2008 News Archive
March 2008
The final race, to make the Final Race... (Sun, March 23rd)
With only one race remaining in the regular season, the focus for this week will turn away from the title chase, and instead tube on who will be moving on to the Shootout Finale a week from now. With only the top 5 drivers in each class moving on to the Shootout Finale, drivers outside the top 5 will be keen to put on there best peformance, and haul themselves into the big show. That said, I have recieved several e-mails from drivers who unfortuantely will be missing the final round of the season, and will almost certainly be bidding farewell to there top 5 hopes. Below I will be outlining these battles, seeing who is on the outside looking in, and who may be in danger of being relgated to the role of spectator during the Finale.
Pro Light
In Pro Light the number of contenders has dropped, due to the planned exclusion of Kaupo Tammik from the final round. Sitting 8th in the points, only a single point back from Joey Tanner, Tammik was certainly in the running to make the top 5 this season, especially since he had had a projected starting spot of 2nd for Monday night's race. Alas, it is not to be, and now ony three drivers still have a shot at making the Finale at the end of the month. What makes this battle even more fun to watch, is that all three are lined up to run in the same race group, which will make thier on track battles all the more meaningful.
5th Place- Rob Marssdorf (39 points, -11 from 4th)
A 4 point cushion on the other to contenders is certainly a plus for the veteran, plus he has generally been more consistent than his rivals as well. On top of that, Rob will be driving away from the pole tomorrrow night, and can all but clinch a spot in the Finale with a 1st or 2nd place finish. Right place at the right time comes to mind, and it could be that extra little boost he needs to hold on to the coveted transfer spot.
6th Place- Kevin Fletcher (35 points)
Kevin only ran the final 4 races last season, and damn nearly made the Finale in this class, which shows he can get it done in the clutch situation. 4 points is not insurmountable, but it will be a challenge with both drivers running in the same class. But it's not just Rob Kevin has to beat. If Joey finds his way around Kevin, then he can just about count his 5th place gone, which puts even more pressure on his performance.
7th Place- Joey Tanner (34 Points)
The rookie had a bit of a rough start to the season, learning how to run within the rules of the 'Fun and Sportsmanship' way things are run in the SIRS, but has really been strong as of late. Since coming back from missing the 3rd round, Joey has stayed on the podium, and has been a threat for big points every week. If he can stay smooth and mistake free this next round he'll be able to challenge Kevin, and take the charge to Rob for the 5th spot.
Pro Heavy
Pro heavy looked to have a great battle brewing, as three drivers were within 4 points of each other, but only two were going to make the top 5. I have now learned that current 5th place drievr Greg Olsen will be missing the final race of the season, which basically gift wrap's the final transfer spot to current 6th place driver Scott Santiani. It was going to be a great battle too, as Scott is slotted to start on pole with Olsen supposed to start second. Instead, the final race of the regular season will be soley setup for the Shootout Finale, which will be very important as the points are tight in this class.
Lastly, with a 12 point lead on second right now, Tony Hana does have a chance to clinch the tile this week, needing to gain only another 3 points to sow things up by merely starting the Shootout Finale.
GT Light
Consistency has been the name of the game in this class, and with a field filled with rookies and "GT Senior refugees", the results have been slight predictable at times. However, all drivers are now coming up to pace, which is making for some very exciting racing. It also throws a question mark as to how things will go come race night, as these drivers start pressuring for top 5 and podium finishes. Unfortunately, as far as the top 5 battle goes things are all but wrapped up, with Brent Palmer currently holding on to the spot, and his closest competitor is Richard Lennard, a full 7 points back. It's not clinched, but things are certainly leaning palmer's way.
Adam Kellerman currently leads the points with a massive 19 point lead, and will clinch the title if he can gain 4 more points on second place Brian Cronk. Note: he has done this twice, and score 3 more points than the rookie in five of the six rounds.
GT Senior
As is the case with Pro Light, GT Senior is also effected by Kaupo Tammik's proposed absence from the final regular season round. Currently Kaupo has the 5th spot over veteran Fernando Gaete, holding on to it via the total points tie breaker, which will all become a moot point when he misses round #7. He does actually have a chance of keeping fifth, but he will need Fernando to finish 8th or worse, and score no fast lap bonus points. Judging by Fernando's performances, this is a very slim possibility.
In last week's bizarre turn of events that saw Lon S. Bromley pull in one lap early while leading, current point leader and defending champ Eric Oyague has all but wrapped things up in this class. He now needs only to gain one more point on Lon to clinch the title heading into the Finale, which will be a daunting task since Lon should be starting in second.
GT Sport
This class now hosts the only other actual top 5 battle, which actually encompasses four different drivers, spanning positions 4-7. Currently 4th and looking pretty good to hold on to a top 5 spot is rookie Richard Brindos, although he may succumb to Jerry Hudson who currently owns the final transfer spot. In 6th and 7th are the rookie duo of Nick Koping and James Shepherd, each of whom have a mathematical shot at making the top 5 this season.
For point leader Tony Hana, all he has to do to clinch the title is start the Shootout; he doesn't even have to race on Monday. However, if he does race Monday, and still has his massive 25 point lead on Joe Filipanko, than he can just eat popcorn and watch the Finale from the sidelines as the '08 Winter Season champ.
4th Place- Richard Brindos (24 points, -17 from 3rd)
Richard has consistently finished as "best of the rest" in the GT Sport class, finishing as the highest rookie in the class in 5 out of 6 rounds so far this season. This consistency is what has earned him a six point lead on the rest of the rookie field, and puts him solidly in the top 5. With Jerry's experience it seems he will continue to stay a podium contender, which means that the best Richards rivals can do is a most likely a 2 point gain. This pretty much solidifies him in the top 5. Anything can happen however...
