TCT Karting Challenge

Castle Combe circuit, Saturday 6th July

Following on from my win at the earlier charity race held at Castle Combe, I again found myself travelling to Wiltshire to race in the TCT Karting Challenge, and event that would run to the same format as the previous Teenage Cancer Trust race only this time the field would be made up of a mix of general public entrants as well as full-on racing drivers who (due to the later start time) had earlier in the day been competing on the main circuit at ‘The Big Race Weekend’. It was an opportunity to measure myself against some very experienced race car drivers, and I hoped that my (thankfully more) immediate knowledge of the karts and kart circuit would at least mean I didn’t end up driving around in last place..

Around 34 drivers took to the track across a series of heat races that would then determine grids for 4 finals, with the lowest-scoring drivers being placed in the first final, and then the top two from that race moving to the back of the grid for the next final etc. Each driver would start one of their three heats from either the front, middle or back of the grid, and I found myself (having signed on fairly early) starting from pole in my first race.

Thankfully I was able to convert the pole to a win having seen off an attack from a from the driver that started in 2nd, which meant I got some good points on the board early on. My next heat saw me start from 3rd on the grid which is where I finished having gained and subsequently lost a place other drivers.

I would then line up in 5th for my final heat but was confident of a higher-placed finish based on the previous results of those starting ahead of me. I did my best to communicate to the driver starting behind me in 6th (and last) that if we worked together we could potentially get to the head of the field, but as usual once racing got underway things quickly got chaotic and just as we began what I think was the third lap I got tapped from behind and half-spun at the bottom hairpin, which dropped me to last. The drivers in first and second had by now pulled ahead and were enjoying their own personal battle, however the chap in third was acting as a kind of cork in a bottle- ‘You Shall Not Pass!’ kind of behaviour so within another lap and a half I’d managed to catch the others, and with a combination of luck and skill I managed to get back up to third place by the time the chequered flag dropped-phew!

This left me starting 8th on the grid in the ‘A’ final which I was more comfortable with than I would have been starting at the head of the ‘B’ final (and with it the chance to potentially NOT make the ‘A’ race) and I was confident of perhaps making up a few places amongst the higher-scoring drivers. Much like my second heat however I gained and lost places in equal measure and crossed the line in 8th place on track, although there were a few post-race penalties applied to drivers who (I assume) finished ahead of me due to contact. All-in-all I was more than happy to have made the ‘final’ final again and it was interesting to see how I managed to get on in a field of experienced and not so experienced  drivers, all in the name of a good cause to boot! 

Again, if you would like any more information about the Teenage Cancer Trust, or karting at Castle Combe please check out the below websites:

https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/
https://castlecombekarting.co.uk/

A few days prior to the TCT event, I also registered my first lap times for TeamSport’s annual KartChamps competition. In order to qualify for the next stage, drivers are required to set a minimum of three lap times across at least three separate events, with this stage of the competition spanning across July and August. Having previously missed out on the last few year’s final stages due to either bad luck, being out of the country or simply not being fast enough I plan to give myself every opportunity to progress further in this year’s competition, where I’ll be competing in the Heavyweight (86-100kg) category- Wish me luck, and I’ll keep you updated!

Ciao for now

Summer Season

After squeezing in a fairly last-minute trip to Mallorca in June, my karting activity was limited to not one but two outings at Castle Combe - Firstly on the 15th, a race organised in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, followed by round three of Castle Combe’s Adult Championship a couple of weeks later

The charity race would have a slightly different format to it than the usual championship rounds, in that all drivers would compete in a ‘final’ of sorts rather than winners from several semi-finals qualifying for a final. The idea being that if one of the lower scoring finalists won his or her ‘final’, they would then move on and start at the back of the grid for the next final (which is made up of higher-scoring drivers) etc until we got to an ‘A’ Final for the highest scoring drivers. 

A pre-event downpour made things.. interesting by the time the field of mixed-experienced drivers took to the track for practice, but by the time the first heat races got underway the circuit was almost home dry. In my first race I started from 3rd on the grid and finished second, but was frustrated with myself for taking perhaps a lap too long to gain a place by which time the leader was out of touch. My next two heats were more straightforward, and I scored two wins from 5th and 1st on the grid respectively. Wiltshire’s micro climate then treated us to another deluge, which made for some amusing racing (which I thankfully got to watch from the dry of indoor hospitality area) before I lined up for my 4th and final heat race, where I would be starting from 2nd on the grid on a still-wet track.

