Elite Karting World Championships
Daytona International Speedway
December 28-29, 2003

As usual, the day after Christmas we (Dad, Charles and I) set off to Daytona for the "Elite Karting World Championships."

After working all day on the 26th to get my kart together we stuffed it in the trailer at 2:30 and headed down to Daytona in hopes of getting to registration before it closed at 5. We made it and got registered for the upcoming events. Because this is a big event and three days we could race on two separte days. Charles and I chose to race in PP Can Lite and Medium. Dad chose only to race in PP Can Medium.

Saturday was strictly a test day. It was very laid back and things didn't get started until 10, so we (translation, Dad) had time to get the last few zeus fastners on my new kart. I went out in every practice session I could to learn more about the new CKI. What a dream to drive. Everywhere I pointed it, it would go. To some that means it wasn't loose enough, so I started working on that too. By the end of the day I was in the high 2:42s. I talked to Matt Mendenhall, who helped we with the set up of the new kart, and he said the fast guys were in the 41s, but I was happy with what I had done.

Sunday was the PP Can Lite race. This is a new class they created for those of us who are a little smaller. With the kart I only have to weigh 360lbs. I went out in the first practice session, drafted with another can and got down into the low 41s, I was happy. I decided that was it for me until the race.

I was very nervous before the race. This was my first race in a competitive kart in quite some time. I have raced other nationals before, but never with this many competitors and never with lap times that the leaders were turning. I started 6th or 7th on the grid. I got a great start and was in third place going into turn one. I held my ground and raced with the leaders up onto NASCAR turn 2. I followed them as closely as I could. At Daytona it's all about the draft. If you lose it you're done for. As we went down the straight a couple of guys drafted by me. I tucked in behind them and followed them to turn 1. I found that they broke a lot later than I did going into the turn, but then I pulled out of it so much faster than they did. I can't write, nevermind remember, the number of times I swapped places with the guys up front. Two or three broke away and slowly gained more and more on us. But there was a group of about five that stuck together.

A lot of laps I would pass someone going into turn three or five, then they'd draft by me on the straight. One time I passed Jim Fry coming out of six up onto the banking and would lead him down the straight, then he'd pass me in turn one. We were just back and forth, back and forth. Eventually it ended up being a train of three that I was in. Lance Fry, Jim Fry and then me. They are father and son and neither one would pass the other, so I was odd man out. When we came across the scales I had no idea where I finished. I was figuring 10th or 11th. Then I saw the tech sheet. I finished 7th. That's right, I had a great time and finished 7th in my first national with the new kart. I'm still grinning!!

Now on to Monday. With the first race out of the way my nerves were a little better. I felt more confidant in myself and the kart. Near the end of the race on Sunday the kart has started to push, so I talked to dad and we made some adjustments to the camber. I went out in the first practice with a 73 tooth gear and turned a 2:42. Because I was running Medium I had to add 25 pounds to my kart to make weight. The kart was still pushing pretty bad, so I came in, took caster out of the kart, put on new front tires and changed the gear. The tires and caster helped, but the gear was bad, so I changed back to what I had before and started the wait for the race.

The race came soon enough. This time Dad and Charles were in my race. We all three started side by side. I got an okay start, but not as good as the day before. I was in 10th or 12th as we headed into turn three. There was a major jam up. I knew I needed to get by a lot of people if I was going to get to the front. I did what I had to do, dove to the inside of the turn. I got a little loose and bounced into the side of another kart, but kept going. I picked off three or four kart in that one turn. As we descrambled and made it onto the banking I was in a line of about eight karts. I just followed along. There is so much to think about while drafting. Who to go with, when to move over, etc. Since I have never raced with these guys I wasn't sure who to go with and if anyone would go with me. For the first few laps I just sat back, watched and did what I needed to do to stay with the leaders. As the race went on I got more and more racey.

One time I went into turn five with two other karts. The front guy got a little loose and the other guy went to the outside of him to pass him at the exit of the turn. That left me room to go up the inside, so I did. We were three wide going into turn six, which leads onto the banking. I managed to pass them both and lead our little group onto the back stretch. Together we caught Matt and another kart that were up ahead. On the next lap going into turn six we were all in a line. Up ahead all I could see was the top of Matt's blue kart and then Lance Fry's kart with hanging body. I happened to be behind Lance's dad when it happened, and I was hoping he wouldn't stop to look. We made it through okay, but now our group was down to four. About two laps later Randy Fulks, the leader in the faster class racing with us, passed me and Jim going into turn five. That separated us from the other two going up the banking and we never saw them again.

Jim and I were back and forth again. I'd pass him in turn five, he'd pass me on the back straight. I'd pass him in the dog leg (turn 4) and he'd pass me going into turn one. At one point I did a little math and looked at my lap counter. I decided we must be close to the finish, so I tried to pass Jim on the straight. We rode side by side the whole way to turn one, but no checkered flag. The next lap I didn't have enought straight speed to get up beside him. As we came down through the tri-oval I saw the checkered flag. On the last lap we had lapped dad, so I knew he was close behind. I slowed down and waited on him. We rode side by side through NASCAR 2 give each other thumbs up. It was soooooo cool. When I came in to weigh Dave told me I finished 6th. I was estatic. I can't believe how far that new kart came so quick. Now I just have some fine tuning to do to it and I should be running closer to the front.

My next race will be at Roebling Road in Savannah in February. I can't wait to see what it will do there!!