MOTORS TV ROUNDS 5 & 6, JUNE 2ND & 3RD 2007

Feedback from Mike on Friday was that he was driving well, but the engines seemed down on power. The team tried 4 different ones and 4 different carbs, but Mike was visibly losing 3lkart lengths to the faster drivers on the main straight, and then catching 4 lengths back on the twisty section. The TEC-MEC kart was set up almost to perfection, with just one bend where it possibly flexed too much in the warm summer sun. In the end the team felt that the flexing was causing the brake to engage too soon and thus scrub off too much pace and 'bog down' coming out of the bend. A modification has already been suggested and will be tested at Kimbolton this weekend.

Back to the Saturday performance. Mike was second fastest in qualifying, missedpole by 1/100th of a second. Seeded 6th place in the championship meant he started on the 8th row of the grid 16 karts back. An excellent start behind the pace car meant no karts were lost at the first bend, and within just 4 laps Mike was upto 4th place. An rare error by the experienced George Lovell, caused him to turn in on Mike as he passed him and as the TV footage shows, Mike ended up with a bent axle and front steering through no fault of his own. Mike then drove in this hampered condition until the end to secure 10th and some valuable points.

Race director Alan Taddei said after the race 'It was unfortunate and hard luck on Mike Comber who deserved to win his first Motors TV round. He had the pace and got to the front quickly and should have walked away with it. Unfortunately the racing incident ruined his race, but on this evidence his first win could be at Lydd next month.' Mike was obviously very upset to have travelled so far and driven so well, but lady luck seems to have deserted him in 2007.

On Sunday with the kart repaired as best as it could at the race track, Mike qualified 5th fastest, just 1/10th off pole. The kart really needed to be re-jigged, but once agian in the race he again started on the 8th row, but this being more cautious of the slower drivers he slowly worked through the field taking few risks, and secured the points for 4th. The nett result, is that Mike comes away from the meeting in 5th place in the championship , just 10 points behind 4th place and within 20 of the leader, which means that with 4 rounds to go and almost 500 points available, an overall championship win is still possible.