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Jack Hawksworth
Jack's Racing Blog
06 Sep 2010
5:56 pm
Braga test complete now for the real deal...
I arrived back from two days testing at Braga on Saturday in preperation for the World Cup this coming weekend. I had only been to the track once before and that was way back in 2004 when i took part in my first ever International race!
The track is very challenging with a mixture of fast and slow corners and quite a bumpy surface which adds to the challenge making it difficult on both man and machine.
I think we got the maximum we could out of the two days and looking at the lap times in comparison to the other people testing i beleive we were quite quick. We still have a few issues with the chassis to iron out before the race but we should be able to sort that out in free practice. It will also be interesting to see how far the I.A.M.E factory have come with the engines since our last race together in Varennes back in June!
It's going to be an interesting race where anything can happen and im looking forward to giving everything i have got in the hope, come Sunday afternoon ill be in a position to take the ultimate prize karting!
23 Aug 2010
9:18 am
3rd in Hahn, 4th in the Championship
Arrived back from the final round of the DKM German Championship last night. It was a mixed weekend where we were able to grab a podium position but couldn't quite snatch 3rd in the championship missing out by just 5 points.
We struggled for pace in Friday practice but were able to solve our issues come Saturday morning. We had a very positive qualifying session where we qualifyed second only missing out on pole by 0.04 of a second. The kart worked well and we were relativley confident for the rest of the weekend. I finished 2nd and 4th in my heats as we struggled at little bit with the set-up on the old tyres. This left me 4th on the grid for the Sprint race the following day behind De Conto, Pex and Renauldie.
I made a good start in the Sprint race but Pex in front bogged down and i had to let off the gas, i nearly managed to get by Renauldie at the first corner but he kept the door shut and i was still 4th after the first lap. From there on it was a quite race, I kept in touch with Pex for the first 5 laps but then he had too much pace and was able to pull a gap and i had to settle for 4th.
The final was a simaler story apart from i was able to pass Pex on lap 4 and after a few changes to the chassis i had a little bit more speed than him especially in the first 8 or 9 laps of the race and I was able to pull a big gap on the guys behind. Unfortuanatley we were no match for De Conto and Renauldie who were able to pull a huge lead. I kept 3rd to the flag and ended my German Championship campaighn with another podium.
Next up is the big one the KZ1 World Cup in Braga we have a few test days between then and now to make some improvements and find some more speed to put ourselves in with a shout!
Thankyou to Maddox, I.A.M.E and my mechanic David for all there efforts in this years German Championship!
03 Aug 2010
2:48 pm
Kartmaster GP champions!
What a hectic 3 or 4 weeks its been! First of all I had thelast round of the European Championship in Varennes which was abit of a disaster in all honesty with technical problems blighting us through out the weekend. The bad weekend meant I dropped from 3rd in the championship to 6th. So we ended up 6th in the KZ1 European Championship and the first not to be TM Powered.
It was then on to Ampfing for the fourth round of the German Championship where i finished the first final 2nd and the second final 7th after we took a tyre gamble which didn't quite work out. This leaves me 4th in the championship with one round to go but a good round could still see me leap frog the Italian De Conto for 3rd.
Once back In England I drove down to Standsted to pick up my Gillard Chassis for the Senior Max Kartmasters which I had decided to enter with my British team Protrain Racing. I then tested on the Friday Saturday the week before the meeting to get use to the strange Vega SL6 tires and to optimise my set-up prior to arriving at the race meeting.
It was to be a great weekend where i could claim my first title in over a year. The Race weekend started off well we were quick from the start and right on the pace. We qualifyed second in timed practice and then scored 2 top 3 finish's in the heats. Starting 2nd in the pre-final i was able to win the race after a race long battle with John Stewart and Michael Simpson.
Having aquired the pole position me and my protrain team made a few changes to the set-up for the Grand Prix race and after a good start I managed to get a good gap and settle in to a rhythm and hold the lead to the end of the race to claim the Senior Max Kartmasters title.
It was a great result made possible by the efforts of my Dad who was on the spanners, Gary Chapman, Tim Gillard, Ogden motorsport and the whole Protrain Racing Team! After a tough year where i have worked so hard on and off the track it was great to final get the kind of result i know i deserved. It was a great result and as ever i will continue to train and test as much as possible in preperation for my next race back in KZ at Hahn for the last round of the German Championship.
11 Jun 2010
11:01 am
A bit of World Cup fever then back to Wackersdorf
Back in the U.K after the final round of the WSK Euro Series in Sarno. Unfortuanatley after some promising heats where i finished 4th and 8th we just wern't quick enough when the finals came and i had to settle for 11th and 12th in the two finals.
We had alot of issues on the circuit of Sarno again which is one of favirote circuits but unfortuanatley seems to have been a bogey circuit for our package this year.
Got a week at home now before i go to Wackersdorf for the third round of the German Championship where i hope i can build on my 2nd place at the last round.
In my spare time ill be down the pub cheering England on hoping they can beat the Yanks, and training in the gym ahead of the next race.
Come on England!
01 Jun 2010
10:50 am
Back in the frame and the podium in Germany!
Arrived back from Germany yesterday after a more than a hectic weekend where we were able to demonstrate our speed and determanation as a team.
I arrived at the second round of the German Championship with out a point to my name after the disaster we had at the first round. We also had a new chassis after logistical problems had thwarted an attempt to replace the old frame at previous races which had done far too many laps.
With the new chassis the kart felt instantly fresh again and with the improving I.A.M.E engine package looking strong on this track we showed good pace on Fridays official practice sessions.
Qualifying didn't go to plan though as an engine failure meant i could only complete a warm up lap resulting in us qualifying in 28th position and dead last.
The heats went well and i was able to finish 7th and 13th on a track notoriously hard for overtaking on. This put us 13th on the grid for the all important Sprint race on Sunday.
We woke up to rain in the morning and i seized my chance to take advantage of the conditions to climb from 13th to 3rd in the Sprint Race.
The track was bone dry and the sun was out again for the Final and starting 3rd i knew i had a good chance to get a great result. I managed to get into 2nd off the line and was starting to close in on the leader Manuel Renaudie when i made a mistake on the long fast first corner dropping a wheel on the grass and sending myself sideways allowing the leader to get a 2.5 second gap as well as falling back to 3rd myself. Fortuanatley i was able to recover back to 2nd and hold my position to the flag.
I was disapointed about my error but when your on the limit sometimes these things happen and i hope i can make up for that with some strong peformances for the team in the next few races.
Still the whole team was delighted with the result and i was happy that we showed how competitive we can be against some of the best drivers and teams in Europe.
Thanks to the whole Maddox team, I.A.M.E and Abe for the engines and my mechanic David keep it up guys!
26 May 2010
7:02 pm
Oschersleben this weekend
I head out to the second round of the German Championship this weekend at Oschersleben where hopefully we can put together a strong race and get some points on the board.
We recentley tested in Varennes Sur Allier in preperation for the final round of the European Championship. The tests were productive and i hope they can help give us the boost in peformance that we need prior to the showdown in France.
I will be pushing to the maximum as always this weekend and trying to get back on the podium again for myself and the team!
26 Apr 2010
1:40 pm
Strong couple of weeks! Now for Genk!
Well what a change a couple of months can make! The results in Sarno and Zuera have been fantastic and a great motivation for everybody in the team. Consistently at the front and always in the mix to score a good result!
