Karting - Race Reports & Championship Points
Overall Position (Top 20 out of 40 Teams)
Position Team Points
1 G! Projects 76
2 Trisys 52
3 Microsoft 51
4 AJM Engineering Ltd 50
5 Donovan Data Systems 49
6 Nokia 46
7 KH3 Business Services 44
8 Price Waterhouse Coopers 43
9 Car & Driving 42
10 Nortell Networks 40
11 Mullender & Associates 38
12 Nortel Networks B 38
13 Your Ideal Shop 4 37
14 Amex BKW 36
15 Orbital Sounds 35
16 Williams F1 Karting 33
17 Lloyds TSB 30
18 Vat-C Racing 27
19 Central Plumbing & Heating 27
20 FZ Racing 26

Race 1 -
Round 1, Group Two - Rye House (Report by Mark Fitzpatrick)

The first Group had done little to clear the circuit or create a dry line and the newcomers were also going to have to learn the ropes in tricky conditions. During the qualifying period it was AJM Engineering who set the pace with a best lap of 57.77 and this was three tenths clear of Orbital Sounds and Avaya 1, all new to the competition.

AJM demonstrated that they will be a force to be reckoned with and took advantage of their pole position to pull away from any trouble behind. Within a handful of laps they had a sizeable lead and they never once looked threatened. The Nortel Networks B team, who had practised twice before the season started, made up ground quickly and gave chase to AJM but didn't quite have the same pace. Unlike Avaya Communications one who did.  Another company with two entrants, this new team came to the series with some previous experience and their best lap of 55.35 was almost half a second faster than anyone else could manage and netted them an extra point for their effort. Most other teams managed at least to hold on to their grid position. VAT-C Racing made up four places, as did PriceWaterhouseCoopers, the second Avaya team climbed a massive six places. At the back, UBSWarburg managed to stay in last place and towards the end of the race they were kept company by EMC and ATKearney who both finished on 118 laps.

Maximum points though went to AJM Engineering who bagged 21 for finishing first and qualifying on pole. Two laps down at the chequered flag were Nortel B who clinched second place ahead of Avaya 1 by just one lap although Avaya were very pleased to have been fastest team on the day.

 

Race 2 -
Round 2, Group Two - Lydd

There can be no more satisfying sight than a full grid and a sunny day. The Group 1 teams had done their best to clean the track and the skies were cerulean blue, oh happy day! New teams filled the last few places on the grid and Car & Driving did their best to embarrass everyone by notching up the only sub-45 second lap with a best of 44.87. Westerham Press and FZ Racing, also new to the competition, did their bit with 45.26 and 45.31 respectively, while Orbital Sound was the highest placed 'old' team with a 45.54. Car & Driving had obviously not grasped the concept of a pace kart and as the teams were pushed away from the grid they simply disappeared into the distance. A black flag would have been a bit harsh at this stage of the event so they were ushered to the back of the grid to contemplate the error of their ways. Even this wasn't enough to keep them back and within ten laps of the green flag they were already leading the race.

ATKearney 1 helped them a little by spinning at the first corner, thus keeping out of their way, but their progress through the field was simply stunning. At ten minutes into the event they had a 12.16 advantage over PriceWaterhouseCoopers who were just over three seconds ahead of Orbital Sound and VAT-C Racing. In fact the top nine were still covered by 27 seconds and tenth back to sixteenth were likewise closely packed. Series leaders, AJM Engineering, were taking their time, obviously realising that this was after all a three-hour race and they didn't feel the need to push too hard for the time being. With so many karts on the track the likelihood of more contact was naturally greater and before long EMC were having a broken seat stay fixed and UBSWarburg were having an axle straightened. As usual in a Group 2 race things didn't stay the same for long as spinning karts and driver changes kept everyone on their toes. VAT-C Racing and AJM Engineering both took turns in leading the race with Avaya 1 also keeping tabs on the front-runners, Karen Brown being particularly smooth throughout the lap. Nothing could keep Car & Driving back though. By lap 50 they were back on top one lap ahead of AJM and PriceWaterhouse, Westerham Press and two ahead of Elliott.co.uk.

