Race Report from HMP - October 2nd

[n2racing2]

The NASKART's made their way to HMP for the 15th race of the season and were greeted with AWESOME weather. With Highs in the mid to upper 80's and low humidity it meant that the karts were going to be fast!!! And fast and furious it was!!! With the times that were posted in practice and the temperature dropping as evening fell...so did the times.

 

At Houston Motorsports Park the NASKARTS run a 8-lap Heat race for grid for the Main. With the grid being set for the heat race by points inverted. But having 2 new rookies racing in the series for the first time, Brian Dismukes running in the Team ROCKHARD Racing's #48 and Joel Moshier running in the #8 Budweiser Kart, the grid would be set with them at the back. So the grid was set like this:

 

 

Inside Row Outside Row

1st row: #4 Jack Kelly #88 Kaleb Kreis (Team ROCKHARD Racing)

#07 Megan Smith #14 Andy Taylor (Pearland Car Care)

#29 Marty Kreis (Team ROCKHARD Racing) #24 Chris Terry (Team ROCKHARD Racing)

#16 Mike Steinman (3M/Austin Arch. Graphics) #48 Brian Dismukes (Team ROCKHARD Racing)

#8 Joel Moshier

 

When the green flag flew for the heat race #4 Jack Kelly jumped out to lead the first lap with #07 Megan Smith, #88 Kaleb Kreis, #14 Andy Taylor and #24 Chris Terry falling in line in the draft. Lap 2 saw the field start to jocky for positions as the #07 of Megan Smith moved into the lead Bringing #88 Kreis and #14 Taylor along with and dropping #4 Jack Kelly back to 4th and Steinman #16 getting around the Terry #24 for 5th. With the heat race being only 8-laps everyone was determined to get to the front fast. So on lap 3 #88 Kaleb Kreis got inside of #07 Megan Smith for the lead. Taylor was still in 3rd with Steinman #16 on his bumper and Kelly #4 holding onto 5th. The next move on the track was on Lap 5 when Taylor #14 and Steinman #16 got passed the #07 of Megan Smith and started their run at #88 Kaleb Kreis, who had pulled out about 2 to 3 kart lead. For the last 3 laps Taylor and Steinman bumped drafted to get close to Kreis...but ran out of laps but finished 2nd and 3rd respectively with Team ROCKHARD Racing's Kaleb Kreis #88 taking the heat win and the bonus point that goes with it. 4th was #07 Megan Smith, 5th was #4 Jack Kelly followed by Team ROCKHARD Racing teammates of #24 Chris Terry, #29 Marty Kreis & #48 Brian Dismukes in that order with #8 Joel Moshier finishiing 9th.

 

When Intermission was over and just before the races were to start, 2 more karts were ready to race in the main. Cody Kelly was sub driving for Lyndon Kirk in the #20 and Butch Lake showed up to race the #18. Both were to be put at the back of the grid for missing the heat race. And since we invert the results from the heat as well and rookies always start at the back for their first 3 races...the grid looked like this:

 

 

Inside Row Outside Row

1st row: #29 Marty Kreis (Team ROCKHARD Racing) #24 Chris Terry (Team ROCKHARD Racing)

#07 Megan Smith #16 Mike Steinman (3M/Austin Arch. Graphics)

#14 Andy Taylor (Pearland Car Care) #88 Kaleb Kreis (Team ROCKHARD Racing)

#4 Jack Kelly #20 Cody Kelly

#8 Joel Moshier #48 Brian Dismukes (Team ROCKHARD Racing)

#18 Butch Lake

 

