Colorado Karting Tour Race #5 IMI 7/3/16

[CJKC]

Race Day Schedule IMI 07-03-2016
Gates Open – 6:30 am ……………….. Registration Open – 7:00a
Morning Warm Up (6 minute Sessions…… 8 minute blocks) 08:00 to 09:04
8:00 – Surface Magic Kid Kart
8:08 – Unser Karting Junior Max / Rotax Senior/Rotax Master/Open TaG
8:16 – Karma Enterprises Micro Max
8:24 – Glass Works Mini Max /Race Life Jr2
8:32 – Kramer Roofing Jr1 Cadet
8:40 – Weifield Group LO206 Adult
8:48 – American Sprinkler Jr1
8:56 – Open Shifter
9:20 Mandatory Drivers Meeting (Attendance Taken)
Qualifying (8 minute Session…… 10 minute block) 9:50 TO 11:00
09:50 – Surface Magic Kid Kart
10:00 – Unser Karting Junior Max / Rotax Senior/Rotax Master/Open TaG
10:10 – Karma Enterprises Micro Max
10:20 – Glass Works Mini Max /Race Life Jr2
10:30 – Kramer Roofing Jr1 Cadet
10:40 – Weifield Group LO206 Adult
10:50 – American Sprinkler Jr1
11:00 – Open Shifter
Pre Final (Lap times are in bold) 11:00 TO 12:45
11:10 – 8 Laps – Surface Magic Kid Kart
11:25 – 12 laps – Unser Karting Junior Max/ Rotax Senior/Rotax Master/Open TaG
11:40 – 10 laps – Karma Enterprises Micro Max
11:45 – 10 laps – Glass Works Mini Max /Race Life Jr2
Lunch (12:00-12:30)
12:30 – 10 laps – Kramer Roofing Jr1 Cadet
12:45 – 10 laps – Weifield Group LO206 Adult
1:00 – 10 laps – American Sprinkler Jr1
1:15 – 10 laps – Open Shifter

Finals (Lap times are in bold) 1:30 TO 4:05
1:30 – 12 laps – Surface Magic Kid Kart
1:45 – 18 laps – Unser Karting Junior Max/ Rotax Senior/Rotax Master/Open TaG
2:05 – 15 laps – Karma Enterprises Micro Max
2:30 – 15 laps – Glass Works Mini Max /Race Life Jr2
2:55 – 15 laps – Kramer Roofing Jr1 Cadet
3:20 – 15 laps – Weifield Group LO206 Adult
3:45 – 15 laps – American Sprinkler Jr1
4:10 – 15 laps – Open Shifter
4:45 B2 Energy Trophy Presentation

[Eric Gunderson]

Colorado Karting Tour Race Report: Round 5: IMI Motorsports Park, Counter-Clockwise

The Colorado Karting Tour made yet another trip to Dacono, Colorado’s IMI Motorsports Park for Round 5 of the series. The race day saw a return to what many consider the ‘normal’ direction for racing at IMI, running the course counter-clockwise. While warm, the race day was pleasant for the majority of the day, with strong gusts and even some rain making an appearance near the end. Despite the holiday weekend, 73 racers were on hand to take part in the action.

The mighty Surface Magic Kid Karts demonstrated poise and patience at SBR, and expectations for great racing action were high heading into Round 5. After a disappointing finish to his race in Round 4, #22 Archer Eversman was looking for redemption, and a little bit of luck at the flowing IMI circuit. In qualifying it appeared that Eversman had not lost any of his pace from previous races, turning a time of 44.285 seconds to handily secure the pole position. Hudson Morrow placed his #55 in second, just a handful of tenths behind Eversman. Both #17 Gianni Brienza and #4 Colt Sekich impressed with notably improved pace in qualifying, securing the 5th and 6th positions, respectively. As the healthy field of kid karts slowly wound their way around the track for the start of the heat race, the drivers kept the pack together tightly, to the delight of the officials and spectators lining the fence. At the drop of the green Hudson Morrow swept around Eversman on the outside heading into turn 1. Behind them, the pack scrambled for position, and contact in the middle of the pack allowed the leaders to slip away. Now a two kart race at the front, Eversman dogged Morrow for the lead without relent, but Morrow was having none of it, holding his position with the experience of a veteran. Nearing the final lap, Eversman capitalized on a bobble by Morrow at the top of the track, and swept alongside #55. The two inched closer and closer together, vying for the top spot. Neither driver was willing to give an inch, and contact was made coming onto the main straight. Eversman was able to continue on, but Morrow was not, and was relegated to watch the final circuit from the infield. At the finish it would be Eversman, followed by Brienza, who had avoided other incidents deeper in the field to elevate himself to 2nd. Sekich would come home 3rd, and Gage Korn would take 4th. After a truly wild heat race, many thought that the final would be just as wild. One person who wanted no part of the chaos was Archer Eversman, who immediately began to open up his advantage at the drop of the green. Hudson Morrow had the bit between his teeth, and within 2 laps had elevated himself from 7th to 3rd in the running. By lap 3, Morrow had wrestled 2nd away from Brienza, who had held the position in the opening laps. Further back in the field #51 Joelle Lewis expertly worked her way through the field, methodically working her way forward to finish on the podium in 3rd at the end of the race. Both Korn and Dosmann struggled in the final, and would fall to finish behind Brienza in the final tally. At the line, Eversman took the checkered, followed by hard chargers Morrow and Lewis. Brienza would take a solid 4th, with Gage Korn rounding out the top 5.

