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MWSS News
Event #3 - Road America Wrapup
WKA Midwest Sprint Series KartLift Grand Prix
Saturday Race Report
Some like it hot, hot, hot! Well, if that’s what you like then Road America in Elkhart, WI was the place to be this 4th of July weekend. Looking at the highs today it seemed much warmer than the numbers suggested. Perhaps this was due to the blistering hot sun that you could never seem to get out of. Even with the high temps it was hard not to enjoy the beautiful racing facility. If you like watching the incredible speeds of motorcycle road racing, then you were also treated to some pretty cool racing that went right around the kart track. This racing presented a challenge to Tim Koyen as his announcing was often hard to hear over those aftermarket pipes. I think the heat also contributed to the ups and downs during the race program today. Unfortunately, there isn’t a FM radio frequency here to pick up the announcing which has made this report an even bigger challenge for me. I normally tape the days announcing to help clarify the day`s activities. This weekend, my 2 kids are running a total of 10 classes so keeping on top of the activities was difficult. My apologies if anything I report is inaccurate, or I omit any exciting moments. At the end of the standard program today, the Throw Down 25 lap competition took place. Hopefully someone else made some notes on this race as I had enough of the baking sun by that time and needed a break. KID KARTS
Pole: Zach Preiser
Final Results: 1.Luke Fineis 2.Mark Fineis 3.Parker Abed
After Preiser brought the field around to start the Pre-Final, L Fineis didn’t waste any time putting his kart into the lead. Nor did he take any time to stretch out this lead and finished the race with a 10.141 second lead over the 2nd place kart. The real battle on the track was for 3rd place between Seth Hickman, Kyle West, and Mark Fineis which was ultimately won by M Fineis who came in 3rd behind Parker Abed who took the 2nd position at the checker.
The Kid Karts began the start of the finals. L Fineis led the field around for the green flag and never looked back. As usual, he quickly took control of the race but was only able to gain a 2.533 margin over the 2nd place driver of brother Mark Fineis. During this final, the karts spread out early and for the most part remained that way throughout the race. This left Luke Fineis taking the win, Mark Fineis coming in 2nd place, and Parker Abed finishing 3rd.
YAMAHA SPORTSMAN HEAVY
Pole: Mike McAndrews
Final Results: 1.Mike McAndrews 2.Tristan Van Wieringen 3.Hannah Roskopf
Tristan Van Wieringen didn`t need the pole to be able to take the lead off the start of the Pre-Final race. Van Wieringen was able to hold off Mike McAndrews for the 1st half of the race with Hannah Roskopf in tow behind. Once McAndrews got around Van Wieringen he was able to have some breathing room between the 2nd & 3rd place karts. Van Wieringen and Roskopf completed the last half of the race nose to tail until the last lap. The last half of the last lap had the most excitement as Roskopf & Van Wieringen swapped positions numerous times but in the end Tristan was able to take the 2nd spot with a photo finish as Roskopf was only 0.011 seconds behind (or beside) Van Wieringen.
During the start of the Final, there was trouble off the start at the top of the hill which allowed McAndrews and Van Wieringen to quickly break away from the field. As the laps ticked off, they only increased their lead which prevented any other karts from having any chance to duke it out for the win. This left the battle for the lead between McAndrews and Van Wieringen. Van Wieringen was content to sit behind McAndrews for the majority of the race saving the big battle for the last lap. On the last lap with only a few corners left, Van Wieringen made a few attempts to get by McAndrews but was unable to make it work. The race concluded with McAndrews finishing in 1st, Van Wieringen in 2nd, and Roskopf finishing in a lonely 3rd position.
TAG
Pole: Michael Politis
Final Results: 1.Mark Vielgut 2.Jacob Sekey 3.Andrew Hobbs
Politis brings the field to the green as they head up the hill 3 wide. They all manage to get through leaving Politis, Vielgut, and Hobbs leading the field around for the 1st lap. The top 3 karts are able to have a slight advantage over the 5 kart pack that is battling it out back behind them. Around the half way mark, Hobbs begins to put the pressure on Vielgut and finally makes the pass to move into 2nd. This allows the karts behind them to close up the gap. A few laps later, Hobbs begins to put pressure on the leader, Politis. On the last lap Hobbs gets around Politis, but Politis takes back the 1st position to take the win. Vielgut also passes Hobbs on the last lap to give him the 2nd place finish leaving Hobbs with the 3rd spot.
