Mark Megens' blog

24/25 August 2009

Hi my friends late, but Its a bit needed a chill out, after all what happend. It all started great on the testing days, and I felt directly good with the new Intrepid chassis, and just needed some changes on seat and steering column, so we could start with set up. We had two days of test on the Sarno circuit, one week before the event, and all the best drivers were also there.

The two days were very hot and humid, and all drivers and mechanics were really suffering in these conditions, with temperatures reached more than 40º. But after all we did all good a good work on testing.

3/4/5/6 September 2009

Finally started the World cup KF3. I looked really forward to this event, and had a lot of confidence to make a great result. On the free training sessions on thursday and Friday and got with the top four best times, and it looked all really good for me. On friday was the first of two official chrono, and we decided to stay in and wait for the second chrono, as many others did of my group. Just to save tyres for next days heats.

But the disaster started as a big cloud, two and an half hours later with the second chrono passed over the circuit, and it started to rain!

This didnt look good for us, as some drivers in other groups had there official times on a dry circuit, and we had to do it on a wet circuit!
After all I took a 24th spot in the official chrono due to a what they call a 101% timing.

I had to start the heats from outside on a 12th spot on grid, and had to make my move forward in the next heats. I had to start the first heat of the day, and it was a bit of a chaotic start from some of the drivers, which made me hold in, to not crash. First heat I finished in a disapointing 16th spot. The following heats I finished 3rd, 4th and 6th.
This was enough to get through the last 34 drivers, who were going to dispute the World cup, and had a 12th spot on grid in the pre-final.

In the pre-final the start was again chaotic, and had to be done twice times over. After all we were started, and I lost some places (5) in the first corner, as I was on an outside position. But afterall I worked myself up to a 9th place finish, wich was giving me the perfect inside position for the final.

The start of the final was great for me, and took directly two places at the first corner. Coming up to the next corner, which is a slow long corner, I had to stay behind a driver, and at the same time I tought “hope they are not gone hit me from the back” And what you think? It happend, some dude, just hit me full in the back, which took me out, and the driver in front of me.

A big Shame, but I had a great weekend with a great mechanic and great team, only the result could have been better, Next Time!!

The weekend started well with a 5th best time overall in the training sessions. Knowing that I could push a bit more in two sectors I was going with confidence into the official Chronos. The first three laps I got into the top three, and was just about to go for my flying lap when my engine started to fail due to a cut into the fuel pipe, which brought air with gasoline into my carburatour. Finally I had to be satisfied with a 15th place in the official Chronos, wich made me in a sixth spot on grid in the heats.
The first heat I finished 5th, and the second heat 6th, with a following 7th in the third heat.

Now I was with the top five if I had a top three result in the 4th heat, and was going for this. Just in the last lap, when I was about to overtake to take 3th place my engine seized.
This took me right back to 20th place in the pre-final, instead of a top five on grid due the failure of the engeine.
I knew that the pre-final was going to be very dificult for me, as I was in the middle of the field, with other drivers who wanted to gain places. In the second corner of the pre-final the were already some victims, and I could gain some places, but getting to the third corner, there was a big traffic jam, due to some drivers battles. I had to go to the dirt part of the track, wich made me struggling during the race cause of dirt (stones and rubber) on my tyres. Finaly I finished a disapointing 27th.

Now I had to take all the risk in the final, and the first corners where without incidents, wich made me going from 27th to 12th spot, but it didn´t take long, when I just drove out of the third corner a black spoiler past my vizer, and a kart landed on me.
Destroying my whole side of the kart and my steering colum. End of Race.
I didnt know where the kart came from, but did hear later, that the kart involved, had got a hit from the back, and lost control of his kart, finally finishing in the side of my kart. This was the end of a promising European final.

Great weekend for me in Angerville. It was my first time in Angerville, and just had in mind to qualify, but at the first day I was with the top five best times, and had a fourth best time overall in the Official Chronos. In the Heats, I got first, two thirds, and one fourt position, and this was enough to be on the first row next to Carlos Sainz jr. in the first final on Sunday.

I did have a chance to be on the podium, but the most important was to qualify for the Final in Zuera (ES), and not to get eliminated. Finally I finished 10º in the first final, and 12º in the second, wich gived me also the ticket for the World Cup KF3 in Sarno (IT) in September. I´m very satisfied with this result, and concentrate now on the Spanish Nacionals next week in Zuera, which will be a good training for the European.

