So what is there to say about the 2013 WA Karting Titles in Esperance… For me the results were sandwiched between two close calls that might have ended very badly. On Wednesday I decided to stop and check the wheel nuts on the trailer, for no other reason than I couldn’t remember if I had tightened them properly after replacing the wheel bearings. Result: one wheel had busted three of five studs off completely. Luck or Lack of preparation? The result could have been a disaster. Two hours to fix but better that than possibly wrecking car and trailer. On the way home on Sunday night near Perth on the Brookton Highway at 1.30am John Brennan, Anthony Higgs and I hit a small kangaroo and damaged the car a little. This only moments after missing his big brother who would have caused some serious damage. We were only going about 80kmh with all the roo’s about when two cars with trailers from our karting family flew past at speed. I could only think that we might be the next to arrive at an accident scene to find a newly crowned State Champion and his dad wrapped around a tree. It got me thinking about family. We all think it will never happen to us. It just might on one of these trips after a long tiring weekend of racing and the want to get home in a hurry. Getting home an hour later at a reasonable speed is far far better than not getting home at all…. Please consider! I started to think about the whole karting family in WA after that. I’m pretty grateful that I’m stupid enough to still be hooked and fascinated by this crazy pastime. Every month or two we all rock up to a circuit somewhere and pick up on relationships with those in the karting family like it was only yesterday. There are many people that you might only see once a year but you can sit down at the end of racing and have a quiet drink and a chat just like it was last week. That’s nice. We got to know a number of people and families over the Esperance weekend that we hadn’t ever spoken to before. We see them often, give a casual Hi or nod to but never introduce ourselves. It seems only when you are pitted around each other that you form a new friendship or two. I guess racing and practice only takes up minutes over the entire course of a weekend. The hours in between are an important opportunity to meet new friends and tell lies. I have many friends in karting, some closer than others but I appreciate them all. I don’t think I have many enemies; I’m not that kind of person. In terms of my effort over the weekend, if I look in the mirror I can say I gave the best I had. Realistically to qualify so far up the front was very surprising. To be able to match it over the four heats in the company I was in was satisfying in itself. I had one chance to win on the last lap and if I had a bit more mongrel in me then I might have had a crack. But I raced fair and square and wanted to stay out of some the shenanigans that went on over the heats. I can sleep at night with my results. Nuff said on that front. I have a number of people to thank publically who helped me. Firstly my old mates John Brennan, no better race buddy to travel with. (Even if we did get lost on the way home. haha) As Bugs Bunny used to say “I knew I shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque” Thanks to Flatout Karts for my engine, Shar, BD, Megsy, Webbo and all of the extended Flatout family all who offer advice, parts and assistance even to this old fart in an old kart… I have to thank Steve Moran who transported his Bmax to Perth from Geraldton for me to use at the state titles, along with the Davis’s and the Clarks they fed me with information and encouragement throughout the weekend. Much appreciated you guys. I also need to thank Anthony Higgs; this guy helped anyone who happened to ask for assistance over the weekend. Along with Ash Pittard they pulled John Brennan’s kart to bits on Thursday night in an effort to find more speed. I know he did the same for Nathan King and many others. Thanks mate, one of the sports nice guys!!! All up a satisfying weekend, remember to say Hi to those who you wouldn’t normally when you’re at the track. Congratulations to everyone who placed and won State Titles, they are to be cherished. They are so Frikkin hard to win... right Webbo? See you all at the DASH!!!! Happy Days!!!
Posted on: Tue, 08 Oct 2013 07:12:42 +0000
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