WKA National Road Racing Series
Virginia International Raceway
May 31, 2003

Thursday Dad, Charles and I packed the karts up and headed to Virginia International Raceway for the WKA National.

We got up there Thursday afternoon, got registered and got into bed early so we would have plenty of rest for the practice day Friday. All went well Friday as we all worked on gearing and re-learning the line. In the last session of the day I went into turn one and had no brakes. I managed to make the turn anyway, but not without going off course. Then, being the smart cookie I am, I took another lap around, only to find myself feet from the Armco. So I took my helmet off and waited for a tow.

Since Dad and Charles raced Saturday and I didn't go on track again until Sunday we worked on getting their karts ready. Saturday they both raced in PP Can Heavy along with Dave. After their race we went to work on my kart. Dave suggested bleeding the brakes first, so we did, and pumped a TON of air out of the line. Then dad worked more on them to be sure they were in working order for my race.

I started 13th on the grid for my race. I have been back and forth on what class to run, so at VIR I decided to race in Yamaha Medium with the pipe instead of the usual PP Can. There were 18-20 karts in my class. I got a decent start, but things were bunched up on the exit of pit lane. I went into turn one with confidence, but #12 was able to slip by me. We raced out of turn one up through 2, 3, 4 and 5. I managed to stay with everyone. Someone lost the hose clamp from their pipe and I ran right over it, so I could only hope that wouldn't cause trouble down the line. As we went into the braking zone to go up the hill I saw the pipe swing around on kart #9 and then he sat up and hit his kart...now I know who's hose clamp it was.

Things settled down after the first lap and the front runners gained a little on me. As I was going into turn one, braking from 94 mph to make the hairpin turn, #17 slipped inside of me and made the pass. I stayed right with him on the exit and through the next turns. As we went through the esses I got right up on him, but because they are a series of left-right-left I couldn't get by him. I tucked in behind and followed him. He gained some going through the "hog pen" and onto the front straight, but by the time we got to turn one I was back up on him. We made two laps like this and then #19 came from behind me to pass me going into turn one. He was all over #17 through turns 3 and 4. He made a move in the esses and I went with him. When we got on the straight 17 drafted by me to catch up to 19.

I got back by 17 through the esses and he got next to me at the top of the roller coaster. We went side by side through the roller coaster and I came out in front. 17 tried to pass me again going up the hill, but couldn't. Then he got next to me at the top of the roller coaster and made a clean pass, but I was able to stick right with him and go flat out through the hog pen onto the straight. As we went down the straight I passed him on the left, broke for turn one and realized my brakes had gone again. I went off the track, but managed to miss the mud puddle and got back on, but by then 17 and 19 were gone. I found that if I pumped my brakes I could slow down enough to make the turns. I passed some lapped traffic being very cautious. At one point I came up on three PP Cans on the straight. I went up the middle of them to make the pass, but had to brake real early for turn one.

As the race went on the brakes got worse. With 13 minutes left in the race I was rapidly approaching a six-way battle in the PP Can so I decided to turn onto pit road and call it quits. I knew there wasn't much I could do about the brakes and I didn't want to ruin anyone else's day. I came in and weighed 386 (I had to weigh 385).

The whole way home I smiled. VIR is a great track and we had a great time.