My editor is on vacation, so I am going to let the video and pictures do most of the talking.
Drivers Meeting
On Saturday we when to Concept Haulers in Norway, IL to finally get a race in there and see how we did. Jason spent a good deal of time here since last October learning to driver and then race. While where there we were promoting the LO206 Sportsman(8-12) and Junior(12-15) classes there for next year. This will compliment the very nice LO206 Senior class that started there this year. There may even be a LO206jr Kid Kart class there.
Heat 1(2nd)
Heat 2(1st)
Feature(1st)
Our fastest lap there was a 41.985 using the track official timer and our own Transponder(He did not go 60 mph, closer to 35). This almost a second below is previous fastest time.
From there we drove to Badger to join Bryce and Dylan in a races there. This was also a benifit for the Pink Ribbon Riders who directly support men and women with breast cancer. The club raised just over $5000, very impressive. The only down side is a couple of our friends had mechanical problems with their karts and did not finish races.
camping
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Foggy Morning at Badger
Practice 1(1st)
Practice 2(5th)
Heat 1(3rd)
Heat 2(3rd)
Jason really ran well, again demonstrating the skills he a worked on all year. He is really starting to put the kart where he wants in at the time he wants it there. Another great weekend of racing. Next week it’s the oval race at Road America.
Jason and I started the weekend on Thursday night after school and work respectively. This weekend was the SCCA National runoffs at Road America and the last race of the Road America Karting Club Weekend series. We arrived in darkness at the carousel campsite. While I made camp, Jason immedatly made some new friends at the camp site next door. Once the tent was up and sleeping bags in we went to sleep looking forward to the Road America alarm clock of race cars roaring around the track. We where not disappointed. On Friday my wife and daughter came to hang out with us and watch all of the racing activities. They are not big race and car fans but it is nice to have someone cheering for you or with you.
To add to the excitement of a night race the club decided to run the kid karts on the “half track” instead of the usual short track. The “half track” adds a long up hill run and a falling right hand corner called the drop and an off camber turn. This meant we needed to study over the next couple of days. I highlighted a track map with the new route and Friday afternoon we walked the track. This helped him visualize the new way round and start working out the line before he sets a tire on the track. On Saturday, we gave a map to the kids to look at and the track medic to them on the golf kart for a couple of laps. As with the other night race there were 4 practice(2,3) sessions. The kid kart track times are usually in the 28-32 second range on the half track they were now turning 46-50 second laps. This is actually closer to the other tracks we have raced at. Each session the kids got faster and more confident. A couple of them where still having trouble with the off camber turn but the rest figured it out. Most turns are “on camber” meaning they slope to the inside of the turn, allowing to kart to press up and against the track. On an off camber turn the road slopes to the outside of the turn. Now the kart pull up and away from the track. If you take an off camber turn too fast you are likely to spin out.
The Half Track
Kid Kart Track
The first heat of the evening started with Jason at the very back of the grid of 7 karts, a new high. At the start he made his way up to forth place, Logan(#42) took the lead, followed by Bryce(#14), Tristan(#1), then Jason(#99). Carmin(#15) zipped by Jason in on the way up the hill and passed Tristan just before the drop on the first lap. Everyone cleared the drop with out trouble but coming into the off camber turn, Logan took a spin and was passed by everyone up to and including Jason. Carmin also slipped by Bryce, so now its Carmin, Bryce, Tristan and Jason. By this time Tristan is starting to get the hang of things and is much harder to pass. A couple of laps later Jason, finally gets by Tristan when he spins in the off camber turn. Carmin and Bryce are pretty far ahead at this point and Jason spends the rest of the heat catching up. He was with in 20 ft or so of Bryce when the heat was over, not quite enough time to catch him. The finish was Carmin, Bryce, and Jason. Another excellent heat.
The Jason sat of the pole for the first time at Road America for the second heat. Easton(#4) was in the number 2 slot, Logan was #3, Carmin behind Easton, Bryce in the number five spot and Evan(#5) next to him, with Tristan brining up the rear. At the start Bryce jumped that flag and had to fall back, Logan waited for the flag an took the lead. Jason followed him until they hit the off camber turn and Logan spun and fell back to 4th, putting Jason in the lead. Carmin worked is way up through the pack and got behind Jason. As Jason came up on Evan, who was lagging behind the pack, Jason slowed and Carmin got by at the start of the last lap. Jason worked on getting by Evan including trying to pass him in the top of the hat. He got by him on the exit of the last corner and cross the finished line in 2nd place. These heats where a real demonstation of skills he has worked on all season. The feature race should prove to be very exciting.
