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| July 31, 2012 |
| Event News: 2012 Kid Kart Nationals - Race Report |
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 | | 2012 Kid Kart Nationals participants |
The 10th Annual Kid Kart Nationals hosted by St. Louis Karting Association (SLKA) was a tremendous success! This three day event was held July 27-29, 2012 at the SLKA track in Pevely, Missouri. There were three different Kid Kart Classes being run: Comer Unrestricted, Comer Restricted and Briggs Jr. 206. There were 40 talented young drivers from across the country. Drivers came from Minnesota, Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Colorado, Indiana, California, Ohio, Tennessee, Illinois, Virginia and Missouri. The boys and girls ranged in ages from 5 to 8. They endured high temperatures and some heavy rain at times on Sunday. SLKA was very impressed with the sportsmanship and driving abilities of these young drivers
SLKA would like to thank our title sponsor, David Ragan Ford for their support of this great event. SLKA would also like to thank our other sponsors, Excel Racing, CRP - Bad Boy, Briggs and Stratton Engines, Sieveking Fuels and Noonan Kart Racing. SLKA would also like to thank the 2012 Kid Kart Nationals Chairperson, Mark Freeman for his hard work preparing for the event. A special thanks to all the club officers and the many club members who volunteered their time at the track this weekend.
Drivers took to the track Friday afternoon for the first practice session. The open practice allowed drivers to learn the track. Plenty of time was available for their mechanics to fine tune their setups.
Saturday morning was bright and sunny and very hot as the second practice session began. After lunch, Qualifying sessions for Sunday races started. The drivers were sent out in small groups and given four laps to set a time. The top qualifiers were: Andrew Castelucci for the Briggs Jr. 206 class, Caleb Bacon for Comer Restricted class and Andrew Castelucci for the Comer Unrestricted Class. Upon completion of qualifying, all drivers were given a goody bag filled with a commemorative t-shirt and other small prizes. Several parents commented that their kids were more excited about their bags than their top finishes.
On Saturday night, several of the drivers and their families attended I-55 - Federated Auto Parts Raceway for Fan Appreciation night. During the intermission, $4000 worth of quarters were scattered on the track. At the sound of the bell, all the children were able to go onto track and collect as many as they could. Some quarters were specially marked to receive additional prizes. One of the KKN racers won a Nintendo DS. Thanks to I55 – Federated Auto Parts for donating coupons to KKN for a free hotdog and drink.
After many weeks of no rain, Sunday morning the clouds gathered and the rain began. Parents and drivers quickly donned rain suits and put on rain tires for the morning practice. This was the first time for several of the drivers to drive in the rain. All the kids did great! There were a few spins here and there and the drivers quickly learned how to feather the brakes and ease into the corners. The fans cheered on the drivers’ progress as these young drivers showed off their skills.
 | | Comer Unrestricted Winners |
After practice, a brief drivers meeting was held. At last, the racing could begin with the scheduled heat races. These heat races determined the starting positions of the Pre-Final. The Briggs Jr. 206 and Comer Restricted had only 1 heat race a piece. The Comer Unrestricted had 3 heat races of 8 drivers each with the top 5 advancing to the Pre-Final. There was some great racing in the rain. The track began to dry in time for the Pre-Finals. Once again the young drivers put on a great show. After the Pre-Finals, there was a Last Chance Qualifier Race for the remaining spots in the Comer Unrestricted Final.
In the Briggs Jr. 206 Final race, Andrew Castelucci took top honors, followed by Timothy Trostel II in 2nd place, Jordan Shepard in 3rd place, Brody Lewis in 4th place and Madison Farreny in 5th. Great job!
In the Final Race for the Comer Restricted class, there were several great battles going on through out the field. Caleb Bacon took top honors, followed by Christian Miles for 2nd place, Tanner Holwerda for 3rd, Evan Zarbo for 4th and Brody Lewis in 5th. A red flag was brought out after an incident on the track midway through the race. After being thoroughly checked out by the EMTs, Alex Grapsas showed great sportsmanship and courage as he got back into his kart and rejoined the field to finish the race.
In the Final Race for the Comer Unrestricted class, 24 karts lined up on the grid. There were several great battles going on through out the field. Talan Drake led the race closely followed by Austin Kendig. Kendig made many attempts to pass Drake and succeeded on the last lap right before the finish line, winning by 0.017 seconds. Talk about a photo finish! The final finishing order for the Comer Unrestricted class was Austin Kendig in 1st, followed by Talan Drake in 2nd, Mason Maine in 3rd, Tate Steinmann in 4th and Camrin Cass in 5th.
After the races, the drivers all gathered under the SLKA pavilion to receive attendance prizes. Once again, a special thanks to our sponsors for donating such great giveaways as a power washer, pedal risers, kart parts, shirts, hats, backpacks, wallets, and cool Bad Boy racing jewelry, etc. The drivers all received at least 3 items a piece.
After a fair and thorough tech inspection of the karts, the Awards Presentation began. The top 5 finishers of each class received a placement trophy and all other drivers received a participant trophy. The top 5 winners of each class were thrilled with their large trophies. At least one driver had to stand on his tippy toes to see over the trophy. Volunteers were needed to help the drivers climb onto to the podium while carrying their trophies. They needed all their strength as they hoisted them over their head for a victory photo. Congratulations to all the drivers!
Once again, the Kid Kart Nationals hosted by St. Louis Karting Association was a huge success. The drivers all had a safe, fair and fun weekend. SLKA looks forward to the 2013 Kid Kart Nationals. Please see http://www.slka.net for more information. |
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