Nov 21, 2022 | 2022, Blog, Hooton Park – Indikart, JKC – Junior Kart Championship with X Kart, XKart
So last week I was in hospital, drips, IV antibiotics and such like. Raised CRP (infection markers) and what turned out to be a nasty skin infection. read about that here.
This week – a test day and my first race in the XKart at Hooton Park in Ellesmere Port. I’ve been to this track before in my cadet kart back in 2020, and in the electric kart but this is a new challenge.
Saturday was supposed to be the better weather and it was, all things considered, no real rain to speak of, but still a damp and slippy track so we were out on wet tyres for the first few sessions.I’d like to take this opportunity to thank Mila Bela Boutique for coming on board and supporting me with my racing.
Testing went well, and I progressed from 45s laps up into 39s. My coach for the weekend was Jacob. Jacob won the JKC last year in Juniors, so it was important for me to listen to him. He was quite quiet like me and I think we got on ok.
Mum was pretty surprised how much I listened. Jacob was definitely a good match for me and I LOVED seeing him getting excited when he could see I’d listened and done what he’d said.
RACE DAY
Normally you get a practice session and then heats and a final but because the sunlight is fading fast at the moment, we aren’t having that first practice session.
Straight into qualifying, but I like qualifying, it means the heats I’ll be with like for like drivers rather than the mixed grids. That makes me happier because I don’t like the rolling starts and I haven’t done one for about 2 years! I qualified in P15, but higher than I though – but pleased.
Heat 1 was a little crazy, I kept on the bumper of the one in front which has been something I struggle with but left a bit too much tarmac down the inside, letting a couple through. Then there was a spin right in front of me which I didn’t get involved in, but slowed me down for sure. I got my head down, making up a couple of places and crossing the line in 21st.
Heat 2, well what a wicked session. A couple of crazies went out on slicks. It is definitely not slicks. I don’t know why but there were more spinners this heat. I managed to keep it on track and really gave it some. Working hard on what Jacob had been teaching me, braking later. What a heat…. P21 to P8!
Started 16th for the final, but by the time we had 3 false starts the grid was so out of shape I was down in 22nd over the start line…. Then chose the first lap for my one and only spin of the weekend!! Nothing like making it hard for myself. Whoops. Knuckled down, kept it on track and I was crossing the line in 16th. Not what we’d hoped for nor what we had shown we could do. I’ll take it though. Lots of lessons learned.
Massive thank you to Jacob. Really hope you can be on the spanner’s for me again.
