STEAD (JUNE 25) – Desert Park Raceway was visited this weekend by the KPX series. And hosting the third round of this year’s series was the Northern Nevada Kart Club.
Unlike last year’s visit only the groups in the series raced but that brought around 106 drivers to the track. Another difference between last and this year is that it didn’t rain but was hot.
Anytime a race like this visits a club’s home track the locals want to defend their turf and this time two club members won their main events. And one of them is among the youngest drivers.
Tarron Graves won the Kid Karts main and was one of two NNKC members to win a race at the KPX event.
After taking his helmet off Tarron Graves, who won the Kid Karts heat and main, said, “It’s easier for me to have a big lead as I focus. I’d like to thank my grandpa and my dad for helping me fix my kart. And I want to thank Ott Farm Equipment for giving me the stuff that I need.”
In the heat race it appeared that Graves was going to have his hands full as he and Mason Garwood ran nose-to-tail the for most of that event. Eventually Garwood wound up in the barrier at the exit of Turn 9.
When main began Graves didn’t waste any time and just took off. Only eight of the nine entries answered the green.
While Graves was putting more and more daylight between himself and the pack Casey Moyer and Mason Garwood were disputing second while, further back Logan Harris and Jesse Pulido were dueling for fourth place.
Pulido would spin out of the race coming down from the hill, Turn 5 and later Moyer also dropped out. On that same lap Garwood tangled with Chance Montes whose kart did a slow rollover after the contact.
Official immediately stopped the race and ran to the boy’s aid. Everyone was all right although Montes will have a thumb checked as he injured it.
Once the racers were put in a single file line the event was restarted. Once again Graves wasted no time and flat took off leaving everyone in his dust.
At the end Graves, the defending NNKC Kid Kart champion, won the race followed by Harris, Brook Meek and Jeremiah Nobles.
The series uses the Briggs 206 motors, which replaced the original Chinese Clone motors. This Briggs is more dependable and helps made it every cost effective both for new comers as well as those now racing.
And it makes for some very competitive racing.
With this in mind as well as the face all classes used a rolling start, officials decided to make a small change in the starting procedure. Usually the flagman is on a raised stand at the halfway point on the front straight.
On this day it was decided to place the flagman almost to Turn 1 so the field would be a bit slower as they charged into the first pair of turns. And it seemed to work.
Attrition did was also part of the day’s racing. While the day began with 28 Briggs 206 Senior drivers the race began with 22 of them and only 18 finished the 16-lap event.
That class also saw the second NNKC member score a victory.
When the Senior main began Jess Peterson took off followed by David Vasquez and the field. In fact while Peterson put daylight between himself and the pack behind him there was a seven-way battle for second.
At one point Kenny Manchester moved into second then Branden Benedix took over the spot. There was a lot of bumping going on as well and some drivers ended their race due to contact including NNKC member Zach Rivera.
Finally Vasquez took over the second spot where he finished followed by Benedix and Andrew Kemp. But up front there was no catching the flying Peterson.
Jess Peterson won the Briggs 206 Senior main and was the second NNKC member to find victory at Sunday’s KPX event.
After the race Peterson explained that having such a huge lead isn’t always the best thing for a driver.
“The races are never easy, it’s one big anxiety, stress inducing lead up to the main event,” he said. “Stuff can go wrong, you can break, somebody can pick up speed so these races are never easy. In the lead it gets even spookier because you begin to listen to every single noise the kart’s making. It’s not easier leading by a mile than if someone is on your tail.”
Then he thanked his dad, Cole Nelson Racing, Jeff Nelson and Scott Peterson.
The race of the day was the 206 Briggs Master Class. On the front row were Mike Smith and NNKC president Brian Rivera and 21 drivers answered the green.
Rivera was first on point but no more than a half kart length behind him was Smith. During the 16-lap event they would swap the lead several times.
