Kartshooter
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Story by Bruce C. Walls
Action Sports Photos by
Bruce C. Walls and
Susan Taylor-Walls
JACKSONVILLE, FLA-On April 21st weather radar showed a break between storms passing over Jacksonville, Florida where racers from both of the American Sprint Cup tours kicked off their seasons with a North/South Shootout Presented by VEGA Tire at Jacksonville, Florida’s 103rd Street Sports Complex. Sunday wasn’t looking much better weather wise, so at Saturday morning’s Drivers Meeting AKRA CEO and President, Bill McCutcheon presented racers several options. They decided to take advantage of the break between storms and run both days racing during that timespan. That choice proved best of the options.
Naples, FL native Colin Warren started his 2018 season where he left off in 2017. The 20-year-old TS Racing powered VLR chassis produced four wins capturing checkers in each days TaG Senior and 206 CIK Senior Medium. Warren whizzed around the .5-mile asphalt course that boasts a high-banked Monza leading into a 1,000 foot straightaway. Warren covered the distance in 36.312 seconds for Saturday’s TaG Senior’s outside pole. Pole winner Collin Cornell spun a 36.312 seconds trip for the pole beating Warren by just 0.008 seconds.
Warren shot by Cornell at the Heat race’s green flag. From there Warren opened a 1.223 seconds finish line advantage over Cornell. Warren was perfect in the Feature. This time his took the final flag with a huge 4.4.899 seconds over Cornell.
“The two TaG classes were good,” Warren said, “It was pretty fast today. The track was wet early on today so it was a little bit of a struggle to get the kart going, but after we got the kart going it was fast We had good races and fun races.”
Sunday Warren won TaG Senior’s Heat race over Cornell by a lap. When it counted Cornell was 3.468 seconds behind Warren.
“The 206 classes were fun. We had a smaller field so I was racing against some of the Vintage cars. ”The karts were pretty good. It was fun seeing the new karts racing with the older karts seeing the difference between the older karts and the new karts.
The kart handled great today, I had it hooked up good all day.”
Macon, GA based Bob Barthelemy won three classes that Saturday. Piloting a Razor chassis powered by a Steve Roberts Racing Motor, Barthelemy bagged both Vintage 350Super Stock Feature wins in both Target Distributing Vintage 350 offerings and he was also Sunday’s Diversified Plumbers 206 Masters winner. In Sunday’s 206 CIK Medium Barthelemy completed the 10-lap race in 6:59.895.45 minutes, 10.159 seconds ahead of Ed McKenzie.
“We were blessed to get the race in much less get the win with the weather,” Barthelemy said adding, “Joey’s (Miller) the competition in that class (L0206). I couldn’t do anything with him in Saturday’s race. Sunday I was able to get the jump on them unfortunately he (Miller) had mechanical problems and I went on to win it.”
Miller, of Callahan, FL is the defending AKRA 206 Masters champion. Saturday Miller turned a 45.924 seconds qualifying lap. But it was Barthelemy who turned the pole time with a 44. 322 seconds lap. McKenzie and Kevin Medearis started behind them in row two.
Miller shot by Barthelemy rocketing into a 1.632 seconds advantage at the Heat race’s finish. Barthelemy hung with Miller in the feature, but was 0.970 seconds behind Miller’s Margay MGM machine. Medearis and McKenzie followed in third and fourth.
Sunday Miller took the Heat race checkered flag with a comfortable 1.069 seconds cousionahead of Barthelemy. Miller shot into the Feature’s early lead. Then, as he was rounding the Monza his kart threw it’s chain leaving him eight laps down waiting for the pick up vehicle.
“We had a pretty good kart all weekend. Had some good racing with some friends from Georgia. Bob (Barthelemy) he’s always upfront. Had a good run on the second day’s race and then I had some bad luck, threw a chain,” Miller said. I’d like to thank Andy Jones from Busted Knuckle Racing, Paul (Rice) from MGM, Stevie from Robert’s Racing, Capps Racing and my son Brently he helps out if I can keep him around long enough.”
Saturday 9-year-old Brently Miller spun Brad’s Heating and Cooling 206 Cadet’s pole lap. His time was 45.953 seconds. Starting next to him on the pole was Matthew Winter II who spun a 46.136 seconds pole-winning lap that was of 0.183 seconds faster than Miller’s time. Miller got the jump on Winter, II at the green flag and whizzed by him breezing across the finish line with a 7.189 seconds lead.
Also, Miller got a chance to try rain tires for the first time. “They’re not too bad,” he shrugged.
