Route 66 Racing Coverage

2009 Racing Coverage

Route 66 Series Round Two at Concept Haulers Motor Speedway

Norway, IL


June 13-14, 2009
Story By: Joe Brittin
Photos By: Joe Brittin

The MyChron Route 66 Series presented by Margay/Bridgestone held round two at Concept Haulers Motor Speedway in Norway, IL on June 13 and 14. The event sponsor was Express Karts and Parts. The Fink family who own and promote the track continue to make improvements to Concept Haulers Motor Speedway. New scales were added this year along with an improved concession stand seating area. A new layout for motor-homes has been added with plenty of electrical hookups. The grounds were neatly trimmed and the facility looked to be in excellent condition.

A big turn out of 163 entries were on hand to compete on the 12-turn/.75 mile sprint track that has been host to STARS and WKA Manufacturer's Cup events in the past. Although not on the Man. Cup schedule this year, several Man. Cup regulars were in attendance mixing it up with the series regulars. Extra practice time was made available by the track on Friday and about 60 karts took advantage of this. By race time on Sunday, the track had a good layer of rubber built up and lap times were very quick with fast times exceeding local class records. A few drops of rain fell Friday night after practice but the track stayed dry for the rest of the weekend.

Four rounds of practice were held on Saturday with the final round being a timed practice in order to set the qualifying order. The qualifying round followed with karts going out onto the track in the order of their times from the previous practice session. Saturday's qualifying set the order for Sunday's 8-lap pre-finals which were followed by the 12-lap finals which were staged for 15 classes. Another Route 66 Series tradition continued with the hosting track providing a free cookout for everyone in attendance at the end of the day on Saturday. A big thank you goes out to the Fink family for providing the burger and brats cookout.

On Sunday at the pre-race driver's meeting, several prizes were given away by drawings. A set of Bridgestone YHC tires donated by Margay and a Leatt brace donated by Leatt and Express Karts and Parts were given away. A drawing for a gift certificate donated by Triple E Sales was held for the pole qualifiers. Triple E Sales also donated two more gift certificates to the Yamaha Jr. Sportsman class which they sponsor. A five-gallon can of Sunoco 110 spec fuel was given away by the series in a drawing to those who pre-entered. More prizes will be given away at each event this season by a drawing at the driver's meeting.

The first of fourteen finals to take to the track on Sunday was the Kevin Williams Karting Yamaha Jr. Supercan Heavy class with 12 entries. Nick Stagl and Kevin Bowler paced the front row with Bowler going to the lead for the first half of the race. Stagl moved back to the lead and held off Bowler by .243 seconds with Jake Cole, Ben Hewitt and Hunter Lay rounding out the top five.

Next up was the Adkins Speed Center Yamaha Sr. Supercan Lite class where round one winner Kyle Erdmann battled Brandon Cather for the win the entire race with Erdmann taking the win by just .426 seconds. Finishing about four seconds back was Matthew Laukaitis, TJ Keesy and Brett Johnson.

The next final for the Dagget Racing Photography TAG 60 class saw front row starters Kaleb Allison and Jacob Blair swap the lead for the first two laps until Allison took over and pulled away to a 20 second win. Alanmykael Polley, Hunter Turpin and Ethan Cook rounded out the top five.

The next final was for the Jet Karting TAG Heavy/Masters class with nine entries. Early race leader Rod Holliday would fall victim to a broken chain on lap five. This left the battle up front to Peter Cook and a hard charging Jeff Stamper. Cook was able to pull away to a .699 second win over Stamper followed by Dan Sills, Jeff Salek and Russ Kemple.

In the Franklin Kart Supply HPV Junior Sportsman final, front row starters Anthony Granata and Jared Needham engaged in a tight battle the whole race with Needham making a pass on the final lap for the win. Nick Dibenardo and Kaleb Allison followed in another close battle for third place.

Next up was the biggest class of the day with 22 entries for the Express Kart and Parts Yamaha Jr. Supercan Lite class. Jake Cole and Nicky DeFonzo paced the field at the start with DeFonzo jumping to the early lead followed by the pack of Jimmy Clark, Jake Cole, Jordan Laukaitis, Justin Stiffler and Colton Ramsey. Clark muscled his way to the lead by lap three with the top six locked into a tight battle. Cole would move to the lead next as Clark was shuffled back to third. Clark was able to take back the lead and held off Cole by just .239 seconds with Ramsey, DeFonzo and Laukaitis still locked in a tight battle at the finish.

