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| March 08, 2012 News |
| Event News: IKF Region 7 Sprint Championship - Adams Race Report |
| Article by: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine |
 | Travis Lowe came away with the victory in TaG Senior
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
With new leadership, new mentality, and a new lease on life the IKF Region 7 Sprint Championship began their 2012 season the weekend of March 2-4 at the world famous Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside, Ca. So-Cal Sprinters hosted the event as series organizers have brought the clubs back in as a key part of the series. For decades now, So-Cal Sprinters have run a great program at the AMP facility, and this was another quality notch in their racing bedpost. Among the major changes to this year’s series was the return of the 3-day race program, and the addition of a second heat race. With Friday practice, and racing on both Saturday and Sunday, there was no shortage of track time for the drivers entered in the event. Heading into the weekend, the series had 125 pre-entries, more than the total number from the opening event in 2011. As expected they picked up a few extra by the time racing rolled around and settled in right around the 150 entry mark. Weather was near perfect on the two race days with highs in the low 80's and a light breeze. Winter racing in So-Cal is tough, but someone has to do it.
The RLV PRD Junior 2 class had the honor of kicking off the 2012 racing season as the first group to get the green flag in qualifying. RLV is awarding a $1000 to the series champion at the end of the year so points are very valuable. Wyatt May set the pace and began the first of two heats from the pole, but it was Chance Skaufel who won both heat races. The main event was something to behold as May went from middle to the front, to the back, to the front, and finally dropping out just past halfway. May was clearly the fastest kart on track from the drop of the green, but as we would find out later it was because he had no brakes. There is nothing like not being able to stop to improve those lap times. Skaufel took the early lead, but contact in turn one with May sidelined him before he could complete lap six. May dropped back to sixth as Aaron Aguirre and Skylar Estrada took over the fight for the lead. Estrada was able to open up a slight advantage and scored the victory. Matt Million clawed his way up finishing in second place just a few tenths back of the winner. After 20 laps, Cory Davison finished in third.
 | Jake Drew began his quest for 1000k in cash with the win in PRD Junior 1
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
Buddy Rice Karting TaG Senior slotted in as race group two with Devin Lindsey securing the pole over Travis Lowe with a time of 44.391. Lindsey took the wins in both heat races with Lowe and John Wallace III each grabbing a second place finish. Lindsey was consistently 2-3 tenths quicker than the field, but it was not enough in the final. Turn one didn't go as planned as half the field stacked up. Contact up front sent Lindsey around, stacking most up behind him. Wallace got the worst of it with Maya Gutierrez putting a wheel on his shoulder. His freshly painted helmet wasn't touched, but he was the only one not able to continue. Lowe escaped with the lead thanks to the outside line in turn one. Jonathan Miller came away in P2 and they ran that way for most of the race. Lindsey fell down the running order but turned in a fantastic drive to salvage his day. Running the fastest laps of the race, Lindsey was able to finish in second place and keep his championship hopes alive. Trevor Sumner brought his #99 home in third place, but the win went to Lowe who was able to run all 20 laps unchallenged.
The Fleming Racing Engines PRD Junior 1 is another class in which the champion will earn $1000 thanks to RLV. Qualifying was tight between Jake Drew and Hunter Corbitt, but Ryan Schartau and Dante Yu were only a few tenths back. Both heat race wins went to Drew with Corbitt and Myles ‘the Machine’ Farhan splitting runner-up places as Schartau finished third in both heats. Farhan got a great start to begin the 18-lap final, sliding inside of Drew in turn two. Farhan held the lead for the first few laps before Drew and Schartau were able to get by him down the 900' AMP front straight. Farhan, Noah Garza and Carter Herrera all fought for third until Corbitt came into play. Corbitt was able to pick them off one by one until he earned the position and began running down the lead duo of Drew and Schartau. It doesn't seem that long ago (but it was) that Ron Schartua and Jeremy Drew (Ryan and Jake's dads) were doing the same thing here at Adams. Schartau wasn't able to mount a successful charge and settled for second place with Drew earning the win. A solid run by Corbitt ended in third place.
