[Mikko Nassi]

What does the tentative one look like? Would be good to know roughly what is going on on what day.

[kymehallion]

Hi Mark thanks, Iv'e been told the tires for cadets Kars didnt turn up or something like that, so kids are using the same tires as veryone ? No a very good start to Singapore Racing !

[mlange]

hi guys, have requested the tentative list but not released to me.

i think the first event will have some hiccups but we will see how it turns out

[mlange]

For PDF of schedule, please right click & save to PC ......

http://marklange.typepad.com/SKC%20Round%201%20schedule%2017%2618%20Apr.pdf

[Mikko Nassi]

Looks like it's definitely a draft and will change - but good to have an idea of what is run on what day.

-Says 8 minutes for practice however some have 15 minutes blocked off other 10min (+5min in between). Looks like the event will be run a fair bit ahead of schedule.
-Qualifying has laps listed ?!?
-Sunday masters have 2 separate warm-up sessions even though the field has been narrowed down to 16.

I thought this was going to be an AKOC-style 3 heats + prefinal + final (hence the 2 sets of tyres)?

[kymehallion]

Nescafe Singapore Karting Championship 2010

Saturday

8:00 Drivers Sign-in, collection of transponders and passes

Scrutineering start
9:00 Drivers Sign-in for Briefing on 2nd floor
9:05 Drivers Briefing

Free Practice
10:00 Cadet 8 mins
10:15 Junior 8 mins
10:30 Senior/Veteran 8 mins
10:50 Master I 8 mins
11:10 Master II 8 mins

Qualifying
11:30 Cadet 8 mins
11:45 Junior 8 mins
12:00 Senior/Veteran 8 mins
12:15 Masters I 8 mins
12:30 Masters II 8 mins

12:40 Lunch

Heat 1
14:00 Cadet 8 laps
1415 Junior 12 laps
14:30 Senior/veteran 12 laps
14:45 Masters I 12 laps
15:00 Masters II 12 laps

Heat 2
15:30 Cadet 8 laps
15:45 Junior 12 laps
16:00 Senior/veteran 12 laps
16:15 Masters I 12 laps
16:30 Masters II 12 laps

SUNDAY

Warm-up
9:00 Cadet 8 mins
9:15 Junior 8 mins
9:30 Senior/Veteran 8 mins
9:45 Master I 8 mins
10:00 Master II 8 mins

Pre-Final
10:15 Cadet 12 laps
10:35 Junior 18 laps
10:55 Senior/Veteran 18 laps
11:15 Masters I 18 laps
11:35 Masters II 18 laps

1200 Lunch

Final
13:30 Cadet 16 laps
13:50 Junior 24 laps
14:15 Senior/veteran 24 laps
1440 Masters 24 laps

[kymehallion]

Nescafe Singapore Karting Championship 2010

Saturday

8:00 Drivers Sign-in, collection of transponders and passes

Scrutineering start
9:00 Drivers Sign-in for Briefing on 2nd floor
9:05 Drivers Briefing

Free Practice
10:00 Cadet 8 mins
10:15 Junior 8 mins
10:30 Senior/Veteran 8 mins
10:50 Master I 8 mins
11:10 Master II 8 mins

Qualifying
11:30 Cadet 8 mins
11:45 Junior 8 mins
12:00 Senior/Veteran 8 mins
12:15 Masters I 8 mins
12:30 Masters II 8 mins

12:40 Lunch

Heat 1
14:00 Cadet 8 laps
1415 Junior 12 laps
14:30 Senior/veteran 12 laps
14:45 Masters I 12 laps
15:00 Masters II 12 laps

Heat 2
15:30 Cadet 8 laps
15:45 Junior 12 laps
16:00 Senior/veteran 12 laps
16:15 Masters I 12 laps
16:30 Masters II 12 laps

SUNDAY

Warm-up
9:00 Cadet 8 mins
9:15 Junior 8 mins
9:30 Senior/Veteran 8 mins
9:45 Master I 8 mins
10:00 Master II 8 mins

Pre-Final
10:15 Cadet 12 laps
10:35 Junior 18 laps
10:55 Senior/Veteran 18 laps
11:15 Masters I 18 laps
11:35 Masters II 18 laps

1200 Lunch

Final
13:30 Cadet 16 laps
13:50 Junior 24 laps
14:15 Senior/veteran 24 laps
1440 Masters 24 laps

[mlange]

I didnt do Saturday but came down on Sunday just to catch the competition in the Masters category. I arrived late, so I caught the first Master's Prefinal just after it started. I did however get to catch the 2nd Masters Prefinal in its entirety and posted a video summary of what I was able to capture. That was pretty much all I needed and the Shanghai GP was on at 3pm, so I left during the lunch-hour - i.e. no other videos captured thereafter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ky5ERZgjqY

[Shadow]

It was a nice race but could have been better organised. On occasion, the race officials do not seem to know what to do. There are a few times when the marshal of one of the posts keep waving the yellow flag when there is no incidence on the track.

