Your karting history

[speedy king]

When did you sart racing? What karts have you driven and what has been your best/worst moment?

I started back in 1999 just doing off road karts with a top speed of 20mph. Then in 2001 moved in to track racers and Honda Cadets. In 2002 took part in the local Cadet league coming 4th. And raced at the German Palazt Kart GP in Formula TKM and raced Honda GX160 single and twin engined. 2003 Moved in to Junior Rotax Max and the BDKC, finished 8th in total and got a second place in my second GP in Germany in TKM. 2004 still in Junior Rotax, currently 2nd in the championship and hoping to move in to seniors next year

I've driven,
Honda Rally
Honda Cadet
Honda GX160
Honda GX160 x2
Formula TKM
Junior Rotax

My best moment was probably at the season final in 2003 when it was my first wet race and i came 2nd from the back row, overtaking something like 12 karts in a 10 lap race and setting the fastest lap

Worst moment was a 3 kart smash last year which totally destroyed the rear end of my kart and left me with one kart on top of me and one in the back

[crozier74]

First time in a kart was in a Honda prokart at the Knockhill kart track in 1999. Then did a few sessions at Kartstart (indoor warehouse tyre wall corporate track thingy) in Aberdeen, where "the bug bit". Sat my ARKS test at Raceland near Edinburgh in summer of 2000, in a prokart. Jumped into my first race way too quickly, at Boyndie in October 2000, only driving a Junior TKM (rented a Venom from a team) for the first time on the Saturday. Ended up lapping around 8 seconds off the pace, and wasn't allowed to start the final.

Did a good bit of winter testing in my newly purchased kart (Wright Suzuka), and was up to reasonable novice pace by the start of the 2001 season. Ended the season 3rd/13 in my first championship (Grampian Kart Club), with a very encouraging performance at the last round, finishing 2nd from 6th on the grid in one heat and 3rd from 3rd in the final.

2002 was a bit more barren as I raced in the big-grid West of Scotland KC championship in midfield obscurity, but the highlight of the season was luckily at our most important event - the Scottish champs. Was right up with the leader's pace, and finished 6th/15, in a train of karts battling over 2nd.

2003 was my best season so far. Switched from a Suzuka to Braga chassis after one race - although in our last race with the Suzuka we were battling for the win and ended up 2nd cos we got taken out in a heat, and the leader got away a bit while I had to pass 2 other drivers in the final. But with the Braga, we got immediate results. Finished a reasonable 9th/20ish at Larkhall in our first meeting and took my first fastest lap in a final at Boyndiein the 2nd. Then, in the 3rd, I took my first win at Wigan by 5 seconds from 5th on the grid in my first race outside of Scotland, overcoming a wheel falling off in one of the hears, and backed it up with another (even more satisying) win at Glan-y-Gors two months later, beating my rival, the "golden boy" from a few miles up the road from me, Craig Philip, in a straight fight. I would go on to finish 2nd in the NKF, overcoming that DNF at Wigan and a non-participation at Warden Law to beat Peter Crease by half a point. I was 2nd in 3 of the 4 heats at the Scottish champs, and 2nd on the grid for the final, but the tragic death of Craig's dad Mike left us all agreeing to scrap the Junior TKM Inter race. My last decent race to date was the NKRA Grand Final. Having won the Scottish regional championship (doesn't mean much seeing as there were only 3 of us in it, and the other 2 didn't do many rounds, but the trophy was nice), I was setting the pace, getting my best result in a heat at Larkhall of 2nd, and starting 6th/17 overall (inc the Juniors) on the grid. But getting caught up in a shunt right in front of me on lap 3 resulted in the rear of the kart going up in the air and landing with a thump, the chassis bent to hell, and the handling all over the place. I managed to drag it home 10th, winning the Inters championship, but again, it didn't mean much cos it was only out of 3, and I was more annoyed to have been denied a good result in a race I would have finished in at least 5th, and maybe even won.