The feature found Jason in the third position, next to Bryce, Carmin was on the pole and Logan in the second position. It was late, cold, and dark by this time and all the drivers where showing signs of getting tired including Jason. The start was a little sloppy with the karts spread out, but close enough. Jason dropped two spots, with Logan in the lead followed by Carmin, Bryce and Tristan, who had his foot on the gas. They ran this way for a few laps, until, while Jason was working to get by Tristan in the hat exit Evan forced his way by giving Jason a bump they both avoided Tristan’s spin out. This seemed to spook Jason and he just hung out behind Tristan not really pressing him. On the last lap Jason picked up the pace and was putting some pressure on Tristan in the off camber corner when Tristan spun letting Jason get by. Jason finished 5th and was very disappointed in his performance. It was a pretty rough ending to a long day.
All in all I was very proud of him. It was a long cold day of watching auto racing and running around with friends. Followed by a cold evening of kart racing and running around with friends. All night long he fought on the track for every position he earned. Even after the racing was over and the frustration of the evening pressing on him he still wanted to go run around with his karting friends. I was worried about how frustrated he was an kept wondering if I had pushed him to hard or had I made a mistake somewhere a long the line. I was even fretting about how much harder next year was going to be. Then I remembered, that we have had a really cool summer hanging our with each other doing something we both love. This was just one race where despite all of our work and planning things did not go as we had hoped, “That’s Racing”
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First time in a kart, turns out he likes it.
We want to layout a lot of Thanks this week.
Thanks to all the folks at Road America that made this summer possible, Race Directory Erick, Amelia in the office and checking weights, Gina for the time keeping, and all the RA track crew. Jason and Mark for answering my questions when we got started.
Les and Greg at CHMS for giving an excellent place to practice.
A big thanks goes to Brian and Steve Viking Kart Products for put the back in order after we learned some valuable lessons.
A special thanks to Chuck at C&M Auto, for helping us get our Kart back together when the motor mount failed and taking excellent care of our team vehicle.
To all the other racers and crew members for their great sportsmanship and love of racing. Including, Mike/Bryce, Brandon/Easton, and all the other kid kart dads and drivers, it was a blast guys, the stuff memories are made of.
Finally to my lovely wife Karen and and daughter Katie who only have a passing interest in cars as they get them to the horses, but have cheer us on all season and let us run a little wild.
We had a busy weekend planed, but had no idea that we would end up visiting all three of the tracks we race at and spend about 10 hours in the truck. We started the weekend at Concept Haulers with practice so we could be ready for a race in a couple of weeks. It was the first time he had been on the track since the accident there. My biggest worry was were there any daemons left over about driving and racing at the track. He talked about the crash and his other bumps with some of the folks there but it was more story telling more then anything else. This seemed like a good thing. The day started off slow, 45 and 44 second laps, just working to remember where he was supposed to go. We did a little line adjustment on turn three to get a wider line at the entrance so he does not need to lift of the gas. At the end of the day he was in the low 43’s pretty consistently, this is about where he will need to be for the race.
The next stop was a couple hours away at 4 Cycle Central in Milwaukee to get a fitting in the new kart. Regan was very helpful answering my questions and building a plan to finish the kart. While, Regan and I chatted about the things that needed to be done, Jason sat in the kart taking to us and just hanging out and getting the feel. There was a bit more work to do to finish the kart and we decided that we could meet up again on Sunday at Badger after racing at Road America.
From there we drove to Plymouth, WI, where we had dinner at the bar of a really neat hotel, 52 Stafford. It had been a long drive and we where hungry and just as we had arrived the bar had just cleared by a group of 17. Having been there before we knew if we sat at the bar and order quickly we would get our dinner soon otherwise we would have to wait. A tasty order of Guinness Root Stew and a BLT where quickly before us. Our original plan was to camp at Walmart again but we where very tired and where thankful they had a room for us. This let us be relaxed and rested for racing the Sunday.
We got to Road America earlyish and the driveway at the gate was packed, the Badger TAG series was racing at with the club. The first kid kart practice was just Jason and Bryce. Bryce was glued to the back of Jason looking for a way around. For the second session there were 4 kids and third practice there where 6 racers. Bryce and Jason ran in the front with Easton not far behind most of the time and Dylan, Mitchell, and Tristen still feeling their way round. This was shaping up to be a great day of Kid Kart racing.