The Unser Karting Combined Junior Max, Rotax Senior, Master, and Open TAG event saw a veteran return to the mix, with #276 Everest Fedler take the top spot in qualifying with a time of 55.691. #217 Liam Letzsch and #222 Cody Dempster were nearly inseparable from each other by time, and took 2nd and 3rd. At the drop of the green for the heat, Fedler gained the early advantage, but was followed closely by Letzsch and Dempster. Soon, however, Fedler and Dempster began to open up an advantage over Letzsch, and ran nose to tail before Dempster made his move on lap 3. Starting deep in the field, #313 Mason Frank was now closing in on the lead duo, and on lap 5 wrestled the top spot away from Fedler. Fedler wasn’t going to give in without a fight, and re took the lead two short laps later. Frank bided his time, and re took the lead for good from Fedler one lap later, holding it for the remainder of the heat. As the green flag flew for the main,Fedler leaped into the lead, with Dempster in tow. In a pattern reminiscent of the heat Dempster and Fedler quickly began to open up a gap over the rest of the field, making it clear that the race would be won or lost between the lead pair. In the opening laps the lead pair traded positions multiple times, putting on an expert display of racecraft before Dempster wrestled the lead away for good on lap 5. The lead pair would run closely together for the remainder of the race. Behind them, Letzsch soldiered on in 3rd, while #304 Derek Martin ran a solid 4th. In the opening laps, a quarrel over track space between Frank and #216 Weston McDonald-Clatt relegated Frank to the pits with a flat tire. At the line, Dempster took the victory followed by Fedler hot on his heels. Letzsch would come third, Martin 4th, and #205 Nathan Martin in 5th.

A new class was featured at IMI for Round 5: Karma Enterprises Micro Max. In the hopes that a separate race might spur more participation in the class, The Colorado Karting Tour was successful, with the number of entries for the event numbering more than twice as high as previous events. In qualifying, #18 Gabby Brienza set the pace with a time of 1:05.552. #7 Chase Groff and #82 Trayc Walker-Scott were 2nd and 3rd, respectively. In the heat it was all Brienza out front, but a hard charging Trayc Walker-Scott made it known that he was going to be a factor, closing to within .243 seconds at the line. Groff held off Walker-Scott in the opening laps, but would settle for 3rd at the line. Behind the lead trio, #111 Joelle Lewis impressed in her first outing in a Micro Max, progressively finding pace throughout the day for 4th. Zach Morris retired early due to a mechanical issue. At the drop of the green for the main, it was again Brienza that assumed the lead. Groff caught Walker-Scott sleeping on the start, and took the 2nd position away for the opening laps of the race. Walker-Scott found his pace again, and would find his way past Groff on lap 6. With Groff handled, Walker-Scott set his sights on Brienza. #82 would have to look a long way down the track, however, as Brienza was well in the lead, and would take a commanding victory at the checkered by a margin of over 9 seconds. At the line Brienza and Walker-Scott were followed by Groff, #199 Zachary Morris, and Lewis.

In a slight schedule change, the Open Shifter category moved to 3rd in the order following unanimous decision amongst the competitors in the class. The story of the day was newcomer Harry Voigt, who placed his slick looking #21 Mach 1 on pole with a time of 53.924. Shifter veteran #17 Xavier Romero was close behind in 2nd, with #23 Evan Lipsky impressing in his class debut in 3rd. At the drop of the green for the heat it was Romero who got the advantage. However, this advantage was short lived, as Voigt made his way by on the 3rd lap, and never looked back. Romero wrestled his kart around the track for 2nd at the line, while #94 Scott Granger came from the back of the pack to finish 3rd at the line. At the drop of the green for the main it was again the veteran Romero who shot into the early lead. It was again short lived, however, as Voigt had Romero in his sights, and made quick work of him by lap 3 to take the lead yet again. From there, Voigt never looked back, and would open up an immense lead over the course of the 15 lap contest. Class newcomer Lipsky would have some mechanical issues for the final, and would be forced to retire on lap 4. As a result, Granger would be elevated to 3rd, while #525 Pat Searcy would take advantage of the shifter category to enjoy some track time in his DD2 machine for a 4th place finish. At the line, Voigt took the checkered by 10 seconds, followed by Romero, Granger, Searcy, and Lipsky.

