
2007, and in 2008, let's fight!
=)
this round i had more prep. managed to do a bit training like
swimming and some push ups. especially after the last race,
i found that i had no stamina and strength to finish the race
of 25 laps. i simply just struggle to hold on to the steering and
limped to the end. i want to be different the next race, and i
had 3 weeks plus to do myself some justice.
oh, one secret to be shared here on the last race... i was
unprepared, Yes... i had problems breathing... i have very
little training... i have difficulty breathing... cos i forgot to open
the top vent of my helmet!! FFFFF
anyway, this race i was feeling ready. ready to race. ready
to take on my kart and the track.
qualifying for me was horrendous. 1.08+ ! rubbish timing!
am i not ready? i went backwards on a good lap. the rear
end of the kart was sliding a lot.. i know the tyres were near
its end but i wanted to use it up to heat 1 then change for the
final 15 laps
anyway, i tried to have another go in the qualifying, but alas,
they turned off the timing monitor! sigh.. i resigned to start
from quite far back..
heat 1
can't remember much, except my crash with the French guy
named GUY.. this Heat 1 was actually quite bad for me, as the
rear end was getting from bad to worse. every braking point i
had to be more gentle, which means people catch me up at some
corners esp most hairpins. i was overtaken by Guy, then i overtook
him back, then he took the place again but i was on hot on his
wheels. his kart was not behaving well too. at the last lap of the 10,
in the inner hairpin, he was looking where i was while turning...
bad mistake.
that put him into the grass, seeing that i throttle hard!
but Guy oh Guy, he did the same and spun in the middle of the
track leaving me no room to move. i knew i braked hard, spun
and crashed heavily into his kart.
my race, at the last lap was finished. my rib hurt a bit. but the
impact was great, and i thot i never say this but i'm glad i wore
my rib protector else i will have a few broken ones for sure!
damage: NONE! only the side pod was badly dented, but Sam
did a good job in put everything nicely back together before the
15 laps.
Tyres changed. four brand new ones were on. and i did 3 laps of
scrubbing in before the race start. Totally awesome grip. every
corners, the kart go in and exit the way i want, the way i know
how. i knew although i will be starting from quite the back of
the field, i am roaring to go.
Heat 2.
this is one of the best race i ever had yet. and the best race for
those who came and watched. reason: the front runners were
the usual suspect. the mid field were make up of quite a few
new racer, and i can be consider at the back of this field. but
behind me was what make this race interesting. Leo, Sam,
Steven, Ah Pao. 4 experienced and quick guys at the back as
some misfortunes befall on them on heat 1 as well.
when the race is a go, i went. had to start overtaking. but i
took my time. bidding for the best chance. do not want to be
knock out for some silly mistakes. i can't recalled exactly when
and where i overtook the ones in front of me. but i can remember
i no longer looked at the board that tells me how many more
laps to go. i was really focused and concentrated on the kart in front.
i was that determined. i was feeling ready, and now i feel ready!
my real race started when ah poa tried to overtook me for 4 laps
and cldn't do so. it started after we overtook tony. i covered my
line all nicely, and with better acceleration. i slowed in the corners
and quick on the straight. he had no answer, no chance to overtake
me. then last lap... i suddenly was quite fearful, as ah poa
actually mounted on to tony's kart at his 1st attempt to overtake...
i was fearful that in his frustrations and eager to overtake me in the
last lap, i allowed a small gap which he took with it expertly...
yes, i shld not be fearful and fight. but i want to finish the races in
2007, and in 2008, let's fight!
=)
Monday, December 3, 2007
No more fun kart, except in the rain - K[p]
Funny that Jon posted about karting in the wet. Traditionally, he hates to kart in the wet. But everyone needs to learn sometime or the other.
I have finally given up on the 80cc fun kart. The condition of these karts in Permas is very bad, still good for the occasional trill seekers, but definitely out for me. So is the 390cc, I took a kart last week and it would not turn left! The only fun kart left would be the so called road rat, a 6.5HP kart compared to the 5.5HP 80cc fun kart. But this kart is much faster, just slightly slower than the 390cc by prob around 1 or 2 secs, and much cheaper. Definitely value for money. Use them before their condition deteriorates.
Talking about wet karting. Now, i will just wait untill it rains, then jump into one of the road rat. Super fun. The wetter the better.
I have finally given up on the 80cc fun kart. The condition of these karts in Permas is very bad, still good for the occasional trill seekers, but definitely out for me. So is the 390cc, I took a kart last week and it would not turn left! The only fun kart left would be the so called road rat, a 6.5HP kart compared to the 5.5HP 80cc fun kart. But this kart is much faster, just slightly slower than the 390cc by prob around 1 or 2 secs, and much cheaper. Definitely value for money. Use them before their condition deteriorates.
Talking about wet karting. Now, i will just wait untill it rains, then jump into one of the road rat. Super fun. The wetter the better.
Monday, November 19, 2007
wet Wet wet, no, it's not the band
from wiki
Karting in wet weather is extremely difficult, but if you master wet weather techniques, you can easily win by miles!
[edit] Steps
- When you brake, hit the pedal in a short, sharp motion. This should be enough to get the rear tires to lock and bite into the track. A nice gentle push on the brake won't do it because it kills the kart. You want the kart to feel quite lively, and you need to get it working and biting so you can get a feel for the grip that is available. Also, you want to reduce the amount of time on the brakes and braking needs to be out of the way before you turn.
- Remember that you are taking a wet line away from the rubber. Turn into the boot very late, and when you turn the wheel, snap it into full lock hard and fast.
- Now the kart doesn't turn and spin. You turned the wheel so fast and it's like you shocked it into a huge under-steer. But, you are also getting maximum jacking effect from the front end and when the kart finds a bit of grip it will turn very sharply. Also, since the front end is sliding, it is slowing you down too, acting like front brakes.
- When you snap that steering wheel round, you will naturally need to lean forward a little because turning the wheel will extend your reach. Lean forward and toward the outside of the kart. By doing so, you are taking weight from the rear and putting it over the front, which helps the kart to lift the inside rear wheel.
- When you get the timing right, you will find the kart turns hard and sharp, and that's when you need to get your weight back over the rear wheels, get the steering straight as possible and accelerate away.
- Introduce the power gradually, and feel for traction. Always try for as much traction as possible.
[edit] Tips
- Driving a kart in the wet isn't all about being super-smooth and being frightened that the kart will bite you for pushing it too hard. In fact, when driving in the wet you have to be much more physical and much more forceful to drive with flair. Wet karting gives you even more opportunity than dry karting to let yourself go!
- Forget about being ultra-delicate on the brakes and turning the steering wheel tentatively, stamp on the brakes to make the tires bite into the track, and snap the steering wheel around like you want to bend the track rods!
- The "Wet Line" is the fastest line around the track in the wet the same as in the dry? 99% of the time the answer is no. I can't tell you the exact wet line for every track here, but I can give you a pretty good place to start. Take a look at your circuit before you drive and you can easily see the darker racing line covered in rubber, and you can see a lighter color where there isn't so much rubber. In wet conditions, the latter is exactly where you want your kart to be! Keep those observations in mind when driving. You will find you need to experiment using the wet line, and there will be more than one way round on a wet line. You have to go out there and feel where the grip is.
- Most importantly, don't hurt yourself, and have fun!
[edit] Warnings
- Stay off the rubber
- When dry, the best grip is normally found on the normal racing line, where all the tire rubber gets laid down, giving you an even better grip. When it rains, rubber is super slippery, so you have to find a new line where there is no rubber. Normally it's around the outside of the corner.
Event, Puggol, TNP 18 Nov, my views, and replies
Hi Ms Faith,
I had read with great interest your article on
the go karting event in our heartland, on 30 Dec.
the go karting event in our heartland, on 30 Dec.
However looking at the 'race track' layout, isn't
it quite a bore for competitve karters? The 'track'
consists of two long striaghts and two U turns,
therefore whoever has the fastest kart and the
lightest overall weigh-in will almost certainly win.
it quite a bore for competitve karters? The 'track'
consists of two long striaghts and two U turns,
therefore whoever has the fastest kart and the
lightest overall weigh-in will almost certainly win.
Yes, karting is about been speed but it is also about
braking into corners, both fast and slow corners, here
the layout do not have any fast corner(s) to show the
public what a kart is really capable of. Without more
corners, the idea of karting is been undermined. The
idea of overtaking, and on the striaght there is hardly
any opportunities to keep the specators excited.
I hope the organizers will rethink the layout, so that
the people will attend the event will entertained, and
then be interested in the sports.
the people will attend the event will entertained, and
then be interested in the sports.
Regards
------------
Hi Jonathan,
Thanks for the feedback, will definitely pass it on to the organisers. This being the first of many such events to come, I believe that everyone, from the organisers to the government bodies involved such as the traffic police, are concerned about public safety more than anything else. The organisers are limited by which roads are available for their use by this, as well as by how much inconvenience closing a road would be for nearby residents and businesses.
That said, this is just the starting point of a long runway, and I'm sure the road ahead will be an exciting one.
Regards,
Faith Teo
Assistant to Editor
(Projects)
The New Paper
-----------
Hi Jonathan,
just got word from the organisers. There will be tyre obstacles and other challenges involved, so it won't just be a straight stretch. Cheers.
---------
------------
Hi Jonathan,
Thanks for the feedback, will definitely pass it on to the organisers. This being the first of many such events to come, I believe that everyone, from the organisers to the government bodies involved such as the traffic police, are concerned about public safety more than anything else. The organisers are limited by which roads are available for their use by this, as well as by how much inconvenience closing a road would be for nearby residents and businesses.
That said, this is just the starting point of a long runway, and I'm sure the road ahead will be an exciting one.
Regards,
Faith Teo
Assistant to Editor
(Projects)
The New Paper
-----------
Hi Jonathan,
just got word from the organisers. There will be tyre obstacles and other challenges involved, so it won't just be a straight stretch. Cheers.
---------
Hi Ms Faith
Many thanks for your replies.
It should be a quite a event then.
=)
Do hope this will give many more people the good idea of
what karting is about, then just sit and drive.
cheers
----
the article mention:
----
the article mention:
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Tuesday, November 6, 2007
A race to forget
4 Nov, it is the 2nd race that Tony and me are going to take part in.
but my race was in tatters before it begins.
since my birthday was on friday, some of my good frens decided that
i shld go drinking with them on saturday and watch the Big match
at Paulanuers. ended the session close to 1am.... slept at 2am... with
much alcohol in the system
good catch up session with frens, but i would think it'll be tough for
the race cos of the session. something gotto give, i guess
Sunday morning, i wanted to wake at 9am. but in the end, only woke
at 10.15am. have to make Tony wait for me for close to 30mins as
i'm driving him in... sign of trouble liao
reached the track close to 1.30pm, and boss told us that the race will
start in qualifying at 2pm. wat the!?!? cos, tony and i just had lunch
at Jusco before going to the track.
Qualifying.. managed to get about the same time. 1min7sec+ .
was 7 then fall back to 10th when there're a few late comers.
i was behind Kenneth.
Heat 1
Disaster struck during the warm up rolling lap! Kenneth was going
SO SO slowly that he is (thus we are) all half a lap from the leading
pack!
then we had to bunched up to do another lap. it was super slow for
all. and at the hairup.... my kart stalled. cannot start again!
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
luckily there's Heat 2 for me, but i will be starting from the tail end.
but no DNF for me yet
Heat 2.
Start Position 16!!! cool!!! most easy to park! hahahaha
2 rolling warm up laps. this time, everyone got it rite.
at the start of the race, i overtake 2 before turn 1.
somehow, after that i can do no more....
tony and kenneth were in front of me. within 7-8 karts, but try
as i might i just cannot move an inch nearer...
and i was sweating more so than the previous race.
my hands are more tired.... why???
oh.... Bier! the magic of bier and late nite at its best
anyway, i managed to finish the 15 laps
Tony, in his haste to overtake the little boy was taken out of the race
Leo had the same fate cos of the boy. Louis had his bumper Bump off
all because of the boy whose dad works somewhere high up in the
JW company.
next race, 2 Dec.
have to train for it. no more late nite drinking on 1 Dec.
prepare all item and equipment early.
aim:
qualify 1min 6 sec. the rest will follow from there, i hope.
but my race was in tatters before it begins.
since my birthday was on friday, some of my good frens decided that
i shld go drinking with them on saturday and watch the Big match
at Paulanuers. ended the session close to 1am.... slept at 2am... with
much alcohol in the system
good catch up session with frens, but i would think it'll be tough for
the race cos of the session. something gotto give, i guess
Sunday morning, i wanted to wake at 9am. but in the end, only woke
at 10.15am. have to make Tony wait for me for close to 30mins as
i'm driving him in... sign of trouble liao
reached the track close to 1.30pm, and boss told us that the race will
start in qualifying at 2pm. wat the!?!? cos, tony and i just had lunch
at Jusco before going to the track.
