NNKC ROUND FEATURES MUCH HARD RACING AND SOME VERY CLOSE FINISHES

STEAD (May 17) – The latest round for the Nevada Kart Club was run Sunday at Desert Park Raceway. Despite the threat of rain the “hurry up,” schedule allowed all the heats and races to be completed by early in the afternoon.

Once again the 125 shifters ended the day with a barnburner of a race that went from green to checkered.

Steve Ryckebosch (17) leads Steve Down and the pack early in the 125 shifter main.

“I could feel everybody as they were bumping me and stuff,” Steve Ryckebosch said after scoring a narrow victory. ‘I tried not to think about it but I did. I wasn’t going that fast but it was fast enough.”

Then he thanked his wife, dog, Mitch Kennedy and everybody that helps him.

When the green lights sent the field off Ryckebosch took off with Steve Dow glued to his back bumper. Right behind them came the pack.

A bobble, putting a wheel off in the dirt, sent Dow sliding down the finishing order and he ended up eighth. Now John Morgan took second followed by Matt Koerner.

At one time during the race any one of six different drivers had a chance at pulling off the victory.

Late in the race Morgan had to go wide as they headed through the left-right-left complex called “Tic Tac Toe,” and fell back to fourth giving Alex Gray third place at the end.

Steve Ryckebosch (17) leads Matt Koerner (356) late in the 125 shifter main.

Up front Koerner caught and was pressing leader Ryckebosch during the final laps. And they took the checkered only inches apart.

After the post race-weigh in Koerner said, “This track isn’t the easiest to pass on so I just couldn’t find a way around. There were a couple of times I was just sitting back and they guys in front of me made a mistake. I probably could have made the pass but Steve was running a good race so it’s hard to say.”

Then he thanked his father and Nevada Kart Sport.

Another “down to the wire,” finish was in Tag Masters.

When the green waved Brian Rivera took off with Dan Harris in hot pursuit. Soon Dean Andrews took over second and began to pressure Rivera.

Harris would only complete 10 of the 14 laps before having to retire with mechanical problems.

Up front Rivera and Andrews tore around the track, spending most of their time nose-to-tail. In the end they would finish in that order with Randy Ryckebosch coming home third.

Brian Rivera (81) holds off Dean Andrews (43) to win the Tag Masters main event at Desert Park Raceway.

“You know this class is never easy, as long as I’ve been doing this racin’ these guys continue to keep stepping up and come out with fast karts all the time. Today Dean Andrews, he was ripping it up out there and had a fast kart at the end. He was all over my back bumper those last two laps and at that point you just do what ever you can do to hang on.”

Asked about the track, as it was cooler than the last time the club raced, he explained it was excellent and these are the kind of days a person wants to get out and race.When the F80 shifter main began Jeremy Holm, a junior at Reed High School, got the jump on Dan Harris.

Later Harris said, “I killed the start.”

After that Holm was able to extend over Harris until the final third of the race when the gap between them closed up. In the final laps it was another nose-to-tail duel but in the end Holm was able to score a narrow victory.

Jeremy Holm is cheered on as he heads for the checkered flag in the first victory in F80 shifters. Close behind is Dan Harris (13).

“I knew how close Harris was in the race as my dad did a good job of keeping me informed where he was,” Holm said after the race. And I could hear him close up so I knew he was right there on me. This is my first win so I need to thank my parents for supporting me, Team Bankruptcy for keeping me going as well as M&R Construction and Curtis and Son Construction.”

When Holm crossed the finish line he waved his arms and Harris, who was inches behind him, almost had contact.

Later Harris said with a laugh, ” The lesson is not to wave when you cross the finish line as I almost spun him out.”

Two brothers put on what was probably the race of the day in the Jr. 1 Clone main.

When the green waved, and the seven-kart field headed into Turn 1, Chase McGraw led his brother Even. From there both boys put on a race where they swapped places a couple of times.

Evan McGraw (221) leads Chase McGraw (22c) in the Jr. 1 Clone main.

In the end Case was able to make the final pass for the lead and make it stick. At the line he won with Evan second ahead of third place Gabe Vegors.

After making what was the winning pass Chase McGraw (22c) then had to hold off Evan McGraw during the Jr. 1 Clone main.

Asked about the race Chase said, “I knew how close he was and I got the lead back on like Turn 3. Then I just kept my path, blocked his path cause I know where he goes.”

These young racers are showing that in the years to come they’ll be after their elders when its time to move up into the senior classes.

Zachery Rivera on his way to winning the Jr. 2 main event.

The Jr. 2 LO206 race was all Zachery Rivera as the youngster took the lead and left everyone in his dust. The other runaway race was in Sr. Clone where Alec Beaudon took command at the end and no one else even got close to him.

Alec Beaudon had an easy time of it during the Sr. Clone main.

Now everybody, if they aren’t racing in California, get a few weeks rest before the next round on June 7.

OTHER RACING NEWS

• NASCAR is back home in the Charlotte, North Carolina for the next two weeks. In Saturday night’s Sprint Cup All Start event two Nevadans were in the field.

Kurt Busch started 16 and ended up 16th at the end. Younger brother Kyle, returning for the first  time since being injured in the Daytona 500, started 19th and finished 6th.

The Xfinity event was in Iowa and Brendan Gaughan started 11th and ended up 10th at the end.

If you enjoyed this article please “like” and share it where possible. Comments are always welcome.

RESULTS

Desert Raceway Park – May 17

Northern Nevada Kart Club – Round 3

Jr. 1 Clone: 1. Chase McGraw, 2. Evan McGraw, 3. Gabe Vegors, 4. Chase Dulude, 5. Heavyn Hill, 6. Brooks Anderline, 7. Garrett Gilmore

Jr-2/LO206: 1 Zachery Rivera, 2. Bryce Berry, 3. Issac Bourque, 4. Jake Guzelis

Sr. Clone: 1. Alec Beaudon, 2. Brud Beaudon

Tag Masters: 1. Brian Rivera, 2. Dean Andrews, 3. Randy Ryckebosch, 4. Scott Andrews, 5. Jeff Solvason

F-80: 1. Jeremy Holm, 2. Dan Harris, 3. Jeff Wamre, 4. Brock Gardner

Stock Moto 125: 1. Steve Ryckebosch, 2. Matt Koerner, 3. Alex Gray, 4. John Morgan, 5. Jeff Wamre, 6. Mike Faker, 7. Steve Dow, 8. Mike Ryckebosch, 9. Tom Gardner