Finally Smith was able to get a kart length or two gap over Rivera and held on to score the narrow victory over Rivera. Behind them Brian Gallagher and Nathan Lavery while three of the starters fell out during the event.
During the Briggs 206 Master’s main eventual winner Mike Smith (27) and Brian Rivera were usually this close.
After both drivers congratulated each other on a good race Smith said, “It was a lot of fun, Brian is a hell of a competitor, got a chance to play with him at Shasta’s Super Regional. He’s on the VLR just like me for the first time this weekend. It’s an awesome 206 ride and he’s going a lot faster than everyone else has today.”
Then he thanked RLV for providing the opportunity for him to be there, Steven Clark and Rod, the tuners and his teammate from the senior side, David Vasquez and his teammate for the weekend, Rivera.
There was also a World Formula class and their main was a complete run away as Nick Grossi just rocketed away from the field. At the end Grossi commented that he runs with a weight advantage so Barrett Barnwell, who was the runner-up was first in class.
“Me being a medium and everybody else being a heavy, it was fun. Since the temperature went down and it sprinkled a little bit the track evaporated all that the track is good. I need to thank my dad, Bob Grossi Construction, Cole Nelson Racing, Nut Up Industries, Top Almonds, Stump Manufacturing, Grossi Fabrication and Grossi Electric.”
There are drivers between the Kid Karts and adult classes. These are divided by age with the Junior 1 getting the younger racers while their older ones, that will move up into the adult classes, are in Junior 2.
At the start of the day there were 20 Junior 1 drivers at the start of the day but only 17 started their main and 14 finished the 17-lap event.
On the second attempt the green waved and the field stormed into turn 1. Up front Kai Sorensen was on point with the pack not far behind him.
Soon however it was apparent that this was Sorensen’s race as he started putting a larger and larger gap between himself and the field. Behind him there was a four-way duel for second followed by several more skirmishes between drivers for spots.
Then Ethan Pulido had a race-stopping incident when he went straight into the Turn 8 barrier. Fortunately front of his kart actually lifted the large plastic barrier and he went under it and spun to a stop.
Once again officials stopped the event as they races to his aid. It appears he was only shaken up by the incident and soon was able to stand up and walk back around the fence into the pits.
The field was formed into a single file, the green waved and once again Sorensen took off and left everyone in his dust as he roared away to claim the victory. Behind him Ethan Nacimento finished second followed by Stephen Eisert and Eli Mays.
After the post-race weigh Sorensen said, “When it started to rain it got a little loose but I came back.”
Then he thanked his father, as well as Scott Donald and Jeff Osborn Racing, who does his motors.
Junior 2 was the final main and probably the wildest race of the day. It took two attempts to get the race going and send 26 karts on their way.
Up front Aiden Kempf and Dominic Gordon led the charge but soon it turned into a four-way battle for the lead. Soon after that two karts went off in Turn 2 and were out of the race and later three karts tangled at the start of the front straight so two more were out.
Up front Kempf pulled a small gap while Oliver Calvo led three karts chasing him. It didn’t take long before the battle for the lead became a four-way duel again.
In the final laps things got scrambled as first Calvo fell back then Jacob Smith, who took the point went off the track at Turn 4, maybe due to contact.
Calvo was then able to catch up and once again take the point while Garrett Randolph Jr., who led at one point and was in the duel for the lead all during the event finished in second ahead of Smith and Kempf, who ended up fourth.
Due to the scramble it took a while for the final order to be declared correct but after the race Calvo had some comments.
“It was fun, I led most of the race, about two laps to go got hit off the track, caught back up to the group, went by them and won the race,” he said.
Then thanked his father, Glen from PKS, Jerry Apodoca from Unleashed Power.
While KPX is over with NNKC has two more weeks of racing. On July 2 they host the next points race of the season then the club is supposed to make up a rain out on Sunday, July 9 so it’s a busy time for our local kart racers.
REPORTER’S NOTE: There is a photo gallery after the results.
