Kart ATTACK !!!!

I have quite a few drafts saved up, that are destined to remain just that, but were actually meant to be published F1 race reports. Due to unhappiness with the details in the end product, which was a direct manifestation of my unfamiliarity with writing on the technical aspects of the sport, I have refrained from publishing them.

This past weekend, I was out Karting. It wasn't one of those 5 or 10 minute races, but a whopping 45 minute one. The wallet was substantially lighter at the end of this venture, but the thrill of a lifetime was realised (it actually does every time I go Karting!). Plus, considering that after a 4 year hiatus, I have Karted a few times recently, this race allowed me to apply what I had learnt recently, besides learning more about the nuances of racing.

This time around, when I started to write about the race from my perspective, the words seemed to flow and the technical aspects of the sport aided the narration of events at every instance. In fact, many concepts from F1 have been widely and liberally (ab)used in the report below. So, while I have tried to stick to the truth with regard to positions, overtaking and other incidents, don't be surprised if the mention of turbulent air, rear wing and so on make you wonder if you are reading about one of those Kart races that happen a zillion times each day, or one of the premier 18 races that constitute the F1 calendar. Its all meant to be a part of the ride....

We were a group of 4, watching the current action while eagerly awaiting our turn. The track length was shorter than the norm, punctuated with some bland corners and the standard hairpin. The quick chicane was a novelty though and I quite enjoyed the challenge it offered. Other perks of the place included getting to wear racing gloves and a neck brace, besides the usual head sock and helmet. In fact, we had the option of slipping on a racing suit, but fearing a complete collapse due to the possible heat, I refrained. Wise decision it turned out to be!

The format said - 10 minute Pratice session, followed by a 10 minute Qualifying session, followed by a 15 minute Race. Reading that off the board felt like I was being administered a heavy dosage of adrenalin. Time to strap on...

11 of us were part of this racing fiesta. Some of them looked like pros, and some of them turned out to be, but this report is not meant to wax eloquent about the sublime skills of the leaders (I wish it was though!). This one is meant to aid the reader re-live the race through words designed to masquerade as a camera aboard Kart Number(KN) 13, with a few additional details furnished from the tales of my buddies, with finishing positions (FP) 8,10 and 11.

The instant we set off one by one from the pits, the jousting started. There was wheel banging, karts spinning and some heavy crashing on the first lap. Consequently, the yellow flags didn't take too long to come out. This sequence of events repeated itself over the next few laps too. It was clear that there were too many karts on track, however, the marshals didn't quite care (disappointing!). Soon (even after a long discussion post race, we couldn't decide how many laps the 'soon' refers to...the numbers varied from 4 to about 12), after another of those innumerable tangles, the marshals came out and lined us up on the grid based on best lap timings until then. Sitting pretty at Qualifying Position (QP) 5 was KN 13!

Due to unfamiliarity with the fellow racers' KNs, QP and FP are used to refer to them in the report that follows...

THE RACE

Phase 1: New Track, Green Track and Cold tires

We sat on the grid for quite a while. It was a long process to get us lined up and then wipe the track clean. This meant that the tires lost their temperature while the rubber on the track was all gone. The result - no grip!

Under these conditions, a cautious couple of laps wouldn't have been out of order. However, KN13 was poised to attack from QP5. When the lights turned green, with all my senses focussed on the kart in front, I got a great start and was right behind QP3 at the first corner, while QP4 had to yield to me since I held the racing line. The quick chicane that followed was negotiated at full throttle. This meant that the ambitious late braking maneouver that I attempted, turned out to be just that...ambitious! I was carrying way too much speed going into the corner, as a result of which, when I tried to slow down while exiting the corner, the Kart oversteered, resulting in a spin. Sitting there, just off the racing line, I had to wait until FP11 passed me before I could get back on track and continue (start) my race. Needless to say, my race had been compromised!

Back on track, the adrenalin rush was replaced by controlled anger (the control entering the picture due to the embarassment of spinning. If I was nudged into spinning, the anger would have taken a very different form). The focus was to regain the lost places as soon as possible, before I could hope to claw back the distance to the leaders. FPs 11 and 10 were devoured in the same lap. Normally, that would be quite an achievement, considering that this was a 300m track (20 - 22 seconds per lap). However, reality is that, these two were lapping 3 to 4 seconds off the pace. So, easy does it! Soon enough, FP9 was sighted in my rear view mirror. FP8 proved to be a challenge. Due to the simple track layout, the on track opportunities to overtake was minimal. So, waited patiently before passing him on the outside of the hairpin.


