F1K Heathrow

[Gee]

I have qualified for the semi's this coming Sunday at Heathrow, so I thought it might be a good idea to get a little track time in before the event.

Well I thought it was going to be good but how wrong could I be, after only a couple of laps I realised what a lottery it was. The karts are so different some are really dialled into the track whereas others are real donkeys and its so obvious. One guy changed his kart three times until he found a good one.

I have no doubt that Sunday will be reaaly good fun and VXR will make it look superb but as for the racing there's no doubt in my mind it will be won by the fastest kart not the best driver.

[Cezare]

now where have I read this before...

VXR need to be looking on these forums, because there running a unfair competition at the moment. its such a shame as no doubt there be really good talent out there that dont make it through because of there slow (poorly maintained) karts!

[nicfred]

yep ive been there as well,at loughborough

got a donkey kart and didnt make it to the final cos of it :( :( :( :(

YEP STILL GUTTED

[NorthernMatt]

I went the other day and the kart I had was 0.8s quicker than the next guys, and he looked like he was really trying as well. It's always the same with hire karts, they get so much abuse and some of them get used more than others that it completely upsets the playing field if you're actually trying to compete. There's also the fact that the setups on the karts vary by a huge amount. The one I had was a peach, tiny bit of understeer and lots of pickup out of the corners, not telling which number it was. ;);)

Maybe VXR should just invest in 20 karts and hire a track themselves and do it that way, at least then they should all technically get the same amount of use.

[sniktawdarb]

Can I wear my own suit/helmet/boots?
You are not permitted to wear you own suits or helmets unfortunately, due to filming regulations. These items will be provided. You are able to wear your own boots.

Hey guys, just curious if anyone knows what they mean by 'suit'. Does this just mean the race suit itself? Or does it mean we can't wear our own gloves or balaclava either.

I've been down to the Heathrow circuit and they don't have hairnets for the helmet, only balaclavas. When I was there all the balaclavas were in the wash :S. Would be good if we can wear our own balaclavas.

Lookin forward to some good racing.... w00000

Brad

[spncer4tag]

How long do you get to set your quickest lap?

[The_Stig82]

ive heard that its two 15 miniute sessions. dont know if the first is practice then the second is the actual timing.

[spncer4tag]

Thats what I read somewhere. Anybody know?

[Hodge4ever]

Thats what I read somewhere. Anybody know?
One 15 minute slot! :-|

Hopefully the karts will be more equal than at Loughborough, though it doesnt sound like it :(

[RB5193]

:rant:

I'm of the same opinion as alot of other people including most of the people I spoke to at the track on Sunday, that it was by no means a competion involving any skill but more of a complete lottery as to whether you did well or not:frown3:

The venue was absolutely useless, the worst track I have ever seen, miles to short, to narrow with absolutely no way of overtaking cleanly i.e without bumping or blantly trying to barge your way through.

Too many competitors on such a small tight track at once so there was no way of leaving a big enough gap between you and the kart in front to be able to get a quick lap in without seriously pissing everyone off behind!

Karts that were so different in performance it was embarrasing!

The only way that you could do well was if you had been allocated at registration one of the three better karts that kept appearing near the top in every qualifing race, and had been near the front of the pit lane when you joined the track.

If like me you were the tenth kart out and sitting in a piece of craap with pedals that fouled the frame and bodywork so it wouldn't accelerate quickly at all, wheels that were so buckled they wobbled like the wheels on one of those pull along Fisher Price Dogs, it was a pointless exercise and extremely frustrating.

This event could have been organised far better, there are loads of bigger, better tracks in the Heathrow area and if Vauxhall were serious about finding that gifted driver that hasn't the finances to join the motor sport then they should take heed when planning an event like this again, lets hope next year they learn from their mistakes so it does what it's supposed to and not just turn into another publicity stunt.:prrr:

[nicfred]

sounds just like the semi i was in at loughborough,apart from the track at loughborough was ok,but the karts were PANTS,i went practising at loughborough a lot b4 and spent a lot of money on it as well(thats not the issue)the issue was i WAS fast enough to make the final but got a kart that should have been used as a milk float its was PANTS,
my lap times when practising (with a track of around 10 people so not a empty track)were FASTER than the fastest lap set on the day by ANYONE ALL DAY

SO HOW COME I DID NOT MAKE THE FINAL,yep i got a kart that was PANTS,i was fast enough to have at least made the final but didn't

SO YES IF VAUXHALL WANT THE BEST DRIVERS THEY MUST FIND KARTS THAT ARE ALL EQUALL.i,m not taking anything away from the winners,they won,but they also got the fast karts(i know because the marshalls told me which were the fast ones,and the top 3 in my final were those karts)