Qualifying.. managed to get about the same time. 1min7sec+ .
was 7 then fall back to 10th when there're a few late comers.
i was behind Kenneth.
Heat 1
Disaster struck during the warm up rolling lap! Kenneth was going
SO SO slowly that he is (thus we are) all half a lap from the leading
pack!
then we had to bunched up to do another lap. it was super slow for
all. and at the hairup.... my kart stalled. cannot start again!
FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF
luckily there's Heat 2 for me, but i will be starting from the tail end.
but no DNF for me yet
Heat 2.
Start Position 16!!! cool!!! most easy to park! hahahaha
2 rolling warm up laps. this time, everyone got it rite.
at the start of the race, i overtake 2 before turn 1.
somehow, after that i can do no more....
tony and kenneth were in front of me. within 7-8 karts, but try
as i might i just cannot move an inch nearer...
and i was sweating more so than the previous race.
my hands are more tired.... why???
oh.... Bier! the magic of bier and late nite at its best
anyway, i managed to finish the 15 laps
Tony, in his haste to overtake the little boy was taken out of the race
Leo had the same fate cos of the boy. Louis had his bumper Bump off
all because of the boy whose dad works somewhere high up in the
JW company.
next race, 2 Dec.
have to train for it. no more late nite drinking on 1 Dec.
prepare all item and equipment early.
aim:
qualify 1min 6 sec. the rest will follow from there, i hope.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Kimi is CHAMP!!
The 2007 F1 Driver Champion is Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen.The title is decided on this last race of the season in Brazil. What a race by Kimi, but what a disaster for the McLaren team!
Lewis went wide off the track and rejoin at the tail end of the field at lap 1. Then he lost drive and gear somewhere in the next few laps...
All hope of a rookie champion was gone by then.
The only challenge to Kimi at that point of time is Alonso, who is driving quite slowly for his standard. One of the reason why is that will be he may be thinking where he wants and can go in 2008.
My hope for 2008 season will be one without any silly spy cases and
stupid politics, and have the cars and drivers speak for the sports itself.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Rivals unite?
after Shanghai F1 Grand Prix, this Sunday Brazil race will be the
most interesting race of the season. And the most exciting as it is
the last race of the season.
oh why is it so? Hamilton DNF in the Shanghai means this:
he now holds only a four-point advantage over team-mate Fernando
Alonso and has a further three in hand over Kimi Raikkonen.
so the qnn is.... who are u rooting for?
Kimi? Lewis? or Fernando?
i like Lewis to win it in his rookie year but i do hope Kimi somewhat
nick it as he is, to me, one of the most natural driver/racer on the grid.
Fernando? with his big mouth i hope he can just put all the talking on
the track, and be humbled at the end of this season
i just can't wait for this race to be flag off!
most interesting race of the season. And the most exciting as it is
the last race of the season.
oh why is it so? Hamilton DNF in the Shanghai means this:
he now holds only a four-point advantage over team-mate Fernando
Alonso and has a further three in hand over Kimi Raikkonen.
so the qnn is.... who are u rooting for?Kimi? Lewis? or Fernando?
i like Lewis to win it in his rookie year but i do hope Kimi somewhat
nick it as he is, to me, one of the most natural driver/racer on the grid.
Fernando? with his big mouth i hope he can just put all the talking on
the track, and be humbled at the end of this season
i just can't wait for this race to be flag off!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Fun kart <50sec - K[p]
Went karting alone on 5th October. Thought no one would be there, but there were 3 'Ang Mohs' from Ireland trying out the track, 2 ladies and 1 guy. I think they went for 5 rounds, and the last round, they even took my recommendations to go for the 390.
Tried out the 6.5HP fun kart number 45 with an aim to be in the top 8. First round went without timing, just trying out the kart seeing how it responds as well as changed my steering technique to a different one. In all the corners, tried to brake less and less, and on the 5th lap, I could even do without braking in turn 1 on this kart. After this, I just sat and relaxed and just thought about the track and all the things I have done...with the boss right beside me trying to see if I would want to buy a kart...heh heh.
Went for timing during the 2nd round. This time, I just stuck to how I want to drive the kart. During the last few laps, I found new meaning in "always look at where you want to go". After finishing the 10mins, I got out of the kart and was told my best timing was 49.75 secs !!! It was really great news! Exceeded my expectations. Time sheet shows I did go below 50secs in 2 of the laps. Hope I get a good kart in December.
Tried out the 6.5HP fun kart number 45 with an aim to be in the top 8. First round went without timing, just trying out the kart seeing how it responds as well as changed my steering technique to a different one. In all the corners, tried to brake less and less, and on the 5th lap, I could even do without braking in turn 1 on this kart. After this, I just sat and relaxed and just thought about the track and all the things I have done...with the boss right beside me trying to see if I would want to buy a kart...heh heh.
Went for timing during the 2nd round. This time, I just stuck to how I want to drive the kart. During the last few laps, I found new meaning in "always look at where you want to go". After finishing the 10mins, I got out of the kart and was told my best timing was 49.75 secs !!! It was really great news! Exceeded my expectations. Time sheet shows I did go below 50secs in 2 of the laps. Hope I get a good kart in December.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
30 Sept - 1st Race, 4th, 1 Sec, and a happy man
yes, 30 Sept shld be marked as a significant date for Lewis Hamilton.
this shld be the race that see him almost confirmed as the F1 World
Champion in his rookie year. he finished 1st in a dreadful weathered
race on the Fuji Speedway. while he finished the race, Alonso crashed
out of the race, and very likely out of the championship contention.
2 more race for Lewis to finish still before he can claim the crown
from Alonso, and go for a long deserved holiday.
long lay off i had perviously too. and the 1st race was on the same
sunday of the Japanese GP.
the jam on the causeway was simply awful. sometimes i wish i
can fly.
but if i can fly, i will not be bothered about driving or racing,
will i? hahaha
drove Tony in too. it was nice to have him with me, as it will be
our 1st race of the year together since we got our kart.
when we reached the track, we relaxed by watching the wet race
unfold in Japan. then we ate our lunch prepared by Auntie.
the format is as followed.
Quali - any amount of laps, to get the best timing we can for the
starting grid.
for me, i managed to get a timing of 1.07+, tony had 1.08+
the rest of the guys in front of me is from 1.02 to 1.05, thus u can
say we are definitely not there yet. 7 on the grid for me, and 8 for
tony but there are 2 other guys who time 1.18. well, enough said
looking at their time
Heat 1, 10 laps.
everyone will form up at the grid depending on their quali time,
and then go for a One Formation Lap warm up together. the start
will be a rolling start.
it was fun. as i feel it is safer to do so as opposed to grid start.
the race was tiring, and all i wanted to do is to finish it. gain the
experience.
at one point of time, i saw there was 8 more laps to go i thought to
myself how the hell can i do that! but i did. i completed the
exhausting 10 laps under race condition. during the last 4 laps,
i managed to gain some distance of the guy in front. however,
due to lack of experience to fitness and kart finesse i cannot get
closer. but i managed to shave off more than one full second from
my Quali pace. and tis is one of the tangible improvement i see
from it too
Final race, 15 laps.
during the rest period of about 20 odd mins i think to myself.
how the hell can i managed another 15 laps. it's utter madness! it
IMPOSSIBLE, i cried to myself!
tony and i were contemplating to only do 10 laps at most or go
home there and then.
yes, we are that tired. but i think he was more so than me.
but then we go ahead.
the immediate problem i thought to myself is that i only bring along
my mercury visor for my helmet. and this race started off at about
6.30pm odd.
and yes almost half way thru, i needed to keep my eyes wide open
to see where the next corners are else i will be flying to somewhere
somehow.
at the start before even going into the race, i did a silly mistake and
whack into Leo's kart. damn. perhaps some nervousness...
here, there are 2 warm up formation laps. it was fun, but one had to
be careful not to be too close, ask Vettel he will know wat i mean.
the come the start of the race proper, wham bang!!! Steven and Sam
clashes each other and took each other out.
then i was 3rd. haha but before long, Leo came from behind and took
that position.
i gladly have him there as i clearly know he has much more pace than
me.
then i was fourth.
ah seng came and took that place from me too. well, no resistance
from me when i know there's only so long i can defend, but his
trye came off after he was in front of me for 2 laps. so fourth i
was again. it was a lonely race after that. as tony was quite far
behind me, and the front three i cannot see. so i was cruising along
after awhile just looking out for the leading pack to lap me...
now, i can tell you where i was position but in the actual race i was
thinking all abt finishing the race. it was that tiring. it was dark in
my helmet too i was extremely happy that i managed to do 25 laps.
it was a achievement. and a Fourth to show for.
cool! and looking forward to the next one
=)
this shld be the race that see him almost confirmed as the F1 World
Champion in his rookie year. he finished 1st in a dreadful weathered
race on the Fuji Speedway. while he finished the race, Alonso crashed
out of the race, and very likely out of the championship contention.
2 more race for Lewis to finish still before he can claim the crown
from Alonso, and go for a long deserved holiday.
long lay off i had perviously too. and the 1st race was on the same
sunday of the Japanese GP.
the jam on the causeway was simply awful. sometimes i wish i
can fly.
but if i can fly, i will not be bothered about driving or racing,
will i? hahaha
drove Tony in too. it was nice to have him with me, as it will be
our 1st race of the year together since we got our kart.
when we reached the track, we relaxed by watching the wet race
unfold in Japan. then we ate our lunch prepared by Auntie.
the format is as followed.
Quali - any amount of laps, to get the best timing we can for the
starting grid.
for me, i managed to get a timing of 1.07+, tony had 1.08+
the rest of the guys in front of me is from 1.02 to 1.05, thus u can
say we are definitely not there yet. 7 on the grid for me, and 8 for
tony but there are 2 other guys who time 1.18. well, enough said
looking at their time
Heat 1, 10 laps.
everyone will form up at the grid depending on their quali time,
and then go for a One Formation Lap warm up together. the start
will be a rolling start.
it was fun. as i feel it is safer to do so as opposed to grid start.
the race was tiring, and all i wanted to do is to finish it. gain the
experience.
at one point of time, i saw there was 8 more laps to go i thought to
myself how the hell can i do that! but i did. i completed the
exhausting 10 laps under race condition. during the last 4 laps,
i managed to gain some distance of the guy in front. however,
due to lack of experience to fitness and kart finesse i cannot get
closer. but i managed to shave off more than one full second from
my Quali pace. and tis is one of the tangible improvement i see
from it too
Final race, 15 laps.
during the rest period of about 20 odd mins i think to myself.
how the hell can i managed another 15 laps. it's utter madness! it
IMPOSSIBLE, i cried to myself!
tony and i were contemplating to only do 10 laps at most or go
home there and then.
yes, we are that tired. but i think he was more so than me.
but then we go ahead.
the immediate problem i thought to myself is that i only bring along
my mercury visor for my helmet. and this race started off at about
6.30pm odd.
and yes almost half way thru, i needed to keep my eyes wide open
to see where the next corners are else i will be flying to somewhere
somehow.
at the start before even going into the race, i did a silly mistake and
whack into Leo's kart. damn. perhaps some nervousness...
here, there are 2 warm up formation laps. it was fun, but one had to
be careful not to be too close, ask Vettel he will know wat i mean.
the come the start of the race proper, wham bang!!! Steven and Sam
clashes each other and took each other out.
then i was 3rd. haha but before long, Leo came from behind and took
that position.
i gladly have him there as i clearly know he has much more pace than
me.
then i was fourth.
ah seng came and took that place from me too. well, no resistance
from me when i know there's only so long i can defend, but his
trye came off after he was in front of me for 2 laps. so fourth i
was again. it was a lonely race after that. as tony was quite far
behind me, and the front three i cannot see. so i was cruising along
after awhile just looking out for the leading pack to lap me...
now, i can tell you where i was position but in the actual race i was
thinking all abt finishing the race. it was that tiring. it was dark in
my helmet too i was extremely happy that i managed to do 25 laps.
it was a achievement. and a Fourth to show for.
cool! and looking forward to the next one
=)
Thursday, September 27, 2007
25 Sept - Head Swinging Party !
after a long lay off, i finally overcome my fear of doing something
extreme and went off to my kart again!
after almost 8-10 weeks!!
no adverse reaction. on the 1st session. phew
need and adjusted my seat one inch forward. i was toeing both
the brake and the accelerator.
after about 20 mins of adjustment to the seat, i went out on to the
track again. better feel. but somehow i reckon the brake is too soft.
hmmmm
after a couple of laps, coming into the pit i realized that the brake
component has been broken!!
wah, had been karting ard without much brakes! thankfully, there
was a extra brake cable. else i will be heading striaght into any of
the tyres barrier
3rd session, already feel tired. mainly from the neck. spin once at
Turn 1. boss did helped me to time my lap. it's fairly inconsistent.
timing is at abt 42sec.
my fault according to him are at Turn 1, 2 and 3.
too fast into turn 1, slow too much to regain speed for the next 2
turn. that is likely to cost me abt 1-2 sec, especially when i cannot
accel hard thru turn 2 and 3 before the long straight. lesson learnt.
application is another thing. HA
4th session, they gladly open the full track for me. not that i asked,
but they wanted me to practice!! i am happy to oblige. but i know
i will be slow as the neck is really starting to swing all around at
every single corner, and start to go back while accelerating, and
forward while braking! after about 6 laps, i stopped.
test session completed, i reckon.
today i wanted to test my body rather than the kart.
i think i passed. phew!
the following day, for the 1st time in my life, i felt that my neck
muscle ached!
wat a great feeling!
