Tony Rolfson Scores Victory in Octane Raceway 2011 Fall League Race #3

Another strong finish for Tony Rolfson in the Heat and the Main puts him at the top of the points lead(167) over Mike Davila(165) who had the points lead for the first 2 weeks of the 8 race Fall League series. Josh Lambeth took home a 2nd Place finish and a kartload of points to have him sit 4th overall with 162 points and Chaz Baca Jr (163) secured the 3rd spot on the podium even though getting Black Flagged early in the Main for sending Steve Lattanzi into the tire barriers in turn 1 on Track 1 c/c/w. Lattanzi thought his night was going to be unlike the previous week's Main where he went for an airborne excursion on Track 2 c/w. Certainly not the start to a successful season with a first race miss and a 5th place finish in the "B" Main and now a 12th place finish in the "A" Main. Sponsors AARP and Grecian Formula are concerned about their aged kart racer being able to continue to climb from the wreckage of what once was a great kart racing career. Has Lattanzi peaked at 55 and will he be able to pull off a win or two before rigormortis sets in? Time will tell. Congratulations to Tony Rolfson for the win and who continues to show up with an entourage of boistrous fans egging him on. Seems to be working. I wonder what he pays them to annoy the rest of us. Does he pay by the scream or by the amount of lettering on their faces and articles of clothing.

"B" Main was a runaway affair for Logan Swane who won it handily over Keith Sears and moved on up to finish 11th in the "A" Main.

26 league regulars set their sites on a check mark in the win category but as we all know there can be only 1 first place finisher and that went to Tony Rolfson on this night of Track 1 c/c/w action. See you all next week for another chapter in the 2011 Fall League Series at Octane Raceway.

Team Airborne/BlueBlocker Wins F1 Race Factory's 8 Year Anniversary Team Endurance Race on Sat. October 8th, 2011

The 8th Anniversary of F1 Race Factory was celebrated in grand style this fine 8th day of October, 2011.
Twenty-Two race teams and 44 drivers confirmed their rightful place to be in the F1 Race Factory history books by competing on the ½ Mile GP Track for 88 laps. 44 of those laps were in the clockwise configuration and 44 were done in the counter clockwise direction with each of the 2 drivers per team choosing their favorite direction prior to the green flag that started this monumental event. Bragging rights and a “Winner’s” prize of a custom made 4’ tall trophy as well as custom made trophy’s for 2nd and 3rd place were also to be awarded. And let’s not forget about the infamous” Top Turtle Award” for the team that has the honorable distinction of finishing in 22nd Place which sounds so much better than saying last place. This was a race that had a wide band of drivers from multiple league and AZIKC Champions to first time at F1 Race Factory drivers and all skill levels in between.

Anxious racers started arriving up to 1 hour before the 9am start and by 8:30am the kart draw along with the position draw were well under way with Team Octane (Tony Rolfson/Blake Ledesma) pulling the Pole Position from the F1 Race Factory hat. At the other end of the spectrum we find Team Young Guns, ( Jason Burstein/Chaz Baca Jr) starting from the 22nd or last starting spot. Team Airborne/Blue Blocker, (Mike Davila/Steve Lattanzi) pulled the 2nd starting spot from the hat. Third Place starting spot went to Team SkillzthatKillz, (Josh Goss/Matt Brubaker). Fourth starting spot went to Team Silt Bed Blasters, (Jake Skaggs/Brendan Garcia). Rounding out the top five was Chris Kandoll/Matt Kandoll of Team Gobbledgook.

The standing start along the long back straightaway was now set and ready to go and when the green flag fell the first set of turns became a major merge point for a very diverse mixture of driving styles not seen on the track together. Miraculously there were no major incidents unless you count Jason Burstein’s visit to the, Stuck on the Wall Clinic, on the second or third lap while trying to pass in that very same area. Burstein then got to practice his racing thru the field technique again and that’s just what he did. By the time Burstein handed the kart to teammate Baca Jr he had come from 22nd to 4th. Wow! If we had a most spots gained award Team Young Guns would have won it wheels down. Meanwhile the battle of the first 44 was between the P1 and P2 drivers, Mike Davila of Team Airborne/Blue Blocker and Tony Rolfson of Team Octane. They proceeded to put distance between themselves and the rest of the pack, all the while trading places with each, taking a turn at leading and never more than a few precious feet from each other. Neither one was able to break away and make a definitive statement to the other. A true testament to the kart parody that F1 Race Factory strives to maintain across the fleet of 28 karts. More than once lap traffic gave an opportunity to the leaders to make a pass. We went into the completion with a, cancel the Blue Flag order in place, but the rolled Black Flag ready to go if any hanky panky should happen. A full on Black Flag was at the ready but was never thrown.
Forty four laps done and 44 more to go with fresh drivers at the wheel and a rolling start to kick off the second half of what has been a fast, clean race.
Team Octane had Blake Ledesma at the helm and Team Airborne/Blue Blocker had Steve Lattanzi piloting the second place kart. No matter how much distance was gained from the first 44 laps all that has now evaporated with a bumper to bumper rolling start based on your finishing position from the first 44 laps. Team Road Toads came from 12th starting position with Mike McClaren at the wheel to P3 and Keith Sears now in command of the kart. Team Young Guns with Chaz Baca Jr taking over from Jason Burstein is within striking distance in 4th starting spot and Team 3 had Chaz Baca Sr handing the kart over to Charles Crowe for the final 44 laps to the Checkered Flag.
The rolling start went without incident but within 5 or so laps, lap traffic came into the picture and without the advantage of blue flags to let the lap traffic know that the leaders were upon them, it became a nerve wracking challenge for the leaders to get around the back markers cleanly and safely. There were random acts of light bumper to bumper action but none to warrant any Black Flag action by the race officials. The distance between Team Octane and Team Airborne/BlueBlocker would accordion as slower karts would allow Team Airborne to catch up and then they would become the meat in the sandwich and Team Octane would pull away. That went on for some time until a three pack of slower karts came into view and Ledesma made a move right into the middle of the pack and his plan to get thru without incident came to a sideways sliding halt allowing Lattanzi to slip by to take P1 that would remain that way until the Checkered Flag flew and the race was declared officially over. Team Airborne could not believe their luck so close to the end as they had resigned to the fact that Team Octane was not only in P1 the entire second part of the race but if Lattanzi did catch Ledesma he would be nearly impossible to pass him. One mistake is all it took to change the exciting finish once the Checkered Flag flew.
Team Octane had one chance left to win with the weigh out at hand. If Lattanzi weighed out under the 198# weight limit the win would be theirs. Total focus on the digital scale and with the digital readout sliding from 196 to 202 it settled on 201.4 and the 88 lap 8th Anniversary Race of F1 Race Factory was officially declared over and won by Team Airborne/BlueBlocker (Steve Lattanzi/Mike Davila).

Group Podium pictures were taken, handshakes were traded and with the thrill of another great race put on by F1 Race Factory, the 44 drivers from all walks of life had lunch together and traded lies about what happened on and off the track that day. The 4’, 1st Place trophy has been put on display next to the podium for all to see and to reflect about all the good times we have had under the F1 Race Factory kart racing banner these last 8 years. It is the last competition trophy to carry the F1 Race Factory nameplate. Come Friday Oct. 14th, 2011 the name F1 Race Factory will be undergoing a name change to Octane Raceway.
Special pricing for races and memberships will be offered all weekend long. It’s only a name change and with promises to be open another 8 years or longer as Octane Raceway I see many great days of indoor kart racing ahead.
A BIG THANK YOU to Ron Davis Racing Products for welding the awesome 4’ trophy together and to his daughter Alicia Davis who is an important part of the F1 Race Factory marketing team and was one half of the Ron Davis Racing Team that raced in the 88 Lap Anniversary Race. Julia Castro was her teammate. Alicia and Julia finished 13th and both will be part of the only all female 2011 USIKC Team sponsored by DeCuzziTires.com. Thanks also to Amanda Tedder who sacrificed her Saturday morning sleep time to come in to make sure all ran as smooth as possible. Amanda is also teaming up with the DeCuzziTires.com female team in the 2011 USIKC. Many people involved to make this event one to remember like all the track officials that included Levi, Mitch, Sal, Jesus. Thanks to Chris in the kitchen for getting the food out after the race. Thanks Mary!
James Gibbons, International Octoberfest Man about Town handled the Awards ceremony without pomp and circumstance and for the first time nobody whispered, What? What did he say? Thank You James!

I want to personally Thank each and every one of the racers for participating in not only this Anniversary race but the many other competition races we have at F1 Race Factory/Octane Raceway weekly, monthly and annually. The arrive and drive races we do here daily are bar none the best in the valley. Whether you are a one time visitor or a repeat visitor to F1 Race Factory/Octane Raceway we make every effort to serve up the safest and best indoor kart racing experience every time. If not contact me and I will make sure that happens.
Final Results:
Steve Lattanzi/Mike Davila 1st Place "Winners" Team Airborne/Blue Blocker!
Tony Rolfson/Blake Ledesma 2nd Place Team Octane
Chaz Baca Jr/Jason Burstein 3rd Place Team Young Guns
Keith Sears/Mike McClaren 4th Place Team Road Toads
Chaz Baca Sr/Charles Crowe 5th Place Team 3
Chris Wynne/Greg Gillum 6th Place Team FlatTirePerformance
Josh Walker/Joe Landram 7th Place Team F-Bomb
Paul Miller/Don Angel 8th Place Team Two Old Dudes!
Bill Hunter/John Pappagallo 9th Place Team Hunter Killer
Brian Landry/Frank Dusanek 10th Place Team EVIL707
Jake Skaggs/Brendan Garcia 11th Place Team Silt Bed Blasters
Matt Kayne/Craig Budwitz 12th Place Team Flaming Hot Rubber Duckies
Alicia Davis/Julia Castro 13th Place Team Ron Davis Racing Products
Corey Butler/Matthew Thill 14th Place Team Butler Motorsports
CJ Wessel/Tim Denne 15th Place Team Low Rollers
Luke Seitters/Chris Diaz 16th Place Team Guecho
Jeremy Bodley/Brodie Carr 17th Place Team Top Turtle
JoshuaGoss/MatthewBrubaker 18th Place Team Skillzthatkillz
Chris Kandoll/Matt Kandoll 19th Place Team Gobbledgook
Mike Chamberlain/??? 20th Place Team IDK Bro
Ronald Bacon/David Carroll 21st Place The Bangbros
Jeff Walker/Chris Lopez 22nd Top Turtle Team I.D.K.Stickmen

Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve”Kandyman” Lattanzi
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory/Octane Raceway
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory/Octane Raceway
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory/Octane Raceway - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

Win in NASA-AZ League Race #3 goes to Josh Lambeth

2011 NASA-AZ League at F1 Race Factory sells out with 28 racers, Josh Lambeth Wins Far and Away!

Congratulations to Josh Lambeth for the “A” Main win this Month. 2nd Place to Austin Newmark and 3rd went to Chris Wynne. Unintentional contact between George Sklyarevesky and Paul Miller in the “A” Main sent both back thru the field. George got to conference with Mr Black Flag and Paul set sail to try to recover late in the race. I hear Sklyarevesky offered up a large piece of his humble pie to Miller. Miller ate it up, heartily.

