Our First Race Day of 2009

We got a late start this season, waiting for a new seat and engine. But we were finally back on the track, #3. Dave practiced and decided to change a gear because he wasn’t quick enough in practice!

Heat #1: Nine karts in the Sportsman Can class (Yamaha 100/4-hole Can). I drew a poor number for starting and Dave started at the rear of the field. Big wreck after the hairpin going down the hill. Dave avoided the mayhem and came out in Forth position. Great start for Dave! RED FLAG!!!!!! OMG, we had to do the start over again. The restart was clean and Dave started picking off karts. Dave only made it past a couple of karts and then the kart started bogging down coming out of the corners. He tried to adjust the carb rich/lean, but it didn't fix the issue.

Between heats Dave swapped carbs. We sent the engine and carb to Woltjer over the winter. Dave sent the carb that has always given him a little problem with bogging to see if they could find the cure. NOPE. Dave put his favorite carb back on. Before he went back out on the track, we tested the carb on the stand. The throttle stuck wide open. Seems the spring on the carb failed/broke. Always something!!! Our good friend, track owner and master of all things karting, Joe Fredericks rigged a big spring between the throttle linkage and kart chassis. Good to go!

HEAT #2: Dave started on the front row this time. Dave's first priority was to make it through the hairpin at the start. Dave had outside pole and the guy on pole was real fast. Dave got a really good jump at the start, but pole inside of Dave had position at the hairpin. Right behind the pole guy on the inside was our good friend Dan. Dave settled in behind Dan in P3 coming out of the hairpin. Dave was running great in his # 3 kart when all of the sudden the #36 yellow kart ran right over the top of him in the hairpin and cut up his tire! Dave had no clue at first what had happened to his kart other than that his leg hurt, he was able to keep his kart going and then he said it felt just like someone was pushing him trying to pass! Fact was, he had a big huge flat tire, nothing like anyone had ever seen before!!! There was a huge hole in the tire! Dave made it around to the pits.

Our friend Dan loaned us a tire so that Dave could run in the feature race. I reminded Dave to bring his spare tires, but he didn't listen. Good thing Dave didn't chop Dan at the hairpin in heat #2. Dan might not have been so inclined to loan a tire and rim! There really is a great family of racers at Cherry Valley Motor Sports Park. We all pull together when one of us needs help!

FEATURE RACE: Dave of course started at the rear based on the heat races. I think everyone kind of settled down for the feature, as it was much smoother and less crazy aggresive. Dave was doing very well and picking off karts. Then the #1 kart, the fastest kart on this weekend, spun battling for P1. He works his way back to the bumper of Dave's #3 and for the next 6-8 laps they battle like hell! See pictures. It was exciting. Finally, the #1 got a solidly outside going into a tight left had corner. Dave carried too much speed for the inside line and looped it, while avoiding the #1 on his outside. Facing the wrong way in the corner, Dave looked up and saw the #36 again barrelling into the corner. OH, NO!!!!! The #36 jerked the wheel looped it and stalled. Poor guy (remember heat #1). Dave drove off at the rear of the field again and picked off a kart or two before the checkered.

Overall, we had a blast! Great to be back racin'! Not too many broke parts (tire, carb and oh ya, I bent my spindle) and the driver shook off some of the rust from the winter.

Have a Great Week Everyone!!!