 | Colton Herta drove away to the win in KPV 2 on Saturday
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
P1 Engines KPV 2 saw Nick Ramirez run a 46.882 for the pole position over Blake Murdock and Christian Brooks. Colton Herta came on strong in the heats, winning both of them without breaking a sweat. Herta seemed like a shoe-in for the win unless one of his competitors could find the extra two tenths they were missing. They couldn't, and Herta went flag to flag for his first win of the 2012 IKF season. Brooks ran solidly in second place for all 18 laps, but he had his hands full of Owen Lloyd, Ramirez, and Hannah Grisham, who wouldn't give him an inch of breathing room. Grisham moved her way up onto the podium, joining winner Herta and second place Brooks.
Ten drivers took part in the Pitts Performance Kid Kart class. Carson Mallett was the pole sitter with Tanner Hudspeth qualifying P2. Hudspeth stepped up his game in the heat races easily besting his fellow competitors. Rylee Martinez surprised everyone in the final, grabbing the hole shot to lead the opening circuits. Hudspeth was not to be denied and by lap four was back out front. The fight for second was a close one as Jace Jones edged Aden Dodge for the position. Kaden Vermillion and Martinez rounded out the top five.
Pure Karting's KPV 1 was the final class on the docket for the day and once again Hunter Corbitt and Jake Drew were locked together at the top of the qualifying charts. Corbitt, Drew and Carter Herrera were the top three in the double heat races, running lap times well ahead of the main pack. The same trio put on quite the show in the 18-lap final. Corbitt led most of the laps with either Drew or Herrera in tow. Johnathan Shone ran in fourth place all race long but he was stuck in no-mans-land between the leaders and the main pack. As the leaders took the white flag, we expected Drew to make his move down the long straight, but instead he pulled the trigger on Corbitt in the ‘little monza’. His pass worked and it looked as though victory was his, but a dropped chain in the esses sidelined him and handed the win back to Corbitt. Herrera finished a close second and will be one to watch as the season progresses. Shone now found himself on the podium in third place with Drew unable to finish.
Day two kicked off with the Mike Manning Karting PRD Sr. class. As with all the PRD classes in the series, RLV is awarding $1000 to the series champion. Matt Johnson's Smokin Fast Motorsports added $100 bill to the pole winner for the Adams event. Camden Geise gladly took Matt's money when he bested Lloyd Mack with a time of 45.765. The Mack attack secured his P1 starting position for the main event with two heat race wins, but the kids of Brandon Reed and Jason Hannegan were nipping at his heals. Nothing like first time IKF Senior racers making it hard on veteran Adams drivers like Mack as few people have more laps around Adams then Mack. That didn't stop Hannegan from attacking at the drop of the green and leading them out of turn two for the first time. Mack didn't wait long to pounce, resuming his top spot by the end of lap one. Reed was right in the hunt followed by Jonathan Miller and Kyle Kuntze. Reed's day ended early, essentially making it a two-kart race for the win. Mack officially went flag to flag for the win, but Hannegan sure got everyone's attention in his first race up as a Senior driver. Miller brought it home for third place, four seconds back of the leaders. Mike Herda and Geise finished off the top five.
PKS Kart Supply Kid Kart Heavy saw Rylee Martinez put nearly a full second on the field in qualifying, leaving Tanner Hudspeth and Carson Mallett scratching their helmets as to why. Hudspeth turned up the pressure in the heat races, clobbering the field of ten buy unspeakable amounts, but the final had a different outcome. Mallett had a fantastic start and led the charge on lap one followed by Hudspeth, Kaden Vermillion, Aden Dodge and Martinez. Mallett and Hudspeth had a fantastic duel all race long with Mallett coming up big for the win. Hudspeth had to settle for second place here on day two. Dodge secured third in the closing laps, dropping Vermillion down to fourth.