Congratulations to “B” Main Winner John Via, first time NASA league racer, who moved into the “A” Main and practically passed out after 8 laps. 2nd & 3rd Place went to Wayne Porter & LeRoy Moore.

Welcome to Ulrik Szirka & Austin Dayton. They proved to be more than capable indoor kart racers. Once they are use to the added weight they will be a sure fire threat to the front runners. They were both careful not to beat their main sponsors who just happen to be their dads, Anthony Szika & Eric Dayton. I’m sure this will change soon enough and the win will only strengthen the sponsorship cash flow.

1st Group out Qualifier saw NASA-AZ Pres. Tage Evanson take the pole for that Heat with a time of 30.193. Right on his tail was League Series leader Austin Newmark with a 30.195. That’s a separation by a mere 2-1000’s of a second! Tage managed to hold on until the pressure of Austin was too much to bare and Austin got by with George S following suit.

Group 1 Heat Top 5 Finish Order:
Austin Newmark…George Sklyarevesky…Tage Evanson…Dave Schutt…Eric Kennel.

Group 2 will have times dipping into the 29’s with Josh Lambeth taking the pole for the Group 2 Heat with a time of 29.571. Paul Miller lays down a 29.684 to take the 2nd spot. Chris Wynne will start from the 3rd spot. Top 5 in this Heat play follow the leader and finish where they started. Leland Forbes comes from 10th and finishes 6th. Wayne Porter unfortunately see’s 6th place starting spot slip away and he ends up 9th, just ahead of LeRoy Moore.

Group 2 Heat Top 5 Finish Order:
Josh Lambeth…Paul Miller…Chris Wynne…Andrew Moore…Stenos Wijaya.

The 3rd NASA-AZ League race was a sell out with 28 racers signing up to compete. Many new faces joined the Aug 28th event not knowing what to expect but came away vowing to be back for the next race on Sunday Sept. 25th. Is there a better way to spend a blistering hot summer day than indoors racing karts with family and friends? Sept should cool off to low 100’s so don’t forget your sweatshirts and other insulated garb!
We are plan to race on Track 2 c/c/w or backwards which we only allow during league racing. It’s a whole new Track for some.
Don’t be Late, You may have to Spectate!

Finish Order for the Mains: “A” & “B”
Josh Lambeth…Austin Newmark…Chris Wynne…Tage Evanson…Dave Schutt…Andrew Moore…Eric Kennel…Kent Porter…Kent Buckley…Paul Miller…George Sklyareveasky…Stenos Wijaya…Eric Jacobsen…Leland Forbes…John Via…Wayne Porter…LeRoy Moore…Eric Dayton…Devin Barras…Paul Kuzma…Aaron Hiar…Craig Moore…Davis Baum…Anthony Szirka…Stephen Busler…Ilrik Szirka…Stephen Marlow…Austin Dayton.

Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

Chaz Baca Jr Crowned "Champion" of the 2011 F1 Race Factory Summer League

Another Win by Chaz Baca Jr Captures the 2011 F1 Race Factory Summer League Championship and Adds to his Trophy Collection
On Sunday August 21st the 2011 F1 Race Factory Summer Leagues wrapped up the Series and crowned Chaz Baca Jr “The Champion”.
2nd Place overall went to Jason Burstein and 3rd Place went to Mike Davila who seemed surprised by his overall 3rd Place finish.
The “Kandyman Award” went to, never gave up Greg Gillum. A most prestigious award given to the racer who does the most races, but scores the least points. Greg won it hands down. Congratulations Mr. GG.
Congratulations to Chaz, Jason ,and Mike for a job well done. Roger Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing called to see if they had signed any racing contracts yet.
The series was for the most part a race to see who would take 2nd overall. Chaz had stats that most of us dream of. This was an eight race series and he won 7 Mains out of the eight. Week 1 he finished 4th due to some late race contact. Add winning 5 of the 8 heats to his points total and you have the recipe for a successful goal of winning the league championship. Since we also drop 1 race, his lowest score of 54 out of a possible 57 was dropped. The only week he was not in 1st place was week one. He never gave up 1st position in overall points from that point on.

F1 Race Factory on a Tuesday night was the place to be for the Best Indoor Kart Racing in the Valley of the Sun. Averaging 24 racers week to week just goes to show you there are more than a few who want to see how they stack up against the best indoor kart racing has to offer.

We will all assemble again to compete in the 2011 Fall League Series starting Tuesday Sept 27th at 6:30pm. Clean slate for everyone and with some hard work by track staff, some new and different track layouts. (Randy?)
Maybe a figure 8 with some ramped jumps thru rings of fire and racing into tunnels of darkness with alligator moats on either side. Better call AFLAC to see if your life insurance is up to date!

Not to overlook the 7th race on Aug. 16th but the results were as follows:
“A” Main Top 10: Chaz Baca Jr…Jason Burstein…Mike Davila…Keith Sears…Kyler Repella…Josh Lambeth…Ian Pierce…Eric Dickinson…Kyle Tatman…Logan Swane.
Eric Dickinson won the “B” Main and moved into the “A” Main. Went from 14th to 8th by race end. That’s a lot of laps back to back but Eric was up to the task. Adrenaline pump working overtime!

Last race of the Summer Series saw 23 drivers looking to make the most of their overall points tally. The surprise of the day was Chaz Baca Jr qualifying 7th. Really? 7th? Wow! Did they mistakenly give him a kid kart?
On pole for the Heat was Austin Kipp who showed that he hadn’t lost his talent behind the wheel from lack of practice. Kipp shows up, suits up and is usually found at the front more often than not. Today he proved once again he is a force to be reckoned with. The other semi retired kart racer, due to work responsibilities, is Tony Rolfson who came to this race wincing from a toothache that had him searching for the gallon sized Ambesol to alleviate the stabbing pain in his molar. Fire up a kart and let’s get some string, we’ll have that baby out in no time. Tony would chose to go with a dental appointment the next day.( Dr. E.X. Traction) Nothing would keep him from competing this night and with a 4th Place Qualifier he was within striking distance of the win in the Heat if he could somehow get by Eric Dickinson (3rd) and Jason Burstein (2nd). Keith Sears rounded out the top 5 with a ….you guessed it 5th.

The 10 lap Heat goes green and as we are racing there seems to be some confusion at the Pit rig scoring station. We soon find out that a computer entry problem has scrambled the field and the Heat print out sheets have nothing to do with reality. After some discussion it has been decided to rerun the Heat which will now give us 10 more laps to practice our passing or getting passed skills. We race the second Heat drama free and this one is a keeper.

Top 5 has Toothache Tony Rolfson finishing in the top spot followed by Austin Kipp Van Winkle, Keith Sears & Roebuck, Jason “Weight Vest Unabomber” Burstein, and Eric “Screaming Yellow Helmet” Dickinson.
We take a small break to congratulate or console each others’ Heat finish and anticipate a better one in the 20 lap Main. New kart draw and into our “Chariots of Speed” we go.

Twenty laps on the ½ mile GP Track is hardly enough time to get into a racing rhythm and then bam it’s over. Bam was the sound you heard as Steve Lattanzi & Bobby Neumann attempt to cross the finish line side by side with Lattanzi taking the inside line where little existed and had Bobby taking a wider line than he wanted and found himself sliding into and stuck on the outside wall with the other racers heading toward his rear bumper. One by one they stacked up in this blind corner and then scrambled to cross the finish line ahead of the hotshoes they passed earlier. And at the top of the charts you ask? We once again find a familiar face by the name of Chaz Baca Jr. After starting from P6, Baca slowly but Shirley, you remember Shirley from school, worked his magic and came thru the field to take another 1st in a Main. A rousing finish in the Main compared to an unusual start/finish in the Qualifier/Heat for Baca. All is well and the world has been set right. Papparrazzi pictures taken, $millions$ in prizes handed out, solid Gold trophys awarded and another F1 Race Factory league series is in the books.

Main Final on the GP Track:
Chaz Baca Jr…Austin Kipp…Keith Sears…Eric Dickinson…Tony Rolfson…Jason Burstein…Mike Davila…Kyler Repella…Steve Lattanzi…Bobby Neumann…Scott Lodding…Cody Gutierrez…Paul Miller…Chris Wynne…Josh Lambeth…Kyle Tatman…James Romero…Phillip Schroeder…Keaton Swane…Charles Crowe..Logan Swane…Craig Moore…Greg Gillum.

I would like to Thank each and every one of you for taking the time and resources to do this. Also want to provide a big THANK YOU to all the F1 Race Factory staff that help to make this a racin’ fun place to be on a Tuesday night. Without you none of this happens. A few speed bumps along the way but nothing a few aspirin or a cold beer wouldn’t fix. Had fun racing with the best indoor kart racers in the USA and at F1 Race Factory the Best Indoor Kart Racing Facility in the USA.
Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

2011 F1 Race Factory Summer League Race #7

The 2011 F1 Summer League Top 3 Podium Finishers Race #7 "A" Main 8/16/2011

1st Place... Chaz Baca Jr

2nd Place... Jason Burstein

3rd Place ...Mike Davila

Honorable Mention goes to Eric Dickinson for Winning the "B" Main, moving into the "A" Main and going from 14th Place to 8th Place.

Congratulations! Chaz ...Jason...Mike...Eric.

2011 F1 Race Factory Summer League Race #8 of 8

Race #8 Top 3 Podium Finishers Main Race GP Track Final 8-21-2011

1st Place...Chaz Baca Jr

2nd Place...Austin Kipp

3rd Place...Keith Sears

Congratulations! Chaz...Austin...Keith.

