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| September 16, 2010 News |
| Race Report: IKF Region 7 Championship Series - Apex Karting Center |
| Article by: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine |
 | Chance Skauful taking the KPV 1 checkered flag
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
The 2010 IKF Region 7 Championship Summer/Fall Series continued at the Apex Karting Center in Perris, CA on September 12. With nearly 90 entries, the hosting club (Pacific Association of Karters) and organizers can be pleased to see participation grow this late in the season. Apex Karting Center has been a favorite spot for locals for many years, and the boost in numbers seems to prove it. With temperatures in the low 90's and a light breeze blowing most of the weekend, the hottest thing was the action on track.
No doubt the PRD Sr. bounty on the heads of “Notorious” Nick Johnston and Bobby the “Killer” Kelley had something to do with the heated action on track. RLV doubled the bounty for this event to an impressive $2000 to any man, woman, or child who could beat both Kelley and Johnston on track. Some big guns showed up with itchy trigger fingers but the shootout would have to wait until race group three took to the track.
KPV1 led the charge on track as the first class of the day. Jake Drew posted the best lap of 43.851 to score the pole over the 21 kart field. The eight lap prefinal went by in no time with Chance Skauful getting by Drew for the win on the last lap. With the announcement on the Santa Maria club's website of its immediate closing, Skauful is in search of a new home track, I think he might have found it here at Apex. The KPV1 race sorted out by halfway and it was clear that only two drivers were in a position to win, Zane Smith and Skauful. What we didn't know was Drew would run them down and play a part in the outcome. Smith led the race from lap two but he never had more than a few feet of breathing room from Skauful, who put the moves on the leader with only a few circuits remaining. Drew would gain ground and put Smith back to third with only two laps remaining. Skauful seemed to come out of nowhere in Santa Maria to challenge the best in the region, but he put his stamp on the class this weekend with a great win over two outstanding competitors. Drew held off a late race charge by Smith to earn second place. It seemed like the fight for fourth included the rest of the class as Justice Lepe and Matt Million found the last two spots on the podium.
 | Matt Johnson took home the PRD Senior bounty at Apex
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
KPV2 was the second class of the day with Brandon Reed earning the pole. The prefinal was owned by Jake Craig, Brandon Reed and Haley Jenni, but the final saw Jenni not quite up to the pace of Reed and Craig. The final was a two man show with Craig leading Reed every step of the way. It was quite boring to watch and looked like it was going to end just as it started. Reed seemed content finishing second but surprised us all. From a few lengths back he made on run on Craig in the last corner and made it stick for the win. Craig crossed in second place with Jenni in third a few seconds back. Jason Hannegan and Josh Kurtz completed the top five.
Race group #3 was the one we were all waiting for - Spec PRD Senior. With the $2000 bounty up for grabs it was anyone's guess as to who was going to leave with the money. The driver or drivers who beat both Johnston and Kelley in the final would earn the $2000 bounty. If either Johnston or Kelley won the race like Johnston did in Santa Maria, the money would go to them. This time out we saw a few more heavy hitters show up for their chance at glory including Kolby Araki and Derek Zimmermann. Things started out hit and miss for our two wanted men. Bobby Kelley earned the pole with a time of 40.841, but Nick Johnston qualified a dismal ninth. Araki made his presence known with a P2 qualifying position as Zimmermann and “Mad” Matt Johnson made up row two. Kelley went flag to flag in the prefinal with Zimmermann getting by Araki for second place. Johnston found some extra speed and moved his way up to start the final behind Ty Matta in sixth. The final started off poorly for Zimmermann, who pulled off track on the parade lap with his airbox in his hands. Without the #2 finisher the outside row moved up a position.
Kelley got the jump heading into turn one followed by Araki and Johnson. A few laps later Araki hung a wheel allowing Johnson by on the inside of turn two. Araki's kart was never the same after that and was no longer a factor for the win. Up front, Kelley held down a slight advantage over Johnson, Araki, and Matta, but Johnston was on the move. Matta climbed up into third but not for long as Johnston had run down the group and soon took over the position. That too didn't last long as a mechanical ended his day on lap thirteen. Johnson, a hired gun brought in for hunting bounties, managed to reel in Kelley and take the fight to him. With just a few laps remaining, Johnson made a bold move heading into the hairpin after getting along side Kelley a few corners earlier. Kelly tried to counter the move but the legendary #17 was up front to stay. Johnson gave a brief glance over his shoulder on the white flag lap and pounded his fist in victory 40 seconds later. Kelley brought it home for second place while Matta had another solid run for third. With the $2000 bounty in hand, Johnson became the first to cash in on RLV by beating both Kelley and Johnson. The bounty hunt continues next month at Adams Motorsports Park and the announcement regarding the details is forthcoming.
