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| April 09, 2008 News |
| IKF Region 7 - Apex Report |
| Article by: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine |
Photo Gallery provided by Go Racing Magazine can be seen HERE.
 | Mike Lewis
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
IKF Region 7 Southwestern Super Series got underway with race three of the series this past weekend at the newly revamped Apex Karting Center. The new home of Tri C Karters was added to the schedule last minute with the closure of Moran Raceway. As always Apex’s Dave Dimond was on hand greeting racers and onlookers with his normal enthusiasm and pointing out the improvements for those who might have missed them. With the Moran closure the few missing pieces that Apex needed were brought on site to further improve the facility, like a proper scoring room, and a tower for Dave Williams to announce from. The race day was a little long, as we finished up just under the cover of darkness. A good thing Apex has lights.
Kid Karts, as always got the ball rolling for Saturday’s first class of racing. Jacob Drew cleaned house in the six lap final, leading every lap. Drew managed a six second lead over the close battle for second place between RJ Stearns, Chris Trickle, and Conner Hanson.
Jake Craig’s skill behind the wheel started early this weekend in Rookie Sportsman, capturing the pole. Sean Conyers was in good form this weekend too and secured the top position in the Prefinal. Conyers led the first handful of laps, but Zane Smith was on the move, climbing up from 9th into the lead. The two traded the point like Persian rug dealers while Craig and Brenden Baker fought for 3rd. As the laps went by Chase McDaniel silently crept into position to strike, and on the final lap jumped from 4th to 2nd. Smith made it count when he needed to most, surviving the final lap attacks, scoring a well-deserved victory. Craig finished in 3rd with Conyers hot on his heals. Carter Williams rounded out the top five.
Sean Conyers put his #20 on pole in Junior 1 with a smoking 44.457 lap time, but it was Jake Craig who led the way in the Prefinal. The final was anything but boring as Riley Reyes went for a wild ride, starting things off with a bang. Riley was back at the track on Sunday a little worse for wear, but in good spirits. With sixteen laps the scheduled distance a three kart break formed out front with Carlee Taylor, Craig, and Zane Smith leading the way. Taylor led lap after lap, dogged at every corner. With Anton throwing the white flag Craig struck without warning to take the win. Taylor managed to keep it together for a fine 2nd place ahead of Smith.
 | Robby Harryman
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Dusty Davis and Dylan Nobile managed to split Junior 2 wins on Saturday, both putting together great drives. HPV 4 Junior started out with Elliot Skeer grabbing the pole from Davis and Nobile, but Davis was quickest in the Prefinal. The final was a parade with Davis leading the precession of Nobile and Zachary Tobin. Although the race was kinda boring, Davis couldn’t afford to make a mistake, and didn’t scoring the win. Nobile improved on his second place in HPV with a win of his own in Junior Box. Box started out with Tyler Palmer setting the pace in qualifying with a time of 41.708. Nobile climbed up from 5th to beat Palmer and Jared Torres to the line in the Prefinal. Palmer’s day didn’t go as planned, finishing well back in the pack, but up front Nobile was on fire. Dylan took this one flag to flag for all the marbles. Branden Underwood and Torres fought early on for 2nd, but eventually Underwood bridged the gap to Nobile, but was unable to make a serious big for the win. Torres had a great run to finish in 3rd, while Kyle Shriver and Jacob Will rounded out the top five.
The Senior classes also managed a few laps of excitement on Saturday, especially the HPV 3 class and TaG. Bobby Kelley put forth a great qualifying effort in HPV 3 to score the pole and the Prefinal win. He started out leading the way in the final too, but Neil McCoy had other plans and silently was mounted a charge from mid pack. Kelley led the first few laps before surrendering the lead to McCoy. Kelley did fight back, regaining the front spot, only to give it back. Keith Dees was next to see the front of the line as five drivers broke from the field. Dees, McCoy, Robby Harryman, Mike Lewis, and Kelley were set for a great finish. Lewis made his move with only a few laps remaining, but McCoy was quick to counter. Lewis didn’t see the finish, but the other four did. McCoy scored his first win on the weekend with Harryman turning in his best drive of the year for 2nd. Kelley brought it home in 3rd with Dees on his bumper for 4th.
Lewis would eventually get his, scoring his first IKF win in the popular TaG class. TaG was a great game of cat and mouse, the mouse being Ty Matta and the cat named Mike Lewis. Round 1 went to Bobby Kelley, scoring his 2nd pole of the day. Round 2, the prefinal went to Matta, but Lewis was right there at the finish. The final didn’t start too well for Lewis as he lost ground to Matta. Matta’s lead evaporated by halfway with Lewis clearly being the fastest thing on four wheels. It didn’t take long for Lewis to get by Matta for the lead, and once out front he slowly pulled away. Lewis brought it home for his first IKF win on the brand new 08 MMK chassis that looked pretty darn good out there. Matta fished his day in 2nd place, a few seconds up the track from the fight for third place. Rob Logan and Ariel Jimenez went toe to toe for 3rd place with Jimenez getting the better of Logan for the position. Erik Jackson came away with 5th place.
