Ampfing 66 Runden. Wet racing (Leihkart)

November 9, 2025
1st place overall – my first ever!
The closing of the outdoor karting season fell on rainy weather. This is good news because races are always more interesting in the rain – you constantly have to look for the line with the best grip, braking, and acceleration points. Also, the rain slightly levels the playing field between the power of different karts (although it still greatly affects the result), but experience, knowledge of the track, and the ability to adapt to conditions come to the forefront.

Timestamps
00:00 Race start. I was lucky to start at the front of the grid, but unlucky with engine power. I focused on driving and cornering
05:13 The guys are fighting each other, pushing each other out, so I can drive past
19:00 Pit Stop. I manage to look at the scoreboard and I am very happy that I currently hold the lap record in the race
19:50 I re-enter the track right behind the leader, who is also after a pit stop, but was less lucky with their car. Here I begin to understand that there are chances for a podium finish if my second kart has good straight-line speed
24:01 My hotlap begins: 1.24.337
30:41 Slowly I caught up with the pilot who eventually finished in fifth place. He had great pace, so the battle took some time (including contact at 30:57)
45:33 I caught up with a consistent competitor. He is a little slower than me, but not enough for me to easily overtake him
48:07 I drove the last couple of corners better, so I had more speed entering the next turn and chose the outside line. Mr. Smiley didn't expect to find me there and also chose that line. The result: a spin and a loss of about 6+ seconds of lap time
51:50 I chose the slow inside line and was able to get ahead after the corner complex
57:07 Couldn't overtake on the outside, waiting for a better moment
58:02 I had a better exit from the corner (or a more powerful kart allowed me to accelerate faster)
1:02:15 My GoPro 8 failed this test, the battery died. The race lasted for about another half hour

Race Summary
I maintained a similar pace afterward; there were no more lap records. This brought me first place with a small lead of only 7 seconds over second place. The battle with him remained off-camera.
We were in touch with another participant via radio and supported each other - he got a slower second kart, but thanks to his consistency, he was able to take a decent position.
Overall, the race was very polite - no one wanted to cause an accident for another, and it was more of a fight against the weather conditions and the track.
A great end to the season! Thank you to all participants for the pleasant experience