EUMSC Karting Championship Exhibition Event!
Date: Tuesday 23 December 2008
Venue: Tama Tech, Tokyo
Yesterday saw the EUMSC Karting Championship head to Japan for its mid-season non-championship exhibition round, held at the Honda-owned Tama Tech circuits on the outskirts of Tokyo. With only pride and no points at stake, many of the series regulars opting to sit out the long-haul leg, however former EUMSC club champion Leslie Mabon made the long trip and was greeted by a huge crowd at Tokyo’s Narita Airport (unfortunately, all but one member of the crowd were actually awaiting the arrival of Manchester United for the world club championship, whose flight was due to touch down only twenty minutes later).
Leslie was joined by fellow EUMSC member Naco Nakamura for the day’s challenges, which consisted of two timed runs round the super-tight and twisty Dream R course and two races on the Formula Plus track. Honda may recently have announced their withdrawal from Formula One, however this decision seems to have had little effect on their go-kart budget. Competitors were issued with metallic silver space-framed Honda karts, complete with Formula Palmer Audi-style boost buttons and graphics from the Civic Type-R road car. With no slipping clutches, bent steering or duff engines in sight, there would be no excuses for crap times. Except limited understanding of the Japanese language.
On the first run, a technical misunderstanding meant Leslie failed to register that ‘hai-supeedosekchionnikurutoki, midorinoba-tonooshitekudasaitoka-togahayakunaratteimasu’ was an explanation for the function of the green boost button on the Honda’s steering wheel. Nonetheless, spirited driving without the use of brakes ensured his first run was only one second slower than Naco’s, and with a fuller understanding of Japanese karting vocabulary in place for the second run, the scores were levelled ahead of the wheel-to-wheel racing challenges.
In a decidedly un-Japanese two-fingered salute to the gods of safety, competitors were permitted to eschew helmets and suits for all events. This ensured that an EUMSC hoodie was visible on the circuit at all times, for Nakamura had been given a small club sweater when Leslie cleared out his attic back in June. The former EUMSC Secretary started on pole for the opening race, however the presence of a sharp drop down to turn one, some stunning golden-brown autumn trees and billboards for the Suzuka and Motegi Super GT rounds meant both competitors would be tackling the track blind…
Leslie kept the kart lit right the way round, passing on the outside and powering off into the distance to take the win in both races and maximum points in this exhibition round of the EUMSC championship. A celebratory visit to the Honda shop ensued, where much Earthdreams and Formula 1 merchandise was to be had at bargain-basement prices and the Button-Barrichello show car was still tragically on display awaiting consignment to a museum. Today’s tip, then: Honda doesn’t need F1 to make good race cars – is there any way we can smuggle these karts back to the UK?
