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| June 16, 2011 News |
| EKN Trackside: 2011 IKF Road Race Grand Nationals - Thursday Report |
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Day two of the 2011 IKF Road Race Grand Nationals completed on Thursday, June 16 with another hot day under the Texas sun at the Eagles Canyon Raceway in Decatur. The Southwest Roadrace Association staff continued to keep things moving as temperatures soared again and the wind challenged the tents in the paddock. Following Wednesday’s two race, eight more Duffy’s were awarded on the day with Anthony Honeywell adding two more and Mike Mantel earning two as well.
TaG Light
The TaG Light division kicked off the day with their opening 15-minute heat race. Mike Mantel led the field to the green flag for the rolling start and assumed the lead. From there, he would go on to a wire to wire victory over Adam Kelley who kept Bristol Gunderson at bay through the first moto. Aden Feustel crossed the line in fourth with Donnie Cluck fifth.
Mantel led the field to the green once again with Kelley slotting in behind to begin heat two. The duo broke away quickly with Gunderson falling back to fifth in the opening lap behind Feustel and Donnie Cluck. Mantel and Kelley both dropped into the 1:59s on the second lap, extending their lead to nearly six seconds as Gunderson moved up to the fourth spot ahead of Cluck. Lap three, the top two swapped the lead through the lap but Mantel still crossed the line as the leader. With Kelley applying the pressure, Mantel dropped another fast lap, keeping a four-tenths second lead. That disappeared on lap five as Kelley worked by for the lead in the far end of the track. Mantel grabbed back the lead in the last corner, leading across the line but Kelley struck back, diving to the inside at turn one to retake the lead. As they completed lap six, Mantel stuck to the rear bumper of Kelley, allowing him to lead across the line for the first time. Mantel held his ground through lap seven as they came to the white flag for the final lap and went out to the far end of the course. When they came back into view through turns seven and eight, Mantel appeared with the lead with Kelley trailing. Kelley got a great run to close back in entering the final corner. Down the stretch they came, Mantel took the victory and the Duffy with Kelley settling for second. Feustel was a solid third with Cluck able to work by Gunderson for fourth.
 | Scott Rister scored the heat 2 win for the SWRA Stock 125 Light Duffy
(Photo: studio52.smugmug.com) |
SWRA Stock 125 Light
A five-kart battle brewed early for the opening 15-minute heat race with Coy Dayton, Mack Dayton, Scott Rister, Waylon McCulloch and Mike Smith. They swapped positions until Mack Dayton fell off after two laps, able to continue on but well behind. That left the remaining four to battle for the heat win. Completing lap six, Smith showed he had the speed by dropping the fast lap of the race with a 1:54.011, working by McCulloch for third as Dayton and Rister led the group. Coming to the checkered, Dayton was able to edge out Smith by just 0.013-seconds at the line. Rister was third with McCulloch in fourth as they were separated by just 0.250-seconds after eight laps with Connor Iseli in fifth.
Smith grabbed the holeshot to begin the second heat race with Dayton slotting in behind with the top six running together through the first lap. As they completed the first lap, Rister was able to work up to the front with Dayton on his bumper. Smith was third with Iseli, Mack Dayton and McCulloch falling to sixth after dropping a wheel on the exit of turn nine. Completing lap two, McCulloch dropped the quickest lap of the race to that point, moving from sixth to third and closing in on the front two. Lap three, Rister and Dayton stepped up, posting their fast laps of the race to keep McCulloch at the same distance. Through the opening half of lap four, McCulloch got a great run and was able to close in as they come down the turn seven and eight complex to make the lead group now three. Completing lap five, McCulloch drove by Dayton for second and then by Rister for the lead as they went into turn one. At the same time, Smith fell off the pace with a flat tire. In the back section of the course on lap six, both Rister and Dayton worked by McCulloch for position as the lead trio prepared for what was to be a drag-race to the checkered flag. As they took the white flag, McCulloch broke up the two Tony Karts with Dayton dropped to third. As they came back into sight, McCulloch had the lead with Dayton and Rister dicing for second. Rister took the spot and was able to get a great run out of the final corner. As he drafted up to McCulloch, he was able to edge him out for the victory by just 0.031-seconds at the line. McCulloch had to settle for second after a solid drive with Dayton in third. Mack Dayton outran Iseli for fourth. When the points were tallied, Rister was awarded the Duffy with Dayton, McCulloch, Smith and Iseli filling out the podium.
