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| August 07, 2010 News |
| EKN Trackside: WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series Show Hauler Truck Nationals - Saturday Report |
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 | Cody Robinson was the class of the field in Yamaha SuperCan Lite
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Terrific racing continued on for the 2010 season of the WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series as the Show Hauler Truck Nationals set the stage for the fourth stop of the series. The New Castle Motorsports Park facility in Indiana was graced with clear skies and warm temperatures, perfect for racing. Ten classes contested the first day of racing around the 1-mile circuit with nearly all the finishes coming down to the final turn - which has become a common occurrence at the track. Despite the day being a long one for competitors, the show continued to run with no issues. In Senior racing, Scott Ferris powered his way to a win in TaG while Arrow drivers Cody Robinson and Eric Jones took wins in the competitive Yamaha SuperCan and Komet categories. Junior stars Nick Neri and Sam Beasley split the wins on day one with three different drivers in the Sportsman categories.
Yamaha SuperCan Lite
The first class on the track for the day was the Yamaha SuperCan Lite category. Last year’s winner Cody Robinson (Arrow) was quickest in the qualifying session as the only driver under the 1:11 mark. His 1:10.868 was better by over four-tenths ahead of championship leader Ryan Stewart (Birel). Second in points - Shinya Michimi (Merlin) was third in the order over Eric Jones (Arrow), making his first start of the season. T.J. Koyen (Merlin) - fourth in points - completed the fast five. Coming into the event, the top seven drivers were within 95 points, making today’s activities an important step toward the championship.
After two failed attempts to start the Prefinal, the second row was moved to the front. Jones was able to take the outside line to get the lead from Michimi as the field went through the first few corners. Jones was joined by Robinson, Stewart, Michimi, Koyen and South Bend winner Dakota Pesek (Arrow). By the end of lap two, both Robinson and Stewart were able to get around Jones for position. As the group battled for second, Robinson was able to stretch out a three-tenths lead by the halfway mark of the eight-lap run. In the end, Robinson would take the win by seven-tenths as Jones was able to work by Stewart for second. Michimi was close in fourth while Koyen was able to hold off Pesek for fifth. Jamie Sieracki - driving for injured Colton Ramsey - qualified sixth but was forced to start the Prefinal from the tail of the field. Piloting the Mark Coats Racing Merlin, Sieracki advanced from 24th to 14th in the eight laps.
Robinson and Jones led the field to the green flag as the two BTK Motorsports drivers swapped positions before they reached the line for the first time. Robinson led the way with Jones, Stewart Koyen and Jump. The lead pack was seven after completing two laps with Pesek and Michimi in the fray. Benefitting from an opening lap spin that sent the second half of the field, Jason Foley (Merlin) was on the charge and sat eighth after starting 23rd, closing in on the lead pack. On lap four, Stewart held the lead briefly before Robinson took the spot back within the next few corners. At the halfway mark, it was a four kart breakaway with Robinson leading Jones, Stewart and Koyen. Michimi ran alone in fifth with Jump leading Pesek, Foley and Melissa Landspurg (Merlin).
 | Gresham Wagner slide by in the final corner to score his first Cadet Sportsman win of the season
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Stewart began to look racey on lap nine, making a late brake move by Jones for second in the last corner. Jones came right back the next lap to regain the spot, which in turn allowed Robinson to step out to a little bit of a gap. Lap 13, the complexion of the race changed when Stewart dropped a wheel and spun around, collecting Koyen and losing position after position. Both got out to pull the karts apart, Koyen’s engine died while Stewart kept his running. Koyen would end up 18th in the final tally while Stewart ended up 11th. This allowed Robinson and Jones to run 1-2 to the checkered flags. Michimi was moved up to third with Foley ending a solid fourth in a great drive to the podium while Pesek finished fifth.
Cadet Sportsman
The tight championship chase continued on in Cadet Sportsman with the first of two days of action getting underway with point leader Ashley Rogero (Tony Kart) leading the way in qualifying. Her 1:15.151 lap time was 0.075-seconds better than Michael Womack (Birel). Tristan VanWieringen (KRT) was third in the order with Gresham Wagner (Birel) and home track driver Kyle Tilley (Arrow) rounding out the fast-five. Three-time race winner Austin Osborne (Birel) struggled in the session, ending up 15th of the 23 drivers that took the track.