But 2004 has just been disasterous I think the soft nature of the chassis, and that NKRA bump, has meant it's now just way past its best. We haven't had a decent event all season. In our best race (at Crail) we got 3rd in one of the heats, but were excluded for a wrong engine # on the scrutineering card Came up from 17th to 8th in the final, but it could have been even better if we didn't have a paper towel in the airbox! The S1 round at Kim was looking OK too, we would have had at least 14th in heat 2, and were lying 10th when that ****ing idiot Daniel Graham pointless hit me off from being. If I'd got 14th, I would have made it straight into the A Final. As it was, I was near the back of the B. Fought through to about 5th/6th, right on the tail of the qualifying places, then got shunted in the side with a few laps to go Larkhall was the lowest low of the season (explanation to follow), and has prompted our search for a new chassis. We're closing in on a JKH, but there's competition for it, so let's just hope we can get it and turn our season around in time for the Scottish and the last 2 rounds of S1, to at least end the season on a high note after the disappointments of the first half

[marcus]

Ive only done sprint karts , in clubman class.
Yamaha 100cc motors , thats all Ive raced in karts.

Had a go in a rotax and it was sensational as well.

[#15 tkm 4/]

2002 in jnr prokarts and won winter championships at first try
2003 Competed in f6 in snr prokarts and finished 7th outta 41 competitors and also did the odd race in tkm 4stroke (DNF at the tkm festival because of some stupid german/belgian guy who ripped off my air box while i was placed 6th)
2004 Racing super1 in snr tkm 4stroke, running 7th in champs (i think) was leading the final at larkhall until my chain broke and also finished 3rd at the pfi may day extreme race.

Best race. Larkhall 2004: started 2nd got hit into on first corner which bent my tracking rod and dropped me to 5th, from 5th i overtook all the people infront while having to correct it from steering left thanks to the rod being bent and got into the lead and the chain snapped

Worst race. Larkhall 2004: Read above! pxy chain! grrrrrrr

ive drivern: jnr prokart, snr pro kart jnr tkm 4stroke snr tkm 4stroke and a vinatge rotax (the kart was from the mid 80's) btw im 16 so i never drove the rotax in the 80's!

[Sirio]

Raced Kt100 yamaha and a 100cc Reed valve.
Also i have run a 60HP 20000rpm twin. There is something about wheelspin out of every corner that just excites me.
Tried a Max once but it was the most dull thing ever with no soul unlike a 100cc Reed valve and i would not be able to afford to run it a 100% level like the top guys in that class do.

[Kicking-back]

Great to hear these stories - very inspirational.

[marcus]

I mainly raced karts for a bout 3 years it was great fun and since then moved on to Speedway racing but that never really got off the ground due to a lack of funds.

I wish I still had my speedway car

[BoatOwner]

pre 1998-rental karts
1998-Raket 85cc
1999-100cc Piston Port
2000-100cc Piston Port/Rotax Max
2001-Rotax Max
2002-Rotax Max
2003-Rotax Max/Parilla Leopard
2004-ICA/Formula A

also driven or raced tkm 4-stroke, briggs "world formula 4-stroke" and 125cc shifters.

[speedy king]

What are the World Formulas like? In comparrison to Rotax Max and TKM 4/. People were worried about World Formula taking over from pro-kart

[crozier74]

Here in Scotland World Formula HAS taken over from Pro-Kart! A grid no longer exists for Pro-Kart, while for WF there are grids of 10+, comprising largely of ex-Pro-Kart drivers. They're a bit quicker and more "race-like" than Pro-Karts, but are still quite a bit slower than TKM 4/, and significantly slower than Rotax. They're kinda half way between Pro-Kart and TKM.

[AlesiUk]

Started in Cadets when they were still 60cc Comer chainsaw engined Cadets. did about 3 years of those,couple of years in what was Junior TKM i think(they kept changing the names in that era!) then did a year or so of Formula Yamaha when i was first launched.

Best moments are difficult to say,i won some races,had some great races and won a couple of club titles. But id have to say the best part was just the whole experience, the people you get to meet. I met some incredible peopl and some who are still great friend to the day.

