It's 7.45am. Across Milton Keynes, the streetlights are blinking out, a chilly winter dawn slowly extricating the city from the grip of night. Something makes me look up, beyond the hanging floodlights, to the grimy skylights set into the roof of the warehouse. They'll be my only source of daylight today.
The viewing gantry is a hive of quiet intensity. We crowd the railings, watch the screens, clutch steaming cups to still the quiver in our fingers. Unseen below us, the rumble of idling kart engines can be heard. Months of anticipation and preparation, a colossal effort by the hosts and organisers, thousands of laps of practice - all of it has come down to this. It's almost impossible to believe that BRKC 2019 is finally happening, as Sam Spinnael leads the field out of the pitlane for the first time.
Two minutes later, everything that came before is forgotten, as we're sucked into the drama of heat 1. Former finalist Sam Spinnael has qualified way down in seventh. Series organiser Brad Philpot has taken a comfortable pole position ahead of local regular Richard Jute and long-time BRKCer Ryan Smith - one of the enthusiastic Scottish contingent. Ryan's father Neil is a bundle of nerves beside me as the lights go green.
Twenty minutes later, we collectively release our breath for what feels like the first time, after one of the most dramatic heat races I can remember. Richard Jute, comfortably leading at the race's midpoint, inexplicably leaves the door wide open after exiting the pits; Brad needs no encouragement to sneak through and pull away as a four way battle for second place develops behind him - Jute, Smith, Spinnael and newcomer Adrian Ziejewski. After too many position changes to count - the roar from the crowd frequently drowning out the karts - it's resolved in the final metres in favour of Ryan. He's followed home by a delighted Ziejewski, taking advantage of a last-corner tangle between Sam and Richard. Sam is penalised, dropping him back to the seventh place he started in; Richard is, doubtless, left kicking himself after the win that got away.
That was race 1. Of 44.
The following two heats are fractionally less dramatic - though I'm impressed to see South Coast Karting local (and BRKC 0-plate winner) Bradley Sheppard take pole in his first ever BRKC heat ahead of SCK owner George Lovell - also a Formula Fast newcomer. Both have managed to outqualify BRKC and KWC superstar Yoan Medart. Yoan finds his way to the front, as expected, but is pushed all the way to the flag by George, with Bradley a few seconds back in third. Seriously impressive stuff from a pair of outdoor specialists against one of the most formidable indoor karters in the world.
The action slowly blurs into the background as I turn my attention inward and try to bring my nerves under control.
"I feel a bit sick," says Lee Hackett, due on track with me in heat 4. I manage a sympathetic nod while swallowing bile. My heart is thumping hard enough to vibrate my teeth.
Down in the pitlane, I focus on the ritual of checking my weight, drawing my kart number from the ballbag (snigger), jumping up and down to stay warm. Dimly, I notice Matt Bartsch missing the 'last chance to pit' signal and throwing away a comfortable win in heat 3. Local star Lewis Manley takes it ahead of Dan Healey and my former British 24 Hours teammate Michael Weddell - strong results all round.
I settle myself into kart 12, suddenly calmer than I've been at any point since my alarm went off at 6.30am. I have the stealthily quick Kyle Power and no-introduction-required Ruben Boutens ahead of me in qualifying: no need to hold back on my out lap. But I'm a little too cautious and line up seventh. It's not a disaster, and I'm hopeful of moving forward.
As Ruben leads us through the final corner I'm glued to the bumper of former semi-finalist Dante Dhillon, determined to eliminate the tardy starts of previous years... and it works: I hang on well through the first lap, repelling a strong lunge from Carl Stephens into the hairpin. I'm sizing up Dante, looking for chinks in his armour, when to my surprise, he pits. Obviously he feels he's being held up. I've pulled a small gap on Carl, who also pits on the following lap. Suddenly I have clear track; Kyle Power is four seconds ahead and lapping a tenth or two quicker. I give chase, trying to match him, and watch the timing screens as best I can.