 | Lloyd Mack went on to score the victory in PRD Senior class
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
Empire Karts KPV 1 Heavy picked up all the action between Jake Drew and Hunter Corbitt from the previous day of racing. Corbitt scored the pole with Drew less than a tenth behind. Drew took heat one with Corbitt the only driver able to keep pace. The same victor came out of heat two with the win but this run saw Anthony Sawyer mix it up and take second from Corbitt. It takes three to tango apparently and the main event was a dance not to be sat out. Drew charged into the lead in turn one and showed the way for the first few laps. Corbitt had other plans then following all race long and he slipped past Drew in ‘little monza’. Ultimately, it was the race winning move as Sawyer made a similar pass on Drew a few laps later. That two kart length gap was enough to keep Corbitt out front for the race win. Sawyer finished in second and Drew came away in third. Out of the 16 kart field, Jason Pettit brought it home solo in fourth while Noah Garza finished in fifth place just ahead of the main pack.
K&P Manufacturing KPV 4 Heavy saw Matt Kimball best Dennis Uebersetzig and Brian Phillipsen in qualifying with a time of 47.920. Kimball easily won both heat races and we all figured the final would be a snoozer. Reaper Apparel / Kart Bee Kleen stepped up to offer $1000 to the class champion at the end of the year, so there was plenty of motivation to perform. What we got in the final was an exciting adventure between Kimball and Uebersetzig. The inside row got the jump with Kimball leading out of turn one with Stephen Huelsman, Uebersetzig, Leo Almaraz and Sebastian Bacon in tow. Uebersetzig moved up to second place and began pressuring Kimball for the lead. A few mistakes cost Uebersetzig track positions but every time he caught right back up. Eventually, he made one stick and brought home the first KPV 4 Heavy win of the year. Kimball was second and Huelsman was third.
Hyper Racing Engines KPV 2 Heavy saw Blake Murdock run a 46.930 in qualifying and sit on the pole position. Murdock held strong in both heat races, keeping all others at bay. The final did not go well as a crash just past the green flag took out five karts, including the front row of Murdock and Colton Herta. Brooks was involved as was Aguirre and one other. What we got after that was a good race between Nick Ramirez and Josh Kurtz. Ramirez led most of the laps but a last lap move earned Kurtz the victory. Tech changed the final order with provisional runner-up Rameriz found to be incompliant, which bumped Matt England up to second place and Justice Lepe into third.
 | Hunter Corbitt bagged the win in both KPV-1 categories
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
Grand Products Rookie Comer 80 is a new class this year, hopefully giving some of the newer drivers extra experience and more opportunities to run up front. Ryan Schartau, one of the youngest kids in the field, hammered it in qualifying and snagged the pole position. Schartau won the first heat race, but Anthony Willis stepped up and won heat two. The final started with bang as Jude Logson seemingly never hit the brakes in turn one. Logson went between the hay bales and launched over a dirt mound before coming to an abrupt halt. The race was red flagged and he was transported, but was reported as uninjured. On the restart, Jagger Jones took the race lead ahead of Dezel West and Anthony Willis. Attrition was a big player in the race with only three drivers completing the scheduled distance. Jake Dyne picked up his first IKF win with Myles Farhan coming home in second place, right on his bumper. Dakota Tate was a few seconds back in third.
Overall, the series is off to a good start with everyone in the pits having a good time and enjoying the new format. Management was also pleased with the first efforts of the year. “The weekend was a tremendous success,” said Stewart Willis IKF Region 7 Sprint Coordinator. “We had a 15% increase in overall attendance at this year's opening round compared to last year, even after the elimination of the Rotax classes from our class list. We implemented technologies that were new to me, including Race-Monitor and our online registration service. The team of officials, scoring, and tech all worked together with a great chemistry, and we hope to pull off a flawless second round.”
Round two is scheduled for the Willow Springs Kart Track on May 4-6. For everything Region 7, go to http://www.ikfkarting-r7.com |
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