The Prefinal looked like a NASCAR event at Talladega with half the field making up the lead pack, drafting around one another lap after lap. Rogero led the field to the green flag but Wagner eventually worked his way to the point with Womack in tow. All the drivers in the front pack looked evenly matched, using the long straights to get a run on the kart or karts in front of them. Wagner led Rogero to the final corner, taking the inside line down the final straight. Rogero took her momentum and drove around on the outside, taking the lead and scoring the win. Wagner would cross second with Tyler Moneypenny (Arrow) put on a show driving from 14th on the grid to third ahead of Tilley and Womack.
The field began a similar draft pack as the Prefinal with Rogero leading the way for the 14-lap Final. The pack would be broke up as jostling for position cost Rogero a number of spot and out of the top-10. This put Wagner at the point with Tilley and Reed on his bumper. They broke away from a pack of six karts, back about two-seconds when the field reached the halfway mark. On lap nine, the front three shuffled for position and like that, they were caught by the trailing six to make a nine kart lead pack with Reed now leading the way. With two to go, Smith made his move as he went from fourth to third, getting around Tilley. In the same corner, Osborne spun around and fell off the lead group, back to ninth in the order. Working the final lap, Reed continued to show the way with Wagner working his bumper. Coming to the final corner, Reed tried to block the inside line, however, left enough room for Wagner to duck by on the inside. Wagner would get through and take the victory, his first on the year, with Collin Campbell (Birel) able to slide by Reed as well. Tilley ended up fourth with Smith in fifth to complete the podium. Moneypenny and Osborne both ended up in the grass in the final corner, involved in separate incidents, finishing 20th and 21st.
 | Steve Schiewer held on to score the victory in Yamaha Masters
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Yamaha Masters
The action was close in the qualifying session for the Yamaha Masters division as the top four drivers were within six-hundredths of a second when the checkered flag waved on the session. John Ferris III (Margay) was at the top of the charts with a 1:13.314 lap time. Point leader Kevin Nelson (Arrow) was second in the order, just three-hundredths off. Indy drivers completed the fast-five with Steve Schiewer and Bobby Cummings, both on Birel karts, coming in third and fourth while Michael Burrell (Tony Kart) was fifth.
The top three was able to break away from the field for the eight-lap Prefinal. Nelson came away with the point as Ferris and Schiewer fell in behind. Cummings lost ground to the leaders, leaving it a three kart fight. As the laps wound down, Schiewer mapped out his moves to the front. In the end, Schiewer would take the victory with Nelson over Ferris. Cummings ran alone in fourth with Missy Nelson Tate (Margay) working by Burrell for fifth.
Schiewer and Nelson led the Yamaha Masters field to the green flag to begin their 14-lap main event. Schiewer was able to lead the first two laps before Nelson worked by with for the lead, recording the fast lap of the race at that time in the process. Schiewer stayed on his bumper with Cummings right there in the hunt. Ferris fell off the lead group and was slowing getting caught by Nelson-Tate. Ferris felt the pressure on lap five and was able to close the gap on the top three with the fast lap of the race, making it four karts now in the lead group with Nelson-Tate trailing. At the halfway mark, the top five remained unchanged with Nelson-Tate still losing some ground. The front four remained nose-to-tail, with no one looking for a change in position until the final lap. Going into turn 13, Schiewer got help from Cummings as they drafted by Nelson into the corner. Running down the middle, Schiewer was able to hold off Cummings and Nelson to take his first win in his Manufacturer’s Cup Series career and an MKP 1-2 finish. Ferris ended up fourth on their bumpers with Nelson-Tate completing the podium.
 | With his second win of the season, Sam Beasley is set to challenge for the title in Komet Jr. Heavy
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Komet Jr. Heavy
Despite a broken arm suffered three weeks ago, Komet Jr. Heavy point leader Nick Neri (Tony Kart) is not letting it affect his racing. The Florida driver posted the fast lap in the qualifying session to earn the Streeter Super Stands pole award with a 1:07.728. Sam Beasley (Arrow) was the only other driver to drop below the 1:08 mark, ending the session in second. Californian Raquel Martinez (Top Kart) was third in the order with Jacob Donald (Arrow) and Dakota Bell (Margay) rounding out the fast-five.
