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| Features |
| The Kelsey Report |
| Article by: Kelsey Nash |
Photos by Go Racing magazine
 | | Kelsey excelled at both "momentum" and high horsepower classes |
My name is Kelsey Nash and I am a 17-year-old senior from La Verne, California. I have been involved in the sport of kart racing from the age of nine and have raced everything from 4 cycles to a 125cc shifter. I drive a CRG chassis with Hyper Racing Engine power. I look forward to a future in auto racing.
This year's International Kart Federation 2003 4 cycle Sprint Grand Nationals proved to be very successful for me. The event was hosted by the Spokane Kart Racing Association and held in the town of Spokane, Washington. Coming into this event I had only one goal in mind: to win a Duffy (the trophy for an IKF National Champion).
I arrived at the track Sunday afternoon on July 14, 2002. I walked the track with my chassis man Christopher Freckleton and we discussed some driving lines. Having competed as a junior in 1999 at the nationals held here in Spokane, the walk renewed my memories of the track. I then began my first sessions on the track being very pleased with the fact that the smoothness of the course I had remembered from 1999 was still there. For the next day we ran lap after lap tuning my CRG Santana's and we were very impressed with the times I was turning. Tuesday July 16, the track was closed for registration so we did maintenance and rescaled the go-karts and made sure everything was all lined up for the next day.
Wednesday was the first official practice day and we did numerous sessions of back to back testing of race engines to find the fastest ones for the classes run and when that was complete we did maintenance, scaled the karts and made sure everything was ready for our first day of racing.
The first official day of racing saw me entered in both Stock Medium and Spec Limited classes. The Stock Medium class utilizes a Briggs and Stratton flathead engine. These engines are blueprinted and make 9-10 horsepower and run on methanol. There are real stringent rules for the engine builder to adhere to and most engines are fairly equal in horsepower. Because of the low horsepower this class is considered a momentum class and the driver has to be very smooth and the chassis has to work very well. The Spec Limited class is considered a high horsepower class. The engines make 13-14 horsepower and utilize a more sophisticated carburetor and intake system with an external fuel pump. The power band is from 5000-8500 RPMs and also runs on methanol.
My qualifying run in Stock medium brought me a 5th place spot on the grid, while my Spec Limited qualifying run was one tenth of a second off pole putting me second.
 | | Kelsey (second from left) holds one of her two Duffies |
My smooth driving style helped me to battle for a position and maintain my momentum to stay with the leaders in the Stock Medium class, I was able to better my position by only one spot and after two hard fought heats I was on the podium. The higher horsepower of the Spec Limited makes for a thundering sound of the engines on the grid, and it made my heart pound. Once again my driving style, chassis set up and Hyper Racing Engine power put me in the lead pack within striking distance of the leaders. In the main I was able to garner another position on the podium with a second. All in all, the first day was a positive one, two classes and two podium finishes.
Day number two, and only one class - Animal Sportsman. The Animal Sportsman class utilizes a gasoline powered Briggs and Stratton engine, called the Animal. It is the newest race engine from Briggs with overhead valves. It is raced in its out of the box form, with no modifications to enhance performance allowed. This leaves the outcome up to the driver and the chassis set up. I had been really fast in this class in practice and it carried over to the race day. The chassis set up and horsepower were there and we qualified two tenths off pole for a number two starting position on the grid. I was a little disappointed, but I didn't feel so bad as this was the largest class at the event so far with 17 competitors. After getting caught on the outside on the start and dropping back to 11th place I regained my focus, settled in and worked my way back to the front pack. When the white flag dropped I was working on 5th place and at the checkered I was 5th by a nose.
My prospects for the main were looking up. Before the main event I sat down with Christopher and my engine builder/dad Terry Nash and we discussed all that had happened in the first heat and got me prepared for the main event and the job I had to do. At the start, I was third after the first corner. The outside row had a problem. The leader took off and I had to reel him in over the course of the race. I followed close behind for 3 laps before I got a good run onto the straight and was able to pass for the lead, and then extend my lead and finally the checkered flag and victory! My first little bronze man! After tech that day we wasted no time re-scaling the karts and doing all the necessary maintenance. It was then back to the hotel for a nice dinner and a good night's sleep.
Day three found me back in two classes, the Animal Sportsmen Heavy and the Limited Modified class. The Limited Modified class is the top of the food chain as far as hybrid Briggs in the IKF National class structure is concerned. The carb, intake system, and fuel pump again are sophisticated. Running on methanol, these engines have a power band from 5800-10,000 RPMs and make up to 18 horsepower.
After my qualifying run in the Animal class I found myself in a disappointing 12th place. After I came off the track we discovered that I didn't have full throttle, which slowed me down by almost a second! My qualifying run in the Limited Modified was a much better situation as I was set in third.
 | | Kelsey leads a pack at the 4-cycle Sprint Grandnationals |
For the first heat in the Animal class I was pushed from behind into another competitor going into turn one and the nose of my go-kart flipped underneath the front of my kart and I was sent right off the track. We immediately took that kart back to the pit and I made the decision to not run the main in that class, but focus solely on the Limited Modified class. It was a good thing too. After the first heat I was seated in second position on the grid. I was a little worried about getting stuck on the outside, but it wasn't a problem as I jumped into the lead right from the start. I then ran 5 laps within .003 of a second, which stretched my lead to more than a straight away by the checkered flag. When I crossed the finish line I couldn't believe what I had just accomplished. The feeling was unbelievable. All of our hard work had paid off. I had two little bronze men, one for each arm.
It was later that I found out that by winning two Duffy's I made a mark for myself in history, becoming only the second girl ever to receive expert status in the 4-cycle Sprint division. I also became only the third girl in IKF.'s 45-year history to ever achieve expert status. It was quite an accomplishment and I hope it opened up a few people's eyes.
I would like to thank my sponsors for all of their help and support. Without them none of this would have been possible for me. Nash's Karts, Hyper Racing Engines, RLV exhaust, Horstman Manufacturing, Seacliff Recovery, Arias Pistons, Manhattan Oil, Christopher Freckleton, and last but not least my mom and dad.
As for the rest of my racing season I will be focusing on my 125cc shifter. Next year I hope to follow the SKUSA and Stars of Tomorrow racing series and complete the Russell Racing School program.
(Editor's note: EKN welcomes Feature story submissions similar to Miss Nash's. Please conact us at news@ekartingnews.com for more information.) |
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