5th Place- Jerry Hudson III (20 points)
Jerry left the Pro Light class at the halfway point, citing a lack of fun as the reason for the switch. Rightly so as the veteran driver was finding his return to the series as tough one, and rarely battled anyone during his races. The move to GT Sport class has shown his competitiveness, finishing second in both rounds he's entered, and may challenge Tony Hana for a win before the season ends. It will take some massive bad luck for Jerry to miss the top 5.
6th Place- Nick Koping (18 points)
Consistently the #2 rookie in the class, Jerry's entry into the class certainly dampened Nick's chances at the top 5, but at the same time, he has also been looking stronger and stronger every week with all the competiton in the field. If he can capitlize on these teachings, and Jerry has a bad run, he might just be able to knock off the veteran, and earn a spot in the Shootout Finale. He will definitely need his best performance to date, and not make any mistakes to have a shot however.
7th Place- James Shepherd (15 Points)
He's mathematically in, but his realistic chances are a bit low. It's not out of the question however, as James has shown solid speed, and real improvement throughout the season. Like Nick, James will need a lot of luck to help him out, but will also need to put in his best performance to date.
GT Heavy
GT Heavy has actually only had 5 full time drivers this season, and thus there isn't really a fight to make it in the top 5. This class does however host the best title fight this season, with Scott Santiani currently holding on to the point lead by 3 points over fellow veteran Bob Segui. As these to guys find themselves on track nearly every week, this one will surely come down to the very last lap of the Shootout Finale.
---Mike Smith
Race Director
Director's View: Halfway Point Report (Sun, March 9th)
“The Director’s View”
Halfway Point Power Rankings
The power rankings below are more like my prediction for the podiums (individual classes and team title), and for who will win the sub-cats. They are more for fun than anything else, giving an analytical look at the standings from the perspective of the guy who adds ‘em up. I will also add my two cents here and there, talking about strong runs in the different classes, the battles to make it into the Shootout Finale, and just some general observations. Overall, they are just my opinions, and in no way are meant to be derogatory, but instead are just to shed light on another point of view. Remember these are just for fun, and meant for your reading pleasure, even if that might be a stretch…
Pro Light
1. Steve Pepka- Last season’s title run could have been called ‘easy’ by some, with the lack of an invert, and the split classes that had Steve meet his main rivals only a handful of times. That of course is B.S., with ole Pep’s performance thus far proving it was no fluke, and that it was well deserved as he is showing the way this season. Steve started out the season by grabbing the pole, and has since won 3 out of the 4 rounds, finishing 2nd in the only non-win. Putting a period on that is the fact he has beaten his closest competitors to earn those wins, starting behind them in every start. Definitely the man to beat in this class, I feel that it is his title to lose, and he’s well on his way to being only the second Pro Light driver to win back-to-back titles.
2. Lon S. Bromley- “But he’s 4th in the standings!” you might say. Yes, but he is also the 5-time champ, and is sitting there while running only 3 rounds. That aside, just looking at the finishes, and the stats produced compels one to rank him higher than his current placing. While he has won only once, he has finished 2nd the other two times, and has shown a bit more speed and consistency than his rivals when working to the front. Experience means a lot in these points battles, and coupled with his consistency is going to make beating him extra tough. The only chink in the armor here is the fact he has no throw-out to fall back on, which is of mild concern. While I have ranked him 2nd, I think he’d be hard pressed to eat up the 8 points needed to take title #6.
3. Adam Kellerman- Taking the win in the past round gave Adam’s podium run a much-needed shot in the arm, vaulting him from 6th to 3rd in the standings. Not to say he’s been running badly however, finishing no worse than 3rd this season, which is the biggest reason he sits in contention. It is those two third place finishes though that put him behind Pep and Bromley, showing that while he has been consistent, they have just been consistent +1. Adam’s speed and experience are undeniable, and his ability to work traffic has kept him in the hunt every week. If he can ride the momentum from his round #4 win to a couple more victories second will be his, but as with Lon, another Pro Light title may be just out of reach.
On the inside heading out?…
He’s actually inside the podium right now, but I think it will be a tough road to stay there for Chris Jeppesen. Currently Chris sits 2nd in points, 5 points back from Steve, and with a 3 point lead on the Kellerman/Bromley duo. In my opinion however, he should be up there fighting with Pep for the title, but he hasn’t been able to seal the deal on a couple of other wins. That’s the reason that he gets leap-frogged in the rankings by the other two: he just isn’t getting the passes done. Twice he has been in position, riding around in 2nd place waiting until the very end of the race to make his move, only to see himself cross the line in P2. The only exception to the rule was in the second round where he performed brilliantly, making a late race pass on rival Bromley to take the win. If he wants a shot at his second title, or even to stay on the podium, he’ll have to turn up the wick, and have more “round 2’s.”
The Shootout before the Shootout…
Rob Marssdorf currently holds on to the final transfer spot, and since he’s currently 5 points out of 4th (26pts), the fight to stay in the top 5 may turn into the main goal. Hot on his heals are Kaupo Tammik (25pts), and Kevin Fletcher (24pts) each who have earned a win this season. What they haven’t done though is stay consistent, which is why Rob has the edge in this fight, having finish off the podium only once. All three have looked pretty even though in speed however, and it may just come down to who makes the fewest mistakes, and stays out of trouble that takes the final transfer spot home.
The other great battle…
The next 5 drivers in the standings are separated by only 5 points, with each one looking just as good as the next. They are led by rookie Joey Tanner with 18 points, followed by Bob Stephens (15pts), Dan Souder (15pts), Dave Fox (14pts), and Jerry Hudson III (13pts). All five drivers are very even on track, and have put on some of the best battles thus far this season. A win could catapult them into top 5 territory, but to actually earn a spot in the finale, multiple wins will be needed. One of the five may be exiting the class however, as Jerry Hudson will be looking at running the GT Sport class for the remainder of the season. Bob and Dan have the most experience and highest point finishes of the other four drivers, and I expect to see more consistency out of them. Dave Fox can surprise however, and watch out for an unpredictable second half out of the rookie.