A pitstop should take no more than 11 seconds, and it's crucial to pick the right moment: exiting the pits into a gaggle of backmarkers can ruin a race. I spot what looks like a decent gap in the traffic and pit on lap 19. It's always a nervy few moments - so easy to jump on the throttle and trigger the dreaded yellow light - but I'm through cleanly. And, to my surprise, I exit the pits ahead of Dante Dhillon. Now, I have a fight on my hands to hang on to my sixth place.
Elsewhere on track, Ruben is sailing away in the lead while Stephen King (BRKC 0-plate podium finisher) is resisting serious pressure from Lee Hackett, having qualified a superb second. But it all goes horribly wrong when he jumps the second light in the pitstop, takes a penalty stop, but fails to halt at the first set of lights. He's dropped to last place; Dante and I are now fighting for fifth, although we don't know it.
And what a fight it is. I have been fractionally quicker when we were on different parts of the circuit, but am now slowed by having to defend; several times, Dante gets his nose alongside. I'm getting very friendly indeed with the inside barriers all around the circuit - there's a lot of hugging going on.
And then it all crashes to a halt.
As I exit the final corner I feel a huge impact from behind, followed by a violent jolting as if I've run over a line of sleeping policemen. The kart snaps sideways into the wall and slides to a stop as Dante flashes past. As first I think he must have hit me, but he was a couple of metres behind... then I spot the wheel rolling towards me.
And then it all crashes to a halt.
As I exit the final corner I feel a huge impact from behind, followed by a violent jolting as if I've run over a line of sleeping policemen. The kart snaps sideways into the wall and slides to a stop as Dante flashes past. As first I think he must have hit me, but he was a couple of metres behind... then I spot the wheel rolling towards me.
That, as I say to FF top bod Ollie Fox, is a first.
The race is stopped, and it takes five minutes to clear away my three-wheeled kart and remove the sheared wheel pins from the circuit. I draw a kart from the spares pool - number 17 - and am restored to my position. Dante has stopped at the entry to the Snail section and I take up position a metre in front of him. In a cold kart, I face a very long five laps or so of trying to hang on. With Carl Stephens just behind Dante, it won't take much of a slip to lose two positions.
After what feels like an age, there's a shout from Race Control and the lights blink green in what is effectively a standing start. I do some more hugging of barriers, sawing at the wheel on the flat-out exit of the Snail as the stone-cold tyres skitter across the concrete. But I keep my cool as the kart begins to warm, and take the flag a very happy sixth - which, I find out shortly afterwards, is actually fifth. For me, that's a pretty solid start.
Ruben has sealed a comfortable win ahead of Lee and Calum Conway, another of the Scottish contingent. Kyle Power is fourth as he so often seems to be.
Up on the viewing gantry I'm briefly famous and seek out Dan Healey - driver of kart 12 in the heat before mine - to blame him for wrecking my kart. He takes it well. With my first heat in the bag it feels like the world has been lifted from my shoulders; I neck cups of coffee, inhale calories and enjoy the remaining heats of round 1 while perusing my race data.
This year, there are even more ways to follow the action courtesy of Alpha Timing. The live video feed is as slick as ever, and now includes a race leaderboard complete with laps completed, gaps between drivers, a pitstop notification and neat graphics to identify each driver. New screens on the viewing gantry show a live championship leaderboard and pitstop timing. And - best of all - the lap has been split into two sectors. We can view individual sector times for every lap, comparing our 'ultimate laptime' - our best two sector times added together - to our actual fastest lap. It's an abundance of data, endlessly fascinating as well as hugely useful and superbly reported.
There's another surprise kart failure in heat 5 for Paul Ozanne, who also endures a standing start in a cold kart, and also manages to hang on to his position (6th). Dean Hale - 2018 TKM Festival winner - shows that he might also be handy indoors by winning from pole ahead of the very handy Remik Drzaga and 2018 finalist Johnny Elliott. Former motorcycle racer Jim Lovell - brother of George and third member of the SCK team - comes in a strong fourth, less than two seconds behind the winner.