First of all the podium in the first round of the European Championship in Sarno was a fantastic feeling and obviously the highlight of my season so far but since then we have managed to back it up with very strong results in Zuera making the top 5 on both occasions!
The guys from I.A.M.E are clearly working hard and although we still have a very long way to go it is already clear to see progress being made with the engine.
We still have some technical issues with the kart but I hope we can start to develop and fix some of our problems over the next few races.
The next race is the WSK in Genk where im positive we can continue are strong run of form and pick up some more points for the championship.
A quick thankyou to all the guys from PDB and I.A.M.E for there continued work I hope i can repay you with some more podiums this season!
On a quick note due to the Volcanic Ash my travel arrangements were completley screwed on the way back but luckily Steve Tillett organised a coach for the English people at the circuit otherwise i think i might still be trying to get back! But after 19 hours on a coach and i dont think i ever want to see another one in my life!
03 Apr 2010
6:00 pm
Podium at the Margutti and promise in Lonato
After a disapointing start to the season in La Conca where we struggled for pace at the first round of the WSK things have started to get better. We recently finished 2nd in the Margutti Cup in Castelleto and were amongest the fastest in dry conditions. We also proved this wasn't a fluke in Lonato where we demonstrated good pace all weekend. Unfortuanatley it was a weekend plagued with mechanical issues and reliability problems for one reason or another.
However we are still working to improve to the material and the team as a whole. I still beleive that we can acheive something this season, we are starting to collect the pieces of the puzzle, once we put them together then im sure we will be strong. The next race is the first round of the FIA/CIK European Championship in Sarno. The competition will be tough i hope we can rise to the challenge and be protaganists once again. It wouldn't suprise me that alot of our rivals may already have written us off but stranger things have happened in racing and we will fight to the maximum.
27 Feb 2010
4:45 pm
Ciao from La Conca!
Just got back to the hotel in La Conca. Have been testing since Thursday. Chassis seems to be working well at this track and were improving the engine all the time. We have been on old tires for the last 2 days but the times seem quite good.
We have a day off tomorrow then back to the track on Monday for the start of the official WSK Test.
23 Feb 2010
6:14 pm
The season is finally here!
Tomorrow I fly to Italy for some final testing on Thursday and Friday in la conca before the first race of the wsk next week at the same circuit. The next 7 weeks will be hectic to say the least with 5 races in close consession. With the limited testing we have had it certainly won't be easy but hopefully we will be able to develop quickly in the first few races and climb are way up the grid. I don't expect miracles but i do beleive we can be reasonabley competitive. I have kept myself fit and sharp over the winter and now I can't wait to go racing again! Bring it on!
13 Feb 2010
6:07 pm
1 Month to go!
Under 1 month to go before the WSK season starts at La Conca. Iv been working hard despite the bad weather making it difficult to test. I spent 2 days at GYG a track in Wales working on my driving and fittness to make sure i keep sharp ahead of a few in important tests and the start of the racing season.
I concentrated on long runs of 25 laps trying to be as fast and as consistent as possible.
Hopefully the days will pay off and i look forward to letting you know how i get on in my next few tests with the team in Europe as we carry on our preperations for 2010 with the weather finally starting to look better.
24 Jan 2010
5:12 pm
First test of 2010 complete
We continued our preperations for the forthcoming season on wednesday and thursday. Testing was cut short on Wednesday due to some technical problems but after going back to the workshop we managed to return to the track on Thursday in Genk raring to go.
Despite the bad weather we managed to get a good balance with the chassis and once again the I.A.M.E engine proved to be reliable and quick.
I fly back out to Holland on tuesday for another 2 days of testing where we hope the weather will be a little kinder and we can continue the good work.
Everybody in the team is really motivated and were all looking forward to the challenges ahead! Bring it on!
18 Jan 2010
4:26 pm
Back to business on wednesday
Flying out to Holland tomorrow before we get back on the track in Genk for the first time in 2010 in preperation for the season ahead.
We will carry on from where we left off in Castelleto and concentrate on the development of the chassis and engine.
Hopefully we can collect alot of data and learn some things.
Im looking forward to getting back in the seat and keeping sharp for the season ahead.
I have been training hard back in the UK and am really looking forward to working hard with the team and getting a step up on our rivals.
06 Jan 2010
10:55 pm
Snow! Cant wait to get back in the seat!
Shame about all this snow had to abandon a test in Genk that we had planned due to the bad weather. Hopefully it will disapear swiftly and we can get back to business as soon as possible. Eager to go racing again! Feel like its my first season in karting again bring it on!!!
03 Jan 2010
1:32 pm
Happy new year!
Hope everyone had a great christmas and new year. In December i got my first taste of the I.A.M.E engine at Castelleto in Italy. I am very pleased to say that i was highley impressed with both the material and the professional mannor of the way the whole team worked.
I am very excited for the new season and looking forward to fighting at the front all the time not only for myself but for the Maddox and IAME team.
I have already started training for the new season and look forward to getting out on the track again in the coming weeks and developing the chassis and engine in to hopefully race winners.
I also spent the week running up to Christmas testing with the young Italian Driver Alessandro Latif who races for the Protrain racing team in the Jnr Max category. Aly equiped himself well and made alot of progress, hopefully 2010 will be a successful year for both of us.
Keep checking back for more updates on the my pre season activitys!
29 Nov 2009
1:04 pm
First taste of the Maddox!
I got my first taste of the Maddox chassis this week when i tested for the first time with me new (old) team at Genk.
We were very lucky with the weather and got a dry track all day when everywhere else in Belgium appeared to be raining!
I completed over a 120 laps in the 1 day test and was extreamley happy with the balance of the chassis especially the traction off the slower corners was immense!
It was great to start working with the guys from the team again and i look forward to alot more testing with them over the next few weeks!
24 Nov 2009
9:01 pm
Genk Testing on Thursday
Im just getting ready for my flight to Holland tomorrow where the team is based before heading to the Genk track on thursday to get my first taste of the Maddox chassis. Im looking forward to getting back out on the track and to start to build a strong relationship with the team. Ill let you know how it gos!
18 Nov 2009
11:28 am
2010 Maddox and I.A.M.E
Im happy to confirm for the 2010 i will return to the PDB Racing team as the KZ1 driver for the Maddox chassis and I.A.M.E engine. Im looking forward to working with everyone again and im sure that we will make a strong team capable of being serious contenders in all races.
I will race in the KZ1 World Cup, KZ1 European Championship, WSK and DKM German Championship.
I will test my new equipment for the first time next week.
I will also conduct some Rotax races in England for Gillard over the winter.
The Maddox chassis is only 1 year old but has already shown results in the KF categorys and 2010 will be the debut for the iame KZ engine famous in the KF categorys. So we have a very young team with alot of potentiol but with the right experiance and technical expertise in the team we will be able to fight at the front.
I would like to thank Energy for there support in the 2009 season we didnt acheive the results we would hope but still we had some good times with the triumph at the Margutti Cup being the highlight. I have met some good friends in the team and i wish them all the best for 2010.
17 Nov 2009
10:59 am
2010
After along break of nearly 7 weeks iv nearly finalised my plan for the end of 2009 and 2010. I am optimistic for 2010 despite what has been a very difficult last 4 or 5 months of my 2009 season. I hope i can regain my confidence and form and come back much stronger in 2010. I will reveal my 2010 plans shortly.
