FAST & FURIOUS FIREWORKS at the July 4th Red River Speedway Races

[n2racing2]

First off the NASKART Series would like to Thank Charlie and Hank at Red River Speedway for their great hospitality and letting us race at a fun, fun track!!!

 

The NASKART Series rolled into Wichita falls on Friday afternoon with 14 karts and racers chomping at the bit to have a great race weekend. For several racers this was their first time to see the track. Everyone else had seen the track from last year and knew we going to have some close fast racing from the results we had in 2008. We checked into our hotel about1:30pm on Friday set our plans and went to the track about 5:00pm. We then had 4 hours of practice time to set up our karts and gearing for the weekend races. Several people were fast right out of the trailer. Lyndon Kirk in his Team KIRK-n- STEIN's Tru-Choclate #5, Chris Terry in his Rock Hard Racing/Air Force #24, Richard Gonzales in his Smitty Built #17 and Mike Steinman in his Team KIRK-n-STEIN's Austin Architectural Graphics #71 were lapping in the high 15 second range in the their first practice session. Megan Smith in the #07, Marty Kreis' Rock Hard Racing #29 and his Teammates Kevin Hummel in the Rock Hard Racing/Lowe's #48 and Kaleb Kreis in the Rock Hard Racing/National Guard #88, Andy Taylor in his Allstate #77 and Stephen Pepper in his Budwiser #8 all running in the low16 second range in their first practice sessions. 2007 NASKART Champion Driskill Stahlworth returned to the series in his Smitty Built #20 but was having motor issues but was trying hard to solve the problem before race day. As the sun went down and the tempature dropped...so did the lap times!! By the end of practice Friday night almost everyone was in the mid to high 15 second range with fast times being being between 15.40's and 15.60's. These times were only a second of off the TSRS times from 2008! Lyndon Kirk even made a full 40 lap practice run to see how his kart would be during main's. Also on Friday we had only 1 motor failure as Marty Kreis's motor popped out the top without any warning during practice. Stephen Pepper was kind enought to lend Marty his Backup motor to use during the rest of the weekend.

 

Saturday morning everyone got to sleep in since we didn't have to be at the track til 4:00pm. We all relaxed and may the rounds around Wichita Falls and got ready for Saturday's events. Early in the afternoon Smiity cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for the NASKART series as we lounged around waiting to go to the track. Rockhard Racing went early to the track to fix replace Marty's motor for the races. When we arrived at the track at 4:00pm a few of us made just a couple of practice runs to get ready for individual qualifying runs. Thats when the weather started to roll in!! At about6:30 or 6:45 and skies opened up a small shower to wet down the track and give us a taste of what was to come. Hank Cournoyer, Red River Race Director, immdiately had the track crews out drying up the track so that all the classes could get their qualifying in before the main storms arrived. Ay 8:00 the NASKARTS took to the track for our qualifying. But the track had a mind of its own with the weather and times were not quite as fast as practice. Early pole sitter was Frank Mena with a 16.32 driving his #12 to the top of charts early. A few minutes later it was Stephen Pepper with a 16.23. A few minutes after him Mike Steinman went to the top of the charts with a 16.02.

With only 3 qualifyers left...Mike was chewing his nails to see if it would hold. Richard Gonzales was next and just missed pole position with a 16.05.Next was Chris Terry and he was close but ran 16.11. Last up was points leader Lyndon Kirk, but it wasn't to be as he ran a 16.20 which left Mike Steinman as pole sitter for the main. But as we finished...here came the rain...and so the nights festivities of racing was called off until Sunday.

 

Sunday morning we woke up to a light rain and everything still wet. But the rader showed a dryline coming so we were hopeful of getting our races in. Unfortuneatly...Richard Gonzales couldn't stay til sunday and had to miss the 2 races to be run on sunday. We arrive at the track at noon and swa the crews already in the process of drying up the track. We had a quick test/practice session to let everyone see how the track was and decided to run our race from the night before. We flipped a coin and with the flip the grid was inverted on times putting the fast guys in the back and having to drive to the front if they wanted to win. This put Driskill Sthalworth on the pole for the race...but having motor issues he decided to sit out and take some great pictures of us racing.

