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
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