What a GREAT Race at Wichita Falls!

[n2racing2]

I will post more details after lunch of the race at Red River Speedway. But it had lots of passing multiple lead changes and even Drama!! And boy did the fans show their appreciation of a great race!! Will post more in a while.

 

Andy, here's the number you need - 800-873-0291 Formula K

 

Anyone trying to get ahold of me....my cell phone has DIED!!! it is FUBAR! So if you need or want to reach me...call me at 473-2075, my work number.

 

Mike Steinman

NASKART #71

[carguy]

thanks mike got everything ordered i HOPE.

great race everybody!!

[CuttingEdgeRacing]

I hope this report is as good as your last houston report.....that your forgot to write

 

 

*waits anxiously*

 

[n2racing2]

Well...the NASKART Series rolled into Wichita Falls on Friday afternoon about 2:30pm after a late start from Austin. We checked into our hotel and got all our rooms and then headed out to the track about 4:30pm. Once there we started setting up the pits and basically had the track to ourselves for Friday night practice with 1 LSTS Truck and a Thunderstock there to practice also. Everyone was busy choosing their gears to run...so at about 5:15pm Lyndon Kirk went out to test the waters. We soon found out that with the dry weaather...that the track was fast! Lyndon came in to make some changes to his kart and thats when Team Raockhard Racing went out with their 4 karts to see the track. They ran about 15 to 18 laps and then came into make their changes. Thats when Lyndon, Mike Steinman and Frank Mena took to the track. Lyndon to check his changes, Mike and Frank to get their baseline setups. We ran about 15 laps and came in. The track was its usual self and hard on equipment early. Frank broke a quide plate and Lyndon decided to change heads as the exhaust stud was once again coming out of the head. Early times reported were from 15.7's to low 16's around this 1/4" mile banked track. Lyndon went out again, this time in the 18 to shake it down and was running high 15's and low 16's. Hank Courneyer, the track race director, had line us up with 2 drivers had we been able to a couple of extra karts with us...but it was not to be. But I decided to let His son Josh and his friend Brad Drive the 71 and 18 out respect and appreciation for letting us race there and showing up for practice. These two both race trucks in the LSTS Series and had just gotton back from racing in Florida. We gave them some pointers and sent them out with Frank Mena to do a good test run. And did they ever pick it up quick!! Within a few laps...the practice race was on between Frank and Josh with Brad right on their butts! all running in the 15.6 to 15.8 second range. Josh and Frank got into each other a little off of turn 4 but that was from the left front tire going down on the #71. When they came in they were very impressed with how fast the NASKARTS are. Running times very close to theirs in the Trucks!! The rest of practice was pretty much the norm with Chris Terry probably running the fastest times for Friday in race trim. After we closed down practice around 9:30pm we all loaded up and went to eat THE JALAPENO TREE. Great Mexican food there.

 

saturday we lounged around the hotel til about 2:00pm before heading back to the track. Scott Arthurs and Travis Roberts Showed up about 2:35pm with Andy Taylor getting there a few minutes later. First casualty of the day was Marty Kreis as the head on his kart cracked. Lyndon had put a back up head on his the day before and had his fixed by Hank on Friday night so that he had an extra head to Lend Marty. Next casualty was Scott Arthurs. He went out for his first practice of the day and just as he was getting the #18 dialed in and up to speed, the motor Popped right out the top!! He was able to coast into the pits and immediately Mike Steinman and Scott got started on switching out motors. Mike putting his back up motor on the #18. As the day was getting later...everyone was making short runs on their final setups and hoping not to pop any more motors.

 

Hot laps for all the other classes was now open and everyone got in their last runs before qualifying.

 

At about 7:15pm it was time to qualify for heat race positions and the bonus point for fastest qualifyer. First on the timesheets after 4 karts was Frank Mena with a 16.35 until Travis Roberts knocked him off of pole with a 16.00. Travis was on pole til there were 3 left to qualify. Thats when Mike Steinman in the #71 went out and put down a fast lap of 15.92 taking over pole position. With Chris Terry and Lyndon Kirk left to qualify...it left Mike Thinking he wouldn't start worse than 3rd. But as luck would have it...Chris ran a fast lap of 16.06 and Lyndon ran a lap of 16.02 leaving Mike as the top qualifyer.