Beasley and Neri led away from the rest of the field to begin the eight-lap Prefinal. Martinez sat back in third while Donald led the fight for fourth. Beasley led the way until two laps to go when Neri made his move for the lead in the last corner. Neri would hold on to the checkered for the win with Beasley on his bumper. Martinez ran to third with Joel Jens (Merlin) moving up from sixth to fourth over James Bennett (Birel), Dominique VanWieringen (Arrow) with Donald and Bell moving back to seventh and eighth.
The opening corner witnessed a pile up from the midway point back with Austin Self (Birel) involved and going over on his head. He was able to walk away as the race continued but a number of karts were involved and out of the race. Martinez was also involved as she was shuffled off and was forced to retire. Meanwhile, Neri, Beasley, and Jens made up the lead pack. They diced it out hard the first couple of laps, exchanging positions with Neri able to get away with a one second advantage after Beasley and Jens made slight contact while fighting for second. With fast lap of the race, Beasley was able to cut into Neri’s advantage quickly, getting to his rear bumper by the completion of lap six. Jens held third at that point with Bell up to fourth over VanWieringen, and Bennett. Beasley made his move for the lead as they completed the eighth lap, drafting by on the long straight into corner 14. Neri, in his Ocala Gran Prix entry matched Beasley’s lap times through the halfway mark and into the final laps, just three tenths back as they received the two to go signal. Neri tightened up the gap coming to the white flag but a slight error in turn seven cost him a few kart lengths completing the final circuit. Coming to the checkered, Neri was not close enough as Beasley would go on to score the victory by five-tenths. Jens ran to third, scoring another podium and helping him move up the point standings. Bennett would end up fourth with VanWieringen completing the podium over Donald and Bell.
 | Scott Ferris drove away to the victory in TaG
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
TaG
A strong field of TaG drivers took to the track in two groups with 39 entered in the class for the day. Coming from the first group was Californian Nic LeDuc (Energy/Sonik) - who is now residing in Indy - making his WKA debut with the fast lap of the session. His 1:04.811 was best of the session and a new track record for the category. Scott Ferris (Margay/Sonik) was second quickest over Robert Bujdoso (PCR/Leopard) along with local drivers Billy Lewis (Arrow/Leopard) and Robby Seward (Tony Kart/Motori 7). Point leader Jacob Sekey (PCR/Sonik) was back in 18th in the final tally, needing work to be done again, similar to last month at the Grand Nationals.
After two failed attempts at a start for the Prefinal, the second row was advanced to the front to begin the race. Bujdoso and Lewis led the field to the green flag. Bujdoso held the point until Ferris advanced forward, taking over the lead. LeDuc and Lewis ran third and fourth until contact on lap two dropped them down the order drastically. Seward, Andersen and John Dixon (Tony Kart/Sonik) moved up positions, looking to chase down the front two. In the end, Ferris went on to take the win by four-tenths over Bujdoso. Seward, Andersen and Dixon completed the top-five with TJ Koyen (Merlin/Leopard) up from 10th to sixth over Michael Politis (Merlin/Leopard), Christian Vogel (Tony Kart/Leopard), Kyle Knecht (PCK/Vortex) and Kyle Wiegand (Top Kart/Leopard). Lewis ended up 18th with LeDuc 17th before being penalized five positions for the contact on lap two. Sekey also struggled, getting shuffled back to 25th in the final few laps. Bujdoso saw his second place run taken away as he was disqualified for having an improper neck brace.
