Kart Cup West Round 2: Lidköping

Deven Grabko Takes Maiden Podium!!!

Lidköping Karting Klubb hosted the second round of the Kart Cup West National Series on a world class figure 8 track that drew a strong international field in many classes. In challenging conditions with an extreme wet track during free practice on Saturday, and still on rain tires on Sunday morning’s warm up session as the circuit rapidly dried out, Deven showed the pace of his current development and gave the paddock a glimpse of what is to come if he can continue on his current trajectory.

Fastest in the wet on Saturday, the still inexperienced driver was full of a different kind of confidence coming into race day. It was a quiet but steely self belief that the team could feel surrounding their driver as he went through his morning pre-race preparations, getting involved in the chassis and motor setup and installation, reminding his mechanic that he needed everything to be right if he was going to win today. To win. This was the mentality shift the team and driver coaches had been waiting for. He knew he was there on pace and he wanted it. Badly.

 FREE PRACTICE - P3, P5
The first session of the day was a 5 minute warm-up and the track was still too wet to go out on slick tires for any kind of representative running, although it was drying fast. The front runners went out on wet tires, with the team electing to stay on a full wet chassis setup instead, knowing it probably wouldn’t be the optimum choice. Others had gone over to dry chassis setups on wet tires. Deven went through his paces and after the short 4 flying lap session it was clear that slicks would be the way to go by the time the 2nd practice session came around. Deven was third fastest, on the right tires but the wrong setup. A good start to the day. 

The second practice session was all about dialing in the chassis for the qualifying session to come. It was now an hour on from the first short warm up session, and the running of the other classes competing had given the track a nice dry line by the time Formula Mini lined up again for Free Practice 2. The decision was made to not break in the new qualifying set of tires, but run on an old used set instead. The data indicated that on this track with the predicted track temperatures and Deven’s driving style, that optimum use of new tires would be about 4 laps into the first session of use. So out on old tires it was for FP2. Deven went out and was 5th fastest on a track that was not quite ready for full speed yet, as the top times were still over a second off proper qualifying pace. Nonetheless, it was a reassuring result. All the data showed that Deven would be there at the pointy end in qualifying.

---

QUALIFYING - 8 MINUTES - P2
Of course it is one thing to have data indicating a predicted theoretical time, and quite another to go out and execute on that to make it a reality. As they lined up in the pre grid for qualifying, though, Deven gave his reassurances to his race mechanic. “I’m going to do it,” was all he said.

It was now almost 11:00am, and track temps had risen and the sun had even peeked out to accelerate the drying of the track. Due to all the running in between, a good amount of rubber had been laid down as well by this time. So now the only thing left was to go out and lay down the hammer.

And boy did our little man Deven do exactly that. He went out and put up the benchmark for others to chase after immediately. As the 8 minute session wore on, it became clear it was going to be a two way shootout for pole position, with Deven trading blows with his rival back and forth. It was a show of maturity for The Grabko GP driver, as he made sure to give himself proper track position to be able to pump in push lap after push lap, and hit back every time.

In the end, though, it was the #225 kart of fellow Intrepid Driver Program teammate Max Emanuelsson who pipped Deven to pole by just 0.114s. A great fight and a great feeling to be slugging it out at the very front of the field. To say it was an excellent result for the team and driver would be an understatement, and the reward was a front row starting position for both of the qualifying sprint heats to come.

Of all the drivers we have this year, Deven has made the biggest step in performance. It was good for his development to get this result, and it is going to be great to follow and work with him going forward.”

​    ~ Leo Kuparinen, Team Principal at LK Racing and head of the Intrepid Driver Development Program in Sweden.

SPRINT 1 - 9 LAPS - P2
Just after the lunch break now, the racing conditions were almost perfect. 14°C air temperature, with just light cloud cover, the sun peeking through from time to time, and the team were geared up and ready to take up the fight. The main goal was to consolidate a front row grid spot for the feature final race to come, but a win in one of the heats would be a very welcome confidence booster.

But first Deven had to navigate the rolling start. 2nd position is one of the most difficult starting spots on the grid. You are on the outside line, and you have to react to the person on pole, who gets to decide when to go. If you pass the start/finish line before the pole-sitter, you will be penalized with a 3s false start penalty at a minimum. A costly mistake if found guilty by the start cameras.

The tension was palpable in the team as the karts formed up under the tunnel before the start/finish straight. As they rolled up to the start, Deven hesitated a bit and started to put up his hand as if to indicate a new formation lap, but he had misread the lights and the start was actually on. This only cost him a moment or two, but it was enough for Max to get away and secure a turn one lead. Deven recovered well, though, and managed to cement his 2nd spot as they made their way up to the turn 3 hairpin for the first time. The leader had managed a half second gap by the time they made their way over bridge for the first time, and Deven was being pressed hard from behind as well.

However, unlike the last few races, he was able to refocus himself and started driving his own race. He put his head down and got into a really nice rhythm. He was showing consistently fast pace, matching and beating the pace of Max ahead for most of the race by a few hundredths here and a tenth of a second there. He was able to shake off the pressure from behind and drive without having to defend, having built a half second gap to third place himself, and was ever so slowly drawing the leader back in. But he was running out of laps in the short sprint race. On the 9th and final lap he put on the afterburners and put in the fastest lap of the race at a 1:01.886, but it wasn’t quite enough, and he crossed the finish line in 2nd spot, only 4 tenths off the win. A real show of intent from The Grabko GP race driver.

---

SPRINT 2 - 9 LAPS - P3
Duly satisfied with the performance and the result of the first Sprint, it was time to go out and do it all over again.

This time the start was better, and he was right on the back of Max going up and over the bridge for the first time. But others had started better as well. In one case too well, but this will come into play later on in the race. For now it was a 4 kart break away at the front, With Max leading from Grabko GP’s Deven, followed hard on by the #121 of Leo Abrahamsson and Eric Bondarov-Naperotti’s #99 machine. It was neck and neck, bumper to bumper racing and on lap 5 it all came to a head.

Leo saw a half chance and took it, aggressively diving in on Deven, who was taken by surprise, on the turn 3 hairpin, and forcing our man out wide onto the marbles and rumble strip curbs on the exit of the corner. It was a hard and ambitious move, but fair, and Eric was able to take advantage as well and also get by as Deven lost traction off the racing line. It was classic kart racing, lose one position and you tend to lose more.

Deven felt hard done by having been pushed out almost off the track, slamming his fist down on the steering wheel, but there was nothing to do but try to get back in the race. The little man did just that. He channeled his anger in exactly the right way and put in the fastest lap of the race on lap 7 and was right back in it. However, there were now only 2 laps to go.

Ahead, Leo had also caught up Max and they were fighting for the win, which allowed both Eric and Deven to get right back up to them both. It was going to be a final lap sprint to the finish line. Deven lined himself up for a last corner drag race to the line, with Leo doing the same to Max less than a second up the road. The 4 of them crossed the line in two pairs, With Leo snatching the victory from Max right at the line, but Deven not quite able to duplicate the move on Eric. He crossed the line only 0.042s behind. What a finish!

Deven crossed the line 4th, but was promoted to 3rd place almost immediately as unfortunately for Leo, he was judged to have jumped the start outside of his corridor and was given a 3s penalty that relegated him down to 5th place.

It meant the team’s goal for the sprint races was achieved as Deven consolidated his front row start for the feature final race with P2 and P3 finishes in the sprints and would start P2 again for the Feature Final!

---

FEATURE FINAL - 13 LAPS - P3
This is what it is all about. Fighting for the win against high level competition. To finally be in this position after all the hours and hours of practice, seat and travel time, hard work, rising back up after many many discouraging and difficult race weekends and coming back for more to take on the next challenge. This was the moment to make it all worth while.

13 laps. May the best man win.

Deven was visibly nervous at the start. Again he misread the lights and half put his hand up to signal an extra formation lap before catching himself. This time though, he didn’t get away with it. Leo was lined up 3rd now after the sprint race results and thus had the inside line and didn’t have to try to dive to the inside, and so had no risk of a false start. He was able to get up alongside Deven and force his way through to 2nd, behind Max who had gotten a decent start as well, at the fast left-handed turn 1. Deven didn’t let this phase him though. He got his game face back on immediately, consolidated his 3rd place position and started the hunt. An early stint in laps 3-5 saw our Intrepid Driver Program racer 2-3 tenths of a second faster than the leaders and catching right up to them, being particularly strong in the final sector 3 of the track.

The pace just wasn’t sustainable though. He was working his tires too hard at this blistering pace, faster than anyone on track, and tire pressures were getting too high. The next stint saw him lose about a tenth and a half of a second while the more experienced Max and Leo ahead were just coming into their tire window. It was a subtle but noticeable reversal, that saw Deven stop his advance as the leaders equalized their pace to his.

All was not decided behind him either. Both Eric and the #6 driver, Alvin Johansson out of Jönköping, were both having excellent races as well and giving Deven some pressure from behind. He handled this well for his part though and was comfortable enough to keep his attention ahead.

The leaders worked together well to pull away until the final laps, and left Deven pulling the two behind him along in his quest to get within that magical 1 second gap to be able to do something in the final stages. It never quite materialized though, as Eric unfortunately had to retire with only 2 laps to go due to a technical flag as his rear bumper came loose. A tough break for him, and it also left Deven with no help to make the final push up to the leaders.

In the end it was a fine 3rd place as Deven crossed the line, just 1.4s off the leaders who had yet another photo finish, with Leo again snatching the victory away from Max at the line. A milestone moment for both the team and Deven in his racing career, as he proudly stepped onto the podium for the first time. Way to go, kiddo!!

It was a triumph in another way as well as it was a complete lockout of the podium by The Intrepid Driver Program Sweden and LK Racing, With Leo, Max, and Deven all representing the Italian karting manufacturer at the race.

​So there you have it folks, an EPIC race weekend for the team, and we can’t wait for the next one! Coming up in 1 week's time, we are down in Växjö, Sweden for the double race Gold Cup, rounds 2 AND 3 of the Southern Swedish Karting Championship Cup (SKCC).

See you all there!

What a performance today! The Kid showed that he can do it now, and has reaped the rewards of the hard work and dedication he has put in during the winter and preseason. Really proud moment for him, and of course for us as a team and family.”
   ~ Grabko GP Chief, Dan Grabko

YESS!! I knew I had it today, and it was awesome. I love this track, it is so much fun, and I was so pumped to be here. Fighting with Max and Leo for the win was amazing and it is something I want to be doing every weekend, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make that happen! It felt so good to step up onto that podium! I want to thank LK Racing for making our engines purr even louder than my Maine Coon cat, Palpatine, at home. Also the Intrepid Driver Program for giving me the opportunity to drive with these awesome guys around me, it is such an amazing experience. Of course Intrepid Kart for making a rocket ship of a chassis, you guys are GREAT! Hope to continue to bring more and more hardware home to them! Oh my god, I can’t forget our awesome sponsors and partners - The Techno Creatives, Dumpling X Sweden, Elevate IoT Platform, Weret Swedish Surf Watches, and last but not least - Improx Customs and Profil #461 in our home town of Trollhättan. Without you awesome dudes none of this would even be a thing. Let's go do it again!!"
   ~ Racing Driver, Deven Grabko