Check back soon for official press release.
Jack Hawksworth
17 Sep 2009
11:09 am
Zuera moments away
The final race of the European season comes to a close for th KZ class. Ill be looking to end the season on a high and take as many points as i possibley can i hope to be able to fight for the top 10 and possibley the top 5 we will have to wait and see.
31 Aug 2009
11:00 am
Superb tests in Italy preperation for the World Cup complete
I conducted 2 days of testing last week at Lonato in Italy where we tested engines and chassis over the 2 days. I wont go into much detail of what exactly we were testing but overall the test was a complete success i was happy with the chassis and engine and also with my driving which i beleive was back to its best and as good as its ever been.
The time was extreamley quick which we were doing and im very happy and excited for the my chance at the World Cup next week.
We have the equipment and the driver now we just need to make it happen i look forward to it.
24 Aug 2009
4:52 pm
Ready for the World
Iv just arrived back from Germany where i was racing the final round of the German Championship the goal was to help my team-mate win the championship as misfortune in previous rounds had hindered my progress in the championship. I was blighted with illness for the majority of the weekend and was finding it hard to keep my concentration and strength because of the sickness. I had a 5th and a DNF in my two heats. I had to start the Sprint race from 16th on the grid and with the chassis working very well i was able to pull off some nice overtaking manovers as i worked my way to 5th position at the chequerd flag. This meant i would start 5th for the final i made a good start and was up to fourth before i was then reovertaken on the exit of the first corner and forced back to 6th as i got toe the half way point of the first lap i felt a kart hit my rear and it bent the axle and i was out. This was disapointing as i thought we had the pace to at least make the podium at a minimum despite my health and other problems we had overcome during the weekend. Despite the disapointment of the result it was a nice warm up before the World Championship in 2 weeks where i will have my chance to shine. Tomorrow i will head out to Italy to test in Lonato with my new mechanic and pick the equipment for the World Championship we have a really exciteing package for this race and im so excited for the opertunity the team are giving me for this race this is my time to peform and i know im ready to step up to the occasion and let the world see my talent shine, my training has been relentless for this event and i well and truly can say im ready. watch this space............
09 Aug 2009
5:53 pm
R.I.P Thomas Knopper
On this very sad day where a talented rival Thomas Knopper was unfortuanatley killed in an accident at the German karting championship, my deepest sympatheys are with the family and friends of Thomas and the entire AVG Racing team.
21 Jul 2009
12:12 pm
Salbris time to peform...
Its back again the third round of the WSK for the KZ class will take place this weekend at Salbris (France). Im currently 5th place in the championship but with all still to play for i hope that we can make a step forward and start to challenge the top guys in dry conditions. Results have been poor the last few races where i have struggled for pace due to a broken part in the German championship at Ampfing where i finished 3rd and a overall lack of speed in the Euro Champs. I have done some testing since then though and we are confident we have found alot of speed which should enable me to take the fight to Tonykart, Crg and Birel.
I really hope this weekend can produce the results that will be able to give me the lift to get my season back on track if everything is working i know i can peform.
23 Jun 2009
7:52 pm
Last throw of the dice for KZ2 European Championship title!
This weekend will be the closing round of the FIA-CIK KZ2 European Championship in Wackersdorf (Germany). The championship is raced over 2 rounds contesting of 2 races at every round.
Unfortuanatley for me i didnt have a strong first round struggling with the kart and finishing 4th in Race 1 and 11th in Race 2 after an incident.
This means i have to have a strong last 2 races and hope the guys in the top 3 slip up.
I know what i have to do and as always im confident i can do it. To win the championship will be a tall order but i beleive in myself and the team and you can count on one thing ill either win the championship or ill go down fighting 120% till the flag.
15 Jun 2009
4:38 pm
Lessons learnt after up and down Genk WSK
Arrived back home after a very turbulent weekend at the second round of the WSK in Genk.
We struggled for pace during the practice and heats and qualifyed 19th for the first final but the heavens opened before the first race and in the wet the chassis was perfect and i was able to come through the pack to finish 5th.
The track dried up for the second race but with many changes to the set-up we were hopefull of a good peformance on slicks also. The kart was wonderfull and i was expeceptionally quick sliceing my way through to second behind Ardigo by the 7th lap. Unfortuanatley it all went wrong though as i made a mistake hitting a wet patch after pushing too hard and fell back to 6th. I started to push harder to try make the ground up i had lost but with the track only having one dry line the harder i pushed the more mistakes i made. I failed to keep my cool and finished 9th. I felt sorry for the team as they had worked so hard to give me the equipment to run at the front i have learnt alot of valuable lessons from that race. I plan to bounce back and make up for my mistakes in Genk by winning the European Championship at my next race in Germany in 2 weeks. I currently lie 5th in the WSK Championship with 2 rounds to go. More to follow so check back.
14 May 2009
5:07 pm
Testing in Lonato big step forward
I have just arrived back from Lonato where i worked with the team and Rizzi to develop a package that would suit my style of driving and help me to victory in my next races.
Things went extreamley well and i was suprised at how good the equipment really was. The guys have done a fantastic job to produce something i can feel comfotable with and drive very fast.
I feel like i win all the remaining races with these new developments including the World Championship. Im starting to feel at home in the team and i will strive to repay there on going faith in me and there hard work with as many victorys and titles as possible.
I expect to be well and truly back in business at the next race.
Great job guys bring on Germany!!!
11 May 2009
9:23 pm
2nd at ADAC German Championship
Hey guys i have just arrived back from Germany where i have been competeing in the second round of the ADAC German Championship at the circuit of Wackersdorf where the final round of the European Championship will be taking place.
We did the event to gain some experiance of the track and gain some knowledge on the set-up for the kart.
Practice went well and i was fastest in most of the sessions. Qualifying didnt quite go to plan as i qualifyed 3rd missing pole by 0.07 of a second after hitting traffic in the wrong part of the lap. 3rd still put us in with a good shot for the 2 finals though.
Starting 3rd for the first final i kept my position through the first few corners and breifly took 2nd from Roland Ecker but it was to be short lived as i struggled to get the temprature in the tires and fell back quite quickly. I was able to come strong towards the end of the race though and finished a close 3rd by the flag on a scant 0.01 off the fastest lap of the race.
We made some set-up changes for the second final and i was hopefull of gaining some pace. I made an average start and helf 3rd again but we still hadnt solved the problem of the tires not getting up to temprature quickly and in the first few laps i was 0.6 slower than the two leaders i lost a lot of ground but once the tires came on the chassis and engine was very good and i was able to push very hard to catch back up i took 2nd place half way through the race before chasive after the leader Ecker i ran out of laps unfortuanatley and finished a close 2nd but set the fastest lap by nearly 0.2 of a second along the way.
The good points to take from the weekend are that we are extreamley fast at this circuit and with some upgrades coming for the next few races if we can solve our problem in the first few laps then we are going to be very hard to beat im sure.
Great job from the guys as always and thanks to Energy Corse and Jedi Racing for there support.
27 Apr 2009
10:17 am
10 Second penalty and bad luck ruins first round of German Championship
Just sat in the hotel in Germany waiting to go to the airport. Had a disaster this weekend only one week after having bad results at the Euro Champs.