Same as the Prefinal, the original front row could not get the race started so row two was moved up to the front, putting Andersen and Dixon at the point. Andersen led the way until turn 13 when Ferris muscled his way to the point. Dixon would fall back to third with Seward and Koyen making up the early top-five. Ferris was able to get away in the opening laps with Dixon now fighting up to second over Seward as Andersen fell to sixth. A group of seven drivers were together briefly until continued shuffling broke them up into small groups. Seward shook off everyone and began his charge at running down Ferris. Koyen and Politis were third and fourth at the halfway mark with Vogel now leading a train of karts for the fifth spot. The gap between first and second remain consistent as they ran similar lap times. Koyen and Politis were about 2.5-seconds back of the leader, putting down a similar pace. Attention turned to the hard charger Bujdoso who was making his way forward, inside the top-10 by the halfway mark and held the fast lap of the race. On lap 10, the championship leader Sekey spun around down the long straight with an apparent engine failure and changing the complexion of the title chase.
 | Ashley Rogero put herself in the driver's seat of the Yamaha Sportsman Heavy title chase with victory Saturday
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
In the closing laps, Seward stepped up the pace, closing in on Ferris. With the white flag waving, the lead was three-tenths of a second with Seward still closing. At the line, Ferris held on for the win - his first of the year - over Seward to show a good result for the Mike Manning Karting Motori 7 engine. Koyen ran alone in third with Bujdoso getting around Andersen in the final corner to complete a stellar drive to fourth after his neck collar issue that put him at the tail of the grid. Vogel was sixth with Politis back to seventh, losing some ground in the championship points. Knecht was eighth, Dixon fell to ninth and Senior rookie Andrew Hobbs (Merlin/Leopard) rounding out the top-10.
Yamaha Sportsman Heavy
Kyle Tilley (Arrow) used the home track knowledge to his advantage in the Yamaha Sportsman Heavy category as the defending class champion took the Streeter Super Stands pole award. A lap time of 1:14.807 put him two-tenths clear of Ashley Rogero (Tony Kart). Emerson Reed (Merlin) was third with Davis Durrett (Birel) and Camden Donaldson (Birel) completing the fast-five. Point leader Gresham Wagner (Birel) was 10th in the order with second place in the standings - Brandon Jarsocark (Haase) - back in 18th.
Tilley and Rogero led the field to the green flag for the Prefinal and both were able to break away. Tilley led most of the way while the rest of the field battle for the third position. The top two drove away from the field lap after lap, coming down to the final corner. Tilley tried the inside line down the final straight with Rogero able to power around on the outside. Rogero got to the apex of the corner first and ran to the checkered for the win. Donaldson moved from fifth to third with Jacob McWhirter up to fourth from eighth, dropping Reed back to fifth.
Rogero and Tilley exchanged the lead in the first few corners to begin the 14-lap main event before Rogero took the spot as they completed the first lap. McWhirter was third with Canadian Grant Quinlan (Birel) and Donaldson making up the early top-five. After Rogero and Tilley looked to be breaking away, Tilley made a slight error, allowing a freight train of karts to close in and get around. Quinlan led the charge with McWhirter and Reed moving up a position and closing in on the leader to complete lap four. As they completed lap five, Rogero was left out to dry as she fell back to fourth with Quinlan taking the point and bringing two others. On lap seven, the leaders were bunched up by a lap kart that ignored the black flag to pull off. This bunched up the pack and they shuffled for position. Tilley came away with lead with Rogero back up to second ahead of Quinlan.
 | Scoring win number three on the season, Tony Jump edged out Kevin Nelson at the line in Yamaha Pipe
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
After the halfway mark, Rogero worked around Tilley for the lead and the two put about four kart lengths on Reed in third. With four to go, the top two continued to keep out in front of the fight for third that was now led by Wagner. Nothing happened until the final lap when Tilley the outside line down the final straight as Rogero held the inside line. Rogero was able to power down to the final corner with enough speed to hold Tilley back for her first victory of the season in class. Wagner ended up third with Tristan VanWieringen (KRT) up to fourth and Courtney Innis (Tony Kart) advancing from 10th to the podium in fifth.
Yamaha Pipe
Making his first start of the season, James Brock (Birel) shocked the paddock with his qualifying performance. The Michigan driver was able to steal the pole position with a lap time of 1:08.581. Randall Potter (Margay) was second in the order as both bested the top four drivers in the championship chase. Chuck Tate (Margay) - third in points - was third in the order with point leader Tony Jump (Margay), Cody Robinson (Arrow), and Kevin Nelson rounding out the top-six.
