Elite Karting World Championships
Daytona International Speedway
December 27-30, 2004

Since it is Kart Week, we spend almost an entire week in Daytona. After getting there on the 26th and being escorted through the new tunnel we were given a premium spot right next to where we had to go to get on the grid. We set up and were ready for practice the next day.

We were up bright and early Monday to start practice. Everything went okay for me. I decided on a gear for both lite and medium. At the end of the day I started playing around with different front settings like more/less caster and found a combination I liked.

Tuesday was when I raced in Lite. I felt good going into practice and only went out one of the three sessions. When I went out I was with Jim Fry (a guy I race close with a lot). I could tell my kart was good on the tri-oval, which is most important, so I decided there was no need to use up the tires.

Race time came really quick. We were the third race of the day. We went to the drivers' meeting and then got in our karts. I was smiling inside because several of the other racers shook my hand before the race and said good luck. Hey, I'm one of the guys : ) I didn't get a great start, but it wasn't bad either. I was in fifth or sixth for the start. I knew we'd all work it out once we got up on to the banking.

Now, it's hard for me to explain what happened next. Take six karts and mix them every different way you can, that's how we went, lap after lap after lap. It was a great race. Every lap someone was trying to pass someone. You had to decide if you were going to stay in line or go with them. One time Charles pulled out and no one went with him, so I did. Sometimes what you tried worked, sometimes it didn't.

After about six laps I followed Terry Russell to the front of the pack. He and I stayed in line and pulled a gap on everyone else (I didn't know that until the end of the race). After following him for two laps I decided to see if I had what it took to lead. I pulled out coming out of NASCAR four and held on. Yep...I had it AND I led at DAYTONA!!!!!

That's when I knew I just needed to sit back and relax and watch what was going on. I also watched my lap counter a lot. On lap 16 I knew that could be the end. I was near the back of our six-kart pack but could see everyone was staying in line. I knew Jim had a radio and he would pull out if it were the checkered flag, so I just stayed in line. Going into the infield I was fifth or sixth. I can't remember who was in front, maybe Jim or another guy Ryan, but Charles was in there, then Dean Copeland and Terry, then me.

I saw Dean doing all kinds of antics with his hands motioning to Terry, so I knew that had to be the last lap. I stayed calm. One time Terry looked back between turns five and six and I just gave him a little wave...yep, I'm with ya! I followed him as we went around the outside of all four karts going down the back straight and into NASCAR three. Then he moved down and so did I. I almost pulled out between the two turns, but thought about it and waited. As we exited NASCAR four I pulled out and rocketed by him. I kept looking side to side the whole way to the checkered flag....I had won Daytona!!!

It was a great feeling. Daytona is where I have been going my whole life. Where I first saw sportscars and decided I wanted to race. And there I was, first! After congratulations in the weigh line I looked down at my motor and noticed a chunk missing out of my exhaust can. I knew on about lap 14 things got louder. I knew either my can fell off or my ear plug fell out. I acutally looked up to see if the can was still there, and it was (or what I could see of it) so I decided I'd go deaf to win Daytona. Terry, who finished second, noticed it too. He shook my hand and said he got DQed his first national win too. I wanted to stomp up and down and say, this isn't my first national win and it's DAYTONA!!! Then he asked me if I was going to cry : ) I said no.

We went on to tech and they did in fact DQ me. They said they knew how upsetting it was, but it's the rule...it has to be in one, complete piece. I was dejected, but then like Terry said, there was always medium the next day!!

I tried to keep my chin up, but I wanted that big trophy....The next day was, in fact, medium. I didn't feel as good in the kart as I did the day before. In the first practice I ran off of the exit of turn five trying to keep up with Charles. I barely touched the hay bales, but it was enough to earn me a John Deere sticker from the guys. I debated on gear and went with the one that gave me more straight, but I knew I was sacrificing some in the turns and that was going to be hard to handle. Then again, I figured you only get to do Daytona once a year and yesterday didn't work out, so maybe today will.

I got a better start than I did in Lite this time. As we made it off of pit lane and onto the track I squeezed down on dad (sorry). I left wheel marks and everything. He likes to point that out a lot. But I got a good start. There were a lot of karts sorting things out in the infield. When I went into turn six I didn't slow down enough and went all out in the grass. About 10 karts went by, then Terry went by. I said a little thank you to God and got on his bumper. By the second lap I was up in the front pack again. Charles was running really good. I stayed with everyone through lap three. By then I was second and Charles was leading. It took me the whole tri-oval to make up for what I lost in the turns on him.

On lap four I was able to get next to him going into one. I was just testing things out. The next lap I got all out of shape going into one and the whole pack of eight passed me. I struggled through the infield making up what I lost in turn one. I was able to catch and pass one of the guys, but that was it, then I was alone. I kept my sights on Charles and it didn't look like the pack was gaining on him. Then they got too far for me to see (I knew I should have tried to wear my glasses!). From there the race was pretty boring for me. I tried to keep my kart on the track. On the second to last lap as I was going through NASCAR three and four the plug wire came off of my spark plug. I reached over and put it back on and kept going.

I crossed the finish line in seventh. Then the wire came off again, but I put it back on, took my cool down lap at the top of the banking and said good bye to Daytona for another year.

Wait, there's more....Those guys never caught Charles and he won. That's his first national win. After a lengnthy post-race tech where they took everything in his engine apart, Charles came home with the big cup. At least we have one sitting on our entertainment center now. But next year you can bet I'll check my can before going out!!

Our next race in in February at Roebling Road. It's another national at the home track. We'll see how we do there!!