Vielgut is able to go into the lead off the start of the final with Hobbs, Crepin, Sekey, and Politis falling in right behind. On the 3rd lap, Hobbs takes the lead from Vielgut. Unfortunately for Hobbs, his kart gets tight which allows Vielgut to take back the lead on the 8th lap. Then on the last corner on the last lap, Sekey is also able to get around Hobbs resulting in Vielgut with the win, Sekey in 2nd, and Hobbs having to settle for the 3rd spot.
KOMET JR HEAVY
Pole: Jeffrey Bartz
Final Results: 1.Shawn Sharkey 2.Joel Jens 3.Grant Vogel
Jens goes into the lead on the 1st lap with Bartz and Sharkey following behind. On the 2nd lap, Sharkey goes around Bartz into 2nd and on lap 5 he gets past Jens and takes over the lead. On the final lap, Bartz and Jens duke it out with Bartz coming out in the 2nd spot and Jens in 3rd. While this was going on, Sharkey cruised on in and took the win.
The usual Junior excitement starts the final as a few karts get together up the hill off the start. This resulted in Bennett off course and unable to continue. The drama continued throughout the race resulting in karts getting moved way back in the field and 2 not able to finish. Self and Bartz have heated battles which resulted in Self and going off course and out of the race. With a couple of laps to go, Bartz is able to get behind Jens as they fight it out for the 2nd spot. With all the heated battles taking place throughout the race, the field ends up spreading out with very few position changes. Sharkey is able to take the win again with Jens finishing 2nd, and Vogel finishing 3rd.
YAMAHA ROOKIE
Pole: Dillion Schwanbeck
Final Results: 1.Dillion Schwanbeck 2.Ian Nelson 3.Riley Yates
Schwanbeck takes control of the Pre-Final race right from the green flag and never allows anyone to challenge him for the lead. Early in the race, Yates, Nelson, and Wisniewski have a 3 way battle for the 2nd position. On the 2nd lap, Nelson went charging up the hill and ran into trouble when he came into contact with another kart. He spins, but is able to get back on track. Schwanbeck is running a minimum of a second a lap faster than the rest of the field and takes a commanding lead over the field. On the last lap, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th karts battle it out for the 2nd spot. After almost 9 seconds after Schwanbeck takes the checker Wisniewski finishes 2nd and Yates closely follows in 3rd.
When it came time for the final, they all decided to up the ante and flew up the hill off the start 4 wide, but managed to all get through without incident. Once again, Schwanbeck pulls out and leaves the field out to dry. Karts from the 2nd to 6th position are nose to tail until Griesbach and Bertagnoli end up spinning on the hill causing Bertagnoli to end his day after only 3 laps. This reduces the 5 kart battle down to a 4 kart battle for 2nd. In the end, Schwanbeck wins by even a larger margin as Nelson crosses the checker in 2nd place 13.242 seconds later and Yates arrives in 3rd 14.149 seconds behind Schwanbeck.
KOMET LITE
Pole: Shinya Michimi
Final Results: 1.Tommy Anderson 2.Jesse Wirtz 3.Patrick Olsen
This Senior Pre-Final began with a 2 wide start from the wave of the checker until they were on their way down the hill. Shinya held the lead, but has 7 karts right on his tail. After a few laps the top 3 begin to break away from the field. On the 6th lap, Nick Stagl runs into trouble as he comes flying off the track down the hill and slides through the grass, ending his race. At the end of the race, Olsen and Ramsey begin to battle for the 2nd position giving Michimi a little breathing room that allows him to take the win. Olsen is able to grab the 2nd spot and Ramsey takes the 3rd position.
During the start of the final, they go up and down the hill 2 karts wide. This works out for everyone, except Ramsey who ends up having to retire after having contact with another kart. As they complete the 1st lap, Olsen is your leader with a pack of 4 karts right on his rear bumper. Behind this pack is another pack of 6 giving the spectators 2 packs of tight racing to watch. The next kart to end their day is Bowler after he comes to a halt after having contact with another kart. Michimi charges to the front and takes over the lead from Olsen but its short lived as a lap later he pulls off with mechanical problems. Olsen is only able to hold on to the lead for 1 lap as Anderson gets by. With only a couple of laps left to go, Wirtz passes Olsen and gives himself a little breathing room between the 3rd and 6th place karts as they spend the balance of the race swapping positions. They provided some excitement in the S’s down near the finish, but Olsen was able to hold on to that 3rd spot. That left Anderson with the win, Wirtz coming in 2nd, and Olsen taking the 3rd spot.