Pro Heavy
1. Tony Hana- As the only multi-time winner in the class, Tony is the odds on favorite to take this title, currently enjoying an eight point lead on second place. Running a streak of fast lap times since earning pole on Q Night, he has clocked fastest lap in every race this season, helping pad his lead. It is the consistency that has allowed him to gap the rest of the field though, being the only driver to stay in the top two every week, consistently finding the big points. Tony will be shooting to be the third Pro Heavy driver to win back-to-back titles, previously done by Adam Griffith (‘06Fall, ’07 winter), and John Farris (’05 spring, ’05 Fall).
2. Adam Griffith- As one of the favorites to take the fight to the returning champ, Adam confirmed these thoughts by winning in the first round. It has been a rocky season for the veteran and former champ however, especially in the last two rounds, seeing potentially winning runs slip through his fingers. Round #3 saw him battling for the win when the GT leaders caught him, eventually slipping back into the 3rd spot, and this past week he was in contention when he was put into the wall. Adam is not the kind of driver to just be content with second though, and look to see him bounce back big this week, my guess with a win. It’s only the halfway point, and if anyone can catch Tony, it’s this 2-time champ.
3. Tim McKinney- Tim had to miss this past week due to sickness, but has shown that when he’s in the field, he’s one of the guys to beat. In the first round it looked like he may have had a shot at the win, but a pass attempt backfired, and he was parked up against the wall. Still, he has two second place finishes to his name, along with clocking the second fast time in both those races. Overall his speed all but matches that of the leaders, and his ability to work traffic keeps him towards the front and in contention. While he sits 6th in the current point standings, I feel that is more a product of missing the last round, and not a sign of what’s to come.
A tough fight to make the Finale…
I didn’t put them in the top 3, but Scott Santiani and Greg Olsen currently hold 3rd and fourth respectively, each with 26 points. Also is Milan Diebel who is in 5th, and was this past week’s winner, sitting 2 points back from that duo. Even though they all have similar results, Tim has leapfrogged them mainly for how the results were obtained. Tim’s runs have seemed a bit stronger, and I suspect that to continue the rest of the season. That said, these three cats have each won a race, and I would put it passed them to do it again. They do, and they could steal that top three spot. A couple of spoilers in this class are Brian Blount (7th, 19 points) and Bob Segui (8th, 15 points) who each have had solid runs in season’s past. Blount has had a rough season this winter, but was looking really strong this past week until an unfortunate situation earned him a penalty. For his part, Bob has been having a hard time coming to terms with the 9hp kart, especially when needing to push hard to stay with the leaders. A win can put either of these guys into the hunt for the top 5, but doing it consistently is what this doctor orders.
GT Light
1. Adam Kellerman- Four rounds and four wins equals a 12 point lead on his closest competitor, and real good start at another championship. In fact, Adam is on the way to clinching this one early, needing only a 15-point lead going into the Shootout Finale. Adam’s biggest advantage over his competitors is his experience, having won a championship in the Pro Light class, and is one of the most winning drivers in the series. The rest of the field is catching up when speed is concerned, but this one is for sure Adam’s to lose, and I don’t see that happening.
2. Joseph Criscione- The fall season champ has had to fight out of a hole this season, first missing Qualifying Night, then incurring a five point penalty in the first round. Currently sitting 3rd in the standings, Joseph is 4 points out of second, but would only be 2 back if the penalty had not occurred, and possibly even less if he had run in qualifying. He’s the only driver to clock a lap faster than the point leader, and has made steady progress in the points since his unfortunate 1st round. He’ll need to keep that forward progress going to take the 2nd spot, and make sure he doesn’t earn any more penalties.
3. Brian Cronk- This rookie has really impressed in this class, staying out of trouble while turning in solid finishes. He also is typically in the top 3 when talking about fast laps, keeping him in contention week-in and week-out. Sitting in second right now bodes will for his podium chances, but he will need a strong second half to stay ahead of the fall season champ. The first three weeks showed he’s capable, and as long as he doesn’t keep sliding back (5th place finish in round #4), he will hold on to the second spot.
The dark horse…
The driver who has made the biggest improvement since last season, and that has a solid shot at the podium is Cale Lennard. At the tail end of last season Cale had just come up to speed, and he has carried that momentum into this season. He started out by scoring the pole on Q Night, and has since scored fast lap bonus points in two rounds, and finished on the podium twice, his highest finish coming this past week (2nd, with 2nd fast lap). More of those performances will earn him a spot on the podium, and certainly closer to another victory, his last coming in the season finale last fall.
Richard’s and Refugees…
2 of the 3 drivers named Richard entered this season make their home here in the GT Light class, and each are starting to catch on to how things work. Richard Lennard has run rounds 2-3, and is making steady progress, while Richard Goddard missed the third round, and is coming back from a DQ in the first round. Each are picking up the pace, closing the gap in speed between them and the leaders. GT Senior refugee Brent Palmer is looking better than ever this season, having to compete in the GT Light category after giving up his spot in GT Senior. Looking to run “just for fun”, Brent hasn’t been worried about points, but has been learning a lot and getting faster after every week. Now running only a couple of tenths off the leaders, Brent is right where he needs to be to start challenging for a podium, if not a win itself.
GT Senior
1. Eric Oyague- Eric took the GT Senior championship handedly last season, nearly pulling off a perfect season in the process. This season has been quite a bit tougher, coming under fire from the same guy he fought with for the ’07 Spring Pro Light title, Lon S. Bromley. Difference this time is Eric is king of the castle not Lon, and as the returning champ is the man to beat. There is no room to breathe however, as the point gap between the two is only three points after four rounds. That said, Lon missed last week which gives Eric the upper hand in terms of throw out’s and tie-breakers. Eric could afford to find a bit more speed however, as his competition has nipped him on fast lap bonus points in 3 out of 4 rounds.
