Tuscany 2004 - Day 5

Wednesday, 23 June 2004

It's going to be nice again today, it looks like. After breakfast it's full throttle , meaning cards. Turbo wants to join in, I'm looking forward to it. Optimum temperatures promise optimum grip, today we'll be using the slightly faster karts, not the crutches from last time. Mine will be given a quick overhaul, ie brake fluid topped up and bled (yes, hydraulic disc), tire pressure optimized, then we're off.

Unfortunately we are the only ones on the track, so I quickly do a few fast laps. The kart handles very well and is finally going reasonably well. The track could do with a lot more though, I estimate the top speed to be around 70, maximum 80, but I don't believe it. They have a strange speed control there, it works a bit like a limiter. That means the engine revs in, stops briefly (sort of, but the speed definitely drops), and then revs in again. With the best will in the world, it doesn't look like a throttle limiter. It's kind of strange, but I don't go in that often anyway, actually only on the long start-finish straight. After a few laps I see the turbo coming towards me, which makes me even more ambitious, I really want to catch up with him, which means I want to lap him.

And I manage to do that. After the pit passage I'm breathing down his neck, but I can't get past him anywhere because the track is so narrow. He pulls away from me on the straight, I have to slow down. Then the quick right and then I think I've got him safely in the braking zone. I think to myself. But I also think to myself, Turbo, that'll never work, but of course I'm too stupid to keep a little more distance because I wanted to overtake. Well, Turbo really does turn in right in front of me, my evasive maneuver fails because when he turns out again Turbo moves exactly in my direction, so there's a normal smack and we both stand still and face the wrong direction. Bravo. 1300 meters of track and we really manage to crash, congratulations. Unfortunately my kart is badly undulated, the right bumper and the metal fastenings are grazing the asphalt and making a hell of a racket. The cornering also suffers from the grazing parts. I still pull away and win by a wide margin, of course.

There is also a 2-stroke manual transmission on the track, although it is driven by a newbie, as the track manager later explains to me: "e nuovo, non e brava". I can easily keep up in the bends, but on the straights it is of course lost. Driving one of these would be great. Of course it doesn't have to be a manual transmission, an automatic would be more than enough. But something like this with 20 HP or more on a professional track, alone, without an audience (I would really shit myself doing it), that would be good for me. There is something like this at the A1 Speedworld in Bruck, I would definitely like to try it. After that I do another lap on my own, Herbert has had enough. The first kart is a complete crutch, it cuts out and then stops for half a second and is much slower overall. Then I get into Herbert's ex-kart and the thing understeers like a Nissan Cherry. At first I was so confused that I ended up in the grass and jumped up twice before I got back on the track. The thing's motor is better than my first one, but the roadholding is strange. Complete understeer, it gets better as the tires warm up, but it doesn't go away completely. You can compensate a bit by shifting your weight, but of course it's quite strenuous. This time the kart started to act up later on, the engine cuts out now and again in right-hand bends, I think it's just too hot for the things. Me too, I'm sweating like a confirmation candidate. But it was still cool, even if there was no time and no opponents.

Then to the COOP and, because of the weather, back to the pool. As soon as we get to the water, the clouds darken, it's like high fog, but it stays hot. The Americans aren't sneaking around today, so we go and have a snack. Caprese, again very good, a bit more than a bottle is enough. Then back to the pool, the Americans are gone and Herbert and I fortify ourselves with a water polo. Until the damn ball breaks, but the plastic skins really can't take anything.

In the evening we visit Siena , specifically the Osteria Castelvecchio , practically directly opposite the Capitano. The food was very good, carpaccio with parmesan and squash, then tagliatelle tartufo (surprise) and braised beef with potatoes, yes. Bettina has chicken with green olives and tomatoes, I like it very much, quite refreshing. Then coffee and tiramisu. The house wine (2003 Sangiovese from Spaletti in Greve) is very, very decent. Full-bodied, fruity, well-rounded, drinkable. Then a glass of Primitivo (Zinfandel from Salento), also fine. Tour of the city, admired the youth, enjoyed the atmosphere. Germans lose to Czechs, very edifying. 1:2, Frittland in sorrow. Holland wins 3:0 against Latvia, wonderful football world. Bedtime at 1:45.