I qualified 3rd in qualifying on Saturday and duly finished 3rd and 1st in my heats. This would put me on pole position for the pre final and we were finally starting to look really fast taking the fastest lap in the final heat. Unfortunately i was protested for contact with Pex and had to take a ridiculous 10 second penalty when it was him who had cut across me and sent himself wide. We tried to protest the decision but the officiating of the event was disastrous and they said they had lost the video of the incident therefore had to give me the 10 second penalty because the team mate of Pex said i had pushed him. Complete bullsh*t to say the least.
The penalty meant i would have to start 12th on the grid instead of 1st and on a track which is near impossible to overtake on i knew that i would now need a miracle to challenge for victory.
We were rapid in the prefinal but i had to settle for 7th after charging through the pack only to have Solgat turn in on me and bend my axle and allow a few drivers back past.
I started 7th for the final and made and excellent start off the grid but the guy in front nearly stalled and i had to slow to avoid him unfortunately the idiot behind me did not and went straight into the back of me bending the axle and the front end i therefore had to limp back to the pits to retire.
So overall a rubbish weekend due to shocking decisions by the officials and damn right bad luck. A big shame because i know if id started at the front that i was extremely and would have won the race.
I hope i can get my season back on track with a win at the next round of German championship in Wackersdorf i have a few weeks to prepare and im going to come back fresh, stronger and fitter. The results mean i am nowhere in the championship table so i have nothing to lose and everything to gain i wont be taking any prisoners and only a win will do.
21 Apr 2009
7:18 pm
Euro champs disaster but it aint over till its over!
Im back in the UK now after a disapointing start to my European championship campaign. We headed into the event as favirots but technical problems hindered us from taking victory.
We have analysed what went wrong though and now confident we can get back to winning ways this weekend at the first round of the German Championship.
Everybody in the team has already started working extreamly hard to get back on track for the next race at the factory in Italy and also i have been straight back to training today.
We know we have the material and the right group of people to take victory at any race. This is a blip and for sure you can count on us to be back in business for this weekend.
As for the European Championship i currently lie 6th in the championship but its by no means over i will go to the final round in Germany and win both finals and if we have a little bit of luck it should be enough to take the title.
Before that we have the first round of the German Championship this weekend with many of the top drivers and teams racing it wont be easy but for sure we will once again be at the sharp end.
18 Apr 2009
4:30 pm
Update from Euro Champs
Just finished for the day here in La Conca. After struggling in the the practice we have made alot of progress and qualifyed 8th overall out of 102 in yesterdays qualifying.
Iv started each of my heats from 3rd on the grid and have finished 2nd 2nd 2nd and 3rd we have one more heat left tomorrow.
I set fastest lap in 3 out of my 4 heats but we still have a few issues mainly on the first few laps of the race everybody in the team is working really hard to solve them.
I am confident about the Finals tomorrow i know we have a really competitive package on the new tires and if we can get through the final heat and solve the issues im sure we will be very hard to beat in the finals.
13 Apr 2009
7:24 pm
European title chase starts this weekend
The start of the European Championship is to commence this weekend at the International circuit of La Conca near Brindisi.
Me and the Energy Corse factory team have prepared for the event well and i hope we will be rewarded for our efforts.
After the victory in the Margutti cup the entire team is in high spirits and i beleive we have the equipment at our feet to get the job done.
I have faith in myself and the team what is certain is we will be giving 120% effort to be on the top step of the podium.
24 Mar 2009
8:13 am
Margutti Champions!
Hi guys i arrived back from Italy yesterday after me and the Energy Corse - Flykart team triumphed at the Margutti cup to continue what has been a fantastic start to the 2009 season for me and the team.
Id just like to say a big thanks to everybody in the team for providing me with the best equipment to show my talent.
Everybody is doing a great job at the minute and this is showing on the track but now we must work even harder to keep the momentum going to capture more race wins and titles.
I now have a couple of weeks break before i return to testing at La Conca in Italy in preperation for the first round of the European Championship the following week. After that we will head to Germany for the first round of the German Championship.
I am confident we can once again fight for victorys in these up coming races.
17 Mar 2009
7:33 pm
Leaving for the Margutti
Tomorrow morning ill be back on my way to Italy again to contest the 2009 Margutti Cup.
The testing we did last week went well and i feel confident we can once again fight for victory at the front.
Ill try keep you all updated as the week gos on.
11 Mar 2009
8:01 pm
Testing in castelleto then Margutti Cup
Back to Italy tomorrow to test at the castelleto circuit in Italy this Friday in preperation for the Margutti Cup which takes place there the following weekend.
It will be a good chance to learn the circuit and try some things out with the chassis and engines to find a good set-up for the Margutti Cup the week after.
Im hoping we will be able to put in a really strong peformance again and keep the momentum we have going at this race in which i beleieve we can win if we get everything right.
There is no doubt that the team and I will do the best job possible and i look forward to what should be an interesting test and race.
Ill let you know how the test gos when im back on Saturday.
Ciao
09 Mar 2009
6:47 pm
WSK Sarno - Cruel look denys final podium but 2nd in Prefinal proves pace of 09 Package
Just got back from Sarno Italy after the first round of the WSK Championship.
The entry list read like a whos who of karting and with all the best drivers and teams in attendance it was going to be tough race and the first real test for me and my Energy team.
We were quick all weekend and after strong heat results of 6th 2nd and 2nd i lined up for the pre-final on grid 2.
From here i was able to turn it into a 2nd position at the flag behind the winner Bas Lammers.
The final was a story of what could have and should have been. I made a strong start and was in 2nd after the first lap. Dreezen took the position off me for a brief period but once my tires came on I was able to retake the place and pull away from the chasing group of Dreezen Renauldie and Ardigo.
With four laps to go i was in 2nd around 0.8 of a second behind Lammers when the Chain broke and i lost all drive meaning i would have to retire.
Me and the team were both gutted but realised that what we had acheived and the pace we had meant we were going to be strong competitors and with everyone working flat out to go even faster we are sure that we can challenge for the titles in all the championships this year.
I have to thank all the guys at Energy for giving me the equipment to challenge for victory as well as Rizzi Tuning and my mechanic Mattias. Everybody did a great job and if we can keep working like this then i am sure we can win alot of races this year.
The result in the Pre final means i currently lie 5th in the overall standings for the WSK.
07 Feb 2009
12:36 pm
First America then Europe!
In just over a weeks time i will be flying back out to he United States to compete in the second round of the FWT Championship where i hope to retain my position at the top of the championship table.
I hope we can make some steps forward before the race as i know our rivals will be working very hard.
Once i return from the USA i will have a day to recover before flying out to Italy to try conquer the first round of the WSK in Sarno.
23 Jan 2009
12:13 pm
Job done in Miami
Well we started the season strongly last weekend at the Miami Homestead speedway.
It was a double header with qualifying and race on Saturday and then the same agan on Sunday.
We had some problems with the starts on Saturday and that hindered my race and meant 2nd was the best we could hope for with Alex Speed capitalising on my problems at the start.
Thankfully for Sunday we sorted the problem out and we were back in business.
Qualifying went well i qualifyed pole by nearly 0.2 of a second the energy chassis working beuitfully on the new tires.
We then went on to win both Finals ahead of Tonykarts driver Alex Speed the rest of the field were quite a way back.
We now lie 1st in the Florida Winter Tour Championship and it was a great way to start my season with Energy. I feel settled in the team now and i look forward to a really successfull season with these guys.
