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4th round PCI- Karting Championship 2011 Report 10th of July in Athboy

Hi all,

The 4th round of this year’s PCI-Karting Championship was staged at Athboy Karting a regular venue of our Pro Karters Mick B. and Brian K. over numerous weekends and a new venue to the PCI-Karting Championship.

The Venue is quite an interesting Circuit, with twisty turns and one strait that allows you to put the pedal to the metal if you’re not on it all the way. The Karts that we were using are the most even Karts we have been hiring in this Championship to date. Single engined and easy to drive that allowed us for close quarter engagement to our limits and greatest fun to be had.

From the start heading for turn 1 to the right, drifting a little and power on to left turn 2 tight as you can around that turn and heading for turn 3 clipping the curb as you are taking it to your left, juggling for position of upcoming right turn 4 drifting to the left a little hitting full throttle as you are approaching a chicane first left turn 5 over a brow then tight right turn 6 downwards heading into the only strait at full throttle to right turn 7 as tight as you can, not taking your right foot off and straying over to take left turn 8/chicane flat out through into right turn 9, pedal at ground level and passing through left turn 10 at full speed and taking the finish line before starting your next lap.

It’s a little demanding and technical Track but I must say one of the most exciting one in our race calendar and it lived up to expectations. This time we had a few newcomers who we were happy to have with us as well as some returning Competitors like Alan and John who hadn’t been racing all that much and was inquisitive as to our levels in our Club - Karting Championship. We all tried to familiarise ourselves with the track during practise and qualifying sessions that threw up some interesting pairings as Connie, Brian and myself seemed to have been in endless tingle tangle for position with wheel to wheel action through turns on straits and almost at every inch on the track. With Ben being always upfront it was clear for us who we would have to chase and what outcome would eventually emerge. None the less Alan and John as well as John’s Girlfriend Elainne, Mick, Garreth, Ciaran and Andy were chasing us as hard, if we had been thinking it would be an easy run further ahead.

With Mick and Brian being the locals so to speak it was expected that the two of them would dominate proceedings but as it turned out Mick was most of the time on my heals as mainly Brian and myself performing close quarter actions all the way through Heat 1, Heat 2, and the Grand Prix Final. At times I thought Brian was playing with me most of the time as he knows this track from the back of his hand and probably could have taking me any time he choose but instead had a ferocious battle for positions all the way, with our average speed of 33.89mph ( Brian ) and 33.88mph ( myself ). Connie was the beneficiary of our constant battle for 2,3 and 4th position during the GP – Final race, with Andy getting the better of Mick in the end, JohnE battling and overtaking Anthony at last, with Alan, Garreth and Ciaran battling it out to the last as Elainne retires with engine troubles in her Kart. Ben in the meantime had established an unassailable lead and won the race deservedly in spectacular fashion.

Race positions after 10 laps in the Grand Prix Final:

Winner Ben D. playing his Joker and fastest Lap in the race, 2nd Connie, 3rd Brian, 4th George, 5th Andy playing his Joker, 6th Mick, 7th John E, 8th Anthony, 9th Alan, 10th Garreth, 11th Ciaran, 12th Elainne

It does change a few positions in the current leader board of the PCI-Karting Championship 2011:

 

Ben 54 points

Joe 41 points

Brian 33 points

Connie 26 points …. Rob C. 26 points

Andy 23 points

David D. 17 points

Bob 15 points …. George 15 points

Anthony 13 points

Michael D. 9 points

Stephan W. 7 points

Chris P. 6 points

Mick B. 5 points

John E. 4 points

Alan 2 points

Garreth C. 1 point ….. Ciaran 1 point

We now have a total of 18 competitors competing for Championship points, with the leadership changing after this race since Joe couldn’t make this time and Ben playing his Joker to its full potential. Will Ben keep up the challenge for the Perpetual trophy or will Joe reclaim top position in this year’s PCI-Karting Championship? It seems to me it’s up to Ben and Joe at this stage with Brian and Connie and Rob having an outside chance to challenge for top honours. So watch this space!!!

I would like once more thank everybody for coming and making this one of the best race days of the Championship so far. I would also like to add it was great to see young Mannix racing his little Kart without any effort around the track and from what it looks like another Star on the horizon. Also a big thanks to Mick and Brian for bringing their Pro Karts and letting us have a go with them at ferocious speeds with just an inch and a half off the ground with each turn coming up closer to you then you would imagine, enough speed to perform sideway’s action with ease.

With that all I can say once more … many thanks and see you at the next race

George


10/07/2011