I never did quite get over the shock of hearing that founder BRKCer Alex Vangeen wouldn't be racing this year. But he's turned up, of course, with family in tow. Lauren has put in some serious hard time at kart circuits over the years, most notably during the British 24 Hours at Teesside; it's lovely to see her and the girls, and to meet baby Isla for the first time. I'm not used to being away from my little girl and the sight of these two tugs at the heartstrings.
The next three heats have an Eastern European feel to them as KWC aces Patryk Nieroda, Lukáš Englický and Wojtek Grzyb take the spoils - Wojtek's older brother Michal (fourth in KWC 2018) chasing Nieroda all the way to the flag in heat 6.
This year, there are even more ways to follow the action courtesy of Alpha Timing. The live video feed is as slick as ever, and now includes a race leaderboard complete with laps completed, gaps between drivers, a pitstop notification and neat graphics to identify each driver. New screens on the viewing gantry show a live championship leaderboard and pitstop timing. And - best of all - the lap has been split into two sectors. We can view individual sector times for every lap, comparing our 'ultimate laptime' - our best two sector times added together - to our actual fastest lap. It's an abundance of data, endlessly fascinating as well as hugely useful and superbly reported.
There's another surprise kart failure in heat 5 for Paul Ozanne, who also endures a standing start in a cold kart, and also manages to hang on to his position (6th). Dean Hale - 2018 TKM Festival winner - shows that he might also be handy indoors by winning from pole ahead of the very handy Remik Drzaga and 2018 finalist Johnny Elliott. Former motorcycle racer Jim Lovell - brother of George and third member of the SCK team - comes in a strong fourth, less than two seconds behind the winner.
I never did quite get over the shock of hearing that founder BRKCer Alex Vangeen wouldn't be racing this year. But he's turned up, of course, with family in tow. Lauren has put in some serious hard time at kart circuits over the years, most notably during the British 24 Hours at Teesside; it's lovely to see her and the girls, and to meet baby Isla for the first time. I'm not used to being away from my little girl and the sight of these two tugs at the heartstrings.
The next three heats have an Eastern European feel to them as KWC aces Patryk Nieroda, Lukáš Englický and Wojtek Grzyb take the spoils - Wojtek's older brother Michal (fourth in KWC 2018) chasing Nieroda all the way to the flag in heat 6.
I'm down at the last corner with Michael Weddell for the end of heat 7, watching Tyler Mays recover to fifth from a slightly unlucky eighth place in an incredibly tight qualifying run (just 3 tenths of a second covering the top eight). Winner Englický has junior superstars Opnithi Puyato and Guillermo van Pamelen to contend with, while Grzyb - also a junior at world level - scrapes in just a tenth of a second clear of Logan Sougné in heat 8. I'm delighted to see my friend and BRKC oldtimer Connor Marsh take the most dominant win of the weekend so far in heat 9, before Ed White closes out round 1 with a typically unflustered win of his own.
At this point, it's time for me to take a couple of hours off to regroup for my second heat at 5.30pm. Before leaving the circuit I stop at the Bandit food truck - manned not by my brother Jonathan this weekend, but by his business partner Ed Young - for a quick chat and a superb Southern Fried Chicken sandwich with extra hot sauce.
From the comfort and warmth of my hotel room, I keep tabs as former F2 driver (and BRKC oldtimer) Ramon Pineiro wins the first heat of round 2 from pole, setting a trend that will continue all afternoon - not until heat 9 will the polesitter fail to win. Opnithi Puyato does the double in heat 2, followed home by two-time finalist Chris Daines. Sam Slater makes up for a disappointing first heat (by his standards) with a strong third place.
Lewis Manley takes heat 3 by a crushing 25 seconds. He's helped by Dan Chambers, who qualifies a superb second on the revised layout and proceeds to (legitimately but unwisely, for his sake) hold up a visibly agitated Johnny Elliott for nearly 30 laps. It's my first opportunity to properly appreciate James Auld's commentary. He's as knowledgeable, articulate and passionate as ever, ably assisted by roving pundit Spanners and a number of guests.
