Sanzaru Games Karting Championship - Race 1
| Date | Apr 2, 2017 |
|---|---|
| Track | Simraceway, Sonoma, CA |
| Configuration | Reverse National |
| Total Drivers | 3 |
| Qualify Position / Time | P1 / :49.148 |
| Heat Race 1 Position / Best Lap | P1 / :49.606 |
| Heat Race 2 Position / Best Lap | P2 / :49.463 |
| Main Race Position / Best Lap | P2 / :49.575 |
| Points Earned / Series Points | 220 / 220 |
| Standings Position | 2/3 |
Practice
Picked up a strong pace on Saturday, which helped me transition into Sunday with some good confidence. At the end of the day, I was given the option to choose between two different tires. I decided to run the race on Hoosier tires over the Vega tires, thinking that the harder compound would give me an advantage in the long run.
Qualify
I qualified on Pole in Pro Stock Honda and 3rd overall, only a couple tenths off from two very fast Masters drivers who have a lot more driving experience than I do. I knew for a fact that not every lap was perfect that session, and that I do a lot better next time.
Photo by Tony Leone, Dromo Photos
Heat Race 1
I struggled on the race start for the first heat race, and found myself barely hanging on to P2 coming out of turn 1. The whole race was a very close battle between me, Zach Pettinicchi, and Robert Tifft. In the end, I came home in first, resulting in my first ever win in a heat.
Heat Race 2
The start of the second heat was a mess for me, as I nearly stalled out and dropped from first to third. I made my way back to second and finished in P2, meaning that I've secured pole position for the main race.
Main
I fixed the race start issue that I've been struggling with all day, and got a good launch when the green flag went up. For about 2/3 of the race, I was leading with Rob following closely behind on Vega Tires. Zach began falling behind, fatigued from racing all day at Willow Springs the day before.
Photo by Tony Leone, Dromo Photos
Photo by Tony Leone, Dromo Photos
On lap 11, my rear tires began to go away, and the loss of grip coming out of turn 1 was so sudden that I washed out wide and dropped a tire. That allowed Rob to take advantage of the moment and seize the lead. For the rest of the race, I struggled to adapt to these new conditions, and my pace dropped by almost 2 seconds. I finished in P2, confused with what went wrong and somewhat disappointed because I thought I could have had a shot at winning my first shifter race of it weren't for that little mistake that cost me the lead.
In the end, this was all another good learning experience, which will most definitely help me and the team be even more prepared for Challenge of the Americas.
Read about the other races from 2017 Sanzaru Games Karting Championship