=)
extreme and went off to my kart again!
after almost 8-10 weeks!!
no adverse reaction. on the 1st session. phew
need and adjusted my seat one inch forward. i was toeing both
the brake and the accelerator.
after about 20 mins of adjustment to the seat, i went out on to the
track again. better feel. but somehow i reckon the brake is too soft.
hmmmm
after a couple of laps, coming into the pit i realized that the brake
component has been broken!!
wah, had been karting ard without much brakes! thankfully, there
was a extra brake cable. else i will be heading striaght into any of
the tyres barrier
3rd session, already feel tired. mainly from the neck. spin once at
Turn 1. boss did helped me to time my lap. it's fairly inconsistent.
timing is at abt 42sec.
my fault according to him are at Turn 1, 2 and 3.
too fast into turn 1, slow too much to regain speed for the next 2
turn. that is likely to cost me abt 1-2 sec, especially when i cannot
accel hard thru turn 2 and 3 before the long straight. lesson learnt.
application is another thing. HA
4th session, they gladly open the full track for me. not that i asked,
but they wanted me to practice!! i am happy to oblige. but i know
i will be slow as the neck is really starting to swing all around at
every single corner, and start to go back while accelerating, and
forward while braking! after about 6 laps, i stopped.
test session completed, i reckon.
today i wanted to test my body rather than the kart.
i think i passed. phew!
the following day, for the 1st time in my life, i felt that my neck
muscle ached!
wat a great feeling!
=)
Tuesday, September 18, 2007
Frustrations of unable to watch and drive
Recently, SCV had been rather lousy in its F1 coverage.
feeling let down, and frustrated with the increase of price$ and
decrease in coverage, i HIT back....
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_158708.html
feeling let down, and frustrated with the increase of price$ and
decrease in coverage, i HIT back....
| Sep 18, 2007 on STI | |
| SCV should start providing more coverage for Grand Prix races | |
| I AM an avid fan of motorsports and am really thrilled to have our own Grand Prix here next year. However, I am upset that SCV had either refused or did not Firstly, with the dramatic increase of the cost of subscribing to Secondly, with the Grand Prix coming to our shores next year, Over time, with more coverage, the massive event in 2008 | |
http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Online%2BStory/STIStory_158708.html
Friday, August 31, 2007
August , a slOOw month - j0n
yes, today is the last day of August 2007. and i reckon
it will be the only entry for this month.
should be more if we gotten to kart at Sepang, but we
never had a chance to have a taste of it. a shame.
the shame is not on us though, as we traveled over 1 hour
from our hotel in KL to the track. only when we arrived
we gathered the guy who run the rental kart is not operating
that day... and this is after i called him and inquire on his
availability only a week ago!
SHAME on U, whoever u are!!
if u have recollect, i had a neck strain, sprain or basically a injury
not too long ago. i recovered from it going on the trip. already
thinking and planning the days i want to go and test my kart
at PJ.
then disaster Stuck again! football game... then chronic back
strain and very likely herniated disc too! damn damn damn!
who says lightning will not strike twice...
this injury is bad. on the scale of 1-10, 10 been a very bad injury
i will have to rate it as 9.5. on the Saturday itself, when i first got
the pain, i had problem climbing the stairs to my place which is
on the second storey.
following day, waking up and getting off the bed took me like 5-10
mins.
the back feel wasted. it was painful (10) and standing up from the
bedside required both of my thigh to bring up my body. it was a
traumatic experience again. btw, i had such experience once in 2000.
the next few days had me in bed rest. had to. barely can walk proper.
everything we took for granted, like bending down while we brush
teeth, picking up something after we dropped it, or simply walking
became a chore to me. a tiring chore. a painful chore.
for treatment, i went to a chinese sinseh to massage my back,
and get it realign. it helps. then i also went to another chinese
doc who does acupuncture. his method is to draw the bruised
blood from the injured area, so that the 'bad blood' will not be
acting on the nerves which create the pain. it helps. a week later,
getting up from bed is natural. sunday, i went swimming. and it
helps too. cos by the time i got up i feel the back, though weak,
but stretched and relaxed.
at present, i am about 60-70% there. can walk better without
having someone glancing at me. driving, especially clutching in,
no longer bring a grimace across my face. but i had to be careful.
not to rush back into anything extreme.. and that also means
not bracing myself for a sneeze haha
====
Turkish F1 Grand Prix
Massa won. seems like schumi tutoring helps..
It was not as boring as the press might had put it.
but then since i was lying on the bed the whole day, that might
be the only excitement i got. hahaha
with only 5 races left, and only 16 points differences between
the top 4 drivers the season will indeed climax at its closing...
will Ferrari (kimi or massa) prevail or will the Silver Arrows
(alonso or hamilton) fires all the way to the top.
it will be interesting final 5 races. very interesting indeed.
it will be the only entry for this month.
should be more if we gotten to kart at Sepang, but we
never had a chance to have a taste of it. a shame.
the shame is not on us though, as we traveled over 1 hour
from our hotel in KL to the track. only when we arrived
we gathered the guy who run the rental kart is not operating
that day... and this is after i called him and inquire on his
availability only a week ago!
SHAME on U, whoever u are!!
if u have recollect, i had a neck strain, sprain or basically a injury
not too long ago. i recovered from it going on the trip. already
thinking and planning the days i want to go and test my kart
at PJ.
then disaster Stuck again! football game... then chronic back
strain and very likely herniated disc too! damn damn damn!
who says lightning will not strike twice...
this injury is bad. on the scale of 1-10, 10 been a very bad injury
i will have to rate it as 9.5. on the Saturday itself, when i first got
the pain, i had problem climbing the stairs to my place which is
on the second storey.
following day, waking up and getting off the bed took me like 5-10
mins.
the back feel wasted. it was painful (10) and standing up from the
bedside required both of my thigh to bring up my body. it was a
traumatic experience again. btw, i had such experience once in 2000.
the next few days had me in bed rest. had to. barely can walk proper.
everything we took for granted, like bending down while we brush
teeth, picking up something after we dropped it, or simply walking
became a chore to me. a tiring chore. a painful chore.
for treatment, i went to a chinese sinseh to massage my back,
and get it realign. it helps. then i also went to another chinese
doc who does acupuncture. his method is to draw the bruised
blood from the injured area, so that the 'bad blood' will not be
acting on the nerves which create the pain. it helps. a week later,
getting up from bed is natural. sunday, i went swimming. and it
helps too. cos by the time i got up i feel the back, though weak,
but stretched and relaxed.
at present, i am about 60-70% there. can walk better without
having someone glancing at me. driving, especially clutching in,
no longer bring a grimace across my face. but i had to be careful.
not to rush back into anything extreme.. and that also means
not bracing myself for a sneeze haha
====
Turkish F1 Grand Prix
Massa won. seems like schumi tutoring helps..
It was not as boring as the press might had put it.but then since i was lying on the bed the whole day, that might
be the only excitement i got. hahaha
with only 5 races left, and only 16 points differences between
the top 4 drivers the season will indeed climax at its closing...
will Ferrari (kimi or massa) prevail or will the Silver Arrows
(alonso or hamilton) fires all the way to the top.
it will be interesting final 5 races. very interesting indeed.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Secret Recipe - K[p]
The other side of the blog
Since there are no reviews of the food yet...click HERE to enjoy it. Or go direct to Cheese Cakes, or Chocolate Cakes.
Enjoy!
Since there are no reviews of the food yet...click HERE to enjoy it. Or go direct to Cheese Cakes, or Chocolate Cakes.
Enjoy!
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Preparations Halted
SIGH
Sorry to start with a sigh, but it is indeed a sigh
Besides the rain that kindda put me into my 'sianz' mood
i am sianz cos of my neck.
it hurts, and my shoulder also hurt b'cos of it too.
tsk tsk
this pain comes about from my sunday football game, i could barely move my head to my right then, and there goes the plan to watch the German Grand Prix at Paulanuer.. sigh
watching the race at home last sunday was tiring too, the pain was rather overwhelming.
cos of the kart, i realised that i had to work a bit harder to maintain and build up my physique so that the kart will not be slowed due to my less than favourable strength and stamina.
But for now, that had to stop too.
it seems i only can wait now. wait for my neck to recover fully before i do any more work out. Which means i also must wait before i can kart again. I just dun want to rush and have the pain worsen and render me "useless" for a longer period than necessary. Else, the trip to sepang will be wasted. i wanna kart there. which means i have about 2 more weeks to recover fully from it. do pray for that.
so far, i had consult the chinese sinseh twice. the latest visit was on wednesday, 25 july. after the massage in the morning, which took close to an hour, i went home and rest. the pain is tiring me out easily. i slept.
do hope i can be back to 100% soon.
for typing this is tiring for me too.
but i must remind myself not to rush.
take the road to recovery step by step.
=)
====
German / European Grand Prix
well done, Alonso! thank you, rain! for if there's no rain in the last few laps of the race, Massa look certain to bag another win for Ferrari. But down came the rain on lap53, with 7 more laps. McLaren with Alonso in it, show that it is a better car in the wet, and went ahead of the Red car one lap later. this is not before they barged into each other. Good Stuff!
Better stuff is when both drivers traded words before the trophy presentation. Massa was incensed that Alonso suggested he purposefully wheel bang him in order to push him off the track...
well, anything goes in a race IN rain rite? heehee
The start was quite exciting too with the sudden and heavy downpour saw 5 car literally become boat and aquaplane off the track...
if i'm not wrong only Lewis Hamilton continues to race after.
Sorry to start with a sigh, but it is indeed a sigh
Besides the rain that kindda put me into my 'sianz' mood
i am sianz cos of my neck.
it hurts, and my shoulder also hurt b'cos of it too.
tsk tsk
this pain comes about from my sunday football game, i could barely move my head to my right then, and there goes the plan to watch the German Grand Prix at Paulanuer.. sigh
watching the race at home last sunday was tiring too, the pain was rather overwhelming.
cos of the kart, i realised that i had to work a bit harder to maintain and build up my physique so that the kart will not be slowed due to my less than favourable strength and stamina.
But for now, that had to stop too.
it seems i only can wait now. wait for my neck to recover fully before i do any more work out. Which means i also must wait before i can kart again. I just dun want to rush and have the pain worsen and render me "useless" for a longer period than necessary. Else, the trip to sepang will be wasted. i wanna kart there. which means i have about 2 more weeks to recover fully from it. do pray for that.
so far, i had consult the chinese sinseh twice. the latest visit was on wednesday, 25 july. after the massage in the morning, which took close to an hour, i went home and rest. the pain is tiring me out easily. i slept.
do hope i can be back to 100% soon.
for typing this is tiring for me too.
but i must remind myself not to rush.
take the road to recovery step by step.
=)
====
German / European Grand Prix
well done, Alonso! thank you, rain! for if there's no rain in the last few laps of the race, Massa look certain to bag another win for Ferrari. But down came the rain on lap53, with 7 more laps. McLaren with Alonso in it, show that it is a better car in the wet, and went ahead of the Red car one lap later. this is not before they barged into each other. Good Stuff!