Great finish to the 2011 F1 Summer Leagues

Chaz Baca Jr Wins 2011 F1 Race Factory Summer Leagues

Another Win by Chaz Baca Jr Captures the 2011 F1 Summer League Championship and Adds to his Trophy Collection
On Sunday August 21st the 2011 F1 Race Factory Summer Leagues wrapped up the Series and crowned Chaz Baca Jr “The Champion”.
2nd Place overall went to Jason Burstein and 3rd Place went to Mike Davila who seemed surprised by his overall 3rd Place finish.
The “Kandyman Award” went to, never gave up Greg Gillum. A most prestigious award given to the racer who does the most races, but scores the least points. Greg won it hands down. Congratulations Mr. GG.
Congratulations to Chaz, Jason ,and Mike for a job well done. Roger Penske and Joe Gibbs Racing called to see if they had signed any racing contracts yet.
The series was for the most part a race to see who would take 2nd overall. Chaz had stats that most of us dream of. This was an eight race series and he won 7 Mains out of the eight. Week 1 he finished 4th due to some late race contact. Add winning 5 of the 8 heats to his points total and you have the recipe for a successful goal of winning the league championship. Since we also drop 1 race, his lowest score of 54 out of a possible 57 was dropped. The only week he was not in 1st place was week one. He never gave up 1st position in overall points from that point on.

F1 Race Factory on a Tuesday night is the place to be for the Best Indoor Kart Racing in the Valley of the Sun. Averaging 24 racers week to week just goes to show you there are more than a few who want to see how they stack up against the best indoor kart racing has to offer.

We will all assemble again to compete in the 2011 F1 Race Factory Fall League Series starting Tuesday Sept 27th at 6:30pm. Clean slate for everyone and with some hard work by F1 Race Factory, potentially some new and different track layouts.
Maybe a figure 8 with some ramped jumps thru rings of fire and racing into tunnels of darkness with alligator moats on either side. Better call AFLAC to see if your life insurance is up to date!

Not to overlook the 7th race on Aug. 16th but the results were as follows:
“A” Main Top 10: Chaz Baca Jr…Jason Burstein…Mike Davila…Keith Sears…Kyler Repella…Josh Lambeth…Ian Pierce…Eric Dickinson…Kyle Tatman…Logan Swane.
Eric Dickinson won the “B” Main and moved into the “A” Main. Went from 14th to 8th by race end. That’s a lot of laps back to back but Eric was up to the task. Adrenaline pump working overtime!

Last race of the Summer Series saw 23 drivers looking to make the most of their overall points tally. The surprise of the day was Chaz Baca Jr qualifying 7th. Really? 7th? Wow! Did they mistakenly give him a kid kart?
On pole for the Heat was Austin Kipp who showed that he hadn’t lost his talent behind the wheel from lack of practice. Kipp shows up, suits up and is usually found at the front more often than not. Today he proved once again he is a force to be reckoned with. The other semi retired kart racer, due to work responsibilities, is Tony Rolfson who came to this race wincing from a toothache that had him searching for the gallon sized Ambesol to alleviate the stabbing pain in his molar. Fire up a kart and let’s get some string, we’ll have that baby out in no time. Tony would chose to go with a dental appointment the next day.( Dr. E.X. Traction) Nothing would keep him from competing this night and with a 4th Place Qualifier he was within striking distance of the win in the Heat if he could somehow get by Eric Dickinson (3rd) and Jason Burstein (2nd). Keith Sears rounded out the top 5 with a ….you guessed it 5th.

The 10 lap Heat goes green and as we are racing there seems to be some confusion at the Pit rig scoring station. We soon find out that a computer entry problem has scrambled the field and the Heat print out sheets have nothing to do with reality. After some discussion it has been decided to rerun the Heat which will now give us 10 more laps to practice our passing or getting passed skills. We race the second Heat drama free and this one is a keeper.

Top 5 has Toothache Tony Rolfson finishing in the top spot followed by Austin Kipp Van Winkle, Keith Sears & Roebuck, Jason “Weight Vest Unabomber” Burstein, and Eric “Screaming Yellow Helmet” Dickinson.
We take a small break to congratulate or console each others’ Heat finish and anticipate a better one in the 20 lap Main. New kart draw and into our “Chariots of Speed” we go.

Twenty laps on the ½ mile GP Track is hardly enough time to get into a racing rhythm and then bam it’s over. Bam was the sound you heard as Steve Lattanzi & Bobby Neumann attempt to cross the finish line side by side with Lattanzi taking the inside line where little existed and had Bobby taking a wider line than he wanted and found himself sliding into and stuck on the outside wall with the other racers heading toward his rear bumper. One by one they stacked up in this blind corner and then scrambled to cross the finish line ahead of the hotshoes they passed earlier. And at the top of the charts you ask? We once again find a familiar face by the name of Chaz Baca Jr. After starting from P6, Baca slowly but Shirley, you remember Shirley from school, worked his magic and came thru the field to take another 1st in a Main. A rousing finish in the Main compared to an unusual start/finish in the Qualifier/Heat for Baca. All is well and the world has been set right. Papparrazzi pictures taken, $millions$ in prizes handed out, solid Gold trophys awarded and another F1 Race Factory league series is in the books.

Main Final on the GP Track:
Chaz Baca Jr…Austin Kipp…Keith Sears…Eric Dickinson…Tony Rolfson…Jason Burstein…Mike Davila…Kyler Repella…Steve Lattanzi…Bobby Neumann…Scott Lodding…Cody Gutierrez…Paul Miller…Chris Wynne…Josh Lambeth…Kyle Tatman…James Romero…Phillip Schroeder…Keaton Swane…Charles Crowe..Logan Swane…Craig Moore…Greg Gillum.

I would like to Thank each and every one of you for taking the time and resources to do this. Also want to provide a big THANK YOU to all the staff at F1 Race Factory that help to make this a racin’ fun place to be on a Tuesday night. Without you none of this happens. A few speed bumps along the way but nothing a few aspirin or a cold beer wouldn’t fix. Had fun racing with the best indoor kart racers in the USA and at F1 Race Factory the Best Indoor Kart Racing Facility in the USA.
Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

2011 F1 Race Factory Summer League Race #6 Wrap Up

Chaz Baca Jr Rolls to Another Dominant Victory in the 2011 F1 Race Factory Summer Leagues

Every few years a racer emerges from the ranks of indoor karting and goes on to dominate the competition within his or her particular indoor kart club club. For the past year or so Chaz Baca Jr has taken on that role.

Racers like Truman (Brad) Godfrey, Tony Rolfson, Blake Ledesma, and a host of others have had their turn. Tony and Blake are still some of the best when they compete but with the realities of work, and family responsibilities are factored in the time and money spent chasing the racing dream gets sidelined. Both are still top contenders when they race which is pretty remarkable when you consider racing seat time is a huge factor in keeping the acquired indoor karting skills sharp. There is a direct correlation to seat time and fast times in most cases. Rolfson and Ledesma are able to find their way to the front with minimal weekly practice. Raw talent there. In the case of this writer my skills as a racer are fading faster than heat sensitive paper receipts left in the center console of an automobile in the summer heat.

We now record Chaz’s name into the record books, add more points to his score sheet total for the week and watch him grow that much closer to another League Championship. How about from now on we just give him a trophy at the start of the series and have him stay home so the rest of us don’t have to see the back of whatever kart he is in. Nobody really knows what the front of his helmet looks like because all we get to see lap after lap is the back of it. Two races left in the F1 Summer Leagues and 13 points is the deficit, #2 in points, Jason Burstein has to overcome. Third in overall points is Steve Lattanzi who has been falling by the wayside as of late and is struggling with getting his rhythm back. You should see him dance it’s even worse. Mike Davila, aka Zig Zag Blue Blocker, has been seen in the vicinity and is very good at leading the conga line that forms behind him. A vote was taken, unanimously approved and rear view mirrors will be professionally installed to Davila’s helmet before the next league race. Turn signals will be next so we know when he intends to makes those 2 or 3 lanes changes on the straightaway without warning.

Group 1 Qualifying/Heat has Jason Burstein on the pole for the Heat with Josh Walker, Mike Davila, Eric Dickinson and Kyler Repella rounding out the top 5.
Race goes green and Jason wastes no time pulling away from the rest of the pack. He leaves the rest of the racers fighting over 2nd place and multiple minor contact incidents moves Josh Walker out of second place to as far back as you could go… last. He manages to claw his way back to 7th before race end. Blue flag, give back the position, flagging was at an all time high this night and the dreaded Black Flag came out of retirement to be thrown in the direction of Kyler Repella. Repella responded with a hand sign that said, Who me??? He did serve his penalty and was later seen pleading his case to anyone with ears and a blank stare. He’s young, he’s fast, he’ll get over it. Newcomer, Ken Shihrer joined the F1 Race Factory leagues for the first time and by nights end had nothing but praise for the facility and the 24 other league racers that welcomed his first venture into the best league racing in town. Ken was also the weekly winner of the 50/50 raffle and was having such a great time donated his winnings back into the year end party fund. Thank You Ken.

Group 1 Heat Finish Order:
Jason Burstein…Mike Davila…Eric Dickinson…Logan Swane…Paul Miller…Chris Wynne…Josh Walker…Mike McClaran…Phillip Schroeder…Josh Sarchet…Ken Shihrer…Kyler Repella.

Group 2 Qualifying/Heat takes to the track and Chaz Baca Jr is on the pole for the Heat with Steve Lattanzi, Josh Lambeth, Keith Sears, & Bobby Neumann falling in line behind him.
Lambeth and Lattanzi were separated by 2-1000th of a second for best lap time in the Qualifier. So close that if you blink you miss it.
Not only does the green flag wave but almost in unison we wave goodbye to Baca as he falls into his determined fast lap cadence and proceeds to pull away.
If you remember last weeks contact between Lattanzi and Lambeth this week we see none of that and Lambeth catches Lattanzi at the high speed back corner and makes a perfect inside pass to take 2nd away and try to catch leader Baca. Top eight racers only had one position change and that was Lambeth to 2nd and Lattanzi to finish 3rd. Scott Lodding moves up 2 spots and Jason McCormack goes one up. Keaton Swane drops one spot. Greg Gillum, in his first league season and hailing from Prescott has a stranglehold on the back of the pack but never gives up and gives plenty of room when you need it. He’s one big, tall racer and if trouble starts you will find me hiding near Greg and on whatever side he’s on. He gets better week to week.

Group 2 Heat Finish Order:
Chaz Baca Jr…Josh Lambeth…Steve Lattanzi…Keith Sears…Bobby Neumann…Ian Pierce…Charles Crowe…Cody Gutierrez…Scott Lodding…Keaton Swane…Jason McCormack…Greg Gillum.

