Just a quick update on how things are going:

I had a very successful test at Winton last Friday.

We made a lot of changes to the car during the off season. We practiced on second hand tyres, and we went more than half a second faster than we ever have before (dropped into the 1:36's, which is uber). With new tyres and a decent track I'm sure we could have gone even faster, low 36's possibly a high 35, which would make me unofficial lap record holder as far as I'm aware.

I'm happy with my fitness, it was 36 degrees ambient and 50-60 in the car, and I came out of 20 minute stints fine - I could still go on and do another 40 minutes I reckon.

After Friday I went to a kart track about an hour away from home to help my mate. I bought my driving gear and I hopped in his kart, surprisingly I was immediately on the pace.

This weekend coming, I was lucky enough to be asked to drive for a well known Australian engine builder. The class I will be driving is Formula 100, which is similar to your KF1 (?), it's just 125cc watercooled engines on sticky tyres. The tricky part here is that I've never driven an F100 before, but thankfully it's at my home track, so I will at least that will advance my learning curve.

It should be a pretty big meeting, as it is for a series... So I'm slightly nervous - not really sure what I've got myself into here - and obviously pretty pumped that I'll hopefully get to race some of Australia's best in the best karts you can get.

Almost forgot: Then the following week after that will be round 1 of the Shannon's Nationals Commodore Cup series at Wakefield Park... I'm hoping for my first podium finish. Although it's a track I've not been to before, it hasn't stopped me from being pacey at any other unknown tracks

Quote from '[DUcK :

This weekend coming, I was lucky enough to be asked to drive for a well known Australian engine builder. The class I will be driving is Formula 100, which is similar to your KF1 (?), it's just 125cc watercooled engines on sticky tyres. The tricky part here is that I've never driven an F100 before, but thankfully it's at my home track, so I will at least that will advance my learning curve.

It should be a pretty big meeting, as it is for a series... So I'm slightly nervous - not really sure what I've got myself into here - and obviously pretty pumped that I'll hopefully get to race some of Australia's best in the best karts you can get.

F100 YESD BOOIII!! Proper karts! Have fun man... just remember to choke the engine on the last few laps don't want a piston to go

ÄÄÄÄÄÄ Scott! You wildrive F100? Omg, I can drive KF3 next year. Maybe to Italy, but good luk!

It's all going your way Scott, best of luck!

Haha thought you'd like that one Intrepid
Yeah don't worry cob, I'll get me choke on lol.

Yeah really looking forward to it, it's not far away now :O

Wakefield is easy mode Duck you'll be right, and i want to see footages of the F100

Yeah well I usually do well at tracks that are short, tight and twisty which is the opposite to a few of my competitors
I wanted to get a helmet cam, but won't have enought time and I think they are banned now? Along with nassa panel cams too?

not rly, you just need to get stewards permission for racing, just say its for sponsership. and for unofficial prac you can use it

Ah okay sick... Even so it doesn't matter cos I don't have a HERROOOOO camera, and the cam I use in my racecar is shit... Basically getting footage of the old girl isn't my main aim, actually getting round the track without cracking ribs and learning the billy kart is

Wanna buy my hero? I hardly ever use it.

Ducky is powa now!

Okay so had a pretty decent weekend.

First session on friday I was like more than 1 second off the pace, but after my last session on friday I was only about 2 tenths off it, which was quite decent.

We threw new tires at it in qualifying and I was surprised but half expecting it when they called me name out 2nd.

In the first heat, it was wet but we all went out on slicks to save our wets, but the pole sitter kept pushing me up into the rubber so I couldn't get a decent drive onto the start line... 2 roll up laps in and the starter just started it because it wasn't going to change. I found myself 6th into turn one. I picked them back off and was back into second and catching the leader by almost 4 tenths per lap in greasy conditions, but ran out of laps.

In the second heat, I made up for a woeful start in the first one and grabbed the lead into turn one. I lead for a couple of laps before I was passed. I couldn't pass the front two but I could stay on their pace in the draft so I just sat behind them and came 3rd.

So I'm off 2nd for the pre-final, and the changes we made to the go kart weren't very good. It was very slippery and the rear didn't grip the whole race. I dropped to 5th and stayed there the whole race until the 3rd and 4th took themselves out which left me in 3rd, which is where I started the final.

Unfortunately, the kart was even worse in the final and I just could not get any rear grip. The track was fully dry and quite grippy, but my kart actually felt like I was driving in damp conditions. I almost spun twice! Both on pretty fast corners that you don't normally oversteer on... I ended up coming 4th. Disappointed with just missing out on a podium, but we were 3 tenths off in the final anyway, so we probably didn't deserve it.

I'm quite battered and bruised, and pretty sore! I haven't stepped foot in a kart for a while let a lone an F100 ever! The 21 lap final almost killed me! It was good fun though, and I probably won't enjoy going back to my clubman now

Nicky that sounds interesting I'll suss postage n stuff and see if it's worth it

YOU CAME 4TH!? OMFG! YOU MADE A BIG SHOW AND ENDED UP 4TH!? MAYBE YOU COULD TRAIN WITH CADETS

Quote from [DUcK] :

I'm quite battered and bruised, and pretty sore! I haven't stepped foot in a kart for a while let a lone an F100 ever! The 21 lap final almost killed me! It was good fun though, and I probably won't enjoy going back to my clubman now

The best bit is waking up the next morning only to find you can't actually get out of bed. It's so easy to forget how physical it can be

Awesome you enjoyed it... but how can you not ... it's F100

El Duckifico!

keep going duckster!

Quote from Mr.46 :

YOU CAME 4TH!? OMFG! YOU MADE A BIG SHOW AND ENDED UP 4TH!? MAYBE YOU COULD TRAIN WITH CADETS

Haha yeah well unfortunately a lot of the top guys didn't turn up. There was still a strong field albeit quite small, but after about 6th or 7th it was pretty weak

Quote from Intrepid :

The best bit is waking up the next morning only to find you can't actually get out of bed. It's so easy to forget how physical it can be

Awesome you enjoyed it... but how can you not ... it's F100

Yeah I struggled this morning
F100 is great and hopefully I can get another drive! I was pretty lucky in not having to pay for anything the whole weekend

Quote from [DUcK] :

Yeah I struggled this morning
F100 is great and hopefully I can get another drive! I was pretty lucky in not having to pay for anything the whole weekend

Did you seize any motors over the weekend? Also what brand were you using TM, IAME??

Nah I was choking it, the guy who was running me forced me to
We were using TM, it was naice

Go Duckster! [etals:]

2010 horsepower heaven kz2 round 1, final geelong

(KZ race from same weekend as Duck)

Interesting to see how the KZ scene is picking up over in OZ!

Yeah KZ2 was exciting to watch. I think Australia is trying to head in a more european direction in they way they race and stuff, especially with this new Horespower Heaven series

KZ will be good for the scene, but I can't see KF really working. KF's USP is the standard of competition you'll find in European competition. As a stand alone product it isn't any good like KZ is. In Oz your quite a distance from Europe so KF's USP is out the window

Yeah that's true but F100 has been running strong in the last few years without KZ.
We had such events as F100 Nationals (because they don't allow F100 and Leopard - which is similar to F100 except slightly different engine (similar horespower) and a T.A.G system, in our normal Nationals for whatever reason), and they were quite a hit.
We will see, KF usually has heaps of people interested. I think when the HH series goes to Todd Road one of our more widely known tracks there will be more drivers - and maybe I can get another drive in one :o