Steven Welsh's fastest ever lap around Warden Law on a World Formula kart was done in testing in absolutely perfect conditions, it was a 57.4 lap.
His fastest ever lap on a prokart is 58.4 also done in near perfect conditions, but this was done in a race and validated.
He was basically given a W/F to race for a season to win the Warden Law Championship, which he duly did, but he gave the kart back at the start of the following season, mainly because of the unreliability of the engines,but also because the formula was going nowhere. Poor entry numbers and lack of close competition (in numbers) contributing to him making this decision.
The engines were prepared and looked after by the the best available agent in the UK at the time, and the unreliability had nothing whatsoever to do with them. They did everything possible to try and ensure reliability. We were running with rev limiters and got the gearing optimised to keep the time that the engine was on the limiter to the minimum. Running in was very carefully carried out, but alas we had 2 engines expire within 10 minutes of going out on the track.
Memorably, we had two engines expire at the same meeting, finishing the day on a borrowed motor.
In summary, the Briggs and Stratton motor at that time was a complete and utter heap of crap, and that is probably why the formula never really took off.
We have done 5 very successful seasons racing with prokarts and never had one engine blow up or suffer terminal damage.... Am I tempting fate here!!!???
One season of World Formula, seven engines gave up the ghost.
Do I really need to say anything more... I think not.
Gordon Welsh
Welshy's dad
|
|