OTHER RACING NEWS
- Saturday was when the third annual Women with Wheels car show at the National Auto Museum happened. Around 33 cars were on display and prizes were handed out.
At the Women with Wheels Car show promoter Teresa Aquila brought her 1955 Chevy as well as Wendy Wipers, the symbol for her radio show.
Now the cruise season is getting in full swing and every Wednesday evening from 5 p.m. until 8 p.m. at the A&W located at 900 East Plumb there is a show and shine as well as a cruise.
And 103.7 FM The River is finally getting going with its cruises with the first one this Wednesday and they run for 5:30 p.m. until 7 p.m.; their poster is below.
Cruise Night’s Poster.
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RESULTS:
KPX SERIES – Round 3
Desert Park Raceway – June 25
+ Kid Karts:1. Tarron Graves, 2. Logan Harris, 3. Brook Meek, 4. Jeremiah Nobles.
DNF: Casey Moyer, Mason Garwood, Chance Montes.
+ Jr 1 Briggs 206: 1. Kai Sorensen, 2. Ethan Nacimento, 3. Stephen Eisert, 4. Eli Mays, 5. Cole Gamma, 6. Matthew Fecko, 7. Cooper Perez, 8. Brooks Anderline, 9. William Ginn, 10. Sarah Baker, 11. Korey Sander, 12. Heavyn Hill, 13. Landon Kwapich, 14. Jared Vandecaeye.
DNF: Ethan Pulido, Trenten Helie, Austin Perez, Isaiah Nobles, Jack Schrady.
+ Jr. 2 Briggs 206: 1. Oliver Calvo, 2. Garrette Randolph Jr., 3. Jacob Smith, 4. Aiden Kempf, 5. Dominic Gordon, 6. Ruben Ramos, 7. William Ferguson, 8. Boden Barnwell, 9. Aidan Piggott, 10. Brinley Barnwell, 11. Owen Rule, 12. Branson Malear, 13. Bryce Berry, 14. Doug Dawkins, 15. Delaney Adamo, 16. Matteo Sandoval, 17. Derek Morton, 18. Anthony Grijalva, 19. Deeahmee Malone, 20. Lyrad Casillas.
DNF: Matt Winfrey, Gino Sandoval, Issac Borque, Alec Azevedo, Wyatt Sander, Chase Dulude.
+ World Formula: 1. Nick Grossi, 2. Barrett Barnwell, 3. Steven Taylor, 4. Tom Agan, 5. Kyle Abbas, 6. Tim Maddox.
DNF: Brandon Apodaca.
+ Briggs 206 Masters: 1. Mike Smith, 2. Brian Rivera, 3.Brian Gallagher, 4. Nathan Lavery, 5. Steve Kemp, 6. Jeff Wamre, 7. Kevin Straw, 8.Carlos Villagomez, 9. Tim Doyon, 10. Clint Motta, 11. Chris Rossi, 12. Brian Baker, 13. Mike Grossi, 14. Doug Hunter, 15. Rob Tufts, 16. Steve Dias, 17. Michael McMullen, 18. Charlie Holt.
DNF: Kevin Knight, Brud Beaudon, Jack Arluck, Harrell Fischer.
+ Briggs 206 Senior: 1. Jess Peterson, 2. David Vasquez, 3. Branden Benedix, 4. Andrew Kemp, 5. Aaron Heathman, 6. Kenny Manchester, 7. Nick Robertson, 8. James Selby, 9. Dean Andrews, 10. Grant Leclaire, 11. Jacob Ciari, 12. Eric Nascimento, 13. Andrew Cyrus, 14. Michael Lin, 15. David McDowell, 16. Jared Meek, 17.Mike Cyrus, 18. Mary Jane.
DNF: Alieja White, Alec Beaudon, Nick Grossi, Zachary Rivera, Patrick Hanson, Cameron Imhoff, Mike Smith, Geoff Shaw, Andrew Kemp.
PHOTO GALLERY:
