The little drum

£45 seems quite reasonable for a new drum. Kate's a percussionist as well as a racing driver, and over the years I've spent thousands on drums. Timpani, concert toms, snare drums, you name it and it'll be in our house somewhere. And Kate really does hammer those drums at times.

But the little £45 drum I'm talking about is a Rotax clutch drum, and Kate gave that drum a real hammering too, during Round 5 of the Medway Valley Kart Club's summer championship. It was dreadful weather on the day, and the wet weather and bumpiness of Buckmore's track took it out on our Tony Kart. The rhythmical bumping was just too much for the little drum, and despite it's super tough metal construction, it cracked. Still, it's just a cracked drum. Another karter lost a wheel!

We discovered it whilst stripping down the kart for its post-race clean and check. The rear sprocket was loose. And a tonne of other stuff was loose too. It has been through quite a hammering.

New clutch drum ordered, and a new front sprocket too. Let's hope the next race is more like concert snare than marching bass drum (yes we have one of those in the house too), and Kate will flam, drag and paraddile her way to a good finish, and the new little drum will do us proud.