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Location	Surbiton Raceway, Worcester Park, Surrey
Date	27/07/2009
Cost	£95
Spaces	32
Deadline	20/07/2009
Event Information	This event has now taken place.

Event Results Available

View results from this event

Event Report

Firstly - thanks to the jib by the unnamed in the awards - I've got these results and report out ASAP! Sure, I was slow for Lakeside but surely it was worth the wait!! A defining moment in my literary career! Maybe not!

Secondly, I didn't get any snaps again I'm afraid. If anyone has any piccies PLEASE let me know! So, words will have to be my weapon again - whom shall I smite down today??

And what a day! The weather couldn't make up its mind what it wanted and we saw every condition from bone dry to absolutely soaking wet. Bright sunshine to stormy clouds!

A new track awaited as well as many new faces to CSMA Karting events. It was great to meet you all today and thanks for getting stuck in! I really hope that you had a great day and will be back at a future event - you are of course more than welcome.

The deceptively simply looking track was tricky to nail in the wet conditions everyone was faced with early. The barriers and grass certainly took a pounding early. I don't think I've ever been round a slippier piece of track than the final turn over the grid! Some great sideways action on display - occasionally tipping over into backwards driving.

With 16 drivers out on track in each session on the relatively short track, things were busy. Very busy. The early heats offered some great action. Heat 1 saw a race long battle between Andy, Rob, Oli and Tom. Each driver taking their turn at the front. Often getting past the back markers shuffled the order. Heat 2 was similarly paced with Dave G, James, Drew and Peter S all getting stuck into the action at the front.

Most of the championship contenders made it through to the A final but there was one spot left over for the winner of the B final to keep the action fast and furious.

The B final certainly started with a bang! The pack didn't make it through the complex successfully! 16 karts on a very wet track just wasn't a formula that worked on lap 1. The traffic jam left a lot of the field nearly a lap down before things had really got going.

Kevin W made a break for it and took a lead that nobody could catch. It wasn't that his race was without incident though! The black masked crusader getting himself involved in several dubious and dastardly acts of kart to kart contact. Like a randy dog trying to couple with several back markers. (Feel the power of my smite!). Anyway, once the back markers were "eased" out of his way, on a clear track he was fast enough to keep his lead till the flag. Andy C was next best and Chris H got 3rd purely by avoiding most of the incidents.

There were some great battles through the field - and it was nice to see everyone post race with their stories - good and bad!

Onto the A Final - and was that an air of anticipation in the field or an edge of weariness for the dark visored one was again on the grid :). Either way, what a race we were treated to on track side. It was awesome to watch and it was never clear who was going to come round ahead of the field. Tom and Rob were right at it with each other along with Ashley. Oli had a poor start but was fighting his way back through the field with greater and lesser success.

Further down the field, Gary and Steve were having a ding dong battle which was interrupted as Gary found his way around a spinner more successfully than Steve.

At the flag, Tom had managed to secure his second outright win in a row but only 2.49 seconds clear of a flying Rob R - clearly relishing the wet weather. Ashley again figured right at the sharp end with 3rd and Oli couldn't quite make a recovery to the podium from his bad start, ending up just 3 seconds off Ashley.

Lunch now and with the sunshine out and the rain a distant memory, the track dried. At the start of the enduro, it was bone dry. And as the first few laps played themselves out, the pace was red hot, with the track proving to be a pedal to the metal flat out affair.
That's not to say that it was an easy lap - it required finesse and eking out the final few
tenths was a matter of nailing every apex. It was also a hard lap on the arms with every corner a case of hanging on for dear life.

The opening stint was fast and furious. There was again a traffic jam at turn 4 with multiple karts wanting the same piece of tarmac. It did sort itself out and the field settled into the race. Right at the end of stint 1, the clouds started spitting again and although never enough to wet the track properly, there were moments when some corners lost their grip.

For the second stint, the track was again wet. This leading to the customary spins and yellow flags. The action was still fast and furious though.

The track dried itself again just in time for the 3rd stint and it was hard work again for everyone concerned. There were some spectacular moments when some pinch point tyres were sent flying by karts not quite giving racing room. The resident marshal certainly looked bemused. I even saw one driver completely the wrong side of a barrier, with no apparent hole through the tyre wall - I have no idea who you were I'm afraid or how you got there but I was impressed!

To the results. The winners by over a lap were Gary and Russ. The lead out a brilliant solo effort by Dave G who had been flying all day and must have had arms like lead by the end. The final podium spot taken by Drew and Alan W. Alan pulling on his overalls for the first time at a CSMA Karting Event and showing Oli how it's done!

So, another round of the championship complete. Another great days karting organised by Allan. Great to see the new faces and really hope to see you all again at a future event.

Bookings are now being taken for Wilton Mill in September. See you all there.

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