Taft Racing
Member
The morning started early Saturday, hitting the road at 6:00am, found I 75 heading north covered in low lying clouds, It was already mid 70's and as the sun crept over the horizon it started to burn off the heavy wet clouds.
As we pulled into Cross Roads Motoplex drive, the line was already backing up. Clouds still covering the high pine's, The track had received a tremendous amount of rain leading up to this race day. Water was high in the front pond the track, soil loaded with moisture. Cross Roads is spitting distance to the Georgia border, and the Georgia red clay was dark groomed and ready for the karts to make their mark.
Wade Murphy and his staff had done a fantastic job prepping the surface, you'd never have known the infield was a pond just a few days earlier.
The facility was hosting the Maxxis series state race this day, They took us in on late notice and made us feel part of their program blending us in and going out of their way to get us on the track at premium condition points.
The guys were in for a treat, Maxxis series had a timing system and the program was run on a professional well organized well laid out program.
As practice time came around our guys hit the track last giving these high HP karts every chance at a worked in surface, first round ran about 12 laps more than enough time for our guys to take a read, second round the track began to turn black with rubber.
By the time qualifying came around the surface was hard solid black and mountains of bite.
Every one looked to see who was going to lay down that fast lap, One of our Jasper Champs from over a year ago was Wayne Alderman, Wayne was hoping for a stellar day and was met with a day of unexpected thrashing. In the first round of hotlaps Wayne destroyed a clutch, in a effort to rebuild then replace he missed round 2 and took to qualifying with little track time at all.
Wayne quickly found a serious over sight as his 131 Sudam hit peak rpm only 30 ft off turn 4 heading to take the green flag. In a hurry they forgot to check the tooth count on the borrowed Victor Peters clutch. Wayne had to just except a back of the pack start correct the gear change and then do all he could to recover the day.
We also welcomed a new driver to the AllStar line up, Chad Houdini sat in for Brandon Wells in the bad to the Bone Honda 390. Chad a champion stock kart driver found the big HP of the 390 a hand full to hook up, But kept it straight well enough to qualify 4th 13.774 first time in the seat.
Fast Eddie Schriefels had taken the track first out and had already laid down a 13.467 on his first lap, This would earn Ed one more of a stack of pole positions over many years, Peters, Nicosia Howe, Dorn one by one they took shots at the pole but none could top Ed's effort.
Qualifying ended in order.
Ed Schriefels
Victor Peters
Mike Nicosia
Chad Houdini
Wayne Howe
Heath Dorn
Hoppy Hoskinson
Brad Nicosia
Wayne Alderman
The field was set, In the drivers meeting earlier, Ed was jonesing for the good old days and a group over sight at the tower. As we met and went over the days agenda I relayed the new starting rule of letting the guys bring the karts up to speed entering turn 3, This was a change I made to help stretch the field out so the infamous turn one wreck would most likely be avoided. It would also help Ed from jumping the start some thing he's grown famous for LOL. Well winning the pole this worked right into Ed's favor, now he was legal to take off going into turn 3.
Here's where the day changed some for our guys. After qualifying before noon, we sat as the day crept by waiting for the Maxxis award program extended qualifying and then 11, classes took the field before the AllStars, The sun had baked the track and Wade and staff kept a steady round after round of water, The black hard surface had been softened and the grains of sand flushed up from under the black rubber coating. With gear and tire changes for the new surface we still took to the track before dark. and the boys did not disappoint.
The roar of the Dogpound once again took to the Jasper race track, 2 quick hot laps then a couple more in line as Victor Peters crew recovered from a broken starter and his twin TT 75's came to life. Joining the field on the outside pole and as Ed Scriefels led the crew down the back straight, and then they fired.
Ed quickly took the lead on the bottom Victor dropped right in behind, the 2 pulled several kart lengths on the field going into turn one,
Mike Nicosia brought his Sudam up to speed settled in and began his charge to reel in the 2 leaders, Houdini light the fire on that 390 but the back end stepped out and he struggled to keep in on track the field fired by down his inside, Alderman had found his correct gear but laid back some his tires warming but not finding the bite just yet, Houdini quickly regrouped and started to charge the field from behind.
Up front Ed holding a comfortable separation from Peters, and as Victor looked for lines, charging the corners to draw in on Ed, but Ed would roll in and then was clearly the first on the throttle off, That Billit Sudam was on the pipe and making some serious power. Ed would pull a couple kart lengths then Peters would drive in using the power of the twins once straight and drive right back up on Ed, By this time Nicosia had found his rhythm, Mike inched his way to Peters bumper, again Mike chose the same tactic, drive in hard then loose some off, the rubber band would stretch and retract the entire race between these guys, the fans watched looking for a break a mistake a blunder, but none were found these guys were flying low with no permits, The best show of the day.
That is if you weren't noticing the almost identical race just behind, Heath Dorn led the field from 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th bumper to bumper some touching but no bashing, these guys found the speed and they were in a very intense battle, First Houdini was picking his way getting by Alderman ,then he'd mess a corner up Alderman took him back, again he charged passing young Brad Nicosia, then again on Alderman then Hoppy, driving up on Howe Houdini again over shot a corner loosing all he gained, That was enough, after 4 other classes and a tremendous effort he was done pulling off before he made a bad move and causing any issues. Back to the racing, Alderman put pressure on Hoppy, his tires came in and he was rolling to the front. then to Howe.
Wayne Howe was all over Heath Dorn, Heath had stuck his bullet in practice and just didn't have the HP to hold off Howe any more. Howe made his move going into turn 3, got under Dorn and as he made the pass they touched and that's all it took Dorn spun off between 3-4 Heath looped but kept her running and returned to the race.
Now we had Alderman driving up to make several attempts at passing Howe, the 2 were a straight behind the leaders but had matched the lap times, with action now all over the track we had Schriefels Peters Nicosia battling tight at high speed lap after lap, Howe Alderman battling for 4th/5th and a charging Heath Dorn pulled up on Hoppy Hoskinson for for 6th-7th where ever you looked the high pitch of screaming high HP karts battled for position, by far and away these guys put on a show for the crowd.
Always pulling the people to the fence they had what they came to see, a great race, one of our best ever.
As the checkers flew Ed Schriefels yet another win under his belt, Peter's Nicosia a paper sheet wouldn't fit between these 3 guys. What a Barn Burner this race turned into from front to back nobody lifted. Ed "The BullDog" Schreifels showed how he earned his nick name he never let loose of the front not for a second.
Alderman a last ditch effort but fell short as Howe just kept his line clean fast and drove in for 4th. and as the Heath Dorn and Hoppy Hoskinson rounded turn 4 for the checkered flag Heath got under Hoppy he never lifter going for the spot they touched and Hoppy spun the 131 Sudam full throttle coming to the flag a complete 360 degree turn and Dorn took the spot, What a cap to a wild bad fast amazing race. Once again these guys made the Dog pound proud.
The finishing order
Ed Schriefels fast lap 13.803
Victor Peters
Mike Nicosia
Wayne Howe
Wayne Alderman
Heath Dorn
Hoppy Hoskinson
Bradley Nicosia
Chad Houdini
Congratulations the Ed Schriefels and the entire Cross Roads Motoplex crew what show what a race and what a day, Thank you guys it's a real pleasure to work with you guys.