There are 4 boys in the back of the truck playing catch with a little foot ball.
Between the sessions the kid kart drivers hang out together. Sometimes they just sit and talk about the races or whats going on at home or in school. Other times they run around the pit area playing games the way little boys do, even the older drivers get into their games. Football, squirreling around under the bleachers, wrestling in the grass. When they put their minds to it they even watch the kart racing or road racing on the big track. It is amazing to watch the friends race tooth and nail and then give high fives and thumbs up when they are done.
This is the eighth race with Road America Club and I just figure out that each heat is 5 minutes and the feature race is 8 minutes. This races the first heat started out bit of a mess but in some ways it was the best. Jason was in the 4th spot, Dylan in 3rd with Mitchell in 2nd and Easton on the poll, with Tristan and Bryce in the back. The kids got all strung out during the parade lap because a couple of them where confused on how starts worked and they had to parade around again. On the second attempt they were still pretty messed up, but the green flag flew to prevent an accident. After a bit of bumping between Bryce and Jason they came into the first corner with Easton in the lead, followed by Mitchell, Dylan, Bryce, Tristan and then Jason. Oh dear. After a lap Jason made quick work of Tristan. A few laps later Bryce passes Dylan on in the first corner and then Mitchell on the next lap, while Jason is working on Dylan. Dylan almost got by Mitchelll next time around. 3 more laps go by while Bryce runs up to Easton and Jason finally gets by Dylan. On the next lap Jason tries to go low to get by Mitchell but changes to the high line at the last minute for a clean pass. Jason starts chasing the leaders again from now in 3rd place at the white flag. On the last lap he got a little hung up on the lapped Tristan but got by him just at the checker. Easton held off Bryce to the very end winning the heat. By far some of the best racing I have see from these kids.
Bryce and Jason are 1 and 2 respectively for the second heat(Full Video). This is where Jason can really run. He know just how long to wait for the green flag and can get his kart spun up to grab the lead. Bryce and Jason really went at it a number of times coming out of the last corner into the straight away. A few time almost getting by but Jason held on and beat him to the first corner. It was a real nail biter to the very end, he could hear the whine of Bryce’s motor dogging him the whole time. Jason finished first and Bryce second right on Jason’s heels.
The day’s kid kart feature(Full Video) race started with Jason again in the second position and Bryce on the pole. At the green Jason again stepped out front and started making space between him and Bryce. The really interesting battle was for 2nd, 3rd and 4th between Bryce, Dylan, and Easton. Most of the race Dylan worked on finding a hole in Bryce’s line. Easton managed to catch up to them and started to do the same to Dylan. All three kids ran a really clean line and did not give any quarter. At the checked flag it was Jason followed in a second or two later by Bryce, Dylan, and Easton. Another exciting race was in the books. Jason also had his personal best lap time during this race of 28.74 seconds. These kids are really starting to get very competitive and fun to watch it is too bad there is only one more race left.
After packing up the truck, this time with the kid kart strapped to the roof instead of the in the bed(more on that later), we said our good byes and thank you’s and headed off to Badger to pick up the new kart. It was a very long 2 hours, karting is hard work and Jason was tired, sore, and getting leg cramps, possibly from growing too. You really need to watch these young kids as they are fine until they suddenly get really tired and stop having fun.
Once we got to Badger, Jason perked up when he saw his new kart and ran to sit in it again. We hung out there for a bit with the Verhings, the whole family was there, talking about how the season was going for the various clubs and tracks and plans for next year. Finally, we got Jason out the kart and the kart into the truck bed(with the little kart on the cap roof). We headed home stopping for some pizza, leg medicine for Jason, after a very long but successful weekend.
The next few weeks are going to be busy. The last club race next week at Road America while we watch the SCCA National Runoffs. The week after that we are going to make second attempt at Concept Haulers on Saturday and a Badger race on Sunday. As it turns out, the race on Sunday will also be a benifit for Pink Ribbon Riders who provide direct support to people with breast cancer. If you are in the area please join us.
This weeks thanks firstly go to my wife for listening to me prattle on about racing. Additional thanks goes to 52 Stafford for their good food and comfy bed and all the Verhings for helping get ready for next year. Thanks to all the folks that run the races and keep score. Congratulations to Race Director Erick on his engagement.