The Prefinal was a great eight-lap race with the finish decided on the final lap. Tate eventually worked his way to the point, brining Jump and Nelson with him as Brock and Potter falling back. The top three ran nose to tail until Jump moved to first with two laps to go. On the final circuit, Nelson worked by Tate for second and closed in on Jump down the final straight. Nelson was able to get around Jump in the final corner and edged him out for the win at the line. Tate ended up third with Brock in fourth and Potter fifth.
Jump grabbed the holeshot to begin the feature run as Nelson was shuffled back to third behind Brock. During the second lap, Brock moved up to the point and as the first few laps completed, the top three began to pull away from the rest of the field. Running nose to tail, the trio remained close with Jump and Nelson both getting around Brock at the halfway point. No exchange for position was made with the trio pushing each other lap after lap. Coming to the checkered, Jump held the inside and was able to keep Nelson at bay, getting to the line first for his third win of the season. Nelson settled for second with Brock a close third. Tate ran alone in fourth with Adam Crepin (Merlin) edging out Potter at the line for the final podium spot.
 | Nick Neri held off Sam Beasley for the Yamaha Jr. Lite victory
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Yamaha Jr. Lite
As he did in the first Junior class of the day, Nick Neri (Tony Kart) scored his second Streeter Super Stands pole award of the day with the fast lap in Yamaha Jr. Lite. The Florida driver, driving with a broken arm, posted a 1:09.637-lap to secure the top spot. Point leader Sam Beasley (Arrow) was once again second in the order with Jacob Donald (Arrow), Dakota Bell (Margay) and Jared Thomas (Arrow) completing the fast-five. Championship contenders Shawn Sharkey (Merlin) and Kyle Kalish (Merlin) were 18th and 22nd respectively with Austin Self - fourth in the standings - lined up seventh.
The top two held their ground through the opening corners of the Prefinal to begin the eight-lap race. Neri took the point with Beasley dropping in behind. The two ran nose to tail with Beasley looking to size up Neri lap after lap. Behind them, Donald and Bell were hard pressed as they fought to hold third and fourth from a charging Austin Self (Birel) and Chase Jones (Birel). Beasley looked a few times but played it safe, not forcing anything as Neri went on to take the win. Bell held on for third with Self up to fourth over Jones and Donald.
Neri and Beasley went at it for a second time in the Yamaha Jr. Lite main event. The start however did not favor Beasley as he was shuffled back to seventh. Quick on the charge, Beasley knifed his way back to the front by lap four, chasing down Neri. At the halfway mark, the front four ran together but eventually, Neri and Beasley broke away. Coming to the final corner, Neri held the inside line with Beasley looking on the outside. Neri went wide on the exit however he would hold off Beasley’s criss-cross move to score the victory - his first in the class on the season. Beasley would end up second but extend his point lead. Self won the battle for third over Donald, Kyle Crump (Margay), Bell and Jones.
Komet Heavy
Championship leader Patrick Olsen (Birel) continued on from his Grand National victory last month in Wisconsin, scoring the pole position in Komet Heavy. The Wisconsin driver posted a lap time of 1:08.398 to top the standings. Eric Jones (Arrow), making his first start of the season, was second in the order as Jason Foley (Merlin), Nick Stagl (Merlin) and Ryan Stewart (Birel) - second in the standings - rounding out the fast-five.
 | Eric Jones came away with the win in Komet Heavy in his first outing of the season
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Olsen would walk away with the win in the Prefinal. By six-seconds, Olsen took the checkered flag, having not been pressured from the drop of the green. Jones ran second until he was shuffled back and eventually retired with an axle issue. Stewart was also in the mix until he lost his side pod and was black flagged off the track. This allowed Foley and Stagl to move up to second and third in the final tally. Bill McLaughlin Jr. (Birel) and Jamie Sieracki (Merlin) - driving for the injured Colton Ramsey - drove from the tail of the field to end up fourth and fifth over Morgan Nelson (Kart Mini).
