(Photo: J.R. Ybarra)

Bryan Drollinger, Tyler Rose Bohle, Mike Demello and Jason & Lauren Bishop were crowned 2021 So Cal Oval Karters champions after the last race of the 2021 campaign at Perris Auto Speedway.

The final YOA Racing KT100 main event of the year was one of the club’s best ever at the Riverside County dirt track. Torrance based Drollinger and Whittier’s Luis Calderon came into the day tied for the point lead and the final 16-laps of the season would decide the title. The two did not disappoint as they staged a fierce, but clean, 16-lap war on a challenging tri-oval cut out of the infield of the famous racetrack.

For the start, Drollinger was on the inside of the front row with Calderon alongside. Drollinger was the first to get to turn one and led the initial lap over Lake Forest veteran “Hubcap” Mike Collins and Calderon. Drollinger inched away to a three-kart length lead, but Collins and Calderon had reeled him in by the end of lap five and the top three were once again running nose to tail.

While Drollinger continued to lead, slight contact between Collins and Calderon saw Collins drift a little wide off turn two on lap seven. That allowed Calderon to take over second and suddenly, he was glued to Drollinger’s rear bumper. Lap after lap they circled the track with only inches in between. It became apparent that Drollinger was not going to be beaten on the inside. Rather than race him dirty and try to knock him out of the way, with six laps to go Calderon kept it clean and tried going around the outside. Repeatedly he would pull nearly alongside Drollinger’s black #45 only to see the leader edge him into the next corner. When the checkered came down it was Drollinger for the win by the narrowest of margins over Calderon. Temecula’s Art Laski Jr. placed third. True sportsman Calderon was the first to congratulate Drollinger when it was all over.

When all was said and done, Drollinger beat Calderon by a single point for the KT100 title. Collins and Laski were tied for third in the season-long competition. Sam Gentry of Glendora was fifth.

In the Uncle Franks SR L206 class, four karts took the green flag, but only two were around to see the checkers. Wildomar’s Mike Demello built up a commanding half straight lead and seemingly had the race in the bag, but at the halfway point, he went wide trying to lap the last place kart. He got into the loose stuff on the outside and nearly slid to a stop. Demello’s teammate Mike Erickson of Bothell, Washington, graciously accepted the gift presented to him and assumed the top spot. With half the race still to go, he had a large lead, but it was expected that Demello would chop that lead down. However, two laps farther into the race, Demello slowed and pulled off the track. A few laps later, Erickson happily took the checkered with a big lead over George Wolf and Jane Marshall. The title in the class went to hockey player Tyler Rose Bohle of Fountain Valley, who was absent on the day due to a hockey tournament. George Wolf of El Cajon was second with Erickson third in the final tally.

In the Rogue Specialties Open Class, San Diego’s Jason Bishop made it three wins in the last four races of the year and that was enough to power him to the 2021 championship. When the checkered ended the 16-lap race, “Hubcap” Mike was second with Marty Wolf, Scott Rogers and San Diego’s Brian Pusey rounding out the top five. Hesperia’s Chris Southern, who won four open mains this season, had a belt come off in both his heat and the main and finished sixth.

With Tyler Rose Bohle away playing hockey, her father Scott Bohle made his first 2021 SCOK appearance in the Burris Racing F200s. He lined up in the main event against “The Nicest Guy In Karting,” Norm Reynolds, and Jason Erickson. After an early torrid battle that saw the top three trading positions every lap, Erickson got situated in first when Bohle spun just before the halfway point. By the time Bohle recovered, Reynolds had taken second. Three laps after Bohle spun, leader Erickson did the same on the back chute and handed the top spot to Reynolds. Reynolds failed to duplicate his competitor’s faux paw and drove the rest of the way in the lead for his third victory of 2021. Erickson ended up second with Bohle third. Even though she was not there, Tyler Rose Bohle was crowned champion in the class. Reynolds finished two-markers behind in the final standings. Erickson placed third.

In the Junior Clones, Lauren Bishop crossed the line first for the sixth time in six starts with the SCOK in 2021, but she was penalized two spots for failing post-race tech. That handed the win to Dylan Young with Tristan Juillerat of Whittier second. Bishop’s prowess all season long gave her the season long championship by five points over Juillerat.

Michael Cazares won the two-kart Caymus Vineyards Senior Clone main over newly crowned Perris Auto Speedway Senior Sprint Car champion Dale Gamer.

In the Kid’s Open Class main, Chad Reed beat Sam Sarconi and Wyatt Reed to the checkers.

The spec station where all fuel is to be purchased is the 76 station located in Perris at 19248 Harvill Avenue (92570).

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