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| July 31, 2012 |
| Series News: Red Line Oil Karting Championships - Round 5 Report |
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Race five of the Red Line Oil Karting Championships marked the mid-summer point of the race season. Even with two other conflicting races and some racers on vacation, RLOKC saw a strong turnout and great racing in most of the classes. Junior Rotax, Stock Honda Masters and Rotax Masters all met the bonus money criteria by having eight or more in the class. The winners of these classes won an extra $100 for their performances
GoPro Feature Race: 80 Honda Masters
Seven drivers showed up to race for the GoPro Hero HD camera. The lure of the GoPro also brought out former 80 Shifter champ JP Cadoux to the class. In Qualifying Charles Hastings took the pole ahead of Cadoux and Bob Lesnett. In the first heat, Hastings and Cadoux battled hard for the lead until the pole winner had a motor problem and had to pull off track. Cadoux cruised home the winner followed by Lesnett and Tom Nelson. In the second heat, Cadoux got off the standing start first and was able to stay ahead of Hastings for a repeat win followed by Hastings and Lesnett. In the Main, Cadoux again took the lead at the drop of the green flag and was able to control the race, Lesnett made a race out of it and stayed close to come home 2nd, just a second behind. Nelson took 3rd, Geoff Provo 4th with Hastings dropping out of contention on the second lap. Cadoux took home the GoPro Hero HD camera.
Sanzaru Games NorCal Rotax Challenge Series.
Junior Rotax and KPV2
Thirteen Junior Rotax and one KPV2 kart took the track with two time winner Alex Keyes taking the pole ahead of Jaden Conwright and Will Preston. Last month's winner, Justin Yanez left the timing transponder off his kart during Qualifying and had to start both heat races from the back row. In the first heat, Conwright and Keyes battled for the first couple of laps then Keyes took over the front spot. Conwright got under Keyes to retake the lead and win with Corrie Hiatt and Preston sneaking by to shuffle Keyes back to 4th. In the second heat, Conwright took the initial lead but Keyes put a pass on the pole winner to take over the top spot, a position he would not give up. Preston then passed Conwright down the straightaway and took over the 2nd spot. In the end, Keyes took the win, Preston just ahead of Conwright for 2nd and Michael Avansino working his way up to take 4th. In the Main, the front row was as it had been all day, Conwright on pole, Keyes alongside. At the drop of the flag, Conwright took the early lead but Keyes made a strong pass on Jaden going into the turn after tic-tac-toe and immediately started opening up a gap on the field. Preston made a pass on Conwright to take over second with Avansino sneaking by a couple of turns latter. The race looked to have settled into a fast pace when Keyes bumped his chain off and had to pull off the track. Preston now took over the lead with Avansino pushing hard to close the gap and turning the fastest lap of the race. But time ran out for Avansino with Preston taking the win and Avansino two kart lengths back, Conwright completed a strong day of racing with a well deserved 3rd, Annie Breidinger 4th and Corrie Hiatt in 5th with Justin Yanez making his way up to 6th. Preston also took home the $100 bonus for the win.
 | JP Cadoux
(Photo: Jerry Imboden - Kart Art) |
Rotax Masters
With sixteen karts, the Rotax Masters class again was the largest class of the day. After adding the extra weight to move into the heavier Masters class, Mary Beth Wilson had not been fully up to speed for the last couple of races. , the lady Rotax Masters Light Champ has figured it out and Mary Beth put her kart on pole by two tenths of a second ahead of another surprise qualifier Mike Forner followed by Scott Ripslinger and Andrea Delfanti. In the first heat, Wilson took the early lead and did not give it up for the entire eight-lap race. Forner held second, showing he was for real, with David Carlisle moving up to 3rd followed by Ripslinger. In the second heat, Wilson again took the early lead with the lots of dicing and position changing going on from 2nd to 6th place. At the end, Wilson won, Ripslinger 2nd, Greg Hoff in 3rd and Forner in 4th. In the Main, Wilson showed her strength and led the race, with the racing going on for second place. Carlisle moved into second but Ripslinger took over the spot by the end with Carlisle dropping back to 4th. This was one of the most competitive fields of the year with hard racing between drivers all the way back to 14th spot. Mary Beth Wilson took the clean sweep for the day and the $100 bonus with a great win, Ripslinger took 2nd, Carlisle moving up one position to take 3rd, Forner 4th and Hoff 5th.
Senior Rotax
Even though the class numbers were slightly down from the last race, it was a high quality field that gave the spectators a lot of exciting racing all day long. In Qualifying, Jarrett Lile took his first Senior Rotax pole ahead of Brody Zink and Niki Luna. In the first heat, Lile took the early lead but Zink made a pass down the front straight to take over the lead. Lile and Luna then went at it hard. At the end, Zink held on for the win followed by Lile, Luna and Sean McDonald. In the second heat, Lile took the initial lead but again was passed by Zink with Luna also sneaking through. The three drivers battled for the top spot with Zink taking his second heat win, followed by Luna, Lile and McDonald. In the Main, Zink took the lead out of turn one, with Luna getting under Lile to take over 2nd. Lile got shuffled back to about 6th and had to battle his way back through the field. With the 3rd through 7th place drivers battling with each other, it allowed Zink and Luna to open up a gap that kept them from being challenged for the rest of the fifteen lap Main. The best racing of the day was now on for the 3rd through 7th spots with passing and re-passing at every turn. Bustamante took over third, then Colombini, then McDonald overtaking Colombini to take over 3rd. Lile then got by Colombini with Andrew making a repass at the end of the straightaway on the next lap. At the end, Zink went on to the win ahead of Luna, McDonald, Colombini and Tazio Ottis. Unfortunately Luna's good day was lost due to a post-race tech issue, this moved McDonald into 2nd, and Colombini to 3rd place spot, his first Senior Rotax Podium.