What followed was one of the most bizarre heats I’ve ever raced in at Combe, with every driver spinning at least once on the greasy surface (with or without ‘assistance’) Thankfully my pirouette took place at the very first corner, and after initially dropping down to 4th or 5th I was able to pick my way through the field to cross the line in first place, giving me three wins from four races (one driver *did* manage to win all four of his heats, who I was quick to congratulate) which left me to line up 2nd on the grid in the ‘A’ final. 

As the D, C and B finals progressed, the A finalists watched as the track went from moist to bone dry in all but it’s extremities, which left me feeling confident as I’d earlier claimed the fastest lap of the event in dry conditions, and because the young lad who was starting 3rd had been very quick in the wet. I knew there’d be an opportunity to go around the outside at the first corner if I got a good start, and as the lights went green it was drag race down to turn one.

I was slightly behind as we approached the first corner, a right-hand hairpin bend, with the pole sitter maintaining his advantage. As he’d started on the right, he kept a tight line defending the inside whilst I went outside and turned in late. However, I could only get alongside him (still on the outside) rather than ahead as we approached the right/left chicane and he was able to extend his lead as I brushed the wall on the inside. This dropped me to 4th as more contact followed. The young rain-master was now up to 2nd place, while I found myself behind one of the motorcross helmet-wearing drivers a few of us had earlier identified as being a bit on the aggressive side..

At one point I got more than alongside coming out of the chicane but was rudely squeezed into the wall, dropping me back a few kart lengths. Things weren’t looking good for me at this stage, with the race being so short (only 6 laps or so), my only saving grace being that it was still ultra-slippery at the top hairpin and drivers were still getting all out of shape up there, and that the lead pair were battling hard and therefore not pulling much of a gap. Still, it was to my absolute disbelief when on the final lap of the race, having eventually passed Motorcross guy for 3rd, I saw that the leading pair had tangled at the top hairpin leaving them both pointing the wrong way! I approached the turn cautiously, staying to the far left on the approach whilst trying not to get caught out by all the slime that had dropped from the overhead tress after the last downpour. One or possibly two drivers shot up the inside of me, almost completely out of control and subsequently ran wide, leaving me to pick my way past a few karts like I was flying the Millenium Falcon and dodging asteroids! I couldn’t believe the chaos that had unfolded on the final lap and I navigated the last few corners without drama, finishing a few seconds ahead of the next driver whilst the pair that had led the race (Perfect Score and Young Rainmaster) found themselves crossing the line in 4th and 5th. 

I celebrated with more of a shrug than a clenched fist, but I have to admit that standing on top of the podium for the first time at Castle Combe felt good, particularly as I’d also achieved the fastest lap of the event against some quick drivers- Ok, it wasn’t the same level of competition I’d be facing in the Adult Championship here, but a win’s a win, right? Besides, it was all for a good cause and it also means I get to enter the next charity race (being held in July) for free! 

If you’d like to find out more about the work being done at the Teenage Cancer Trust, you can visit their website here;

https://www.teenagecancertrust.org/

Round 3 of the Adult Championship took place on Saturday 29th June and despite feeling like I’d put on a few kilos thanks to my all-inclusive summer break, I was more confident than usual having only raced at the track a couple of weeks previously.

As usual though the event played out pretty much as each round has for me since I started racing at Castle Combe- A few decent results in my heat races (two seconds and a third) marred by one last-place finish due to contact with a driver who received black and white warning flags for two desperate incidents in the same race (!), which left me starting from 3rd on the grid in my semi-final and unable to challenge a run-away leader because it took me too long to get past the driver who started second. This meant I missed out on a spot on the final AGAIN and left me wishing the CCKC would adopt the A, B, C, D Final format (ala the charity race) rather than that which it has rigorously stuck with for years, which puts the highest scoring (fastest) drivers on pole for each semi-final, almost guaranteeing them a spot in the final..

Anyway, I’ll be hoping to make amends at their next Charity race in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust, which takes place on Saturday 6 July.

In terms of what I have coming up over the next few weeks and months I’ll be looking to compete in Teamsport’s annual KartChamps competition, as well as scheduling a belated birthday present for my old man which will see him lapping Thruxton in an F-type Jag- Lovely stuff.

We may even fit in some karting at their outdoor circuit!

See you at the track ;-)

Ben