KOMET SPORTSMAN LITE
Pole: Mike McAndrews
Final Results: 1.Austin Osborne 2.Mike McAndrews 3.Tristan Van Wieringen
Off the start of the Pre-Final the top 4 karts of McAndrews, Osborne, Roskopf, and Van Wieringen set the pace and separated themselves from the rest of the field. Shortly in, Van Wieringen drops a wheel and Roskopf and Van Wieringen fall off the heels of McAndrews and Osborne. As the top 2 continue to maintain their lead, Roskopf and Van Wieringen spend the entire race trying to work together to catch up to the leaders. Their efforts go unrewarded as the leaders were slightly faster. On the last lap Roskopf and Van Wieringen got racy as they swapped positions numerous times, but on the last corner Van Wieringen was able to get by Roskopf. This concluded the race with McAndrews coming in 1st, Osborne 2nd, and Van Wieringen in 3rd.
Off the start of the final, there is a little bumping and grinding up the hill, but everyone gets through clean. This time Osborne is the 1st to lead the pack with McAndrews in behind. Osborne is only able to hold the lead for the 1st 2 laps as McAndrews makes the pass. With 2 laps to go, Osborne takes back the lead from McAndrews and is able to hold that spot as McAndrews attempts to pass are not successful. Similar to the Pre-Final, Roskopf and Van Wieringen are again racing for the 3rd spot with Roskopf running in the 3rd spot for the 1st 8 laps. On the 9th lap Van Wieringen makes the pass on Roskopf. The race ends with Osborne taking the checker 1st, followed closely by McAndrews in 2nd, and a little ways back Van Wieringen takes the 3rd spot.
ROTAX SR. & ROTAX JR #1
Pole: Shinya Michimi (Sr) Joel Jens (Jr)
Final Results: 1.Sam Marmurowicz 2.Shinya Michimi 1.Joel Jens (Jr)
The Pre-Final begins with a drag race up the hill as Marmurowicz grabs the lead. After a couple of laps, Michimi takes over the lead and never looks back. With Joel being the lone Jr driver he decides to not go out for both qualifying or the Pre-Final.
Marmurowicz again takes the lead off the start. This time Michimi is not able to make the pass and decides to pull off after only completing a couple of laps. With Michimi now out of the race, Marmurowicz hangs out on the track for 5 more laps, then pulls in with the victory.
YAMAHA PIPE
Pole: Adam Crepin
Final Results: 1.Kevin Nelson 2.Chuck Tate 3.Adam Crepin
This 4 kart field ran the Pre-Final separately, but for the final they ran this class with the Rotax classes. The 4 karts started out all nose to tail all fighting for position for the 1st half of the race. Crepin held the lead for the 1st 4 laps as Nelson moved into the top spot and held on for the win. On the 6th lap, Crepin made contact with another kart as well as the cones on the top of the hill which caused him to end his race early. This left Nelson, with the win, Tate in 2nd, and Laukaitis in 3rd.
The final that was run with the Rotax classes was a very consistent race with the order remaining the same from the start of the race until the checkered flag was waved. Nelson held the lead from start to finish with Tate finishing 0.265 seconds behind, and Crepin finishing 0.598 seconds behind in the 3rd spot. Laukaitis ran into problems and was only able to complete 7 laps.
CADET SPORTSMAN #1
Pole: Austin Osborne
Final Results: 1.Tristan Van Wieringen 2.Austin Osborne 3.Garrett Madison
This class was added to the schedule to help participants prepare for the Man Cup the following weekend. Van Wieringen jumps into the lead off the start, but is only able to hold that spot for a couple of laps. Osborne takes over the lead for the next 3 laps as Van Wieringen takes back the lead on the 6th lap. Osborne never gives up trying to get back into the lead, but Van Wieringen is able to hold him off for the Pre-Final win.
