Back to racing...

Racing in 2012, it wasn't that much fun for me as in 2011 or 2010...

I didn't drive that much either, I lost the fun in karting a little bit. wich is a shame!
Every time I drove, I lost the rythm to push every lap, most of the time I wasn't happy with my times/ results... So I took a little break.
For a few months I didn't drove at all...

Untill a few weeks ago, I entered a race at JPR from Karting4Life, a double sprint race in both directions..
It was great to see the guys again! The race wasn't that great though, the kart wasn't all that but I gained a few places, the second race was the most disgusting race I ever entered. Someone of the organisation drove me 3 times off the track... This was too much! I drove into the pit with only one thought: "I'm going to extend my break a little longer, this isn't my thing anymore."

2 Weeks ago, some of my friends invited me to come along for a drive, again at JPR. Without any pressure (these guys are way faster than me...) and bit for bit I started to enjoy the feeling of that steering wheel again.
Maverick at the track Version 2.0, I found the pleasure again.

So we entered the "end-of-the-year" race at JPR, just for fun, no pressure, just to measure ourselves with the best in Belgium (and Holland with the talented Boutens brother and sister).
Unfortunately, the material wasn't that good that it used to be...
In the training heat I only managed a 44.1, where Jef posted a very fast 43.1! Loïc realised a 43.75.
That's a whole second that Jef was faster than me, never happened before... So the race was going to be a lottery.

Our first cart was a medium engine with no grip at all in the front. Jef took the start and was able to drive a 43.6 in his stint. (0.5s slower than in training?), I drove the second stint with a kart that had a rather good engine but was hard to make a left turn. (But it's a left turning track, so not that big of a problem)
Directly I drove below the 44's with a 43.3 as best-time.
Loïc finished the race for us with again a medium kart. (best-time 43.1)
Normally he can measure himself with C. Verhoeven who realised a 42.71!
We came in P9 at the end, not bad... Average, but happy with the result...

Too bad that the diff on the karts is too big to be competitive...
A shame for a karting who used to be that good...
I hope that the new engines in january will bring something better!

But for me the most important was the feeling afterwards, hanging with the guys again, have a (few?) beers, my girl at the track...
I really enjoyed it, feeling good with my stint, being with my mates...

C u soon guys ;-)