Id like to thank Mattius and all the guys from Energy and TM who made the results possible.
Im due to conduct some tests in Italy shortly before heading back 2 Florida to race in the second round before the WSK kicks off at Sarno in March.
Ill keep you updated.
17 Jan 2009
2:53 am
Live from Miami Update
Hi guys just to let you know racing starts tomorrow its a double header so we have quayliying in the morning then the race in the afternoon pre final and final.
Things have been going well we have a few areas we can improve on but im confident we are in a good poisition for a strong race.
Fingers crossed ill let you know how it gos tomorrow.
08 Jan 2009
7:54 pm
Season starts in... Miami!
Some exciteing news. I will kick my season off next week at the Miami Homestead Circuit in Florida. It will mark my debut not only in the states but also with my new team Energy Corse.
I am looking forward to race and have a really positive feeling.
Hopefully the winter training has payed off and i can start the season as i mean to go on with a win.
I look forward to working with the team and i hope to repay there faith in me with a victory on the other side of the pond!
05 Jan 2009
10:24 pm
Happy New Year
Happy new year everyone hope you all had a good time over the festive period.
Over the last week or two iv really started to prepare for the new season iv been in the gym nearly everyday working on my physical fittness and been out on my new Energy chassis on 3 occasions.
The chassis is really nice to drive and i have managed to find some settings that really seem to work for my driving style. This has only boosted my confidence in the equipment and material that Energy Corse produce.
Over the next few days i hope to announce my schedule for this month and will continue to work as hard as possible in order to be right at the tip of the sharp end comie the start of the season.
Check back soon for more news!
13 Nov 2008
7:25 pm
Thank You PDB Racing Team
After a month of thinking i have decided to leave the PDB Racing team an pursuit another path for the 2009 season.
I would just like to say thankyou to Peter, Marco, Arte and the rest of the guys from PDB for all there hard work over the 2008 season and i appreciate everything they have done to try help me acheive the results we both wanted.
I hope we can remain on good terms and i look forward to competing against you in 2009.
I have moved to the Energy Corse Race Team. More to follow keep checking back.
31 Oct 2008
11:24 am
SGM Test Lonato
Iv had a busy week. Last week i spent down in Northampton with my English team Protrain Racing training a young driver of there Alexander Latif. I spent the 3 days driving round in a mini max kart with him which was good fun. I also managed to blag a go in a 250 before i went which was a good experiance. Beleive me those things are really fast!!!
It was good to work with the Protrain team and my old team manager Gary Chapman again there a great set of guys and i look forward to working with them again shortly.
After 2 days to relax, I flew out to Italy on Sunday to conduct some tests with the SGM engines at Lonato in Italy. The travelling was a bit of a nightmare as the flights were booked late so i was forced to get a connection via Madrid before finally heading to Milan was a blag. Ah well. On the bright side the testing went well the guys from SGM were good and i felt the engine was really strong and an improvement on the TM. I think that the times were cometitive and despite some problems i encounterd with the chassis i beleive the package was quite good. The main are of concern is the chassis as although it is competitive it lacks stability under braking and the front end is quite pointy. From what iv heard though the new chassis has made great gains in this area.
Id like to thanks all the SGM guys and PDB for making the test possible.
Although im yet to have committed to any team as of yet, i hope to announce the team i will drive for in the next week.
12 Oct 2008
6:50 pm
2009 Starts Here
Iv had a week to reflect on the 2008 season and think about where my future lies in 2009. Im pretty confident i know where that is.
I hope to finalise my 2009 plans in the next month and then start the build up to the 2009 season so that i can be well prepared to try become World Champion.
Ill let you know as soon as everything is sorted out.
p.s A great GP today Alonso what a legend!
06 Oct 2008
6:55 pm
Spanish Disaster brings curtains down on 2008!
Iv just arrived back from the last major race of the 2008 season the WSK in Spain.
The weekend was the most challenging of the season for me. The circuit contained lots of long fast straights and we suffered from a complete lack of power. Bottom end to Top end we lacked what was so critical at this circuit.
We qualifyed 13th and in the first heat we were up to 10th but on the last lap the engine seized and i didnt finish. In the second heat i finished 12th this left me 19th on the grid for the pre final. I was into 12th in the pre final after a great start but i suffered with really bad understeer and a complete lack of power again this left me open to attack and i was punted off by Gallepe whilst in 13th meaning i finished 21st. We sorted out the chassis for the final and although we couldnt change the engine we were much much quicker. I made a good start and was into 10th before i tangled with Ardigo and fell back to 30th this left me with alot of work to do i finished 21st very disapointing the only small consolation taking the 5th fastest lap of the final showing how strong the chassis was even when the engine was struggling.
It was ashame for me and the team to finish the season in this way but still there are so many positives to take from the season. Podiums in the European Championship and a winning the German Championship round at Ampfing are my highlights.
I would also like to say welldone to Renauldie and his SGM team on there podium this weekend it shows the progress they have made and i look forward to testing the SGM in coming weeks i hope this can give me what i need to challenge for the podium and wins in KZ1 on a consistent basis.
A special thanks to my dad who has worked hard all year and the rest of the team, Peter, Arte, Jack, Marco, Tim and everyone who has made the results this year possible. I hope that i can repay them with many more wins and one day by winning the World Championship in KZ1. In the next few days i explore my options for 2009 and i look forward to testing the SGM Engine as well.
09 Sep 2008
8:35 am
Fighting back at Varennes
The final round of the European championship was the perfect time for me and my PDB team to show what we are capable of and the potentiol we have for the future.
The weekend started badly we made the wrong choice with set-up for qualifying and i ended up 28th on the time sheets. Fortuanatley during the heats we got the set-up a bit better and i was able to make progress from 12th on the grid to finish 3rd 3rd and 5th in my heats but unfortuanatley in my final heat my water pump broke and the engine temprature went sky high and i was forced to retire.
Still with some good results it left me 11th on the grid for Race 1 and with all to play for i went for it. A good start left me 7th after the first lap and then it was time to get the hammer down. I was struggling with engine power and was losing quite big chunks up the main straight. I knew i would have to be commited on the brakes if i was to make my way through. I went for it and was quickly up into 3rd by lap 6. I then set about chasing down Lavanant and Jansen but with out the nesseray power to eat into there advantage i did not have the nessecceray laps to pass despite being hooked up underneath Lavanants bumper on the last lap. Still 3rd from 11th was a good result and with the pace i had it was clear i would be the favirot for Race 2.
I didnt make the best of starts but managed to keep 3rd and slotted in behind Jansen through the fast right but with Lavanant getting a flyer off the line i new i had to pass Jansen in the next few corners to keep in touch with the leader. I managed to stick it down the inside of Jansen into the hairpin. Lavanant had a little gap after the first lap but i managed to close that down and on lap 3 passed Lavanant to take the lead of the race. I knew at this point that i had the pace to pull away and win but it wasn't to be as 3 corners later Lavanant ran straight into the back of me forcing me into a spin and off the track.
Everybody saw this and for whatever reason it happened i do not know but in my eyes this showed why Lavanant was not a worthy champion.
Anyways this left me dead last and 100 meters behind the guy in second to last. People who know me know i never give up though no matter what happens so i just got my head down and started turning on the style. I made some ridiculous lunges on my way back through to 16th overtaking 17 people in 13 laps.
