On what's become the second most popular holiday of the year, Halloween, the NASA Az group held their 4th race of their monthly 5 race series today at F1 Race Factory. With a 2 free race prize package offered up for the best costume most in the group decided to show up as members of the human race or kart race drivers. Major points off for that uncreative move. Leland Forbes tried to win it by showing a picture of his get up on Friday. No such luck. Geri Amani tried to convince the judges that she was the female version of Tanner Faust by wearing a "Rockstar Energy Drink" shirt but between you and me the last minute clothing idea and Geri's style of kart driving were not much of a match to Tanners. I have never seen somebody work sooooo hard behind the wheel of a kart and have recommended to Geri to attend this weeks USIKC where some of her smooth as silk drivers and CalSpeed friends like Diego Morales and Miles Calvin will be competing. Having to add so much weight to her kart doesn't help her efforts and she tried to wear ankle weights and a vest but that proved to be her undoing during the heat. Limping after a race not a good sign. When Geri gets this figured out and she will, the NASA group and anybody else racing against her will be seeing the back of her kart as she goes flying by.
The "Winner" of the Halloween prize package was by a long shot won by, NASA Az Pres. Tage Evanson. He came dressed up like a "Milkman" with white shirt,pants, and a hat that identified him as such and a container of "milk"? that came into question by more than one other member of the club. We think it may have been av-fuel as Tage not only came to win the tickets but the league race. We already had a winner and the racing hasn't even started.
By the good graces of Pres. Tage the "Milkman", he allowed out of towner Raymund Guerrero from Texas and a NASA member there to race with them. Raymund is in town and is putting in some serious track time in preperation for the USIKC which starts Friday Nov. 5th. NASA Az member Chris Wynne also stepped into this race series for the first time. He almost had to spectate.
The 12 lap qualifier on Track 2 c/c/w suited Leland Forbes to a "T" and he took the pole with a time of 24.891. Followed by Kent Porter...George Sklyarevsky...Raymund Guerrero...Ronald Jones...Eric Jacobson...Chris Wynne...Tage Evanson...Brian Turner...Gary Kramer...Geri Amani...Stenos Wijaya...Wayne Porter...Travis Bouck...Sergio Perez.
The heat race starts off with pass by Kent Porter to take 1st away from Leland Forbes, Ronald Jones to 4th only to find himself back in 5th 1 lap later, Raymund Guerrero then to 2nd and then on to 1st. All this takes place within the first 6 laps and pretty much continues for the remainder of the 36 lap heat race. Exciting to watch and I'm sure intense concentration by all within it's midst. Stenos Wijaya has now earned the right to be called "Spinderrella" and he earned that name by doing the dance on lap 33. Not only did Stenos perfect that move but a forced wide into the turn nearest the pit entrance had "Spinderrella" entering the pits and using that as an escape route out of traffic. He made it thru with no problem but had all the track officials scratching their heads trying to understand what just happened. Side by side racing and more than two deep doing it made for some nail biting action. Going into the back tight left hand corner will not allow that type of side by side racing but all made it thru without major incident. Top ten out of the fifteen racers finished on the lead lap and Raymund G had fast lap of the heat with a 24.424 and a heat win under his belt. Talk of sending him back to Texas was only an ugly rumor. Weigh outs of the top 6 had no under weight issues so all positions stand as finished.
Heat Finish Order: Raymund Guerrero...Ronald Jones...Kent Porter...Leland Forbes...Eric Jacobson...George Sklyarevsky...Brian Turner...Tage "Milkman" Evanson...Travis Bouck...Chris Wynne...Wayne Porter...Gary Kramer...Geri Amani...Stenos "Spinderrella" Wijaya...Sergio Perez
After a much needed break and given time to talk smack regarding the heat race the NASA Az racers draw for karts and saddle up their trusty steeds for the 60 lap Main which pays the most points. A vote was taken and it was decided that Raymund from Texas would get the position but not the points associated with that position as he is only stepping into this race as a guest. Raymund graciously accepted the ruling by majority vote. and in fact voted for that also. More racers like Raymund are needed. By winning the heat Guerrero starts from the pole in the Main.
The green flag waves after a thumbs up by all racers and the top four racers immediately pull away from the pack with R Guerrero, K Porter, L Forbes and R Jones all trading positions lap after lap. During the break G Amani decides to go back to all 60 # on the back of the kart and during one lap around side pods the wall hard! Continues but that will get your attention. As the front runners, now racing as a three pack, battle with each other L Forbes who fell off the pace of the leaders reels them back in and makes it a four man race once again. The top spot continues to be a different competitor lap after lap and a more exciting race was not to found. Now lap traffic comes into play. Slicing and dicing thru traffic now becomes the skill set to have and R Jones comes thru the pack and sets sail for the win.But not before plowing into some of the backmarkers which almost ruined his chances for the win.
Meanwhile behind him the backmarkers have all stepped up their game and 2nd/3rd and 4th are struggling to get around them. Evanson makes contact with Jacobson and Forbes and by lap 35 Evanson goes into 5th place. By race end he will get two more spots and take the last step on the podium with a 3rd place finish. Jones sets fast lap on lap 47with a 24.158 and goes on to win the Main with room to spare between him and 2nd place finisher Kent Porter. Wayne Porter had second fastest time today with his always annoyingly fast brother taking third. Another fast and exciting league race by the Hotshoes of NASA Az. Their next on track event with their own cars will be Thanksgiving weekend at P.I.R. Always free to watch and ride alongs are to be had. Bring your helmet and beg your way into something fast and furious! Waving around a $20.00 bill will get you offers of a ride along faster!
Great group of people having fun and going fast.
Main Finish Order: Ronald "Lone Wolf" Jones...Kent"Always Right There" Porter...Tage"Milkman" Evanson...Raymund"Lone Star State" Guerrero...Leland Forbes the Tenth...George"How do you spell/say that?" Sklyarevsky...Eric "Top 5" Jacobson...Travis "The Engineer" Bouck...Sergio "F1"Perez...Brian"No Sleeves" Turner...Gary "Tatoo" Kramer...Stenos 'Spinerrella" Wijaya...Geri "Rockstar" Amani...Wayne"Brother of Kent" Porter...Chris "If you're Late, you get to Spectate" Wynne.
I want to thank each and every one of the racers that take the time and monitary resources to do this. I also want to thank all the F1 Race Factory track guys, Peter, Romano, Mitch and Jemma up front to make this work and make it a positive experience for all involved. Keep the Rubberside Down and remember the candys always available and best of all FREE!
Next Race is the 5th and the Final on the 1/2 mile GP track C/C/W with a 2:30 check in and qualifying/racing to start promptly at 3pm.
Work on the stamina aspect as this will be an extended race that will have as much as 1full hour behind the wheel for qualifying and the Main race. No breaks between. Thank You, Steve "Kandyman"
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