Good weather blessed the latest race for NNKC and racers answered with a day of speed.

STEAD (June 5) – The Northern Nevada Kart Club raced round four of its 2016 season at Desert Park Raceway on Sunday. While it was warm the weather wasn’t too bad as everyone was ready to go.

Once again the fastest karts were in the Stock Moto 125 shifter class. This year’s it’s been a duel between young Jeremy Kay and Mike Faker with Dean Andrews chasing them.

At the end of this round winner Kay said, “Usually Mike has a pretty good start so if I was going to win the race I had to get him on the start. I knew he was close for a little bit, I could hear his engine and dad was giving me signals so knew where he was.”

Then he thanked his father, brother Cody Kay, sister, grand parents, Rodney Rivera at Nevada Kart Sports, Holm Racing and the Man Above.

When the green light launched the field Kay took off with Faker close behind. Then the distance between them grew only to begin to shrink late in the race.

Stock Moto 125 winner Jeremy Kay (11) leads Mike Faker, who is closing in but had to settle for second.

With only a few laps to go Faker was right behind his young rival but a slight misstep while going into the chicane sealed the deal for Kay. After that Faker didn’t have enough time to reel him in again.

The other shifter main was a bit different. With only two Tag racers present they were combined into the F-80 Shifter karts.

Big difference is the TAG karts are clutch type while the shifter karts use a six-speed motorcycle transmission. So while the shifters were sitting on the grid, as they use a standing start, the TAGs were just entering the Turn 8/9 complex when racing began.

Right away Jeremy Holm took off and led the shifters while a bit further back Mike McMullen and Lexus Kay were closing fast on the slowest shifter karts.

Jeremy Holm had things to himself as he easily won the F-80 shifter main.

McMullen would eventually drop out when part of his motor’s intake system fell off. But for Kay had the bit between her teeth and was running down the karts of Ryan Holm and Ken Brown.

Finally late in the race she took over second and began to chase the leader, who had been running all alone up front. During the final laps Kay was closing in on Holm, who is her boyfriend as well.

Lexus Kay on her way to finishing second overall in the combined TAG and F-80 Shifter main.

But time ran out and they reached the finish line a few seconds apart.

After the post race weigh in Holm said, “The race was awesome and yes I saw her but I was just relaxing because I knew I had a big enough lead and didn’t have to worry about it. She’s been doing really awesome this year.”

Then he thanked his tire sponsor Team Bankruptcy, his father Kurt and girl friend Mary and his mom.

Then Lexus, who was the only Tag Senior racer in the field said, “It was really fun but my kart got up to 220 in Turn 7 and I was like, ‘thank God it’s the final lap.’ It was fun because I was running slow in practice yesterday but I picked up two seconds and I was so excited to get to run with the 80’s.”

Then she thanked all the Holms, Jeremy, her brother and everybody for coming out and supporting her.

Another race that grouped two classes together was the Sr/Sumo LO206/Clone group. One group is heavier than the other which gives the seniors a weight advantage.

On the green Zachary Rivera took off and about raced himself into another area code. Behind him there were individual battles including a group disputing second over all for the race.

Zachary Rivera ran away with the Senior LO206 main event.

Brandon Walsh turned in the fastest lap for the heavy group with a time of 53.438 seconds. In the seniors Rivera also had the fastest lap but his was 52.662 seconds.

Behind the leader Gary Guzelis, Brud Beaudoin, Kelly Chinander and Nat Sombatsire along with Rick McLeod and Jon Mayer were at times dueling in a nose-to-tail train while going around the track.

In the end Rivera won the Senior part going away followed by Guzelis and Beaudoin. Over on the Heavy side Walsh won that class followed by Jason Anderline and Zack Koch.

LO206 Heavy winner Brandon Walsh (42) chases Senior driver Nat Sombatsiri (22) through the final turns during their main.

After the race was over Walsh said, “That was fun, the competition is great out here and really happy they are running the heavies and lights together, mixes it up for us guys, good, clean club racing.”

Then he thanked Cole Nelson, Invader Racing and the support the whole team gave him.