Wild Duck Racing would like thank C&M Auto Service of Glenview, who again has helped us get back on the track.
While getting the kart ready for racing last week at Badger, I found the rear bumper mount had cracked and broken completely off. This was mostly likely a result of the roll the kart took a few months ago. The folks at C&M Auto welded it back together for us. It is a chrome part and it looks great and is solid. We have C&M take care of all our daily drivers with regular service, including the pickup we travel to races with. Thanks again Chuck!
This week we headed to Briggs & Stratton Raceway Park to race with the Badger Karting Club. We arrived just about 9 o’clock which left us plenty of time to get ourselves sorted and registered. While I unpacked the kart and helmet for the mandatory pre-race safety inspection, Jason took the the map of the track line and walked the track while he studied the map. This exercise should help him figure out how to get around the track faster. There are lines on the map and tire marks on the track. Since we don’t get to Badger very often, having him slowly thinking about the turns should help give him those few seconds we are looking for. He studied this map all day long. He even took it to help his fellow kid karts find the racing line. Now, it just needs to click.
For the first practice session he started in the 5th position. The goal was to remember the track and keep an eye on the motor bike that starts the race. I asked him to watch the other racers and try remember the track. His start was ok, he dropped to 7th or 8th an pretty much stayed there for the duration. This was fine, he was just happy to be back on the track.
During inspection, I discovered that we needed to adjust the rear wheel spacing because they were out of spec. This was a rule I was not aware of and they have recently having issues with it at Badger. They cannot be more than one inch to the inside of the body work. We put skinny wheels on instead of the fat wheels a few weeks ago, and now the wheels were 2-3 inches inside of the body work. During the break between the practice sessions, I figured out how to take the hubs off and move them out. This should also help the kart handle a little better on this twisty track.
For the second practice Jason started in the 5th position. His start(Video) was very good and jumped to 4th place at the first corner. By the second corner, #51 was able to catch Jason and passed him at the entrance to the hairpin. Jason chased #51 for a couple of laps but then and passed him back at the entrance to “no-mans land”, the straight down to the kink and then the front straight. Jason’s kart has a little more speed on the straights and Badger has three nice long ones that he can really fly down. He held the 4th spot all the way to the finish.
Badger runs two practice sessions and two heats without a “feature” race. For the first heat he started in the 7th position. Just as the Kid Kart novice race was finishing he noticed that he had forgotten his chest protector – a critical piece of safety equipment for these little kids. I sprinted back to the truck to retrieve it and raced back to the fence. Luckily, one of the other dads had noticed our situation and was ready to help. I tossed it over the fence and he put it on Jason as I ran back to the start, making it just in time. His start was really good; he picked up two places at the start and made it stick for the rest of the run. He finished the heat in 5th place.
For the final heat of the day Jason started(Video) in the 3rd position, he gave it up pretty quickly at the first corner at the start. He stayed there while the 5th position #22 tried and tried to get by Jason. Eventually, Jason began to pull away and begin to reel in #117 who had dropped from position two to third place. Jason finished the heat in 4th place. Turns out that #117 dropped his air filter and his engine was not performing well. Needless to say it was a great race and he was showing improvement.
I really like it when Jason races at Badger. Everyone we have met there has been very friendly and helpful. We both like to race there because the competition is really good, with lots of fast karts and good kids to play with. Jason really likes it because he gets a trophy after the last race. As you can see in the picture above he grabbed a really obnoxiously big trophy. The video below is the his “Trophy Run” from the second heat and you can watch the full race on youtube.
Jason is still working on finding his groove at Badger. He really just needs more practice to get some really fast times. It is a pretty difficult track with long straights and lots of quick turns. There are few corners where he is off the gas and is coasting, but with the right line he could just sit on the gas and really go.
For a bit of detail of how fast these kids go: the track is 6/10 of a mile long. Each race is 7 laps, so about 3.5 miles. His average time around the track is 55 seconds which works out to about 36 mph. All in all, it was really a great day of racing. I wish we were able to come here more often.
We will be practicing at Concept Haulers on Saturday 9/16 in preperation for the 9/29 race there. Our next race is at Road America on Sunday 9/16, so come watch us.
This weekend thanks goes to C&M Auto Service, Brian Julian and Family (Happy 6th Birthday Dylan and thanks for the cake) and of course my lovely wife Karen and my daughter Katie for supporting us.
