Sanzaru Games Karting Championship – Race 9 & Series Recap
| Date | Oct 30, 2016 |
|---|---|
| Track | Simraceway, Sonoma, CA |
| Configuration | Pro National |
| Total Drivers | 6 |
| Qualify Position / Time | P5 / 1:02.598 (Wet) |
| Heat Race 1 Position / Best Lap | P4 / 1:01.222 (Wet) |
| Main Race Position / Best Lap | P6 / :56.604 (Wet) |
| Points Earned / Series Points | 140 / 1335 |
| Standings Position | 3/22 |
Photo by Tony Leone, Dromo Photos
Practice
I had pretty strong practice sessions both Friday and Saturday. Every time I went out on the track, I cut my lap times down significantly and I was arguably the fastest driver in my class during those days. As I experimented with PK, my mechanic, we learned several important things that would give me a good advantage against the competition for the final race.
Photo by Tony Leone, Dromo Photos
Qualify
Since all I needed to do was finish the race and not get DQ'ed to secure 3rd in the championship, I decided to just drive consistently and not push too hard. I qualified in P5.
Photo by Tony Leone, Dromo Photos
Heat Race
I knew that on the start of the heat race, someone was going to spin out in front of me. I decided to hang back on turn 1 and watch as my prediction unfolds. I made the corner and finished the heat race at a steady pace to finish in P4. Ideally, starting on the outside of the grid for the main race should be beneficial for me because I would be starting on the rain-line.
Main
I got somewhat distracted on the start because the driver behind me was pushing hard, so my focus wasn't 100 percent as it should have been. Austin Elliott was able to get the jump on me during the start, and I found myself in P5 for half of the race. At one point, my brakes failed, and the kart couldn't slow down enough before the next corner. I had to drive into the mud, which allowed Alex Marquez to drive by me. I was able to catch back up to him, but didn't have enough time to perform a safe overtake. On the last lap, I went for a dive bomb into Monaco, but couldn't make it stick, which meant that I would be finishing in P6.
With the 2016 Sanzaru Games Karting Championship coming to an end, I am very satisfied with how I finished, given that this is only my second year ever racing. I've improved a lot week after week, and still have yet to reach my limit. I look forward to racing next year in 2017 after I take a long break from karting. Just kidding, I'm not taking a break.
Photo by Tony Leone, Dromo Photos
Read about the other races from 2016 Sanzaru Games Karting Championship