NASKART PRO RACING SERIES powered by ROYAL PURPLE RACE REPORT

[n2racing2]

The NASKART Pro Racing Series powered by ROYAL PURPLE, had their 2nd race of the season back again at Thunderhill Raceway. And with Thunderhill changing up their format with no qualifying or heat races except for certain weekends of the year, the NASKART

Pro Racing Series had to roll with the changes also. Since there is a Bonus point for either a Heat race winner or fastest qualifyer, it was determined that the Race grid and Bonus point would be determined by times from both the daytime practices combined.

 

For the first practice of the day, most of the NASKARTS went out to practice and get in their early fast times....but only 4 went out with transponders. so the only times posted were from Mike Steinman in his Austin Architectural Graphics #1 with a 17.772, followed by Lyndon Kirk in the Smitty Built #11 with a 17.774.3rd fast time was Matt McDade in his #5 with a 17.781 and then Team ROCKHARD Racing's Marty Kreis #29 with a 18.168.

 

For the 2nd practice, after track officials reminded the NASKARTS about having their transponders on before entering the track at all times and letting a couple know of their weak signals, everyone but the #11 of Kirk and the TARGET #42 of Chris Birmingham went out to set their fast laps again. On their 3rd lap of practice Team ROCKHARD Racing's #88 Kaleb Kreis and #24 Chris Terry set practice's fastest time with a 17.480 for Kreis and 17.482 for Terry. 3rd fastest was Steinman lowering his fast time down to 17.729 with Matt Mcdade #5 right on his heals with a 17.730. #11 Lyndon Kirk's time from the 1st practice put him in at 5th fastest with Megan Smith in her very pink #07 6th fastest with a 18.111. #29 Marty Kreis's time from his first practice put him up on the board 7th fastest with Frank (The Spider) Mena 8th and Robert Carr #27 9th fastest.

 

So to set the grid for the main, the NASKARTS grided by times...inverted. Putting the fastest karts in the back and making them work their way to the front.

 

(to be continued)

[n2racing2]

So for the main, starting up front in pole position was the #27 of Robert Carr with the #12 of Frank "The Spyder" Mena on outside pole. Row 2 had Team ROCKHARD Racing's Marty Kreis #29 on the inside with the #07 of Megan Smith on the outside. 3rd Row had the Smitty Built #11 of Lyndon "Captain" Kirk and outside the #5 of Matt McDade. 4th Row inside was the 2010 NASKART Champion Mike Steinman in his #1 Austin Architectural Graphics kart and outside of him Team ROCKHARD Racing's #24 of Chris Terry. The 5th row saw Team ROCKHARD Racing's #88 Kaleb Kreis with the fastest time in practice and outside was the #42 Target kart of Chris Birmingham. Chris had no practice times and was delegated to start at the back.

 

With everyone lined up tight for the start....the green flag flew with everyone in order until the start/finish line when the jockying for position started. By the time the pack got around 1 and 2 and down the back straight, Robert Carr #27 was leading with #29 Marty Kreis right on his bumper. Both moving to the front from the inside line. Outside pole start Frank Mena #12 was stuck in the middle and moving backwards in a hurry. Marty Kreis in 2nd now got a drive on Robert Carr #27 and moved to the inside to take the lead

going thru turn 3. But Marty pushed high on cold tires and Lyndon Kirk #11 got inside the #29 to take the lead between turns 3 and 4. But Kreis seeing that he left the door open and Kirk going thru turned down into the #11 of Kirk but to no avail as the 2 got together but Kreis got bounced back up the track leaving the door open again for the #1 of Mike Steinman to come thru behind Kirk.

So at the Line for the 1st lap it was #11 Kirk followed by Steinman #1, Kreis #29, Carr #27 and #88 Kaleb Kreis making his way to 5th after starting in back. Now with Kirk and Steinman out front, old teammates, they hooked up and pulled out a 3 kart lead over 3rd Robert Carr who was now being tailed by Team Rockhard Racing. #29 Marty Kreis, #88 Kaleb Kreis and #24 Chris Terry. Coming to lap 4 and coming off of turn 4, Kirk had a mechanical problem develop and Steinman pulled out of his draft to go around him down the front straight. Steinman made the pass going into turn 1 but was now himself being passed on the outside by the ROCKHARD Train. Team ROCKHARD Racing was now out in front 1,2 3 with the #29 Kreis leading the #88 Kaleb Kreis and Terry #24 bringing up the rear of this train and they quickly jumped out to a 5 kart lead over the pack. Steinman #1 seeing them try to make a break away immidiately started to chase tthis 3 kart draft down. within a lap Steinman had run down the 3 leaders and was looking for a way around the #24 of Terry. But with the leaders working as a team and blocking the bottom line and part of the top line, Steinman looked to go to the outside the long way around but was only able to get up to the outside of #24 Terry. But by doing this #11 Kirk had caught the big draft and now filled the hole where steinman was and took over 4th behind Terry. Dropping Steinman back to 5th. Then the #11 of Kirk got under Terry when he drifted high thru 3 and got position taking Steinman thru to 4th with him and now dropping the #24 back to 5th. The order stayed this way with the front 4 slowly puling away from Terry in 5th until the Competition yellow at lap 14.