 

As the green flag dropped the action started immediately!! out of turn 2, Kevin Hummel in the #48 got turn sideways and looking like he was heading to the wall...but Megan Smith bumped his nose and turned him the right direction to keep racing and adverted a possible disaster for Kevin! Early battles up front and a hole opening up in the middle allowed Mike Steinman to sail through from last up to the leaders within a couple of laps and then to take the lead and start making some distance between the drivers battling for 2nd. Lyndon Kirk, Chris Terry, Frank Mena and Kevin Hummel then started running down the leader after 10 laps and making it a 6 kart battle with the 6th being Megan Smith who was driving the wheels off of her kart!! Now the race was on!! with all these drivers at 1 point or another leading the race!! at lap 20 the Competiton ywllow came out and allowed all the drivers to get in line again. When the green flag flew...Mike steinman started to make his move back to the front from 5th. Passing Megan Smith and Frank Mena and Kevin Hummel. While in 2nd place on lap 27 Chris Terry lost the back end of his kart which then hooked up and he made a left turn into the very wet infield spraying water and mud onto Mike Steinman as he passed by! But Chris was able to drive out of the infield without getting stuck and then the yellow flew for him. Now Chris was at the back of the field for the restart...but he wasn't going to be denied!! with 6 laps to go he made his way up the leaders and with a power move passed Mike Steinman into turn 3 but at a tight angle and was trying to pass Lyndon Kirk and Keven Hummel as well...but he pushed up into Lyndon and Kevein and all 3 went up the hill in turn 4...which allowed Mike Steinman to pass all 3 and take the lead with 5 laps to go! Mike Was counting the laps and feeling like the win was his...but with 1 lap to go, Kevin Hummell caught him and as they raced down the back straightway 2 wide...Mike was not going to give up his inside position!! Kevin seeing this stayed right beside Mike going thru 3 and 4 and when they accelerated out of 4, Kevin got the drive to the line and his FIRST win ever in the NASKART Series!!! Mike Steinman took 2nd with his teammate Lyndon kirk just beating Chris Terry to line for 3rd!! The Race officials and everyone at the track were impressed and wowed by the great close racing and let the NASKART officials know that this was the best race they had seen all year long!!

 

Will post the 2nd race a little later with a few more details!!

[n2racing2]

K....back with more details from race 1 at Red River Raceway. There is a driver that hasn't got alot of recognition this year...but man was she fast at Red River after a fresh Smitty Built motor was put in place in her kart!! Megan Smith drove her heart out and was putting on a show with the big boys in the series!! even passing Mike Steinman for 3rd at one point of the race...she was even closing in on the leaders with Mike in tow til late in the race when she started to fade off from the g-forces that the track was putting on all the drivers...but this was by far the best race she has had all season even if the results don't show it. She will be a force to be reckoned with at the next Thunderhill Race...just wait and see!

 

Travis Roberts was away getting married this weekend, (Congrat Travis and Wife!!), and had a former NASKART driver fill in for him. Scott Arthurs stepped in for Travis driving for Roy Smith. Scott had a good weekend in his first outing back showing that he still had the form to be able to muscle one of these NASKARTS around the track and having a solid top 10 finish with a 8th place. Travis will be back soon from the honeymoon and ready to get back in his kart I'm sure!

 

Mike Hackett was a first timer to Red River Speedway and had a solid finish as well as he had to learn the track and setup changes to help him go fast. He was happy with the way his kart perormed after a fresh valve job and a better clutch was install into his Team KIRK-n-STEIN's/M7M's Kart #18.

 

 

 

With race 1 in the books and the weather getting better...Red River's main show on Sunday was starting at 3:00pm with 2 10 lap heat races for the NASKART Series. After the 1st race of the day, Mike Hackett had to leave to get home leaving his seat open for another driver to race for him. Since Driskill Stahlworth was having motor issues he was put into the Team KIRK-n-STEIN'S/M&M's Kart #18.

 

In the first heat race, Frank Mena jumped out into the lead quick with Driskill cutting through traffic to be right on his bumper. Driskill then drafted with Frank pulling away from the others with a 3 second lead. Then Driskill tried the high line and then the low line but was not able to pass Frank. So that was the finishing order for 1st and 2nd with Lyndon Kirk for 3rd. Race 1 winner Kevein hummell was supposed to be in this heat race but couldn't make it as he was adding his winner's weight to his kart but ran out of time to make the heat race....thus delegating him to the rear of the field for the main. After going thru tech after heat race 1...it was determined that Driskill was underweight on the scales thus DQing him to the back of the main as well.

