British GP at Silverstone this weekend
The British GP is on this weekend at the
famous Silverstone circuit. This was actually the venue for
the first World Championship F1 Grand Prix which was held on
May 13, 1950 with the British Royal family in attendance.
The history of the circuit is one of continuing development.
During WW II Silverstone was a bomber station and it was
pressed into service as a motor racing circuit in 1948. The
three pre-war British circuits, Brooklands, Donington Park
and Crystal Palace were all out of commission and
ex-military airfields offered ready-made road surfaces,
other basic facilities such as primitive toilets, and they
were usually a long way from densely populated areas.
In 1950 came a layout which was unchanged for many years. An
additional corner, Bridge Bend, was added just before
Woodcote for 1987, and the chicane was removed. This altered
the length to 2.969 miles. A major revision of the layout
was undertaken for 1991 which tamed the awesomely fast
Maggotts curve and Stowe and Club corner and added a
sequence of bends prior to Woodcote. These revisions
increased the length to 3.247 miles and remained in force
until 1995 when further details were made which decreased
the overall length of a lap by a few yards leaving it at
3.210 miles.
The race should begin at 7 p.m. here, but check your local
TV feed. We watch at Jameson’s Irish Pub where we get Martin
Brundle as an informed commentator on the South African
Sports Channel feed, so we do not have to listen to the
prattle from the Eurosports talking heads, nor do we get the
breaks for adverts. Join me at around 6 p.m. for a bite to
eat (carvery is good value) and something to wet the
whistle, and then settle down for the race.
Being his home event, Boy Wonder Lewis Hamilton has to bring
home the goods. On testing last week, Hamilton was the
fastest at Silverstone, but in testing you do not know fuel
loads and other variables. I expect him to be very
competitive, but never write off the Ferrari challenge (or
BMW for that fact).
New Kart track in South
Pattaya
The EasyKart people are definitely the big movers
in the local Karting scene, and with the opening of their
new venue close to Bali Hai Pier which is fully floodlit, it
means that you can race karts until 1 a.m. That’s right, one
in the morning!
Bali Hai Pier
kart track
There are two tracks, one more of a
beginner’s track with smaller engined karts and for ages 8
and up, and the larger 750 meter track, complete with tunnel
and bridge cross-over. On this large track, both the larger
and smaller engined karts can be run, but you need to be
around 15 years of age for this one. Incidentally, the karts
have adjustable seats fore and aft and you can even extend
the pedals backwards, making it possible for Thais and lanky
farangs to fit.
EasyKarts
What makes this venue even better is the upstairs viewing
floor which has tables, drinks, and snack food where the
rest of the family can sit in comfort while you do your
thing around the bitumen.
The track is very well built and with an eye to safety, with
the industrial belting and tyre stacks being used around the
outside, just the same as the F1 tracks overseas. All the
good gear is also available, with new helmets (and you even
get a head cover) and suits for all sizes.
The karts have on-board electronic transponders, so you get
a print out of your lap times when you have finished your
session. This is a great idea, so you can compare just where
(and how) your mates managed to beat you.
The EasyKart people are very obliging and welcoming, and you
are treated as if you are an old friend. You do the
registration at the upstairs entrance level to the complex
and when you are ready pop downstairs to the karts and the
track entrances.
I took the opportunity for a bit of a fang, and the track is
very twisty and demanding when you get to the stage of
wanting to set competitive times, but if all you want is a
bit of fun, it is a breeze. Very smooth bitumen, good width
and responsive karts.
The track is advertised as being at Bali Hai Pier, but
actually it is more correctly at the Bali Hai Pier end of
Third Road, just where the overpass drops down. Plenty of
parking in the EasyKart complex, or along Third Road. The
telephone number for the venue is 038 711 403 and the tracks
open at 10 a.m. and go through to 1 a.m.
This new facility is good for all the local enthusiasts, as
well as being a new tourist attraction for Pattaya City. The
EasyKart people are to be congratulated on providing great
state of the art circuits in such an easily reached area.
They even preserved the two big trees. An environmentally
aware motor sport facility. Well done!
Autotrivia Quiz
Last week I asked what was the first car to go into
production with a unitary fiberglass structure? And no, it
was not the 1953 Chev Corvette, that had a fiberglass body.
It was the Lotus Elite of 1958.
So to this week. Since we have the EasyKart feature in the
column this week, who was it who called them “Go Karts”?
For the Automania FREE beer this week, be the first correct
answer to email [email protected]
Good luck!
Get your pencils out -
the 2009 GP calendar
The FIA has just released the calendar for F1 in
2009. A packed schedule too, with 19 Grands Prix, including
another new one in Abu Dhabi. This will be a multi-million
dollar circuit built on Yas Island, using the spare change
from the petro-dollars accumulated while the price of oil
shoots towards $200 per barrel. So enjoy this new circuit,
gentle readers, you paid for it at the pumps!
Here is the 2009 GP calendar
29 March - Australia
5 April - Malaysia
19 April - Bahrain
10 May - Spain
24 May - Monaco
7 June - Canada
21 June - Great Britain
28 June - France
12 July - Germany
26 July - Hungary
9 August - Turkey
23 August - Europe (Valencia)
6 September - Italy
13 September- Belgium
27 September - Singapore
11 October - Japan
18 October - China
1 November - Brazil
15 November - Abu Dhabi
No real surprises. No US GP despite the Canadian being on
(they’re getting more safety cars for the event), the boring
French GP still in, plus Silverstone still there, despite
Bernie Ecclestone’s huffing and puffing.
