WKA National Road Racing Series
Roebling Road Raceway
February 4-6, 2005

This past weekend we were off to Savannah for the first national held there in almost 10 years. I was excited to be racing at my "home" track, a track I know well.

I practiced all day Friday. Charles and I would go out together and see where we stood against each other. I was always a little slower than him, but I figured it would be okay in the race.

Saturday morning I was up bright and early to get a few more rounds of practice in. The first time out going down the straight the kart started cutting out. I knew it was carberator related, but I tried to adjust everything I knew and it didn't work.

I came in and told dad. We went back and changed the carb. It was easier than trying to figure out the problem with only three sessions left. I immediately got faster, even went over a second faster than I had all weekend.

Race time was coming up shortly, so I decided on the same gear I started with the day before and went for it.

I got a great start as the green flag waived. Charles got a good start too and was in front of me. As we went down the front stretch I was faster than him, so I went by him. I led into turn one and never looked back. As I came by start/finish for the third time I wasn't sure how close everyone else was to me. That's when Dave gave me the pit board that said +2.6. As the race went on I got signals every other lap from Dave. I was gaining about half a second a lap on everyone else. With about 15 minutes left in the race there was a red flag. I came in and the race was called.

I went through post-race tech with no trouble. Tom, the tech guy, did make me stand in the corner though!! I collected my first place trophy and grinned the rest of the weekend.

Sunday was the medium race. I went up one tooth and decided that's where I would race. There was a delay in the day's activities because some idiots stole a police radar sign and moved it onto the front straight. We only had two rounds of practice.

I got another good start, but had to fall in line behind Charles. I thought of John Klutz (our engine and chassis builder) and just stayed in behind Charles. He's always saying we should learn to work together. There were seven of us racing together for first. I didn't have much for them, so I just stayed on the tail end of the pack, trying to keep up.

On about lap four or five two of the guys (Rich and Lance) started pulling away from the rest of us. One guy, Bill, was really fast on the straight, but held us all up in the turns, so we tried our best to get around him. The five of us (Jim, Bill, Scott, Charles and I) raced back and forth for about five more laps. Then something happened to Bill in turn one and I thought I was going to loose Charles, Jim and Scott. I was able to catch back up to them by turn six. The four of us raced back and forth for the last laps of the race. One time Charles and Jim started to pull away from Scott and me after a faster kart went by. I stayed behind Scott so we could draft up and catch them.

I knew the end of the race would be coming soon. I was always third or fourth in our little pack. I was following Scott one time and a faster kart passed us in turn four. Scott went wide and I passed him on the inside. On the last lap Jim pulled out to pass Charles. I started to pull up behind Charles, but I was closing fast, so I pulled to the other side of Jim and made it three wide. Scott pulled up behind Jim and we all went across the line at once. Jim finished third, beating me by .008 seconds. I beat Charles by .032 seconds. Scott was a whole .03 or .04 seconds behind Charles.

We had another great national event!

Dad finished fifth on Saturday and led the first lap of our race Sunday. Unfortunately two faster karts spun in front of him and he crashed on lap eight of the race. He'll be fitting a new nose on his kart!! Charles brought home fifth both days.

They race again in March, but I'll have to wait until April to have fun again!!