AJM lost time when they tangled with one of the ATKearney teams and Patersons lost even more places when they had to have their rear axle straightened out - the mechanics were now having a busy time. So too were the pusher karts. Several drivers found themselves dragging themselves out of the Lydd marshes and at one point the spectators marvelled at how far up the bund Avaya 1 managed to get their kart after he tangled with a back marker. The leader's did not get away scott-free. A damaged wheel bearing lost them a couple of laps and put them within the grasp of AJM who were very strong under braking into the final corner. PriceWaterhouse managed to shake off Elliott.co.uk but were then hounded by Orbital Sound who made a late charge. Across the line at the finish Car & Driving took a comprehensive win despite starting from the back, losing a wheel bearing and taking a black flag penalty. AJM spluttered home almost out of fuel and PWC won an impressive third place. Just behind, Orbital Sound and Central Plumbing were separated by just five seconds. David Rigden of AJM was very happy with their day's work; "It's absolutely fantastic and we're looking forward to racing in Group 1, though we're not sure about getting up early to make the journey." Orbital's Chris Headlam was equally pleased; "The afternoon race was excellent (for us at least). We gained 4th place with only 2 laps to go, dead exciting stuff! The driving standard was much improved on round one and the course marshalling was first rate."

 

Race 3 -
Round 3, Group 1 - Ellough Park

Ellough Park has never yet failed to provide superb conditions for racing and Round Three of The Challenge was no different.  The wide track and smooth surface always provide some good action and once again the karts were all on the button.  Car & Driving set the pace during the warm-up with a time of 39.01 and the next fifteen karts were all within a second of their time.  Indeed, there was only two seconds separating the grid all the way to twentieth place, only Elliott were significantly out of kilter but this was just as likely to be down to driving rather than kart problems.

The grid takes very little time to get into shape these days and within a couple of rolling laps the teams were already champing at the bit.  Once let loose they stormed off towards Turn 1 and got around in one piece, and the next lap, and the next… and so it went on.  The pusher karts were having an easy time of it.

Williams F1 Karting and Microsoft spoiled the effect when, on lap 4 they tangled at Turn 3.  Needless to say both had a different slant on what happened but now both were firmly last.

Early visitors to the pits were Aspen Heating who suffered a coil failure and shortly after, the mechanics were busy again when Championship leaders, G! Projects and Elliott, both came in for puncture repairs.  Aspen’s demise allowed Trisys to take the lead and local boys, Your Ideal Shop, who were already lapping quicker than the leaders, abtly followed them.  Car & Driving were within a lap of the action while JP Safety Engineering were having another good day.

The action was fast and furious and the newly reshuffled Group 1 was proving to be very competitive.  Previous Group 2 hotshots, AJM Engineering, were already five laps down on the leader in eleventh place, likewise, Donovan Data Systems – another championship favourite, were another lap down in twelfth.  Car & Driving were reminded a number of times about excessive use of kerbs and Your Ideal Shop were cautioned about contact.  Conversely, Avaya’s Karen Brown made overtaking look easy while Lloyds TSB’s Peter Smith and G! Projects Gerard Foulkes battled hard but fair for a number of laps.

Foulkes in fact had some work to do.  After their earlier puncture the team were busy making up ground and by half-distance were back up to fifth and chasing points.  Trisys were on their usual routine and still had a number of driver changes to do and impressively, Your Ideal Shop, on a more conventional strategy were keeping them in sight.  The Williams F1 Karting team were also hoping to pick up some extra points if any of the front-runners fell off.  This much-improved outfit had assumed their now customary position in the top half of the field and a podium position was certainly on the cards.

Avaya Communications team 2 gave everyone a fright when their front wheel parted company with the kart through the chicane and several laps were lost as it had to be pushed the entire length of the track to bring it back to the pits.  As soon as they were safely back all eyes returned to the action at the front where G! Projects were making their final assault.