TaG Heavy ran with the lights and Paul Grey wiped his plate clean, finishing a full lap ahead of the 2nd and 3rd place finishers of David Ayotte and Jim Busby Jr.
 | Jonathan Miller
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
I have to give props to the World Formula guys and gals who continue to show up for this class. The entries were well up at this event and I applaud all fifteen drivers for coming out and making it one of the more popular Senior classes. That being said the racing wasn’t very exciting with Jonathan Miller cleaning house with the pole, Prefinal win, and another trip to the top of the podium in the final. Gabriella Robles and Travis Lowe were in the ballpark, but it was really Miller time. The top three were the only ones in this class in the 43-second range, which is just barely faster then Rookie Sportsman. I don’t know how a spec class can have drivers 2.4 seconds off the pace when at the 4 cycle Nationals it is normally a very close. I hope to see the field get closer as the year progresses. Once they do this will be one of the best classes of the weekend.
Sunday came and went with fewer hassles then Saturday, and we were well on our way home by 3pm. Short race days make for happy campers and happy journalists.
Kid Kart Heavy got the ball rolling today with Jacob Drew on pole. Chris Trickle picked up the pace in the Prefinal, but the final was a free for all. Connor Hanson and Cooper Whitbread joined Trickle as drivers who took a turn up front leading the Kid Kart train. Noah Garza didn’t lead a lap but was right there in the mix of things. Trickle brought this one home for the win with Hanson, Whitbread and Garza following him closely at the line.
HPV Cadet left the grid for their final with Jake Craig and Pete Yerkovich Jr. on the front row and our pole sitter Carlee Taylor way back in 28th. The final proved to be one of the best races of the day. Yerkovich jumped out to an early lead as they headed into turn one for the first time. Yerkovich had the pedal down for the first half of the race with Jake Craig, Zane Smith, Sean Conyers, Carter Williams and Jason Hannagan all in tow. Yerkovich gave way to Smith on lap twelve, but the train of karts remained eight deep. It seemed like they went eight wide into the last corner, and they might have. Craig came away with his second win of the weekend and Yerkovich found his way back into 2nd place. Conyers, Smith, and Hannagan capped off the podium.
Robby Harryman scooped up the HPV 4 Sr. pole over Garrett Wright. He went on to win the prefinal over Neil McCoy, Wright and Travis Lowe. McCoy was hungry for his second win of the weekend, but Harryman was desperate for his first. McCoy took the lead in turn one to start the final, but Harryman was quick to make his bid for the win. The early bird catches the race win and Harryman wanted to take no chances with this talented field of drivers. McCoy drifted back while Josh Harris moved forward, and Harryman drove away. Ty Matta moved into 3rd when things stacked up in the hairpin and Ariel Jimenez ended up in the weeds. Harryman scored his first IKF win as a Sr. and possible his first ever.
 | Kolby Araki
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Elliott Skeer took his 2nd pole of the weekend in Saturday’s HPV2 class. Things didn’t fare too well for Skeer in the prefinal as contact on the last lap sidelined him. Dylan Nobile crossed the line first and after penalties were assessed Raquel Martinez started along side him on the front row. A spin in turn one ended Martinez’s day, but Nobile charged through with Dusty Davis, Kolby Araki, and Branden Underwood glued to his butt. Nobile never got an inch of breathing room as Araki grabbed 2nd and dogged him lap after lap. Underwood got shuffled back on lap two but clawed his way back to 3rd and was gaining ground on the lead duo. Laps were flying by and Underwood wasn’t close enough to make a run for the gold, but Araki was. Anton threw the white and Nobile looked over his shoulder heading into turn one. Araki pounced in turn 6 and held of Nobile for the remaining few corners for an outstanding win. Underwood came home 3rd while David and Devin Lindsey finished 4th and 5th a few seconds back of the leaders.
HPV 4 Heavy and Formula Spec PRD ran together on track with the PRD’s starting in front of the HPVs. The PRD guys put on quite a race with all four karts in close proximity of each other all race long. Brent Adams led the first 17 laps of the final with John Bush, Phil Grey, and Jensen Talmo all taking turns attacking him. Talmo made a hell of a pass on Adams for the race win heading into the chicane with only three laps remaining. Once out front Talmo pulled away by just enough to keep Adams from making any counter moves. HPV4 heavy was not as much fun to watch. It was fun I guess for Rob Logan who dominated every lap of the final. Logan drove away from the pack of other HPV 4 Heavy drivers, having a nice 11-second lead at the checkered flag. Craig Zimmermann and Paul Grey finished in 2nd and 3rd.
The last class of the day was the Wayne Brown Memorial Pro Race. It was a joke with only two drivers, but it should have been profitable for Nick Johnston. Johnston got the pole and the race win collecting some coin for his efforts, but really I want my time back for having to watch two guys drive around for twenty laps
The fourth round of the Southwestern Super Series heads up the hill to Willow Springs Kart Track on May 3-4. The entry form is online from http://www.goracingmagazine.com and http://www.ikfkarting.com |
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