Our next test weekend is fast approaching Friday 19th-21st July. Slit between Ellough Park Raceway Norfolk and Wildtracks Suffolk we should have a good weekend.
The new R4 Tillett Rib protector will be in full test mode so lets hope its not overly challenged this time! The curb riders and running heights will will be properly adjusted so this should help.
Dean & Adie will be setting the karts up on Thu for an early start Friday morning I'll be hacking down the A17 (oh joy) and the rest of the guy's will be joining us over the weekend. Hopefully this dry patch will last and we will get some good running.
I'll aim to get some more video footage and stills to post after the weekend. If you have not seen it yet have a look at our first video and leave a comment if you like it (or not)!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5BMWD9iXJ4
If you get the chance come and join us on the Friday or Sunday, more the merrier.
Friday, 12 July 2013
Monday, 17 June 2013
What Rib protector ?
After a some-what abrupt end to a weekend of karting a couple of weeks ago with the addition of a fracture to my rib cage, I have decided to do a little research into the world of Rib protection. A totally non scientific study into what is on the market, how it can help protect you, how they work, and then finally cost.
I should also add I was wearing rib protection with my incident and can't help but think it could have been worse if I was not wearing said protection? or did it actually add to the problem?
The details of my accident are I think quite simple, exiting a tight anticlockwise hairpin onto a start finish straight I lost traction on the exit of the corner and the kart slammed sideways into the end of the tyre wall, spinning me around (see footage from rear camera @ 1min 55sec in our new video). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5BMWD9iXJ4
The impact forced the weight of my body 90 degrees to the right and the top of the seat created an extreme pressure point on one of my ribs creating the fracture. As I understand the rib protector is used to dissipate the point of pressure over the whole ribcage therefore moving all the ribs together and not disengaging one, which happened with me.
The rib protectors as well as helping with impacts also help with the extreme forces the body endures while simply racing karts, spreading the load the seat can put on your ribs on each corner of each lap. As we all know it can be very physical racing karts with extreme changes in direction at high speed creating G-forces that test the whole body especially ribs and hips.
Here are 4 different makes of rib protector available from http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/karting/body-protection they range in price from £41.00-£121.00 + vat
The Sparco --- http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/karting/body-protection/sparco-spk-3-rib-protector
The Alpinestars --- http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/karting/body-protection/alpinestars-bionic-rib-support
The OMP--- http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/karting/body-protection/omp-carbon-rib-waistcoat
The Tillett--- http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/karting/body-protection/tillett-ribtec-r4-rib-protector
After looking into the options Its my opinion that any protection is better than none and generally the more you pay for the protection the better it gets, talking with racers and people in the industry while researching this the overall thinking is the new Tillett R4 takes a lot of beating. However, it is only protection and not a guarantee of safety, motor-racing can be dangerous and the occasional accident and circumstance can go against you but in general any protection has to be a good thing.
I have just put my order in for a new Tillett R4 `i'll let you know how I get on if my ribs are better by our next outing at Ellough Park Raceway in Norfolk on 19th July.
I should also add I was wearing rib protection with my incident and can't help but think it could have been worse if I was not wearing said protection? or did it actually add to the problem?
The impact forced the weight of my body 90 degrees to the right and the top of the seat created an extreme pressure point on one of my ribs creating the fracture. As I understand the rib protector is used to dissipate the point of pressure over the whole ribcage therefore moving all the ribs together and not disengaging one, which happened with me.
The rib protectors as well as helping with impacts also help with the extreme forces the body endures while simply racing karts, spreading the load the seat can put on your ribs on each corner of each lap. As we all know it can be very physical racing karts with extreme changes in direction at high speed creating G-forces that test the whole body especially ribs and hips.
Here are 4 different makes of rib protector available from http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/karting/body-protection they range in price from £41.00-£121.00 + vat
The Sparco --- http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/karting/body-protection/sparco-spk-3-rib-protector
The Alpinestars --- http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/karting/body-protection/alpinestars-bionic-rib-support
The OMP--- http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/karting/body-protection/omp-carbon-rib-waistcoat
The Tillett--- http://www.demon-tweeks.co.uk/karting/body-protection/tillett-ribtec-r4-rib-protector
After looking into the options Its my opinion that any protection is better than none and generally the more you pay for the protection the better it gets, talking with racers and people in the industry while researching this the overall thinking is the new Tillett R4 takes a lot of beating. However, it is only protection and not a guarantee of safety, motor-racing can be dangerous and the occasional accident and circumstance can go against you but in general any protection has to be a good thing.
I have just put my order in for a new Tillett R4 `i'll let you know how I get on if my ribs are better by our next outing at Ellough Park Raceway in Norfolk on 19th July.
Sunday, 2 June 2013
Video of Wildtracks karting test weekend May 2013
The full weekend at www.wildtracksltd.co.uk/karting in May gave ample chance to take photos and video of the thrills and spills of Rotax Max karting. View the link for the video and leave feedback if you like it, or not.
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5BMWD9iXJ4
Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5BMWD9iXJ4
Saturday, 25 May 2013
A cracked rib
Just to confirm the little off I had on Sunday has been confirmed as a fractured rib, which is quite sore especially when you forget about it.
Well you live and learn, make sure you alter your chassis running heights when you add curb riders or this could happen to you!
Should have plenty of time to mend before our next session which isn't until 19th July.
Well you live and learn, make sure you alter your chassis running heights when you add curb riders or this could happen to you!
Should have plenty of time to mend before our next session which isn't until 19th July.