For the final they switch positions off the start as Osborne quickly takes over the top spot and holds that position for every lap, except that one that counts. The crowd was given some excellent battles on the last lap as Van Wieringen had no interest in taking the 2nd spot. Osborne also wanting the claim the win fights back as the 2 drivers swap positions a bunch of times before the checker finally waves. On the last corner, Van Wieringen makes his famous pass and crosses the start/finish line with Osborne right beside him. Both drivers and many spectators had no idea who won as there was only a 0.002 second gap between the 1st and 2nd, but the victory belonged to Van Wieringen. Madison took the last spot finishing in the 3rd position.
YAMAHA JR LITE
Pole: Kyle Kalish
Final Results: 1.Joel Jens 2.Jeffrey Bartz 3.Shawn Sharkey
The Pre-Final begins with junior action and contact on the start as the go up the hill. They were all able to get through and continue racing. As karts positions are shuffled around, Jens, Self, Kalish, and Sharkey are able to move out front and take command of the race. Typical of the juniors, they are never content to increase their lead and fight it out at the end. They decided to fight it out right in the beginning. As the 4 karts go through the 1st turn in the bottom s’s they are 2x2. This of course doesn’t work as they all make contact with each other. The end result is Sharkey and Kalish ending their race early. The contact with this group spread them out with Jens being out front. It took Self a bit of time, but he eventually was able to reel in Jens and eventually took over the lead position. The race ended with Self taking the win, Jens in 2nd, and Bartz taking the 3rd position.
Again, there is some excitement as the juniors start the 2nd final of the day. Jens and Self are out front in the beginning and are fighting it out. Bartz gets into the mix and half way through the race, they make contact and Self is forced to retire for the day. This left Jens and Bartz left at the end to fight it out for the win with Jens being the driver to come in 1st and Bartz finishing in the 2nd spot. After stating from the rear, Sharkey is only able to get himself a 3rd place finishing position.
Sunday Race Report
We awoke to another sunny day with hot conditions and expectations of the temperatures being even higher than Saturday and the possibilities of rain. People that hung around in the early evening at the track probably were hanging around the Franklin pits enjoying the Karaoke while smiling, laughing, and just have a good fun time. Racing is more than just the actual races that take place on the tracks. A large part are the friendships with the people in the sport we that obtain, develop, grow, and cherish throughout our racing years. Of course for the racers, once they hit the track they no longer have any friends and it’s all about winning.
KID KARTS
Pole: Zach Preiser
Final Results: 1.Zach Preiser 2.Parker Abed 3.Seth Hickman
With the Fineis brothers absent today, were are going to see a new face on top of the podium today since Luke Fineis has won every race so far this year. After getting the pole, Hickman is setting his sights on that top podium spot as he quickly jumps into the lead on the 1st lap. Unfortunately for Hickman, this doesn`t last long as Preiser takes over the lead position. The next lap Abed is also able to get around Hickman and take over the 2nd position. The order remains the same for the rest of the race as the field gets spread out. Preiser takes the win followed by Abed in 2nd and Hickman in 3rd.
Off the start of the final, Prather jumps all the way from the 7th starting position to the front in just the 1st 2 turns with Abed following in behind him. The top 2 karts break away from the field, but they begin to battle and end up spinning which allowed the 3rd & 4th place to karts catch them. This 4 kart pack were really going at it for awhile as they were often going 2 wide through many corners. Around the half way mark, the field begins to settle down and only swapped places a few times. Around the 8th lap they are all in their groove and settle into their final finishing positions. A very happy Preiser became the 2nd Kid Kart to claim a victory in the 2010 season. Abed followed in the 2nd spot and Hickman came in 3rd.
YAMAHA SPORTSMAN LITE
Pole: Ashley Rogero
Final Results: 1.Mike McAndrews 2.Ashley Rogero 3.Hannah Roskopf
McAndrews and Van Wieringen jumped out front in the 1st lap with hopes of working together to get some distance between themselves and the rest of the field. That was short lived as the curbs up on the hill took another victim as Van Wieringen pulled off on lap 2 when his chain let go. The 2 girls in the class put their heads down and worked together to chase down McAndrews. On the 5th lap, Rogero made the pass on McAndrews and took over the lead. Roskopf was not able to duplicate Rogero and had to settle in behind McAndrews. Sandberg and Granata were working together in hopes of catching the top 3 karts, but just ran out of time. When the checker flag waved, Rogero took the victory with McAndrews in 2nd and Roskopf taking 3rd. Earlier that morning, Lemke had a horrible collision with a kart on the front stretch during practice. I did not witness the incident, but Murray did and said it was scary. Everyone was glad to see the Brandon was okay, but sadly his kart was in pretty rough shape and he was not able to race today.