Small break to catch our breath, rehydrate and get ready for what’s up next. The “A” & “B” Mains which will be 48 laps on Track 2 c/w. This is where they separate the top halves of the Heats from the bottom halves and the Winner of the “B” Main gets to join the “A” Main for another 48 laps. A real test of one’s endurance and stamina. Charles Crowe is on pole for the “B” Main and never relinquishes that position even though more than once you thought he might lose it to Josh Walker or Cody Gutierrez who was right there to strike with one big mistake from Crowe. First lap also saw Phillip Schroeder get pushed wide and go from P6 to P12. Not a good start for Phillip.By lap 21 the five kart freight train had grown to eight karts a racin’. Seven swans a swimmin’, six geese a layin’, etc. The train comes upon lap traffic and in all the confusion league regular Mike McClaran gets moved back 3 spots with contact. Kyler Repella is racing to the front and ends his night in P5 after starting P11. By the end of 48 laps we have Josh Walker go from P2 to P11 which I’m sure was not his plan. Last week’s “A” Main 3rd place podium finisher, Josh Sarchet, must have had his newly acquired “Lucky” race suit on backwards tonight. I’m sure even though moving up to third in the “B” Main was good, “A” Main podium finishes are that much sweeter and pay off with more points. Charles Crowe wins the race and now joins the “A” Main race from the back of the field. Water weight loss for Crowe had him searching for that water bottle he would like to smuggle into the next 48 lap “A” Main. Sorry Charles the karts do not come with cup holders.

“B” Main Finish Order:
Charles Crowe…Cody Gutierrez…Josh Sarchet…Scott Lodding…Kyler Repella…Keaton Swane…Mike McClaran…Jason McCormack…Phillip Schroeder…Ken Shihrer…Josh Walker…Greg Gillum.
Congratulations: Charles...Cody...Josh S.

Now for the “A” Main. You know who on pole, everybody else behind ykw. Race goes green and within 5 laps we have separation between the top three, Baca/Burstein/Lambeth and the rest of the field that now find themselves battling to get by, Zig Zag Blue Blocker, Mike Davila. As that battle ensues the front three are pulling away and the back of the field are catching the 4th thru 7th place racers. Side by side action got a bit dicey with Lattanzi and then Ian Pierce getting squeezed off before the inevitable head on stop into the wall happened if they maintained their position. A three kart battle has Keith Sears squirting thru and getting by the fracas. Cries of don’t leave us Keith were heard from Lattanzi and Pierce. Add in the always right there Bobby Neumann and you have an action packed race to the finish. But not before Lattanzi finally gets by Davila and settles for a 5th place finish with Bobby Neumann on his bumper taking 6th. Chaz Baca not only wins the “A” Main but on his way picks up 2 pole positions (Heat/Main), a Heat win and sets fast time for the night in the “A” Main. Somebody had a perfect night.

Fast podium pictures were taken and with the next day being the first day of school for Baca Jr, our hopes are that he will have so much homework and so many female race fans to contend with that he will be distracted. Don’t bet on it. When he’s on track we are all going to school. I’m at the back of the class with my spitball straw ready to torment the teacher.

“A” Main Finish Order:
Chaz Baca Jr…Jason Burstein…Josh Lambeth…Keith Sears…Steve Lattanzi…Bobby Neumann…Ian Pierce…Mike Davila…Logan Swane…Charles Crowe…Eric Dickinson…Chris Wynne…Paul Miller.
Congratulations: Chaz...Jason...Josh L.

Want to Thank You all for taking the time and resources to compete in the Best League Series found anywhere See all of you next Tuesday Aug. 16th. 6/6:30 Check in…6:45 Driver meeting/Kart Draw…7pm Racing starts.

Don’t be Late or You May Have to Spectate!

Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

Chaz Baca Jr Wins Round 5 in the 2011 F1 Race Factory Summer League Series

Chaz Baca Jr Continues his Winning Ways in the 2011 F1 Race Factory Summer Leagues

Now with Race #5 in the record books and Chaz Baca Jr securing more points in his quest to win his 4th consecutive F1 Race Factory League Series the rest of the league racers have voted to come up with a new point system.
From this day forward we will be adding the points from 2nd Place and 3rd Place together to try to catch points leader Baca Jr. Our diabolical plan just may work. It was either that or we trick Chaz into racing one of the converted look-a-like detuned Sodi kid karts. Maybe a combination of both.

Group 1 Qualifier saw long time F1 Race Factory member Eric Dickinson, who dons a screaming yellow helmet, take the pole position over up and coming fast racer Josh Sarchet. Josh Sarchet has steadily improved week to week so that now you can count him being at the front more often than not. He is also now sporting a very stylish light grey racing suit purchased from another fast racer by the name of Greg Jones. I think the fast times came with the suit and now Sarchet is convinced the suit is his lucky charm. He may be right. Rounding out the top 5 was Josh Lambeth, Mike Davila, and Chris Wynne. Group 1 also had outdoor stand out Alex Akers join the indoor kart racers and even though he qualified P12 Alex is a quick study and will move to the top of the charts in no time. The level of grip the indoor karts have compared to the grip outdoor karts have is very different and Akers is now thinking about a career in indoor drifting. A harder tire compound is used indoors as well as having a treated concrete surface. No Alex you can’t bring and mount your own tires next time!

Group 1 Heat Results:
Josh Sarchet…Eric Dickinson…Mike Davila…Steve Lattanzi…Josh Lambeth…Kyle Tatman…Chris Wynne…Bobby Neumann…Logan Swane…Phillip Schroeder…Alex Akers…Joe Flitner…Greg Gillum.
Congratulations to Josh Sarchet for his first Heat win in the Leagues.

Three racers in the league travel trillions of miles each week to compete. Kyle Tatman, Josh Tatman and parents travel all the way from Tucson, Az and have been doing this for about 2 years now. Kyle is moving thru the ranks and brother Josh will be on brother Kyle’s back bumper in no time. New to the leagues is Greg Gillum and I hear the family drive to Phoenix from Prescott, Az includes many hours of traveling car games like count the cactus. That’s dedication to the leagues and a testament to the competitive racing spirit that resonates thru all of Arizona.

Group 2 Qualifier had surprise, surprise Chaz Baca Jr on Pole with protégé Jason Burstein slipping to 2nd by 2-100’s of a second. Ian Pierce, Kyler Repella and Cody Gutierrez round out the top 5. Ian Pierce no stranger to fast times has taken Kyler Repella under his wing with his expert instruction. Wrenching on Kylers outdoor kart is just a small piece of the puzzle that has made Kyler a better, faster driver. As Kyler matures and his ego falls within reasonable parameters his indoor driving skills have propelled him to the front more than once. Teacher is now becoming student.

Group 2 Heat Results:
Jason Burstein…Chaz Baca Jr…Kyler Repella…Ian Pierce…Cody Gutierrez…Mike McClaran…Keith Sears…Scott Lodding…Keaton Swane…Charles Crowe…Paul Miller…Josh Tatman…Jason McCormack.
Congratulations to Jason Burstein for the win over the nearly unstoppable Chaz Baca Jr.

Two of the regular “A” Main racers decided to visit the “B” Main this week. Keith Sears was on pole for the “B” Main and Charles Crowe ended up starting from P6. Crowe, who recently returned from a cross country trip with his family in a Winnebago was overheard to say he now wants to grow a mullet to go with the Winnebago. Was that a chewin’ tobacco tin I saw in his pocket? A whopping 6 MPG & 5,000 miles = empty wallet syndrome or credit card meltdown. Exxon, Mobil & Shell have now added the Crowe family to their VIP Christmas card list.

Bobby Neumann, Scott Lodding, and Keaton Swane chased Sears to no avail from the start to the finish. Contact between Charles Crowe and Logan Swane had Swane fall back to finish 2 spots back from his original starting spot of 5th. Keith Sears wins the “B” Main and now gets to join the “A” Main from the rear of the field to race another 40 laps on Track 1. Where’s that 5 gallon Gott cooler filled with ice water when you need it?

“B” Main Finish Order:
Keith Sears…Bobby Neumann…Scott Lodding…Keaton Swane…Charles Crowe…Paul Miller…Phillip Schroeder…Logan Swane…Alex Akers…Josh Tatman…Jason McCormack…Joe Flitner…Greg Gillum.

The “A” Main has Jason Burstein on pole, Josh Sarchet, still beaming from his Heat win, starting P2 and Chaz Baca Jr bringing up the, unfamiliar to him, 3rd starting spot. Top three very focused and the rest of the starting grid hoping for an impatient move or mistake by anyone ahead of them. This level of driver usually doesn’t swing the mistake door open very far or very often. That my readers was not the case in the vicinity of 8th place. Just so happened to be the same area that Steve Lattanzi was attempting and succeeding to terrorize all within striking distance. With laps clicking off and attempted passes being flagged back for position you could feel the pressure mount until an errant move by Lattanzi against Josh Lambeth planted Lambeth firmly into a barrier and essentially out of the race. With Ian Pierce passed for position earlier and Mike Davila passed it now was Eric Dickinson turn to feel the wrath of a fast kart in the wrong hands. Dickinson came into the crosshairs of Lattanzi and after holding a tight line for about 5 or so laps, Lattanzi decided enough is enough and proceeded to push Dickinson off line and by the wayside. Davila gets by Dickinson and another give back the position had Lattanzi giving back not one but two with Davila racing by first followed by the not too happy Dickinson. A payback was imminent and soon thereafter the “hit” contract was signed and the “hit” carried out. Sheepishly and knowing he did wrong by more than one person words were exchanged and apologies issued. Compensation will be issued and promises to race clean or out will be addressed at the next driver meeting. There’s not enough candy in the world to smooth this over so homemade cookie’s may be in order from Pro Cookie maker Gina D’Atrie who graciously provided all of the league racers with an outstandingly delicious sampling of her Peanut Butter/Oatmeal Cookie recipe.

Meanwhile at the front where the close and clean racing was happening the leaders were laughing all the way to the Checkered Flag with clean position changing passes all the way to the stripe. The 3rd step of the podium had a first time visitor named Josh Sarchet and I’m sure the smile of accomplishment hasn’t worn off even a week later. He now is two steps away from the podium top step and with having “Winner” of a league race posted next to his name. The sweet smell of victory is drifting his way. Congratulations to Podium picture models, Chaz Baca Jr…Jason Burstein…Josh Sarchet.