Better stuff is when both drivers traded words before the trophy presentation. Massa was incensed that Alonso suggested he purposefully wheel bang him in order to push him off the track...
well, anything goes in a race IN rain rite? heehee
The start was quite exciting too with the sudden and heavy downpour saw 5 car literally become boat and aquaplane off the track...
if i'm not wrong only Lewis Hamilton continues to race after.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Banged and torn - K[p]
Whats up with j0n getting monosyllabic with his titles? Heh. Difficult to type with a huge bandage on the left hand 4th digit. Or is it the 3rd digit, is the thumb a digit? Nope, did not come from karting, came from soccer when the stupid goal keeper went for me instead of the ball. Banged my left ribs and now it hurts, remember the karting incident where I too banged the left ribs? Wells, its acting up again. And unluckily or luckily depends on how you see it, the same finger broke its ligaments about 3 years back. So its a good chance to make it straight now, but I think it'll still turn up bent, heh.
Saturday, did not want to kart, was there to enjoy myself watching people kart, people like j0N and Denis Lian. Big reputation. Denis that is, j0n, well....heeehee.
I wont talk about my timing, but i think its good to do the time attack around 4pm where it is cooler. I think we should eat and do shopping first next time, hor? Anyway, lots of traffic, I was thinking i might go below 48secs for the very 1st time! but in the end, nope, 2 390cc was spinning left right center...sigh.
jOn's kart is very very hot! look at the flame in the front, and look at the radiator on the left of the kart. BEWARE! first time i got into a water cooled kart and was not used to something hot on the left as well. Luckily, not burnt. First lap in it I tried to go slow, and the kart was prancing like a horse most of the time, but when you throttle it in, the kart is real smooth. So jOn needs to learn another technique now, keeping the throttle open while cornering, heehee, interesting to see. I was doing it on the 390 previously, but definitely needs more practise.
Here's something I learnt this week. While cornering, if you use 100% of your car traction, there is a max speed that you can go to follow the largest radial line. Of cos, you can increase the speed, but your radius will increase as well. To find the largest radius of the turn, you go late apex and turn, if you find you still have space on the outside, then you have turned in too early and the next time you come to this corner again, turn earlier.
Saturday, did not want to kart, was there to enjoy myself watching people kart, people like j0N and Denis Lian. Big reputation. Denis that is, j0n, well....heeehee.
I wont talk about my timing, but i think its good to do the time attack around 4pm where it is cooler. I think we should eat and do shopping first next time, hor? Anyway, lots of traffic, I was thinking i might go below 48secs for the very 1st time! but in the end, nope, 2 390cc was spinning left right center...sigh.
jOn's kart is very very hot! look at the flame in the front, and look at the radiator on the left of the kart. BEWARE! first time i got into a water cooled kart and was not used to something hot on the left as well. Luckily, not burnt. First lap in it I tried to go slow, and the kart was prancing like a horse most of the time, but when you throttle it in, the kart is real smooth. So jOn needs to learn another technique now, keeping the throttle open while cornering, heehee, interesting to see. I was doing it on the 390 previously, but definitely needs more practise.
Here's something I learnt this week. While cornering, if you use 100% of your car traction, there is a max speed that you can go to follow the largest radial line. Of cos, you can increase the speed, but your radius will increase as well. To find the largest radius of the turn, you go late apex and turn, if you find you still have space on the outside, then you have turned in too early and the next time you come to this corner again, turn earlier.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
HUGE!
14 July, the day i did 2 fun things in a single day
SHIOK!! but absolutely drained when i returned home that evening from PJ.
in the morning, i started playing some football at about 9.30am. the game ended at about 11.40am. the game was actually not too tired itself. but the exhaustion comes from the heat.
i showered within the school premises and then proceed to drive to PJ.
HUGE jam from singapore immigration. and there's actually a LED board telling people that there's a 'Massive Jam Along Causeway' just before u reached the immigration structure. i'm wondering what the hell is that for? since I'm already here and i can SEE that there's a jam.
massive or not. it took me about 40mins to get from the Singapore end to PJ. meanwhile KP was mentioned he took about an hour.
reaching the track, i had to makan 1st. i was hungry again tho i took something before my drive to PJ. but apparently, the drive itself is rather exhausting.
test out the kart. this time on SL5, soft compound tires. the grip is Hugely fantastic! it just stick the kart to the track like glue!
1st session for me, was only 4-5 laps. getting used to the G that kart put me thru. my neck is especially straining over corners. slight vibration on the steering, and the brute strength
needed to turn the kart is rather tiring.
2nd session, i went out again. this time i think i managed about 7 laps? i cannot count. i was trying. after awhile, i had to concentrate on the kart itself. towards the end, the neck is really on the edge of breaking!! i kid u not.. the 1st right turn of the S, i feel the neck going side...still ok then. comes the hairpin... i have to breathe in deep for the pain that it was causing. 2 laps before i come into the pits, Denis Lian caught up with me. i then followed him, watching his line from 4 karts length away. interestingly, i did not learn anything new!!! hahaha not that i'm good, but i figured i was already tired.
Amidst all these, KP finally came out of his shell and gave it a go during my second run. His 1st timing using the 390cc 4 strokes is just over 49sec. Tho the timing was not ideal, the condition was neither 'perfect' too as the engine & tyres are still cold, straight out from the storage. His 2nd session did not go too well too as he has 3 other karts to deal with, 390cc. However, he did managed to do better posting a time of 48.67sec.
after he did his best time of the day, i set for my final run to see if i can smoothen my driving style for this kart. more imptly, to build a good relationship with the kart, have confidence in it. this time, i can only do about 5 laps. my neck is really really aching....
then KP went out for 4 laps in the kart too. i think he enjoyed it too,
i hope ;) (K[p]- YEEP! Enjoyed it tremendously)
conclusions for test session:
1. neck need brutal training. these G force thru the corners is no joke. in race condition, it will only be worse as everyone will try to brake later, and turn harder into corners. so that will need
some serious work out.
2. seating position. needs to be move slightly in front. seat needs to be cushion, probably by an inch or so. hope this will be enuff after i put on the suit, i needed to get....
3. throttle need to be smoothen. at the end of the day, KP made a discovery too that i had suspected. if the rev drop, and then been throttle hard again the kart will 'hop'. the torque
generate is HUGE. and this really needs to be worked. with this practiced, i will think i could have a good kart at hand
SHIOK!! but absolutely drained when i returned home that evening from PJ.
in the morning, i started playing some football at about 9.30am. the game ended at about 11.40am. the game was actually not too tired itself. but the exhaustion comes from the heat.
i showered within the school premises and then proceed to drive to PJ.
HUGE jam from singapore immigration. and there's actually a LED board telling people that there's a 'Massive Jam Along Causeway' just before u reached the immigration structure. i'm wondering what the hell is that for? since I'm already here and i can SEE that there's a jam.
massive or not. it took me about 40mins to get from the Singapore end to PJ. meanwhile KP was mentioned he took about an hour.
reaching the track, i had to makan 1st. i was hungry again tho i took something before my drive to PJ. but apparently, the drive itself is rather exhausting.
test out the kart. this time on SL5, soft compound tires. the grip is Hugely fantastic! it just stick the kart to the track like glue!
1st session for me, was only 4-5 laps. getting used to the G that kart put me thru. my neck is especially straining over corners. slight vibration on the steering, and the brute strength
needed to turn the kart is rather tiring.
2nd session, i went out again. this time i think i managed about 7 laps? i cannot count. i was trying. after awhile, i had to concentrate on the kart itself. towards the end, the neck is really on the edge of breaking!! i kid u not.. the 1st right turn of the S, i feel the neck going side...still ok then. comes the hairpin... i have to breathe in deep for the pain that it was causing. 2 laps before i come into the pits, Denis Lian caught up with me. i then followed him, watching his line from 4 karts length away. interestingly, i did not learn anything new!!! hahaha not that i'm good, but i figured i was already tired.
Amidst all these, KP finally came out of his shell and gave it a go during my second run. His 1st timing using the 390cc 4 strokes is just over 49sec. Tho the timing was not ideal, the condition was neither 'perfect' too as the engine & tyres are still cold, straight out from the storage. His 2nd session did not go too well too as he has 3 other karts to deal with, 390cc. However, he did managed to do better posting a time of 48.67sec.
after he did his best time of the day, i set for my final run to see if i can smoothen my driving style for this kart. more imptly, to build a good relationship with the kart, have confidence in it. this time, i can only do about 5 laps. my neck is really really aching....
then KP went out for 4 laps in the kart too. i think he enjoyed it too,
i hope ;) (K[p]- YEEP! Enjoyed it tremendously)
conclusions for test session:
1. neck need brutal training. these G force thru the corners is no joke. in race condition, it will only be worse as everyone will try to brake later, and turn harder into corners. so that will need
some serious work out.
2. seating position. needs to be move slightly in front. seat needs to be cushion, probably by an inch or so. hope this will be enuff after i put on the suit, i needed to get....
3. throttle need to be smoothen. at the end of the day, KP made a discovery too that i had suspected. if the rev drop, and then been throttle hard again the kart will 'hop'. the torque
generate is HUGE. and this really needs to be worked. with this practiced, i will think i could have a good kart at hand
Monday, July 9, 2007
Spins
oh.... i discovered something else on my
lone ranger trip on 8 July to PJ
during both sessions, on the time attack "mode",
i spun more than 4 times. at either turn 1 and
turn 6.
tho a little 'embarrassing' i did enjoyed it!!
let me explain...
most times, i'll go out on to the tracks with the
rest of the lads. we did our timed laps together, and
sometimes we race. so, as u can imagine there're very
little margin for errors. crashing into each other is not
fun. spinning and causing others to lose time or result
in a crash is not exactly friendly too.
hence, in all times, at least for me, i will be very focus.
also reserved at the same time. never have the kart to
the limit. period. just dun want to cause the unnecessarys,
if u know wat i mean
so wat happened during my 1st session was that, after
that hairpin, turn 6, i look backwards to check if anyone
else is behinnnndddd... left then right... eh!!
i forgot i am alone on the track... oh.... YES!
i own the track for the next 10 mins or so!
that's when all hell broke loose.
free. i'm free to push harder than normal (which is quite
dumb actually as i reckon i actually lost more time)
nevertheless, i enjoyed the freedom. the freedom that i can
KO myself in driving the kart madly & wildly, and shld there
be any nasty crashes, i only answer to myself...
not true, i might have to answer to Louis, the boss, too
=) hahaha =P
but who cares rite?
do not be mistaken that i detest karting with
the rest. i enjoyed it too immensely. then, sometimes
a change of pace, a change of environment... or simply
a change will perk things up a little
;)
-----------------------------------------------------
British F1
Kimi wins his second race in 2 weeks. well done, mate! well done.
only wish that u had more wins with the Silver Arrows of
McLaren.
still feel rather strange see you in the red overall, Kimi.
but sure good to see u on the top of the podium, again
lone ranger trip on 8 July to PJ
during both sessions, on the time attack "mode",
i spun more than 4 times. at either turn 1 and
turn 6.
tho a little 'embarrassing' i did enjoyed it!!
let me explain...
most times, i'll go out on to the tracks with the
rest of the lads. we did our timed laps together, and
sometimes we race. so, as u can imagine there're very
little margin for errors. crashing into each other is not
fun. spinning and causing others to lose time or result
in a crash is not exactly friendly too.
hence, in all times, at least for me, i will be very focus.
also reserved at the same time. never have the kart to
the limit. period. just dun want to cause the unnecessarys,
if u know wat i mean
so wat happened during my 1st session was that, after
that hairpin, turn 6, i look backwards to check if anyone
else is behinnnndddd... left then right... eh!!
i forgot i am alone on the track... oh.... YES!
i own the track for the next 10 mins or so!
that's when all hell broke loose.
free. i'm free to push harder than normal (which is quite
dumb actually as i reckon i actually lost more time)
nevertheless, i enjoyed the freedom. the freedom that i can
KO myself in driving the kart madly & wildly, and shld there
be any nasty crashes, i only answer to myself...
not true, i might have to answer to Louis, the boss, too
=) hahaha =P
but who cares rite?
do not be mistaken that i detest karting with
the rest. i enjoyed it too immensely. then, sometimes
a change of pace, a change of environment... or simply
a change will perk things up a little
;)
-----------------------------------------------------
British F1
Kimi wins his second race in 2 weeks. well done, mate! well done.
only wish that u had more wins with the Silver Arrows of
McLaren.
still feel rather strange see you in the red overall, Kimi.but sure good to see u on the top of the podium, again
Sunday, July 8, 2007
not a Boring Sunday, 8 July - j0n
today i woke up, 9am+
lying in my bed, i think to myself, wat's for today?
soccer at Eagle's Club tied in with Matt's baby's
shower or.... go PJ for karting? tough choice?
not really?
the traffic is fairly smooth today. managed to clear
both immigrations in abt 30mins. return trip takes
about the same duration too.
since i went in alone, i tried the route that KP lead
last week. nearly turn earlier than i should as there
are quite a number of GoodYear bill boards, which i
use as a marker
went Jusco 1st... for my kopi and ipoh chicken hor fun
not bad, in all it cost RM9+. but the kopi is a bit too
sweet, and the hor fun.... well i never like hor fun
in the 1st place. however, i like to try it anyway, and
it taste 7/10. hahaha
tried kart 916 today. wah liew... the tail-end always
swing sideways. torque is good, but the back tyres
practically cannot cope with the torque generated
by the engine. had to fight hard to keep the beast
in check. end of 1st session best time is 49something
not good.
spoke to this Jap guy who was there to kart as well.
but he was on 125CC, rented. his previous kart (88)
was sold to, u never guess it... DENNIS LIAN!!
whom i met just now, did not speak to though
2nd session, either there is more grip to the track
and tires or me getting used to it... time is better
at 48.82.
my initial plan was to go for another session, knowing
that i will definitely cut that time further to perhaps
a lowlow 48sec.
then, there he goes again. Louis, the boss, talk to me
again to get a personal kart. as it will be cheaper in
long term, and more improvement to karting skills
then i tried the kart.... 250cc, 4 strokes.
although, he told me that the tires were not too good
i did managed to go full throttle after 2 laps, as the
kart feel very very stable in braking and cornering.
so much so that i realised i was still on the throttle
thru all corners.. i stopped after 6 laps of test run.
the aftereffect?
my neck hurts from all the sideway Gs! i recalled
on one of the lap thru the hairpin, i felt my neck is
really strained..
WAHWAHAHA
but darn additive lor
wanted to try one more session of test run. but the
skies open up.. rain. the race is going to be delayed.
spoke to a few more guys, David, Yeo and some others
before i head to Jusco for a quick lunch and then home.
instead of having the usual, i went for KFC, 2 pieces
meal. less than RM10
eat with my hands. yumyum!!
one revelation i found out today really is this:
with the kart we rent to play with, we are in fact
racing against a couple of elements 1st before we
can set a good time.
kart condition.. tires... chassis stiffness... seats
it will be never to our satisfaction, and hardly can
be tuned out to our liking.
thus, i called for Stage SKR soon
lying in my bed, i think to myself, wat's for today?
soccer at Eagle's Club tied in with Matt's baby's
shower or.... go PJ for karting? tough choice?
not really?
the traffic is fairly smooth today. managed to clear
both immigrations in abt 30mins. return trip takes
about the same duration too.
since i went in alone, i tried the route that KP lead
last week. nearly turn earlier than i should as there
are quite a number of GoodYear bill boards, which i
use as a marker
went Jusco 1st... for my kopi and ipoh chicken hor fun
not bad, in all it cost RM9+. but the kopi is a bit toosweet, and the hor fun.... well i never like hor fun
in the 1st place. however, i like to try it anyway, and
it taste 7/10. hahaha
tried kart 916 today. wah liew... the tail-end always
swing sideways. torque is good, but the back tyres
practically cannot cope with the torque generated
by the engine. had to fight hard to keep the beast
in check. end of 1st session best time is 49something
not good.
spoke to this Jap guy who was there to kart as well.
but he was on 125CC, rented. his previous kart (88)
was sold to, u never guess it... DENNIS LIAN!!
whom i met just now, did not speak to though
2nd session, either there is more grip to the track
and tires or me getting used to it... time is better
at 48.82.
my initial plan was to go for another session, knowing
that i will definitely cut that time further to perhaps
a lowlow 48sec.
then, there he goes again. Louis, the boss, talk to me
again to get a personal kart. as it will be cheaper in
long term, and more improvement to karting skills
then i tried the kart.... 250cc, 4 strokes.
although, he told me that the tires were not too good
i did managed to go full throttle after 2 laps, as the
kart feel very very stable in braking and cornering.
so much so that i realised i was still on the throttle
thru all corners.. i stopped after 6 laps of test run.
the aftereffect?
my neck hurts from all the sideway Gs! i recalled
on one of the lap thru the hairpin, i felt my neck is
really strained..
WAHWAHAHA
but darn additive lor
wanted to try one more session of test run. but the
skies open up.. rain. the race is going to be delayed.
spoke to a few more guys, David, Yeo and some others
before i head to Jusco for a quick lunch and then home.
instead of having the usual, i went for KFC, 2 pieces
meal. less than RM10
eat with my hands. yumyum!!one revelation i found out today really is this:
with the kart we rent to play with, we are in fact
racing against a couple of elements 1st before we
can set a good time.
kart condition.. tires... chassis stiffness... seats
it will be never to our satisfaction, and hardly can
be tuned out to our liking.
thus, i called for Stage SKR soon
Kart 456 - K[p]
Courtesy of Charles. Taken during final run of the 390cc. I noticed my steering is already straight for turn 1 even before reaching the apex with the rear sliding out a little.
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Johor Marshal training!!! - j0n
well, here i am. the last to write, and hence u guess it,
it's cos i have nothing to write. and very much with
nothing to show for.
in fact, a plain simple nothing entry will do just fine.
nothing.
.............THE END..........
pls go read others blog somewhere. shoo shoo
hahaha
no,no,no... i do have something to say and it is: "it sucks!!"
the feeling that u think u can actually accomplished
something. u felt u can do it. then the end result is cos of
one's arse mistake.
ONE mistake, that's all. and that mistake is not from me.
darn it! sod it!
and i asked myself again and again, why oh why... why me!!!
since the details of the grouping and lining up on the grid has
been explained earlier, i will not go into that anymore.
EXCEPT that, nic, u are 7th on the starting grid lah.
how i can be so sure is i was 6th, and he is right behind me
on my right. poser....! hahaha
oh at this point, i have to add that kart is allocated to us
by a very ancient fool proof method --> Lucky Draw
kart 35. warm up lap>
turning is not too bad. slight oversteer. but tyre is cold, no
good grip yet. throttle hard on up slope... torque ok but not
fantasic. brake hard as david in front of me did the same.
hmmm brake bites with the tail swing slightly to the left.
which is good for this track.
overall i felt i might have a kart that might do something today
in this 'semi-final' i just have to keep it together.
i will. keep cool and focus and not let others push me into
mistakes or overtake me easily.
reached my start grid. i was actually fairly relaxed. just
keeping the rev up and not have the engine cool till it is dead.
look over to nic and tell him to do the same.. we waited for the
field of 12 to form up proper.
keep the rev up. think of the line i will go to when the green
flag comes down.
keep the rev up... since i'm on the left side of the track, i need to
somehow move from where i am to the right side of the track but
not losing any speed gain on the straight...
keep the rev up.... the last kart is positioned.. 10 laps. green flag
is up.. 10 laps.. 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1 and the flag is down
all 12 engines sprung into a instant VROOM
kept to my plan, as i reckoned i did managed to launch rather fast.
i cut between the karts in front of me... jinxed to the right side for
the left turn.
turn left. good clean turn. no one forced me to the side & vice versa.
turn 2, right turn coming up.. i had to move to my left slightly.
i know kart 456 is just beside me but i believe i can past him..
then suddenly, i realised there's another cutting between him and me.
it was NIC! what the....!
the next second they were there, the next they disappeared to have
a little chat and tea on the grass before turn. ok less competition
that's not too bad.
focus... keep my focus. david is still in front of me. 2 others in
front of him
which means, after turn 4, i'm fourth. 2 places gained in less
than a lap
well done kart 35. game on! i coming to get u david. and i will get
past you! focus... up hill... i managed to close in from a kart length
to half kart length. this kart is one good baby! come on, let's get
uncle david out of the way!
then it happened... that POSER guy with a racing suit & cool helmet,
and a better kart spun while turning into turn 5, a right turn.
he was 1st then.
the way he spun, he was still facing in the right direction. david went
past him cleanly and by the time the space i needed to go past him,
that $#^#$#@ decided to start his race again. meaning i had the
option of crashing him by trying, or brake hard to avoid contact.
in the hindsight, i should crash into him and send him back to his
mother's womb. but of cos, i did not.
henceforth, i spun too. at the end of it i was facing the wrong direction.
i could have just did wat he did. do a power wheel spin to face in the
right direction to continue but i could not. the rest of the field is upon
that turn, meaning i had to wait. during the wait, the engine died.
$#%$&#$%@!!
hmmmm thinking of it, the four of us did managed to open up maybe
a 4-5 second lead then. judging from the time the rest come to the turn.
who cares rite? by the time i managed to get going again i was a
lap down. sigh
all i can do then is TRY to catch the last group to unlap myself and
not have the leader of race lapping me again.
sadly, i only managed not to been lap again.
i finished.... somewhere in the list.. perhaps last....
likely last. who cares.
since after that, i had nothing to do. i helped to be a marshal for the
next semi at the hairpin.
quite exciting. i waved many yellow flags. many spins.
then for the final, i was at turn 1. expecting to use the strength that
i reserved for the race to wave more yellow flags i end up with
nothing to do. good clean race.
so.... i did more marshal duties that day than racing
am i ready as a F1 marshal for the Singapore F1 or wat!
=====================================
F1 French GP.
Kimi finally wins again after his win in Australia this season
perhaps he was lucky, as massa was stuck behind traffic during
his outlap after the pitstop. and Kimi had a clean inlap before his pit.
the valuable seconds lost by Massa was the deciding factors.
result = Kimi won.
massa, my sympathies. not cos i like u as a driver, i really prefer
kimi style. but that very same day, i went thru something similar too!
while u believed u can win the race, i just believed i can do better.
or do something at the sharp end!
sigh
in the end, who cares..... when u dun win.
so, is it time for STAGE SKR?
i believe the time has come.
it's cos i have nothing to write. and very much with
nothing to show for.
in fact, a plain simple nothing entry will do just fine.
nothing.
.............THE END..........
pls go read others blog somewhere. shoo shoo
hahaha
no,no,no... i do have something to say and it is: "it sucks!!"
the feeling that u think u can actually accomplished
something. u felt u can do it. then the end result is cos of
one's arse mistake.
ONE mistake, that's all. and that mistake is not from me.
darn it! sod it!
and i asked myself again and again, why oh why... why me!!!
since the details of the grouping and lining up on the grid has
been explained earlier, i will not go into that anymore.
EXCEPT that, nic, u are 7th on the starting grid lah.
how i can be so sure is i was 6th, and he is right behind me
on my right. poser....! hahaha
oh at this point, i have to add that kart is allocated to us
by a very ancient fool proof method --> Lucky Draw
kart 35. warm up lap>
turning is not too bad. slight oversteer. but tyre is cold, no
good grip yet. throttle hard on up slope... torque ok but not
fantasic. brake hard as david in front of me did the same.
hmmm brake bites with the tail swing slightly to the left.
which is good for this track.
overall i felt i might have a kart that might do something today
in this 'semi-final' i just have to keep it together.
i will. keep cool and focus and not let others push me into
mistakes or overtake me easily.
reached my start grid. i was actually fairly relaxed. just
keeping the rev up and not have the engine cool till it is dead.
look over to nic and tell him to do the same.. we waited for the
field of 12 to form up proper.
keep the rev up. think of the line i will go to when the green
flag comes down.
keep the rev up... since i'm on the left side of the track, i need to
somehow move from where i am to the right side of the track but
not losing any speed gain on the straight...
keep the rev up.... the last kart is positioned.. 10 laps. green flag
is up.. 10 laps.. 5.. 4.. 3.. 2.. 1 and the flag is down
all 12 engines sprung into a instant VROOM
kept to my plan, as i reckoned i did managed to launch rather fast.
i cut between the karts in front of me... jinxed to the right side for
the left turn.
turn left. good clean turn. no one forced me to the side & vice versa.
turn 2, right turn coming up.. i had to move to my left slightly.
i know kart 456 is just beside me but i believe i can past him..
then suddenly, i realised there's another cutting between him and me.
it was NIC! what the....!
the next second they were there, the next they disappeared to have
a little chat and tea on the grass before turn. ok less competition
that's not too bad.
focus... keep my focus. david is still in front of me. 2 others in
front of him
which means, after turn 4, i'm fourth. 2 places gained in less
than a lap
well done kart 35. game on! i coming to get u david. and i will get
past you! focus... up hill... i managed to close in from a kart length
to half kart length. this kart is one good baby! come on, let's get
uncle david out of the way!
then it happened... that POSER guy with a racing suit & cool helmet,
and a better kart spun while turning into turn 5, a right turn.
he was 1st then.
the way he spun, he was still facing in the right direction. david went
past him cleanly and by the time the space i needed to go past him,
that $#^#$#@ decided to start his race again. meaning i had the
option of crashing him by trying, or brake hard to avoid contact.
in the hindsight, i should crash into him and send him back to his
mother's womb. but of cos, i did not.
henceforth, i spun too. at the end of it i was facing the wrong direction.
i could have just did wat he did. do a power wheel spin to face in the
right direction to continue but i could not. the rest of the field is upon
that turn, meaning i had to wait. during the wait, the engine died.