In the final, McAndrews and Rogero set the pace and led the field around the track the entire race. McAndrews held the lead position for the 1st 5 laps and Rogero took over the lead for a few laps half way through the race. They were often swapping positions while Roskopf sat behind and was waiting for contact between the 2 so she could take over the lead position. Sandberg, Granata, and Van Wieringen were a distance back and were happy to see the leaders swapping spots which would help them be able to catch back up. The top 3 karts were a little faster than these 3 karts which made it very difficult for them to catch up. Only the real heavy battles on the last lap gave them any advantage, but at that point it was too little too late. Roskopf was also not able to take advantage of any mistakes made by the leaders and had to settle for the 3rd spot. McAndrews was able to hold off Rogero`s passing attempts and took the win. Rogero finished off in the 2nd position.
YAMAHA ROOKIE #2
Pole: Dillion Schwanbeck
Final Results: 1.Dillion Schwanbeck 2.Conner Cass 3.Ian Nelson
During the start of this Pre-Final I had to run back to our trailer and get Tristan a drink. Therefore, I missed the big incident on the top of the hill off the start. When I came running back there was a red flag out and the top 4 karts were sitting idle on the front stretch and the other 4 karts were up on the hill. I was advised that the 5th place kart spun up the hill and gathered the rest of the field with him. One of the karts had a huge collision into the tires which also must have brought some concern. Everyone was okay and they were all able to take part in the full restart. Once the race was started again, Yates jumped out front and took the lead. Schwanbeck and Nelson followed in behind. It took Schwanbeck a couple of laps to reel in Yates as he finally took over the lead position on the 3rd lap. Nelson was also able to get by Yates and take over the 2nd spot. Both Nelson and Yates fight it out for the rest of the race as Schwanbeck checks out and takes the win. Nelson is able to hold off Yates and takes the 2nd spot as Yates comes in the 3rd spot.
Nelson grabbed the lead off the start of the final with Schwanbeck and Cass following in behind. Nelson was able to hold the lead until the 3rd lap when Schwanbeck made the pass. Cass also followed Schwanbeck and passed Nelson to take over the 2nd position. With Schwanbeck running much faster lap times he is able to give himself a 5 second gap on the rest of the field. Throughout the race, Cass and Nelson duke it out for the 2nd and 3rd positions. When the checker fell, Schwanbeck took his 2nd victory of the weekend with Cass taking 2nd and Nelson taking 3rd.
KOMET JR LITE
Pole: Shawn Sharkey
Final Results: 1.Austin Self 2.Shawn Sharkey 3.James Bennett
Sharkey takes the lead off the start with Self close on his heels. On the 2nd lap numerous karts get together causing 1 to retire and causing a few others problems that would eventually bite them later on in this Pre-Final. Sharkey and Self continue to battle it out while all the other chaos is taking place throughout the field. On the 8th lap Bennett goes off course and flies into the bales and destroys one of the bales and has some heavy damage to the front of his kart. Lap 4 was the only lap that Self was able to lead as Sharkey continued to fight back and regain back his lead position. At one point it appeared though this was going to be an elimination race as 5 of the 14 karts were not able to finish. The race ended with Sharkey taking the win, closely followed by Self and Vogel finishing in the 3rd position.
These juniors created some real excitement off the start as karts were getting together and there was a lot of positions changes as they reached the top of the hill off the start. Sharkey and Self starting out front were able to avoid any incidents and were able to pull out in front. Self was the 1st to take the lead and held this spot for the 1st and 2nd laps. On the 3rd lap, Sharkey took over the lead and was able to hang on until the 7th lap when Self took back the lead position. They continued to fight it out until the end and were often seen swapping positions in numerous spots around the track. While this was going the karts of Jens, Bennett, Vogel, and Bartz had numerous battles and position changes throughout the race. Bennett started the final in the 10th spot and was able to take advantage of the chaos off the start and quickly moved up many positions off the start. He continued to fight his way back to the front and on the 8th lap moved into the 3rd spot. The checkered flag finally waved and Self picks up the victory. Sharkey finished a close 2nd position and almost 4 seconds later, Bennett crossed the start finish line taking the 3rd spot.