It wasn't the result we all hoped for but me and the team once again showed that we were the class of the field in kz2 coming back from 28th in qualifying to a podium in race 1 and leading race 2 before we were taken out showed just what we were capable of and how fast the Gillard Chassis can really go. Despite all this the best bit is... there is alot more to come.
19 Aug 2008
1:03 pm
Varrennes Test
Only 2 weeks until the last round of the European Championships in Varrennes. So its down to the French track this week to gather as much data as possible to get the maximum result in the overall standings. After the bad luck at the previous round in Mariembourg when i started 3rd but was taken out and finished outside the points in both races it is now impossible to win the championship. The highest i can finish is 2nd but i will need Lavanant to have a bad race for this to be possible. 3rd place is very much in my grasp though and assuming i can win both races i should finish 3rd at the least in the championship.
Im looking forward to the test and to the race, we have quite a few things to test which should give us a peformance advantage and hopefully earn us a couple of wins to end the championship on a high note.
Ill let you know how the testing go's.
Cheers,
Jack
05 Aug 2008
9:20 pm
Testing at Rowrah
After a couple of weeks out of the kart it was back to the circuit on Monday this week when i tested at Rowrah in Cumbria. The track was damp in the morning but started to dry out as the day went on. The track was greasey but the chassis felt decent at the end of the day and i was able to lap consistently quickly. The main objective of the day was to test the engines though and this went very well a few adjusments to the engine settings seemed to help us improve our lap times by 0.2 of a second. This is very promising and a jump of 2 tenths would be very valuable indeed.
Im happy with the progress that was made and i now look forward to the up and coming tests in the next few weeks in the build up for the final round of the WSK and European Championship.
24 Jul 2008
6:36 pm
Ready for Sarno!
This coming weekend will see the third round of the WSK take place at Sarno in Italy. I tested at the circuit last week despite tricky conditions and really hot tempratures i think we did a good job in preparing for the race.
I feel in perfect condition to take on the challenges that will present themselves in the races and i want nothing more than to walk away from this race with a stack full of points a big grin on my face and a podium placing.
I have a feeling that this will be the weekend where can i make the jump from the top 10 in the WSK to the top 3. The equipment feels good, i feel good and i know that together we can fight really hard. I want to bounce back from the disapointment in Mariembourg and prove im one of the best in the world... I cant wait!
24 Jul 2008
6:36 pm
Euro chances slashed
One of the worst weekends to date, it would seem i have no luck or little at all at this circuit. The weekend started off strongley i qualifyed 2nd and finished 1st 1st 1st 2nd and 2nd in my three heats.
I lined up third on the grid for the first final and on the new tires i was confident of an easy win.
It wasn't to be though as Energy driver number 238 hit me in the second corner the third corner and then out of the third corner side swiped me when he was in the position to just overtake me. It wasn't suprising that he was the pole man and championship contenders team mate, Tony Lavanant. Disgusting tactics. The damage was to much and i had to come retire from the race.
This left me on grid 34 for Race 2. I made a decent start in this race but it was short lived as the guy in front of me span which caused me to take to the grass and fall back to 34th from there i managed to work my way up to 16th but the kart didnt feel quite the same as it had done previously.
I am now out of the running for the championship crown thanks to some unfair tactics from a rival team but i hope to return at the last round and win both races on a track where i will have done some testing at before the event. With this in mind i am sure of setting the pace and hopefully taking the wins.
16 Jun 2008
5:35 pm
Fantastic win in Germany!
What a great result from a weekend which at first looked like it would be extreamley difficult to even touch the podium.
It was the third round of the highley competitive German Championship at Amphing and with a number of Europes top KZ1 and KZ2 drivers entered it would be another chance to make some good progress.
Practice didn't go that well and i struggled for pace and was probabley around 10th quickest on the Friday test day.
A few changed to the chassis on the Friday night though allowed me to qualify 5th out of the 39 drivers and then go on to finish 3rd and 2nd in my two qualifying heats which would mean i would start 4th on the grid for the pre final the following day.
Beutiful weather greeted us on Sunday morning and it was down to business for the Pre-final. I made a good start and was able to make my way through to first to win the pre final despite some pressure late on in the race from Rick Dreezen.
Starting the final from Pole position i didn't think i had the pace to win but i was hopeful of a podium position.
I made a good start and held the lead for 7 laps until Bas Lammers passed me and i fell back to 2nd. I kept pushing though and with Rick Dreezen behind me i new it would be important to get back in front of Lammers to avoid being overtaken by Dreezen. 3 laps later i passed Lammers back and Dreezen followed me through from there onwards i was able to hold off Dreezen and Lammers to take a superb win for me and the team.
A big thanks must go out to Tim Gillard, Andy Fairless, PDB Racing Team, Ian who mechaniced for me and of course my dad.
Thanks guys.
10 Jun 2008
1:26 pm
The fight back from bad start.
What a strange weekend. Ill make this nice and short before a full report and stuff gos on the website tomorrow.
Basically we arrived in Belgium for testing on Thursday and Friday. The weather was horrible and it rained continusly for the duration of practice until qualifying came around and it dryed up!
I had never driven the circuit in the dry before, the chassis was brand new that i would use for qualifying and had never been tested before and to add to this i had to run a piston in during the session.
This left me 37th out of the 65 drivers in qualifying from there on in it was going to be a fight to recover.
We made progress in the heats starting 20th in every race i finished 11t 12th and 25th after i received a 10 second penalty for not lineing up on the grid correctly. In other words some the officials screwed up.
This meant i would start 2nd in the Repercharge i came through this comfatabley and started 29th for the Pre-final i made big progress initially until i was helped off the road by some geezer on a Energy kart i then had to come back through to eventually finish 22nd.
The final made up for the bad day though as i had the most fun i have ever had on a race track battling my way through the pack with a quick package which enabled me to pass some of the big names on my to 12th position.
We had the pace for the top 5 which is superb considering the circumstances, but a bad start to the weekend hamperd us.
Make no mistake it may not have been the best result but now that i no the track and have an idea with the setup i am confident i can clean up at the European Championship in 3 weeks time at this circuit.
27 May 2008
12:55 pm
Genk test prior to Cruicial Race in the WSK
With the second round of the WSK less than 2 weeks away it was important to keep trying to make progress and push the limits to try gain an edge over our rivals at this crucial stage of the season.
To help with the cause i spent two days testing in Genk last weekend working mainly on chassis set-up on the Vega White tires which are used at the WSK Championship.
Previous to this test we had done some work with the engines and i beleive we have found a possible 1 tenth there but i can't be certain until the WSK.
After the peformance at the European Championship I hope we can now gather momentum can progress and devlop quicker than our rivals and i hope that i and the team can see the top step of the podium in Mariembourg. We need this to be in the fight for the title.
10 May 2008
10:32 pm
Euro Champ clips online
Now then people though i would let you know there is a few videos from Race 1 and Race 2 from the first round of the KZ2 European Championships quality isn't that good but check it out if your intrested...
Race 1 - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5bebh_chpt-deurope-a-angerville_sport
Race 2 - http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x5bf9v_chpt-deurope-a-angerville_sport
Have fun!
06 May 2008
9:04 am
2nd in Final 2 at the Euro Champs but a feeling of what might have been. . . . . .