Olsen would be challenged early as the Komet Heavy field got the green flag. Foley pressured Olsen in the first few corners before the two made contact in turn five. The two were locked together and lost the tons of time getting apart and lost any chance to score the victory. Up front, McLaughlin Jr. took the point with Sieracki in second ahead of Jones and Stewart, who quickly made up ground starting from the back of the pack. By lap three, Jones and Stewart got around Sieracki for position as the front four karts powered forward. The next time around, Stewart got around Jones for the second spot and followed that up with a pass for the lead in the far end of the facility. McLaughlin got shuffled back to fourth as Jones began pressing the issue on Stewart. Jones mad an uncharacteristic error exiting turn 12, dropping a wheel and allowing Sieracki by for position. As they came to receive the halfway signal, Sieracki had passed Stewart to lead the way for the first time as the front four continued to run nose to tail.
With Sieracki at the point, Stewart and Jones looked to be comfortable with him leading the way as the reached the closing stages of the race. They all waited for the final few feet as they scrambled to the final corner. Sieracki went to the inside as Stewart and Jones went side by side. As they scrambled, Stewart got into the side of Sieracki and they both went wide. Jones took advantage and ran to the inside, nipping them all for the victory by 0.047-seconds. Stewart crossed second with McLaughlin ahead of Sieracki. Nelson completed the podium in fifth. Olsen would end up 10th, posting the fast lap of the race by two-tenths in what could have been a victory.
Komet Sportsman
Scoring his second pole position of the day, Kyle Tilley (Arrow) led the way in qualifying for the Komet Sportsman division. His 1:12.430 was better than Mike McAndrews (Margay) lap by nearly two-tenths. Californian Zane Smith (Top Kart) was third in the order with Canadian Tristan VanWieringen (KRT) in fourth and Emerson Reed (Merlin) in fifth. Championship contenders Ashley Roger (Tony Kart), Gresham Wagner (Birel) and Austin Osborne (Birel) were 14th, 8th, and 16th respectively, leaving work to be done in the Prefinal.
The Prefinal for the Komet Sportsman group saw a three kart breakaway with Tilley, Smith and Reed making up the lead pack while McAndrews led a group fighting it out for the fourth spot. As the front three began dicing for the lead in the final few laps, the fight for the win came down to the final corner. Reed was able to score the win with McAndrews moving up to second. Wagner advanced to third with Smith ending up fourth over VanWieringen and Tilley.
 | Emerson Reed come through to score the win in Komet Sportsman
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Reed held the pole position to begin the main event but was shuffled back after dropping a wheel on the exit of turn two. This allowed McAndrews to take the point after the first lap but that was short-lived as Wagner put himself to the lead the following lap. Wagner, Smith and Tilley were able to break away by the completion of lap three while Reed had found himself back up to fourth and closing in on the leaders with the fast lap of the race. McAndrews continued to get shuffled back, falling to ninth at that point, in the tail end of the second group. The lead group became three on six as they began shuffling for position. Wagner had fallen to third until dropping a wheel on the exit of turn two sent him around and back to the end of the field. Smith now led the way with Tilley and Reed in pursuit as the field reached the halfway point. With the new fast lap of the race, Solarczyk was catching the leaders and was in the mix by lap eight. By the two to go signal, Tilley had fallen off the lead draft and was falling back into a group fighting for fifth while the three leaders continued to run nose to tail. Coming to the checkered flag, Smith weaved back and forth as he watched the progression by his challengers. As they went through the final corner, Reed got into the back of Smith, pushing him wide on the exit. At the line, Reed took the victory by 0.025-seconds over Smith. Solarczyk was in third with McAndrews winning the fight for fourth over Zach Holden (Merlin) - from 14th on the grid.
The Manufacturers Championship Trophy standings changed very little as the top-five scored nearly the same wins on the day. Arrow came away with three wins total gaining one marker with Birel taking home two victories on the day. The lead is 22 to now 16. Tony Kart scored two wins to bring their total to 12. Margay moved to a tie in fourth thanks to their two wins (6 total) and Merlin added one as well to sit at six as well. Tomorrow will bring a new day with those who found success on day one looking to continue their run while the rest of the paddock will need to find that extra speed to battle for victories. To follow updates throughout the weekend, visit the Official Discussion Thread. |
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