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Team5150R offer for sale their No.51 PCR chassis. This kart has been fully refurbished at the start of the season and represents an excellent opportunity to join the rapidly expanding ProKart series or simply upgrade your kart

READY TO RACE including Tillet 1/4 padded seat; Edwards Rims, new Righetti Ridolphi brakes. Ph: 0408 335 346

IN THIS ISSUE: “Torque it up“ This month we profile Glenn Firth from Adrenalin Rush Karting and endeavour to find out what drives the man that’s driven to more victories in 2009 than any other. Since our last edition (and our first in the new format), ProKart’s had a National Round (combined NSW and Qld round) at Raleigh International Raceway and individual State Rounds at Eastern Creek (NSW) and Cooloola (QLD). Special mention must go to Horsepower Racing (777) who registered their first victory for 2009 and only their second ever in the ProKart series. Speaking of firsts, I was privileged to drive the infamous (and somewhat daunting) Nordschleiffe (Nurburgring) , do a tour of the Spa Franchorchamps circuit and visit Le Mans for the 24 hour race during a recent holiday in Europe. There’s nothing more sobering than tearing over a blind crest at ‘Nords’where the track’s bone dry on the ascent and heavy rain greets you at the (blind) apex just over the crest… To indulge in a bit of shameless team promotion, Team5150R won their Division— —a great first event last weekend and our #51 kart also won B Division result for our team and one for which I am thankful to all our drivers, sponsors and crew. Despite not being able to run the 24 hour at Raleigh as proposed, ProKart’s marquee event has been rescheduled and will be held over the weekend of August 1515-16! If you’ve done a 24 hour event you’ll know it’s something you just can’t miss; and if you’ve never done one then it’s an absolute must; the true pinnacle of endurance racing. Don’t miss it!

COVER STORY: July was a month for firsts with Horsepower Racing (NSW) taking their first win in 2009 and Team5150R (QLD) breaking through for their debut series win. In this story we talk to Horsepower Racing’s Frank Kolarik about their success... NEWS ‘TORQUE ABOUT IT’ DRIVER PROFILE: Brian Jamieson (Two Dogs Racing) RACE REPORT: Read all about the 2nd round of the ProKart Australian Endurance Championships, held over an 8-hour race at Raleigh International Raceway.

6/7 10

RACE REPORT: A full race review of this month’s 6th round of the NSW ProKart Championship, held at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway

RACE REPORT: Team5150R finally took their long-anticipated debut win at Cooloola this month. A full race report including the mixed weekend experienced by ARK and many other competitors starts on page 31.

FEATURE STORY: Simon Ham outlines the differences he’s observed from competing in both the United Kingdom and Australian ProKart series

INTERVIEW: Glenn Firth speaks about his remarkable 2009 season in which he’s won more events than any other driver. The Adrenalin Rush Karting driver is fast becoming “the” driver to have in ProKart.

Finally, in closing, I’d like to thank everyone who offered support, compliments and encouragement on the back of the newnew-format newsletter. The success of this newsletter is how much you enjoy reading it and I appreciate everyone’s positive feedback. Remember to keep those suggestions and constructive comments coming in; they’re sincerely valued. Good luck and I look forward to seeing you trackside!

15/16 August: ProKart 24 Hr 13 September: TBA NSW Round

No materials from this publication may be reprinted without the express permission of ProKart

Horsepower wins! COMMENT The 777 Kart of Horsepower Racing has taken their first ProKart Series win of the 2009 season at Sydney’s Eastern Creek in round 7 of the NSW ProKart series. You can read all about their win in the race report from Eastern Creek on page 24, however team principal Frank Kolarik was succinct when he summed up their race by saying “This says it all ’WE WON!!!’“ Frank was however kind enough to offer his thoughts to ProKart shortly after the meeting;

“While not being able to qualify better than 7th, the drivers felt that the kart was indeed handling better and were confident that during the race we'd be able to perform reasonably well.” “We took our first pit stop early in the first hour to get free from traffic and we were only losing fractions of a second per lap to the leaders and at the end of the first round of fuel stops, were in 6th pace and performing well.”

“After the last couple of race meetings where we'd only lost out on a podium position due to minor mechanical problems, the team was determined to reverse the recent form and take a large haul of championship points.” “Practise found the kart to be handling extremely unpredictable. There was no consistency lap-bylap and all drivers were struggling with the setup. A late change in practice saw us change the ride height, steering geometry, seta height and rear end configuration all at once!”

“The leaders were definitely faster but we persevered with good speed from all drivers and a strategy that enabled us to close up to the leaders under safety car incidents. A safety car during our 2nd fuel stop further helped us and at half race distance, we were sitting in a podium position, but still off the pace of the Walko Teams.” “From this point on, it was a matter of keep circulating and seeing where the rest of the teams finished. Entering the last hour we had managed to move to 2nd with kart 21 still ahead. However, a problem with the side crash bar saw kart 21 head into the pits and we were then in the clear with over a lap lead over the rest of the field.”

“A final safety car, 15 mins from the end of the race saw us with over a lap lead to kart 3 in 2nd place. During the safety car period, one motor stalled and the driver was forced to pull over on the track and re-start the motor. We resumed, still in the lead but with the 2nd and 3rd placed karts now on the same lap.” “We held the lead comfortably during the last 10 mins of the race and rolled out eventual winners by 21 seconds, after completing 410 laps or 420 kms! A mistake on our last pit stop had meant that our driver had completed the last stint without lead ballast. It was with great relief that on the weigh scales, our kart and driver combination was found to be 185.6Kgs only 600g over the minimum weight.” “With our recent form not being as we had hoped, the win was a great boost to the team and with further development planned for the set up of the kart, we are hopeful that we can carry the winning form further into the 2009 season.” “A special thanks to Nathan, Phil and Daniel who all drove superbly on the day and thanks to Dion Scott who designed and built the chassis. His help on the day with the set up was also a factor in getting us on the podium.” FRANK KOLARIK & IAN MCMAH

Photography: Ian McMah

TORQUE ABOUT IT • Despite council issues preventing the 24 hour from proceeding, ProKart have taken steps to ensure a repeat does not occur in 2010. Except an announcement on the 2010 calendar in the coming months, with a few surprises in store! • We’d like to say that Adrenalin Rush Karting’s Alan Denyer was pleasantly surprised to have the entire field sing “Happy Birthday” to him at the Cooloola driver’s briefing; however he wasn’t!