Mini Max
From the standard Le Mans style start on the front straight, the five drivers in the Mini Max category began their 20-minute race around the 2.5-mile course. Cole Glasson and Nathan Adds began as the front two drivers, stretching out to a two-second advantage after the opening lap over Colin Russell, Jacob Loomis, and Chris Clark. The top two swapped the lead a few times over the course of the first half of the race. With five minutes to go, Glasson assumed the lead after riding behind Adds for a couple of laps. Coming to the white flag, Adds made his move for the lead and Glasson slotted in behind. Adds was able to gain about three kart lengths after the long 2000 foot straight away, but Glasson quickly closed that as the two went side-by-side through the final corner. Coming to the line, the two drag-raced with Glasson getting the most out of his Rotax to grab the checkered flag by just inches. Another solid 20-minute race between Russell and Loomis ended with Loomis taking the third spot by just 0.008-seconds with Clark completing the podium. The results however changed in the tech barn as Adds was removed from the results with a engine issue, moving everyone behind him up one spot.
 | Anthony Honeywell brought his Duffy total to three thus far, including a win in Yamaha Ltd Heavy Sprint
(Photo: studio52.smugmug.com) |
Yamaha Ltd Heavy Sprint/Yamaha Junior Sprint Sit-up
First Duffy winner of the event Anthony Honeywell launched off the Le Mans starting grid with the lead in the Yamaha Ltd Heavy Sprint division with 2009 class winner Phil Harris trailing. Honeywell put down a solid opening circuit and established a near two-second advantage and began to stretch that out little by little as they reached the 10-minute mark with Thomas Jackson trailing Harris by about the same margin in third. In Yamaha Junior Sprint Sit-up, 2009 Duffy winner Joe Taylor stretched out to a similar lead with a group trailing. By the 10-minute mark, Mike Bartholomew recovered from a slow start to move his way up to the second place position over Mitch McKie. The front positions remained static for the final twenty minutes with Honeywell claiming his second Duffy thus far with a margin of eight-seconds, running the quickest lap of the race in the final circuit – a 2:14.378. Harris settled for second with Jackson a close third. Taylor held a front-straight distance over Bartholomew to score the victory. The battle for third came to the checkered flag with McKie able to secure the position by 0.074-seconds at the line over Thomas Beaudoin. Brian Rahn and JR Miller completed the podium for the Junior class with Chris Clark unable to finish the race, but rounded out the top-five in Limited Heavy.
Formula 125 Ltd.
Waylon McCulloch grabbed the holeshot off the grid as he led the way through the opening corners, establishing a big gap over Chance Pool. Scott Rister was slow off the line but was up to third as the crossed the line for the first time with Donnie Cluck trailing. Bristol Gunderson was in the mix until she pulled off track entering turn 10 with a mechanical issue. Once by Pool, Rister put on the pressure to McCulloch and the race came down to checkered flag where McCulloch took the win by just 0.03-seconds. Pool was third with Donnie Cluck in fourth.
McCulloch held the P1 spot for the start of heat two and held it as the green flag waved to start off the 15-minute race to decide the Duffy. Rister dropped in behind him as the top two broke away from the rest of the field. They ran unchanged until lap three when Rister worked by for the lead and stretched out to about a three-kart advantage as the completed the lap. McCulloch closed it back in the following lap and during lap five, Rister came back into sight at turn seven off the pace. That put McCulloch well out in front with Pool able to get around Rister before he picked up back to race pace. However, Rister again came around slowly and would pull into the pits on lap six. McCulloch would go on to take the win solidly and earn the Duffy with Pool placing second in both the heat and on the podium. Cluck would end up third with Rister classified in fourth and Gunderson recording a DNF.
 | Mike Mantel locked up two Duffy's - TaG Light and Formula 80 Sr.
(Photo: studio52.smugmug.com) |
Formula 80 Sr.
Everyone was clean off the line to begin the 15-minute heat one for the Formula 80 Sr. division. Michael Mantel grabbed the holeshot and was out to a one-second lead by the time they completed lap one. Thomas Muth was second with Jacob Kantor, Allen Fleming and Jared Trengrove made up the group trailing Mantel. As the began lap three, Muth, Trengrove and Fleming went three-wide with Fleming getting sideways a bit under breaking, which lost him a some momentum on the exit of the corner and dropping him back to fifth. Fleming regained his pace, up to third through the completion of lap three with Trengrove leading the train to catch Mantel. Halfway through, Matnel held his lead with Trengrove able to break away as the remainder of the top three shuffling around and about two-seconds back. Mantel dropped a couple of fast laps in the final circuits to secure the win over Trengrove by 3.867-seconds. Muth held off Fleming for third. Kantor dropped off track heading to the white flag, giving Feustel the fifth spot.