The Glass Works Mini Max and Junior 2 field saw a familiar kart set the pace in qualifying: #105, Joe Brienza. Fresh off a successful trip to Utah for national competition, Brienza placed his Tonykart on pole with a time of 58.875. #198 Cameron Lazaroff made it clear that he had his sights set on the front of the pack, qualifying a close 2nd, followed by #7 Payton Johnson. As the field came to the green for the beginning of the heat race, the front pair got a little antsy, and it took a couple tries to get the racing under way. Once the race went green, Brienza wasted no time taking over the top spot, helped in part by the fierce battle raging behind him. Lazaroff drove aggressively to hang on to the 2nd spot for a number of laps before Macy Williams slipped by in her #114. Lazaroff never let Williams out of his sight, but was forced to settle for 3rd for the heat. In the main the leaders minded their ‘P’s and Q’s’ at the start. Brienza once again took the early advantage, but Williams and Lazaroff seemed to have upped their game from the heat race, and applied pressure to #105 for the first few circuits of the IMI circuit. Once he found his pace, Brienza ran a consistent race to slowly open up an advantage over the duo running for 2nd, who ran nose to tail for much of the race. Williams held onto the 2nd for the majority of the distance, Lazaroff bided his time, looking for a place to make his move. On lap 11 Lazaroff swept to the inside heading down the back stretch to take over 2nd, but Williams battled back swiftly to re take the position a handful of laps later. At the line it was all Brienza, who had ruled the day, and would now take the top spot. Williams would finish 2nd, followed by Lazaroff, Johnson, and #118 Jack Armstrong. Bridget Weidner soldiered on to take the win in the Junior 2 category, and showed improved pace over CKT’s previous visits to the IMI circuit.

The Kramer Roofing Junior 1 Cadet category has demonstrated great racing over the last few events, and expectations were high that this event would be no different. In qualifying #54 Jennifer Baker showed that hard work and experience pays off in spades on the stop watch, turning a lap of 1:05.254 to handily secure the pole position. Trayc Walker-Scott took the 2nd position, with Dylan Archer setting the 3rd fastest time. In the heat race Baker roared into the lead at the drop of the green, with Walker-Scott and Archer in tight formation behind her. As the race progressed the lead trio separated themselves from the rest of the field by a substantial margin, with Archer and Walker-Scott engaging in a thrilling battle for 2nd and 3rd throughout the contest. Behind them, #11 Vaughn Weber threw his hat into the ring at one point, climbing as high as 3rd before he was relegated to 4th at the checkered. At the line it was Baker taking the win, followed by Walker-Scott and Archer. As the field came to the line for the main, it was Walker-Scott gaining the advantage over Baker. This advantage did not last for long, however, as Baker reassumed the point by lap 3 in commanding fashion. As in the heat race, the leaders began to check out, with karts #54, #8, and #61 flashing over the line nose to tail for much of the race. The leaders were setting a torrid pace, and all was well up front for Baker until lap traffic came into play. Baker attempted to pass on the outside, but was forced to falter. Walker-Scott and Archer pounced on the bobble, and swept pass the frustrated Baker. Baker put her head down and went to work, first passing Archer, and then eventually Walker-Scott to re take the lead to the excitement of the crowd. Behind the intense action at the front, #7c Brian Bradley, #43c Brody Moore, and Vaughn Weber engaged in a spirited battle. Slightly further back, #89 Jackson Holck, #28 Deanna Hoffman, and #5 Alex McPherson engaged in a similarly thrilling contest. At the line it would be Baker taking a hard-earned victory, followed by Walker Scott, Archer, Bradley, and Weber. As the drivers came in from the track, parents clapped, high fives were given, and the general mood was on of excitement at the truly spectacular demonstration of race craft these young drivers had put on for officials, parents, and fans alike.