Thirteen kid karts were up next for their final which used a rolling start paced by track owner Les Fink on his scooter. The Joey Karter Kid Kart Unrestricted class used a smaller configuration of the track so that they can run a full 12 lap final. Pole Sitter Jadon Biles pulled out to a comfortable lead however Egan Shankleton was able to real him back in and finish just .19 seconds back at the finish. Rounding out the top five were Owen Leatherberry, Zach Whaley and Grayson Shankleton The 12-lap race went off without any troubles and only one kart did not finish.

Sixteen TAG karts gridded next in the Viper Racing Tag Sr. Leopard class for their final with Kyle Erdmann and Keenan Hertzner pacing the field at the start. Erdmann took the early lead with Hertzner and Adam Crepin locked in a tight pack. Hertzner moved to the front on lap five and held off Erdmann for the win by just .401 seconds with Crepin in third about two seconds back. Brett Johnston, Jordan Johnson, Rich Apichairuk and Matthew Laukaitis followed in a tight pack about seven seconds back.

Next up was the MarCo Sign and Graphix Yamaha Rookie class where fast qualifier Jeremy Fierke held off his brother Joshua Fierke for the win in the closest finish of the weekend at .178 seconds. The race was red flagged at the mid-point when a kart spun in turn 11 and was hit head on by a kart coming over the hill. Rounding out the top five were Logan Mitchell, Dillon Schwanbeck and Stephen Dial.

The Comet Kart Sales Yamaha Supercan Heavy class took to the grid next where Kyle Erdmann and Brandon Cather started on the front row. A tight pack of Cather, Erdmann, TJ Keesy, Chad Kruger and Adam Crepin began to distance themselves from the field. Cather was able to pull out to a two second lead at the finish as the top five strung out a little bit and remained in the same positions for the finish.

In the Triple E Sales Yamaha Jr. Sportsman class, 19 karts started the final with Grant Sandberg and Kaleb Allison pacing the field at the start. Starting third was Kyle Kalish who had missed qualifying on Saturday and had moved from last place to finish third in the pre-final. Allison jumped to the early lead followed by Kalish and Sandberg. By lap two, Kalish moved to the lead as the top three began to pull away from the field. Kalsih was able to hold off Allison by just .227 seconds at the finish followed by Sandberg, Dillon Morley and Nick Dibenardo in the top five.

The Laukaitis Racing TAG Senior class and the Merlin Racing Karts TAG Jr. Leopard classes were combined with 12 karts taking the green flag. Kyle Erdmann and Brett Johnson paced the field with Drake Ostrom and Gregory Gerst pacing the Junior class. Erdmann grabbed the lead and was uncontested for the win taking his second class win for the day. Johnson finished 4 seconds back in second place followed by a tight battle for third where Adam Crepin worked past Dean Leifheit followed by Justin Vancil. Ostrom took the Junior TAG class win over Gerst by just .18 seconds in one of the closest finishes of the day.

Next up was the Streeter Super Stands HPV Junior class with a fast and competitive group of nine karts paced by Jake Cole and Josh Hotz. Hotz would take the early lead followed by Andrew Kiedrowski, Cole, Jordan Laukaitis and Matt Stagl. Cole would work his way to the lead and gradually pull away from the field. Hotz and Kiedrowski were taken out in a late race tangle allowing Laukaitis, Cody Dyer, Stagl and Collin Griffin to round out the top five.

The final race of the day for the LSR Motorsports HPV Senior class had Scott Kopp and Kyle Erdman locked in a tight battle for the entire race with Koop holding on for the win. Adam Sullivan, Kyle Prokup and Aaron Metzler rounded out the top five. For the complete race results, visit www.mylaps.com.

Rounds three and four of the MyChron Route 66 Series presented by Margay/ Bridgestone and KartLift will be held at New Castle Motorsports Park on a special double-header weekend where the national track will be used on July 17 and the Iron Man track configuration will be raced on July 18. Friday practice will be available for both configurations of the track. Spec fuel will be available at the track. The new Bridgestone YKC spec tire will be allowed at this event, along with the YHC compound.