$#%$&#$%@!!
hmmmm thinking of it, the four of us did managed to open up maybe
a 4-5 second lead then. judging from the time the rest come to the turn.
who cares rite? by the time i managed to get going again i was a
lap down. sigh
all i can do then is TRY to catch the last group to unlap myself and
not have the leader of race lapping me again.
sadly, i only managed not to been lap again.
i finished.... somewhere in the list.. perhaps last....
likely last. who cares.
since after that, i had nothing to do. i helped to be a marshal for the
next semi at the hairpin.
quite exciting. i waved many yellow flags. many spins.
then for the final, i was at turn 1. expecting to use the strength that
i reserved for the race to wave more yellow flags i end up with
nothing to do. good clean race.
so.... i did more marshal duties that day than racing
am i ready as a F1 marshal for the Singapore F1 or wat!
=====================================
F1 French GP.
Kimi finally wins again after his win in Australia this season
perhaps he was lucky, as massa was stuck behind traffic during
his outlap after the pitstop. and Kimi had a clean inlap before his pit.
the valuable seconds lost by Massa was the deciding factors.
result = Kimi won.
massa, my sympathies. not cos i like u as a driver, i really preferkimi style. but that very same day, i went thru something similar too!
while u believed u can win the race, i just believed i can do better.
or do something at the sharp end!
sigh
in the end, who cares..... when u dun win.
so, is it time for STAGE SKR?
i believe the time has come.
Monday, July 2, 2007
Johor 2007 championship - nEL
Continuing the event writeup... after k[p]
80cc fun kart
----------------
Didn't prove myself in the time qualifying event to get myself a place in the final race. But manage to get myself in the starting grid position 12. I was in kart no. 2, on the first lap, I manage to squeeze myself into position 3, there was lots of collision going on from the front, back and side. Going down the laps, I manage to secure myself a position 2. Hopes are high, as I manage to stay in the position for another 2 more laps. Soon the kart I was in start to give me problems, after every turn the throttle will be switched off and it means that my kart will be gaining speed from 0 acceleration again. I dropped my position little by little. Towards lap 9 (another lap to last), I was holding position 9 due to engine failure. Unfortunately, on the last lap, the kart failed on me. That was a DNF for me.
390cc kart
-------------
As what k[p] said, the race was divided into 2 teams. I was in Team A, the first to go. 11 karts was line up for the first qualifying race for 390cc kart. I was in grid position 10. On the first lap, accident happened to my kart and the other. We were lucky that both of us aren't hurt and neither the kart. We quickly took the kart and move off. All along the 10 laps, didn't manage to catch up with any karts neither do I encounter any karts that overtook me. Manage to finish position 7. Unfortunately again, the last 4 positions are disqualified.
Fun, excitement.
Stay tune for the last poser...
80cc fun kart
----------------
Didn't prove myself in the time qualifying event to get myself a place in the final race. But manage to get myself in the starting grid position 12. I was in kart no. 2, on the first lap, I manage to squeeze myself into position 3, there was lots of collision going on from the front, back and side. Going down the laps, I manage to secure myself a position 2. Hopes are high, as I manage to stay in the position for another 2 more laps. Soon the kart I was in start to give me problems, after every turn the throttle will be switched off and it means that my kart will be gaining speed from 0 acceleration again. I dropped my position little by little. Towards lap 9 (another lap to last), I was holding position 9 due to engine failure. Unfortunately, on the last lap, the kart failed on me. That was a DNF for me.
390cc kart
-------------
As what k[p] said, the race was divided into 2 teams. I was in Team A, the first to go. 11 karts was line up for the first qualifying race for 390cc kart. I was in grid position 10. On the first lap, accident happened to my kart and the other. We were lucky that both of us aren't hurt and neither the kart. We quickly took the kart and move off. All along the 10 laps, didn't manage to catch up with any karts neither do I encounter any karts that overtook me. Manage to finish position 7. Unfortunately again, the last 4 positions are disqualified.
Fun, excitement.
Stay tune for the last poser...
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Johor 2007 championship - K[p]
Well, the day has finally arrived for racing! These are my accounts.
80cc fun kart
----------------
Supposed to start 16th on the grid, but found myself in 19th in kart 20. With kart 48 behind me. Don't know why it is still happening, but kart 48 is a much faster kart then the ones we are using. Once flagged off, kart 48 has already overtaken 5 or 6 karts even before the 1st corner!!!
For me, I took off and took the inside line for the first corner and found myself in 15th after the corner. From here, I was following till the hairpin where I again took the inside line again to gain 3 places. But the kart in front of me spun and turned 90 degrees. Outside line was full of karts, I got no where to go but slid to a stop beside him. With the cone right in front of me I got to be lifted out and found myself back in 19th. But from here on it was a case of attrition as karts started to drop and I ended the race in 11th.
390cc kart
-------------
Divided into 2 teams and I was in B. I still think B team is better as you don't have to race against the top 5 fastest karters. Was 7th on the grid. Again took the inside line and gained a place after the 1st turn. Was in kart 456, last week, this kart was quite fast and well balanced. But this time round, I found the kart to be oversteering too much with very little grip. Was following Carloz when he tried to avoid another kart and went straight into the tire wall in turn one. Saw another flying kart like nEL's. After the 2nd or 3rd lap, found myself in 3rd. With the kart handling the way it was, I decided to go easy. But during lap 6 or 7, I was behind Charles, and his kart is all over the track, I did not want to risk it and got overtaken by 2 karts instead. Ended 5th and qualified for the final.
During the final, again I drew kart 456. And again, someone spun at the hairpin again right beside me and got tangled up with my real wheels. Had to kick his kart off. Finished i think 9th place?
80cc fun kart
----------------
Supposed to start 16th on the grid, but found myself in 19th in kart 20. With kart 48 behind me. Don't know why it is still happening, but kart 48 is a much faster kart then the ones we are using. Once flagged off, kart 48 has already overtaken 5 or 6 karts even before the 1st corner!!!
For me, I took off and took the inside line for the first corner and found myself in 15th after the corner. From here, I was following till the hairpin where I again took the inside line again to gain 3 places. But the kart in front of me spun and turned 90 degrees. Outside line was full of karts, I got no where to go but slid to a stop beside him. With the cone right in front of me I got to be lifted out and found myself back in 19th. But from here on it was a case of attrition as karts started to drop and I ended the race in 11th.
390cc kart
-------------
Divided into 2 teams and I was in B. I still think B team is better as you don't have to race against the top 5 fastest karters. Was 7th on the grid. Again took the inside line and gained a place after the 1st turn. Was in kart 456, last week, this kart was quite fast and well balanced. But this time round, I found the kart to be oversteering too much with very little grip. Was following Carloz when he tried to avoid another kart and went straight into the tire wall in turn one. Saw another flying kart like nEL's. After the 2nd or 3rd lap, found myself in 3rd. With the kart handling the way it was, I decided to go easy. But during lap 6 or 7, I was behind Charles, and his kart is all over the track, I did not want to risk it and got overtaken by 2 karts instead. Ended 5th and qualified for the final.
During the final, again I drew kart 456. And again, someone spun at the hairpin again right beside me and got tangled up with my real wheels. Had to kick his kart off. Finished i think 9th place?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Stage SKR! are we ready? - jon
beside all the happenings on the track and the time sheets
on 23 June, there was one thing which the four of us had to
decide.
it's important somewhat, and it happens when we returned
from our breakfast @ Jusco. while waiting for the rain to
ceased completely and the track to dry out. it did dried out
quite quickly, as there was this bunch of WRX goofs who went
out again and again while it's still wet.
goofs? cos they missed the turn into the track, not once but
TWICE! first, by turning earlier than they should have.
that's fine. understandable, cos it's likely their first. then when
they do the about turn from the small road on to the main road,
they sped away 'so fast' that they missed it AGAIN!
enuff of the goofs. while waiting, the boss invited us to drink kopi
with him. then he told us we should step up one level from where
we are now. i think i have to agreed. to 100cc or 125cc. yes yes,
we wanna go faster!
and he told us, we should have a kart. our very own kart! wah...
this proposition must think liao. and think hard.
continuing, he does have one good very good condition kart which
he will be willing to sell to us at a reasonably price too.
with our own kart we can enter into race in m'sia or anywhere.
we can conquer all the tracks! *EVIL LAUGHS*
ok, i'm being unrealistic and crazy here. hahaha
good of having a kart:
can enter race. can set up kart to own preference (tho there may
be 4 setups.) can push our 'standard' a couple of notches up
bad or not so good are:
$$$ needed to buying, maintaining, racing a kart none of us had
experience in it, so it's very much an uncharted water should we
decide to buy one.
then there's a square peg cannot fit into the round hole. 4 guys, and
only one kart! wat's the other 3 going to do while one is karting?
we will miss the fun of oil splashes, spinning, and crashing!
this may need more thinking. more planning. and $$$
and commitment should we decide on the path.
in the meanwhile, let's look at the generics of what we might be
getting for SKR.
-------------------------------------------------------
A Formula A kart, with a 100 cc 2 stroke engine and an overall
weight including the driver of 150 kilograms, can accelerate from
0-60 mph in under 4.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 85 mp
(140 km/h).
and why kart is so fun!
Karts do not have a differential. The lack of a differential means
that one rear tire must slide while cornering, this is achieved by
designing the chassis so that the inside rear tire lifts up slightly
when the kart turns the corner. This allows the tire to lose some
of its grip and slide or lift off the ground completely.
on 23 June, there was one thing which the four of us had to
decide.
it's important somewhat, and it happens when we returned
from our breakfast @ Jusco. while waiting for the rain to
ceased completely and the track to dry out. it did dried out
quite quickly, as there was this bunch of WRX goofs who went
out again and again while it's still wet.
goofs? cos they missed the turn into the track, not once but
TWICE! first, by turning earlier than they should have.
that's fine. understandable, cos it's likely their first. then when
they do the about turn from the small road on to the main road,
they sped away 'so fast' that they missed it AGAIN!
enuff of the goofs. while waiting, the boss invited us to drink kopi
with him. then he told us we should step up one level from where
we are now. i think i have to agreed. to 100cc or 125cc. yes yes,
we wanna go faster!
and he told us, we should have a kart. our very own kart! wah...
this proposition must think liao. and think hard.
continuing, he does have one good very good condition kart which
he will be willing to sell to us at a reasonably price too.
with our own kart we can enter into race in m'sia or anywhere.
we can conquer all the tracks! *EVIL LAUGHS*
ok, i'm being unrealistic and crazy here. hahaha
good of having a kart:
can enter race. can set up kart to own preference (tho there may
be 4 setups.) can push our 'standard' a couple of notches up
bad or not so good are:
$$$ needed to buying, maintaining, racing a kart none of us had
experience in it, so it's very much an uncharted water should we
decide to buy one.
then there's a square peg cannot fit into the round hole. 4 guys, and
only one kart! wat's the other 3 going to do while one is karting?
we will miss the fun of oil splashes, spinning, and crashing!
this may need more thinking. more planning. and $$$
and commitment should we decide on the path.
in the meanwhile, let's look at the generics of what we might be
getting for SKR.
-------------------------------------------------------
A Formula A kart, with a 100 cc 2 stroke engine and an overall
weight including the driver of 150 kilograms, can accelerate from
0-60 mph in under 4.5 seconds, and has a top speed of 85 mp
(140 km/h).
and why kart is so fun!
Karts do not have a differential. The lack of a differential means
that one rear tire must slide while cornering, this is achieved by
designing the chassis so that the inside rear tire lifts up slightly
when the kart turns the corner. This allows the tire to lose some
of its grip and slide or lift off the ground completely.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Track Position or Going Faster? - jon
June 23, do marked down this day
for this is the day for me and Nic to be earlier than KP.
but it must be said that he did have his reason for being
later than us... and it is Des and ringgit.
but who cares, we arrived earlier, KP!