Lewis Manley takes heat 3 by a crushing 25 seconds. He's helped by Dan Chambers, who qualifies a superb second on the revised layout and proceeds to (legitimately but unwisely, for his sake) hold up a visibly agitated Johnny Elliott for nearly 30 laps. It's my first opportunity to properly appreciate James Auld's commentary. He's as knowledgeable, articulate and passionate as ever, ably assisted by roving pundit Spanners and a number of guests.
I'm back in the building in time to see Christophe Verhoeven (5th in KWC 2018) take a comfortable win in heat 4 (having taken pole by more than half a second) but there's controversy behind as 2008 world champion (and all-round nice guy) Gregory Laporte is given a penalty for a bad pass. I'm surprised to see regular BRKC finalist Ed White down in fifth (promoted to fourth); he shrugs on his return to the viewing gantry. "Nothing more I could do..."
There have been some mutterings about the karts ever since the failures in round 1. The mechanics are working tirelessly to keep them equalised, as always, but it seems that the machinery is giving them a hard time today.
Logan Sougné turns heat 5 into a masterclass in precision, but there's disaster behind for Brad Philpot, who loses second place to Marcel Hollink when his engine cuts out during his pitstop. Bad turns to worse when he makes a rare mistake into the tightest section of the new layout - aiming his kart into a narrowing gap and clattering to a stop between Marcel and the barrier. He finishes a disgruntled fourth, behind Matej Vrana who nabs his second podium of the day.
Tick tock. My world starts to close in as heat 7 approaches. I watch from the top of the stairs overlooking the twisty new section of circuit, trying to learn what I can. During my customary pre-race dash to the loo I encounter Bradley Sheppard, who finished fourth (from seventh on the grid) in heat 3.
"Take a wide line into the first hairpin," he advises. "I gained half a second once I figured that out..."
For the second time, Matt Bartsch is leading the heat before mine; there are no mistakes this time, and he takes the flag inches clear of Patrick Nieroda and Phillippe Denooz, with Joris Sturm (teammate to the Meulemeester brothers) and Richard Jute making up the top five. Later, I hear a relieved Richard being interviewed. "I usually struggle on the alternate layout..."
As do I. As I make myself comfortable in kart 19, I try to shut out the noise in my head. I close my eyes, visualise the lap to come, take slow breaths. And as we roll out of the pits, a kind of serenity does, finally, descend. I remember Bradley's advice as I pick my way through the new section, the second part of which is about the tightest piece of track I've ever encountered.
My flying lap feels neat and tidy, the new section suiting my style more than I anticipated - and I'm pleased to see my name fourth on the list. Sam Spinnael has take pole by a comfortable margin ahead of Yoan Medart and Marc Meulemeester. As we line up for the start, I realise that I have Andy Meulemeester behind me. "Sandwich!" he shouts with a grin.
After a short delay while the bodywork on Marc's kart is checked, we're away. Again, I'm right on the bumper of the kart in front as we exit the final corner, and complete the first two laps without incident. Behind me, Pete Leppan lunges neatly past Andy at the hairpin on lap two; Andy pits, and suddenly I have clear track behind me. Sam and Yoan are pulling away steadily; I focus on keeping Marc - a second up the road - honest.
And, for the next twenty laps, the status quo is unchanged. I slowly lose ground to Marc while keeping Pete a second and a half behind, until he pits on lap 19. The leaders are locked in battle ten seconds ahead of me, with the faster of the two - Yoan - stuck behind Sam. He pits on the following lap, exiting behind me; I discover later that Michael Weddell is at the last corner, signalling me to pit, having spotted the unfolding situation behind me. But we've not arranged anything, and I'm not looking in the right direction.
Sam has no choice but to pit from the lead to cover Yoan, and exits alongside me. I'm more than a little surprised to see him, and realise that Yoan must be close behind. At this point, the ghost of BRKC 2018, where I inadvertently held up the leaders in two of my heats, intrudes. This is a little different - I'm racing for position, not being lapped - but in reality I'm a pitstop behind and have no desire to screw anybody's race.