 

In the second heat, Megan Smith was on pole with Andy Taylor outside and Marty Kreis on the 2nd row with Scott Aurthurs and in the 3rd row, Chris terry and Mike Steinman. At the drop of the green Megan took off like a rocket and chris terry had to slice thru traffic to go catch her they were 1 and 2 when Mike Steinman had a tire go down and was trying to get off the track. Had the track not thrown the yellow...it was clear that chris might not have caught Megan. But with the restart and only a few laps to go...Chris Terry was able to race around Megan with 2 laps to go and held off Megan for the Heat 2 win. Megan 2nd and Marty Kreis 3rd. After weighing in after

 

This set the stage for the main event, with Frank Mena and Chris Terry on pole, Lyndon Kirk and Scott Aurthurs on the second row, Kalib Kreis and Andy Taylor on the 3rd row, Marty Kreis and Smitty sitting in for Stephen Pepper on the 4th row, Mike Steinman and Kevin Hummell on row 5 and Driskill Stahlworth and Megan Smith on row 6. As everyone pulled out of the pits...megan stalled on pit exit...and officials ran out to restart her and get her going...but her pull start rope broke as they tried and put her out before she even got started....just har -luck for megan who might have had a top 3 finish!! She was that fast all day!

When the Green Flag dropped Chris Terry #24, Frank Mena #12 and Lyndon Kirk #5 all started battling for the lead right away!! from the back...Mike Steinman #71 with Driskill Stahlworth #18 in tow and drafting thru the field. By lap3 or 4 it was now a 5 kart battle for the lead with the 24, 12, 5, 71 and 18. Mike Steinman saw his teammate up ahead and with his other teammate behind him....picked up lyndon and the three drafted past the 24 and 12 and went to the lead.

Mike Steinman went a lil high into 1 and 2 and Driskill went underneath to take 2nd behind Lyndon...with Mike now in 3rd and the 3 still drafting...Thenthe 12 and 24 teamed up and went to the inside of Mike Steinman in chase of the 2 leaders....Mike then got back by Frank Mena and the competion yellow came out on lap 15. They racked them up again in a double file restart and let them loose again...on the restart Teammates, the 5 and the 18 started battling side by side and Chris terry was there to strike if a opening came about...the 12 passed the 71 for 4th and now Mike Steinman was back in 5th when another yellow came out for the 48 of Kevin Hummell. His motor went south and they had to clear him off of the track...so with 12 laps to go in the 30 lap race...all bets were off to as who would win!! And the race got rough!! On the restart once again teammates were battling side by side and trying to shuffle each other out when they left a opening and chris terry went by them...Mike Steinman followed chris but got behind the #5 of Lyndon with the 18 outside....The 18 came down into the 5 and cut down his front tire by trying to force his way into the low line...this allowed frank to go by both and bring Mike Steinman with him and delegated the 5 of Lyndon Kirk to go backwards. With 6 laps to go Frank and Mike caught Chris Terry and Frank and Chris were then battling for position and beating on each other.....but the rough driving had damaged the 24 of Chris Terry and allowed Mike to get a push from the 18 to pass Chris and bring the 18 with him...as the 18 passed inside of Chris Tery they bumped hard and that finished the damage on Chris's kart leaving him with minumal steering control to finsh the last 2 laps!!! Mike and Driskill then drafted to chase down Frank Mena with the white flag out...and Mike got to Franks Bumper but it was to be another FIRST Time winner of the 2009 season as frank crossed the lin first with Mike on his Bumper and the 18's bumer up to the rear tire of the 71 of Mike Steinman!! What a barn burner of a race!!! Lots of lead changes, lots of drafting and lots of excitement for the fans and officials!!! So with that...the NASKART Sereis got its 2 races in for the weekend with everyone having lots of track time and loads of fun!!!!

 

The NASKART Series rolls back into Thunderhill on July 11th where we will pick up where we left at Red River Speedway...Racing hard and putting on a show for the fans!!!

[CuttingEdgeRacing]

Good racing Mike, two 2nd place finishes. Thats good consistency.

[n2racing2]

Thank You!! And it keeps the WINNER's Weight off of my kart too!! :-)