King Racing make history in HungaryThe first day dawned with very hot and sunny weather and the King Racing team set out on their first run with the same settings as those used at their recent successful Hockenheim race. At the hit of the throttle the 1000 HP Puma stepped sideways, and King rolled off the throttle before grabbing another handful with the same result. The bike rolled to the end at a sedate 7.69 @ 175.56 mph, slow but good enough for number one, a position not relinquished for the event. After such an onerous run King was pleasantly surprised to be met by a very attractive promotions girl in the shutdown area proffering cooling beverages….!
The team got their heads together and came up with a new set of clutch and fuel settings to cope with the track and the now almost unbearable + 40 degree heat for Q2. Despite tremendous wheel spin and a wild ride for King that saw him click off early at 6.3 seconds into the run the crowd were sent into raptures to see a 6.79 @ 208.35 mph come up on the board, the very first six second pass by a motorcycle in Hungary! Saturday saw the same hot conditions and the team elected to sit out the first qualifier of the day, hoping for more favourable conditions for Q3 and an optimized setup. However, King was shut down on the line after the ever vigilant Chief Starter Ian Marshall spotted some oil on the track left by the previous rider. The lack of time for the team to refuel and reset the systems before the end of the day's activities meant that the team was unable to try their new settings, and would have to wait until the first round of eliminations. Sunday finals day saw a complete contrast in weather, somewhat chilly, windy and wet. The settings the teams had settled on for 35 degree and 25% humidity were completely inappropriate for the 19 degree and 70% humidity now, and in any case the wet surface seemed to indicate that the event may end early. However, late in the afternoon the rain ceased, and the hardworking track crew got the surface sufficiently dry to commence racing. The team made their best stab at new fuel and clutch settings and King had the benefit of a bye run. Again, tremendous wheelspin saw King wrestle the 400Kg machine from one side of the track to the other, but he flashed over the line to record a fantastic 6.41 seconds at 215.37 mph. The crowd and the organizers elation was matched by that of the team, how was it possible for a run so quick to take place on this new track? The team's tuning experience showed in the semi finals as King overcame Greek rider Tilsisoglou Savvas with another great pass of 6.49s @ 214.63 mph and into the final to meet Finland's Kai Selkämaa on the ex Norbert Kutzera Puma Yamaha.King had the amiable Finn covered all the way and crossed the line with another winning pass to take the event title and extend his lead in the championship, a 6.53s @ 220.95 mph proving too much for Selkaama's tyre spinning 7.06 @ 187.78 mph. The team made many new friends and fans after both sharing and making history in Hungary, and look forward to the event in 2010. They would like to thank the Hungarian fans who made the event so special, organisers Judy and Joseph Hagnady, the hard working crew and management of Trak Bak Racing and Speed Riders MC, the local Government and sponsors who gave financial support, and last but not least the track announcing duo of Par `PiPPi' Willen and Joseph who lent their own unique style and expertise to whip the crowd into an unbelievable state of excitement! Pictures courtesy of Ernst Gruber - www.motorsportfotos.at and Ian King. Image Design Custom - The UK's leading custom paint shop |