4 gallons of solid ice to keep cool on yet another hot day. It was down to a half gallon ball at the end of the day.
We were pretty excited to get back on the track. The kart was a little banged up from the last race, but that was all fixed. This week we were running a little late but were happy to see the gate was already open when we arrived at Road Amerca. This made it easier to get the kart ready for the first practice of the morning. You really need to be on the ball. Usually, the gates open at 9am and practice starts at 9:15. In that 15 minutes you need to register, get to the track, get the driver and the kart ready and get to the line. Most of the time, Jason is the only one ready for practice and he gets the track to himself.
This week we had a bit more to do because I wanted to try out the taller skinny wheels and see if they made a difference. Since the rules don’t allow us to change gears most kid karts run narrow wheels with really high pressure on the rear. This makes the tire taller and acts like a gear change. The kart should go farther with every wheel rotation, increasing his top speed. The down side is that the tire track interface is smaller and can make cornering trickier as the rear tires are more prone to slipping sideways.
Practice went well. Jason had one 29 second lap and the rest were in the thirties and thirty ones. I was really hoping to see some more obvious improvement. I suppose he might be going faster in the straights, but he is still letting off the gas too much in the corners. During the last practice on the last lap he and Brice (#14, a newer driver) got tangled up in the last corner. Jason ended up facing the wrong direction but managed to break himself free and turned around to cross the line first.
Our racing goal of the day was to keep it clean and finish the race and work on the racing line. For the first heat start, Jason anticipated the flag a little and led the group in to the first corner. He was able to lap #95 (Emery, who just turned 5) and Tristan (#1 who races a Briggs 206). Brice was kept back buy the occasional spin, but was able to stay on the lead lap. Jason kept a clean line and finished first.
Pace lap just before the hat top.
The second heat was went as well as the first heat 1. Jason walked away from the pack and lapped the two younger kids while Brice was still slipping around the corners. I spent my time cheering for the other kids’ great moves while keeping on eye on Jason. It’s a blast to watch these kids find and and sometimes cross the threshold of maximum speed, though it makes me nervous when they do it too much. Every lap someone learns something new and there are almost always big grins at the end.
The starting line is in the middle of the long straight.
The feature was a real battle of drivers. Both Jason and Brice have sections of the track they do very well and other sections they have trouble with. Jason is very good in the last corner to the front straight to the top of the hat when he starts to lose the line. Brice runs the end of the first corner over the top very well. The two of them fought each other back and forth through the whole race while lapping the others twice. Then they got stuck behind the slower traffic. Tristan could not get by Emery, Jason could not get by Tristan, and Brice kept trying to make a move on Jason. The white flag was flying and all they needed to do was hold the line to the finish. Brice really wanted to pass Jason and made a final attempt in the hat as Jason was letting off to exit to top corner. They were side by side in the exit and were trading paint when Jason gave the gas to get away and Brice pulled behind him for the penultimate corner. They both made a final run for the checkered flag in the last corner. Jason captured the feature win by a kart length or two and a mighty fist pump.
Win #3
Jason and I are looking forward to our next race, though it is going to be a few weeks as we have other plans. Hopefully everyone will show up and we can have more karts on the track. The more races out there the more interesting the racing and opportunity for learning new tricks.
Thanks again to VKP for get the kart sorted in short order. Mike for the ice cream for Jason. Most importantly my spectacular wife who lets me do this.
Yellow is the color of the sun, Black Eyed Susan, and the bottom of Jason’s kart. I don’t like to see the color yellow when he is racing. Our first race at Concept Haulers did not go as well as we would have liked. Too much yellow.
If you remember last week’s post, I talked about the Briggs engine we are using. This week we took it to CHMS to let some other folks see how it works on a kid kart. They have a brand new LO206 class and we want to try to start a Rookie LO206 class next year. That, and we have been practicing there since we started in October, so it was well past time we raced there. The only down side is that Jason was running in an experimental class and would not be receiving any points or a trophy. This, of course, irritated Jason. He was really hoping for a trophy, but once things started he was ready to go. His biggest motivator from then on was chasing the Kid Kart lap record.