NEWS Team BAR have restructured and will now race in the ProKart series under their new name of IPR Scuderia (Ideal Place Racing).

Ideal Place continue their support with IPR Scuderia having finalised their driver lineup. The team willl continue to campaign the ‘06 Benson chassis and remains committed to running the entire Qld

Championship and remaining National rounds. With driver/manager Adam Clark, Mitch Ennis, Aaron Keane and Jason Appliton, the team is quietly confident of continued success.

• Team5150R issued a retraction of a press release distributed immediately after the 24 hour, which incorrectly stated they had set the 2 fastest laps of the event. The team had actually set the fastest and 4th fastest laps, the error due to incorrect notes manually taken from the timing system. Team 5150R apologise for any angst this error caused. • There has been an unprecedented level of interest and new team activity in the Qld ProKart series in recent months, with up to 6 new teams currently preparing to or having already entered the series. • A number of ProKarter’s have revealed that they’re avid ‘online’ racers as well, driving a number of computer simulations including the now Marcos Ambrose endorsed iRacing, GTR2, rFACTOR and GTR Evolution. In fact it seems online racing has become a source of potential ProKart driving talent after Phil Wallis recruited the latest ResiSales Racing driver from a V8Supercars 3 online racing league! • Team5150R have taken to sourcing their future driving talent in an innovative way, with Ian McMah and fiancée Katy Scherf expecting a baby boy in November! Give him 7 years...

The DQ International ProKart race team has disbanded despite a season-long effort to resurrect their on-track activites. With several key members needing to step away from racing in the foreseeable future, a decision to disband was only finalised earlier this month. Several members of the DQ squad are looking for drives within the ProKart series, with the team’s equipment being offered for sale shortly. IAN MCMAH

DRIVER PROFILE Name:

Brian Jamieson

Team:

Two Dogs Racing

Age:

Lives:

Gymea Bay, Sydney

Career:

35 years in IT, currently with CSC

First racing memory:

Tamworth hillclimb - I could see the track from the backyard of the family home where I grew up

First Race attended:

Oran Park, Toby Lee series 1973. Touring cars, F5000's sheer wide eyed joy.

First race competed in:

Sprint kart - 1990, Dubbo. National 'J' Speed kart.

Favourite motoring moment:

A few road trips as a 20 year old in my '68 Valiant - 'nuff said

First car:

1960 FB Holden. 3-on-thetree, 2.2litre asthmatic grey six, skinny crossply retreads and drum brakes the size of tobacco tins.

Racing Idol:

Allan Moffatt

Bathurst, Oran Park. Favourite tracks (that you’ve visited): Favourite music?

Paul Kelly, Amy Winehouse, Blood Sweat and Tears, Eskimo Joe and lots of stuff from the late 60’s and early 70’s

Listen to

Constantly channel surfing

FAVOURITE Drink

Beer, with a nice red a close second

Colour

Blue

Number

Food

“Anything with parents!’

Ice Cream

“Yes please“

Movie

Duel

Race car

Coca Cola Mustang 9: Allan Moffat or anything from that era

thanks the following partners for their continued support

Win at Cooloola! Team5150R secured their debut victory in the ProKart series last weekend, winning not only won the 6th round of the Queensland ProKart Championship in Cooloola outright, but also won B-Division with their #51 kart, which placed 4th outright for the meeting. After showing promise a number of times this season, with several pole positions and solidly leading 2 of this season’s 6 races, Team5150R were ecstatic to secure their best-ever ProKart result for both karts last weekend. The team had welcomed 2 new drivers at Raleigh in Josh Townsend and Luke Delaurence, both drivers joining Ian McMah in the team’s #50 kart; while regular pairing Allen Jones and Steve Prokop continued their efforts in the #51 Team5150R chassis. Despite qualifying 3rd and ultimately starting 4th after the single-lap shootout, Josh Townsend took the #50 kart to an early 2nd place behind the #5 BRM of Climatrol Racing, who had made an early break on the field to lead by around 7 seconds.

With Townsend, Delaurence and McMah sharing equal driving duties the team was ecstatic to ultimately win, setting the fastest lap of the weekend and almost putting 2 laps on the 2nd place kart by the conclusion of the race The #51 kart however did not enjoy a trouble-free race, loosing a rear crash bar mounting bolt that ultimately led to a loss of several laps while temporary repairs were undertaken. Resuming with a less-than-ideal handling kart, both Steve Prokop and Allen Jones put in quick and consistent laps to recover from 11th to their finishing position of 4th outright and first in BDivision. The team again elected to line up for a formation finish and crossed the finishing line together after 7 hours and some 500+ laps, giving the team it’s very first outright win (after several pole positions and near-misses) and the best overall team result (1st and 4th) in the team’s short history. IAN MCMAH

Photography: Ian McMah

Round 2 of the National Series, which also doubled as Round 6 of the Queensland and New South Wales State series, was held at Raleigh over the Queenâ€™s Birthday longweekend. Despite the #50 Kart of Team5150R qualifying on pole and dominating the first hour of the race, it was Alan Denyerâ€™s Adrenalin Rush Karting who again greeted the chequered flag in first place...

Photography: Ian McMah

RACE REPORT With the latest rounds of the Powered by Honda ProKart Australia National, New South Wales and Queensland Endurance Kart Championships coming together as one last Saturday (June 6) at the Raleigh International Kart Raceway, near Coffs Harbour on the Mid North Coast of NSW, for the running of the ‘Raleigh 8 Hour’ it was won by the Adrenalin Rush Karting # 98 team.

The pace of # 50 Team 5051R was so strong that the fastest lap that they had recorded as they paced the field stayed all the way through to the finish. Although disappointed the # 50 Team 5051R have taken their misfortune on the chin and are now looking forward to bouncing back at the next round of the Queensland Championship.

In what was their fourth victory of the year, their first in the National Championship, the Adrenalin Rush Karting # 98 team proved too strong in the end and managed to greet the chequered flag at the completion of the ‘Raleigh 8 Hour’ ahead of defending National Champions Team Kaos # 1 and the Wollongong City Raceway Jets # 3. After they claimed pole position and dominated the early stages of the ‘Raleigh 8 Hour’, the # 50 Team 5051R had their winning chances spoiled due to accidental contact from eventual winners, the Adrenalin Rush Karting # 98 team. The # 50 Team 5051R had built up a solid lead during the opening hour and looked in fine form to take out the ‘Raleigh 8 Hour’, however it all turned sour when contact was made from the Adrenalin Rush Karting # 98 team, who they had just put down a lap, which caused unrepairable damage and ended their wining chances there and then.

Another hard luck story from the ‘Raleigh 8 Hour’ was Horsepower Racing # 777. The Horsepower Racing team had third place on the podium in the bag up until they lost a chain during the final 15 minutes and they pushed them off the podium and they eventually rejoined the race to finish back in fifth place.

Just missing out on a spot on the podium was the Adrenalin Rush Karting # 86 team. At one stage the Adrenalin Rush Karting team were down in 16th but they fought their way back to finish in a hard fought fourth place. The www.resisales.com.au racing team endured similar setbacks to the Adrenalin Rush Karting # 86 team and they ended up working their way back up to finish in seventh which was a satisfying result. After a tough start, the # 51 Team5051R managed to finish inside the top 10, ninth, and also recorded one of the quicker laptimes of the event, putting the two Team 5051R outfits within the fastest teams out on the track. The Raleigh International Kart Raceway is regarded as one of most rewarding, yet difficult circuits on the ProKart Australia calendar and it certainly tested many of the 25 teams throughout the ‘Raleigh 8 Hour’. Now the ProKart Australia Championships will branch off into their own individual championships and the next rounds are: National Championship (Saturday, August 15 at the Ipswich Kart Track in Queensland), NSW Championship (Sunday, July 5 at Eastern Creek International Kart Raceway) and the Queensland Championship (Saturday and Sunday, July 18 and 19 at the Gympie Kart Track).

DANIEL POWELL & IAN MCMAH

Photography: Ian McMah

Jets To Run Customer Karts! Stories out of Eastern Creek point toward the WCR Jets expanding their operations permanently from the next National round at Ipswich. As a toe in the water exercise, the crack squad from Wollongong ran 3 karts at Raleigh and despite some logistical nightmares for team leader Trent Warwick they came out of it with some good results. Prokart Newsletter understand that the team have been approached by multiple teams about running under ‘The Jets’ banner, and would result in the satellite kart(s) being run in full factory spec to the two current Jets karts. Trent was overheard talking on Sunday and, ‘… if the money is there we will play…’ was the underlining message of the conversation. He was also spotted in The Captains pit area a number of times during practice, sorting an axle and throttle issue for them. The Captains already use a F1 chassis, and would need to be upgraded to the newer F1-TE chassis if they were to run to Jets spec.

But can they really do it? For the Jets to speak with conviction is no surprise, but are they talking too much, or taking on too much? Running three karts at Raleigh saw a breakdown in communication causing the lead Jets kart to miss the fuel bay (resulting in an extra stop) and many teams witnessed a fiery argument between Trent and Jets pilot Rohan Collibee late in the race. Was it too stressful, or was it a one off blip? A permanent move to 3 or more karts would place more stress on everyone currently involved in the operation, and considering the WCR Jets have been penalised at every single race this year for speeding or contact issues, trying to control more karts could see them lose total control! We wait with baited breath...baited breath…

Trent wouldn’t give us any specifics when we spoke to him, but did let us know that he thinks 5 karts out of the one tent is not impossible and is willing to talk to any teams interested in running F1 chassis’.

Phil Wallis has revealed that his search for permanent drivers to join the #27 Resisales Racing team continues. This year, the #27 kart has probably had a more changeable driver line-up than any other team and team owner Wallis believes that a more permanent driving roster will aid the team’s search for further podiums and potential wins. Phil Wallis has long been known for looking to promote new talent in the series and for this he should be commended. When he spoke to ProKart Phil offered the following; “G’day there from resisales.com.au everyone, I would like to say thank you to everyone that has been racing in the QLD series. This has been some of the toughest racing i have ever done. It’s one thing to start a race but to have fast pace all day and finish 1st takes a big effort, so well done to Team5150R on their first win.” “It’s hard to find good fast drivers so I decided to go out and find someone that can drive and was willing to learn. Ultimately I found 14-year-old Caleb (Shedogg) at Gympie and despite having never driven a racing kart before he had spent a lot of time behind the wheel of a simulation system. I’d been racing him ‘online’ for around a year and felt confident he could make a seamless transition.” “Caleb did very well going from 50plus second laptimes in his first practice session down to low 46 second laps in the race. Well done little fella!” “There were a few comments at the start of the weekend about how Caleb might manage the ‘rough and tumble’ of competitive kart racing and I only asked that people give him the opportunity to prove himself and perhaps some on-track consideration. In the end I think people started to think a little different about Caleb and quite a number of teams and drivers were very positive about his ability and on-track conduct by the end of the meeting.” “I am trying to bring new driviers to ProKart and give them a chance at something they may never of thought possible. Last year I also had some guys that raced simulators drive for me and they ended up going out and getting their own kart. Now Caleb's dad is talking about buying one next year and going racing with his son, so I’m proud that the Resisales.com team is bringing new people into our sport. Well done Dad and Sheedogg for coming up to Gypmie, I was proud to race with you!” The 24 hr race will see RESISALES.COM.AU start with a driver line up of 4 simulator racers and two other drivers; illustrating that there is a number of potential ’would-be’ karters racing online all around Australia. Phil Wallis and the ResiSales team wish the very best of luck to everyone competing in next month’s Willowbank 24 hour.

Photography: Ian McMah

Round 6 of the New South Wales ProKart Endurance Championship was held on Saturday the 5th of July. Approximately 45 minutes west of Sydney, the iconic Eastern Creek Raceway circuit hosted 23 ProKart teams as series stalwarts Horsepower Racing raced to their first series win in 2009...

Photography: Ian McMah

RACE REPORT The running of the ‘Eastern Creek 6 Hour’, the sixth round of the Powered by Honda ProKart Australia NSW Endurance Kart Championship, last Sunday (July 5) at the Eastern Creek International Kart Raceway resulted in the victory spoils going to the #777 Horsepower Racing team by the narrowest of margins. In what was their first victory of the year and their first since taking out last year’s ‘Canberra 7 Hour’; the # 777 Horsepower Racing team survived a late scare during the closing stages of the ‘Eastern Creek 6 Hour’, with their kart stalling during the final safety car period with 15 minutes remaining, to take out what was one of the closest ever finishes in the history of ProKart Australia competition.

The form team of the NSW Championship so far this year has been the # 3 Wollongong City Raceway Jets and they certainly didn’t enjoy the best of starts to their ‘Eastern Creek 6 Hour’ campaigns as they chased their fourth victory of the year when they lost use of all their brakes within the opening hour. After they lost a total of four laps in the pits, as they fixed the drama, they dropped well down the order. In what was without a doubt one of the comebacks of the year; the # 3 Wollongong City Raceway Jets team fought their back into contention to come only 20 seconds shy of winning.

At the fall of the chequered flag for the ‘Eastern Creek 6 Hour’ the # 777 Horsepower Racing team won by a mere 20 seconds over a very gallant # 3 Wollongong City Raceway Jets in second place and in third place, only a kart length behind the # 3 Wollongong City Raceway Jets team, was the # 21 Walkos Shire Racing team. Apart from the stalling their engine during the final safety car period; the # 777 Horsepower Racing team had another scare after the fall of the chequered flag when they just made weight at the post race scrutineering and that certainly left them with their hearts in their mouths once again for a brief moment.

It was certainly a nervous finish to the ‘Eastern Creek 6 Hour’ for eventual winners # 777 Horsepower Racing as before the safety car period with 15 minutes to the finish they had a lap lead over their nearest rivals. However, when their engines stalled during a pit stop and they consequently dropped a lap and that set the scene for what turned out to be a very close and exciting finish. One of the leading contenders in the ‘Eastern Creek 6 Hour’, the # 21 Walkos Shire Racing team, enjoyed a strong result to clinch the final spot on the podium in what was one of their strongest performances of the year. The # 21 Walkos Shire Racing team made the best possible start to the race by qualifying on pole position with what turned out to be fastest lap of the entire race meeting. To have the top three finishers on the same lap at the completion of six hours of continuous racing around one of the world’s finest karting facilities in Eastern Creek International Kart Raceway is quite unbelievable. Defending National and NSW Champions Team Kaos had a disappointing weekend and not through their own doing. Team Kaos set the early pace during the ‘Eastern Creek 6 Hour’ only to have a coming together with the # 12 Walkos Shire Racing team and it resulted in the former sustaining damage, a broken front wheel, which forced them to spend a quite considerable amount of time in the pit area. Losing a total of six laps; Team Kaos rejoined the race and fought their way back to finish in sixth place. For their part in the collision with Team Kaos; the # 12 Walkos Shire Racing team were slugged with a one minute penalty. The remaining top 10 finishes were made up of # 12 Walkos Shire Racing in fourth, followed by # 82 Team SPR Racing, # 1 Team Kaos, an impressive # 46 Starkey Motorsport, # 888 Horsepower Racing, # 14 Two Dogs Racing and in 10th was an unlucky # 23 Bell Pipes Racing. The latter team had shown great speed throughout the first half of the race only to be hampered by mechanical issues during the last half of the race and drop down the order. With their sixth podium finish from as many starts in the NSW Championship; the # 3 Wollongong City Raceway Jets team continues to hold down their solid lead in the overall point standings ahead of # 777 Horsepower Racing and # 1 Team Kaos. The seventh round of the NSW Championship is to be held on Sunday, September 13 at a yet to be announced track. Full results from the ‘Eastern Creek 6 Hour’ can be found at www.mylaps.com DANIEL POWELL & IAN MCMAH

Photography: Peter Steele

Round 6 of the Queensland ProKart Endurance Championship series saw season-long potential realized as Team5150R broke through for their first win with Kart #50, outpacing the thus-far dominant Adrenalin Rush Karting team in the process. With the #51 Team5150R placing 4th overall and winning B-Division, the team secured their best ever result after the disappointment of last monthâ€™s National Championship round at Raleigh.

Photography: Ian McMah

RACE REPORT

laps behind the winner and on the day they had no answer to the dominance of the #50 kart.

It may have taken a bit longer than expected but finally, the # 50 kart of Team5150R scored their maiden victory by taking out the ‘Gympie 7 Hour’, which was held last weekend at the Cooloola Kart Track near Gympie in Queensland and represented the sixth round of the Powered by Honda ProKart Australia Queensland Endurance Kart Championship,

A tremendous performance by #22 BF Racing Team, led by ex Australian Formula Ford Championship competitor Brett Francis saw them finish 3rd and displaying ominous race-pace throughout the event.

On a number of occasions so far in this year’s Queensland Championship; the # 50 kart of Team5150R and drivers Ian McMah, Luke Delaurence and Josh Townsend have been in winning positions only for fate to deny them of the victory spoils. However during last weekend’s ‘Gympie 7 Hour’ everything came together for the Team5150R and at the fall of the chequered flag they scored a commanding victory.

For the BF Racing team this was their very first podium finish in the Queensland Championship and it has been a result that they had been working towards since the beginning of the year. It shouldn’t be too far away before the #22 BF Racing team start to challenge the leaders and they have certainly put rival Queensland Championship teams on notice.

After qualifying fourth, the #50 kart of Team5150R quickly worked their way into second place and when they claimed control of the race lead mid way through the 2nd hour they were never challenged and went on to claim their very first victory as a team in ProKart Australia competition. In what was a very dominating performance from the victorious #50 Team5150R drivers, following them across the finish line in 2nd place were current Queensland Championship pacesetters # 98 Adrenalin Rush Karting, one and a half

One of the hard luck stories from the ‘Gympie 7 Hour’ was the # 5 Climatrol Racing team. The # 5 Climatrol Racing Team showed plenty of early pace, by qualifying third and leading the early stages of the race, only to hit some bad luck. Unfortunately the # 5 Climatrol Racing team had an off track excursion, while trying to avoid a lapped kart and this consequently damaged their kart. Although they were able to fix the damage, they had lost a number of laps on the leaders along with their pace from earlier in the race, and it robbed them of a better end result. Another team to encounter dramas during the running of the ‘Gympie 7 Hour’ was the # 86 Adrenalin Rush Karting team. They had qualified strongly in second behind their # 98 teammates and were on track for a podium finish only to encounter a race ending muffler problem around the four hour mark and this put them out of the running and they recorded a rare DNF.

It was a fantastic weekend for the sister #51 kart of Team5150R as they took out the ‘B Grade’ honours with a fourth place outright finish despite breaking a rear bar retaining bolt early in the event and losing a number of laps while they undertook repairs. The #51 kart of Team5150R now has a clear lead in the Queensland B Division Championship after winning their B Division for the second successive event. Finishing in 5th outright and 2nd in B-Division was the #661 PDS Grand Prix team with the recently rebranded #42 IPR Scuderia finishing ninth outright and securing their first ProKart podium with 3rd position in B-Division. The Top 10 finishers were rounded out with #27 Resisales.com Racing in 6th; the #3 kart of the Wollongong City Raceway Jets in 7th, #169 Viper Racing in 8th, IPR Scuderia in 9th and rounding out the Top 10 were new entrants 44,s. The #98 Adrenalin Rush Karting team lead the Queensland Championship overall points standings and their tussle the sister #86 Adrenalin Rush Kart is becoming increasingly fierce. In 3rd place and still a very realistic chance at winning this year’s Queensland Championship is the ever consistent Resisales.com Racing team of Phil Wallis. The seventh round of the Queensland Championship is ProKart’s marquee 24-hour event, to be held in conjunction with the third round of the National Championship at the Ipswich Kart Track, Willowbank Queensland on the weekend August 15 and 16. DANIEL POWELL & IAN MCMAH

Photography: Ian McMah

Photography: Ian McMah and Katy Scherf

COMMENT Glenn Firth (or “Firthy” to many) is a name well known to the karting and motorsport community in general; and with good reason. After starting in karts aged 11, Firthy competed with success against many of today’s star drivers, including Mark Winterbottom and Ryan Briscoe. Ultimately progressing to Formula Vee and experiencing further success (and racing against ProKart’s own Ryan Stott at times), Glenn is a regular competitor on the ProKart circuit, driving for Alan Denyer’s Adrenalin Rush Karting team. With more victories than any other driver in this year’s series, Firthy is fast becoming ’the’ driver of the series thus far and is always quick, precise and consistent when behind the wheel of his #98 Arrow chassis.

Whilst you can read the full ‘interview’ elsewhere in this issue (p. 58), what is noticeable from the outset is that this is a driver who lives and breathes Motorsport. When he’s not racing, he’s either spectating or preparing for his next event. An avid follower of most forms of racing, Glenn lists NASCAR among his favoured series at present; primarily because of the uncertainty over the race result each weekend; with any number of drivers capable of taking victory at each round. The same applied to what may be considered his all-time favourite series, the now-merged (with IRL) Champ Car (or IndyCar) series

Glenn was kind enough to offer his time to answer a few questions regarding his background, his racing and his performances this year...

which in its heyday was arguably considered the most competitive open-wheel series of the time. Whilst one of the highlights of that series may have been it’s unpredictability; the same can’t be said of this year’s ProKart series of late; with Adrenalin Rush and Glenn Firth in particular scoring a number of successive wins. Firthy has won this year with more than one team-mate, a solid achievement and one that adds further value to his contribution to the ARK team.

Whilst not yet laying claim to this year’s Championship(s); Glenn and the ARK team continue to put in consistent and quick performances that ultimately see them well placed to potentially win both the QLD and Australian ProKart Championship Series. Glenn is one of a rare breed of drivers who are receptive to discussing all aspects of their racing. In fact, Glenn quite often encourages new and emerging drivers through offering feedback and advice. It’s also not uncommon to see him asked to jump into another team’s kart to offer feedback and performance tips; something he does regularly and willingly. It’s a true reflection of the spirit in which Firthy races that such a highly skilled driver would willingly offer such assistance and as such, Glenn is not only a highly regarded driver, but a very highly regarded member of the ProKart community. IAN MCMAH

Photography: Ian McMah

Did you know… Did you know Tourette Syndrome (TS) affects 1 in 100 boys and 1 in 300 girls? TS is now recognised to be relatively common but under recognised, and a major cause of hidden disability. TS is a Neurological disorder characterised by rapid, repetitive and involuntary muscle movements and vocalisations called “tics”, and often involves behavioural difficulties. Tics tend to come in bursts or "bouts". These periods are called waxing and waning cycles. In essence the brain is over stimulated with an excess of neurotransmitters that bypass the filters in the brain which would normally be used to control one’s movement, thoughts, emotions and actions. TS is NOT degenerative, and people with TS can expect to live a normal life span. It most often begins between the ages of 2 and 21, and lasts throughout life in varying degrees of severity. TS is considered incurable, but treatable. TS symptoms may range from mere aggravation to severe debilitation. The aim of the TSAA is to spread knowledge of what Tourettes is, as well as ask for understanding and acceptance in the community and to undo the social stigma created by misinformation. Recent studies have found that Tourettes affects 1% of the population, where it was once thought to be a rare condition. This is not due to any increase of TS but to the fact more people are being recognised and diagnosed as having TS. Many medical professionals still know very little about TS. Correct diagnosis is important to children with TS so they can access the right management strategies to help them reach their full potential in life. TSAA offers telephone and email support, as well as resource materials to assist families, doctors and educators. Educators do not need to be experts, but a certain level of familiarity with the most common difficulties is essential, so as part of our Education Awareness Program we are offering every school in Australia a FREE DVD called ’What is Tourette Syndrome?.’ Contact TSAA and one will be sent FREE! We have a wealth of materials available as well as personal experience with TS. 43

Ever wondered what variances there are between ProKart here in Australia and itâ€™s counterpart in the United Kingdom? Wonder no more, as Simon Ham explains the differences heâ€™s found after racing in both the Australian and the UK ProKart series...

International ProKart Endurance Racing Recently I had the good fortune to enter the QLD ProKart Endurance Round at Ipswich, this was the first race I had entered since emigrating to Brisbane from the UK in August of last year. Ryan and Ian thought it might be a good idea for me to write an article for this newsletter on the differences between racing in the UK and here based on this experience. Maybe there is something to learn, maybe we should congratulate ourselves on doing things better. I suspect that the answer is, as always, weâ€™re doing a good job, perhaps we could improve what is already a good thing by considering the way things are done by others. We certainly shouldnâ€™t just conform with how things are done elsewhere, we should think about it and consider whether it is right for us, whether what we are doing now is right or whether maybe there is a better solution that we can think of somewhere between what we and others do or by doing something totally different. In this article I am simply going to describe the key differences that I have noticed between the UK ProKart endurance racing scene and my experience on one entry at Ipswich, the hope being that you all consider this in the context of our racing in Australia and think about whether there are things that we would want to do here to improve what is already a great series for our benefit. Of course, you may well decide that the way things they are now is just right! But, before we dive into comparisons of the differences between UK and Australian ProKart racing there is something that struck me from the race here, that is no matter where you race in ProKart Endurance there is always very close, competitive and fair racing on circuit and a huge sense of a friendly community within the pits and on the track.

ProKart endurance racing is so much more than just a competition, it is about a bunch of mates going out there and being hugely competitive on circuit and when the racing is done coming in to the pits, packing up and going for a beer with the people that you have been racing against competitively all day. The fact that a team you are competing against may hit mechanical problems and yet you will still help each other out, whether that be with a spare part, an engine or just helping the other guys get their kart fixed and back on track. This is the spirit that unites ProKart endurance racing worldwide and which makes it such a fantastic sport to participate in. The table on the next page describes the key differences in ProKart Endurance Regulations between the UK and Australia, following the table there are some details of what the differences mean to the racing. There are of course some other minor differences between racing here and in the UK, but those highlighted above are the most significant. Maybe there is something for consideration in these differences, maybe there is an ultimate desire to race internationally and you want to know the differences that you will have to comply with. Maybe these differences simply confirm that the current regulations operated in Australia meet our needs. Regardless of whether the Prokart regulations change in Australia or not, I think this is a fantastic series with a fantastic group of people, to which I fully intend to commit a team to the QLD and possibly the national endurance series for the next season. Happy racing! SIMON HAM47

Difference

Australia

Comments

Honda GX160 with prescribed modifications permitted – sourced in race prepped form from a selected list of approved suppliers in race prepared form with a maximum sale price. Prescribed modifications – Air filter removal Bore Preparation Sealed exhaust system from approved supplier De-governed GX140 valve springs Optimised timing Vacuum tapping’s from crankcase for fuel pump

Honda GX200 – Sealed from approved suppliers

Considerable testing and benchmarking was undertaken between the Honda GX160’s and Honda GX200’s for Prokart racing in the UK. The benchmarking concluded that there was negligible difference in the performance of a Prokart between the Honda GX160’s and the Honda GX200’s. The reason for this is that the extra power and torque of the GX200 was counteracted by the extra 3Kg of weight per engine when compared to the Honda GX160. Given the negligible performance benefit it was decided that in the interests of maintaining a greener sport it was better to use the smaller capacity engine to reduce emissions. The starting point for trying to create a level playing field has to be with the engines that are used, it is important to realise what we are working with an industrial mass produced low power unit in Prokart racing, not a racing engine. Within the intended use of these engines variability of performance is not a great issue and therefore the manufacturing tolerances are not particularly tight. Considerable dyno testing has been undertaken in the UK to establish a method for providing good performance consistency in these engines at a minimum cost. The results of these tests identified the parameters giving rise to biggest variance in engine performance were 1) The bore quality, 2) The assembly accuracy of the timing gear and 3) The exhaust which over time looses baffle plates which affects exhaust flow and hence performance. If these parameters are addressed the result is negligible variance in engine performance between engines. Within the UK the approved engine suppliers undertake modifications to equalise these affects as part of the engine supply and have to supply these engines for a capped price. Fully race prepped engine in the UK is approx. AUD $790 and the Australian Equivalent is AUD$750 at the time of writing this article.

Engine Type

Engine Performance

Driver Changes

1 compulsory per 6 hours

1 compulsory every hour

Driver Stops

Limited by Fuel Tank size of 7.5 litres (max drive time on a tank full approx. 1hr50) Karts need not stop between refuels. E.g. 6 hr race = 3 refuels, 3hr race 1 refuel.

2 driver stops per hour – average of a stop every 0.5hrs. Potentially 2 in quick succession with a solid 55min drive session.

Refuelling frequency

When necessary – determined by fuel tank size limit – typically 1hr50 between refuels

Every 1.25 to 1.5hrs depending on race duration

Prescribed modifications – Air filter removal Degoverned Upgraded valve springs Vacuum tapping’s from crankcase for fuel pump

In the UK you can theoretically use one driver for a continuous period of just short of 6hrs with stops only for refuel. Safety is governed by the driver making responsible decisions about condition for additional driving in combination with the other team members. Additionally the Race director or Clerk of the course can declare a driver unfit to continue racing if it is considered that the driver is exhibiting unsafe signs of fatigue. Australian regulations require regular driver breaks. Without knowing the history for this I suspect that this maybe health and safety driven. A 7.5 litre fuel tank size limit is used to restrict the number of driver stops in the UK. Australian regulations stipulate approximately 3 driver stops per tank of fuel, There is currently a poll on the Prokart website seeking views about the maximum length of time permitted without a stop, the maximum option provided on the poll is 1 hour, other time durations are the existing 30 mins and 45 mins. Because this is under consideration I suspect that there are a number of you feeling that the number of compulsory stops currently defined does not add value to the racing, Prokart Pty are considering alternatives and it maybe worth opening the doors a little further – maybe there is feeling that 1.5hr or 1.75hr stops would be better. Perhaps safety does ultimately require a lower time cap. The UK regulations leave the teams to decide when refuelling occurs, this requires team communication, organisation and preparation. The timing of the fuel stop can be used to put the teams kart on circuit out of synch with others and in clear air, it can be used to avoid having to overtake another kart which you know you can’t get past, but they are holding your pace up slightly. Badly timed fuel calls can also result in karts running out of fuel or being parked up waiting behind another kart to get into the fuel bay. Australian regulations are broadly comparable with the exception that there is no risk of fuel running out because of the refuel time caps.

Refuelling process

Weight Limit

Weight compliance

Race Starts

Timed event â€“ all teams refuel for the same length of time. Engines must be off in Fuel bay. Driver coming in to the fuel bay must turn engines off and must drive the kart out of the fuel bay after timer releases the kart. Driver mans the fire extinguisher. Driver must check fuel cap for tightness. Driver and weight changes can not occur until clear of the refuel area. No communication to occur between driver and team.

There is a big difference between the UK and Australia, Here the refuelling is clearly aimed at levelling the playing field by making sure that everybody is held for the same duration in the fuel bay. The UK approach considers that endurance racing is a team event and that refuelling is part of the race, therefore if the team performs well in the refuelling process they can make up time and position on track, similarly they can also loose time if they do not perform well as a team. Teams need to consider the availability of the fuel bay as part of this process and communicate this to the driver.

185Kg

In truth, the difference in weight limits is likely to be as a consequence of the GX 200 engines being 6Kg heavier than the GX160 engines used in the UK. Therefore the weight limits are pretty much the same.

Every time you leave the race circuit

Race end

Rolling

Various including rolling, standing and Le Mans style starts

Australian regulations only require weigh in at the end of the race, UK requires weigh in every time you leave the circuit. There is the potential under the Australian regulations that teams may run under weight for the majority of the race and make sure that they are up to weight for the last driver session. I suspect that teams generally try and comply with the weight limits at all times. By introducing compulsory weight limits every time you leave the circuit you do introduce certainty over compliance with weight limits, however, this has to be considered in light of the extra staffing required to man the scales and the extra cost that would need to be included in the race entry fee to cover the staffing cost. Because of the relative lower power of Prokarts the UK has deemed that rolling starts only are allowed because standing starts have greater disadvantages for karts that are on the heavier side than a rolling start. Conversely, a rolling start will result in a higher first corner entry speed which increases the risk of accidents and tests the drivers skill. Safety needs to be carefully considered for this.

Team exercise - Approach fuel bay, come to stop, turn engines off, remove fuel cap and place in seat, push kart into refuel bay, man the fire extinguisher whilst refuelling marshall fills the kart with the amount of fuel instructed by the team and replaces fuel cap. Retrieve kart once the refuelling marshall passes the kart back to the team, start the engines and get back on track (check fuel cap tightness between fuel bay and pit exit). Driver and weight changes can occur during a fuel stop as long as no obstruction is caused to the fuel bay. Karts are not driven in fuel bay. Team communication throughout. 180Kg

Tyres

Bridgestone YDS Dry and YDK Wet

Dunlop SL1 dry and Maxxis WT3KTM OR Dunlop KT6-SLW1 wets

Hire Karts

Owner driver only

Owner driver and hire kart

There has been split in the UK Prokart s on which tyres to use, the toss up alway ing between the Dunlop SL1â€™s as used i tralia and the Bridgestone YDS tyres. T split has been a North / South divide wit North running Dunlops and the Southern National championships running the Brid stones. Either of these tyres are fine for durance racing in practice. The Dunlopâ€™ ever so slightly softer and by consequen tend to get a greater drop off in performa with time, the Bridgestones have a very amount less grip but are comfortably go at least 12 hours racing, some have bee known to run 24 hours with good results Hire karts are provided as an option for ticipating in the Prokart endurance races Australia, but not elsewhere. This is a fa tic idea that must promote the sport and to increase the number of teams. Havin alled a hire kart I can say that it exceede expectations and it is a great way to let p ple who might be interested have a go a sport. The UK makes no attempt along lines. Great idea!

scene ys bein AusThe th the n and dger enâ€™s are nce ance small ood for en s. pars in antasd help ng tried my peoat the these

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HORSEPOWER RACING – ENDURANCE KART RACING TEAM The team was formed at the start of 2006 between sprint kart drivers (both Over 40s) Frank Kolarik and Paul Lysaght. The team started with an Omega chassis and the fabled #777 soon became a common sight at Endurance Race meetings. After spending a couple of years learning the trials and tribulations of Endurance Racing, the team joined the Prokart competition at the end of 2007. At the start of 2008, a second kart (#888) was added to the Race Team. With Paul being owner and manager of 888 and Frank remaining team principal and owner and manager of 777, the team had their sights firmly on a good season in 2008. The teams’ first outing for 2008 was at the Canberra circuit. Right from the start of practice the kart was in good form and this resulted in the teams’ first outright victory, being more than two laps clear of the field. This victory finally gave the team the feeling that they were making headway and could be a team to challenge for podium finishes. Unfortunately the team was unable to gain another outright win in 2008 but consistency and preparation during the year helped the team stay in touch with the championship leaders. At the end of the 2008 season, Horsepower Racing was able to claim 2nd outright in both the NSW Prokart Endurance Series and the Prokart National Endurance Series. From 2006, Horsepower Racing has been supported by Cyclo Automotive Products who supply cleaners and chain lube and other products that assist the team in their winning form. In 2009 the team has been close to the podium at every race meeting, but has suffered some minor mechanical problems at each round. With the competition now so close between teams, any mishap usually leads to a poor result, due to the caliber of all drivers and teams’ preparations. At Eastern Creek In July the team finally found form, and though not the quickest on the day, managed to stay out of trouble and bring the kart home in first position outright. With new sponsors Summit Vehicle Leasing on board this year, the win was especially pleasing as our sponsors had come out to see what they had hoped would be a strong result for the team. With #777 usually being driven by Nathan, Phil and Daniel and 888 being driven by regulars Brett, Alan and Mick, both teams believe they are strong in kart setup, preparation, strategies and driving skill. With the prospect of the 24Hr race next month, and several more rounds in both National and NSW Championships to be run this year, the make up of the championships are still wide open. This team hopes that they will be able to continue their recent good form and end the 2009 series in a strong outright position.

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INTERVIEW When did you start racing? What prompted you to start? Where was your first event? I first started racing karts when I was 11 years old. Dad had been involved in club motorsport in Sydney and when we moved to Port Macquarie my parents got hold of an old kart that my cousins had (was actually a historic kart) After thrashing that round our back yard they bought me a Delta Hornet with a J engine to start racing in Rookies. My first race meeting was at Wingham on the old dirt track (for those that are old enough to remember, yes we raced on dirt tracks that were soaked in 44 gallon drums of old engine oil) I won every race that day which was good but then I expected to win everything from then on..... Aside from karts, what else have you driven and/or raced? Apart from racing sprint karts and ProKart's I raced Formula Vee for a few years. I even remember a certain Ryan Stott causing some havoc in his first few meetings as he was still learning what you can and cant do in a race car. I did race remote control cars when I was about 8 but that was no fun as I was standing still while the car was racing. What do you consider to be your greatest racing achievement? Greatest racing achievement is probably racing the majority of my racing career on very limited budget and still getting results. Most of my karting until I started working was out of Dad's pocket which wasn't much compared to say the Ryan Briscoe's or Mark Winterbottom's that had spares of everything, testing etc, so to beat those guys on occasions was like a win. Aside from racing, do you have any other hobbies/ pursuits? I probably should....even my holiday in September is pretty much all motorsport. I enjoy a game of golf occasionally and used to have a jet ski, but now get out with some friends wakeboarding during summer. Turning to this year’s ProKart Series, You’ve won more races than any other driver this season. What do you attribute this to? Alan's kart preparation is the first thing. He has stepped it up this year compared to previous years which I think is showing with having both karts generally in contention at each meeting. The other is staying calm and taking things as they come. They are endurance races, so there is no point trying to race flat out for the first 5 laps cause there is always time to be made or lost over the next 6 hours or so.

You’ve won this year with a number of different co-drivers. Has having different drivers changed your approach to each meeting? Not really. I trust the guys that race with me in the team, otherwise I wouldn't be there. The last few years I was running in the 86 kart cause I couldn't run a full series and a lot of the time didn't know who I was driving with until they arrived at the track. This year we tried to organise a core group to drive the kart that were reliable and would bring it home for a good result. As a driver with Adrenalin Rush Karting, the most successful team in the 2009 ProKart championship; how much input do you have to kart setup and strategy? Kart setup wise we haven't really changed the 2 karts over the last few years apart from tyre pressures and 5mm here or there in the front end. A lot of time and laps were put in at the Port Macquarie track over the years to get these things the way they are. It makes it easy when we arrive at the track. Strategy wise I do those during the week before the meeting, and then we do our own thing separate to the 86 kart once we get to the track. We still share info but they are still our competitors as well. Either my Dad or most of this year my brother in law, Dan has been keeping the strategy on track during the race which leaves Alan to run the 86 kart and worry about everything that could go wrong.... Can you recall the best lap you ever think you’ve driven? Best lap in karts was actually a number of laps. It was a CIK meeting at Raleigh and I was running in RESA. I qualified on pole and led every lap of every heat and final and set a new lap record. Best lap in the Formula Vee was on my way to my first win at the State Championship round at Wakefield Park. There were 4 of us that could win the championship going into that last race at the last round. I passed Ben Porter for second around the outside of turn 1 and ran side by side all the way up the hill through turn 2 and 3 before I managed to get in front through turn 4 for the run back down the hill. I then pulled the leader in who was 3 seconds ahead in the next lap to pass him and take the win. Wasn't enough to win the championship but that lap was like being in a different zone. Aside from ProKart, what’s your favourite Motorsport series (as either a competitor or spectator/follower)? I watch most motorsport events, generally on TV. But the best series that I followed was probably the Indycar/CART series in the late 90's when any one of 10 or 12 driver could win. I guess at the moment I'm enjoying the Nascar thanks to One HD for the same reason that you don't know who can win.

What inspired your helmet design? Over the years I have lost count of the number of helmet designs that I have had. I used to change it every few months at one stage when I was running sprint karts. I guess it was the design aspect that I loved hence my job now in architecture. When I got my last helmet I decided to stick with the one design and saw the basics of it in a karting magazine from Europe. I liked the simplicity of it as well as being bold without too much fancy detail. You debuted a new helmet at Raleigh with an updated design – what motivated the change? Well my old helmet had seen quit a number of laps around many circuits and was due for replacement. So I decided to get a new one but to get it painted as I don't have the patience now to sit and do it in adhesive vinyl like the other ones I have done. So after much deliberation I decided to just reverse the colours of my old helmet and got Krals' Creations in Melbourne to paint it. Favourite or more memorable race this season? They have all been good, but if I had to pick one would probably be Gympie earlier in the year as it was my first meeting since Indy last year which was 5 months without even sitting in a kart. James and I won that fairly easy including 2 spins into the woodchip by myself in the rain trying to find the limit, as well as an extra pit stop (too long away from the game and stuffed the strategy).

After answering our questions, Glenn added the following; “for those that want to know, yes we can be beaten and have no problem being beaten, but yes we do enjoy winning and are not going to hand it to anyone. I have had my fair share of second places or DNF’s over the last 20 years I’ve have been racing, so as they say ‘s**t happens’ and in motorsport what goes around comes around. As most people will know, either Alan or myself are more than happy to help anyone out with setup or advice so if you are having troubles and need some help don’t be afraid to ask”.

Next event...

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Hotshots... Team5150Râ€™s Steve Prokop and Ian McMah gear up to lap the Nurburgring...

Photography: Kate Scherf

In our next issue... •

Features: AMB timing system and data acquistion

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Race Review: Prokart 24 hour—Willowbank hour Willowbank QLD

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Driver Profile: Adam Clark

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