Although the weather was mixed during the weekend, the end result was a 9th place in the final round of the National Championship, which secured Mike a seeded number for 2008 should he decide to continue in karting. Foe his first senior season this was an excellent performance particularly as he spent the first five race meetings developing the TEC-MEC chassis.
It was clear at the British Open held at Shenington in August that with all the TEC-MEC drivers finishing well down the field and only Mike getting anything like a decent run in the final, that he had to try an alternative. Last month he used a JKH for the first time for England, and then at the recent club meeting Mike was very quick, so he stuck with the second hand chassis we bought earlier this year.
The TEC-MEC chassis was the main reason Mike lacked straight line speed and the JKH solved that problem, but he still felt that his motors lacked the pace of the front runners and if he does race in Super 1 again, this will have to be an area of improvement. Suffering from a heavy cold, Mike couldn't regain his qualifying pace from Saturday, but he did enough in heats 1 &2 to secure top 10 finishes, and was well placed in heat 3 when he was driven over on the second lap of eight and his rear bumper and exhaust became removed. Mike returned to the pits and his team did an excllent job of getting new items fitted within a couple of laps so he could rejoin and gain valuable finishing points.
In the final, Mike progressed well and was on his qualifying pace which let him gain positions, but with an 18 lap final, the kart started to lose grip after lap 8 and so he slipped down a few places, knowing that a top 10 finish would secure his status as a seeded driver. Considering there are over 500 TKM drivers currently racing, to get another top 10 finish is a fine achievement. Hopefully with some sponsorship in 2008, Mike will aim for a higher finish.
Thanks for help this weekend go to Josh his mechanic and David Klaassen his manager. Unfortunately Billy Baxter who is the junior TKM driver in the Klaassen team, just missed out on a seeded place for 2008, but with youth on his side, he has the potential to improve in 2008.
Just one meeting left for 2007 and that is the Motors TV last couple of rounds at the end of the month at Hoton Park close to Liverpool. The circuit is a new one so no one has the advantage of driving too much there. By then we hope to have a fresh race motor thanks to the new TKM regulations and barrels.
It was clear at the British Open held at Shenington in August that with all the TEC-MEC drivers finishing well down the field and only Mike getting anything like a decent run in the final, that he had to try an alternative. Last month he used a JKH for the first time for England, and then at the recent club meeting Mike was very quick, so he stuck with the second hand chassis we bought earlier this year.
The TEC-MEC chassis was the main reason Mike lacked straight line speed and the JKH solved that problem, but he still felt that his motors lacked the pace of the front runners and if he does race in Super 1 again, this will have to be an area of improvement. Suffering from a heavy cold, Mike couldn't regain his qualifying pace from Saturday, but he did enough in heats 1 &2 to secure top 10 finishes, and was well placed in heat 3 when he was driven over on the second lap of eight and his rear bumper and exhaust became removed. Mike returned to the pits and his team did an excllent job of getting new items fitted within a couple of laps so he could rejoin and gain valuable finishing points.
In the final, Mike progressed well and was on his qualifying pace which let him gain positions, but with an 18 lap final, the kart started to lose grip after lap 8 and so he slipped down a few places, knowing that a top 10 finish would secure his status as a seeded driver. Considering there are over 500 TKM drivers currently racing, to get another top 10 finish is a fine achievement. Hopefully with some sponsorship in 2008, Mike will aim for a higher finish.
Thanks for help this weekend go to Josh his mechanic and David Klaassen his manager. Unfortunately Billy Baxter who is the junior TKM driver in the Klaassen team, just missed out on a seeded place for 2008, but with youth on his side, he has the potential to improve in 2008.
Just one meeting left for 2007 and that is the Motors TV last couple of rounds at the end of the month at Hoton Park close to Liverpool. The circuit is a new one so no one has the advantage of driving too much there. By then we hope to have a fresh race motor thanks to the new TKM regulations and barrels.
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