 | Junior Rotax podium
(Photo: Jerry Imboden - Kart Art) |
Rotax DD2
With two karts, the drivers just agreed to run the Main and save the equipment. Michael Ostrowski started on pole and Andrew Colombini alongside. During the race, the two teammates took turns leading the duel between themselves. And at the end of the 15 laps, they had fun stopping right in from of the finish line and attempted a dead heat, but the timing transponders did not let them get away with it and had Michael Ostrowski just ahead of Colombini in the computer.
Micro-Max and KPV1
Race conflicts and vacations took their toll on entries this race but expect them to surge again at the next event. Valdemar Eriksen was the lone Micro-Max and Bryson Lew running in his first race with a KPV1 to gain experience in the series.. Lew took the pole ahead of Eriksen. In the first heat, Lew took the early lead and pulled away quickly. Unfortunately when he received the white flag, he assumed it was the checked flag and came in on the last lap, giving the win to Eriksen. In the second heat, Lew did not make the same mistake and took the overall win with Eriksen second. In the Main, Eriksen took the win unopposed when Lew had to leave early due to another commitment.
Molecule Karting Championship
Stock Honda Pro and Stock Honda Masters
Fourteen karts took the green flag for a combined 125 Stock Honda field, six Stock Pros and eight Masters. In qualifying Brett Buckwalter took the pole ahead of Jason Toft and Michael Ramies. In the Masters class, Jim Inglebright took the pole ahead of David Arnstein and Patrick O'Niel. In the first heat, Buckwalter took the early lead ahead of Toft and Ryan Rasberry with Ramies bogging the start and falling well back. Ramies had to work his way pass several Masters drivers and eventually got by Rasberry. Late in the race Buckwalter pulled off at the end of the straightaway with a broken motor and Toft took the lead for the rest of the race, Ramies now 2nd and Rasberry 3rd. In the Masters class, Inglebright got a good start and held a slim one second lead throughout the race over David Arnstein with Alex Keith getting by O'Niel to take the 3rd spot. In the second heat, Toft took the early lead and then cruised home since Buckwalter had to withdraw for the day. Amazingly Inglebright worked his way to second overall and the Masters lead, with Ramies, Rasberry and Arnstein all battling for the third overall spot. In the end, Toft won in Pro Honda, Inglebright the Masters winner in 2nd overall, Ramies 3rd, Rasberry 4th, Arnstein 5th and Keith 6th. In the Main, Toft checked out early to cruise in eighteen seconds in front of the rest of the field. Inglebright again worked his way past the Pros that started ahead of him to finish in 2nd place and win the Masters class. Ryan Rasberry drove a strong race to come home 3rd overall and second in the Pro class followed by Arnstein in 4th and second in the Masters class. Ramies came home 5th overall, 3rd in Pro. But the best racing was for the 6th thru 9th places with four Masters driver's going at it the entire race. Late in the race, Patrick O'Niel got by Andre Ericksen to take the 6th overall spot and 3rd in Masters followed by Eriksen, Keith and Brad Shaffer. Master winner, Inglebright took home the $100 bonus.
 | Rotax Masters field
(Photo: Jerry Imboden - Kart Art) |
IAME TaG, Junior TaG and Senior TaG
Austin Keller took the pole in his Senior TaG kart followed by two IAME spec karts of Darren Geahry and Josh Buttafoco. In the first heat, Keller took the lead into turn one with Buttafoco right behind and Stephan Gaudreau sneaking by Geahry. Geahry then got by Gaudreau and took after Buttafoco making a pass late in the race. Keller took the win, Geahry 2nd overall and the IAME class win, Buttafoco 3rd. In the second heat, Keller took the early lead but was hounded at the end by Buttafoco who took the IAME win with Geahry coming home 3rd. In the Main, Keller again took the initial lead followed by Buttafoco, Geahry and Gaudreau. Keller then had a problem and had to fall back with the overall lead going to Buttafoco. At the end, Buttafoco took the overall win and IAME class win followed Geahry and Gaudreau (also IAME class karts), Keller was 4th (Sr TaG winner) and Jr TaG win going to Steve Pugsley Jr who finished 6th overall.
Up Next:
The Rotax Grand Nationals will run August 7-11 at Michania Raceway Park in South Bend, Indiana; watch for NorCal Rotax drivers to feature! The next race in the RLOKC will be on August 19 when the track configuration will be the Sprint Track layout. The GoPro featured class will be 80 Masters. For more information about the Red Line Oil Karting Championship's Northern California Rotax Challenge, go to http://www.redlineoilkarting.com or http://www.CameronKarting.com .You may also email race promoter Steve Cameron Steve@CameronKarting.com |
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