I let Sam through into the first hairpin and move aside for Yoan into the tight left hander. It's as quick and clean as I can manage, and the leaders aren't affected. But I am, unfortunately; it doesn't feel like it, but I lose nearly two seconds, which becomes two places when I pit at the end of the lap. Pitting just a lap earlier would have taken me out of the lead battle and kept me ahead of Pete and early pitter Dean Hale. Dean has been very fast, and keeping him at bay would have been very difficult, but I'd have had half a chance of hanging on to my fourth place.
Coulda, woulda, shoulda. As it is, I'm down to sixth, which becomes seventh when Andy Meulemeester makes a nice move stick into the hairpin. I'm dejected and confused at the flag, wondering where my race went... but resolve to learn and move on. This very long day isn't over yet; there's another heat to come.
Having just come off track, I'm largely oblivious to heat 8, which contains a lot of familiar names - Ruben, Sean Brierley, Dan Healey, Connor, Tyler Mays, the legendary Arnaud Tinet... but it looks like a fairly routine win for Ruben ahead of Sean, Dan and Connor. Sean's day is looking up after a disappointing fourth place in his first heat, Dan and Connor are moderately satisfied... but Tyler and especially Arnaud are disappointed, having both finished fifth in their first heats.
One of Formula Fast's superb Hawaiian pizzas makes everything better and I submerge myself in carbohydrate heaven while watching the screens in reception. Reigning Covkart champion Brandon Williams had a quiet start, finishing fifth on his BRKC debut, but raises a lot of eyebrows with a superb win ahead of Wojtek Grzyb. They're followed home by Slawek Piskorz - he of the impressive photography and spectacular goatee - who is delighted after a disappointing seventh place in his first heat. Michael Weddell is fourth, George Lovell following him home after a fine recovery from eighth on the grid.
In the final heat of round 2, Lee Hackett fights his way through to the lead from third on the grid and holds on to take the flag less than a quarter of a second ahead of junior superstar Guillermo van Pamelen. Ryan Smith is third, from second on the grid, and notches up his second podium from two starts. I'm pleased to see Daniel Truman post his second fourth place finish of the day, having declared himself short on practice and confidence on Friday.
It's 7.30pm. Outside, the temperature is dropping. You can see your breath on the viewing gantry. As the circuit falls silent, the reception area begins to empty of drivers and supporters who are finished for the day. Suddenly, there's a quieter, desultory feel about the place that reminds me strongly of the graveyard shift at 24 hour races. As we hunker down and wait for the start of round 3, ten o'clock yesterday morning - the start of practice - feels like another lifetime.
But we're not even halfway yet. Watch this space.
Tick tock. My world starts to close in as heat 7 approaches. I watch from the top of the stairs overlooking the twisty new section of circuit, trying to learn what I can. During my customary pre-race dash to the loo I encounter Bradley Sheppard, who finished fourth (from seventh on the grid) in heat 3.
"Take a wide line into the first hairpin," he advises. "I gained half a second once I figured that out..."
For the second time, Matt Bartsch is leading the heat before mine; there are no mistakes this time, and he takes the flag inches clear of Patrick Nieroda and Phillippe Denooz, with Joris Sturm (teammate to the Meulemeester brothers) and Richard Jute making up the top five. Later, I hear a relieved Richard being interviewed. "I usually struggle on the alternate layout..."
As do I. As I make myself comfortable in kart 19, I try to shut out the noise in my head. I close my eyes, visualise the lap to come, take slow breaths. And as we roll out of the pits, a kind of serenity does, finally, descend. I remember Bradley's advice as I pick my way through the new section, the second part of which is about the tightest piece of track I've ever encountered.
My flying lap feels neat and tidy, the new section suiting my style more than I anticipated - and I'm pleased to see my name fourth on the list. Sam Spinnael has take pole by a comfortable margin ahead of Yoan Medart and Marc Meulemeester. As we line up for the start, I realise that I have Andy Meulemeester behind me. "Sandwich!" he shouts with a grin.
