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| September 26, 2008 News |
| Race Report: TaG World Championships |
| Article by: Kurt Frieburg |
 | AJ Whisler
(Photo: Kurt Freiburg) |
TaG club racers from all over North America converged on Colorado for the second year straight for the TAG World Championships on September 20-21. The premier annual celebration for the TAG USA organization, the promoter and open-architecture rules body for all things TaG in the United States, has become an alternative season goal for racers who can not participate in events such as Stars of Karting or the SKUSA SuperNationals.
The stage for this year’s Worlds was the Grand Junction Motor Speedway in Colorado. The initial plan was to return to IMI Motorsports on Colorado’s front range, but scheduling became a problem so IMI graciously referred GJMS to TAG USA. GJMS hosts, the Cook family, continue to build on their impressive facility, adding a snazzy shop last year with a large showroom and cafeteria (and running water!), and even landscaping just for this event. All this makes the super-smooth and challenging track all the more enjoyable. The real attraction, though, is the family’s hospitality and dedication to making sure that each racer has what they need.
Another upgrade this year was adding Terry Riggins as race director, adding to the already fine management team of Tech Director Marty Casey and President Dave Larson. Terry’s friendly but strict style made a tangible difference in the way weekend functioned, and put the officiating level up with the nation‘s best.
PG Racing TaG Senior
The feature class of the weekend was a battle between some Stars of Karting frontrunners and the Colorado Sprint Championship’s best. Italian Motors’ Michael Hogg and Blake Romero (Italkart/Leopard/Dunlop) and First Kart’s A.J. Whisler (First Kart/Leopard/Dunlop) represented the first group, while Doghouse Racing’s David Zippie (Birel/Leopard/Dunlop), Critical Zone’s CSC Champ Ben Schermerhorn (CRG/Leopard/Dunlop), and Rocky Mountain Kartworks’ Dale Kistler-Collins lead the second.
Zippie in particular was on a mission this weekend after earning a trip to the IAME International Challenge in Spain at last year’s race, but struggling to get to the front in Stars this year. He announced that he was back in the best possible way in Saturday’s qualifying session, clocking in at 54.193, a full 3/10ths over 2nd place Hogg.
Hogg got the jump into turn 1 at the start of Saturday’s heat race, but ‘Zip’ got it back at the end of the “straight” (actually, a long curve at GJMS). The duo hammered out a small gap on the rest of the field, but Hogg couldn’t find an opportunity to pass and Zippie took his first 1st of the weekend. The battle for third was huge, with Whisler and Schermerhorn as the main engines in a 7 kart train. Whisler held on to take it.
Sunday’s heat was even crazier, as 5 karts fought it out at the front, sometimes going into corners 3 wide. Whisler looked like a winner with a last lap pass on the back stretch, but Hogg and Zippie both pulled alongside going down the hill into the chicane before the finish line. Hogg emerged the winner, Whisler second, Schermerhorn third, Kistler-Collins forth, while Zippie lost out and finished at the back of the group. Only .6 seconds covered these 5 karts.
But wait, there’s more…the final didn’t disappoint, as Hogg and Whisler put on a fantastic battle. Hogg held point for most of the race and seemed to be in control, but Whisler was able to stay on his bumper, especially in the tight sections. Going up the hill into the wide-but-tight turn nine, Hogg took a defensive line to the middle of the track, glancing over his shoulder. Whisler stuck to the outside, then made a late apex to get inside Hogg and a better run down the hill. It worked, giving Whisler a well-deserved national title, and a trip to Alconiz, Spain for the IAME International Challenge endurance race in November. Hogg held for second, while the consistently-improving Nate Scherling (CRG/Leopard/Dunlop) took an excellent third over Zippie and Joey Allen (RBI/Leopard/Dunlop).
 | David Zippie and Michael Hogg
(Photo: Kurt Frieburg) |
Italian Motors IAME Challenge Senior
The coolest feature the TaG Worlds is the IAME challenge race, a format unique to the event and great fun for both racers and spectators. The start is the traditional LeMans style, with drivers having to run across the track and start their karts at the drop of the green. Then every five laps there is a full-course yellow, allowing the pack to regroup.
Qualifying for this class couldn’t get any tighter, with David Zippie earning pole by .001 over Michael Hogg. But the LeMans start is much more unpredictable, and Wyoming’s Joey Allen (RBI/Leopard/Bridgestone) was in front at turn 1 in the heat race. Zippie took it back by the end of lap 1, and stayed there the entire heat, pulling a gap with each green flag. Critical Zone’s shifter ace Kody Adcock (CRG/Leopard/Bridgestone), in his first race in a single-speed kart, took an excellent second over Hogg.