“Today was good. I had a better kart,” Miller explained. “The kart ‘handled good and the motor was good.”
Austin Williamson swept the TaG Junior offerings and won Sunday’s 206 Junior. Saturday the 15-year-old Appling, GA native produced RLV Exhaust Systems TaG Junior’s pole winning 39.092 seconds lap. From there with, Charley Ayers chasing him, he won both TaG Junior Heat and Features. In Saturday’s Heat race Williamson took the checkered flag with a1.223 seconds advantage over Ayers. In t he Feature race Williamson flew across the stripe 1.572 seconds ahead of Ayers.
Sunday’s Heat race had everyone to the fence before it was over. Williamson and Ayers battled back-and-forth down to the wire where just 0.001 seconds separated them for the event’s closest finish. Williamson picked up the pace in the Feature opening a 3.428 seconds lead across the finish line.
Elmer Edmonson cranked out a 44.453 seconds lap for RLV Exhaust Systems 206 Junior’s pole. Williamson was second fastest at 44.935 seconds 0.482 seconds off the pace. Alexander Searle and Will Miller rounded out the top four.
Searle came up with the Heat race win edging out Williamson by 0.180 seconds. Edmonson went on to win the Feature race over Williamson who was followed by Searle and Meeler for the top four.
Taylon Gaylord hit the track for 8-laps of R/T Leathers Kid Karts. “It was fun,” Gaylord beamed when his ride was over. “The kart handled good. I want to thank my mom and my dad and mi mi and my grandpa and I want to thank my sponsor TS Racing.”
Now the tours will separate and travel to tracks in their region for national points. Northern tour racers will compete at Nicholson Speedway in Chestertown, MD June 2-3 then they travel west to Thompson Speedway in Thompson, Ohio before finishing their 2018 season at Genesee Valley Speedway in Avon, NY.
The Southern tour kicks off June 2-3 at Bushnell Motor Sports Park in Bushnell, FL. From there they travel to Barnsville GA August 17-18.
Northern Tour racers’ visit two historic racetracks start their season June 28-29 at Nicholson Speedway in Chestertown, MD, which has been in continuous use since the early days of karting. Then they travel North to another historic karting venue Genesee Valley Kart Track in Avon, NY for a September 8-9 race. This year’s Grand Nationals will be hosted by Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, S.C. Photos can be seen at: actionpicsandpromos.com
Action Sports Photos by
Bruce C. Walls and
Susan Taylor-Walls
JACKSONVILLE, FLA-On April 21st weather radar showed a break between storms passing over Jacksonville, Florida where racers from both of the American Sprint Cup tours kicked off their seasons with a North/South Shootout Presented by VEGA Tire at Jacksonville, Florida’s 103rd Street Sports Complex. Sunday wasn’t looking much better weather wise, so at Saturday morning’s Drivers Meeting AKRA CEO and President, Bill McCutcheon presented racers several options. They decided to take advantage of the break between storms and run both days racing during that timespan. That choice proved best of the options.
Naples, FL native Colin Warren started his 2018 season where he left off in 2017. The 20-year-old TS Racing powered VLR chassis produced four wins capturing checkers in each days TaG Senior and 206 CIK Senior Medium. Warren whizzed around the .5-mile asphalt course that boasts a high-banked Monza leading into a 1,000 foot straightaway. Warren covered the distance in 36.312 seconds for Saturday’s TaG Senior’s outside pole. Pole winner Collin Cornell spun a 36.312 seconds trip for the pole beating Warren by just 0.008 seconds.
Warren shot by Cornell at the Heat race’s green flag. From there Warren opened a 1.223 seconds finish line advantage over Cornell. Warren was perfect in the Feature. This time his took the final flag with a huge 4.4.899 seconds over Cornell.
“The two TaG classes were good,” Warren said, “It was pretty fast today. The track was wet early on today so it was a little bit of a struggle to get the kart going, but after we got the kart going it was fast We had good races and fun races.”
Sunday Warren won TaG Senior’s Heat race over Cornell by a lap. When it counted Cornell was 3.468 seconds behind Warren.
“The 206 classes were fun. We had a smaller field so I was racing against some of the Vintage cars. ”The karts were pretty good. It was fun seeing the new karts racing with the older karts seeing the difference between the older karts and the new karts.
The kart handled great today, I had it hooked up good all day.”
Macon, GA based Bob Barthelemy won three classes that Saturday. Piloting a Razor chassis powered by a Steve Roberts Racing Motor, Barthelemy bagged both Vintage 350Super Stock Feature wins in both Target Distributing Vintage 350 offerings and he was also Sunday’s Diversified Plumbers 206 Masters winner. In Sunday’s 206 CIK Medium Barthelemy completed the 10-lap race in 6:59.895.45 minutes, 10.159 seconds ahead of Ed McKenzie.
