My Grandson

Only 5 (and 4 months or he will get a strop on) and in his first season racing, well, timed circuits because of his age.

All going well at the moment, Vettel look out.

Good to start early! I was well into my 30's when I got serious about karting unfortunately.

Good luck to the grandson!!

Just watched the video (it didn't show up at first). Incredible lines for a 5 year old!!

Henrik wrote:Just watched the video (it didn't show up at first). Incredible lines for a 5 year old!!

Thanks Henrik, he has got a "pod cart" that he uses with computer races/simulator on the TV via a computer, but as a "family", we like to think it is talent  .

Going well so far.

They swap engines between the fastest and slowest cart after every meeting, Harry won the 3rd meeting and then won the 4th with the engine from the slowest cart from meeting 3.


1 Harry Hannam 146 pts
2 Rashid Al Dhaheri 127 pts
3 Kris Knopjes 108 pts
4 Saqir Al Qassemi 91 pts
5 Shrey Holmukhe 70 pts
6 Fahid Al Rawahi 34pts

The boy done well, here is the link to the season finale;

http://circuitprodigital.com/2014/04/15/dubai-bambino-karting-champion-up-close-and-personal/

Awesome. Here in Canada you're not allowed to race at that age.

Just an update;



Still doing well, won last years championship and unbeaten the season.

Last week he did his first trial in the next formula of Kart (the 125cc engine) although he is only 6 and can't races until he is 8 (2016-2017 season) and did 60 laps. His best time was 1.5 seconds a lap slower (1m 9.2s lap) than the average speed of the "not-so-quick" drivers racing in this formula this season.

He now has a proper sponsor who will pay all race related costs (including him going to England for 3 or 4 races this year) the latest equipment, spares and race-craft training.

He is a very lucky kid.

I will ensure we (Shamu Croaks) get a private box for his first race in F1

Great stuff, sounds like a very talented boy!

He has his Micro Rotax Kart, been out a couple of time practicing, this was last weekend.






The go-pro came loose and fell down under the front of the kart, which gave a dramatic journey straight through the sharp left-hander (that is the first corner right at the start of the video).

The kid is a good as gold though, by the time his dad got there he was picking pieces of the camera casing out of the chassis. Went straight back out and dropped his best time 5 laps running.

Not bad for a six year old.

Damn! That is very impressive. Seriously, he is incredibly committed for such a young age, and seems to be a natural about it. Hope he keeps it up!

I suspect that there are a few of us that might/should have been committed (incredibly or otherwise) at that age...  

And...silly-but-serious question of the day:
What's that "gravel-hitting-the-cart" audio sound there, DB?
I assume that it's gravel hitting the cart, and not any under-tray "bottoming-out"...?

Gelert wrote:And...silly-but-serious question of the day:
What's that "gravel-hitting-the-cart" audio sound there, DB?
I assume that it's gravel hitting the cart, and not any under-tray "bottoming-out"...?

A simple answer, I think it would be the wind, as we had a very windy few days here? he did go through the gravel trap and tyre wall at the end.


Good to see/read/hear from you, hope you are well!!!!

Danny Boy wrote:

Gelert wrote:And...silly-but-serious question of the day:
What's that "gravel-hitting-the-cart" audio sound there, DB?
I assume that it's gravel hitting the cart, and not any under-tray "bottoming-out"...?

A simple answer, I think it would be the wind, as we had a very windy few days here? he did go through the gravel trap and tyre wall at the end.


Good to see/read/hear from you, hope you are well!!!!

I'm all good mate.
Hope your wind problem sorts itself.
Nothing worse than strong gusts of wind when driving - fair plays havoc with the concentration.

I'm all good mate. Nice to hear.

Hope your wind problem sorts itself. I hope yours does as well, you voting to get rid of Cameron and Miliband?

Nothing worse than strong gusts of wind when driving - fair plays havoc with the concentration. Concentrate on getting UKIP in power[/quote]

You voting next week?

UKIP are in for a very rude awakening, I suspect...
Especially as they've lately been playing on the wrong side of weird.

There's a local pro-NHS candidate that frankly could do with some support - or she might lose her deposit...?
But as for Cameron/Clegg/Milliband - forget it...we're all SO bored of the "same old, same old".
They're all a bunch of Banker-Backed-Bastards if I'm honest...no offence meant to 'admin' btw...

No offense taken! It's not because you work for a bank hat you are a banker...

Henrik wrote:No offense taken! It's not because you work for a bank hat you are a banker...

I think the world would be a better place if there were more bankers like you H.

Thank you for the kind words!

To celebrate his 7th birthday Harry stepped up to race with the junior class (14 years and under) all racing was in track supplied karts of the same specks.

From the official site:
"Race 2 was a thriller with a quartet of drivers crossing the line within 0.7 of a second, after a race long duel which saw Al Naggar take victory and with it bag a rare double on the day. In his slipstream were brothers Alex and Cameron Macmillan, second and third respectively, Leo Ardolino fourth ahead of Agha in fifth and Matthew Elliot sixth. UAE Micro Champion Harry Hannam impressed enough in his SWS debut to take home the Junior Novice prize".


Tough start to his actual racing, he got bumped off 3 times in the qualifying heat and twice in the 2 races. He is a determined little fucker though and came back from last place to end up in 9th place in both races and had the fastest lap in the final race.

http://www.dubaiautodrome.com/tracktalk/2015/06/report-sws-sprint-races-at-the-kartdrome-5/

Boys good. Nice lines! He's clearly a natural

My Grandson a couple of months ago, Alonso just turned up at the Dubai Autodrome on his own (he has a home in Dubai) and spent quite a bit of time chatting to the people on the track. Eventually someone said you want a drive and Alonso said "I've got my helmet in the car but no suit".  They gave him a standard race suit that any walk-in punter would wear, Alonso went out with the other drivers and did 3 races, got the fastest lap but did not win a race (to be fair, the carts you are given are pot-luck and there is a big difference between the performance. Results and right up are;

http://www.dubaiautodrome.com/tracktalk/2015/12/report-round-15-of-the-2015-sws-sprint-series/

Gone up a lot in my estimation after that.

So your grandson didn't get an instruction to drive into a wall and cause a Full-Course Yellow?
That picture's got to have been Photo-shopped then!

Very nice lines, slow in / quick out, all that stuff...

hey guys. Who is still here? all these yearas later...

jPo

Hi Joe,

He has done really well, finished this season as Bambino champion for all 3 seasons he raced in it.

Goes up to the next class when the new season starts in September (8, 9 and 10 year olds) he has been allowed to practice with that class all last season and has held his own.

The first few practice sessions of this season he has not been out of the top 6 in lap times, so we are hoping he can get a top 5 finish in the overall position come the end of the 2016 - 2017 season.

Hope things are well with you, really hoping to get back to the West Coast of Canada sooner rather than later.