2. Lon S. Bromley- Missing the 4th round certainly was not preferable for a championship run, but he is still only three points out, and there is plenty of time left. Consistently the fastest driver in the class certainly boosts his chances at the title, and with his experience he’ll be one to watch. This next week will be crucial for Lon in setting up for a title run, and he really needs to win to set the stage. The lack of a throw out to fall back on is unfortunate, but judging by his performances thus far, I don’t think it will hurt him too bad. With a big lead on third (10 points) his focus will be 100% on Eric, which should provide some exciting racing.
3. Fedotov- Last fall Vladimir came on late in the season, and surprised many by finishing second overall in his rookie season. This season he has defined himself as one of the top contenders, but has still found finding the top step of the podium a bit difficult. With no shortage of speed, and an increasing level of racecraft, I think it is a matter of when, not if that Vlady takes a victory in this series. I would be surprise if it happens this season too, especially with his sizeable lead on 4th place on back.
The best of the rest…
The battle to take the final to transfer spots into the Shootout Finale is tightening up, with the charge currently led by rookie Derrick Roeske. Tied with him in points is Kaupo Tammik, followed by Fernando Gaete, and Dave Fox a few points back from them. Derrick pulled up into the 4th spot this past week after putting down his best performance so far this season, finishing 4th, but with the second fastest lap. Kaupo also had a solid week finishing on the podium, while Fernando fell a couple of spots after a rough round #4, but is still one of the top drivers in the class. Dave Fox is starting to pick things up in this class, while rookie Jason Matthews although a bit back from the top 5 battle, is looking better than ever and will start challenging for some strong finishes.
GT Sport
1. Tony Hana- Another one of those dominant performances means no title battle in this class, with Tony owning the top spot and an 11-point lead. Four wins, four fastest laps, and it don’t look to stop anytime soon. Tony is the man in this class, but the rest of the class is starting to shorten the gap. I still think he’ll clinch this one before the end, but we may see a new winner before the end, especially when they have such a good teacher in Hana.
2. Milan Diebel- Two seconds and a third in three rounds is a great start to the season, and if it wasn’t for an unfortunate penalty, it’d probably be three 2nds. Q Night’s pole sitter has certainly been one of the guys to beat in this class, and before the end I wouldn’t be surprised to see him with a W next to his name. However, with only two points over an improving Filipanko, he will have to keep any eye on his back, or could see himself slip back a spot.
3. Joe Filipanko- Joe’s got a bit of a lead on 4th, which will allow him to focus on beating Diebel, and stealing away the 2nd spot. Showing really well in the 4th round, he nearly beat Hana in lap time, which certainly raised a few eyebrows. While out of range for the title, he has more than a good chance at second, and it will be fun to see how his return to the SIRS finishes up.
A learning season halfway done…
The next three drivers in the standings are all competing for the first time, and are led by Richard Brindos, then Nick Koping and James Shepherd. Each of these guys are getting better with every week, as it is with all rookies, and will most likely have another driver to contend with when/if Jerry Husdon joins the fray. Look for these guys to make life tough the closer to the end of the season we get, possibly even breaking into the top three. They’ve got the cards stacked against them when it comes to sheer experience, but the bright side is they’ve got some great teachers, and they’ll get faster…faster.
GT Heavy
1. Scott Santiani- Hard to believe that just last season Scott was making the transition from “just driving”, to actually running racing lines, and making vast improvements because of it. Now he leads the points by 4 over long-time friendly rival Bob Segui, in a fight that will surely go all the way to the Shootout Finale. While the wins have been split 2-2 between them, Scott’s lead comes from cutting faster laps than his rival consistency, and then another extra point from qualifying. Scott’s luck hasn’t been perfect this season either, needing to battle back from incidents early in the race, preventing him from fighting for the top spot on a couple of occasions. Keep doing what he’s been doing, and it will be championship #1 for this SIRS veteran.
2. Bob Segui- If anyone can steal the championship away from Scott, it’ll be the second half of the Scott and Bob Show. These two guys always seem to find each other whilst on track, and it fits that it will be the two of them fighting for the title. Bobby has two wins to his name, but he’s been playing second fiddle to Scott in terms of lap time, which could come back to bite him. Bobby needs to win, but he also needs some extra speed to get those bonus points away from Scott. If he stays close in points, a win in the Finale could be enough to grab his first championship.
3. Dylan Hooker- Dylan surprised many by grabbing the pole on Qualifying Night, and has stayed in contention all season with a string of solid finishes. He missed this past week however, and most likely with it his shot at anything more than a third in the standings. Still, he speed and pace are undeniable, and he certainly could challenge for race wins before the end of the season. Plus, with a 6 point lead on 4th, he can stay focused on being smooth, and not worry about the cats behind him.
Another field of rookies impress…
Joining Dylan in the rookie field are Cameron Kinder, Zach Koping and Dan Kuehn, all who have really turned up the speed dial the last couple of rounds. In fact, they are starting to close the gap to Dylan, who up to this point hasn’t really been challenged by his fellow rookies. This group has put on some good shows thus far, and I am certainly looking to see who makes the Shootout Finale, and continue the show on the big stage. I would rule out an upset steal of the third spot either, especially if Hooker falls into some problems.
Team Championship
1. Ballistic Smooth Hardcore (B.S.H)- Consistency wins championships. Everyone has heard that phrase from me numerous times, but it doesn’t show any clearer than from this team. B.S.H.’s two team members Steve Pepka and Tony Hana are the defending champs, and have yet again made life hard on all the rest of the teams. The stats speak for themselves: Steve has 3 wins and a second running in Pro Light, while Tony has won 2 out of 4 in Pro Heavy (second in the other 2) and has won all 4 races in GT Sport. The two of them have managed the fastest lap bonus every week as well. When a bad night is a pair of seconds and a win, the rest of the teams are in trouble. They don’t have a bunch of room to breathe however, currently holding a mere 5.1 point lead, and I expect the fight to head all the way to the final lap of the Finale.
