THAI ROTAX MAX CHALLENGE

Thailand was host to the Rotax Max Challenge which ended about a week ago. It was held at the Sarabuli karting circuit. For some great shots at the event, click here .




For those interested, saraburi is a province located north of Bangkok, and anout 30km north east of Ayudthaya, along national highway 1. It is a 1.3km long, clockwise track. Definately somewhere worth visiting if in the neighbourhood.

Checking out the pit

After a needless day of toil at the office, i took a little trip down to the site of the future F1 pit. By chance, it appeared that there was a racing/ motorsports themed even being held in the vacinity of the f1 pits and the Singapore flyer. For F1 fans out of the country, here'a a first look at the fixtures, pit lane and garage where the action will take place! Right underneathe the world's largest spoked bicycle wheel!

Singapore Flyer - located next to the pit building













Singapore Grand Prix - Pit Entrance



























Pit Entrance - Lights that will illuminate the world's 1st Grand Prix







































Close up of the lights that will line the 5km route













Singapore Grand Prix Pit Building













ING Renault - Alonso's Car



















Glimpse of the Pit Garage before the installation of facilities

working on weekends

Took my kart out again this weekend for a dust off.
It's an "arrow" brand 125cc from Australia. As usual, much was learnt from the trial and error while following rather vague instructions from manuals and online sources, while attempting to service our karts.






Order of the day:

1) change coolant in the radiator
2) change the counter balance gear oil
3) wheel alignment
4) fire her up
5) test drive
6) go for "Wine and Dine" BBQ




This is where, on the engine, you are required to top the engine oil. On the side of it, there are 3 screws. The bottom most is to drain out all remaining engine oil. Depending on the model of your engine, one of the remaining 2 allows you to level off the engine oil in the engine after you have flushed and topped it off with new engine oil.







Ideally, a funnel would have made the job easier and less messy but hey, meeting up with friends in an oil soaked, white T-shirt and greasy hands gives off a manly appearance.











Pictured here is the aforementioned screws on the side panel of the engne block which controls the amount of engine oil inside. Pictured here are the 2 relevant screws, with the remaining third hidden from view behind the bar of the kart frame.
Removing either of the screws allows the engine oil inside to flow out until the desired level has been reached.


Flushing the radiator was a little more straight forward. Basically, the radiator has to be drained and then flushed throughly with some of the new coolant liquid which you intend to use.


Aligning the wheels took a little more time than the other tasks.
First, we had to determine if the front tyres were toe in or toe out. The back wheels had to be aligned to the end of the axle as well. More in pictures in the next post on this.....

Motorsports is an inherently dangerous activity.. yadda yadda

We have all heard about how dangerous motorsports can be. We sign our lives away and allow go kart operators to disclaim all liability. However, most of us have probably managed to walk away from go kart accidents with motor skills intact (pun intended). It might have been an expensive experience but definately not quite the one way ticket to down under, down below, 6 feet deep.

In any case, found an entertaining clip showing how you can make yourself the most talked about event at any go kart race. For the rest of us, it's a reminder to wear your nomex go kart suit, don your carbon fiber rib cage protector and fastening the velcro on your karting shoes before pushing the pedal to the metal. enjoy..

Ventilation

Ever feel hot under the collar while racing under the blazing South East Asian sun?

You feel breathless; as though Yokozuna, the WWF wrestler from the 90s was sitting on your chest. At the same time, your breath feels stifled, enveloped by your suit; not too different from how you would feel with Yokozuna's flabby fatty buns leaking around the sides of your body in a torpid mortion as he continues to sit on your chest.

Many a time in this very desperate situation i have attempted to maintain my race line while frantically grabbing at the velcro seam on the front of my go kart racing suit and making a futile attempt to yank the zipper down.

While going through the camping/ outdoor section of a local super mart, i came across the answer!!! Attach those frabric / nylon zip extensions or as i found online, some more fashionable alternatives.

Race Suits, Gloves and Shoes

I have been contemplating the purchase of a new go kart racing suit and proper shoes for sometime now. My red "off the rack" ones from queensway are quite purpose built.


Looking through some of the offerings, i have decided that a high cut pair with "suede upper with lining" is important; providing good ankle support and comfort. A double velcro strap keeps the shoe in place and tight around the lower calf. The sole has to be well attached to the shoe proper with no glue oozing from the seams and extending up and around the heel. There are so many similar shoes purportedly for racing these days however construction of these shoes seem only to have fashion as a priority. A big complaint i have with these shoes are the thickness of the soles in some cases. A proper racing shoe should have a thin, soft sole to enable the racer to feel the pedal.


A good racing suit should make you feel more confident and push you as a driver. It gives you peace of mind that you are adaquately protected in the event of an accident, allowing you to walk away to race another day. With this assurance, you gain the confidence to test your limits.

BUT, which race suit should i buy? Do i need CIK approval? I currently have a basic suit bought off the internet. It looks nice, and it makes me sweat like a pig. Perhaps this warrents further investigation.....



Gloves; what am i really looking for in a pair? Knowing that life would be extremely inconvenienced if these appendages were to cease full functioning capabilities, it is no doubt important that protection in the form of go karting gloves be worn. Preferably, it should be made of suede or similar kinds of leather. This makes it tough yet light and durable. Cloth tends to weaken and eventually tear with repeated rubbing against the steering wheel. Gloves that extend over the cuffs of your sleeve are also recommended. Above all, comfort. The glove has to fit properly and be able to breathe. You wouldn't want sweaty palms to be the first impression when you top the go kart race and claim the race queen as your prize....

Changing tyres in under 30 secs

I recently came across a video, uploaded onto the internet, of a person beading, removing and replacing a go kart tyre. Granted he appeared to be endowed with arms that would put hydraulic machines to shame, we (JOSHUA of OB Racing and I) decided to put our combined mettle to the test or at least demonstrate to our go karting compatriates how normal humans can perform the same task.

1) Remove tyre from vehicle and place on the floor face up.

2) Unscrew the air tight screws from the inner tyre rim walls.

3) Push down on the sides of the tyre, bending or pinching the surface of the wheel that when being driven comes into contact with the tarmac. Push it as far down as you can. As these tyres are tubeless, the seal around the wheel and rim will be very tight.

4) When you have managed to create some space between the rubber tyre and the metal rim, you will need to apply a soap solution to lubricate and loosen the seal. This assists the beading of the tyre and is an essential aid.

5) You may use a tool as a lever to wedge the rubber tyre away from the rim. You will have to

be very careful not to scratch the rim or damage the rubber tyre. For this reason, i suggest to refrain from using a screw driver.

6) Push the rim down and pull the rubber tyre over the rim.

7) To replace the tyre, push the rim down into the rubber tyre. Remember that you will need to use the soap solution to lubricate the trye and rim to make the process easier, as the tyre rubber is very inflexible.

8) Once the tyre has been pushed around the rim, you will wonder how to properly align the rubber seal with the rim. We will use air pressure to "pop" the wheel into place.

9) replace the air tight screws but screw it just enough to be flush with the metal surface or the rim and not past it, as it will impede the rubber tyre from snapping into place.

10) Inflate the tyre slowly, using soap solution as lubricant between the tyre and rim. WARNING, DO NOT USE YOUR FINGER TO APPLY THE SOAP SOLUTION. The tyre can snap into place at any time, pinching or even slicing off your finger.