As school ends, Daniel sends his dad a text message, then heads home in a hurry. Daniel’s helmet, balaclava and gloves are already in the back of Chris’ truck, ready. By 5:00 pm, they’ll be weaving through rush-hour traffic, on their way to K1 Speed.
For weeks, Daniel has been trying to set a 23 second lap, but can’t break that barrier. This time, he’s going to use finesse. Electric karts are like 4-stroke Briggs; it’s all about keeping momentum up. Smoothness is rewarded.
The first lap of the session flashes up on screen at 23.913. It worked! The lessons and practice and determination to get quicker have paid off. Daniel’s lap times continue to drop all evening, finally posting a 23.707 second lap, overshadowing his father’s personal best time of 24.079.
By 10:00 pm, the track is closing. Helmets are packed up.
It’s a school night.