2. Crazy Flying Monkeys (CFM)- As he did for team BSH-Winslow last season, Eric Oyague is once again the breadwinner this season, pulling in the big points for his team week in and week out. The other two original members of CFM, Chris Jeppesen and Rob Marssdorf are doing what they do best again this season, and that’s not make big mistakes. Chris hasn’t finished worse than third, and also picked up a win in round #2, while Rob has had a bit of a rougher time of it, but still done well considering he never practices. As the only team with a shot to knock off the defending champs, all eyes will be on them, certainly racing with the underdog vote boosting them on.
3. BSH-“All-In”- Currently 4th in the standings sitting 3.5 points back from third, there is only one reason why this team was picked to take third in the standings: Jerry Hudson’s moving to another class. Up to this point, Lon S. Bromley has been the guy racking up the points, single handedly holding the team afloat, as Jerry’s been having a rough return to the SIRS. However, with Jerry suspected to be moving over to GT Sport, BSH-“All-In’s point haul’s are certainly going to get a shot in the arm, revitalizing their podium chances. The pressure will be on though, perhaps more on Jerry to turn the second half of the season in their favor.
There’s 2 more teams in the podium hunt…
CFM-Old Skool has third right now, but are currently riding on Adam Kellerman’s performances, and will need to spread out the strong runs a bit more to have a chance to keep it. Currently fifth is BSH-Winslow that pairs two of the nicest guys in the series together, Scott Santiani and Joe Filipanko. Both of these guys are getting stronger with each week, battling for podium’s in all classes entered. Each of these teams has a solid shot at the final step of the podium, but is going to have to dig deep, and not have any mistakes to beat BSH-“All-In”.
Sub-Cats
Masters- Eric Oyague cannot be touched in this category, at least when he consistently is winning in the largest class in the SIRS. When you are coming from 8th-10th to first or second every week, you deserve the title. Tony Hana leads the rest of the drivers in the chase, but unless Eric slips up big time, or decides t take up golf, I don’t see this one going anywhere else.
Rookies- Brian Cronk and Derrick Roeske are making it a two horse race for the rookie title, with the current advantage going to the former. While Derrick looked really good this past week, I think Brian has the better chance at taking the title, and that is because of his strong first couple of rounds. With a five-point gap of Roeske, Cronk really just has to stay smart and keep staying on the podium and the Rookie title will be his. A couple of big slip ups, especially if it is in the Finale, and Derrick could pull the come from behind victory.
Juniors- Joseph Criscione is currently sitting second, one point behind Brian Cronk, but I think will be the one to take his second consecutive Junior title. With a bit more speed than his competitors, and a steady march to the front, I think Joseph has the edge right now as long as he stays mistake and penalty free. Any mistakes on his part however, and either Brian or Cale Lennard will pounce to steal it away.
---Mike Smith
Race Director
Round #3 Recap (Sun, March 2nd)
The excitement continued in the 3rd round of the SIRS Winter Season, and with some of the best battles we've had thus far, it will not be forgotten anytime soon. The third round is always an important one as far as the points are concerned, as it starts to separate the consistent drivers from the hot/cold performances. How the first three races of the season go can many times by the decided in ones championship hopes, and this week it was obvious this was apparent to the drivers.
Remember, next week will be the halfway point, and I'll have the "View From The Flag Stand: Halfway Point Power Rankings", but first we have to get through round #3... Here are the highlights: Race #1
As has become customary in the first race of the night, both the Pro Heavy and GT Light classes would spread themselves out, with the closest battle being for 3rd in the GT category. For the Pro class, it was again Tony Hana of Ballistic Smooth Hardcore (B.S.H.) grabbing the win and fastest lap, this time starting in the 3rd position. Heading out from the pole was team CFM-M.S.T.'s Tim McKinney, who would bounce back from a dismal second round to finish second, with second fastest lap for 10 total championship points. Rounding out the podium for the Pro field was Brian Blount (Blount Racing) who looked had over fist better this round than last, cutting competitve lap times and grabbing a sold finish.
In GT Light the third round would be the third in a row for former champ Adam Kellerman, driving for team CFM-Old Skool. Adam starting 6th and through fast laps, consistency and pit strategy took home yet another win and 13 more championship points. Starting fourth was fall season's champ Joseph Criscione (Criscione Racing), working his way through the pack trying to capitalize on the solid starting position. He would be able to work up to the second position, about three seconds in front of third, but would only grab the third fastest lap. Taking home the second fastest lap bonus would be third place finisher, rookie Brian Cronk driving for team Young Guns. This marks the third podium in a row for the rookie, who currently sits second in the GT Light standings, but leads in both the Juniors, and Rookies sub-categories.
Race #2
The second race of the night has been the host for some of the most exciting moments so far this season, and the third round was again no exception. With the GT Senior drivers running times equal to, or faster than their Pro Heavy counterparts towards the end of the race, the Pro guys have found themselves the ones targeted with blue flags. This scenario reached the boiling point this past week, when in the final few laps the top three from both classes ran intertwined, and nose to tail all the way to the finish. With Scott Santiani (BSH-Winslow) desperately trying to stay ahead of former champ Adam Griffith (Apex Resoration-Griffith Racing), defending GT Senior champ Eric Oyague (Crazy Flying Monkeys, (CFM)) would catch them in a hurry while also trying to stay ahead of Lon S. Bromley (BSH-"All-In"). Before the end of the race, Pro driver Greg Olsen (kartraceart.com-Olsen Racing) and GT driver Vladimir Fedotov (12 Wheels) would enter the mix, making it a train of 6 drivers all mixed together. Things got interesting when Oyague made it three-wide entering turn #5, getting around Griffith to sit right behind Santiani, putting heavy pressure on the Pro driver. Normally this would be a blue flag situation for the leading Santiani, but with Griffith right on the back bumper of Oyague, and Bromley right with Griffith, and only a hanful of laps to go I elected to try and let the drivers work things out themselves. But when Lon made it around Adam it was time to give Scott the blue, and resume unhindered racing between the classes for the final couple of laps. When they crossed the line Oyague would pick up his second win of the season, but would once again be nipped for fast lap by second place Bromley, while Fedotov came through a few seconds back in the third spot. On the Pro Heavy front, Scott successfully held off Adam to pick up one of the biggest wins in his career, while Adam got shuffled back to third losing the second spot to round #2 winner Greg Olsen.
