Test Day- Winton 16th Jun 2006

Friday 16th June saw us on another trip up to Ned Kelly country to see how the new motor goes. This time I was accompanied by Lagler's MD Cam Luke, who would try his hand at this superkarting caper to see if he couldn't smash a lap record or two.

With the motor run in on dyno, a new lowdown seat and radiator position I was expecting some improvements in speed. There probably were but we didn't have the luxury of finding out, since the day was spent fiddling.

The picturesque Winton circuit dwarfing small racing machine

Yep, I should know this whole thing is never easy. The radiator's new position all the way over there opposite the engine, with it's long hoses meant some air pockets in the cooling system, so the temperature was all over the place like a mad woman's Special K. The small coolant leak atop the engine didn't help either. It was sucking in more air and making it hotter. And we had a brand spanking, expensive new rebuilt engine to consider.

Plus the coolant leak was spraying all over the right rear tyre, which made it particularly interesting into the ultrafast turn one left hander. It was also spraying all over our nice new embroidered race suit. Fortunately I was using green coolant so the colour matched Lagler's logo.

Cam, looking the part, also looking a little worried.

Nonetheless, sponsor Cam got a run for a few laps. It took a while for him to get used to the concept of getting a non-gearbox kart up to speed; there is no subtlety involved. The idea is you mash the loud pedal until the clutch has stopped dragging and the engine is happily screaming like a banshee. Only then can you consider lifting off the throttle occasionally. One unscheduled stop up the hill out of the pits, then he was eventually off. After a few laps Cameron McConville, er, Luke, began to look like he wanted to attack a couple of turns quite nicely. He even managed an innocuous spin going into the section called "the cleavage" (no jokes please). Then, during a sensational lap that would have put him on pole (for a Formula HQ race), the machine stopped dead and had to be towed back to the pits.

Race machines of all types, from karts to F1 cars have a curious habit of dying on-track then embarrassingly firing up in the pits afterwards with no obvious problems. Nigel Mansell had such a problem on the last lap of the Canadian GP in 1991 whilst heading towards certain victory. To this day theories still rage about why it conked out. Some say he was driving so slowly, being so far ahead and savouring his victorious last lap, that the engine's computer assumed something was wrong and shut everything down, or it got a weird signal from a microwave oven in downtown Toronto. Some say he hit the kill switch whilst waving to the crowd. Others say the Renault engine couldn't take any more of Nige's monotonous Birmingham accent.

Ol' Blighty at it again!!

Either way it was all very sad and embarrassing for Nige while an undeserving Nelson Piquet swept through to take the win and rubbed more salt in by saying he didn't feel the least bit sorry for anyone. The Williams Renault team got the car back to the pits and the engine roared into life without a fuss.

After reminiscing over all this and snapping back to Winton 2006 I noticed that a battery terminal had come off. Cam's braking foot (which was obviously being used way too much) had knocked it off. I could have pretended not to notice, hook the terminal back up, fire it up and say "Hey look! Whaddaya know, it obviously doesn't like you" but after all, Cam signs the paycheques.

Those darn Hypermaxes, always slightly out of reach. This was one part of the day when the thing ran, more or less, properly

However in this case the kart didn't exactly behave for me either. All day it was developing a nasty misfire (only around left handers) until eventually, moments before the Boss was due for another run, it popped and banged to a halt with an over-rich fuel problem. Despite new engine and clutch, the carby clearly still had some issues. These things require the occasional change of carby jets to suit certain climactic conditions. Despite the perfect clear sunny day, it was a typically cold Winton, under ten degrees, so we suspect the thing was too rich and wet with fuel. This, combined with a few other minor but annoying problems put an end to the day one or two sessions early.

Machines. I'm not a mechanic's bootlace.

Overall it was an annoying "two steps forward, three back" kind of day, chasing repairs instead of improvements. But, having said that, I was able to ride shotgun with other karts for a few corners to compare, and it wasn't all bad news. With or without the right rear tyre getting a coolant bath this kart has never been strong into left handers, it oversteers violently, which I've never been able to sort. But into the right handers it sticks. I literally tried to throw it off the road but it just kept sticking.

smokin'

Furthermore, I totally underestimated the physical demands of this discipline. Now with the seat lying back, the wrists, forearms and neck take an even greater pounding. Five quick laps felt like five rounds with Fenech. Here I have two choices; a sexy new ergonomic F1-style steering wheel angled towards the driver, or going to the gym every night. The choice was obvious.

My new steering wheel should be ready in time for the Phillip Island round July 15th.

So I travel to SA this Thursday 21st Jun not knowing if the thing will stay cool, let alone respond properly. With the help of Pro-Karting at Thomastown the carby woes should be sorted, and in the worst case of continual overheating I can always put the radiator back where it was. And Mallala is a clockwise circuit, meaning mostly right handers. Whilst I have to start from the rear like a good little probationary licence holder, hopefully I won't stay back there! More later.