 

We flipped a coin to see if we should invert our heats...but heads came up and the 2 heat races were started in order of qualifying. the 1st heat race was a run away at first with Mike Steinman in his Team KIRK-n-STEIN/Austin Architectural Graphics sponsored #71 Kart pulling away...until a yellow came out for Kevin Hummell. With only a couple of laps to run...on the restart Lyndon Kirk in his Team KIRK-n-STEIN/TruChocolate #18 took the lead...but not for long as Mike made his way back past and won the first heat race and the bonus point that goes with the heat win.

 

In the 2nd heat race...it was a battle at first with Team ROCKHARD Racing's Chris Terry #24 and Frank Mena #12 and Travis Roberts #55 dicing it up for the lead. But just a couple of laps in, it bacame apparent that it was going to be a run away with Chris Terry pulling away to take the win in the 8 lap heat race. With him winning a bonus point as well for the heat race win.

 

We flipped the coin again to see if we would invert the start...but it came up heads so the race was to start with the fast guys up front. But Mike Steinman and Chris Terry talked about it and decided that it should be inverted to put on a show. And was it ever!!! Marty Kreis knowing he had a sick motor decided to start in back and do a few laps to get his points and then pull into the infield. With the 40 lap race going green there was lots of dicing going on and Chris Terry and Mike Steinman quickly made their way to the front. With only a few laps down...the yellow came out for Marty Kreis to pull down into the infield. Up front restarting the race was Chris Terry and Travis Roberts followed by Lyndon Kirk and Mike Steinman. On the Restart Mike drafted with Travis to put Travis into the lead of the race, but in just a couple of laps...Mike went inside down the front straight to take over the lead. He lead for several laps but in the process his exhaust pipe had broke about 4" away from the head and was hanging on the kart by just the brace....occasionally banging on the brake rotor and throwing sparks!! halfway thru the race Chris Terry took over the lead and was closely followed by the Scott Arthurs driving the #18 Team KIRK-n-STEIN/M&M's #18. The back up motor of Mike Stienman had come to life and was now a contender for the lead. As well as the #5 of Lyndon Kirk. Mike Steinman had dropped back to 4th...but was not going to give up or drop out of the race with a broken pipe. Around lap 27 the competition yellow came out with the order being the #24, #18,#5, #71 and the #77 of Andy taylor and the #55 of Travis Roberts the top 6. When the race went green again...Mike steinman drafted with Scott Arthurs up to the front past the #24 of Chris Terry to make Scott the Leader of the 28th lap. But a lap later Mike Steinman made his move past the #18 back into 1st. The next lap Lyndon Kirk had made a run on the outside of Mike to try and take the lead...but he was held off. But the dicing was hot and heavy as he kept trying the outside line and Mike was running the lowside side-by-side for 5 or 6 laps. Chris terry knowing it was late in the race made his move down the back stretch making it 3 wide and going putting himself into 2nd to battle with Lyndon. With 2 laps to go, Chris went into turns 3 and 4 hot...but his tires were worn out and Mike made his pas back inside and drafted back up to lyndon....but Chris wasn't done. the outside line had been fast all night and Chris used his HP to get just past Mike but Mike was able to use the draft and push on Lyndon's bumper to take 2nd on the white flag lap...Mike was going to try to make a move on Lyndon...but it was too late and knowing how strong Chris was, decidied to stick with his teammate. The 2 KIRK-n-STEIN Teammates then drafted to the line in 1st and 2nd with Chris Terry just edgeing out the #18 of Scott arthurs for 3rd!! On the cool down lap all the fans were standing and cheering all the way around the track for the great race they had just seen....and all competitors were happy to just be part of a fun fun race!! In the pits just after the race, the fans poured into the NASKART pits to see what these karts looked like and get posters and bumper stickers and get to know the NASKART guys!! All we asked siad they really enjoyed our race!! We all went back to the hotel with big smiles on our faces!