As for starting of the race it is a joke especially the master. They were always not in formation when coming round the last corner into the straight. The pole driver is far ahead and pulling away, yet they started the race. This happened from heat 1 to the final for the master.

There is a team in the cadet class that is so desperate to win that they lodged a protest on another driver engine on the pre-final. If they think that the engine or ignition does not conform to the rule, they could have done it so on heat 1, heat 2 or even during the warm up on the final day. But no, they did it as they are going out for the pre-final so that the other team do not have time to take remedial action. The poor cadet driver was crying away.

When the race officials were asked to show documentary proof that the engine or ignition does not conform, they could not produce it.

[kymehallion]

It was Singapore National Race, Most of the drivers have never raced before, I wasn't there but watched several videos online and the rolling starts were a little fast and not fair ! I was told by SMSA that all the officials had F1 experenced .... but clearly NOT !

My son did race in cadets, he said it was fun... but some teams and dads always need their Kids to WIN at any price Just like the football mum's LOL , Let the Kids have fun ! After speaking to several people in the know, I was told the Scrutineering was a Joke, "I need the paint taken off my sons engine as it was on loan" ! LOL No sealing of engines etc. From the start the rules were bent.. The Cadets didnt even have the right tyres and under AKOC or Rotax rules thay cannot race ! THE race should have be a National OPEN race. But the F1 Shanghai was great.

RACING SHOULD BE FUN OR DONT DO IT !

The Next Rotax race is in Sepang 8/9 May. Singapore karts come race there and see the difference.

[lastsun]

the most silly thing i heard about this so call national championship is that they banned that UK driver from taking part in the race???

for me i would always hope to have faster driver in our country, cause it is thru racing with faster driver that make an individual go faster by learning and setting him as a bench mark. but too bad due to singapore drivers scare loose so he is banned from race.

luckily i chose not to get a kart yet till the changi track is ready eventhought i had join the member for kartright.

[jonbummer]

to be honest, i was very critical of how this race will pan out.
but at the end of sunday, i think it is a good start for the race series

Malaysia kart races had been there and very active for years,
and I'm quite sure they are not as well organized as they are at the very beginning.
so let's give our own series here in Singapore some leeway to improve, and
get better organized

there are, no doubt, many many things and issues have to be sorted out for the
next race in May. and let's hope they do just that.

officials need to know what they are doing, and better education/ breifing for participants
for yellow and blue flags and rolling starts...etc

in time to come, i would say this will be bright new dawn for karting scenes locally.

[Mikko Nassi]

I was told by SMSA that all the officials had F1 experenced ....

Karting isn't the same thing as F1. The officials should still have an open mind to learn - especially from those that have decades of experience organising and/or participating in kart events.

Mark I noticed on your video they're still using cones on the start to separate karts- this is a several years old practice - maybe still used for a reason?

My son did race in cadets, he said it was fun...

As you've explained and I heard from others it wasn't fun for everyone... and all the fault of the fathers/teams, rather than the kids. They're 8-12 years old - they're there to have fun! Hint to fathers: when your kids see you arguing/shouting there is no way they are enjoying being at the track.

No sealing of engines etc. From the start the rules were bent..

I heard that there was also no stripping of engines after the race? From experience this will have to change immediately to keep competitors coming back - and to keep people from cheating. If there are no post-race engine checks people will assume that the winners are running modified engines, and in some cases they will be right. This leads them to feel that the only way they can compete is by spending more money and using illegal engines - which usually means they leave the sport.

RACING SHOULD BE FUN OR DONT DO IT !

That line should be included in the regulations .

the most silly thing i heard about this so call national championship is that they banned that UK driver from taking part in the race???

Richard? If he has a valid Singapore karting license I don't see how they could not allow him to race?

to be honest, i was very critical of how this race will pan out.
but at the end of sunday, i think it is a good start for the race series

Yeap! Hopefully competitors will be listened to in order to make improvements.

[ace]

the most silly thing i heard about this so call national championship is that they banned that UK driver from taking part in the race???

If you actually read the regulations, the race only allows people who have grade C license and grade B license. Richard has a grade A license which is why he was not allowed to race. Please read the regulations before making accusations next time. Anyway, Richard seemed like he understood the regulations and was seen at the race on both days mingling with people quite happily.