Since we were experimental we were asked to start in the back. Both Jason and I agreed this was a good idea. We spent a lot of time before the race explaining to folks what the motor was and how it fit in with the Comer class. Since only a few folks have seen him drive and knew how he would behave, I asked him to hold back for the first practice and just let folks know he was there and was not going to be a problem. He did, and traded places kid behind him (#56); chased him for a few laps, passed him and then just hung on the back of the kid in front of him until the end. He was annoyed that he only passed one kart, but understood our strategy. I was a little worried that we would make a poor showing in the race. I should have been happy that he listened.
For the second practice session he started in the third slot, I wanted him out of traffic and to have the possibility of getting some clean track in front of him. This time I told him to go for it. Jason made two attempts to get around the leaders on the back straight. Then on the third lap on the back stretch they went 3 wide. The karts shuffled and Jason entered the corner first followed by Mason (#55) in 2nd place who had passed the Joey (#00). Now that he had clean track he put his foot down and walked away from the pack. On his last lap he recorded a 42.79, getting closer to the record of 42.16.
Now that everyone knew who Jason was, and he seemed to be in his groove, we decided to put him in the back and let him run through traffic. At the end of the first lap he had passed several drivers. Coming out of the carousel on the second lap he passed a few more. By the time he had entered the turn at the end of the back stretch he was on the heals of the leader. They raced passed pit lane and headed toward the turn into the carousel. The lead driver missed the turn and Jason started to follow, but then corrected hard trying to make the turn. The turn was too sharp. He slid into an orange cone in the grass, turned sideways, the wheels dug in and the kart flipped into the air. All I saw was the yellow bottom of the kart as it rolled over, and him in his little red suit slip out of the seat. He laid there for a bit, “looking at the clouds”, and then he remembered to breathe. This hurt like hell because all of the wind was knocked out of him, and he curled up into a little ball. At this point, corner workers and I were running out to him and stopping the other karts.
When I reached him, he was still curled up clutching his chest and stomach. Try to remember the first time you had the wind knocked out of you when you were a kid – really knocked out of you so that you cannot inhale. It is painful and terrifying. We stretched him out, held him still and started talking to him. His chest hurt and his ankle hurt. The paramedics started to examine him ruling out the more serious injuries quickly -no broken limbs, hands, or feet. “Yes, I am at Norway Race Track”. “Let’s leave your helmet and collar on for a bit”. “Are you ready to stand?”, we can wait…
He was able to get up after a few more minutes and took him for a quick ride in the ambulance, to get off the track. I asked Gregg to find Jason’s big sister Katie and let her know where were. Unfortunately, the A/C in the ambulance was broken so it was not the cool place we had hoped for. After a bit more sitting in the ambulance and checking him out. I carried him out to the truck and placed him in a chair to “relax”. While some helpers kept an eye on him, additional people helped me packed the truck. After we packed, the challenge was to find his mother who was still on her way to the track. Thankfully, just as we were pulling to the driveway she drove up. After a brief discussion of what happened, we were on our way to the ER for a final checkout. Thankfully it was a quiet night, and that only took about 10 minutes. The doctor even said there was no need to hold him back from activities – that he was fine. After we left the hospital, my wife took the kids home and I went back to the track to pick up some items that we left behind and let everyone know Jason was doing fine.
Our next race is likely to be at Badger on Sunday, 7/8. Our next Concept Haulers race will be at the end of September. I wish we could be back sooner, but our schedule has us at other tracks or out of town for most of the summer. We may even be testing a Rookie LO206 kart by then.
Some lessons learned from the day:
Follow your line and not the kart in front of you.
Neither of us is getting enough fluids and keeping cool enough on these really hot days. Next race I am bringing more ice, drinks, and a frozen 5 gallon bucket to sit in or on.
Lastly, you really need to scout the other drivers, it is easy to spot the fast ones. The guys that are still learning will sneak up on you.
It is hard to be the parent of a karting driver. There are days when I really question if I have done the right thing. This was definitely one of them. I never want to put my child in danger. Like any sport there is inherent risk. I don’t think karting is any less safe than other sports. I hope that I have the wisdom to say we are done should that time ever come.
Thanks to Les and Greg for giving us the opportunity to race. Thanks to Jeanie (Mom of #56) and all of the young racers who talked to Jason as we packed. Thanks to the packing helpers, including Les and Vince (Joey’s Dad, #00). Huge thanks to the track workers and the paramedics who attended to Jason immediately after the accident. Finally, to my lovely awesome wife of nearly 11 years and daughter who put up with what has become something of an obsession.