KOMET SPORTSMAN HEAVY
Pole: Austin Osborne
Final Results: 1.Austin Osborne 2.Tristan Van Wieringen 3.Hannah Roskopf
Osborne had the pole but elected to start at the race at the back of the pack because of his drafting in qualifying. This allowed Sandberg, Roskopf and Van Wieringen to lead the field around on the 1st lap. By the 3rd lap, Osborne had worked his way up to the 3rd position pushing back Van Wieringen into 4th. The next lap Van Wieringen passed Sandberg to take the 3rd spot and on lap 7 took over the 2nd position from Roskopf. When the race concluded Osborne took the win, with Van Wieringen in 2nd and Roskopf in 3rd.
Van Wieringen has a great start and goes into the lead after the start. This doesn`t last long and Osborne quickly steals the lead away from Van Wieringen with Sandberg following in 3rd. On the 2nd lap Roskopf takes the 3rd position from Sandberg. Within a few laps the field has widely spread apart. Roskopf sets her sights on Van Wieringen and slowly inches her way towards him. On the 2nd last lap she finally catches Van Wieringen and passes him moving into the 2nd position. On the last lap Van Wieringen puts the hammer down and gets by Roskopf. They swap places a few times on the last lap and Van Wieringen eventually comes out in front. Osborne clearly dominated the race winning with a 14 second margin over 2nd and 3rd place. Van Wieringen comes in with the 2nd spot and Roskopf in 3rd.
KOMET HEAVY
Pole: Patrick Olsen
Final Results: 1.Patrick Olsen 2.Nick Stagl 3.Kyle Gluth
Olsen, N Stagl, and Kopp assume the top 3 positions for the 1st half of the race. On the 5th lap, Olsen slowly drives off course at the bottom of the hill and proceeds into the pits. This shuffles everyone up a position and gives N Stagl a couple of second gap between the remaining 3 karts. The race ended with N Stagl in 1st, Kopp in 2nd, and Hobbs taking the 3rd position.
Kopp and M Stagl move into the top 2 spots off the start with Olsen following in the 3rd spot. On the 2nd lap Olsen gets by M Stagl to move into 2nd place. Then on the 3rd lap brother Nick gets by Matt and takes over the 3rd spot. Olsen takes over the lead on the 4th lap. N Stagl has to work for a few laps to finally take the 2nd position from Kopp. Now somewhere Gluth has to be worked into the picture as it appears he didn`t have a transponder and was manually scored. Had I known this I would have taken more extensive notes and therefore my account of this race isn`t real great (my apologies). What I can tell you is that Olsen was the winner of the race with N Stagl taking 2nd and Gluth taking the 3rd spot.
YAMAHA JR HEAVY
Pole: Jeffrey Bartz
Final Results: 1.Austin Self 2.Kyle Kalish 3.Shawn Sharkey
When the green flag waves the juniors head up the hill and a few karts make contact with positions shuffling with Bartz and Kalish leading the way. The 2 biggest races on the track were between Bartz and Kalish for 1st and 2nd and Jens and Self for 2nd and 3rd. The 4 karts spend the entire race battling it out, but the last lap is when the most action took place. Kalish gets around Bartz and Self is also successful in getting around Jens. This leaves the finishing order with Kalish in 1st, Bartz in 2nd and Self taking the 3rd spot.
The final begins with the usual contact and position changes with Kalish, Self, and Van Wieringen leading the pack around for the 1st lap. On the 2nd lap there is lots of action in the S`s at the bottom as once again positions change as Van Wieringen is pushed from 3rd all the way back to 8th place. The field breaks into 2 battles for 1st and 2nd with Kalish and Self and for 3rd and 4th with Bartz and Jens. Self moves himself into the lead position on lap 6 as he gets around Kalish. On lap 11 Sharkey enters into the picture as he gets by Jens to take over the 4th position. On the last lap the top 5 karts are all close enough to jav had a shot at the win. Around the 2nd last corner Bartz loses his chain and pulls to a stop as Sharkey gets by Jens. Once the checker was in the air, Self claimed his 2nd victory of the day with Kalish taking 2nd and Sharkey taking 3rd place.