Thursday, 23 May 2013
3 Day Karting Weekend at Wildtracks Norfolk Day 3 part 2
After my minor incident with the tyre wall my ribs were a little sore so I decided to take a few pictures and video instead of banging them around any more in the karts, so my loss will I hope, indeed help the blog.
Here are some more stills from the weekend.
Here are some more stills from the weekend.
Adie out on track in the Wright Kart getting quicker and quicker:
Dean in the playstation Cosmick, lifting the rear wheel coming into the corner at the end of the main straight:
Dean closes in on Steve but finds it hard to find a way past:
Steve in his CRG, enjoying a quick kart and good reliability:
The morning was pretty good but we had a few problems with some of the karts throwing chains, stripping sprockets and binding brakes again.
More problems with more than one kart throwing chains:
A binding break, the disk had moved on the axel of the Tony Kart, one of the disc carrier bolts had sheared:
One dead sprocket, when they go they go! :
The "Evil" Tony Kart that launched me off the track!
Adie Steve & Fiona discus Tony Karts and fractured ribs:
Then it was time to run the Birel again after fitting a new sprocket and chain. Dean and Steve set up the Micron 4 before heading out again:
The final session starts, all out on track, Steve gets a run on Wiley:
Fiona takes to the track in the Tony Kart:
Dean gets his head down in the Birel and sets the best time of the day, a 29.3s lap, good effort! :
Steve takes the final flag of the session:
Video from the session still to come....
Tuesday, 21 May 2013
3 day Karting Weekend at Wildtracks Norfolk Day 3 part 1
The third part of a 3 day weekend of karting at Wildtracks which took place Friday 17th - Sunday 19th May, involving testing, building, rebuilding, repairs, fast laps, wheel to wheel racing, minor incidents a few sore ribs but a lot of fun.
Sunday 19th
Early start today, alarm at 6:15, thats pretty early for us Yorkshire folk after a midnight finish. Getting karts, tyres, wets, overalls, spares, video cameras, still cameras and a big cuppa tea ready! Loading up, checking tyre pressures and we have a flat, make that 2 flats, great start! Adie and Fiona get to us for 8:15 and we set off for Wildtracks by 8:45, 15mins late.
Steve and Wiley are at the track when we get there with Steve's 2 CRG Karts, Its sunny and warm:
Sunday 19th
Early start today, alarm at 6:15, thats pretty early for us Yorkshire folk after a midnight finish. Getting karts, tyres, wets, overalls, spares, video cameras, still cameras and a big cuppa tea ready! Loading up, checking tyre pressures and we have a flat, make that 2 flats, great start! Adie and Fiona get to us for 8:15 and we set off for Wildtracks by 8:45, 15mins late.
Steve and Wiley are at the track when we get there with Steve's 2 CRG Karts, Its sunny and warm:
We unload all the karts and get them on stands for final checks. Dean and Adie work on the Birel its looking good:
Its time for Adie to get out on track with the Wright Kart:
Steve & Wiley on track:
Dean on a flying lap:
Now for the first minor problem, I (Pete) went out in the Tony Kart with "newly fitted curb riders" after a couple of laps to warm up I opened it up on the final corner coming onto the start finish and duly slammed into the tyre wall without hesitation, owwww.
As stated on an earlier blog we are all beginners at this and what I did not realise is that an additional 5 or 6mmof curb riders means that effectively the chassis is lower to the ground, and when it touches the main track (not the curb under racing conditions it breaks your tyre traction and you head straight to the scene of the accident. At this point i'm not sure but it looks a lot like a cracked rib, as I said before owww. That was my days racing over :(
As stated on an earlier blog we are all beginners at this and what I did not realise is that an additional 5 or 6mmof curb riders means that effectively the chassis is lower to the ground, and when it touches the main track (not the curb under racing conditions it breaks your tyre traction and you head straight to the scene of the accident. At this point i'm not sure but it looks a lot like a cracked rib, as I said before owww. That was my days racing over :(
More
Day 3 to come..........
3 day Karting Weekend at Wildtracks Norfolk Day 2
The second part of a 3 day weekend of karting at Wildtracks which took place last Friday 17th - Sunday 19th May, involving testing, building, rebuilding, repairs, fastest laps wheel to wheel racing minor incidents a few sore ribs but a lot of fun.
Saturday 18th
A full day of repairs, building, rebuilding and prepping the karts at Dean's. Adie Steve Dean and I worked all day to prep the karts for Sunday. The strange sound from the engine turned out to be a cracked clutch plate, which led to identifying a second clutch problem on the cosmic, two for one :(
Saturday 18th
A full day of repairs, building, rebuilding and prepping the karts at Dean's. Adie Steve Dean and I worked all day to prep the karts for Sunday. The strange sound from the engine turned out to be a cracked clutch plate, which led to identifying a second clutch problem on the cosmic, two for one :(
We also worked something else out, Karts are designed for 13 year old boys and although non of us are exactly big in the butt department we all need extra large seats, except for Dean who thinks he still is a 13 year old boy!
Next we worked on the new Birel, with Steve's help it was a relatively painless affair, everything but the rolling chassis came from the Cosmic that had developed the unidentifiable vibration the day before. The Birel runs a really nice brake system with a floating disc, I must say when it was finished it looked a pretty cool kart.
Michele, Dean's wife and my sister, kept us fed and watered all day until we eventually finished at midnight. Thanks Sis x
Sunday still to come + lots more photographs and videos from the full weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)