Father’s Day weekend was the first night race of the RAKC. Jason was, of course, excited to be racing again, never mind that it was a night race! We arrived somewhat early after picking up some oil at Faster Motors, as there was none to be found anywhere in our stock. Even the motor was dry. The pits were also a bit crowded because we needed to jam everyone into the parking area next to the track due to lots of June Sprint campers. That’s right, we had to watch auto racing between the go kart sessions.
Practice was expected to start at 4:30, but they decided that since there was already a bunch of folks there, practice would start at 3:30 and they would add an extra session. After rushing to the track, we managed to get some laps on an empty track for the first practice session. No lap times were recorded, since the beacon was not set up yet. We missed the second practice session because of the noise of the race cars and a lack of schedule, and our own negligence. Easton had the track to himself. The third practice session was canceled due to rain.
Boy did it rain. It rained pretty hard for about 30 to 40 minutes. Brandon and I grabbed Easton’s kart and tossed it into his trailer. We then jammed Jason’s kart into the back of the truck, running over a bunch of things and nicely wedging it in. There were several challenges during the race delay, including but not limited to: keeping two bouncy kids from getting their racing suits and shoes soaked, not getting too wet ourselves, preventing the awning from blowing away, and avoiding getting hit by lighting. Once I rearranged things in the truck, the boys were able to sit on the tool boxes in the back and stay dry. It was raining hard enough that there was a small river running from the road directly through our shelter and under the truck, and the wind filled the chairs with rain water off the awning. At the track, I like to wear motorcycle boots with steel toes, which meant my feet stayed dry, Brandon was not so lucky.
Once the rain stopped, the big track lent the little track some equipment to dry it off. After the blower truck, brush tractor, and track vacuum did their thing it was still too wet for racing.
Because the campground is right next to the track and there are other neighbors, there is no racing after 10pm. So we had to get started by 6:30 or run shortened races. After consulting with the drivers, it was decided to send a bunch of karts out on the track to give it a final dry. About an hour later, around 7pm, the kids were on the grid and ready to go for a shortened first 4 lap heat.
Left the clear visor at home. The other karts where dark spots on a dark track.
Jason and his kart really out-classed the other racers. Easton’s kart was having performance issues and the other racer was very new. In both heats Jason passed both of his competitors. He managed to stay clean and lapped at least one of them, and finished just behind the other. For the feature race he pretty much did the same thing. This kind of win is actually not that much fun. Having someone to actually race against makes you feel like you have earned something. Despite the lack of competition he was very excited with his first win and had a great big grin on his face after weigh in as he headed for the winner’s circle.
For the race and the heats I stood on the first corner with a yellow flag. This was the one spot that did not get dried by the trucks and karts because it was not part of the big track and only used by the kid karts. Thankfully, it was pretty sloped and had dried nearly completely on its own. Ultimately the kids made through this corner with out any problems.
One thing I noted while watching them race, is that Jason is getting off the gas very early and entering the corner very low (close to the inside). If he stays on the gas with that line he will spin out. If he learns to enter the corner higher (closer to the outside) he should be able to maintain more speed through the corner. I suspect that this is where he is losing most of his time. He is just about to break into the 29 second range; last season’s track lap times were in the area of 27 seconds.
Next week we will be practicing at CHMS with the hope of racing there in two weeks for their night race.
Last weekend we traveled to what is now called Briggs & Stratton Raceway Park to race with the Badger Kart Club. A few weeks ago we had our first practice at what was then called Badger Raceway. Having heard that they have up to 24 Kid Karts this year we decided that we should join them for a race and see how it goes. We were not disappointed.
I was very impressed with race day. The club safety techs every kart before every race. Without a tech sticker, you do not race. We got our kart inspection sticker without any trouble. They also tech every helmet. Sadly, Jason’s helmet was only DOT certified and Badger requires SNELL 2005. Without missing a beat, the guy that checked our stuff said he had a spare kid helmet and had Jason try it on. After much pulling on the helmet, while it was attached to Jason’s head to make sure it fit, we were ready. I never got his name, never gave mine, he just lent us a helmet without question. I wish I was able to thank him personally at the end of the day, but could only find his son to pass on our thanks.
Badgers race days are fast and very well organized. They have a 100 or so racers and a dozen classes to manage. The Kid Kart classes squeeze in two practice sessions and two races between 10 am and 1 pm. There are two Kid Kart classes that they run separately – “regular”, for kids who know what they are doing and “novice” for the beginners. Jason was in the regular class and his practice sessions went very well. He started both of them in the back of the pack, which is fine since he is new to the track. He ran very cleanly and finished near where he started. He was able to make some passes and was passed without incident.