Zippie and Allen had the best launch once again in Sunday’s final, with Zippie establishing himself early and demonstrating a mastery of the race’s format once again. Behind him things were incredibly tight, with about every other kart on the track in contention. Allen seemed to have second most consistently, but a flat cost him that spot, and Adcock took it just in front of Hogg, Samantha Silver (Intrepid/Leopard/Bridgestone) and Blake Romero (Italkart/Leopard/Bridgestone). With the win, Zippie earned a trip to Spain for the second year straight.
Critical Zone Racing TaG Junior
The junior class mirrored the seniors with some serious national talent pitted against Colorado’s finest. AZ Kartwerx’s Kolton Griffin (FA Kart/Leopard/Dunlop) set the stage for the weekend in Saturday’s qualifying, with a 54.022 - faster than the seniors, and a full ½ second over P2, team mate Chance Stephens (FA Kart/Leopard/Dunlop). Last year’s champ Sabre’ Cook (Critical Zone/CRG/Rok TT/Dunlop) stuck an engine before getting in a hot lap, getting only 10th on the grid.
Saturday’s heat race reinforced Griffin’s domination, with a 7 second margin at the end over a tight pack consisting of Italian Motors’ Remo Ruscitti (Italkart/Leopard/Dunlop), Billet Performance’s Mitch Cary (Arrow/Leopard/Dunlop), Chance Stephens, Rocky Mountain Kartworks’ Christian Bird (GP/Leopard/Dunlop), and Sabre’ Cook. Sunday’s second heat was almost the same; Griffin finishing well in front of a slightly smaller train of Ruscitti, Cook, and Cary.
The final? Well, Kolton Griffin went to the front as usual and continued to build his lead, but the big excitement was happening a little further back. Sabre’ Cook was on a mission, starting off the race in P7, but picking off another position almost every lap. With 1 to go, Cook passed Ruscitti for 2nd, her best finish of the weekend. But it wasn’t over yet. In tech, Griffin’s engine was unfortunately found to have an unapproved carb part, promoting Cook to her second straight TaG Worlds Championship, and earning her a new Parilla Leopard package. Ruscitti and Stephens rounded out the podium.
Scribner Plastics IAME Challenge Junior
The seniors weren’t the only ones to have fun with the IAME Challenge format; the juniors and cadets had their own races too. In Saturday’s first round, it was Italian Motors’ Remo Ruscitti taking it after surviving a challenge from Mitch Cary after the second yellow. A few extra players joined the party on Sunday, Cary leading them out from the LeMans start for a few laps until Ruscitti retook the point just before the first regrouping. After the third yellow, Sabre’ Cook took a look at P1, but spun briefly down the hill, and Ruscitti took the win (and a Leopard package) over Cary and Parker McKeen (Italkart/Leopard/Bridgestone).
Ribtect TaG Cadet 1
The youngest group of TaG racers were mostly from areas where the Gazelle engine is popular, though a few Coloradoans gave it a try. Flinn Lazier (Merlin/Dunlop) took to the engine well and grabbed pole on Saturday morning with a 1:01.635, but had to change engines before the main so started at the back, handing pole to Alexander Kardashian (Intrepid/Dunlop). Heat 1, though, belonged to Cole Glasson (Margay/Dunlop), who lead wire-to-wire to finish in front of Kardashian and Lazier, who had to work through most of the field. Sunday’s heat 2 saw Glasson back in front for the first few laps, but Kardashian mounted a strong challenge, and when Glasson’s kart slowed on the last lap, Kardashian took another win just in front of Killian Keaveny (Intrepid/Dunlop).
The final was a fantastic battle between Keaveny and Glasson for the first half, who were then joined by Kardashian and Tate Holleran (Intrepid/Dunlop). Keaveny lost the lead to Kardashian with 1 to go, then got it back on the back stretch, then lost it in the next turn, then got it back going up the hill and held on through the last turn for the victory, only 2/10th ahead of Kardashian. Holleran held for third.
Hoosier Tire TaG Cadet 2
The slightly heavier, higher powered cadets were lead by Tate Holleran (Arrow/Comer/Dunlop) in qualifying with a 1:02.059, a half second over Flinn Lazier (Merlin/Comer/Dunlop). In the heat race, Lazier came out ahead after the pack went 4 wide in turn 1, and held point all the way to the finish. Sunday it was Holleran’s turn to lead the entire heat, though Lazier drew close at the finish. Holleran almost didn’t make it to the final due to a balky engine. Lazier took the lead initially, but Holleran took over on lap 2. The two stayed close for the entire race, with a couple of lead changes, but Holleran was there when it counted, finishing .14 seconds ahead of Lazier. Kaleb Allison (Tornado/MiniSwift/Bridgestone) had a solid run for third.
