Sanzaru Games Karting Championship - Race 5
| Date | Jul 24, 2016 |
|---|---|
| Track | Simraceway, Sonoma, CA |
| Configuration | Reverse Sprint |
| Total Drivers | 8 |
| Qualify Position / Time | P3 / :50.853 |
| Heat Race 1 Position / Best Lap | P3 / :51.172 |
| Heat Race 2 Position / Best Lap | P5 / :51.765 |
| Main Race Position / Best Lap | P3 / :51.261 |
| Points Earned / Series Points | 175 / 765 |
| Standings Position | 3/19 |
Practice
Saturday practice started out a bit rough for me, due to making contact with a couple drivers early in the morning. Thankfully, my kart wasn't damaged, so I was able to continue on with observing the track conditions. Near the end of the day, I realized that several other drivers were able to carry more rolling speed than I can through the corners. The only reason that we could think of was that I was over-gripped in the rear, and so we did what we can to stiffen up my rear axle.
Qualify
I didn't make the same mistake I made last time with my radiator. This time, I left the flap up the whole time and checked the temperature of the kart every now and then. I put all of my focus into the corners I knew I needed to work on the most. In the end, I pushed hard, but I didn't push hard enough for pole position.
Heat Race 1
I had what seemed to be a great start for the first heat. I was able to time the green flag perfectly and make the move for second place. However, as Zach Pettinicchi and I went side by side down the back straight, I soon realized that I was in the dirty part of the track. My tires were picking up bits of rubber and small rocks, which drastically reduced my chances of making the upcoming corner. As we approached the corner, I had to brake early and give up the position in order to prevent myself from slamming into Zach on the first lap. After that, the top three were Michael Avansino, Zach Pettinicchi, and then me. The order never changed after the first lap, and the gap slowly grew over time.
Heat Race 2
I had a very poor start for the second heat race. I missed the timing and paid the price of two positions as Brandon Fabular and Alejandro Marquez drove by me on the outside. For the entire race, I struggled to get around Alejandro because my tire pressure was set to come in at 16 lbs hot. No matter what I tried, I couldn't get a good run out of the corners because the tires were just sliding all over the track. By holding onto 5th position for the second heat, I was able to secure starting in 3rd place for the main race.
Main Race
The main race was pretty similar to the first heat. Michael led the whole race as Zach and I followed behind. The gap between me and Zach remained the same for the majority of the race until my tires began to fall off and the track became greasy. I came home 3rd, resulting in my second ever podium finish! At the end of the day, I am still making good progress as a driver through these small learning steps.
The applesauce that I won for finishing in 3rd place was refreshing after a long weekend of karting.
Full Results:
Current Standings:
Read about the other races from 2016 Sanzaru Games Karting Championship