What a weekend we had in Angerville, fastest from the word go in every practice session and winner of all my five heats and looking good to take the wins in both finals. The Gillard chassis was superb and the AFR TM racing engines were great everything was looking good and i beleived i could win the first final from pole position. I did, infact i won by 3.9 seconds but it wasn't to be the perfect start to my European Championship debut as i was given a 10 second penalty for jumping the start which relegated me to 7th. For sure this was very disapointing as it would have been a great feeling to have taken the 25 points and the top step of the podium. Unfortuantley it wasn't to be and i just focused on making my way through in the second final.
It was going to be hard as Angerville offers little overtaking opertunitys and i new i would have to really go for it if i was to make the podium. The start wasn't great and i lost a place as i got boxed in by the guy in front. The next two laps i played it safe and made sure i didn't park it up after that I went for it and managed to make my way back through to the front and by the end was all over the leaders tail finishing a strong 2nd from 7th on the grid. I gave it my all and was happy with my peformance the material was superb and it gave me the opertunity to show what im capable of. For this i would like thank Gillard Racing karts, PDB Racing, AFR engines, my dad and ian for mecanicing for me and helping me with the setup.
I now lie 3rd in the championship overall but i think i marked myself out as a clear contender for the championship. It was a weekend where i was handicapped by a mistake off the start line but this result shows the strength and the pace we have and for sure i have the opertunity to win next time out at Mariembourg.
Cheers
Jack Hawksworth
29 Apr 2008
10:59 am
Convincing win at Fulbeck now for the Euro Champs. . . . .
Had a good weekend at Fulbeck at the first round of the KZ1 NKF Championship. I was useing the meeting as a shakedown for the opening round of the European Championship this weekend.
Practice was up and down with some good sessions and some not so good sessions where i struggled with the kart on the kerbs through the chicane.
We ended the day knowing that we were around 3 to 4 tenths quicker than British championship leader Tom Duggan who was always going to be quick.
Race day dawned and a 1st and 2nd and DNF meant i had to start 5th for the final. I got a good start and picked off the front two Duggan and Huyton pretty quickly. By lap 5 i already had a decent gap so backed it off to the flag to make sure i kept it on the road and take the win. A good weekend was rounded off by setting the fastest lap of the day at a 38.38 which was 4 tenths quicker than anyone else.
This weekend is the big one the first round of the European Championship in France. 104 entrys and tough competition is going to make it extreamley tough but after a good result there at the WSK against the worlds best i feel we have the potentiol to go for the win.
Hopefully we have found a little time since last time we were there and if th is is the case then we will be fast, very fast.
I think we can win and clear off!
16 Apr 2008
11:33 am
Cruel Luck but Big steps forward in Germany!
After the success in France the previous weekend I headed out to Kerpen in Germany for the first round of the German championship. Im not competeing in this championship but used the first round as a test session in preperation for future races.
In the races we had extreamley bad luck. We qualifyed a solid 5th out of the 47 drivers and were 6th in the first heat but from then on it turned into a disaster a huge crash in the second heat and an exclusion from the pre-final for my rear bumper falling off meant i started P 30 for the final. Worse was to follow as the bearings in my front stub collapsed and i was left with huge understeer probelms this made the kart extreamley bad and hard to drive. We came through to finish 14th which in the circumstances was an very good result!
On a more positive note we learnt alot about the kart especially in qualifying trim and on new tires. In the first heat we had the pace to win if not more pace than everyone else but a lack of straight line speed stopped me from overtaking. We did a 43.0 whilst the fastest lap of the race was a 42.9. Bearing in mind we were stook behind the guy in 5th and could have gone much quicker in free air this was a very good point to take from the weekend.
The results don't show that we made any progress infact if anything they would indicate we went backwards but this is racing and to win for sure sometimes you need to have the luck this weekend we didn't have that but what we did see were significant improvements with the pace of the kart in full dry conditions. The CRG and PCR driver had at least a tenth to 2 tenths of a second on us in Angerville i beleive we closed this gap considerabley over the course of the weekend in Kerpen and this shows we made some steps forward.
Back in December we were 0.7 off these guys we can now challenge them and if we can keep the progress going could soon be able to beat them. It might be in one race or it might be in three races but for sure things will only get better and i know that everyone is pushing hard to give me the best possible package to beat these guys.
Lets see what happens.... Roll on Angerville! (First round of European Championship)
08 Apr 2008
9:19 pm
France one week Germany the next!
After a couple of days to reflect on the weekend and my own peformance it looks like im going to be back in action this Friday at Kerpen in Germany!
Few updates on the website coming a new picture for the homepage which looks awesome so keep checking back.
Points table up for WSK Drivers championship and Teams championship. It's a good feeling to be one of the 17 out of the 72 who have at least scored a point lol
Currently lieing 9th in the standings alot of work to do before the next round but a few things to try so I and the team will hopefully be pushing for the podium at the next round.
Before that its off to Germany for the first round of German championship i won't contest the full championship but intend to use this race as a extra test session.
Some top drivers are going to be there so it will be tough. Hopefully we can find some time and push for the win.
It wont be through lack of trying thats for sure!
08 Apr 2008
9:26 am
Great start and more to come!
Well what a great weekend. All the laps and testing had been building up towards this first race of the season in Angerville for the first round of the KZ2 WSK Championship.
First of all it was a great experiance and to be racing against the top names in karting like Ardigo, Thonon, Lammers, Laudato ect ect ect it was great fun. The racing is so hard and aggressive which makes for some great moments on the circuit.
We made a very positive start to the season and were reasonabley quick through practice and were constantly inside the top 15 out of the 72 drivers.
In the heats we had a 13, 7 and 2 in which we could hav easily won the heat if i hadn't hit a wet patch on slicks and spun round which allowed Ardigo to come back past!
The finals were great as it was full dry in both the first final and second final which enabled us to see where we were in pace order. In the first final we started 7th and had some good battles at the front in the second part of the race we were extreamley quick and were able to pass Piccini for 7th and catch the leading group up. Finishing 7th meant we scored 4 points for the championship which was great considering it was the first round.
The second final didn't go quite to plan as i got fired at the start and dropped back to 13th with a bent axle. I managed to get past my team mate Renauldi and then Piccini before the end of the race though which meant I finished 11th and once again grabbed some points which could prove decisive towards the end of the year.
We now lie 9th in the standings and we proved that the Gillard/TM package has good potential to be right at the front if we make some progress. We have a few new bits and bobs to try and if we can find 2 tenths then we will be challenging for the podium places on a consistents basis at this level.
Id like to thanks PDB Racing for a brilliant job, my dad for mecanicing and AFR for the engines.
Thanks guys!
Check back tomorrow for some more news.
30 Mar 2008
11:47 am
Final Test
After a few days back in the United Kingdom since the Angerville test i was back on the ferry to Holland to visit the PDB factory and sort a few things out on my race chassis.
I spent all day Friday at the factory as we prepared the race kart adjusting it to how I like my kart set-up.
After the day had finished we set off to Genk and the following day did a full shakedown on the kart to make sure everything was working fine.
A few adjusments to the chassis set-up and the kart was working perfectly.
The lap time was also good with a 52.8.
All the testing is now over and hopefully all the work will pay off as i go for the win next week in Angerville at the first round of the WSK.
Check back to see how i go.