“A” Main Finish Order:
Chaz Baca Jr…Jason Burstein…Josh Sarchet…Kyler Repella…Eric Dickinson…Josh Lambeth…Mike Davila…Ian Pierce…Cody Gutierrez…Steve Lattanzi…Kyle Tatman…Mike McClaran…Keith Sears…Chris Wynne.

Thank You all for taking the time and resources to race in the best league at the best indoor kart racing facility in the country. I should know I belong to many and have been banned from a few. Begging my way back in hasn’t been successful. Karting is my “Fountain of Youth” and a daily dose is highly recommended.

The next 2011 F1 Race Factory Summer League Race is Tuesday Aug. 9th. Check in between 6/6:30…Driver Meeting/Kart Draw 6:45…Qualifying/Heats Start by 7pm.
If you’re Late, You get to Spectate!

Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

Tony Rolfson Wins AZIKC Race #6

On Sunday, July 31, F1 Race Factory hosted the 6th race of the AZIKC with twenty three entry’s signed up for the grueling 72 lap race with a 3 lap qualifier on the ½ mile GP Track. With outside temps exceeding 110 degrees proper hydration had become paramount to being able to finish this race. A sea of water bottles graced the tabletops of the Trackside Grill and by race end every one of them was as empty as a rain barrel in Arizona.
Tony Rolfson, who is the driver with the most wins in the AZIKC year after year, sat on pole for the 72 lap Main. Rounding out the top four were Josh Lambeth, Chaz Baca Jr, and Keith Sears. Strong front runner and multiple winner in the AZIKC, Blake Ledesma was set to challenge from the 5th starting spot. To count out Ledesma in any race he shows up for would be a mistake. Josh Lambeth had a seat adjustment issue but decided to stay with it and claimed the 2nd starting spot with that prudent decision.

Four very new to indoor kart racing decided to join this race and did pretty well competing against some of the best indoor karters under the F1 Race Factory banner. We shall see if John Dimercurio, George Ebacker, Brian Winegar and Russell Dailey return next month now that they have been properly baptized by the Cardinals of Speed. All four finished the race under their own steam.

The field of 23 takes the green and position changes happen pronto. Tony Rolfson maintains his lead and behind him the position swap fest is in full swing. Lambeth is staying within striking distance of Rolfson but Baca Jr wants to be closer to the lead bumper. He accomplishes that goal laps later with a perfectly timed 20 second pit stop which is a mandatory AZIKC rule for all teams running solo or as a two man team.

Jason Burstein who has been on the move to the front after starting 10th is coming like a freight train and proves to be harder to catch than the star of the movie “Unstoppable”.

Driver pit stops/driver changes happen without much drama. Blake Ledesma and Kyler Repella are now racing nose to tail and Repella is not about to let Ledesma escape. They catch Lambeth and in the blink of an eye Lambeth goes from from P5 to P9 with contact between him and Ledesma. Many different versions of what happened circulated with no concrete conclusion and no penalty handed out much to the dismay of Lambeth. Meanwhile Keith Sears who has changed his driving skill set for the better is just out for a Sunday cruise and his plan to stay out of harms way seems to be working. Run silent, Run deep is his new mantra.

And where is Team Titanium you might ask…Don’t ask. Team Titanium has yet to find the good karma they were blessed with for the 2010 AZIKC Series. A qualifying run to start 14th is not what you would call a stellar start to a very competitive field. That said there was less than a 1 second time difference between first (52.037) and 15th(53.024).

Top 3 Podium Finishers:
Tony Rolfson…Jason Burstein…Chaz Baca Jr. Congratulations to these frequent podium finishers and to Tony Rolfson who spends little time practicing and a lot of time winning. Big talent, small budget.

4th thru 23rd is as follows:
Keith Sears…Blake Ledesma…Kyler Repella…Josh Lambeth…Peter Liwanag…Bill Hunter…Mike Davila…Matthew Lamanilao…Josh Sarchet…Mike McClaran…Ian Pierce…Team Titanium(Steve Lattanzi/Charles Crowe)…Chris Wynne…John Pappagallo…Ryan Casillas…Team Zippy(Jason McCormack/Joe Flitner)…George Ebacker…John Dimercurio…Russell Dailey…Brian Winegar.

Top 10 in Points w/o Drop after Race 6 of 10.
Chaz Baca Jr 176…Blake Ledesma 170…Jason Burstein 154…Tony Rolfson 154…Mike Davila 149…Peter Liwanag 138…Team Titanium 119…Mike McClaran…Pat Joyce 102…Bill Hunter 96.

The next AZIKC Race is #7 on Sunday August 28th. Check in by 6pm… Driver meeting/Kart draw 6:15…Qualifying starts at 6:30pm. All on the ½ mile GP Track c/w.
Thank You all for taking the time and resources to do this. It’s the most fun you can have with a helmet on.

Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

Josh Lambeth wins race #2 of the NASA League

Points Leader Austin Newmark dethroned by Birthday Boy Josh Lambeth in Race #2 of the 2011 NASA-AZ/F1 Race Factory League Series.

What do you get when twenty six competitive NASA guys come together and race on the indoor kart track at F1 Race Factory? Twenty six fast and furious drivers of all different skill levels coming together to have an afternoon of adrenaline producing fun with some good old fashioned sweat thrown in for good measure. The second of six races welcomed 10 newcomers to the kart racing fold and all were intent on making a good showing with their car racing skills hopefully transferring to the low clearance, 9hp Sodi Karts.

Group 1 Qualifier has Josh Lambeth sitting on Pole for the Group 1 Heat with a time 24.438.
Paul Miller 24.750, Kent Porter 24.845, Eric Jacobsen 24.869, and Kent Buckley 25.046 round out the top 5.
Group 1 Heat Results:
Josh Lambeth…Paul Miller…Eric Jacobsen…Kent Porter…Tage Evanson…Kent Buckley…Wayne Porter…Eric Dayton…Anthony Szirka…Stephen Busler…Terry Denton…Aaron Hiar…Darrell J. Covert.

Group 2 Qualifier has Austin Newmark sitting on Pole for the Group 2 Heat with a time of 24.385.
Chris Wynne 24.509…George Sklyarevsky 24.561…Stenos Wijaya 24.665…Jeff Abrams 24.682 round out the top 5.
Group 2 Heat Results:
Austin Newmark…Chris Wynne…George Sklyarevsky…Stenos Wijaya…Eric Kennel…Leland Forbes…Dave Schutt…Leroy Moore…Paul Kuzma…Jeff Abrams…Jason Noel…Michael Browning…Ryan Denton.

After a small break to reset the fields for the “A” & “B” Mains we have Wayne Porter on Pole for the “B” Main. 10 to 12 laps in, a computer glitch has the field come to a stop for a restart. Leroy Moore starting again from P2 is having to work his way around Wayne Porter again after doing so after 6 laps in the first start. Race is restarted and Leroy makes his move early into the second start and keeps the position for most of the race. Wayne Porter never loses sight of the leader Moore and eventually finds his way around to take the “B” Main win and move into the “A” Main as a bonus for winning the “B” Main. Like 48 laps isn’t enough Porter will be doing another 48 laps to add to his bottom line score for the day. A look of relief is seen on the face of Moore.

“B” Main Finish Order:
Wayne Porter…Paul Kuzma…Leroy Moore…Jeff Abrams…Michael Browning…Jason Noel…Stephen Busler…Aaron Hiar…Eric Dayton…Anthony Szirka…Ryan Denton…Terry Denton…Darrell Covert.

Next up is the “A” Main racers who manage to have no less than four group races within one race. Austin Newmark is on Pole but has Mr. Birthday JML Pictures President/Producer/Director Josh Lambeth sitting right behind him and ready to strike if Newmark makes a mistake. Chris Wynne is starting from P3 if the party of two Newmark/Lambeth should tangle. Paul Miller and George Sklyarevsky plan to sneak up and make a run at the top two spots together. Seems like the only plan that worked was the one from Lambeth. He got by Newmark and went on to win but not before they nearly lapped the rest of the field. The biggest drop in position came from Chris Wynne who went from P3 to P12 with a little help from his kart racing friends in the middle of the pack. Biggest position gain was from NASA-AZ Pres. Tage Evanson who came from P10 all the way up to P4 by race end of 48 laps. Lambeth also set fast time in that race with a 23.962. Dave Schutt saw many different flags this day, so many he thought he might be at the United Nations building in N.Y .The dreaded Black Flag was for contact between him and Leland Forbes. Leland will be out of the full body cast any year now. Good way to make to 200# weight minimum, Leland. Congratulations to Josh Lambeth for the win on his birthday. Hey, where’s the cake?

“A” Main Finish Order:
Josh Lambeth…Austin Newmark…Paul Miller…Tage Evanson…Stenos Wijaya…George Sklyarevsky…Kent Buckley…Eric Jacobsen…Eric Kennel…Leland Forbes…Kent Porter…Chris Wynne…Wayne Porter…Dave Schutt.

Top Ten Points after Race #2 (July 31):
Austin Newmark 89…Paul Miller 83…Tage Evanson 81…Chris Wynne 75…George Sklyarevsky 75…Stenos Wijaya 74…Kent Porter 69…Kent Buckley 69…Eric Jacobsen 68…Leland Forbes 63.

Next NASA-AZ/F1 Race Factory League race will be on Sunday Aug. 28th. Track 1 c/c/w… Check in between 1 to 1:30…Driver meeting/Kart draw 1:45… Qualifying/Heats start 2pm. Entry is $45.00 tax included.

Thank You all for taking the time and the resources to do this.
Don’t Be late, or You get to Spectate!

Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

Chaz Baca Jr Wins Race #4 of F1 Race Factory Summer League Series

Chaz Baca Jr Sets the Bar That Much Higher with Another Easy Cruise to Victory in the 4th Race of the 2011 F1 Race Factory Summer League Series.

Two of the most senior racers in the Summer League Series find themselves at the top of the Group 1 Qualifier.
Mike Davila sets fast time in the Group 1 Qualifier to take the Pole Position in the Group 1 Heat.
Steve Lattanzi and Kyler Repella start from P2 & P3 in the Group 1 Heat.
Lattanzi and Repella work together so as not to lose ground on Davila but Mike D goes on to win Group 1 Heat.
Lattanzi thinks he see’s one too many White Flags, slows one lap too early and see’s Repella go flying by to take a well deserved mistake free 2nd place finish away from him.
An innocent error by the start/finish flagger has been corrected and Lattanzi is now outfitted with Coke bottle thick eyewear to help him look for the elusive Checkered Flag.

