Speedsportz Karting

I was involved in the kickoff league night at Speedsportz Racing Park

It really is great racing, and I was with about 35-40 other guys and girl split into two divisions by weight: lights and heavies. Thank goodness too, several of the fast guys from the K1 Speed league were there and had to race lights. One however, was Steve Plentl who wore ankle weights to get into the heavies.

We had two heat races and a main. The combined finish position of the heat races determined your starting postition for the main event. I started the main 2nd, outside pole.

To get the 2nd starting position I had a 5 place finish and a 3rd place finish in the two heat races. I was a lucky racer boy this night, and kept my nose clean in the heat races and steered around several pileups. The first race I was away in 4th place but I knew Steve was lurking. He caught me and tried to pass, but ended up only bumping me at the entrance of turn 2, but I knew it was coming and it didn't upset me. Since I knew it was coming, I steered into it and never missed my line. He was lighter than me and later in the evening he posted a lap a full second faster, but it took him 5-6 laps to finally pass in the first heat one lap before the finish.

During the second heat race, I started from 13th position and evaded spinning and three-wide karts at the first turn. This is a mad rush and I avoided trouble this time by stepping two left tires off into the grass and going around snarled traffic, springing clear and settling into the business of hitting the marks. I did find out a constant tonight, but it's a constant I'd known years before. I can hang with the faster karts driven by lighter drivers by having a faster corner speed.

In the main I started P2 outside and I knew what was coming. Steve and I had been watching it all night. The track crew tonight were great and one thing the Marshal set out was he would change up the starting procedure: First heats had rolling starts. Second heats had grand prix starts (from a dead stop), It didn't matter: first turn from position's 2,4 and so on was rough. Turn 1 being a right hander, the karts starting P2 in the light heats were getting smashed into, taken out, driven wide, and generally manhandled out of several positions on the opening two right hand corners.

As it had happened all night, I was driven wide on turn 1 and survived outside on turn 2 to settle into a groove in 5th place, unable to close on the kart in front of me,

All told, I should have a pretty good points aggregate if they collect points from heat and main races. Otherwise, a fifth place against the ringers seems like victory.

Kentucky Kid Nicky Hayden Dies

Nicky Hayden has passed away from injuries he suffered in an accident while he was bicycling. Hayden competed the prior week in Italy and was riding bicycles during his off time when the collision occurred. 

The 2006 MotoGP world champion was hospitalized at Maurizio Bufalini Hospital in Cesena, Italy. 



From his compettitor James Toseland, "His biggest achievement is not the trophies he won, or the championship, it was the respect he got from his peers. The way everybody talks about Nicky Hayden speaks volumes for the type of person he was."

Guess it's time to revisit his championship season. He edged Valentino Rossi that year, driving the Repsol Honda

-katykarter

The 101st Indianapolis 500 May 28, 2017

It is officially 8 days and one wake-up until this year's 500. It may be bigger than the previous record set last year for the 100 anniversary!

A big reason this year's 500 is notable is the shifts that occurred over the off season with several changes in the upper ranks.



Not affected by their team's signing and firing secondary drivers, and third and fourth tier drivers if you're Andretti, team leaders such as Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan at Ganassi, Helio Castroneves and Will Power at Penske. Of course Michael hasn't fired his son, Marco Andretti and won't, so he is still in an Andretti seat as is last year's 500 winner, American Alexander Rossi. Andretti Autosport has three full time cars with Marco, Ryan Hunter Reay and Tacuma Sato. Added on is Rossi's ride co owned by Bryan Herta and Jack Harvey's ride owned by Michael Shank Racing in partnership with Andretti Autosport.

Second tier teams such as Sam Schmidt, Rahal Lanigan, AJ Foyt and and Ed Carpenter Racing have a large new group of up and comers. Some like James Hinchcliff and Mikhail Aleshin for Sam Schmidt have several years experience at Indianapolis, while AJ's new signings are mixed. Carlos Munoz comes off an Andretti seat which put him in the mix to win the 500 several times. He has finished second twice. Conor Daly has only two other starts at Indianapolis and knows he has a lot to learn.

At Ed Carpenter Racing JR Hildebrant, who was one turn from winning, returns with team mate Spencer Pigot to take on the famous 2.5 mile quadrangle. New to the team is a third car driven by Zach Veach while owner/driver Ed Carpenter will drive the fourth car.

Penske has several new additions: Joseph Newgarten, who wrecked his Penske in practice today is new to the team's amazing line up including last years champion, Simon Pagenaud, Will Power, Helio Castroneves and Juan Pablo Montoya.

Perhaps the most talked about entry is that of Fernando Alonso who will drive a car co-owned by McLaren and Andretti.

In day four of practice, cars practiced all day, and Alonso posted a top speed over 226mph. He's getting up to race speed.

(photo credits, all Marshall Pruett photos of: from top, Carlos Munoz, Conor Daly, Fernando Alonso, Simon Pagenaud, Tony Kanaan and last year's champ, Alexander Rossi)




-katykarter

Fernando Alonso and the 101'st Indianapolis 500

Here Comes Fernando Alonso, crossing one off his bucket list.

Today after his first test of an Andretti Autosport Indy car at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Fernando Alonso said his mind told him he could enter turn 1 flat out. He said to himself, "I'm going to enter turn 1 flat out. I know the car will do it." But his foot had a mind of it's own and that first time, the foot lifted. At the press conference Nando laughed and said after a couple laps he was able to do the corner flat out.

Alonso, the 2-time Formula 1 Champion will drive an Indy car in this year's Indy 500.

What a great infusion of passion and glory to the Greatest Spectacle in Motorsports, The Memorial Day Classic the Indianapolis 500.

-katykarter