WKA National Road Racing Series
Virginia International Raceway
May 28-30, 2004

Dad, Charles and I headed up to Virginia International Raceway (VIR) to the WKA Grand National (if you win this one you get an eagle). We left Thursday and got to the track by 5:00. We were unloaded and ready to go by 8pm.

Friday morning we were up bright and early to get ready for practice. We practiced all day working on the race set up. I was having trouble making turn one. I talked with Charles and Matt (another competitor) about where I was braking. I said I was braking at the five marker and after following me they said no I wasn't. So after the practice we looked at my brakes. I had no rear brakes, that's why I couldn't stop!

Saturday Charles and I raced in PP Can Lite. We were the second race of the day, so I didn't even have time to get nervous. I started fifth or sixth on the grid of 22 karts in my class. I got a great start and was in second place going into turn one. A couple of karts got by me there and then we headed into turns two and three. I think a couple more passed me there, but I can't remember. As we went through the esses we caught a kart from the "faster" class. I got by him easily as we headed up the hill toward the Roller Coaster.

I made it through the first lap with no incident. Then as I went into turn one "Wild Bill" was spinning right in front of me. I slowed way down and another kart (Dean Copeland) hit me on the side, but he really had no place to go. We both made it through without hitting anyone else. I followed Dean through the rest of the turns. Lance Fry and someone else got by me at the top of the Roller Coaster. I was drafting them both coming on the straight when Lance slowed up, I went around him and then saw that there was a red flag. We all went single file into the pits. No one knows why we had a red flag, but we had a complete restart with 40 minutes to race.

My second start wasn't as good, but after the first lap, I was still hanging with the front guys. I stayed on Lance's bumper. It's a little difficult to pass at VIR because there are so many turns that lead to turns going the opposite direction. I think I left a little of my paint on every curb there. To get by the slower karts you just have to ride the curb and hope they see you! On about lap five or six we caught a slower kart on the front stretch. Lance passed him in turn one and I couldn't. Then Lance and Wild Bill pulled some on me and I was out of touch with them. I wasn't giving up though. I slowly started to reel them back in. I passed Wild Bill and could see Lance ahead. It took me about four laps to catch him. I stuck to him and tried to pass him in different places. I was carrying a lot more speed going up the hill, so I was able to pull beside him and pass him there. Then he'd get me in turn one or the top of the Roller Coaster. We went back and forth like that for about four or five laps. Then going into turn one I lost it and my back end came around on the exit of the turn. I kept my foot in it and got back on the track. When my tires gripped to the asphalt it sent me shooting across the track into the ditch on the other side. When I hit the gas it was still running, so I got back on the track. I think three karts in my class passed me during my off-course excursion. One by one I picked them off. I passed one in the esses, one down the straight and the last one at the top of the hill.

There wasn't much time left in the race at that point. I got the checkered while running all alone. I was shocked to hear that I had lost time on Lance, but no positions. It's a great feeling when you go through tech and the tech guy taps you on the shoulder and says, you're in the top five, you need to stick around!! I finished fifth in lite, I was happy.

Sunday we woke up to the sound of rain. It rained until about 8:30. They started drying off the track and we were able to get one round of practice in before the races. I was having brake trouble again. The kart felt very sluggish and I couldn't get a good time. When I came in I could smell my brakes. The backs were now stuck!! They were smoking and completely glazed over! Dad changed all of my pads for the race and I went with the gear I practiced with since I couldn't really tell.

Again I started fifth or sixth. When we got the green I pressed the gas and the whole thing died! I kept it running by riching up the low end, so dad didn't have to restart me, but I left the grid in last place. Our race was shortened to 35 minutes because of the rain. I looked ahead in turn one and thought I sure did have my work cut out for me!! I picked karts off one by one. On the second lap I passed two karts in turn one. Then going into turn three I didn't make the turn. I just pointed it straight ahead through the dirt and came out in turn five. I did a lot of curb hopping to pass people. It took the kart a while to get wound up and I was constantly playing with the carb to get it to run better. In hind sight it was the gear I selected, not the carb, but I needed something to blame!! I worked my way up to about seventh place (passing Charles in the process). There was probably about 20 minutes left when a faster kart passed me at the top of the Roller Coaster. Usually where there is one, there are more. Then at the hog pen (the left-right combination leading onto the front straight) I was full throttle (about 80 mph) and I got hit from behind. It hit me hard enough I bit my tounge and went spinning. I know my tire marks are left there now. I did two full spins and ended in the grass pointed the right way. I put my foot on the gas and coaxed my kart back to the track (it was up a grassy hill). Then I rejoined the race. There was no way I wasn't going to finish the race. I passed some lapped karts, but never anyone for position. I wasn't sure if Charles was ahead or behind me. I finally got the checkered and made my way to the weigh line. I finished 9th (after all of that, I was happy-it just took me about 10 minutes to decide I was happy-sorry Dad for the attitude).

After the race we packed up the trailer and headed home. We had all day Monday to get home, so it was a nice ride (as if I would really know, I slept through a lot of it).

All weekend we never finished outside of the top ten. Charles finished 8th in Lite and Medium, I finished 5th in Lite and 9th in Medium and Dad finished 7th in Heavy.

I hope you all had a great weekend too! My next race won't be until October (ouch, I'm going to have to find some place to race before then).