Group 1 Heat Results:
Mike Davila…Kyler Repella…Steve Lattanzi…Eric Dickinson…Kyle Tatman…Josh Lambeth…Chris Wynne…Joe Landram…Phillip Schroeder…Greg Gillum.

Keith Sears sets fast time in the Group 2 Qualifier to take the Pole Position for the Group 2 Heat.
Baca takes the win in the Group 2 Heat, Sears nails down a 2nd place finish.
The fight for the top spot between Sears and Baca Jr lasted most of the race with Baca setting Sears up and making a clean pass.
Just the opposite can be said between two other competitors. The pass for position was reversed when Josh Sarchet attempted to pass Cody Gutierrez and resulted in contact that was less than clean.
Sarchet paid the price by having the positions reversed post race. Cody claims to have an exact replica Voodoo doll of Sarchet and a boxful of very sharp pins.

Group 2 Heat Results:
Chaz Baca Jr…Keith Sears…Jason Burstein…Scott Lodding…Cody Gutierrez…Josh Sarchet…Paul Miller…Mike McClaran…Ian Pierce…Josh Tatman.

The “B” Main Group enters Track 2 c/c/w for competition and the winner will get to move into the “A” Main.
Hungry for a win and a move into the “A” Main is Josh Sarchet who starts from the Pole Position.
Josh Lambeth, Paul Miller, Chris Wynne, Mike McClaran, Joe Landram, Ian Pierce, Phillip Schroeder, Josh Tatman, and Greg Gillum are ready to keep Sarchet from that goal.
Lambeth/Miller/Wynne/McClaran stayed tight for the first half and then as the field spread out it became the Josh/Josh Show with nose to tail action finally seeing the Josh of the Lambeth persuasion take the position way from his namesake. Mike McClaran and Joe Landram fell back and did battle together, but coming thru the field from a 7th place start position was Ian Pierce. He was racing for all it was worth and if the lap count went longer than the 48 laps allotted he would have caught Josh & Josh. Pierce ran out of laps and settled for a 3rd place finish. A very clean race was had by all.

“B” Main Results:
Josh Lambeth…Josh Sarchet…Ian Pierce…Paul Miller…Chris Wynne…Mike McClaran…Joe Landram…Josh Tatman…Phillip Schroeder…Greg Gillum.

“B” Main winner Josh Lambeth now moves to the rear of the “A” Main to compete in another 48 lap Main race. He’s hot, tired and thirsty but ready to do it all again to gain positions within the “A” Main and score those valuable series points. Parched, he summoned for water and was given some by a very cute young lady wearing a green shirt who is a person of mystery to me but seems to be a big fan of our resident filmmaker and excellent indoor kart racer. Congratulations Josh Lambeth for the “B” Main win and for not passing out during the “A” Main race.

Time for the “A” Main to get under way. Chaz Baca Jr is starting from the Pole, Mike Davila sits inches from his bumper in P2 , with Keith Sears starting from P3. Seat trouble has Jason Burstein switching karts as well as Cody Gutierrez. Cody will now start at the rear of the field due to the voluntary switch. No change to the Burstein starting spot of 6th.

Race starts and for the first few laps positions stay as is but then Kyler Repella runs Keith Sears wide and Sears goes from 3rd to 7th in short order. Baca Jr is showing his see ya later alligator move again to Davila. The race now becomes a race for 2nd/3rd/4th. Davila with Repella on his rear bumper are racing lap after lap with no moves toward a position change. That gives Steve Lattanzi an opportunity to slowly but surely reel them in until Lattanzi is now on the tail end of a three pack race. Lattanzi and Repella battle a bit which allows Davila to put a safe distance between himself and Repella/Lattanzi. Seeing the White Flag Lattanzi makes his move on Repella and has the inside line to take the position but then out of the blue Lattanzi once again slows as he must have thought the White Flag had Black boxes on it too. He went to congratulate Kyler but saw him speed away to complete the race. Jason Burstein running way back in 4th saw Lattanzi in slow mode and went by with a blur, a bump and a fist pump not really believing his luck at Lattanzi’s confusion. Mental error by Lattanzi cost him one point in the Heat and now at least 2 points in the Main. What was he thinking? Lots of incoherent mumbling coming from the mouth of Lattanzi once he realized what the heck he did.

A Drs. Appointment was scheduled for the next day for a complete neck up check up and he’s what they found. Butterflies and an I.O.U note. That’s right, as empty as a beer bottle at a Frat party. This now explains a lot and from now on he will be riding the Little Yellow Bus from home to F1 Race Factory for work and play. He will not be allowed to play with any sharp objects and will be required to don Coke Bottle thick eye wear anytime in a kart and on the track. If anyone has extra crayons and a racing themed coloring book with racing flags to color in, it would help with his relearning of the racing flags and what they mean.
In the meantime his Drs.(Frankenstein & Jeckle) have located a new brain from a donor by the name of Ab Normal. They are confident it will be an improvement.

“A” Main Results:
Chaz Baca Jr…Mike Davila…Kyler Repella…Jason Burstein…Steve Lattanzi…Scott Lodding…Keith Sears…Josh Lambeth…Cody Gutierrez…Eric Dickinson…Kyle Tatman.

Thank You all for taking time out of your day and the resources to do this. Without you it wouldn’t be this much competitive fun and excitement. No doubt about it the Best Indoor Kart racers are found at F1 Race Factory every day, all day and especially every Tuesday, starting at 6:30 pm.

Next Summer League Race is Tuesday Aug. 2. Qualifier/Heat/Main = 35 minutes of racing action for $45.00 including tax. Weight equalized to 200#. Racer cap of 42. Track 1 c/w

This Sunday July 31 is the 2nd race of the 2011 NASA-AZ League Series. Check in by 1:30…driver meeting/kart draw 1:45…Racing starts at 2pm. Must be active member of NASA to compete. Qualifier/Heat/Main = 35 minutes of racing action for $45.00 including tax. Weight Equalized to 200# racer cap of 28. Track 2 c/w

This Sunday July 31, is also the AZIKC Endurance Team race. Check in by 6pm…Driver meeting/kart draw 6:15…3 lap Qualifier/72 lap Main all on the ½ mile GP Track. One 20 second pit stop mandatory. Two man teams ok. Weight equalized to 200#. $75.00 per team including tax.

Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

F1 Race Factory has Repeat Winner with Chaz Baca Jr taking down another Win in the 2011 F1 Summer League Series.

Twenty Nine of the best indoor kart racers from Phoenix/Tucson & Prescott came together at F1 Race Factory on Tuesday, July 19th to claim their rightful place atop the shrine to winning…the podium stand. All three that made it to the three steps of the podium stand were repeat visitors since the Summer league started. You can’t say podium without mentioning Chaz Baca Jr and Tuesday night was no exception with a repeat win by one of the most winning indoor kart racers to come along. Steve Lattanzi (2nd) and Mike Davila (3rd) filled the rest of the empty real estate on the podium. Former repeat Champions like Brad Godfrey, Tony Rolfson, and Blake Ledesma, just to name a few, have since moved on or up in the world of speed. Tony & Blake still make guest appearances in the AZIKC and leagues but as life happens and budgets get stretched some of the repeat winners back off from other responsibilities, but still try keep one toe in the waters of competitive indoor kart racing. Word on the street is Brad Godfrey is making a name for himself in the ARCA race series back East where most of the locals talk with a southern drawl and drink lots of Sweet Tea and Mint Juleps. NASCAR is not only a Sport back there in the Carolina’s but a truly devote religious lifestyle experience enjoyed by many. Amen, brother! My Holy Grail of Racing is Formula 1.

Group 1 Qualifying/Heat saw Tony Rolfson (29.402) take the pole position over Jason Burstein (29.418) and Chaz Baca Jr (29.517).

Group 1 Heat Finish Order:
Tony Rolfson…Chaz Baca Jr…Jason Burstein…Keith Sears…Joshua Walker…Eric Dickinson…Ian Pierce…Scott Lodding…Mike McClaran…Paul Miller…Jason McCormack…Julia Castro…Joe Flitner…Josh Tatman…Greg Gillum.

Group 2 Qualifying/Heat had Steve Lattanzi (29.497) on pole over Mike Davila (29.686) and Robert Neumann (29.697).

Group 2 Heat Finish Order:
Mike Davila…Steve Lattanzi…Robert Neumann…Cody Gutierrez…Rees Candee…Don Angel…Kyler Repella…Chris Wynne…Josh Lambeth…Mark Heeg…Ray Stevens…Kyle Tatman…Phillip Schroeder…Chris Webb.

The “A” field is set with the top 7 from each group and the “B” Main gets set with the remaining 7 plus 1 from Group 2. Winner of the “B” Main is rewarded with a spot at the back of the “A” Main. Chris Wynne, also a member of NASA-AZ and a regular NASA-AZ/F1 Race Factory league racer, wins and now moves into the “A” Main to try to move up thru that field and score within the top 15 points system. Back to back Mains on Track 1 are equal to one long 80 lap race which has Chris W looking for a cold energy drink and some extra adrenalin to keep him sharp and fast.

The “B” Main was not an easy one to win and the top five of Chris Wynne ,Scott Lodding, Josh Lambeth, Mike McClaran and Paul Miller were running laps so close together and for so long you would almost get the impression they were connected by some invisible force field. Heavy lap traffic comes into the picture, flags are waved and a turn two traffic jam insues to change the running order with Josh Lambeth popping out of the mix in the lead with Wynne now scrambling to play catch up. Scott Lodding took the biggest hit to distance between him and the top three that are now clear of traffic and racing each other again. Wynne now catches Lambeth and makes the pass and will hold onto that spot to see the Checkered Flag first.
Josh Tatman from Tucson had a scary moment when he was racing toward the first turn late in the race and went airborne, hit the tires that are at the pit exit and went sideways into the pit only to be stopped by the portable swamp cooler. I guess he just wanted the prime cool off spot at the cooler before everyone else came in. He did go back out on the track and did not repeat his Joey Chitwood Stunt Show Airborne maneuver, again. I guess once is enough. Wonder what he has in store for next week. Jump thru a burning hoop? I’d pay extra to see that. Glad nobody got hurt. It tends to slow the whole night down. Goes to show you how well put together these Sodi RX-7 karts are. Like the Timex commercial states, “Takes a Licking, and keeps on Ticking”

Special mention goes to the only woman in this sea of testestrone, Julia Castro goes wheel to wheel with the big boys and holds her own against these brutes. Good show Julia. She’s one fast and cool, young lady. She also happens to be one of the nicest people in the building.