It was Singapore National Race, Most of the drivers have never raced before, I wasn't there but watched several videos online and the rolling starts were a little fast and not fair !

I beg to differ that most of the drivers have never raced except for maybe Masters class. In cadets, Daim, James, Max, Jon, Glenn, Jordan, your son of course. All of them have raced before, RMC champions and Yamaha champions. Juniors, Andersen, Amin, Thaddeus, RMC and AKOC racers. Seniors, Opai, Julien, Jack, Andrew, RMC and AKOC drivers too. You can't really say that most of the drivers in these classes have not driven before. The rolling starts were ok actually, maybe except the cadets as usual. In Juniors, Andersen is an AKOC driver and quite experienced so he controlled it well, Seniors was sometimes too slow actually, Andrew and Opai, 2 very experienced racers and hardly any doubt 2 of Singapore's best karters.

My son did race in cadets, he said it was fun... but some teams and dads always need their Kids to WIN at any price Just like the football mum's LOL , Let the Kids have fun ! After speaking to several people in the know, I was told the Scrutineering was a Joke, "I need the paint taken off my sons engine as it was on loan" ! LOL No sealing of engines etc. From the start the rules were bent.. The Cadets didnt even have the right tyres and under AKOC or Rotax rules thay cannot race ! THE race should have be a National OPEN race. But the F1 Shanghai was great.

RACING SHOULD BE FUN OR DONT DO IT !

The Next Rotax race is in Sepang 8/9 May. Singapore karts come race there and see the difference.

Well, you are right on that one. Alex Yoong's team were so desperate to win that they intentionally tried to disqualify Max Fewtrell and when the scrutineers were asked to show documentary proof that his engine was not legal, they couldn't. Max was seen crying when told that he could not race the prefinal and Alex Yoong just stood there and watched, not even going over to give some sort of apology or console him. What an ass. So what if he went to F1, his performances were so embarrassing that some malaysians think that he is an embarrassment, so stop being a snob Alex, f#$k off.

To be honest Kyme, there are also cheating in Rotax in Malaysia. Just that the organisers know how to not make it too obvious. Just look at Storm karts, they are not homologated but they are allowed in RMC. According to CIK regulations, all chassis used must be homologated. Why are they allowed? Because the organiser sells them.

And come on, please don't give the Singapore organisers so much stick. They are still in the process of learning and as jonbummer said, Malaysian races weren't as organised as they are now either. You think that RMC is very well organised, wait till you get a chance to go to AKOC. In RMC, they don't even keep the fuel tanks, people can easily cheat by putting additives in the fuel. In AKOC, the fuel tanks are kept just like tyres, thats how it rolls in international CIK events. Also, the marshals at RMC are part timers and are quite useless to be honest, I could push out a driver at a turn and wouldn't even be disqualified. Try that at AKOC and see what punishment u get.

[James Leong]

Well, Mr Ace, this is my reply to you when you touched on RMC as well as other issues which concerns me.

1. Please read the Sporting Regulations as well as the Technical Regulations issued by BRP-Powertrain for 2010 which you could download from our website. You will note on the 1st page of the Technical Regulations 2010 under Item 3 which states "For National RMC's any chassis sanctioned by an authorised ROTAX distributor is allowed". Although the Storm karts are imported by me, I am using this ruling to allow the chassis to be used. There is absolutely "no cheating" involved. I will allow you to enter the RMC if you use a non-homologated chassis made by a reputable factory and not one which you design and made it in your backyard!
Please make sure you have the facts before you start your accusations.

2. Yes, all the marshals at RMC are part-timers. There are no full time staff in the first place since races are not so frequent. However, please note that all the officials and marshals in my race are fully licenced by AAM. I cannot say for sure about the marshals at AKOC. I have always said this one time or other to people - "If you think the AKOC is a better run series, then by all means please race in the AKOC. But don't condemn another series just because you may not happen to like James Leong. I am not here for a popularity contest and neither do I care. We follow the rules set out by BRP as well as what our National Competition Rules dictates. If you don't have a copy of the NCR please go and register as a driver with AAM and you will be issued with one together with your licence. I just want to run a series for drivers who are interested in the Rotax races, have the products and at the same time want to develop their driving skill. I have no time to waste in arguing with meaningless issues.

3. I was there at the Singapore race and have observed what happened. However, I will refrain from making any comments and judgement as I would be out of place since I was there as a guest of SMSA. I believe we can always learn from each other's mistakes. In life, it is important to make constructive criticism so that everyone have a better knowledge of things and can improve but to make criticism just to belittle others is not the way to go.

I have no personal grudge against you, Ace but I think the Rotary test should be a guideline for all of us before we allow our mouth to get the better of us.

James Leong