Race Report from GCKI - Katy

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Sunday was another beautiful day in Houston. Again with cooler temperatures and low humidity, it was ideal conditions for racing at the 3/4 mile road course. But only 8 karts showed up for the roadrace with only 7 racing. Points leader #16 Mike Steinman in his 3M/Austin Architectural Graphics kart was there as well as Andy Taylor #14 in his Pearland Car Care Kart. Rookie driver Richard Crocker, sharing driving duties with Joel Moshier, Showed up in the Budweiser #8 kart and the whole Team ROCKHARD Racing crew of #24 Chris Terry. #29 Marty Kreis, #48 Rookie Brian Dismukes and #88 Kaleb Kreis. Butch Lake whowed up with the #18 later in the date to spectate. With limited morning practice and everyone getting to the track a little late, only a couple of driver's got some practice.

 

First up was the 8 minute qualifying. With everyone trying to get their best lap time in to take pole for the heat race and gain a bonus point for top qualifier. But the #24 of Chris Terry and the #8 of Richard Crocker (55.895) got there warm up lap in but both had mechanical problems and had to pull to the infield. Unfortunately, Chris never registered a lap time for qualifying which put him at the back of the grid for the heat race. Qualifying 5th thru 3rd were Team ROCKHARD Racing's #48 Brian Dismukes (50.964) then #88 Kaleb Kreis (49.596) and #29 Marty Kreis (48.968). @nd was Andy Taylor #14 (48.185) and setting pole time was the #16 of Mike Steinman (46.845) and winning the bonus point for fast qualifier.

 

For the heat race we inverted the field making the rookies start up front to gain some experience and to be able to follow the faster guys after they may be past and help them learn the track better. So on the grid for the start of the 12 lap heat race was #8 Richard Crocker and #48 Brian Dismukes. 2nd Row was #88 Kaleb Kreis and #29 Marty Kreis. 3rd Row was Andy taylor #14 and Mike Steinman #16. With Chris Terry #24 on the inside of row 4. As they came rolling to the start and took the green #8 Richard Crocker took the lead into 1 followed by the #48 of Dismukes and the #88 of Kaleb Kreis and the #29 of Marty Kreis. But by the the time they made their way to the start finish after lap 1, Steinman #16 had worked his way to 3rd behind #88 Kreis and the #8 of Crocker. On Lap 2, Steinman #16 made his past the #8 & #88 and took the lead with #29 Marty Kreis going from 5th to 2nd in 1 lap!! But on Lap 3 Steinman started to pull away fast leaving the #29 and the #88 to battle it out for 2nd amongst themselves. But on lap 4 gremlins struck the #29 and sidelined him for the rest of the weekend as his stator mount on the block was snapped off and leaving him with no way to restart. Steinman #16 continued to leave the field behind, but on lap 6 Taylor was able to overtake #88 Kaleb Kreis for 2nd with the #24 of Terry in 4th and the 2 rookies #8 Crocker and #48 Dismukes behind them in 5th and 6th. The order would stay this way to the finish with Steinman #16 taking the heat win and the bonus point that goes with it.

 

For the 15 lap Main, the starting order was almost identical to heat race but the rookies switch positions up from with the #48 Dismukes on Pole and the #8 of crocker on the outside pole. 2nd row inside was #24 Chris Terry with #88 Kaleb Kreis on the outside. 3rd Row had #14 Taylor inside and Steinman #16 starting outside. As the field came to the line for the start, Dismukes got a slow start allowing the outside line to move ahead and by turn1 #88 Kaleb Kreis had moved into the lead with #8 Richard Crocker in 2nd and #16 Steinman sliding in behind into 3rd. During lap 2 #48 Dismukes spun infront of the #14 of Taylor and the #24 of Terry and both had to take evasive action to miss the spinning kart. terry just clipped the kart of Taylor but was able to get by and start his chase of the #8 of Crocker. Taylor #14 got stuck behind the #48 until lap 6 when he was able to get by. so the order stayed this way until lap 11 when Chris Terry #24 was able to get by the #8 of Crocker for 3rd place with Taylor also on Crockers Bumper trying to pass. But up front Steinman was gone and had 3/4 of a lap lead over the field and wasn't slowing. Taylor got around Crocker on lap 14 to take 4th...but not before Steinman came around to lap the field up to 3rd place. Steinman #16 caught Terry #24 coming to the Checkered Flag. For a dominant win. Team ROCKHARD Racing's #88 Kaleb Kreis was 2nd with Chris Terry 3rd and #14 Andy Taylor 4th. The rookies of Crocker #8 and Dismukes #48 finished 5th and 6th in that order.

 

After the race it was determined that the next race at GrandSport Speedway would be dropped from the season race schedule since it was to have a low turn out and to give everyone a chance to get ready for the last 2 weekends, 3 races, of the year. 2 at HMP for the MONSTER Truck Shootout and the following week at Red River Speeedway for the Greg Biffle Foundation race in Wichita Falls. Big races for the NASKART Series.

 

So after the GCKI Race Mike Steinman #16 now leads 2nd in points #14 Andy Taylor by 28 points!!! It will be tough now to catch Steinman for the championship!

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