 | Junior 1 winner Colton Herta
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
Jake Drew secured the pole in Junior 1 qualifying with his time of 45.048. Colton Herta was second quick with Christian Brooks and Dylan Cartier sitting pretty in third and fourth. Brooks and Herta were the only drivers in the prefinal able to keep pace with Drew, but Drew still would start the final from the pole with the race win. The main event started with a red flag, but once the ball got rolling, the lead trio was at it again once more. Drew slotted into first place with Herta and Brooks in tow for all but the last lap of the final. Herta made a huge move to take the win, surprising Drew on the last lap. Brooks finished a few feet back in third place. Wyatt May had an excellent run, moving up a few positions to finish in fourth place. Ian Wesolowski brought it home in fifht.
Anthony Willis was the only Kid Karter to drop into the 56 second range in qualifying so he started the prefinal from the pole. The top three remained the same in the prefinal with Willis hammering out an eight second advantage over Luis Ortiz and Dezel West. The final looked to be just a formality for Willis, but his heat race advantage had disappeared in the final and three other drivers were able to run similar lap times - West, Carson Enright and Ortiz. The buildup in the final was better than the racing as only one pass in the top four took place. Willis was kept honest by having everyone chasing him, but no one was able to get by. He did drive a great race holding off the challengers, but he never came under direct fire. Ortiz ran every lap in second place while West held down third. Enright made a last lap move to get by West for the third position, but that was the only pass up front. Joseph Daniele started the final in last but with solid driving found his way to the podium in fifth.
Jr. 1 PRD TaG was the local option class the Pacific Association of Karters chose to run this weekend and it brought out eight drivers. Jake Drew grabbed another pole position in a kart that screamed retro from the MyChron 2 all the way down to the old school bodywork. Just goes to show the driver makes the kart and not the other way around. With the pole under his belt, Drew set off to lead every lap of the prefinal. Zach Arthur bounced back from a slow start to finish the heat race in second place with Adam Iavelli in third. The final finished in the same order with Drew pulling out a four second lead in fourteen laps. Iavelli and Arthur had a good scrap for second place, changing positions a time or two, but Drew proved it cool to kick it old school and still pull off the win.
 | Jake Drew - Jr. 1 PRD winner
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
The final race group of the day was the combined PRD Junior 2 and KPV4/Yamaha Pipe classes. Jason Hannegan put two tenths on the six-kart Junior 2 PRD field in qualifying while Jonathan Miller just nipped Zachary Tobin for the pole in KPV4/Yamaha Pipe. Hannegan gapped Josh Kurtz and Marc Jordan in the prefinal by four seconds and carried that momentum on right into the final. Hannegan gained his first advantage in turn one and never looked back from there. With a flag to flag win Hannegan made it look easy. Jordan ran solidly in second place the entire race, leaving Kurtz and Maxwell Rios to fight it out for third place. The action for third was the best on track and eventually Kurtz came away with the position. John Wallace, Miller and Tobin all led a lap or two in the final making for a much more exciting race than you would have thought. Tobin's day ended early leaving Wallace to battle with Miller. Wallace put up a good fight but Miller was too strong to contend with and took the win. With Tobin out, Brad Richardson finished in third.
The next round of the IKF Region 7 Championship Summer/Fall Series takes place next month October 2-3 at the world famous Adams Motorsports Park. So-Cal Sprinters is the host club and many, many drivers and media types are excited to see the return of Adams to the Region 7 calendar. Along with the normal IKF Region 7 classes, Adams and So-Cal Sprinters have something totally cool planned for Saturday night, including the first ever Legends of Adams Pro PRD race and “old school” BBQ. Those of you who have been around know how good the BBQ is. The Legends race and BBQ will take place after practice Saturday night. Come check out some of your favorite names from years past doing battle on the Adams circuit. The race is by invitation only and contact Troy Adams for an invite and info. I expect to see a few of the Legends drivers take to the track Sunday too in Sr. PRD and go after the RLV bounty to pad their wallets a little bit. |
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