“B” Main Finish Order:
Chris Wynne…Josh Lambeth…Mike McClaran…Scott Lodding…Paul Miller…Kyle Tatman…Julia Castro…Chris Webb…Mark Heeg…Ray Stevens…Jason McCormack…Phillip Schroeder…Josh Tatman…Greg Gillum…Joe Flitner. Chris Wynne moves into to the “A” Main race.

The “A” Main has Tony Rolfson starting from the pole position and one of the toughest “A” Main racers right on his bumper. The daredevil Mike Davila. Concerned about his karts “B” Main performance Rolfson spends the moments leading up to the start trying to figure out how much w-i-d-e-r he can make his kart so there’s very little room to pass him in this 40 lap feature race. With Mike Davila right behind him this is not going to be easy. Mike usually finds the smallest window of opportunity and throws open the shutters and goes flying by before you know what happened. And now with tag team Lattanzi/Baca right there to capitalize on any small misstep you know that both the frontrunners will be trying to put some distance on the rest of the field quickly. Didn’t go as planned for Rolfson and Co as it became readily apparent he was in trouble and the field behind nipping at his rear bumper to get by. Lattanzi has Baca go by so he could break up the love fest and sure enough is successful if not downright bump and run, Black Flag worthy against Davila about it. No BF was waved. With Davila and Rolfson out of the way and mixing it up with the likes of Jason Burstein, Bobby Neumann, Keith Sears and Cody Gutierrez, Baca & Lattanzi have clear sailing and a strong wind behind them. The Baca/Lattanzi show is now in prime time territory and lap after lap a game of reel ‘em in, lose some ground is playing out between them. Even though Steve Lattanzi set fast time of the night during the “A” Main chase, Chaz Baca Jr prevails for his second win of the Summer League Series.

Congratulations to all that show up week to week and have a fun time racing with their compadre’s. Many friendships have been formed during these league seasons and it is one reason a lot of us look forward to getting together every Tuesday night.

Next 2011 F1 Race Factory Summer League Race will be Tuesday July 26. Race #4 of 8. Check in by 6:30… Driver meeting/Kart Draw 6:45…Racing starts at 7pm. Track 2 c/c/w.

It’s the most fun you can have with your helmet on.
Just don’t be Late, or you may have to Spectate!

“A” Main Finish Order:
Chaz Baca Jr…Steve Lattanzi…Mike Davila…Tony Rolfson…Jason Burstein…Bobby Neumann…Keith Sears…Eric Dickinson…Joshua Walker…Ian Pierce…Don Angel…Rees Candee…Kyler Repella…Cody Gutierrez…Chris Wynne.

Top 10 in Points after 3 Races: Chaz Baca Jr 167…Steve Lattanzi 165…Jason Burstein 160…Mike Davila 153…Keith Sears 145…Eric Dickinson 133…Cody Gutierrez 126…Chris Wynne 125…Scott Lodding 113…Kyle Tatman 101.

Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

F1 Race Factory Summer League Series has Chaz Baca Jr claiming the Top Spot on the Podium Stand once again.

Twenty nine of the finest caliber indoor kart racers came together Tuesday July 12 to compete and proclaim bragging rights to being the winner of the 2nd race of the 8 race Summer League Series.

After taking a week off to reflect on what went wrong during Race #1, (MD was a big factor and Medical Doctor was not what he meant), Chaz Jr returns to his winning ways by starting with fast time in his qualifier to take the pole for the group 2 Heat and then keeping the pole position for the “A” Main start. He goes on to win the “A” Main with Josh Lambeth finishing 2nd in both Heat Group 2 & “A” Main.
Last weeks, Haboob weather, overall winner Steve Lattanzi was sent down two podium steps with a 3rd place finish in both the Group 2 Heat & “A” Main. Gave Lattanzi plenty of time to study the back of Lambeth’s helmet, even after passing him for a short lived attempt to catch Baca during the Main. Jason Burstein tried unsuccessfully to follow Lambeth thru but contact between Burstein & Lattanzi had each racer regrouping and playing nice for the rest of the race. Even though Lambeth had put some considerable distance between himself and Lattanzi, Lattanzi was right on his back bumper for the last three laps due to lap traffic coming into the mix. Lattanzi was seen handing the backmarkers each a $5.00 bill in cash after the race. Wonder what that was about? Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Policy is in Place.
Honorable mention goes to Mr. Yellow Helmet, Eric Dickinson, who felt the pass by Lattanzi, during the Group 2 Heat was less than legit but none the less allowable. A respectable 7th place finish in the Group 2 Heat kept Dickinson in the hunt for a hopeful win in the “A” Main. Dickinson was last week’s winner of the “B” Main and moved into the “A” Main as the Bonus Win move up racer.

This weeks’ winner of the “B” Main and Bonus Win move up racer was none other than Keaton Swane who got to the front of the “B” Main after starting 3rd and never looked back. He then started from the back of the “A” Main and by race end was in 14th. Congrats to Keaton who was trying to run down his brother Logan who ended up finishing 10th in the “A” Main. Brotherly love goes right out the window when those helmets go on. The Swane boys are there to win and take no prisoners on their way to the front.

Group 1 Top Qualifier with a best lap time of 24.434 was Austin Kipp Van Winkle who managed to stay awake long enough to join us.

Group 1 Heat Finish Order:
Jason Burstein…Austin Kipp…Logan Swane…Bobby Neumann…Chris Wynne…Mike Davila…Cody Gutierrez…Kyle Tatman…Kevin Parker…Ronald Jones…Fernando Aguayo…Gary Shaw…Greg Gillum…Josh Tatman.

Group 2 Top Qualifier was Chaz Baca Jr, a real surprise there with a 24.201 recorded. Josh Lambeth and Eric Dickinson tied for 2nd by sharing a fast time of 24.267!

Group 2 Heat Finish Order:
Chaz Baca Jr…Josh Lambeth…Steve Lattanzi…Scott Lodding…Keith Sears…Josh Sarchet…Eric Dickinson…Mike McClaran…Keaton Swane…Dennis Mills…Joe Landram…Jason McCormack…Phillip Schroeder…Mike Shaw…Jake Kruse.

The “B” Main saw nose to tail action between Kevin Parker, Dennis Mills, Kyle Tatman, Ronald Jones and Keaton Swane. Keaton started from third and after laps of swapping spots between the top five he found space more than once and passed his worthy competitors to take the “B” Main win and move into the “A” Main. I hear collecting race points and beating his brother Logan on the track are two of his favorite hobbies.

“B” Main Finish Order:
Keaton Swane…Kevin Parker…Dennis Mills…Kyle Tatman…Ronald Jones…Joe Landram…Mike McClaran…Fernando Aguayo…Jason McCormack…Mike Shaw…Phillip Schroeder…Josh Tatman…Gary Shaw…Jake Kruse…Greg Gillum.

The “A” Main had some jostling around by the top five also. Steve Lattanzi starting from the fifth spot worked his way up to second by getting by Austin Kipp, Josh Lambeth, and Jason Burstein. Chaz Baca Jr was within reach but then slowly but surely got his fast lap rhythm going and pulled away as Lattanzi, confident in a second place finish and just cruising along without a care in the world found himself under attack by Josh Lambeth who incredulously passed him with ease. Lattanzi has placed a rush order on a set of eyes for the back of his helmet and should now have 360 degree coverage and no surprises from already passed traffic. This weeks podium had Josh Lambeth on it as a first timer and he has vowed to repeat that feat week to week. Congratulations Chaz, Josh, Steve and this race report and follow up pictures should get you that 15 minutes of fame that alludes most of us. The competition is tough and a bit of luck certainly goes a long way as anyone that has won a race or two will tell you. It is the most fun you can have with your helmet on.

The “A” Main Finish Order:
Chaz Baca Jr…Josh Lambeth…Steve Lattanzi…Jason Burstein…Austin Kipp…Bobby Neumann…Keith Sears…Mike Davila…Eric Dickinson…Logan Swane…Cody Gutierrez…Chris Wynne…Josh Sarchet…Keaton Swane…Scott Lodding.

We do this all again on Tuesday July 19. Check In by 6:30pm…Driver meeting/Kart Draw 6:45pm…Racing @ 7pm. Track 1 c/c/w.
See you there!
If you’re Late, You get to Spectate!

Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

F1 Race Factory Opens 2011 Summer Leagues with Haboob (Epic Dirt Storm) raging outside and Steve “Kandyman” Lattanzi storming to Win Race #1 inside!

Tuesday July 5th was the 1st of the 8 race 2011 Summer League Series at F1 Race Factory. One of the worst dust storms to ever hit Arizona came thru the Phoenix area around the time the league masters were to start the Mains. The “A” & “B” Mains were in jeopardy of being cancelled because of the amount of slippery silt being deposited into the building and distributed onto the track by the air return system that was overwhelmed by the storm right outside the doors. I hear you knocking but you can’t come in was not an option today and hell or high water wasn’t going to stop this brute of a storm from getting into every nook & cranny on and off the racing surface. Track 2 was closed to all arrive & drive public racing due to the slippery conditions. Would have been a “Spinderrella” race. Visibility was not only a problem outdoors but now indoors as well. Even though most of the regulars to the F1 Race Factory leagues could probably drive Track 1 in their sleep, without incident, the level of grip had gone from marginal to “Slicks on Ice”, which I think is the new name of the Disney on Ice Show. Coming to a town near you! This was looking to be a repeat of the PKE Event at the South Point Hotel & Casino horse arena /kart track in Vegas we tried a few years ago and one that more than a few of us had finally been able to come to grips with. Looks like more psychotherapy sessions are in order.

Qualifying/Heat Results Group 1:
Steve Lattanzi…Jason Burstein…Mike Davila…Josh Sarchet…Kyler Repella…Kyle Tatman…Ronald Jones…Paul Miller…Greg Gillum

Qualifying/Heat Results Group 2:
Chaz Baca Jr…Ian Pierce…Keith Sears…Chris Wynne…Cody Gutierrez…Scott Lodding…Eric Dickinson…Kevin Carlson…Raymond (Matt) Stevens…Jason McCormack.

Top half competes in the “A” Main and the bottom half competes in the “B” Main. Tie break for position goes back to qualifying time.
Scott Lodding starts from the Pole Position for the “B” Main.