For worst moments its also difficult,i had a few accidents,a few DSQ,some "disagreements" with officials and so on. But id probably say the worst moments were the few times i saw other raced seriously hurt in accidents.

[speedy king]

I can back you up on that last point Alesi, you just reminded me. One of my worst moments was just spectating, and being un lucky enough to see a friend of mine flip over nose first 6ft in the air and land upside down while in the kart

[marcus]

yep I was doing some flagging at a club event when my team mate did the same thing right in front of me , was very scary , he didnt seem that fazed by it though , and we got him back out there as soon as possible.

[ianpearson]

I did a season in Karts in 1997 in a 250S gearbox kart when i was 16-17, could'nt even drive on the road when i had my first race, rod end broke on front camber adjuster & i went straight on into the barrier at an almost flat out right hander.A bit of straightening here & there, back out within the month. I bought it for a grand when i was only on £100 a week. on the face of it maybe i should of bought something a tad more mellow. Awesome fun when it worked properly, but so regually did it pack up or refuse to start ( i don't think it ever finished a final ) i got a bit tired of the thing & sold in 1998 ( for a profit ) to help buy a BARC formula renault, 4 formula renaults later I have'nt looked back since

[Digitographer]

Speedy King - Are you racing tomorrow? What time shall we arrive, what's your kart number etc etc

Cheers
The Digitographers

[marcus]

Not sure if speedy King is racing this weekend Digitographer because I believe he is moving house.

[BoatOwner]

Originally posted by speedy king
What are the World Formulas like?

Slower than the tkm and rotax. They have 15hp. Will be doing another race in them at the end of this month.. more of a fun race than anything else. The engines are nice and compact in comparison to a honda 270.. they are 200cc and allright for a class to start out in imo. Hard tyres make the racing fun.

[Kidzer]

so if WF has a 15Bhp engine, how much Bhp does a JTKM have?

[crozier74]

15bhp as well I believe, 21bhp for Senior TKM. But JTKMs are about over a second a lap quicker than WF, through better tyres and less weight.

[speedy king]

+ Jnr TKM are ment to do 0-60mph in 3 seconds, which i can't see a 4 stroke other than something like a Biland or gearbox doing!

[ukkartace]

i started when i was 3 years old lol first on a quad then cadets:

1992 - 1995 Cadet Karting in Practise Sessions


1995 Shell Oils sponsored for me to race in the Australian Championship at the age of 7
Midget Class Australia, 100cc Yamaha Engine



1996 Cadet Class England
Qualified for Super 1 Championship on novice plates
Finished 20th overall



1997 Many club wins including P.F. International, Wigan & Kimbolten
14th British Super 1
1st Qualifing round of Super 1



1998 5th Super 1 Series
British Open Champion



1999 Won Dutch Championship races
Won the Gold Cup in Amsterdam
5th in TVKC Kart Masters
British Open Champion again (only person to win it twice in a row)



2000 Formula TKM, 5th overall in British Super 1 Championship
Winner TVKC Kart Masters from 21st



2001 Junior ICA
4th European Championship
Many Belgium championship wins


2002 Tony Kart racing team driver
4th European Championship
Champion of Western Europe



2003 Tony Kart Racing Team
Formula ICA
Winner of 8th Winter Cup (ICA)
Winner of Margutti Cup (ICA)
Runner Up Italian Open Masters

[#15 tkm 4/]

urmm the tkm 4strokes are actually faster than the tkm 2strokes

[speedy king]

Sorry, totally overlooked TKM 4/, what i was trying to refer to were the Pro-kart style engines. I'm aware the 4/ TKM's are faster than 2/, afterall they're raced with Senior Rotax and are barely any slower

[#15 tkm 4/]

lol just so you know and dont diss the 4strokes anymore :P At most circuit im actually faster than the Rotax drivers...

dont worry about it tkm4stroke gets overlooked all the time :P

[speedy king]

I had pro-karts on the mind as World Formula is ment to be replacing it and forgot about TKM's being 4/! There were some at Ellough a while back and they were passing Rotax's