The 2007 Route 66 Sprint Series


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ROUTE 66 SPRINT SERIES
Presented by Margay/Bridgestone

Round :: 04
Event Sponsor :: MyChron 4
Concept Haulers Motor Speedway, Norway, IL

July 28, 2007
Story by: Greg Grafton
Photos by: Connie Holliday

ERDMANN STEALS SHOW, WINS THREE CLASSES
Round four of the Route 66 Series presented by Margay/Bridgestone took place on July 28th at Concept Haulers Motor Speedway. Special thanks to the Finke family, and all of the staff at CHMS for going “above and beyond” to make this such a successful event. 151 entries filled the pit area, with the largest turnouts in the TaG lite and Yamaha classes. Optional track practice was held on Friday, with official event practice kicking things off at 10 am on Saturday. Six rounds of practice were given to all of the competitors, with the event getting underway shortly after 3:00 p.m. With a dedicated crew, CHMS pulled off completing all of the racing before 10:00 p.m. The winner of the set of tires donated by Margay/Bridgestone was Chris Gray. Kartlift donated two motorlifts to be given away as well.

Kyle Erdmann has quickly become someone who is on everyone’s stopwatch standing at the fence. He started off the racing by blistering the track in Viper Racing TaG Lite. Erdmann set fast time over the field of twenty karts, with Kelsi Hirschy, Scott Goolik and Jordan Johnson trailing. After being off for a few years, Johnson looks as sharp as ever, adapting to the high horsepower karts. Erdmann took the prefinal win and positioned himself for a sweep. At the start, amazingly enough, all made it through turn one, with Erdmann putting his Margay/Sonik package out front. Hirschy, Goolik, Johnson, and Dustin Kessinger trailing. Zeke Schmidt and Luke Blazek both started on the rear after a prefinal wreck Schmidt was methodically picking his way through the pack, getting up to seventh by the race’s end. Out front it was all Erdmann, with pressure from Hirschy. Erdmann clinched the win by less than _ of a second over Hirschy, who set fast lap in her Margay/Leopard. Goolik (Margay/Leopard) beat out Johnson (Birel/Leopard) and Kessinger (Margay/Leopard) for the third spot. Rick Apichairuk, Schmidt, Sam Miles, Blazek and Clay Maddox rounded out the top ten.

Erdmann then hopped directly into the MyChron 4 HPV Senior kart and did the same. Erdmann swept the program in this class of ten by setting fast time and taking the win in both races. As fast as Erdmann was, he certainly wasn’t jumping anyone on the starts. At the beginning of the final, Erdmann fell back to third, and slowly worked his way to the front. Erdmann bested Brennen Wears, Dean Leifhiet, Chris Pappathopulous, and Karl Mahrenholz for the win. Impressive enough not only that he won, but doing it in back to back races is a credit to him as well.

Erdmann’s third win came in the Comet Kart Sales Yamaha Supercan Heavy class. He set fast time in qualifying, but Chad Kruger had something for him in the prefinal. After another not so great start for Erdmann, Kruger led Steve Schiewer, with Erdman and Jason Allen in tow. Kruger held on for the win, to secure the pole for the final. Kruger again took the lead at the start, and Erdmann had to chase him down. About halfway through the race, Erdmann’s setup came in and he passed Kruger and cruised to a one second win. Kruger finished second, ahead of Jason Allen, Nicholas Roberts, and Dylan Ralston. Schiewer encountered mechanical troubles right out of the gate and suffered a DNF in the Heavy class.

As if he hadn’t raced enough classes, Erdmann then took part in the Adkins Speed Center Yamaha Supercan Lite group of sixteen racers. Erdmann barely edged Mike Welsh for the pole by .02 of a second in qualifying. Welsh, Erdmann and Tony Velez finished nose to tail in the prefinal to determine the final starting order. About the only thing that had a shot at derailing Erdmann was a first lap crash and that’s exactly what got him. With the dew setting in on the track, a couple of karts got together in turn two, and Welsh simply pulled away from this mess. Welsh looked to be the class of the field and probably didn’t need the help, but it never hurts. With several karts scrambling to get going again, it really spaced the field out, with Tony Velez coming home second, about three seconds behind Welsh. Becky Kaestner, who nearly lost a chain while scrambling to get going again, brought home third, followed by Steve Schiewer, and Patrick Reilly.

Concept Haulers Motor Speedway always produces great racing action in most classes, and the Laukaitis Racing Yamaha Junior Sportsman was no exception. Anytime you put 25 Jr. Sportsman karts on the track, there is sure to be excitement. Cody Dyer surprised the traveling racers in qualifying by winning the pole by .3 of a second. Dyer went on to sweep the program, but the action behind him was anything but normal. Grant Sandberg seemed to be the only one who could hang with Dyer in the beginning of the final, as perennial front runner Jordan Laukaitis caught a curb on the start and was done for the race. Sandberg led early and kept Dyer at bay for several laps, but Dyer’s Birel was simply floating through the turns and he used that speed to pass Sandberg down the straightaway. Sandberg trailed Dyer to the stripe by 1.3 seconds. Jake Cole had a good run going, until contact from another kart sent him to the infield. Collin Griffin led the group to the race for third, over Jared Needham, J. T. Lewis, Scott Matlik, Tucker Cory, Nikolas Mirjanic, Mike Dionne, and Evan Epperson.