Trisys had managed to complete their final driver changes without giving too much ground away to Your Ideal Shop, but G! Projects were only a matter of seconds away and gaining fast.  Luckily for them the chequered flag was dropped and they held on to second by less than ten seconds.  Team Captain Todd Lake was delighted and described finishing runner-up as an “excellent result considering one or two skirmishes we had in the race.” He went on, “it was superb, we’re absolutely delighted. Second place is almost like a win for us, we really mean that.”

G! Projects Dave Pethers was philosophical; “We’re quite happy with third place considering we had a bit of a problem, with a puncture, which lost us about three or four laps. But it was a good day considering we were in about seventh or eighth for a little while so we’re quite pleased.”

On the top step of the rostrum Louis Lazarus was beaming.  “We’re delighted. We’ve just phoned our sponsor and told him that due to our unselfish behaviour we’ve managed to give him another trophy. The track is hard but what we did well though was not make any mistakes, all the driver changes went smoothly. We weren’t the fastest but we didn’t make any mistakes at all.”  The key to a fine win then…

 

 

Race 4 -
Round 4, Group 1 - Bayford Meadows

After some dry events for Round’s 2 and 3 the teams were faced with difficult wet/dry conditions at Bayford for the fourth event of the series. When it rained it came down in lumps but as soon as it stopped the circuit dried very quickly and the natural choice for tyres was therefore going to be slicks.

Microsoft took the first point of the day by going fastest in the warm-up period a clear 0.25 seconds away from Car & Driving who were in turn 0.52 quicker than Trisys. It was obvious that some teams were coping with the conditions better than others as for the first time this year there was an enormous gap from fastest to slowest; 8.46 seconds back to Elliott.
However bad things may have looked in practise for the first few corners of the race everyone got around in one piece. The first victim fell at Turn Four when Microsoft’s Stephen Stanley rotated into the grass losing half a lap in the process. His embarrassment was short-lived as once moving again he made up ground very quickly and soon regained his track position. The early leaders were PriceWaterhouseCoopers who used their greater downforce to the maximum. While Trisys and G! Projects may have been circulating in sub-84 seconds PWC were the next quickest with a 85.411, while everyone else could do little better than 86 seconds. Ironically the eventual fastest team of the day, AMEC, were almost four seconds off the pace on 90.045, but for them things were to improve drastically.

Trisys in fact had good reason to get a move on. After mechanical problems early on they were forced into a new kart and subsequently last place, and needed to make up ground as soon as possible. Although PWC looked very competent up front they were no match for Championship leaders G! Projects who consumed them with ease. At this point the last team on the lead lap was AJM Engineering and on their tail was JPSafety Engineering, Your Ideal Shop and Microsoft. By lap 30 Trisys had moved from last place to second and although not yet in a position to challenge for the lead they must have been astonished at just how quickly they had managed to make up the lost places. Skipjacks were only four seconds adrift at this point while Microsoft were still hopeful of getting back on to the lead lap.

The usual round of driver changes and fuel stops got underway and for a while Orbital Sounds were in a podium position. PWC had dropped back briefly but once again as the rain fell they made up ground over teams that were still racing on the conventional dry line. By half distance they were a strong third and pulling away from Trisys. When Orbital slipped out of the top three Microsoft took P2 but were unlikely to make any effect on the lead of G! Projects who were now two laps up the road.

At two hours the field was comparatively static with G! Projects leading from Microsoft, PWC, Trisys, Skipjacks and AMEC, who had by now gone nearly a second quicker than anyone else. Orbital Sounds continued to be a threat to the top teams as did Williams F1, who were still in touch with the front half of the field after losing several laps when the pusher karts were otherwise engaged.

G! Projects could now afford to back off their pace a little and concentrate on holding on to their lead, which they did to good effect. In the last hour positions were maintained, almost, as they had been an hour earlier. The main loser was PWC who lost out to Trisys in the dying minutes of the race. Microsoft were a comfortable second and fifth placed AMEC were comfortably the fastest team of the race.