Russel Karting IAME Challenge Cadet
Both cadet classes were allowed to run in the cadet version of the IAME challenge. Saturday’s first round looked to be Cole Glasson’s as the Margay pilot stayed in front of the field for the whole race - until the last lap when Alexander Kardashian passed on the front straight for the win. On Sunday, Killian Keaveny nailed the LeMans start, but Kardashian took the lead back before the 1st yellow. Keaveny and Glasson repassed Kardashian when the race went green again, and again he fought to take back the lead. At the second yellow, it was Kaleb Allison who got a huge jump to take over. Yet again, Kardashian made his way to the front, and stayed there until the checker with Allison, Keaveny, and Glasson in tow. Kardashian earned a Parilla MiniSwift package for his efforts.
RLV Racing Products TaG Masters
Despite a brief unintended watering from GJMS’s new sprinkler system, Bruce McKeen (Italkart/Sonik/Dunlop) earned P1 in TaG Masters qualifying with a 55.717. McKeen’s speed allowed him an early jump on the field in the first heat, and though he was closely watched by Mark Krivanek (Intrepid/Rotax/Dunlop), lead the entire race. In fact, that scenario was repeated twice on Sunday, as the two were the class of the field, though Krivanek didn’t have quite enough to seriously challenge McKeen for the lead. Behind the two there was lots of entertainment, with last year’s champ Rodney Ebersole (Rocky Mountain Kartworks GP/Rotax/Dunlop), Troy Smith (Reaction Karting First Kart/Leopard/Dunlop), former RBI Kahuna Richard Buxman (RBI/Leopard/Dunlop), and Critical Zone’s Louie Valasquez (CRG/Rotax/Dunlop) all fought for the final podium spot. Valasquez almost had it, setting fast lap in the process, but spun in the last turn, and Ebersole emerged to take 3rd.
RLV Racing Products TaG Senior Heavy
As the only entry in the TaG Heavy class, Tony LaPorta (Italkart/Rotax/MG) swept the weekend from qualifying to final.
Swedetech Racing TaG Shifter
The TM-powered, electric start shifters had a small field, but still provided intense racing. Critical Zone’s Ben Schermerhorn (CRG/TM/Bridgestone) raised some eyebrows by taking pole with a 53.858, .140 ahead of Italian Motors’ Michael Hogg (Italkart/TM/Bridgestone), who is leading the class in Stars of Karting competition this season. Schermerhorn proceeded to roll through the first heat unchallenged, as Hogg fought back from a balky start. Heat 2 started much more closely, with Hogg taking turn 1, but Schermerhorn taking it back on the back stretch and chiseling out a small gap for the win. Things got even tighter for the final. Hogg got the faster start, and it took 8 laps or so for Schermerhorn’s kart to come in. The CRG pilot was able to get by with a back straight pass, but then couldn’t create a gap. Hogg regained point in the hairpin, Schermerhorn got it again on the back straight, then Hogg won a drag race up the hill to take the win. IM team mate Don McGregor finished third.
Maxxis Tires TaG Shifter Heavy
Another single-entry class, this time dominated by Grand Junction’s own Michael Cunningham (CRG/TM/Bridgestone) who did a very respectable job running with the rest of the shifter field.
Engines 4 Racing TaG 4 Stroke
Mini Sprint racer Nick Burton (Rocky Mountain Kartworks GP/Vampire/Dunlop), running his only kart race of the season, announced his return in a big way by qualifying just ahead of the CSC’s TaG 4 Stroke champ Marc Elliott (Billet Performance Arrow/Vampire/Dunlop). The pair took off in the heat race, with Burton just ahead the entire race. Sunday’s heat had Elliott out in front briefly, before Burton retook the lead and won. The final followed the same script, with Burton taking the title. Rocky Mountain Kartworks’ Mike McDonough (GP/Vampire/Dunlop) took the final podium step.
Rocky Mountain Kartworks TaG 4 Stroke Heavy
Four Stroke Heavy qualifying was lead by Rocky Mountain Kartworks’ Scott Falcone (GP/Vampire/Dunlop), with a 55.030, just .04 over IMI’s Ron Reed (Intrepid/Vampire/MG). Reed got by Falcone halfway through the first heat for the win, then backed that up with a wire-to-wire in heat 2. For the final, Falcone redoubled, took over the lead at the green, then opened up several seconds’ lead for the title. Jay Jacobellis (RBI/Tech 1/MG) earned third spot.
Fun Events
Marc Elliot absolutely decimated the field in the MG Tires tire changing competition, dismounting and remounting a full set in less time than it takes most people to take of the plastic wrapping. Similarly, Jeff Garner blew away all contenders in the mechanics’ race, lapping his rental beast a full three seconds a lap faster than some very lightweight and experienced competition, finishing 34 seconds ahead in only 10 laps. |
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