Route 66 Racing Coverage

2010 Racing Coverage

 

Route 66 Series Round Three at Badger Raceway


Record Number of Entries Attend Badger Route 66 Series

The third event of the Route 66 Sprint Series, Co-Sponsored by Margay, Bridgestone, Mychron/AIM Sports and Laukaitis Racing held at Badger Raceway
in Dousman, WI, on June 12 and 13 attracted a series record of 239 entries
with drivers in attendance from seven different states. The event was sponsored by KartLift high performance kart stands. With no major conflicting events being held in the mid-west, many kart racers attended this event, using it as their only opportunity to race in a big event at the historic Badger Raceway this year since no manufacturers cup event was scheduled for Badger Raceway this season. The Route 66 Series regulars found the competition to be tough and some new names would take home the top trophies and coveted cheese cows. Badger Kart Club has a long tradition of awarding Wisconsin cheese shaped like a cow to the top three in each class at their major events.

Badger Kart Club (BKC), which celebrated their 50th anniversary last year, has a large membership of volunteers that helped stage this event with around 30 members helping out each day. The club has vast experience at staging top level karting events with guidance from veteran club President Bob Prusinski
along with help from Shirley Howard in registration. The free cookout provided by BKC on Saturday night was greatly enjoyed by all with many homemade dishes, deserts, barbeque pork, bratwurst, corn on the cob, fresh watermelon and much more. Although this was the first time the Route 66 Sprint Series has raced at badger Raceway, it appeared that series officials and BKC officials meshed well together and all indications were that the series would be coming back next year.

Plenty of pre-race practice time was made available by BKC leading up to the event and by Friday the main paddock was full with many teams having to pit in the overflow paddock. Four rounds of practice were held on Saturday before the racing got underway for seven classes including a local option Animal Sportsman class. Although the threat of rain lingered throughout the weekend, the rains stayed away until the final two races on Sunday which were raced in wet conditions.

The first final of the weekend for the Comet Kart Sales Yamaha Supercan Heavy class had 16 entries take the green flag paced by fast qualifier Jimmy Clark and
Chad Kruger. A first turn incident saw three karts spin into the grass and Jimmy
Clark was also off the track on the first lap. Kruger pulled out to a small lead,
however Colton Ramsey would run him down and pull away to a three second
win driving a Merlin chassis. Kyle Erdmann, Brandon Cather and Drake Ostrom rounded out the top five.

The L & T Clutch Manufacturing Yamaha Junior Heavy class with 20 entries was up next paced by Sawyer Haese and Grant Vogel. Vogel grabbed the lead in turn one followed by Jordan Laukaitis. Vogel, driving a Tony Kart chassis, was never challenged for the lead as he pulled away to a 3.78 second win over Dylan Warner. Haese, Laukaitis and Michael Dionne rounded out the top five.

Next up was the Kid Kart Participation class sponsored by Mitchell Motorsports.
The participant’s parents were allowed to watch from the infield and cheer on their little racers. Fast qualifier Kyle West and Dylan Klein led the field to the green flag. West was unchallenged as he pulled out to a 12 second win over Klein. Rounding out the top five were Carter Cass, Augie Pabst, IV and James Lynch.

The Franklin Motorsports TAG Senior class was up next with 24 entries.
TJ Koyen and fast qualifier Jacob Sekey paced the start. Sekey grabbed
the early lead followed closely by Koyen and Dillon Kranz. The competition
throughout the field was close as several karts ended up banging wheels
and spinning off the track. Koyen overtook Sekey on lap five and was able
to pull away to a 1.57 second win on board his Merlin chassis over Kranz, Sekey, Mark Vielgut and Cody Elliot. Series regulars Darin Marcus, Keenan Hertzner and Drake Ostrom finished in the top eight.

Next up was the CKT Racing Engines Yamaha Rookie Lite class where Alex
Bertagnoli and Thayne Chapin paced the 18 kart field. Bertagnoli was able to take the lead and pull away to a 6.69 second win on his Birel chassis. A close
battle for the remaining top five spots was waged between Thayne Chapin, Dillon Schwanbeck, Art Payne and Michael Paterno

The Triple E Sales Yamaha Sportsman Lite class was up next paced by fast qualifier Mike McAndrews and Kaleb Allison. The first corner would claim Emily
Hurlbert and Owen Leatherberry as they spun into the crash pillows. McAndrews
was able to hold off Hannah Roskopf by just .107 seconds for the win driving a Margay chassis. A close battle for the third position was waged by Preston Benisch, Kaleb Allison and Jaydon Biles who rounded out the top five.

A local option Animal Sportsman class was the final event held on Saturday where fast qualifier Taylor Rahn grabbed the lead in turn one and pulled away
for a seven second win. Rounding out the top five were Jeremy Roche, Seth Johnson, Jake Collins and Kainan Losch.

Prior to the start of the Sunday class finals, several prize drawings were held.
Colton Ramsey won the drawing for a set of Bridgestone YKC tires sponsored by Margay/Bridgestone. Dylan Warner won a free entry to a future Route 66 Series
event and Kaleb Allison and Jaydon Biles won gift certificates from Triple E Sales.