Over on the light or senior side Rivera said, “I was flying. I was surprised I was able to get down into those laps I hadn’t been practicing much for this track. Was able to get into the groove.

Then he thanked his father, who owns Nevada Kart Sport and Arturo for his kart.

When the green waved to start the Jr-1 LO206 race there was a three-kart train that took off. Jake Guzelis followed by Chase Dulude and Aiden Hawkins soon gaped the rest of the field.

A couple of laps into the race Hawkins went off the track after Turn 5 but recovered. Then the chase was on. Within a few laps Hawkins had taken over second and was reeling in the leader and soon used a pass in Turn 3 to take the point. From then on he just kept extending his lead.

At the finish Hawkins scored the win followed by Dulude and Guzelis.

Aiden Hawkins on his way to victory in Jr.-2 LO206.

Asked about his mistake Hawkins said, “I kept on sliding and wasn’t driving very well. I thought I could catch him as long as I tried my hardest and went as fast as I could.”

Then he thanked his father, his coach, Cole Nelson’s Dad, Kelsey Nelson and Invader Karts.

When the Jr-1 LO206 main began Boden Barnwell assumed command and soon put a gap between him self and the field. But behind him there were some races for position.

In fact it wasn’t too long before the leader was lapping the slowest karts. But back in the pack there was an almost race long duel between Asa Gourley and Heavyn Hill.

During the Jr.-1 main there was a race long, nose-to-tail duel between Heavyn Hill (24) and Asa Gourley.

After the half way point Brooks Anderline would clear the pack and begin to reel in leader Barnwell. He also got some help when the leader was slowed getting past lap traffic.

In the final laps Anderline would close on Barnwell and almost caught him before the reached the checkered flag. Further back, in the final laps Hill was able to get around Gourley for fifth place.

Late in the Jr.-1 main winner Boden Barnwell )19y) was being chased by Brooks Anderline.

“I’m getting better at passing,” Barnwell said.

Then he thanked his parents and his coach.

Anderline, when asked if he could catch Barnwell said, “If we had another lap.”

Tarron Graves was first overall in the Kid Kart main.

This time there were four Kid Kart drivers and during one of the heat races they were cruising nose-to-tail. Once again, in the main Tarron Graves scored the victory followed by Cooper Perez while Alyssa Winters and Mia Wright came home third and fourth.

Cooper Perez was the Kid Kart runner-up.

All of these youngsters are earning their racing spurs and will soon move up and join the older racers as they work their way up the racing ladder.

Now everyone gets a couple of weeks off until the next NNKC race on June 26.

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RESULTS:

Desert Park Raceway – June 5

Northern Nevada Kart Club – Round 4

+ Kid Kart: 1. Tarron Graves, 2. Cooper Perez, 3. Alyssa Winters, 4. Mia Wright.

+ Jr-2 LO206/Clone: 1. Aiden Hawkins, 2. Chase Dulude, 3. Jake Guzelis, 4. Caleb Mayer.

DNF: Bryce Berry.

+Jr-1 LO206/Clone: 1. Boden Barnwell, 2. Brooks Anderline, 3. Austin Hawkins, 4. Wyatt Sander, 5. Heavyn Hill, 6. Asa Gourley, 7. Austin Perez, 8. Landon Kwapich, 9. Korey Sander, Adrian Brown.

DNF: Isaiah Nobles.

+ Sr LO206/Clone: 1. Zachary Rivera, 2. Gary Guzelis, 3. Brud Beaudoin, 4. Kelly Chinander, 5. Nat Sombatsiri, 6. Rick McLeod, 7. Jon Mayer.

+ Sr. Heavy Clone LO206: 1. Brandon Walsh, 2. Jason Anderline, 3. Zack Koch.

DNF: Barry Barnwell.

+ TAG Masters: DNF Mike McMullen

+ Tag Senior: 1. Lexus Kay

+F-80: 1. Jeremy Holm, 2. Ryan Holm, 3. Ken Brown.

DNF: Kurt Holm.

+ Stock Moto 125: 1. Jeremy Kay, 2. Mike Faker, 3. Dean Andrews.

DNF: Doug Hunter.