Race #3
Race three again hosted the first installment of the Pro Light class, and the GT Sport drivers, who're now closing the gap to current point leader Tony Hana of team B.S.H. After exiting his round #2 race early from a flat tire, Jerry Hudson III of BSH-"All-In" looked to cash in on his pole position this week, and gain some much needed championship points. Things would start out well for the veteran too, running away at the start and leading for much of the race until making his pit stop on lap 38. Two drivers were closing in on Hudson however, as his BSH-"All-In" teammate Lon S. Bromley was reeling him in, shadowed by long time rival CFM's Chris Jeppesen. The two drivers 'worked together' running fast laps while closing the gap the leader, and when all pit stops were made found themselves 1-2, with Jerry sitting in third. Chris has not been known to be one of the premier passers in the series, but this week a fire lit in the veteran, and 4 laps from the end would stick the pass on Lon. That would make it a 2-3 for BSH-"All-In", certainly their best result as a team this season.
Much like GT Light, GT Sport has been pretty much dominated by a single driver, with the rest of the category hunting for more speed and trying to match pace with past champ Tony Hana. So far the closest to his pace has been CFM-Evil Fox's Milan Diebel, who again showed strength this week having to come from the rear of the field. Also, Joe Filipanko of the BSH-Winslow team has led the rest of the field of newcomers and rookies (Joe is back after a 2 year hiatus) in speed, and has been consistently towards the front. However it would again be Hana's House this week, as the veteran worked up from fourth to large lead on the rest of the field, before crossing the line for his 3rd win of the season and fast lap. Milan raised eybrows yet again working up to the second spot and second fastest lap, after battling with Tony for a few laps adding 10 points to his championship tally, currently sitting 2nd in the standings. Joe would finish out the race with his third podium in a row, currently sitting 3rd in the points, and looking faster and faster every week.
Race #4
One of the drivers to beat in the Pro Light class is by no surprise the returning champ, B.S.H.'s Steve Pepka who is also the current point leader. Starting fourth out of six, Steve pit early and immidiately fell into thr GT traffic, seemingly dousing his chances at the 'W'. Instead Steve ran consistent and fast laps while staying out of trouble, putting him out front once all the pit stops had cycled through. Surprisingly he held on to the point with a comfortable lead, as CFM stablemates Adam Kellerman (CFM-Old Skool), and round #2 winner Kaupo Tammik (CFM-M.S.T.) battled each other for the second. While Adam would find his way around Kaupo for second, he wouldn't be able to make up the four seconds to Steve, instead settling for second and second fastest lap. Kaupo would back up last week's performance by not only finishing 3rd, but taking the fastest lap as well, the third fast lap going to race winner Pepka.
GT Heavy has hosted some great battles throughout the grid, and this week the strong performer would again be BSH-Winslow's Scott Santiani. That said, it would actually be Bob Segui of team 12 Wheels that would pick up his second win in a row, showing he has the GT karts dialed in by clocking consistent laps that grabbed him second fastest lap as well. Scotty would once again be the fastest guy in the class though, but would have to battle back up through the pack after trouble in traffic. For the second week in a row the finishing order was exactly the same, but the speeds were greater as the rookies are starting t figure things out. Leading those rookies is team Speed Freaks Dylan Hooker, picking up another podium, and securing the 3rd fastest lap of the race, now sitting third in the standings.
---Mike Smith
Race Director
February 2008
Round #2 Recap (Sun, Feb. 24th)
Round #2 saw the return of the invert which supplied a bunch of great racing, a red flag for faulty pit lights (dead battery that will be fixed. Thanks Tony Hana for the quick replacement!), but overall was a exciteing night of racing. The points will mix up quite a bit after this week with the hot/cold nature of some of the performances, so look for week #3 to start setting the stage for the rest of the season. And now, on to the highlights...
Race #1
Pro Heavy had a couple of absences (Brad Parsons, Milan Diebel) bringing the entry count down to seven, and that meant that they would all race together in the first race of the night. They would be joined by eight GT Light drivers, amassing 15 total drivers on track at once. Leading all these drivers to the green would be Greg Olsen (kartraceart.com-Olsen Racing), who was trying to bounce back from a pit stop miscue in round #1. Coming from the rear of the field was last weeks winners Tony Hana (B.S.H.) and Adam Griffith (Apex Restoration-Griffith Racing), looking to carry their momentum towards the front. For Greg it was a picture perfect night, running away from pole to a large lead before pitting, then staying mistake free to cruise to his first victory of the season. Coming across the line a tick over 5 seconds back was Tony Hana, who although clocked the fastest lap of the race, sited trouble adapting to the kart until the very end. Another five seconds back, but with the second fastest lap of the race was Adam Griffith, backing up his win last week with another podium finish.
GT Light would see sophomore driver Brent Palmer (Palmer Racing) lead to the green, followed by fellow sophomores James Bernard from team Speed Freaks, and Cale Lennard of Lennard Racing. After his win last week, Adam Kellerman of CFM-Old Skool would have to work a bit of traffic to find his way to the front, sandwiched by rookies fore and aft. Palmer would lead for a while, but would fall down the lineup after his pitstop, reliquishing the lead to drivers who had pit earlier than him. Kellerman's trek to the front was helped in no small part by clocking the fastest lap of the race, plus using his experience to work traffic sleanly and quickly. He would pick up the win, but not too far behind would be rookie Brian Cronk (Young Guns), showing his near win last week was no fluke, grabbing second and the second fastest lap. Rounding out the podium was fall season champ Joseph Criscione (Criscione Racing), needing to dig out of a hole after recieving a 5 point penalty last week. His third place finish will give him an additional 6 points, but he would be unable to grab any fast lap bonus points, with Cale Lennard stealing away the 3rd fastest lap.