Starting Grid “B” Main:
Scott Lodding…Kyle Tatman…Eric Dickinson…Ronald Jones…Paul Miller…Kevin Carlson…Ray/Matt Stevens…Jason McCormack…Greg Gillum.

Since the “B” Main racers compete first they would be used as the four wheeled street sweepers, which ended up working like a charm. Eric “Legoland” Dickinson started from the 3rd spot on the grid and laps later worked his way around Kyle “Where’s my Mouthpiece?” Tatman of Tucson, and then went to work on Scott “The Beard” Lodding who was able to keep Dickinson at bay for half the race. Some light contact had all three within inches of each other lap after lap which gave Paul “Motocross” Miller, who had dispensed with Ronald “Lone Wolf” Jones earlier, an opportunity to close the gap on the top three in battle with each other. Tatman then got around Lodding without drama. Dickinson eventually lit the afterburners mounted to his trusty steed and away he went to take the “B” Main win and move into the “A” Main, which was his well deserved bonus for winning the “B” Main. The level of grip impacted overall lap times for this night, which was a small price to pay considering the circumstances in play.

What a night to start your league career but three new faces joined the ranks of the Summer Leagues. Welcome Raymond Stevens,(aka Matt), Kevin Carlson and Greg Gillum who has signed up for the entire series and saved some moola in the process. Smart move by Greg and to be in the running for the “Winner” of everyone’s favorite trophy, “The Kandyman Award”. Given to the person who does the most races and scores the least points. So far Greg has a good start to winning the KA with a 9th Place finish in the Heat and a 19th finish overall for the night. Nice guy and well dressed, in his Alpinestars race suit and unique red/white helmet, Jason McCormack continues to struggle but I expect him to find the speed he has been searching for and become the front running threat I know he is capable of and sooner than you think. Jason, did you check under the seat?

“B” Main Finish Order:
Eric Dickinson…Kyle Tatman…Scott Lodding…Paul Miller…Ronald Jones…Raymond Stevens(Matt)…Kevin Carlson…Jason McCormack…Greg Gillum.
Congratulations to the top three and now Dickinson moves to the tail end of the “A” Main to see how many spots/points he can pick up before the Checkered Flag fly’s.

“A” Main Starting Order:
Chaz Baca Jr (Pole)…Steve Lattanzi…Ian Pierce…Jason Burstein…Mike Davila…Keith Sears…Chris Wynne…Josh Sarchet…Cody Gutierrez.

Now that Track 1 has been cleared of most of the errant fallout from the dust storm by the “B” Main Street Sweepers, the ”A” Main racers take to the track for their Main race which is 40 laps or 20 minutes of nose to tail and side by side racing action. Four warm ups laps gave the group plenty of time and distance to figure out how to keep the kart facing in the right direction and just how fast they can attack a corner without too much drifting. Rolling starts are the norm and once under way and everyone crossing the start/finish the action heats up quickly. With Baca setting the pace and Lattanzi never being more than 12” off his rear bumper Baca is feeling the heat as is Lattanzi from Pierce. Lattanzi finally sees an opportunity and goes for it with success and takes over the leadership role that Baca has had up to this point. From then on the race turned out to be a shuffle behind Lattanzi as one by one different racers took their turn at running second. Jason Burstein managed to slip by Ian & Chaz to antagonize the rear bumper of Lattanzi for the remainder of the race. More than once Burstein thought he saw an opening to pass for the lead but was denied and thankfully didn’t take any of the unnecessary chances others were taking with position changing results behind him.

The Checkered Flag saw Lattanzi fist pumping the win and Burstein still attached to his rear bumper hoping for an under the weight limit penalty to take the win away. Didn’t happen during the weigh out with Lattanzi weighing out at 200.4.. They weight equalize to 200# and the top 5 drivers weigh out on track after the Heats & Mains to see how close they can come to the 198 to 200 zone. Below 198 and you get to claim last place points which will put you behind the eight ball when it comes time to tally the series points. Millions of dollars in cash and solid gold trophy’s are at stake here so mistakes can be costly.

“A” Main Finish Order:
Steve Lattanzi…Jason Burstein…Mike Davila…Chaz Baca Jr…Ian Pierce…Keith Sears…Eric Dickinson…Chris Wynne…Kyler Repella…Cody Gutierrez…Josh Sarchet.

Top Ten in Points after Race #1:
Steve Lattanzi 57…Jason Burstein 55…Chaz Baca Jr 54…Mike Davila 53…Ian Pierce 52…Keith Sears 50…Chris Wynne 47…Eric Dickinson 45…Kyler Repella 45…Cody Gutierrez/Josh Sarchet 44.

This Weeks 50/50 Raffle Winner of a Free Race Card and a whopping $6.00 cash was…Mr. Paul Miller, who has declared retirement with this monumental windfall.

The league started out with a bang and 19 kart racing enthusiasts vying for a chance to stand atop the podium and enjoy their 15 minutes of fame.
Congratulations to Steve Lattanzi/Jason Burstein/Mike Davila this week.

Next Tuesday July 12… 6:30pm to 9pm they get their race faces on and do it all over again, hopefully with a kinder, gentler weather pattern rolling thru.
League race #1 winner Steve “Kandyman” Lattanzi was overheard saying “bring on the same weather as long as the end result of my night brings the same winning result!”

Check in By 6:30pm…Driver meeting/Kart Draw 6:45pm…5 minute Qualifiers into 10 minute Heats start @ 7pm. Followed by another Kart draw and 20 minute Mains.
Track 2 c/w. 12/24/48 laps Q/H/M. $45.00 includes tax.

If you’re Late, you get to Spectate!
Like the Lottery, you got to be in it to Win it!

Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.

Chaz Baca Jr Wins AZIKC Race #5

Chaz Baca Jr Wins 5th Race of the 10 Race AZIKC Series at F1 Race Factory !

Chaz Baca Jr, the newest member to dominate the indoor kart racing we do here at F1 Race Factory added another win to his extensive racing resume’ by winning the 5th race of the AZIKC on Sunday June 26th with a last lap pass when Jason Burstein and Tony Rolfson made contact on the last lap and opened the door for Baca to sneak thru for the win. Not only did he take the win away from Rolfson who had the race win in his pocket but Baca now takes the point lead over Blake Ledesma with 148 points to Ledesma’s 144. Pat Joyce drops from 3rd overall in points to 8th by missing the action because of a Birthday trip to the lake. He now trails Team Titanium (Steve Lattanzi/Charles Crowe/Keith Sears) by 1 point.

Chaz has collected the last three Champions Trophies for winning the last three in house racing leagues and continues to put himself out front no matter what kart he picks in the kart draw or what happens during the race. In 3 short years he has gone from Spinderrella to Winderella and the one to beat week in, week out. He has become the go to guy for helping other racers at reach the next level of fast. Buy an all day pass on the day he is at F1 Race Factory and you are almost guaranteed better times next race out. That willingness to share his technique of speed has made him a very popular figure and a true Good Sport. Oh, by the way he is all of 14 years old and is making a name for himself on the dirt tracks of Arizona/Nevada & California in his Mod Lite car. He is vying for Rookie of the Year at more than one local track in the Mod Lite Series. He is also part of the traveling F1 Race Factory race team, Team Titanium. Chaz was instrumental in helping bring back the hardware from CalSpeed in the 8 hour Petit Machismo Enduro race held Easter weekend. Team Titanium came away with a 3rd place overall in the Sport Class. He has signed on to be part of Team Titanium at the Machismo 500 12 Hour Endurance Race in Las Vegas Oct. 15th. Next stop, the top step of the podium stand!

Getting back to the AZIKC race we had twenty entry’s and some new racers joining us for the fast and furious action in the 3 lap qualifier /72 lap Main. Dirt track drivers Scott/Andrew/Ed/Aj/Tony/ Jordan Martin trying this for the first time and Terry/Tyler/Kara Packer family coming all the way from the Flagstaff area to compete with the hotshots of F1 Race Factory. Even though finishing toward the back not one gave up and completed the race to the very end. Lots of cold water consumed by all after the race as heat has now become a factor in these races which we require a race suit to be worn. That may change for the next race scheduled for Sunday July 31st. A few struggled with the added weight to bring them up to the 200# weight equalization target but that will NOT change anytime in the near future.

During the qualifier we saw one driver change karts which ended up being the right move. Jason Burstein bailed out of his kart draw kart and went with a back up kart that took him from the thirteenth starting position to fighting for the lead at the end of 72 laps. He finished second on paper but was penalized one spot due to contact with leader Tony Rolfson who has been scored in second place over Burstein who was awarded third place points. Great race with Go Pro camera’s capturing some of the action which will probably be posted on YouTube any day now. Thank You all for taking the time and resources to do this. It has been and continues to be the BEST Indoor Kart Racing in all of Phoenix, bar none!

The Finishing Order is as Follows:
Chaz Baca Jr…Tony Rolfson…Jason Burstein…Blake Ledesma…Mike Davila…Team Titanium (Steve Lattanzi/Keith Sears)…Team Sparticus (Chaz Baca Sr/Bobby Neumann)…Pete Liwanag…Carlos Carneiro…Ronald Jones…Mike McClaren…Bill Hunter…Ryan Casillas…Tyler Packer…Team Zippy (Jason McCormack/Joe Flitner)…Terry Packer…Kara Packer…Team Rocket (Tony/Jordan Martin)…Team Andrew/Aj Martin…Team Scott/Ed Martin.

Next AZIKC Race is Sunday July 31. Check in by 6pm…Driver Meeting/kart draw 6:15…Race start 6:30pm. Entry Fee:$75.00 includes tax. Team of 2… $37.50 each driver.
The 2011 F1 Summer Leagues start Tuesday July 5th. Check in by 6:30pm…Driver meet/Kart draw 6:45…Racing starts 7pm. Entry Fee: $45.00 or 8 race series pre pay $325.00 prices include tax.

Keeping the Rubberside Down,

Steve Lattanzi "Kandyman"
Team Titanium of F1 Race Factory
steve@f1rf.com
Specialty Events, F1 Race Factory
317 S. 48th Street . Phoenix, AZ 85034
(d) 602-427-4416 / 602-302-7223 (t) 602-321-2035(m)
Visit us online @ www.f1racefactory.com

F1 Race Factory - Your Phoenix Destination For Adrenaline-Packed Outings
Arizona's Premier Indoor Karting & Entertainment Venue
Seasonal Leagues, High Level Competition Events, Public Racing 363 Days A Year
Two Indoor Tracks, 45+MPH Karts, Billiards, Trackside Bar & Grill.