Phase 2: Track is rubbered down, tires are operating at optimum temperature, and am familiar with the circuit

It is around lap 19 when the consistency sets in. The lap times reflect the same. Laps 19 to 26 are timed between 20.88 and 21.64. Having passed FP8 earlier, I was in clean air (no kart on track that I was following closely). So, it was all about putting my head down and churning in some quick laps. The advantage of being in clean air, besides avoiding the turbulent air due to a kart that is right ahead, is the opportunity to see the apex of every corner and judge the braking for optimum exit.

Lap 27 and I am right under the rear wing of FP7, trying to find a way past. It was clear (to me) that I was faster by around 0.2 to 0.4 seconds, but as mentioned earlier, the simple layout meant that clever defensive driving could keep a faster kart behind. After becoming aware of his defensive capabilities, I started applying the pressure, by carrying extra speed into each corner, thus dramatically closing the distance between the karts. This ensured that I was in his peripheral vision at each corner. While this tactic had the desired effect of creating pressure, the downside was that, my exit out of every corner was painfully slow and a couple of times, required heavy opposite lock to avoid spinning. However, the pressure was showing on him. He was sliding through some of the corners, but managed to block me out at the next one. Soon though, he got sideways at the hairpin and I was away. 3 laps it took. The thrill of working out an opponent and cracking him has to be experienced to understand the exhilaration. Shane Warne might know a bit about that....


Phase 3: Learning from others

Trafffic was a constant factor at this track. Like I mentioned, FPs 10 and 11 were atleast 3 seconds off the pace of the leaders. So, they had to be passed every 8 laps or so, which was one area where I kept losing distance to the leaders. Besides that, somewhere around lap 30 is when I noticed that the leader, driving KN5 (FP1) was closing in behind to lap me. Try as I did, every single lap, he was getting closer. As I exited the hairpin, I would look back to see his position, and he would have shaved a couple of tenths off the gap. Soon enough, I was waved a blue flag (the ultimate ignominy). I had to let him by to avoid any penalty. And so, I did, but not before swearing "I will follow the S.O.B to the ends of the world" (Jimmy Connors swearing to do the same to Bjorn Borg was a mere coincidence).

From my prior karting experience, I have realised that it does not take me too long to memorise a track layout. And once I get familiar, I try to keep up the pace and most often am able to do so. However, at the end of the race, the all time lap record would be atleast a couple of seconds faster than me, while the fastest lap set that day, would be half a second to a second faster. At this point, the head scratching would begin. On any track, more so, on a challenging one, there would be a couple of corners where, my kart would slide as I would exit one of the medium speed corners. A slower approach into the corner would mean no sliding, however, the speed at the exit would be far from satisfactory. So, optimum speed and line through medium speed corners is something that I have always derived off others.

In this case, with the leader and I separated by less than half a second, albeit him being one lap (and half a second) ahead, class was in session. Watching him reduce his speed to a trickle while negotiating turn 3 (what I thought was a medium speed corner was negotiated at slow speed), was noted rightaway. The build up of speed from the exit of turn 3 through medium speed corner 4, which lead to about 4 seconds of full throttle accelaration was beautifully demonstrated and I had the best seat in the house. Having learnt from the leader, as any good student should, I put it to good use through the next few laps. Concentration has always been a problem since the mindless high school exams. Not here though. With complete focus, every ounce of energy was focussed on the kart ahead and my own speed and line through every corner. The results were revealing. I kept up.....for 4 laps or so!

During this period, laps 29 to 38, the laptimes were between 20.63 and 21.31. Compared to the previous quick period, this was more consistent and also about a couple of tenths quicker. That's what racing is all about!!!


Phase 4: To FIGHT to the finish, you cannot be finished before the Fight

The ability to keep at it for 70 out of 70 laps is what separates the Schumachers from the Montoyas. Turns out that it was the same thing that separated the racers aboard KN5 and KN13. Once we hit traffic, while KN5 passed backmarkers without a worry, my braking became awry and my laptimes slipped away. Soon enough, KN5 was nowhere in sight and my energy level had dropped so alarmingly that I didn't even contemplate catching him. At this point, I was running on adrenalin. More than my forearms (which usually cry out in pain after 10 laps of racing), my feet hurt from the constant accelaration. The sole of the show wasn't cushioning me from the steel rod that constituted the accelerator pedal.