When the green flag flew Team ROCKHARD Racing's #24 Chirs terry jumped into the lead followed by the #16 3M/Austin Architectural Graphics of Mike Steinman and Team ROCKHARD Racing's #88 Kaleb Kreis & #29 Marty Kreis. 5th was the #07 of Megan smith followed by the #14 Pearland Car Care of Andy Taylor. Coming off of turn 2 down the back Striaght Steinman #16 made a move to the inside of the #24 of Terry and took over the lead. But not for long as on the very next lap terry retook the lead with the help of his teammate #88 Kaleb Kreis. This put Steinman into third and with #29 Marty Kreis on his bumper...made Steinman the meat of a ROCKHARD Sandwich! 5th was now Taylor with the #07 of Megan Smith drafting with him and Jack Kelly #4 behind them teamming up with his son Cody Kelly in the #20. #18 Butch Lake was just drafting along biding his time...but fighting a very tight setup on the kart. And the Rookies were watching the race from the back, Team ROCKHARD Racing's Brian Dismukes #48 and Joel Moshier #8.

 

For the next 10 laps everyone seem contnet to drift in a pack until the Competition Yellow flew Allowing everyone to bunch back up double file and get them selves setup for the 14 lap dash to the finish. With the front row consisting of Team ROCKHARD Racing's #24 Chris Terry and #88 Kaleb Kreis with Steinman #16 and Team ROCKHARD Racing's #29 Marty Kreis on the 2nd row. When the green dropped again...it was Kaleb Kreis jumping out to the lead bringing his dad up to 2nd followed by Steinman #16 and Taylor #14. This dropped Terry #24 back to 5th and into the clutchs of #07 Megan Smith & #4 Jack Kelly. The order stayed this way with only Megan #07 and Terry #24 switching positions a couple of times til lap 18. Thats when Steinman #16 and Taylor #14 went by the #29 of Kreis and started to try and make a run at Kaleb Kreis #88. With the laps winding down positions started to swapped all the way through the field...On lap 22 Taylor was dropped back to 5th as #29 Kreis and #07 Megan passed him. On Lap 23 #29 Kreis made and inside move into turn 1 to take over 2nd from Steinman #16. The next lap Steinman got a good bump draft from #07 Megan Smith to re-pass Kreis #29 and brought the #07 with him passed Kreis. Still up front with about a 2 second lead was #88 Kaleb Kreis running in fine form and having the race his way. Until lap 25 when the #07 Megan Smith made her way around Steinman #16 to take over 2nd and started to run down the #88. On lap 26, #29 Marty Kreis tried to make a low line pass but ended up losing grip and almost spinning allowing Taylor #14 to get by for 4th. This allowed Taylor to draft with Steinman with the #24 Terry re-emerging from the back pack to take over 6th just behind the #29. As they came to the white flag it was #88 Kaleb Kreis, #07 Megan Smith, #16 Mike Steinman, #14 Andy Taylor, #29 Marty Kreis and #24 Chris Terry. Megan tried hard to make up the difference to catch the #88 but as they came off of turn 4 it was Team ROCKHARD Racing's #88 Kaleb Kreis taking his 1st faeture win of the season followed by the #07 of Megan Smith. But 3rd was another story as on the last lap Team ROCKHARD Racing's Chris Terry #24 went from 6th to 3rd with a great draft and outside line to go past Steinman for 3rd!! Steinamn #16 finished 4th, Taylor # 14 5th and Marty Kreis #29 6th. 7th & 8th were Jack Kelly #4 and his son #20 Cody Kelly with rookie Brian Dismukes 9th in his first NASKART Race and #18 Butch Lake in 10th. Butch had tagged the wall dueing the race which had dropped him back. And another rookie #8 Joel Moshier all smile from his first NASKART race finished 11th.

 

With Chris Terry being only 13 points back of Steinman for the Championship lead he was able to take another point out of Steinman's lead. But after post race inspection, Team ROCKHARD Racing's Chris Terry was DQ'ed as he came in underweight by 3 lbs. Giving him no points for the race. This jumbled up the points chase and dropped Terry down to 4th in the points moving Marty Kreis up to 2nd. But this increased Steinman's point lead to 24 points over 2nd. But with the next drop added reduced Steinman's lead to 21 points with only 4 races left and going into GCKI the next day....a 3/4 mile road course.

 

Read the next post to see how GCKI went on Sunday

[n2racing2]

TTT