23 Mar 2008
10:20 pm
Final test at Angerville
Spent Thursday to Saturday preparing for the first round of the WSK in Angerville. My god its a long drive!!! Took almost 12 hours to get there and even longer to get back thanks to heavey winds which closed the port at Calais for five hours!
On the track things went well. The first two days the kart felt ok but we struggled to dial oversteer out of the kart during this time. The kart was unsettled on the rear so on the final day we made some crucial changes which seemed to solve our problem. Conditions varied with a few showers meaning our dry testing was limited. Fortuanatley we managed to make some good progress on the last day and i now feel confident that the equipment will work well at this circuit.
Next outing is in 3 or 4 days at Genk in Belgium where we will make a few final adjusments to my race chassis before heading off back to Angerville next Wednesday for the first round of the WSK.
Check back soon!
16 Mar 2008
6:09 pm
3 Weeks to go......... Bring it on!
Well its been a pretty boring couple of weeks. Not much to tell you about really. Did a test day at Shenington yesterday just to shake down the data logging before we head out Angerville in France this Wednesday for a two or three day test depending how quickly we get the kart dialled in.
The season is closing in now but it just seems to be taking forever to get there!!! Can't wait to go racing again and making my debut in the WSK is something im very much looking forward to.
We are better prepared than we were in Germany two weeks ago and we know that we have the pace in the dry and the wet. For sure we have learnt from our mistakes in Germany which cost us the victory.
Hopefully we will get the kart nailed in Angerville this weekend so that in 3 weeks time it will be all systems go as i aim to kick of the WSK campaign with a victory.
I can't wait bring it on!
Also what a great Grand Prix and superb drive from Hamilton!
03 Mar 2008
11:23 am
Kerpen highs and lows
Well it was back to racing last weekend in Germany. After some very successfull testing in Genk and Angerville we beleived that we now had the speed in the dry conditions to challenge for the win. We were correct. In practice we were very fast and come race day rain or shine we would be in with a shot at victory.
The Race meeting runs a strange format where by you have three seperate races and who ever does the best in all three of them wins.
It was wet in the morning and we were very quick i qualifyed on pole position by 0.5 of a second. I won the first race. But the bearings in my stub collapsed in the second race and i also had a spin this meant we finished 7th. In the third race we had fixed the stub but the front left tire was now in serious trouble and we were plagued with understeer. We finished 5th in the race.
It is ashame about the stub because we never got to show are true pace in the dry on race day. But it is good to see we have made big steps forward and i look forward to the coming test sessions and races.
24 Feb 2008
9:54 am
Weekend off!
I'v not really been up to much since the Shenington race meeting, so just having a chilled out weekend.
We did how ever take delivery of are new rolling chassis on Friday which will be ready for the Winter Cup in Germany next weekend!
Can't wait to get back on the track and looking forward to a strong race.
Ill keep you informed on how i get on in Germany.
Check back soon.
17 Feb 2008
10:29 pm
Shenny Win
Just got back from Shenington race meeting. Had an eventfull day won the first heat binned it in the second heat started 12th for the final and won. Crazy lol I'll come back with a better blog tomorrow when im not so tired! haha Just wanted to say the Gillard chassis and AFR engines were awesome and also thanks to ProTrain Racing.
Also the Dunlop DCH is a great choice of tire for the KZ1 class its quick and durable and it makes perfect sense to run the class on this tire.
Im off to bed!
Check back tomorrow!
10 Feb 2008
5:34 pm
Angerville
Got back from Angerville earlyer today after two days of testing. Angerville hosts the first round of the WSK and European championship so it was important to find a base set-up for the kart prior to the big meetings at this excellent circuit.
The weather was great and it was dry on both Friday and Saturday, the sun was bright and there wasn't a cloud insight.
The first day we were plagued with problems with the Alfano and data logging. We also had trouble with chassis with constant lack of grip and oversteer problems. I ended the day in the gravel trap after my front right stub snapped into the chicane!!! lol
We decided to give Tim Gillard a ring to see if he had any ideas on how to solve some of the handling problems. Fortuanatley he did and on Saturday morning the Gillard chassis was doing what it does best... going very fast.
We had been running on French tires on the Friday but swapped to the Dunlop DDH tire (European Championship tire) for the second half of Saturday. The chassis was very good on these tires and i felt the kart showed alot of potentiol. There were some difficultys under braking but we can work on that.
PCR team AVG racing were also testing and I had a some fun in the final test session of the day battleing with there driver Joey Hanssen.
I learnt alot about the circuit and the chassis over the weekend and we are getting quicker everytime we visit the European circuits. For sure there is some work to do but i beleive that with the PDB Racing team, Gillard chassis and the AFR TM racing engines i can fight for the wins in the European and WSK championship.
We set off home at 6 and got back home at 2.15... I dont think i had ever been as pleased to see Bradford before! haha
Had pretty relaxed day today watched abit of Hollyoaks and went to the gym for abit.
My next European test will probabley be at Mariembourg in the next week or 2 so keep checking out the blog.
See you around!
28 Jan 2008
2:26 pm
Lucky weather and great testing!
Wow! What a weekend i must have coverd over 180 laps of the Genk circuit over the three days!
Im back home now and I thought i would let you all know how Saturday and Sunday went.
I was greeted by blue skys as i woke up on Sunday morning and was looking forward to getting my hands on the chassis that i would be racing in the European championships this year and trying out the factory SGM motor.
Testing went well and the kart handled wonderfull for most of the day thanks to the help of Nick De Bruijn and my Dad. We made some progress with the SGM motor through out the day and finished the day with a fast time of 53.32 which for this time of year is very quick. It must also be said that AFR have done a superb job with there TM engines and they were extreamley fast!
The last session on Saturday was also fun as i battled with ex Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen and my Junior Max rival Jorrit Pex who were also testing KZ2! I had a good battle with Jos on one lap where i overtook him but he lunged me at the next corner and he couldnt stop before the grass! lol
Also special thanks to Nick De Bruijn who helped with the kart all day Saturday.
After 2 days of hard testing i knew that Sunday would be more relaxed and that we could just have a play around with the set-up having done all the hard work the previous 2 days. We changed a few things with the chassis and stook some new tires on Sunday morning and did a 52.88! The kart was awesome and we were signifcantly quicker than the other KZ2 who were testing.
I beleive we took some massive steps forward this weekend and i now feel that we are in a real position to win. There is alot of work still to do but im confident that it will be a great year.
Thanks to everyone from PDB for building my kart up and getting it to the circuit.
Keep checking the Blog out!!!
Cheers,
Jack
25 Jan 2008
9:02 pm
First blog.......Genk test!
My first blog! The idea is to update my blog regurley to keep you all up to date with my latest news when im away at tests and races. Hopefully it will give you a good insight into what International karting is all about!
Plenty to write about today. Set off to Genk last night on the Hull Rotterdam ferry and arrived in at 9 this morning. Before we went to the track we called in at the PDB factory to get a seat fit for my 2008 kart. We spent about 30 mins there before lighting it down to the circuit in the van.
It was dry all day and I got a really good feel for the Vega White tires by the end of the day building my confidence lap by lap and pushing that bit harder. The amount of grip that these tires can offer is phenomanal!
We found out some good things about the chassis and worked well with setup.
Anyways after a long hard day I have just had something to eat and now I need some sleep. I will update the Blog hopefully before Monday to let you know how the rest of the test gos!
Cheers
Jack