A clean start as the green flag waved to begin heat two for the Formula 80 Sr. division with heat one winner Mantel taking the holeshot and out to the lead through the first two corners. As they came to the second half of the opening circuit, Fleming was leading the way with Mantel on his bumper. Kantor was up to third with Trengrove and Trace Bartley making up the top-five. Muth, who finished third in heat one was off the track through the opening corners and lost his chance at the Duffy. Completing lap two, Fleming and Mantel were out front with a battle for third brewing between Kantor and Trengrove about two-seconds behind them. Lap four, the fight for third was dismissed with Trengrove pulling off after turn three, ending his run at the Duffy as well. Mantel, needing to now just finish first, second or third, posted the fast lap of the race on lap four, getting to the 2:00-flat sector and pulling to an eighth-tenth lead over Fleming. Mantel continued to extend his lead as Fleming fell back, closer and closer to Kantor to make it a battle for second as they headed to the white flag. Kantor made the pass just before turn 11, but Fleming picked back up the pace to set up a final lap dual for the runner-up position. Out front, Mantel drove to a 12-second victory for his second Duffy of the day. Fleming was out leading Kantor as they exited the final corner. Kantor pulled out of the draft just as they reached the line but came up 0.001-seconds short with Fleming holding on to second. Feustel held on for fourth with Pool placing fifth. Fleming earned points to finish second overall with Feustel, Trengrove and Kantor completing the podium.
Yamaha KT100s Heavy Laydown
Anthony Honeywell continued to show why he was the EKN Road Racer of the Year in 2009. From the launch off the grid to begin the Yamaha KT100s Heavy Laydown 45-minute race, Honeywell showed the way with Michael Sampson trailing close behind. As the race completed the first half, Honeywell clocked off a number of fast laps to increase his lead over Sampson. From there, Honeywell continued to run conservative, but still fast enough to keep his pace to score victory number three of the event. Sampson drove to finish 31-seconds behind him with Mike Sampson in third. Tom Harris was fourth with Bobby White.
 | Joe Taylor defended his Yamaha Junior Sprint victory from 2009 with a dominant performance
(Photo: studio52.smugmug.com) |
Formula 125 Ltd. Heavy
Weston McCulloch grabbed the holeshot to begin the opening heat race for the Formula 125 Ltd. Heavy with Allen Fleming right on his bumper. Through the first part of the lap, Fleming was able to work by McCulloch for the lead and both were able to pull away from Firouz Haghighi and Richard Booth. Completing lap two, Fleming posted the fast lap of the race, keeping McCulloch at bay. Fleming stretched his lead from two-tenths to nearly a second the next lap. On lap four, Firouz dropped off the track and the next time by, Fleming as well, handing the lead to McCulloch who scored the win. Fleming was scored second with Haghighi third, Booth fourth and Anthony Harwin a DNS.
Fleming grabbed the holeshot over McCulloch to begin heat two as they once again established a solid lead over the opening lap. Harwin was up to third the first time by with Firouz and Booth trailing. After taking the lead on lap two with the fast lap, McCulloch exited turn five slowing on the track. Later it was revealed that it was a flat tire that put him on the sidelines. That gave Fleming the lead by more than six-seconds over the battle for second now between Harwin and Haghighi. Fleming kept up the pace throughout the 15-minute race to score the win by roughly nine-seconds and the Duffy. Harwin matched the pace set by Fleming and drove away to finish second, leaving Firouz back in third and Booth fourth.
Day 3 will be another full day of racing, beginning with the first heat race for the SWRA Stock 125 Heavy division at 10:00am CST. S5 Junior Stock 125, Formula 80 Jr., Formula 125, Formula 80 Sr. Heavy will run a pair of 15-minute heat races with the combined results used to award the Duffy. Single races will be run for Yamaha Ltd. Light Sprint, TAG Enduro, 125cc/150cc Open/FKE II, Yamaha Sportsman Heavy, Rotax Max Junior and Rotax Max Light. For complete coverage of the event, click over to the EKN Trackside Live page to view live scoring and listen to the live audio during racing hours, and of course the links to all the information you need to follow the action in Texas. |
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