After a short delay while the bodywork on Marc's kart is checked, we're away. Again, I'm right on the bumper of the kart in front as we exit the final corner, and complete the first two laps without incident. Behind me, Pete Leppan lunges neatly past Andy at the hairpin on lap two; Andy pits, and suddenly I have clear track behind me. Sam and Yoan are pulling away steadily; I focus on keeping Marc - a second up the road - honest.
And, for the next twenty laps, the status quo is unchanged. I slowly lose ground to Marc while keeping Pete a second and a half behind, until he pits on lap 19. The leaders are locked in battle ten seconds ahead of me, with the faster of the two - Yoan - stuck behind Sam. He pits on the following lap, exiting behind me; I discover later that Michael Weddell is at the last corner, signalling me to pit, having spotted the unfolding situation behind me. But we've not arranged anything, and I'm not looking in the right direction.
Sam has no choice but to pit from the lead to cover Yoan, and exits alongside me. I'm more than a little surprised to see him, and realise that Yoan must be close behind. At this point, the ghost of BRKC 2018, where I inadvertently held up the leaders in two of my heats, intrudes. This is a little different - I'm racing for position, not being lapped - but in reality I'm a pitstop behind and have no desire to screw anybody's race.
I let Sam through into the first hairpin and move aside for Yoan into the tight left hander. It's as quick and clean as I can manage, and the leaders aren't affected. But I am, unfortunately; it doesn't feel like it, but I lose nearly two seconds, which becomes two places when I pit at the end of the lap. Pitting just a lap earlier would have taken me out of the lead battle and kept me ahead of Pete and early pitter Dean Hale. Dean has been very fast, and keeping him at bay would have been very difficult, but I'd have had half a chance of hanging on to my fourth place.
Coulda, woulda, shoulda. As it is, I'm down to sixth, which becomes seventh when Andy Meulemeester makes a nice move stick into the hairpin. I'm dejected and confused at the flag, wondering where my race went... but resolve to learn and move on. This very long day isn't over yet; there's another heat to come.
Having just come off track, I'm largely oblivious to heat 8, which contains a lot of familiar names - Ruben, Sean Brierley, Dan Healey, Connor, Tyler Mays, the legendary Arnaud Tinet... but it looks like a fairly routine win for Ruben ahead of Sean, Dan and Connor. Sean's day is looking up after a disappointing fourth place in his first heat, Dan and Connor are moderately satisfied... but Tyler and especially Arnaud are disappointed, having both finished fifth in their first heats.
One of Formula Fast's superb Hawaiian pizzas makes everything better and I submerge myself in carbohydrate heaven while watching the screens in reception. Reigning Covkart champion Brandon Williams had a quiet start, finishing fifth on his BRKC debut, but raises a lot of eyebrows with a superb win ahead of Wojtek Grzyb. They're followed home by Slawek Piskorz - he of the impressive photography and spectacular goatee - who is delighted after a disappointing seventh place in his first heat. Michael Weddell is fourth, George Lovell following him home after a fine recovery from eighth on the grid.
In the final heat of round 2, Lee Hackett fights his way through to the lead from third on the grid and holds on to take the flag less than a quarter of a second ahead of junior superstar Guillermo van Pamelen. Ryan Smith is third, from second on the grid, and notches up his second podium from two starts. I'm pleased to see Daniel Truman post his second fourth place finish of the day, having declared himself short on practice and confidence on Friday.
It's 7.30pm. Outside, the temperature is dropping. You can see your breath on the viewing gantry. As the circuit falls silent, the reception area begins to empty of drivers and supporters who are finished for the day. Suddenly, there's a quieter, desultory feel about the place that reminds me strongly of the graveyard shift at 24 hour races. As we hunker down and wait for the start of round 3, ten o'clock yesterday morning - the start of practice - feels like another lifetime.
But we're not even halfway yet. Watch this space.
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| Photo by Tim Andrew |