Few would argue that the Weifield Group LO206 class has provided the most affordable, consistently exciting racing for adults in Colorado so far this season. At IMI, it seemed that many in other classes decided to join the fun, with an impressive field of 21 karts taking to the track for the final. The thunderous noise of the LO206 field was so immense at Round 5 that walking amongst them one could feel the ground slightly shake in staging. In qualifying, #5 William Barkley set the pace, turning a lap of 1:07.842, narrowly edging fellow front runner #173 Adam Kasick for the top spot. #14 Ryan Williams impressed many at Round 5, qualifying a solid 3rd. In LO206 Heavy competition, #403 Jeremy Davis lead the way with a time of 1:09.438, followed by #47 Randy Flores, and #2 Rodney Ebersole. As the field came to the green for the heat, the fences were packed with people, excited to see such a large field in Colorado. Kasick got the jump on the start, and lead the immense pack into turn 1. Barkley held onto 2nd for a handful of laps, before #2 Austin Chalman elevated himself to follow Kasick at the front of the field. The lead trio would run this way for the remainder of the event, with Kasick taking the victory over Chalman and Barkley. Further back in the field, Davis headed the LO206 Heavy competition, followed by Flores and Ebersole at the line. In the final Kasick again shot out into an early lead. However, it seemed that Austin Chalman had made some drastic changes to his Tonykart, and on lap 2 he would assume the point with no intention of letting go. Chalman would gradually open up a sizeable advantage, to take a well-earned victory at the end of the 15 lap contest. Behind him #34 Mason Frank worked his way through the field in both the heat and the main to finish 2nd in the final tally. After a battle in the opening laps, Barkley would get the best of #13 Henry Korn to take 3rd. Korn would finish in 4th, followed by #205 Nathan Martin after a healthy battle with brother #304 Derek Martin and Ryan Williams. In LO206 action it was Randy Flores taking the victory over Davis, and an impressive run by #11 Mike Weber for 3rd.

Last but certainly not least, the much anticipated American Sprinkler Junior 1 class was set to be a heated contest from the start of the day. In qualifying #99 impressed with a time of 1:01.384, narrowly beating consistent front runners #78 Tim Trostel and #14 Macy Williams. Nolan Payne got the jump at the start of the heat, but he was not left alone up front, as Williams and Trostel battled for position behind him before Williams made her move on lap 3 to take the lead from Payne. #61 Cole Tuttle and Trostel also slipped by Payne in the maneuver, relegating Payne to 4th. One lap later, Trostel took his Margay to the front, leading the pack of 4 for several circuits before Williams retook the lead on lap 9. Coming into the final few corners, Trostel again dove to the inside. Williams expected the move, and on the exit of the corner drove alongside Trostel to challenge again for the lead. The two inched closer together, and Trostel found his way into the dirt on the exit of the turn, which allowed Payne and Tuttle to slip by at the checkered. #43 Max Frank ran close behind the lead quartet throughout, and would come home 5th. As the final drew closer for the Junior 1 field, the clouds began to darken, and rain began to fall. Despite the rain, the determination was made to begin the event. At first, the drivers drove cautiously through the treacherous conditions. However, a spin by several drivers after only part of the opening lap caused CKT Officials to red flag the race, and allow teams and drivers to seek shelter while the race was delayed for a complete restart. The race was declared a wet race, and crew members scrambled to place wet weather setups and tires on karts while the rain continued to pour down. However, just as the time limit for adjustments were about to expire, the sky cleared, and the track quickly dried. Archer and Trostel, involved in the opening lap melee, elected to start in the back after making repairs. As the field came around for another attempt at the green, Williams took the early lead, followed by Payne and Frank. Trostel would not be held behind the rest of the field for long, and by lap 3 he was in 3rd, driving his heart out to catch up to the lead duo. Tuttle followed Trostel’s example, and was in 4th by the 5th circuit. Williams would battle with Payne on lap 11 of the contest, but maintained her composure to retake the top spot a lap later, a position she would hold for the remainder of the contest. At the checkered, Williams was followed by Payne, Trostel, Tuttle, and #5 Sam Klosowski.

After the races, CKT staff and competitors packed up, and enjoyed the B2 Energy trophy presentation. The raceday had presented new challenges for drivers and crew members, who battled hot weather, a rubbered-up racetrack, gusting winds, and even a thunderstorm during their raceday. Despite these conditions, the day had been a success, due in no small part to the racers, who demonstrated poise on the track, and went the extra mile to help each other out in the paddock. A special thanks should be extended to Chip, Ian, Doug, Eric, Makalie, Hunter, Kenny, Julie, and all the corner workers for working together to create a safe and fun environment for racers. In particular, the actions of corner workers Lee and Trevor of IMI, who went above and beyond expectations to create a safe environment near and on the race track. The Colorado Karting Tour would like to thank both parents and competitors for their conduct both on and off the track, and were moved by the immense demonstration of sportsmanship and class amongst competitors that was on display across all classes this past weekend.

If you’d like to reach out about racing with CKT, have constructive comments or suggestions for improvements, or have administrative questions, please contact the Colorado Karting Tour at [email protected]

The Colorado Karting Tour will travel next to Pikes Peak International Raceway on August 7, an event that will utilize a ‘temporary’ circuit, the construction of which is still in the finalization stages, with an examination of the facility by board members and officials in the works as of writing. This examination will be accomplished to ensure that a spacious and safe race track is in place for the next CKT event. The track will be ready for open practice on August 6. Please register for this event online at: http://coloradokartingtour.com/registration

For complete race results and lapcharts from IMI Round 5 see:
http://www.mylaps.com/en/events/1293254

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