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New Years Shoot Out Dirt Devils Speedway, Land-O-Lakes, FL
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Race Report
Well, we're off and running for the new year! Last year this race got rained out and never was run so actually this was last years race!
We got to the track early on Friday and got set up. During Friday night practice the kart was awesome! I was running times as fast as the senior classes. Everything felt really good so we put things up for the night and went to bed.
Saturday morning they watered the track and put down calcium. Everything was different. At first the track was slick and then it just tightened up. Everything we tried seemed like it did nothing. I just couldn't turn the kart. Once I was able to break the kart free the tires went away and I slid all over the place. We were stumped. Again!
Even with our struggles we still were able to qualify 3rd for the first race. When the race started the kart felt pretty good and after the first lap I was in second. On the next lap the leader slowed and I bumped him pretty good going into turn one. That moved him up and I got under him for the lead. A few laps later my tires really came in and I started to drift up coming off the corners. My crew chief has been telling me to protect the inside coming off but I was trying to go as fast as I could. Sure enough the kart behind me got his nose under me coming off turn 2 and the next thing I knew I was struggling to get back in line behind the 6th place kart. That mistake cost me any chance at winning the race but I was able to pass 2 karts before the end of the race to finish in 5th.
After the first race we had a short practice and went out to qualify for the second race. The track was even tighter than before and I was only able to turn in the 6th fastest time. We made a few more changes to the kart and tires and went out to run the race. When the race started I tried to get down behind some one but I couldn't so I got shuffled back to 9th place. The kart felt real good and I was fast so I was able to pass my way up to 4th with a shot at the leader. At about the 15th lap a caution came out for a spun kart. We made several laps before restarting the race.. When we restarted the race my tires had gone away and it was all I could do to hold on. Other karts were having the same problem so I was able to pass the 3rd place kart and was coming around turn 3 on the last lap when another kart drove down low under me and then turned up into me to miss a cone. I slid off the track while 3 karts got past me and I wound up finishing 6th.
Than was tuff! One moment I was in third and could smell the checked flag then the next I was out of the money. Well, my crew chief says we are going to be working on tires the next couple weeks to get ready for the next race. We have been trying some new things with prep and I don't think they are working like our old prep used too. I guess we'll see if that's the problem. We wanted to run these money races to dial this new chassis in and I sure hope it works. I want to win a championship this year!
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