Hi friends, it’s already almost two months ago that I wrote my last post, but finaly there’s again an important race coming up, as the European Qualifyers for KF3 and KF2 in Angerville, in which I will compete in the KF3 class. In the last two monts I did some testing with the team, and did two regional races, where I had some good results, considering the circumstances. Altough I’ve never been to Angerville circuit, I really look forward to this important race, which is the Qualifyer for the final in Zuera (Esp) at the 12th of July this year, but also the ticket for the World-Cup KF3 in Sarno (It) at the 6th of September. This month I did also a small half day test with a Formula BMW Junior, at the Jarama Circuit, and I realy liked it. But now I want to concentrate on karting, which is the main school, and try to get some good results for me and the team, who really deserve it.

ROTAX “WINTERCUP” 2009

Great weekend at Circuit Campillos in Southern Spain, with an unlucky Final for me, is how I describe this. After controlling the whole weekend, I started from a second place on the grid in the pre-final, and wanted to go for a pole-position in the “Grand Finale”. Webster, Talvar and Brand where my direct rivals, but I put the pace high, and finished first in the pre-final. With Talvar in second and Brand in third. Confident I started the Final, when bad luck striked me with a broken coil on the formation lap, and had to park my kart next to the track. The Final was won by Edward Brand, who showed me great sportsmanship after the race. Great event, and Great organisation by all.

Getting ready for next race.

Hi friends,
This weekend I had my first test with a Rotax Junior, with which I go to participate in the Wintercup Rotax in Campillos (Spain). It´s a different handling on excelarator then a KF3 engine, but with some practice, I started to make good laptimes, as well in dry and wet.

As rain came down with buckets on sunday. Finaly we have the program ready for 2009, and i´m glad we do the Spanish Nacionals KF3, and the European Championship KF3. Maybe we do also the Euro-Challenge Rotax Max, but this depends on result at the Rotax Wintercup in Campillos on the 14th and 15th of february. Hope things getting better in 2009 for the sponsors, so we can do some more races. I look really forward to my first race of the year at the Wintercup. Gentlemen get your engines started !!

After I did only one event in the Spanish Nacionals (2º and 4º in finals ) with Premier Motorsport (Energy) I was very satisfied with the handling of the chassis, and we will have the first test this weekend since then. Plans are to do the full Spanish Nacionals KF3, and the European KF3 with the European finals in “Zuera” on the 11th and 12th of July. I really look forward to this Championship, which I sadly missed, but Qualified for the finals in Varennes. Also I will be acompanied by GFR Engines, (Gordy) from England in these Championships.

I still look for sponsors, wich I won´t let down for next season. (this is a promise) contact: markmeg@hotmail.com

We come to the end of my first season in KF3, with still a lot to do, but promising for next year. 10 races with 7 podiums, with a 3rd in the Open Masters in Val Vibrata and a 2nd in the Spanish Nacionals at Campillos as the highlights, and of course not to forget, the qualifier for the European Championship in Varennes, where I couldn´t come.

Things weren´t that easy at the end of the season, due to the economic situations, but there was always a 110% effort, to get the best out of it. For next year we have on the program the WSK series, but this depends of course also on the sponsorships. Any help or ideas are very welcome, and well treated.

We will be at the Copa de Campeones in Vendrell (Taragona) at the beginning of December, and will have there my last race of the season. See you there.

Hey… I´m also at Facebook.

This time I was invited by my former team PM to drive in the third event of the Spanish Nacionals at the Campillos circuit. I had a reasonable qualifyer in the heats, and started at 13th spot in the final. All drivers were on slicks, and at the 4th lap the first drops of rain fell on the track.
I had a good start, and past the first lap in 9th place. The leaderpack with, Barrabeig, Sainz, Da Luz, and Abrue, had a constant battle for the lead, wich gived me the posibility to come closer to this pack. At 4 laps left I had contact, and took second place, after great battles ,behind Sainz. Manolo Bejerano came 3th.

On the second final I finised 4th, behind winnwer Barrabeig, Michel Halle, and Fransico Abreu. All results at http://www.pde-racing.com

This is the worst day of my karting career. My dream to drive a European Final was transformed in a broken dream. As a stomage diseas striked me with weakness and no apetite. Doctors prescripcion? .. Medicine, and rest.

Today I followed the training sessions of KF3 live at www.cikfia.com, and there were some suprises,with 54 drivers in the KF3 class within 6 tenths of a second!! That promise ESPECTACULO!!

Can´t wait to follow the heats tomorrow, altough with a bitter feeling, as I could be there too. Hope I will have another chance next year.