=P
the 'objective' of karting is always to go faster and have
a fast time on the track. it is no different yesterday as Des
& Nic had to post a good time with 390cc, 49 sec or less,
for the race on July 1 (next sunday, tickets are on sale now,
please call us for it hahahahaha)
at the end of the day, Des, with kart 456 had a good time of
48.44sec, position 11 currently. i must say kart 456 is quite
a great kart to move around in on the track. it is torquey,
good high end speed and, rather well balanced into corners
and while braking.
needless to say i had my good lap time with that kart too.
while Nic, best time after 2 sessions, is 50.50sec, and his
position is not something we want to talk to him about... it
is something of national mourning...
which is why he decided to do fun kart, not 390cc, next
sunday. therefore a non-position with 50.50sec will NOT
bother him except the fact that he WAS the fastest with
a 390cc among us the last time round..
the only significant difference in him between then and
now is that he drive a Vios now. looking at how Toyota is
doing in F1 currently, i wonder if the curse of its very
disappointing performance had being passed on to Nic.
hehehe
then for KP and myself, we already had a lap time which we do not
think could be knock off the list. while i chose not to do a timed
lap at all, KP tried to better himself. and he did managed it with
49.27sec. position 17.
for this last session, it is a race and time attack all roll into one.
since i am the only one who did not pay the extra RM2, i told
them that i will be at the tail end of the group, while they can eat
up the track with their respective kart in front of me.
order at start: Nic, Des, KP, Me.
before i go into the lap times, i suggest anyone thinking of doing go
kart semi seriously like us to have a full face helmet.
apart from debris and tyres bits that can hit you in the face, there
is oil splashes too!!
since i was the last of the group, i had to endure 3 karts oil
splashes from the 3 of them... things a good fren will do. but i
never imagine have petrol splashing at my face is one of them!
=P
despite having a good track postion to roll start 1st, nic failed to
use it to his advantage. in lap 1, he span at turn 8 with the 3 of us
plus 2 more of PJ staff right behind him. thankfully, none of us hit
him while he stopped dead centre of the track. left and right we
went past him. phew..
then towards the end of the session, the 'Toyota curse' struck
him again. span at turn 2. des nearly hit him then. basically we
went past him twice. that's 2 meals treats, nicky boy! hahaha
but the real interesting observation of our, KP and i, lap times
during session 3.
nic had posted the times earlier. yesterday i was too tired to
be bothered. this morning looking at it and i asked him, 'is it
correct??'
i asked b'cos i was also constantly behind KP, but i was faster
than him all along? some lap i was faster than him by 2 whole
seconds!
how can that be? i did some research, and this might be why:
<Defending your Line
for this is the day for me and Nic to be earlier than KP.
but it must be said that he did have his reason for being
later than us... and it is Des and ringgit.
but who cares, we arrived earlier, KP!
=P
the 'objective' of karting is always to go faster and have
a fast time on the track. it is no different yesterday as Des
& Nic had to post a good time with 390cc, 49 sec or less,
for the race on July 1 (next sunday, tickets are on sale now,
please call us for it hahahahaha)
at the end of the day, Des, with kart 456 had a good time of
48.44sec, position 11 currently. i must say kart 456 is quite
a great kart to move around in on the track. it is torquey,
good high end speed and, rather well balanced into corners
and while braking.
needless to say i had my good lap time with that kart too.
while Nic, best time after 2 sessions, is 50.50sec, and his
position is not something we want to talk to him about... it
is something of national mourning...
which is why he decided to do fun kart, not 390cc, next
sunday. therefore a non-position with 50.50sec will NOT
bother him except the fact that he WAS the fastest with
a 390cc among us the last time round..
the only significant difference in him between then and
now is that he drive a Vios now. looking at how Toyota is
doing in F1 currently, i wonder if the curse of its very
disappointing performance had being passed on to Nic.
hehehe
then for KP and myself, we already had a lap time which we do not
think could be knock off the list. while i chose not to do a timed
lap at all, KP tried to better himself. and he did managed it with
49.27sec. position 17.
for this last session, it is a race and time attack all roll into one.
since i am the only one who did not pay the extra RM2, i told
them that i will be at the tail end of the group, while they can eat
up the track with their respective kart in front of me.
order at start: Nic, Des, KP, Me.
before i go into the lap times, i suggest anyone thinking of doing go
kart semi seriously like us to have a full face helmet.
apart from debris and tyres bits that can hit you in the face, there
is oil splashes too!!
since i was the last of the group, i had to endure 3 karts oil
splashes from the 3 of them... things a good fren will do. but i
never imagine have petrol splashing at my face is one of them!
=P
despite having a good track postion to roll start 1st, nic failed to
use it to his advantage. in lap 1, he span at turn 8 with the 3 of us
plus 2 more of PJ staff right behind him. thankfully, none of us hit
him while he stopped dead centre of the track. left and right we
went past him. phew..
then towards the end of the session, the 'Toyota curse' struck
him again. span at turn 2. des nearly hit him then. basically we
went past him twice. that's 2 meals treats, nicky boy! hahaha
but the real interesting observation of our, KP and i, lap times
during session 3.
nic had posted the times earlier. yesterday i was too tired to
be bothered. this morning looking at it and i asked him, 'is it
correct??'
i asked b'cos i was also constantly behind KP, but i was faster
than him all along? some lap i was faster than him by 2 whole
seconds!
how can that be? i did some research, and this might be why:
<Defending your Line
defending your line is not always appropriate. You will put in
a slower lap time when you are defending. If you are in
the lead, or in a short race, or near the end of a long race,
where it's essential that faster karts don't overtake or if you
only have to hold off your opponent for a few laps, then it's
sensible to defend. However, the best way to prevent
people overtaking is to drive faster than them, and
leave a gap behind you. While you are defending, you
are not catching the people in front of you. In fact, not only
will your opponent be held up, you will be losing ground to
the whole field, which is particularly damaging in an enduro race.>
so there u have it, the why i MAY BE faster than KP while
still be at the back.
it's a big MAY BE, cos i realised a glaring piece of info everyone
had neglected.
i was not in kart 97!!!!!!!!!
hahahahaha it might be one of the guys from PJ who went out
together with us that session
of cos, there's a possibility of a typo by nic. which cannot be
verified as he had sadly or happily discarded the time sheet.
but come next sunday, we shld only plan to do one thing. that is t
go faster and arrived earlier than anyone else at the finishing line.
as demonstrated by me and nic, 8:55am on 23 June at
Kranji MRT car waiting area
=) ;)
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Karting @ PJ on 23 June - AfterMath [Nel]
Today, finally for the first time, Jon and I weren't late and in fact we were on time to reach our meeting destination.
We reach Permas Go-Kart @ about 1030 hours. The traffic flow was smooth, might be due to the recent uproar happening in JB where most people are afraid of heading there. Soon after we reached, we found out there was a booking done by a group (whom we don't know where they are from) from 1130 to 1230 hours. We made our first track session before the group came. KP and I was on the Fun Kart trying out our timing. Well, it wasn't really fantastic for me with the fastest lap of 57.03 secs (can't remember what's after the decimal), and head for a small breakfast to pass that hour of booking. While having the small breakfast, rain start pouring, in fact it's a heavy downpour.
Getting tired. Jon will continue the rubbish in awhile.
The timing that was taken in the 2nd and 3rd session.
And here's the pineapple man of Permas. If you think the picture is small, please do click on the picture to view the full size of it.
>.<
We reach Permas Go-Kart @ about 1030 hours. The traffic flow was smooth, might be due to the recent uproar happening in JB where most people are afraid of heading there. Soon after we reached, we found out there was a booking done by a group (whom we don't know where they are from) from 1130 to 1230 hours. We made our first track session before the group came. KP and I was on the Fun Kart trying out our timing. Well, it wasn't really fantastic for me with the fastest lap of 57.03 secs (can't remember what's after the decimal), and head for a small breakfast to pass that hour of booking. While having the small breakfast, rain start pouring, in fact it's a heavy downpour.
Getting tired. Jon will continue the rubbish in awhile.
The timing that was taken in the 2nd and 3rd session.
| 2nd Session | |||||
| KP | Des | nEL | |||
| Lap/Nr | 456 | 34 | 32 | ||
| 1 | 54.95 | 50.37 | 52.28 | ||
| 2 | 50.86 | 51.29 | 51.54 | ||
| 3 | 49.95 | 50.07 | 51.10 | ||
| 4 | 49.67 | 50.71 | 51.36 | ||
| 5 | 49.27 | 50.24 | 51.03 | ||
| 6 | 49.39 | 50.14 | 51.46 | ||
| 7 | 50.60 | 50.28 | 51.03 | ||
| 8 | 50.51 | 50.27 | 51.41 | ||
| 9 | 57.94 | 50.33 | 50.79 | ||
| 10 | Ceased | 50.33 | 50.79 | ||
| 11 | - | 50.86 | 50.57 | ||
| 12 | - | 50.39 | 50.72 | ||
| 13 | - | 57.78 | 1:18.71 | ||
| 3rd Session | |||||
| Jon | Des | KP | nEL | ||
| Lap/Nr | 97 | 456 | 34 | 32 | |
| 1 | 49.94 | 51.73 | 52.92 | 1:30.33 | |
| 2 | 49.23 | 50.55 | 51.04 | 50.50 | |
| 3 | 48.41 | 48.62 | 50.43 | 51.28 | |
| 4 | 48.60 | 48.44 | 50.53 | 50.99 | |
| 5 | 50.92 | 49.65 | 49.90 | 51.31 | |
| 6 | 48.78 | 48.46 | 50.44 | 51.36 | |
| 7 | 48.43 | 48.89 | 50.82 | 1:40.41 | |
| 8 | 49.38 | 49.26 | 51.06 | 51.35 | |
| 9 | 49.89 | 49.82 | 50.88 | 51.37 | |
| 10 | 50.24 | 51.11 | 51.09 | Ceased | |
| 11 | 48.75 | 51.29 | 50.63 | - | |
And here's the pineapple man of Permas. If you think the picture is small, please do click on the picture to view the full size of it.
>.<
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Karting @ PJ on 23rd June - K[p]
Ok, looks like after the last few weeks full of events, the 4 of us should make it to kart at PJ on the 23rd. Who ever wants to join, you are more than welcomed.
add on by jon:
normally aim to reach PJ Track by 11am.
which means we drive to meet at Krangi MRT waiting
area at about 10+am.
OR if only the usual party of lunatics are going, we meet
there directly at about 11am.
Karting will take as long as it takes... we need some good times
this weekend for next week 'race'
then off the either one of the Jusco for makan (read: S.R.)
and some grocery shopping then home sweet home.
nothing complicated... nothing dramatic....
only pure fun.
add on by jon:
normally aim to reach PJ Track by 11am.
which means we drive to meet at Krangi MRT waiting
area at about 10+am.
OR if only the usual party of lunatics are going, we meet
there directly at about 11am.
Karting will take as long as it takes... we need some good times
this weekend for next week 'race'
then off the either one of the Jusco for makan (read: S.R.)
and some grocery shopping then home sweet home.
nothing complicated... nothing dramatic....
only pure fun.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
88,378 km & 6038 liters - K[p]
Talk about going green, its exactly 3 years since I drove my N16 out of the showroom and have already clocked up more than 88,000 kilometers. Putting it in perspective, the circumference of the earth at the equator is 40,075 km as can be found here
http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzcircumference.htm
That would mean, in those 3 years, if I have kept going straight, I would have driven around the world. TWICE!!!
I keep a detailed records of my petrol usage as well, and the total is 6,038.32 liters of mostly RON92 petrol. That works out to 14.63 km/l. The rated fuel consumption of the new Honda hybrid is 22 km/l, if I were using that car, I would have only used up 4,017 liters of petrol instead, a huge 33% reductions! But when converted to $, i would have only saved $2,400 which does not cover the high cost of the car. Economics still rules.
I still think it is a catch 22 situation. If making hybrid cars so economical that everyone is buying it would mean less petrol used. And petrols are taxed. Which would make it a double whammy. Economies still rules.
http://geography.about.com/library/faq/blqzcircumference.htm
That would mean, in those 3 years, if I have kept going straight, I would have driven around the world. TWICE!!!