My time slipped away, dropping to the low 21s and the early 22s. However, I assume that everyone was struggling through this period. I caught up with FP4 and we stayed in formation for 3 or so laps. What happened then, I do not remember, but the lap chart shows that I held track position 4 on lap 40. Laps 40 through 50 were a lull. However, I wasn't doing too bad, since I caught up with FPs 2 and 3. However, a mental lapse is not something that can be afforded on a race track....

Yellow flags were all over the track on lap 51. FPs 2 and 3 managed to lap FP10 (for the umpteenth time) right at this point. So, FP10 was between me and them and I was not allowed to overtake. With the flags still yellow, FPs 2 and 3 gathered some pace while making sure that they weren't overtaking. FP10 though was ambling, happily aware that I was forced to stay behind. A red mist descended, and I sped past him in no time ready to continue my pursuit of FP3. Alas, the track marshal spotted it right away and gave me the black flag. Nothing I could do, but swear repeatedly at myself, the marshal and particularly, at FP10 (the jackass received a hiding from from after the race). Anyway, at half pace, completed the rest of the lap (letting by anyone and everyone who came up behind me) and went into the pits, where I was talked to by one of the marshals.

Exiting the pits, the Kart lacked grip. I knew why. I had made a mistake by slowing down too much during the lap before entering the pits. The tires had cooled off, the grip was gone and I was sliding. Anyway, a couple of laps later, I was back on pace, however, I was mentally exhausted. The laptimes are proof. My fastest lap of the evening came in lap No.69 (out of the 79 I completed) and there were some blindingly quick laps there. However, they were interspersed with some high 21s and low 22s.

Turns out that I went past PN7 on track, but didn't do enough to close in on the battles ahead. In fact, was lapped by a few Karts during this period. Lap79, the leader passed me once again, and as I crossed the line, the checkered flag came down. FP 6!!!


Conclusions

The result was deflating, but the thrill of racing goes beyond results. As an amateur, whose involvement in sport, beside watching, has decreased by the day, the thrills do not necessarily come from the end of the day result. Instead, a perfectly excecuted forehand passing shot (a video replay might change that opinion forever) amidst a 6-2 loss, or a beautifully timed cover drive (the fact that the fielder let the ball through his legs don't matter either neither does the fact that it happened 3 years ago) right before the middle stump got uprooted are the highs that are rejoiced. In racing though, the highs are continuous. In fact, the adrenalin rush in one 10 minute race can drown out a whole set of tennis.

At its purest form, racing can be about 2 cars duelling wheel to wheel for track position through corner after corner or about one driver setting the standard for the rest of the pack, by improving on perfection, lap after lap. During each of these ventures, every millisecond matters. And more importantly, the adrenalin is pumping during every single one of those. The concentration and the focus need to be at its peak for every single corner of every single lap of every single race. No exceptions! No wonder that the feeling at the end of it is exhaustion as well as exhilaration.

My mental state when I race (either a kart on a track or my own car on the road) is different when compared to racket sports. When I attempt to play tennis, I am very aware of my limitations. I know that attempting an Andre Agassi double handed backhand return of serve is guaranteed to have one of the following three results: the racket jumps out of my arms and flies to the net, while the ball lies at my foot/the racket spins like a top in my arms, while the ball remains at my foot/the ball is hit for a sweet sixer! Not sure if it is just me, but when I am in a kart, I feel invincible (results do not seem to alter that perception). However fast someone else is, I feel that it is only a few laps of following him for me to learn the trick and keep up. This in turn guarantees that the mind is tuned for a fight that feels like a top of the leaderboard duel rather than a duel for second last place.

Even before this specific racing experience, while I was driving to San Jose to witness a dance performance, I mentioned to this buddy of mine (who contributed so much to the long drive by not driving a single mile) that the pure rush of adrenalin (I keep mentioning this word, since I am unaware of a literal alternative or an actual one) while racing is unmatched. When this was met by a nod in agreement, I knew that I had uttered the ABSOLUTE TRUTH (the kind that carries no 'one's own perspective' clause with it)! After having watched the dance performance, I put Salsa right next to racing!