Race #2
With Pro Heavy only running one group, all ten GT Senior drivers would take to the track by themselves, and with only eight spots awarded points, it would be a great show to watch. Leading the group to the green would be rookie Steve Barnes (The Rooks), followed by fellow rookie Jason Matthews (Matthews Racing) in second, each looking to improve on round #1. Coming from the rear of the field would be Eric Oyague (CFM) and Lon S. Bromley (BSH-"All-In"), who dazzled the crowds last week with thier 50 lap battle for the win, the spoils going to the former. This time pit strategy would play the big difference in the result, with Bromley heading in on lap one, and Oyague unable to get in until lap four, the pits seemingly always close whenever he tried to get in. With Oyague stuck in traffic, both Bromley and last week's third place finisher Vladimir Fedotov (12 Wheels) would be cutting fast laps, keeping the point leader behind them when he came out of the pits. What ensued was a mirror image of last week's Oyague/Bromley battle, this time with Fedotov trying to hold of round one's winner. Even with thier bout however, they still would be able to stay within sight of Lon, with Vladimir actually holding fast lap for much of the race. Things became interesting for a few laps when the trio came up on CFM-Old Skool driver Fernando Gaete who was leading, but had yet to make his required pit stop. It took a few laps, but Gaete would eventually fall into the clutches of Bromley, making his pitstop shortly there after. As the end of the race loomed Lon went even faster, pulling away to score the win and the fastest lap, while Vladimir would hold off a very tough charge from Eric to hold on two second and it's respective fast lap. Eric held on for third and third fastest lap, but would lose his point lead in the standings, now sitting second although tied with Lon in point total.
Race #3
Installment one of the Pro Light battle and a smaller GT Sport class took to the track for the third race of the night, with Kaupo Tammik (CFM-M.S.T.) and Nick Koping (Fat Kids) leading their respective classes. For Kaupo, it was just like his win in the fall, where he took off from the start of the race never to look back. From the drop of the green Kaupo was unchallenged, running out to an eventual 15+ second lead over second, taking the win and clocking the fastest lap of the race. Behind him however it was a different story, with Steve Pepka of team B.S.H. and Chris Jeppesen of team CFM battling both on track, and via pit strategy for the entire race. Steve actually started behind Chris in the 7th spot, but was able to make his way passed by pitting the lap right after him, coming out of the pits just in front. Steve was then able to pull away from Chris and held a good sized gap for most of the race, until the very end where Jep turned up the pressure. When they rounded turn eight for the white flag, Jeppesen was all of the bumper of Pepka, taking the fight to him all lap long. Just like a NASCAR race, they would bump and rub all the way to the finish with Steve taking 2nd while pointing to one of his front tires... it was flat.
With one GT Sport driver out with flu-like symptoms, and another on vacation, only four drivers were left to take the green, with rookie Nick Koping showing the way. All of the drivers would eventually spread out quite a bit, so there was not much action out of this class, save for a bit of 'tutoring' by Tony Hana (B.S.H.). Tony would do a bit of back and forth with his BSH Racing stablemate Joe Filipanko (BSH-Winslow), then all of the sudden pull away like Joe was sitting still. It was almost like he said "All right Mate, that's enough. See you at the finish." Tony went on to win his second in a row, along with clocking the fastest lap, while Joe would finish second with second fast lap. The battle for third would be between rookies Richard Brindos (The Rooks) and pole sitter Koping, with Brindos finding the upper hand in position, plus picking up the third fastest lap for and additional bonus point.
Race #4
The final race of the night started with a bit of a hiccup, needing to be restarted after 7 laps because of a pit light failure. Upon the restart, Mitch Mlinar (Rickman-Z) would lead the Pro Light field to the green, with rookie Zach Koping (Fat Kids) bringing the GT Heavy boys into turn #1. For the Pro Light class it seemed to be veteran Kevin Fletcher's (CFM-Old Skool) night, with two of the three drivers in front of him at the start pitting out of the way, leaving him clear track ahead. Making the most of the situation, Kevin ran fast laps until he came up on traffic, made his stop, and continued on his way clocking the fastest lap on his way to win #1 on the season. Big mover this race was Lon S. Bromley (BSH-"All-In") coming up from the 7th starting spot to finish second, but unfortunately did not pick up any fast lap bonus points. Finishing third, but with the 2nd fastest lap was CFM-Old Skool driver and teammate to Kevin Fletcher, Adam Kellerman who came up from the 5th starting spot.
The GT Heavy race would be an up and down one for a few drivers, specifically Scott Santiani of team BSH-Winslow. Starting 5th, Scott worked through the field smartly, until coming to a stop at the exit of turn #8 after contact with a lapped driver. Losing a bunch of time to the front runners Scott would get going again, but in the end couldn't best a flawless run put on by his freindly rival Bob Segui of team 12 wheels. Bob started just ahead of Scott, but was able to stay mistake free and stay out of trouble to take home the win, and second fast lap. A consolation for Scott would be fastest lap, finishing second to Segui after grabbing second late in the race. Finishing out the podium was rookie Dylan Hooker, who joined up with the Speed Freaks team this week, and put in a solid performance to take third and third fast lap. ---Mike Smith
Race Director
Round #1 Recap (Sun, Feb. 17th)
Heading into the season opener it looked like it had all the makings of the biggest, best season to date. More drivers, more classes, more races, and overall just more action. It did not dissapoint. As with the start of every season there is a bit of rust to be knocked off, but even with starting a bit late and a red flagged race #1, the night still finished by 10pm. The season itself is indeed shaping up to be one of the finest, providing great battles on track, fantastic rivalries, and even a bit of controversy to spice things up. We have great team battles, and a driver roster that will surely provide title fights in every class, especially with the return of the inverted start. This is surely going to be a fun season, and now on to the highlights from how it began...