His first race he started 3rd. After being passed by two karts at the start he held his own in 5th, until, the battle in front of him caused two karts to spin and put him back in 3rd. That is where he ended the race. For the second race Jason started on the poll. He has not yet figured out how to start a race and lost 7 positions right off the start in the first corner. Later, he was passed by the other #99 kart and passed #74 right at the end for 8th place.
Overall, a really good day of racing. Jason’s favorite part was the fact that he got a trophy. After the last races weigh-in the kids jump out of their karts, run to the track office in full gear, and pick out a trophy. The trophies are donated by older racers.
This week’s thanks goes out to the helmet guy, Brian Julian for his advice and AC equipped trailer on the deadly hot weekend, my parents for coming and putting up with the heat and cheering on my son, and finally my awesome wife and daughter for coming, cheering, and letting us do this crazy stuff all summer long.
My dad and I started going to Road America more than 20 years ago. After Jason was born, dad and I would speculate every year how old Jason would need to be in order to join us. Turns out the magic number is 7 years and 3 days. There were three generations of Pribyls loving the Spring Vintage Weekend this year. Not only did we get to watch vintage race cars around the big track on Friday and Sunday, Saturday was the first “points” race for Wild Duck Racing.
Jason in his first race Bugatti at the RA Vintage Races
After spending Friday strolling around the track, and Jason trying various vintage race cars on for size, Saturday morning started off very well with practice. The kids from last week where there and the results were the same, Jason and the kart performed very well.
It was a very hot day, but fortunately I had remembered to pack the pop-up awning and lawn chairs so that we could have some shade between races. One of the biggest concerns on a day like that is keeping the driver cool and hydrated. For the most part, Jason was content to flop in his chair and eat popsicles and drink 7UP. If only I could get him out of his suit or at least remove the top so that part of him was cooler!
Waiting for the feature
I was really glad to have my dad there to help out, and he was excited to get a pit pass and be on track for the race. He was very helpful getting the kart prepped and to the grid for racing. He also loved to watch the kids race. At this level of racing every corner and pass it exciting, you never know when a kids is going to figure out some new trick or quickly learn from a mistake. One thing they all learned to do was start in a double file pace lap before the start just like in Nascar and Indy.
The results for the day were very disappointing but not for anything Jason did. I am very proud of Jason for knowing that it was OK to be sad and angry, but there was nothing that could have been done. He was feeling much better after a post race ice cream sandwich. After the race I asked him if he would have preferred to sit out the feature race and saved the kart, or raced and tried to win. He said “I wanted to win”. It is hard to argue with that.
Heat 1: Win Heat 2: Did not finish (DNF) – the chain jumped Feature: DNF – chain jumped, really broken motor mount
It is not supposed to be this way.
For the next two weeks, the plan is to put the kart back together and get in some track time at CHMS. We head off to Badger Karting Club for a race on June 10th, and our next Road America race will be June 16th.
Not only did he spend his day racing, he spent rest of his day running around the race track with some new friends.
All of our hard work paid off last weekend and Jason “won” his first race. (We don’t really keep score with Kid Karts.) While there were only two other racers it is still an accomplishment, since this was his first day on this track. Still lots of work to do in order to stay competitive. We are off to a great start and the next race should be more challenging with more racers.
The race day format consists of practice sessions followed by 2 heats and then a final. Jason won the first heat and came in second in the second heat after a bobbled corner. He was passed by both of the other drivers, though one was already lapped and still technically behind him.
The final race was very exciting with lead changes and passing. After bobbling corner #1 Jason was passed by #84, who was on the same lap. Jason stuck with him and was able to pass as they both lapped #4 during a three kart wide run down the front straight. Just a few more laps to go and he just needed to run clean. Jason had built a lead of 10 or so kart lengths and the checkered flag was flying as he came out of he final corner. Then a horrible clanging sound came from the kart. He pressed on the gas, the engine raced and nothing happened at the wheels. The drive chain had fallen off! As the the karts came up fast from behind, Jason’s kart started to slow. Just as #84 was about to reach him, Jason coasted across the finish line to get the win. Back in the pits I found the chain was a bit too loose and had jumped the sprocket.
the weekend at 