The first class to race on Sunday was the Adkins Speed Center Yamaha Supercan Lite class with 17 entries. Fast qualifier Kevin Bowler and Jimmy Clark paced the field at the start with Clark grabbing the lead into turn one
followed by Bowler, Colton Ramsey, Brad Brittin and Drake Ostrom. Bowler
took over the lead on lap two and gradually pulled out to a 3.26 second lead
at the finish over Clark to claim the win on his Arrow chassis. Ostrom would lose a side pod brining out the black flag on lap five. Ramsey finished third just .11 seconds behind Clark. Kyle Erdmann, Matthew Laukaitis and Brittin swapped positions several time while battling for fourth with Erdmann prevailing.

The Streeter Super Stands Komet Piston Valve Junior class was up next. On a sad note, the drivers were informed at the driver’s meeting that class sponsor and long time kart racing supporter Larry Streeter had unexpectedly passed away at his shop on Saturday. A moment of silence was held in his honor.
Josh Hotz and Ethan Roskopf had a race long battle with Hotz taking the win
by just .71 seconds on his Arrow chassis. Cole Peterson, James Bennett and Kodiak Wirtz rounded out the top five.

The Two Cycle Engine Technologies Yamaha Sportsman Heavy class final was
up next with fast qualifier Hannah Roskopf and Grant Sandberg pacing the start.
Sandberg grabbed the lead into turn one followed closely by Roskopf and Kaleb
Allison. Roskopf would reclaim the lead on lap three and held on for a 1.5 second win on a Birel chassis over Sandberg and Allison. Brant Carter and Robby McQuinn rounded out the top five.

Next up was the Russell Karting Parilla Leopard Senior class with 18 entries paced by Jamie Sieracki and TJ Koyen. Koyen got the jump at the start and took
the lead into turn one. Koyen and Sieracki began to gradually pull away from Mark Vielgut and Dillon Kranz who were battling for third place. Kranz eventually
pulled away from the pack to move into third. Koyen held on for the win by just
.106 seconds over Sieracki, both driving Merlin chassis. Vielgut, Scott Kopp and
Andrew Hobbs rounded out the top six just four seconds back. Series regulars
Darin Marcus, Justin Vancil and Christian Vogel finished in the next pack about eight seconds back.

The Express Karts and Parts Yamaha Junior Lite class was up next with 19 entries paced by Kyle Kalish and fast qualifier Grant Vogel. A pile-up in turn four
on the opening lap had about six karts off the track with most able to continue.
The top three of Vogel, Kalish and Cole Peterson began to pull away from the field. Kalish took the lead in turn five and held the point for a few laps until Vogel
reclaimed the lead for good and held on for a .286 second win on his Tony Kart
chassis. Rounding out the top five were Kalish, Peterson, Collin Griffin and Justin Stiffler.

The Jet Karting Kid Kart Championship class was up next with 13 entries.
The field was paced by fast qualifier Nicholas Cory and Zach Preiser. The top
three of Preiser, Cory and Kyle West stayed close together the entire race with
Preiser taking the win by just .35 seconds over West. Nicholas Cory, Alex Button
and Caden Paszkiewicz rounded out the top five.

Next up was the Komet Piston Valve Senior class sponsored by Haddock Ltd.
with 15 entries. Fast qualifier Nick Nile and Chad Kruger paced the field at the
start with Nile leading the first lap. Nick Stagl moved to the point on lap two
followed by Nile, Kruger, Drake Ostrom and Colton Ramsey. Ramsey, who had
to work his way through the field in the pre-final after an off-track excursion, began to work his way to the front and claimed the lead by lap seven. Ramsey
pulled out to a 3.86 second win on his Merlin chassis over Nick Nile, with Stagl, Ostrom and Kruger rounding out the top five.

The Ballistic Designs Komet Piston Valve Sportsman class raced next as the skies began to darken. Fast qualifier Hannah Roskopf pulled out to a big lead until the race was red flagged for rain. Brandon Lemke took the win by 4.5 seconds over Kaleb Allison when the race was resumed in the wet. Austin Hobbs, Hannah Roskopf and Owen Leatherberry rounded out the top five.

The final race of the day was the Switch Racing Engines Yamaha Rookie Heavy class which was started on rain tires on. Eleven of the 17 entries elected to race in the rain and for the most part, the rookies did a good job of staying on
the track in the wet. Thayne Chapin grabbed the early lead with a good battle
up front between Michael Paterno, Connor Cass, Riley Yates and Dillon Schwanbeck. Although Cass appeared to take the win, a DQ handed the win
to Riley Yates on his Margay chassis. Thayne Chapin, Tyler Studant, Dillon
Schwanbeck and Daltyn England rounded out the top five.

For the complete race results, visit www.mylaps.com.

The next event of the series will be a double header three day event held at New Castle Motorsports Park on July 30 through August 1. Practice will be held on both the Iron Man track configuration and the national track configuration on July 30. A full points race program will be held for all classes on the Iron Man track on Saturday July 31. A second full points race program will be held on Sunday August 1 on the national track configuration. Only one round of practice will be
held on Saturday and Sunday before the qualifying, pre-final and final events.