“We were blessed to get the race in much less get the win with the weather,” Barthelemy said adding, “Joey’s (Miller) the competition in that class (L0206). I couldn’t do anything with him in Saturday’s race. Sunday I was able to get the jump on them unfortunately he (Miller) had mechanical problems and I went on to win it.”
Miller, of Callahan, FL is the defending AKRA 206 Masters champion. Saturday Miller turned a 45.924 seconds qualifying lap. But it was Barthelemy who turned the pole time with a 44. 322 seconds lap. McKenzie and Kevin Medearis started behind them in row two.
Miller shot by Barthelemy rocketing into a 1.632 seconds advantage at the Heat race’s finish. Barthelemy hung with Miller in the feature, but was 0.970 seconds behind Miller’s Margay MGM machine. Medearis and McKenzie followed in third and fourth.
Sunday Miller took the Heat race checkered flag with a comfortable 1.069 seconds cousionahead of Barthelemy. Miller shot into the Feature’s early lead. Then, as he was rounding the Monza his kart threw it’s chain leaving him eight laps down waiting for the pick up vehicle.
“We had a pretty good kart all weekend. Had some good racing with some friends from Georgia. Bob (Barthelemy) he’s always upfront. Had a good run on the second day’s race and then I had some bad luck, threw a chain,” Miller said. I’d like to thank Andy Jones from Busted Knuckle Racing, Paul (Rice) from MGM, Stevie from Robert’s Racing, Capps Racing and my son Brently he helps out if I can keep him around long enough.”
Saturday 9-year-old Brently Miller spun Brad’s Heating and Cooling 206 Cadet’s pole lap. His time was 45.953 seconds. Starting next to him on the pole was Matthew Winter II who spun a 46.136 seconds pole-winning lap that was of 0.183 seconds faster than Miller’s time. Miller got the jump on Winter, II at the green flag and whizzed by him breezing across the finish line with a 7.189 seconds lead.
Also, Miller got a chance to try rain tires for the first time. “They’re not too bad,” he shrugged.
“Today was good. I had a better kart,” Miller explained. “The kart ‘handled good and the motor was good.”
Austin Williamson swept the TaG Junior offerings and won Sunday’s 206 Junior. Saturday the 15-year-old Appling, GA native produced RLV Exhaust Systems TaG Junior’s pole winning 39.092 seconds lap. From there with, Charley Ayers chasing him, he won both TaG Junior Heat and Features. In Saturday’s Heat race Williamson took the checkered flag with a1.223 seconds advantage over Ayers. In t he Feature race Williamson flew across the stripe 1.572 seconds ahead of Ayers.
Sunday’s Heat race had everyone to the fence before it was over. Williamson and Ayers battled back-and-forth down to the wire where just 0.001 seconds separated them for the event’s closest finish. Williamson picked up the pace in the Feature opening a 3.428 seconds lead across the finish line.
Elmer Edmonson cranked out a 44.453 seconds lap for RLV Exhaust Systems 206 Junior’s pole. Williamson was second fastest at 44.935 seconds 0.482 seconds off the pace. Alexander Searle and Will Miller rounded out the top four.
Searle came up with the Heat race win edging out Williamson by 0.180 seconds. Edmonson went on to win the Feature race over Williamson who was followed by Searle and Meeler for the top four.
Taylon Gaylord hit the track for 8-laps of R/T Leathers Kid Karts. “It was fun,” Gaylord beamed when his ride was over. “The kart handled good. I want to thank my mom and my dad and mi mi and my grandpa and I want to thank my sponsor TS Racing.”
Now the tours will separate and travel to tracks in their region for national points. Northern tour racers will compete at Nicholson Speedway in Chestertown, MD June 2-3 then they travel west to Thompson Speedway in Thompson, Ohio before finishing their 2018 season at Genesee Valley Speedway in Avon, NY.
The Southern tour kicks off June 2-3 at Bushnell Motor Sports Park in Bushnell, FL. From there they travel to Barnsville GA August 17-18.
Northern Tour racers’ visit two historic racetracks start their season June 28-29 at Nicholson Speedway in Chestertown, MD, which has been in continuous use since the early days of karting. Then they travel North to another historic karting venue Genesee Valley Kart Track in Avon, NY for a September 8-9 race. This year’s Grand Nationals will be hosted by Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, S.C. Photos can be seen at: actionpicsandpromos.com