September 17, Shimek Speedway
Heat 1 – 5 karts – Started 4th – Finished 1st
Heat 2 – 5 karts – Started 2nd – Finished 1st
Feature – 5 karts – Started 1st – Finished 1st
In the first heat, someone ran up on my left rear tire and tried to drive on over my seat. Luckily, my shoulder was in the way and stopped him. It broke my seat and left body panel. More work for the off season. My kart developed a push in the second heat and carried it over to the feature. After leading a few laps, my friend Ron passed me in the feature to take over first. Near the end of the race, Ron went high coming out of turn four. That left me room to pass him and win the race and season championship.
September 11, Shimek Speedway
Heat 1 – 4 karts – Started 2nd – Finished 2nd
Heat 2 – 4 karts – Started 3rd – Finished 1st
Feature – 4 karts – Started 2nd – Finished 1st
Starting on the outside is never good for me. In the first heat, I started second, went to the back and worked my way back into second. Ron was too far in front for me to challenge him. In the second heat, I started on the inside in third. Both karts in the front went wide and I got by and lead the rest of the way. I started the feature in second. Ron and I battled back and forth for a few laps until I finally got in front and stayed there for the win.
With only one race left, I’m second in points, even after missing two races. In order to win the championship I have to win next week and the kart in first now has to finish third or worse. Pressure…
September 3, Shimek Speedway
Heat 1 – 5 karts – Started 1st – Finished 1st
Heat 2 – 5 karts – Started 5th – Finished 1st
Feature – 5 karts – Started 1st – Finished 3rd
It was almost a good night of racing. I won both heats, one starting from the front and one from the back. However, the feature didn’t turn out as I planned it. I led a couple laps. Then my friend Ron (his words were “I didn’t help you”) and I had some contact. I spun out and went to the back. I ended up third. Two more races left in the season.
August 6, Shimek Speedway
Heat 1 – 4 karts – Started 4th – Finished 2nd
Heat 2 – 4 karts – Started 1st – Finished 4th
Feature – 4 karts – Started 4th – Finished 1st
I was so excited to go to the races yesterday that I left without my cash and credit cards. When I texted my wife about what I had done, she replied, “Can you get a job?”
We had four karts for the Animal Class. Heat 1 I finished 2nd. Heat 2 I was 4th after spinning so many times. The feature was much better for me.
I had a similar situation as in Heat 2 after the races by Ron Taylor’s trailer. I think both problems were stagger related. Another thing that happened at the races Sunday…There was this 3 year-old kid, we won’t mention any names, but this kid and I went around to the private side of a kart trailer after the races to relieve ourselves. So this kid pees a stream about 15-20 feet. That is not an exaggeration. I looked at him and said, “Holy cow!” He looked at me and said, “You’re making a puddle.”
July 9, Shimek Speedway
Heat 1 – 3 karts – Started 1stt – Finished 2nd
Heat 2 – 3 karts – Started 3rd – Finished 2nd
Feature – 3 karts – Started 2nd – Finished 2nd
Brian Huff seemed to have it going a little better than me, so I was counting on a 2nd in the feature.
On the first lap on Turn 2, I got a little bump, turned abruptly sideways and went airborne off the track. That was pretty thrilling. On the restart I fell in line behind Brian. After several laps he went wide and I passed him. My kart felt good, so I thought I had it made for a feature win. On the last corner of the last lap, there was a spinner right in front of me. On the restart, Brian somehow went flying by me. Even though I was bumping and pushing him to the end, he ended with the win.
So I still ended up 2nd. At first I was resigned to it. Then I had the win dangled in front of me. Ending 2nd where I thought I would be turned out to be kind of disappointing. Still it was a fun night racing. The Animal Class is about the best people I’ve raced with. We’re going to do it again next week.
July 2, Shimek Speedway
Heat 1 – 6 karts – Started 3rd – Finished 2nd
Heat 2 – 6 karts – Started 4th – Finished 2nd
Feature – 6 karts – Started 2nd – Finished 2nd