Matthew Laukaitis has apparently grown tired of Justin Jennings stinking up the Motorama Kart Parts TaG Junior races. These two always put on a great show, and this race was no exception. The best part about watching these two race is the clean racing they display. They ran the entire night next to each other and didn’t rub wheel the wrong way, even once. Laukaitis officially claimed the win by .2 of a second over Jennings, with Austin Lamb bringing home third.

Justin Stiffler is starting to get the same reputation in the Jet Karting TaG 60 group as Jennings. Stiffler handily won his third straight Route 66 event and all but locked up the title in this class. His PG Racing Wildkart was handling great, as he pulled out to a thirteen second win. He won the final over Chris Gray, who edged out Gregory Gerst and Sam Bell.

The Joey Karter Kid Kart class certainly has some exciting up and coming racers, and they are always a treat to watch. Seventeen of these racers showed up for competition, and it’s a good thing we don’t have to hand score these races. In the prefinal, Thayne Chapin would claim the top spot for the final, but the action behind him was as eventful as ever. Tyler Grafton was running third to the front two, but contact left him on the sidelines, he did however have the pride of setting fast lap. Brady Dunn didn’t even get the chance to run the prefinal as his kart broke while on the grid, which left him starting 17th in the final. At the start of the final, Chapin and another kart ended up parked next to each other in turn one. Meanwhile, Dunn was working his way through the pack, and although he didn’t cross the line in first, he was declared the winner after tech. Dunn made a great charge by exercising patience and working his way through the pack. Eric Erdmann had a great top five run going until contact sent him to the grass and then ultimately his day ended early with mechanical trouble. Parker Corson kept his nose clean and stayed out of trouble to end up second for the day ahead of Diego Ochoa, Blake Bowen, Daltyn England, Carter Logsdon, Pia Russo, Austin O’Connor, Grafton, Cameron Campbell, Nate Kavicky, Erdmann, Adrianna Bowen, Mason Franck, Zach Taylor, Chapin, and Jeremy Fierke.

Cody Egan won the Digatron Briggs Senior class. Tyler Trainor, fresh off his Gold Cup wins, took the Team 39 Motorsports Briggs Junior Restricted win. Colton Ramsey claimed the win in the Tyre Tech HPV Junior class. Jim Kerrigan claimed the win in the Streeter Super Stands Shifter class. Chuck Kocan narrowly claimed the win over Mike Franck in the TaG 4 stroke class. Franck tried several times to put the move on Kocan going into the monza, but could never get inside far enough to make it stick, and Kocan held on to the win. Greg Lay, Trent Choi, and Patrick Ciolino rounded out the top five.

In the Trackside Diner TaG Heavy class, Scott Kalish and Clay Maddox put on a fine display of racing. Kalish claimed the pole in qualifying, with Maddox winning the prefinal handily after Kalish broke. A great start at the final allowed Kalish to jump to the lead with Maddox, Paul Russo, and Mike Gray in tow. Maddox hounded Kalish and made a clean pass going into turn one about midway. Kalish was glued to Maddox’s rear bumper, but just couldn’t get a pass completed before the checkered flew. Russon claimed the third position over Gray.

In the Franklin Kart Supply HPV Jr. Sportsman class, Jordan Laukaitis has quickly entered the point chase as he notched his second win on the season. His win did not however, come without challenge from Perry Needham, who claimed the prefinal win with a great pass of Laukaitis. Jordan must have told his dad what to change though, as he sped out to a 3 second win over J.T. Lewis, Needham, Jake Cole and Tucker Cory.

If you like close racing, then Express Karts N Parts Yamaha Junior Supercan racing is for you. Twenty karts showed up for the chance to claim the crown, and TJ Koyen established himself as the early contender by being the only kart in the 48 second bracket in qualifying. Koyen took his Switch powered Merlin to the point of the prefinal, with the first five karts nose to tail. You could have thrown a blanket over these five, and Colton Ramsey happened to be in the right place at the right time and made the most of his push to win the prefinal. A.J. O’Brien hopped out to the early lead from the outside starting spot, with Koyen and Ramsey in tow. Koyen passed O’Brien early on, with Ramsey in third. About three laps in O’Brien got a little help off the track, and dropped back to fourth. Sitting in fourth, O’Brien was determined to get back to the front, and one by one he made passes to pull off a narrow win over Justin Jennings, Ramsey Koyen and Matthew Laukaitis. Kristofer Mirjanic, Josh Clack, Tyler Roland, Jimmy Clark, and Zach Corson completed the top ten.

The Route 66 Series wished to thank additional sponsors, Triple E Sales, Ribtect, Bell Racing, Decal Zone and Burris for their continued support. The fifth round of the Route 66 Series presented by Margay/Bridgestone will be held at the famed New Castle Motorsports Park on August 25th and 26th. For more information, visit www.route66kartracing.com on the Route 66 Series. A reminder that qualifying will be held on Saturday at New Castle, please visit the website to see the updated schedule.

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