Here is a quick update from Monaco. Today was a very fun day. The weather was awesome. The track started green but had some bite by the end of the day. The first of three practice sessions started about 1:30. Prior to that everyone was making last minute adjustments and getting everything through tech. Unfortunately for us, we learned just before the first practice was ready to begin that our helmet didn?t pass. It was not a problem at any US events including the Rotax Grands but they require different stamps here. We secured a helmet just as drivers were entering the track.
All-in-all, the Colorado guys did pretty well. Kyle Ray had the fourth fastest lap! Jesse was 8th , AJ was 10th , and Marco Ferrera was 25th. Another American, Natan Norenberg, from Minnesota was 15th fastest.
The second outing wasn?t too nice to some as a lot of people crashed in one of the turns where somebody made contact with one of the barriers which spilled water across the track. Without warning, drivers entered the corner at speed and lost all control. Kyle hit the hardest, breaking many parts and bending the frame. Brad helped straighten it and the team did some serious work to get the kart back out for the third session. Jesse, Marco, and Nathan also crashed hard in the same spot. Jesse said it was the hardest hit he has ever experienced ? and it didn?t even involve another kart! Consequently, the guys didn?t get many laps in. AJ was fast, breaking the top ten with the 9th fastest lap. Jesse was 17th, Kyle 20th, Nathan 23rd, and Marco 26th.
For the third and final session the local guys really picked it up. AJ remained fast with the 11th fastest lap. Kyle?s kart didn?t look like it was 100% yet but he posted the 13th fastest lap. Nathan was 21st, Jesse nursed a wounded engine (wouldn?t rev past 10k) into 22nd and Marco was again the 26th fastest.
Tomorrow we get a warm up session, an early morning qualifying session and a late afternoon qualifying session. Should be fun. All the guys I?ve talked to really love the track despite not often being able to see what is coming up (like water in a turn). The barriers make it hard to see and often severely punish just a light rub.
Rick, the pool scene rocks! :cheers: