Tuesday 29th April: COVKARTSPORT President's Award winners, 16-year old Russ Pinks of Rugby and 17-year Cal Foreman of Kent, both enjoyed their prize - an impressive tuition and  testing session in the AHS Racing Team's Formula VEE Single-seater racing cars at the Bruntingthorpe Test Circuit.  This was an exclusive test for the two young COVKARTSPORT drivers with the AHS Team providing a track car + two single-seaters, massive articulated lorry, full engineering back-up/support and personnel. The lads were given 100% focus and both gave 100% focus and at no time were  forced to follow a pace-car!

The session, which started at 11.00am finished just before 4.00pm and the circuit stayed completely dry and mostly sunny throughout which enabled the pair to get down to some serious work with team boss Alan Harding and Chief Mechanic Jason with experienced F.Vee racer, Ry Lindsay, also on hand to give valuable help. The pair were fitted for the cars -  with peddle adjustments for leg length and adjustments to the full harnesses. Alan then took them both onto the circuit, in the Mazda MX3 1.8 Litre V5 track car, to talk them through the braking and turn-in points as well as giving them a good line and many useful fast-driving tips. The next step was to get both of the lads lapping fast and using the gears/clutch well in the track car with Alan in the passenger seat. Both of the pair then progressed into the less powerful of the two Formula Vee cars and, after 3 or 4 sessions and a few spins, they were pushing well and not lifting for the fast left-hander.  Alan now judged that they were both ready for the fully race-prepped F.Vee (this was last year's ex-Ry Lindsay car!) and, following more instruction from Alan, they were given full permission to drive the second car and "cut loose" and give it some wellie! Both lads were able to notice and define the difference between handling and speed in the two cars!

In their last session both young men achieved around 125mph on the main straight and 110mph through the fast left-hander! I took the COVKARTSPORT Honda out onto the circuit with both dads and another family member (so they could know what their lads had contended with) but, with 4 on board, I was only just able to top 100mph on the main straight and 92mph through the left-hander but this shows you just how nimble the F.Vee is and how well the lads were driving!

All-in-all it was a terrific day - and Alan Harding was pleased with both Russ and Cal. He set them a time of 1 minute 29 seconds to achieve in their last session and both were successful! Russ posted a 1.28.90 and Cal just edged him with a 1.28.28! Both of the lads learned a huge amount and experienced single-seater racing cars for the first time - they have just cause to go home feeling very satisfied! This was the prize for jointly winning the COVKARTSPORT  "President's Award" and, as President, I can tell you that they were both an absolute credit to COVKARTSPORT! If I had to appraise both drivers I would say that Russ was smoother and kept it planted on the black stuff whereas Cal was a tad faster but had one or two agricultural moments - nothing to choose - they needed to find the limits and they caused no damage. Brilliant!

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