I keep a detailed records of my petrol usage as well, and the total is 6,038.32 liters of mostly RON92 petrol. That works out to 14.63 km/l. The rated fuel consumption of the new Honda hybrid is 22 km/l, if I were using that car, I would have only used up 4,017 liters of petrol instead, a huge 33% reductions! But when converted to $, i would have only saved $2,400 which does not cover the high cost of the car. Economics still rules.
I still think it is a catch 22 situation. If making hybrid cars so economical that everyone is buying it would mean less petrol used. And petrols are taxed. Which would make it a double whammy. Economies still rules.
Monday, June 11, 2007
going green? NAH!!!!
actually, i do have a soft spot for Mother Earth.
you dun have to be a genius to understand why the
well being of the environment ultimately will affect
our very own being..
global warming, havoc weather, earthquake, tsunami etc
it's terrifying to think what would happens if one of these
day when Mother Earth decide enough is indeed Enough!
shuddering...
in fact, it's the same dread when i watched in horror
while BMW F1 driver, Robert Kubica, hit the concrete wall
at the Canadian GP at a speed of ~180Mp/h (~288km/h)
on lap 27. the Blue & White car then rebounded across the
track, rolled, and finally stopped against the guardrail on the
outside of the hairpin.
miraculously, he is fine. reports said that he only had sprained ankle.
i sprained my ankle playing football, while he can afford to crashed
heavily! all thanks to modern strict safety standard of the FIA.
hope to see u back in action soon, Robert.
on 9 June, i did something shocking too. i woke at 5.30am!!
for a 'treasure hunt' organized by AA Singapore with Des's
silver car. it's shocking cos i can wake up on time with only
3 hours of sleep earlier. shocking also..... because we did not
win anything at all!!!
boooooooohooooooooooooo
but Des did dress his car up nicely, well done, bro!
also, much thanks to Nic who is our home based internet
support! we woke him at 7.30am via phone and pester him
non stop all the way to 11am or so!
after the event, when we arrived back at the Old Police Academy.
Nic (black car) and KP (silver) arrived too to join us.
we stayed to watch our fren, Colin, drift and burnout his tyres
with red smoke with his cool red S15 to show... also there was
motorbike demo (yawn.... cos too many of the similar)
guys from PJ karting were there too to showcase what karting is
all about. always seems easy looking from outside, but as most of us
will know it is not...
so, how can we go Green? there's no Green coloured cars to begin with!
=P
you dun have to be a genius to understand why the
well being of the environment ultimately will affect
our very own being..
global warming, havoc weather, earthquake, tsunami etc
it's terrifying to think what would happens if one of these
day when Mother Earth decide enough is indeed Enough!
shuddering...
in fact, it's the same dread when i watched in horror
while BMW F1 driver, Robert Kubica, hit the concrete wall
at the Canadian GP at a speed of ~180Mp/h (~288km/h)
on lap 27. the Blue & White car then rebounded across the
track, rolled, and finally stopped against the guardrail on the
outside of the hairpin.
miraculously, he is fine. reports said that he only had sprained ankle.i sprained my ankle playing football, while he can afford to crashed
heavily! all thanks to modern strict safety standard of the FIA.
hope to see u back in action soon, Robert.
on 9 June, i did something shocking too. i woke at 5.30am!!
for a 'treasure hunt' organized by AA Singapore with Des's
silver car. it's shocking cos i can wake up on time with only
3 hours of sleep earlier. shocking also..... because we did not
win anything at all!!!
boooooooohooooooooooooo
but Des did dress his car up nicely, well done, bro!
also, much thanks to Nic who is our home based internet
support! we woke him at 7.30am via phone and pester him
non stop all the way to 11am or so!
after the event, when we arrived back at the Old Police Academy.
Nic (black car) and KP (silver) arrived too to join us.
we stayed to watch our fren, Colin, drift and burnout his tyres
with red smoke with his cool red S15 to show... also there was
motorbike demo (yawn.... cos too many of the similar)
guys from PJ karting were there too to showcase what karting is
all about. always seems easy looking from outside, but as most of us
will know it is not...
so, how can we go Green? there's no Green coloured cars to begin with!=P
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
my plane skidded today.... by jonathan
my plane, actually no. it is my car that skidded today
under hard braking into before turning into the car park
where my mech wanted to buy his lunch.
but.... why did i called my car a plane?
and why is my mech with me in my car?
cos of this:
the wore bearing of the right rear tyre.
this wore part of the car produced a sound VERY similar to a plane
sound (eeeee...eeeeee.eeeeee) ... no kidding. and it get louder when
i get faster! so essentially, at some point of time i would really
thought i was in the air, but NOT! and that give me a massive
headache when i drive.
so today, i decided i cannot pretend any longer that i was flying with
a headache. drove down to my mech. he jumped in the moment i
reached his workshop and instructed me to drive around. he wanted
to have the 'flying' feeling too HAHAHA
actually more imptly, he wanted me to bring him to where he wanted
to buy his lunch.
and off we went. FLYING... diagnosis within 3 mins or less: wore tyre
bearing. enroute back to workshop, he suddenly said
"ah... turn here."
here being the carpark entrance to his fav kopitiam with his fav stall
and so i obeyed, jam down the brake hard, tried to turn left into the
carpark but, instantly i heard the tyre screeched.
oh, did i mentioned it was raining?
then i realised the car skidded, veered slightly to the right
though i was trying to turn left.
then, thankfully we stopped. dead stop. unhurt, both car and passengers.
my mech was like..... WAH... how come skidded??? kindda awakened
by that. i remembered he was yawning before he hop in and was
still yawning during our drive
i was more like.... hmmm FUN! as that was best noise my car can
generate and attracted all attention of the people in the coffeeshop
who dropped their forks, spoon, chopsticks and jaws etc.... HAHAHA
so, actually, it did happened afterall. my 'plane' did skidded!
=P
under hard braking into before turning into the car park
where my mech wanted to buy his lunch.
but.... why did i called my car a plane?
and why is my mech with me in my car?
cos of this:
the wore bearing of the right rear tyre.this wore part of the car produced a sound VERY similar to a plane
sound (eeeee...eeeeee.eeeeee) ... no kidding. and it get louder when
i get faster! so essentially, at some point of time i would really
thought i was in the air, but NOT! and that give me a massive
headache when i drive.
so today, i decided i cannot pretend any longer that i was flying with
a headache. drove down to my mech. he jumped in the moment i
reached his workshop and instructed me to drive around. he wanted
to have the 'flying' feeling too HAHAHA
actually more imptly, he wanted me to bring him to where he wanted
to buy his lunch.
and off we went. FLYING... diagnosis within 3 mins or less: wore tyre
bearing. enroute back to workshop, he suddenly said
"ah... turn here."
here being the carpark entrance to his fav kopitiam with his fav stall
and so i obeyed, jam down the brake hard, tried to turn left into the
carpark but, instantly i heard the tyre screeched.
oh, did i mentioned it was raining?
then i realised the car skidded, veered slightly to the right
though i was trying to turn left.
then, thankfully we stopped. dead stop. unhurt, both car and passengers.
my mech was like..... WAH... how come skidded??? kindda awakened
by that. i remembered he was yawning before he hop in and was
still yawning during our drive
i was more like.... hmmm FUN! as that was best noise my car can
generate and attracted all attention of the people in the coffeeshop
who dropped their forks, spoon, chopsticks and jaws etc.... HAHAHA
so, actually, it did happened afterall. my 'plane' did skidded!
=P
Monday, May 14, 2007
Singapore F1 layout
pic from TNP, this will be the layout of our very own F1 Grand Prix
it will be a high speed layout from the looks of it, and i reckon
the best place to watch this is either from the corner of the Padang
(nearing to the Esplanade) or in front of the Esplanade (near to the
war memorial)
this where one can watch the cars slow down for the corners.
=)
it will be a high speed layout from the looks of it, and i reckon
the best place to watch this is either from the corner of the Padang
(nearing to the Esplanade) or in front of the Esplanade (near to the
war memorial)
this where one can watch the cars slow down for the corners.
=)
Saturday, May 12, 2007
been First.. by jonathan
today, 12 May had been a day of First.
firstly, Nic drove his new Vios, with me as a passenger, into
JB for karting. the session was pretty last min as soccer
kakis decide not to play today and have a little fun on the
track instead.
then, it was another first. this is for KP. the first time he
went karting after being promoted to a FATHER on 28 April.
Asher, now you know where your dad been today liao, it's not
work he went to today! HAHA
then for me, it's the first time i got under 49 sec in a time
attack on the track. fastest at 48.38. it was at present the 9th
on the list. not bad for a bloke who drive an aged car. heehee
today, as mentioned is the first time some of my soccer frens
kart there. they tried out fun kart twice before promoting
themselves to 390cc. well, we know there will be incidents. the
usual spins, of cos. then one of them broke the front
steering rods. luckily, the damages only cost him RM60. PHEW!
on the same note, of accident, today had been the first time
since a long while that we (nic, KP & me) are not involved in
anything spectacular! but i do have bruises on my right leg,
but that's another story of the kart and me... you can call it
a bruising relationship. =| LoL
oh, last but not the very least, today is the first time we kart after
while but more imptly it is the first time we kart after F1 races is
confirmed in Singapore for 2008!
yes, we are a GO! =)
so, first isn't that bad after all.
cheers
firstly, Nic drove his new Vios, with me as a passenger, into
JB for karting. the session was pretty last min as soccer
kakis decide not to play today and have a little fun on the
track instead.
then, it was another first. this is for KP. the first time he
went karting after being promoted to a FATHER on 28 April.
Asher, now you know where your dad been today liao, it's not
work he went to today! HAHA
then for me, it's the first time i got under 49 sec in a time
attack on the track. fastest at 48.38. it was at present the 9th
on the list. not bad for a bloke who drive an aged car. heehee
today, as mentioned is the first time some of my soccer frens
kart there. they tried out fun kart twice before promoting
themselves to 390cc. well, we know there will be incidents. the
usual spins, of cos. then one of them broke the front
steering rods. luckily, the damages only cost him RM60. PHEW!
on the same note, of accident, today had been the first time
since a long while that we (nic, KP & me) are not involved in
anything spectacular! but i do have bruises on my right leg,
but that's another story of the kart and me... you can call it
a bruising relationship. =| LoL
oh, last but not the very least, today is the first time we kart after
while but more imptly it is the first time we kart after F1 races is
confirmed in Singapore for 2008!
yes, we are a GO! =)
so, first isn't that bad after all.
cheers
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Road Design Road Kills
So many accidents on Singapore road in the last 2 weeks, including 3 dead Singaporean in Malaysia. The worst was the Vios which got so smashed up, even the roof was gone. 3 days later, I was driving on old Tampines road which is a small 1 lane road both ways and a small truck veered into my lane during a corner to overtake 2 bicycles. The thing is, the road is big enough for him to stay on it, he does not need to veer into the oncoming lane. I notice in left bends, instead of sticking to the side of the road, people are driving close to the lane divider, which just shows thier judgment really sux as the are afraid they will go onto the grass! You know, while driving in New Zealand, the roads are built such that during a left corner or bend, the road actually dips to the left, just like an oval race track, making it harder for cars to veer to the oncoming lane. Great design! Even in mountainous region!
To harp on road design in Singapore, those stripes which are supposed to reduce your vehicle speed should not be found in sharp bends, they are practically useless there, if the vehicle is fast, it is too late, and if they start braking during a turn, it might make the situation worst. And metals can even be found, just like the ones on KJE to TPE, when the road is wet, it can get bad as I found out a few weeks back. Made my car skid.
Found this website where road accident deaths are compared in SEA.
http://www.adb.org/Documents/News/2004/nr2004155.asp
Singapore had 211 in 2004, but Thailand had a whopping 13,116 next was Vietnam at 11,319 and Malaysia had 6,282. Now compared to New Zealand with 2006 statistics of 371, with the highest numbers in Cities, does road design helps?
To harp on road design in Singapore, those stripes which are supposed to reduce your vehicle speed should not be found in sharp bends, they are practically useless there, if the vehicle is fast, it is too late, and if they start braking during a turn, it might make the situation worst. And metals can even be found, just like the ones on KJE to TPE, when the road is wet, it can get bad as I found out a few weeks back. Made my car skid.
Found this website where road accident deaths are compared in SEA.
http://www.adb.org/Documents/News/2004/nr2004155.asp
Singapore had 211 in 2004, but Thailand had a whopping 13,116 next was Vietnam at 11,319 and Malaysia had 6,282. Now compared to New Zealand with 2006 statistics of 371, with the highest numbers in Cities, does road design helps?
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