 

With everyone lining up to take the double file restart that put #29 MArty Kreis and his son and Teammate #88 Kaleb Kreis outside. With #11 Kirk and #1 Steinman filling the 2nd row and splitting up Team ROCKHARD Racing. 3rd row had #24 Terry and #27 Carr. 4th row had #07 Megan Smith, who was biding her time til the 2nd half of the race, with McDade #5 just outside of her and in the 5th row..."The Spyder" Frank Mena in his #12. With the pack regrouped and the green flag flying the pack had grown from 5 to 8 and everyone was racing hard for position. #29 Kreis led off of turn 2 but Kirk #11 on Kreis's bumper moved up to pass him on the outside and getting a bump from #88 Kaleb Kreis to help him move forward. Lyndon then tucking in close to Marty's right rear got a bump from Marty when he got a little loose and Lyndon moved up the track into the high line. Coming off of turn 4, #29 Marty Kreis in the low line moved up off the low line moving towrds Kirk in the outside line and closing the hole the #88 Kaleb Kreis was thinking of going thru...but the door shut on him. But he was determined to get to the inside of Kirk and into the draft of the #29 but started pinball off of the #11 of Kirk then #29 of Kreis and the #24 of Terry. But he was forced to back off and dropped back into line on the outside line behind Kirk #11. The next lap saw the 5 rubbing and banging for position with Kirk and #88 Kaleb Kreis in the outside line and #29 Marty Kreis and #24 Terry on the inside line with the #1 of Steinman trying to figure out which line was going to move so that he could move forward. On lap 17 a new player in the front group arrived as the #07 Megan Smith was now dicing it up with the leaders. Down the backstretch Kirk went high and made an opening between him and the #29 Kreis allowing the #88 to shoot the gap and take the lead into 3 and 4. Coming to lap 18 Kaleb was now leading with his teammates right behind him and Megan Smith on the back of that train going thru turns 1 and 2. Kirk and Steinman working the outside line until Steinman went to the low line behind his teammate, the #07 of Smith going into 3, but got a little loose and went high allowing Kirk to get inside of him and dropping Steinman back to 6th. Going into 1, #24 Terry now got down inside his teammate #29 Marty Kreis leaving Marty on the highside and allowing Megan Smith to follow Terry thru on the bottom line...until the #29 of Kreis came down on her forcing her into the rumble strips and forcing his way back to the low line, trying to get in the draft of Terry who had gone by. But to no avail for Kresi as Megan with the help of the #11 Kirk drafted past Kreis down the back straight dropping him to 5th. Steinman then picked up Kreis to draft with him back to the fron...trying not to be left behind by the leaders. Going thru turn 3 #07 Smith and #11 Kirk catch Terry between 3 and 4 with Kreis and Steinman coming up fast behind them. Smith goes to the outside down the front straight and pulls even eith Terry going into turn 1 but Kirk drops down to the low line behind Terry and drops out of Megan's Draft. Megan gets hung out on the outside and Kreis #29 now is back on the bumper of #11 Kirk going into 3 with Kirk the meat in the sandwich between Kreis and Terry and Terry getting the bump in the middle of the turn from Kreis thru Kirk as they were nose to tail. Coming off of 4 Steinman gets under Megan and sets out after the karts in front of him...the #29, #11 and #24. Kaleb Kreis #88 has now pulled out a 12 kart lead over 2nd as the battle for 2nd was really heating up. Allowing him to slowly pull away. Going down the front straight, Terry moves up to the 2nd line leaving the door open on the inside with #29 Kreis pushing the #11 Kirk under the #24 of Terry. But Terry now tries to get back down the inside line now realizing he was about to be passed. They make contact and neither gives any room or backs out and Terry forces Kirk down into the rumble strips thru 1 and 2. Kreis #29 realizing what was happening changes lines to the outside line seeing the #11 and #24 getting hung up on each other and scrubbing speed with Steinman following Kreis to get around these 2. Megan Smith following Steinman. #29 Marty Kreis going to the high line gets loose and has to chase his kart up the hill leaving a big hole between him and his teammate #24 Terry who is still hooked up and side banging with Kirk who is inside of him fighting his way to stay on the track and not be shoved off into the infield. Seeing this big whole open up Steinman moves to go thru when Kreis turns from up high on the track down into Steinman and forces him down into #24 Terry inside of him which forces kirk into the grass on the infield killing all of their momentum down the back striaght. Megan Smith seeing the melay happening wisely goes hig and goes from 6th to 2nd and sets off after Kaleb who now has a big lead from all the rough driving happening behind him. Steinman gets clear of the ROCKHARD Teammates and gets back in the gass..but not Before the #5 of McDade and the #27 of Robert Carr also make it around him. This now spread out the field and dropped 2 of the 3 ROCKHARD Racing karts to the rear of the field. Steinman only having 5 laps left in the race put his head down and caught Carr #27 and drafted with him up to McDade #5 with both passing him on lap 25. with only 2 laps to go...#88 Kaleb Kreis was way out front in the lead with #07 Megan Smith in 2nd and Carr and Steinman battling for 3rd with Mcdade in 5th right behind them. With the order pretty much set...Steinman made his last move on the white flag lap thru 3 and 4 around the outside but just came up a foot short of taking third away from Robert Carr #27.

 

So Congrats to Kaleb Kreis again for his feature win but too bad he and Chris Terry could not pull away from the field after setting such a fast time in practice and never being able to equal that time in the race.

 

 

The NASKART Pro Racing Series next race is back at Thunderhill Raceway on April 2nd. See ya there!!!

[debwill]

Mike,

 

I forgot to use your sponsor name on the schedule - will add it to our future schedules. Sorry.