LEOPARD SR
Pole: Adam Crepin
Final Results: 1.Tommy Anderson 2.Adam Crepin 3.Christian Vogel
Crepin remains out front from the wave of the green flag until the checkered flag waves. Hobbs starts the 1st lap in 2nd place, but ends up falling all the way back to 4th by the end of the race. Vielgut moves into the 2nd position on the 2nd lap when he gets by Hobbs and remains there. Anderson starts the 1st lap in 4th place and is able to move up 1 position on the 2nd lap and maintains that position the whole race. This results in Crepin in 1st, Vielgut in 2nd, and Anderson taking 3rd.
The final began with Crepin, Anderson, Hobbs, Kopp, and Vogel leading the field. On the 2nd lap Vogel passed Kopp and took over the 4th spot and then on the 2nd last lap he got by Hobbs to take the 3rd position. Anderson moved up to 1st on the 3rd lap when he passed Crepin. Anderson and Crepin battled it out until the end as did Vogel and Hobbs but ultimately they did not change positions. This resulted in Anderson taking the win with Crepin taking 2nd and Vogel taking 3rd.
ROTAX SR. & ROTAX JR #2
Pole: n/a
Final Results: 1.Shinya Michimi 2.Sam Marmurowicz 1.Joel Jens (Jr)
On Sunday the Rotax classes were run with the Leopard class. Marmurowicz jumped out front and stayed there for the 1st half of the race. Michimi got around Marmurowicz and stretched out his lead by almost 4 seconds before the race concluded. Jens was the sole entry in the Jr class today and didn`t run the race.
The final was pretty much a carbon copy of the Pre-Final with Marmurowicz getting out front and Michimi moving into the lead on the 3rd lap. Jens came out for his parade lap in order to receive his points for the race.
CADET SPORTSMAN #2
Pole: Austin Osborne
Final Results: 1.Austin Osborne 2.Ashley Rogero 3.Garrett Madison
Running for the 2nd time this weekend as a track option this 6 kart field was using today as another test session in preparation for the Man Cup. Osborne took the lead and control of the race right from the start. Rogero sat in 2nd and Van Wieringen was further back in 3rd place. Throughout the race Van Wieringen reeled Rogero in and spent the last few laps following her around the track. On the last lap he made one of his favourite passes in the last corner to take the 2nd spot moving Rogero into 3rd place.
The final started pretty much in the same manner, except Rogero was now the one behind Van Wieringen. Van Wieringen held this spot for the 1st 4 laps then Rogero took over the 2nd spot for the next 3 laps. On lap 8 Van Wieringen took back the 2nd position from Rogero. The excitement would have likely continued had Van Wieringen not lost his chain on the 10th lap and handed back the 2nd place position to Rogero. At the finish Osborne took the win with Rogero taking 2nd and Madison taking 3rd position.
YAMAHA SUPERCAN
Pole: Kevin Bowler
Final Results: 1.Tony Jump 2.Adam Crepin 3.Kevin Bowler
The top 4 karts really fought it out the entire race. For the 1st couple of laps, Bowler led Jump, Foley, and Crepin around the course. On the 3rd lap Crepin got around Foley and took over the 3rd spot. Then the next lap Jump got around Bowler and took over the lead position. There were many battles fought and some position changes along the way, but the position changes at the completion of each lap didn`t change until the last corner of the last lap. Jump who was leading the group went up high on the last corner and handed the win over to Crepin and ended up falling back to 3rd place as Bowler was also able to get around him.
The final consisted of a 5 kart battle from almost start to finish. For the first 2 laps Crepin led Bowler, Jump, Foley, and Michimi around the track. On the 3rd lap Jump was made the pass around Bowler and took over the 2nd spot, as well Foley was also able to get around Bowler and moved into the 3rd spot. These 5 karts were battling it out, but there were no position changes up until they saw the double sticks. During the 2nd last lap Foley had to pull off when he lost his side pod. This moved Bowler and Michimi up a position. On the last lap Jump reversed the order from the Pre-Final by passing Crepin and taking the win. This left Crepin taking the 2nd spot and Bowler finishing in 3rd.
I have been keeping my eye on the weather this week since someone told me that this coming weekend was going to be even hotter than the last. As much as I love the Road America there is just no where to escape the heat except for your pits or the timing and scoring building. It would be really sweet if this coming weekend they had Easy-Ups down the grid to help keep the drivers and their mechanics cooler. Ya I know, wishful thinking. Over my years in racing, I have seen and heard of some scary things that happen to racers due to the heat. So far it looks like it may be a bit cooler with a chance of rain on Sunday. Now rain, wouldn`t that make things interesting???
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