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Round
3 was bittersweet. We finally found some outright pace
yet could not crack the top 3 final placings. It was
partly because of a (mostly) unforced error on my part.
It was also partly because the red-flagged race in which
I came second was not counted. There is no particular
regulation stipulating it should have been nullified,
it was an arbitrary decision, putting me back in my
perrennial 4th place. So it seems I come fourth even
when I don't.
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Fronting
up to a damp Phillip Island for round 4 I was
quietly optimistic of a good result and shaking
off that 4th place monkey. Chris Jewell was looking
racey having been impressively fast since the
day he rolled out the agent orange Hyper while
Marvin The Martian (Colin McIntyre) was a form
favourite.
Quaifying was damp, no rain but no wind or sun
either, so it was dicey. I cut my session short
with a big, long, lurid spin out of hayshed (you
know what they say about hitting wet grass and
accelerating) after only three laps. Mistake #1,
It's
a cardinal sin to do this on a drying track. The
only chance you have to go fast is to last the
session, and post a lap on a dry track. So, I
stood on the outfield watching the Lukey Heights'
flag marshall develop RSI waving the yellow for
what must have seemed like an eternity. People
were going off everywhere.
Still,
no jokes please, I qualified fourth.
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Piling
on the oppy lock in qualifying
RACE
1
Jason
Bright was at the meeting, testing one of the two Britek
Formula Ford scholarship cars, so team manager Chris
Jewell got motivated to get on pole. Mega legend Colin
McIntyre, who we are all really wishing would go back
to gearbox karts, nabbed second. A very good performance
from Matt Palmer saw him line up third, with Brendan
Luneman, getting faster every meeting, behind me fifth.
Lap 1 race 1, Jewell, Palmer, Luneman, Me...Colin
McIntyre has cleared out
After
the dust settled from the rolling
start it was Colin, Chris, Luneman and me in...yep...fourth
place. The track was mostly dry but with some dicey
damp bits and white lines. I found such a white line
on the ultrafast exit to turn 2 (Southern Loop) and
went grass tracking. Just when I thought I could save
it and rejoin, I got launched on a huge hump and landed
nose first at high speed. The front fairing, which I'd
just had repaired, was destroyed, caving in under the
front and ending my race. Another stupid mistake, small,
almost insignificant, but stuffing up the entire day.
Mistake #2.
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First
there is the crash, and the initial fear...
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Followed
by the shock...
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..then
the vain hope that no-one noticed...
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then
the seething rage... |
...then
finally the despondent resignation |
Happily
Chris Jewell took a win to impress the boss, with McIntyre
second after developing a strange misfire at high speed,
with Luneman third.
RACE
2
Luckily
I had, as an afterthought, loaded my old sprint kart
nose in the Lagler Ford Transit van before the race
so I was able to keep the show on the road, albeit looking
a little cheap. It was also slightly undignified running
with cold legs and hairy ankles showing at high speed.
Starting
from last place I had a good run and passed half of
the field in the first lap and set off after Luneman
and Cavallin. Without a slipstream it can be a struggle
catching anyone but I had a major go. I finished (cough,
hack...) fourth.
Chris
Jewell took another win, two from two. Channel 10's
RPM, hearing what an impact Hyper Racer and Chris Jewell
were having on the previously little-known Rotax Max
Superkarting class, set up their gear nearby.*
Well
thanks for stopping by Jason, but we're out of time
and want to interview that Rotax Max Superkart star
Chris Jewell
Thanks
for waiting, Chris. We thought that Bright character
would never leave. Now about your stunning pole lap...
*Channel
10's RPM may have been at Phillip Island to document
Britek's Formula Ford scholarship program. Some creative
licence has been used here so please don't write in
and grizzle that I'm getting my facts wrong etc etc...
After
this race, the Hyper Racers were yet again put under
an eligbility cloud, this time for the angle of the
seat. On this particular technicality, arising from
a nebulous statement in the now-defunct 100NGB class
regulations, the karts were inspected and passed some
two years ago, and all subsequent vehicles were manufactured
accordingly. But it has since been decided the issue
must be revisited, using a different measurement criteria.
I
feel seriously sorry for those poor officials who have
to sift through reams of legalities with their pesky
subheadings and big words. They were having a nice relaxing
time until those bloody Hypers came along with their
uncompromising, innovative design, bringing new people
into the sport... the cads!!
Last
to fourth in race 2 still didn't quite dig me out of
my hole
RACE 3
Lining
up around 9th I had another good start and managed to
scramble past the guys in front, including Matt Palmer
and Mick Treloar, who had a shocking race 2, almost
doing a Paddy exiting turn 2 and then getting cleaned
up at Siberia.
Jewell
and Luneman were going at it up front with Leigh Cavallin
keeping a watching brief, whatever that means. McIntyre's
misfire was slowing him at the end of the straight but
sorting itself around the back section- which meant
I hauled him in by turn 2 but he'd get me back out of
Honda or Siberia. Eventually I got past, got a gap on
him and yo-yo'd my way to Cavallin in third, but couldn't
catch him by the flag.
McIntyre begins to splutter and pop and bang.
Smelling blood I close in and...well, it's better
to be lucky than good
If you carefully do the maths that put me in...that's
right....FOURTH for the race.
What
if what if what if what if............No
excuses, I made a mistake which mutated into a big,
huge, day-stuffer-upperer. See? even my vocabulary is
failing.
But it didn't take the shine from Chris Jewell's stunning
clean sweep with pole and three wins. This guy has a
seriously good racing brain, and constructs races meticulously
with the right amount of aggression and control. Luneman
scooped second, with Leigh Cavallin a consistent third.
In fourth place was, I dunno. Probably me*.
In
lights there was spectacular action all day between
Brad Stebbing, Russ Occhippinti in Stebbing's Hyper
Racer, and Dean Crooke, with Mark "Fatso"
Wicks getting into the mix. Dean took the day overall,
being a little surprised, such was the intensity of
the competition.
All
photos courtesy of Gary Trounson, who now has a fancy
new website. Make a clicking action upon the below image
and it will take you there via a clever interweb linking
system
*once
again, creative licence. McIntyre came fourth. Don't
write in and...etc etc
So
I said to Jason..."mate... if I can get a pole
and three wins,
maybe we should start talking performance appraisals
at Britek hey?" And he said, "allright allright
Jewellsy! I'll lift me' game!" and I said "You'd
better or you're out, and...." whaddaya mean you're
rolling??
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