Race #1
The first Pro Heavy group and GT Light would take to the track as the first race of the night, totaling 13 drivers in all. Tony Hana of team Ballistic Smooth Hardcore (B.S.H.) would lead 5 drivers of the Pro division and 8 GT drivers into turn #1 to begin the Sykart Indoor Racing Series 2008 Winter Season. Tony enters this season as the defending Pro Heavy champ, and he displayed why he is again going to be the cat to beat this winter, winning from the pole with the fastest lap of the race. Tim McKinney (CFM-M.S.T.) was his closest competition, until a failed pass attempt in turn #3 parked him up against the wall, losing time but no positions, eventually finishing in second position. Rounding out the podium was Milan Diebel for CFM-Evil Fox, who had the most eventful run in the class, having to battle back from a broken kart on lap 15. After switching karts during the red flag, Milan made steady work towards the front, making his way back onto the podium to take home 6 championship points.
Before the GT Light drivers even took to the track, positions were already changing, as pole sitter Cale Lennard (Lennard Racing) would be relgated to the 6th starting position after missing the sign in deadline. This was also one of the craziest races of the night with the class leaders getting spun on two different occasions, eventually decided the ending result. At the start it would be past champion Adam Kellerman (CFM-Old Skool) leading the way from pole, with rookie Brian Cronk from team Young Guns following him into turn #1. Throughout the race Adam would show why he's a past champ, pulling away from the rest of the field, even putting many of them a lap down after pit stops were made. Just a few laps from the end however, Kellerman would be spun by lapped traffic, losing the lead and what looked to be the round #1 win. Inheriting the lead would be the rookie Brian Cronk, running a flawess race from the drop of the green. Then on the final lap of the race Cronk and fall season champ Joseph Criscione (Criscione Racing) would get together through the esses, parking Cronk up against the wall. This gave the lead back to Kellerman, which he held on to until the checkers, bringing home the win he thought he'd lost. Cronk would get going again to take second, while Cale Lennard capped a stellar comeback to finish out the podium.
Race #2
The second group of Pro Heavy drivers would take to the track in the second race of the night, teamed up with the 9 driver field of GT Senior. This race had it's own surprises, as the GT field started turning laps faster than their Pro division counterparts, making for some surprised 9hp drivers. Finding themselves as the ones being past, versus doing the passing seemed to help spread the Pro field out, and past champ Adam Griffith (Apex-Griffith Racing) was basically able to cuise to victory. Almost 15 seconds back from Adam was BSH-Winslow driver Scott Santiani, also cruising around while trying to let the GT's by. Capping of the podium was Blount Racing's Brian Blount, crossing the line just under 10 seconds back from Santiani.
While the Pro class was spaced out, GT Senior hosted one of the best battles of the night between the Crazy Flying Monkey's Eric Oyague, and BSH-"All-in"'s Lon S. Bromley. For all 50 laps these two drivers were either nose to tail or seperated by only a few kart lengths. Oyague led from pole with Bromley in tow for the first three laps, until Lon came in for his pit stop on lap 4, extending the battle into the realm of strategy. Oyague would pit the very next lap, and with a pit lap that was .6 seconds faster than Bromley's, held onto the lead with only a minor challenge. The rest of the race saw a fantastic battle that is sure to be a taste of what is to come in this class, with each driver trying to find an advantage. Every single time they would come up on traffic Lon would take a look, but with each driver's laps seperated by less than a tenth, he wasn't able to stick the move. When the checkers fell it was Oyague first, and Bromley second, the fast lap advantage going to the latter by .020 of a second. Grabbing the final spot of the podium, and the 3rd fastest lap was last season's 2nd place finisher Vladimir Fedotov, driving for team 12 Wheels.
Race #3
Race #3 would host part one of the biggest division in the SIRS, the Pro Light class, this time partnered up with the GT Sport class. Leading the way for the group was Qualifying Night pole sitter and defending champ Steve Pepka driving for team B.S.H., followed closely by fall season's 2nd place driver CFM's Rob Marssdorf, and former champ Adam Kellerman (CFM-Old Skool). The excitement kicked off right away with pit stategy, as Pepka would pit on lap two reliquishing the lead, and clean track to Marssdorf. Unfortunately it put him right in the mix with the GT karts, and when Rob made his stop on lap eight, Steve found himself right behind the CFM driver, and in second place. Kellerman had also pit early (lap 3), and sat behind Pepka looking for a way to the front. Steve would find his way around Marssdorf, and eventually pull away to take the win, but Rob would hold off his CFM stablemate for 2nd place and the fastest lap of the race. Although he looked a bit faster while hunting down Rob, Kellerman would have to settle for the 3rd spot, and 3rd fastest lap of the race.
GT Sport looked to be a three horse race, if only because of the experience gap between the drivers including champion Tony Hana (B.S.H.), podium contending Milan Diebel (CFM-Evil Fox), and former 'Highest Ranking Rookie' Joe Filipanko (BSH-Winslow) running around with three rookies. That said, those rookies will definitely get faster as the season progresses, and already showed improvement this round. It would indeed be the Hana show, running away from the rest of the GT Sport field, while clocking a fast lap two tenths quicker than his competition. Diebel finished second with 2nd fastest lap, trailed by Filipanko in third with a matching lap time bonus.
Race #4
The fourth and final race of the season opener would also be the host of some early-season controversy for some drivers, as mis-matched pit strategies created some tension between a couple of drivers. Leading the group to the green was second place qualifier and last season's 3rd place finisher, team CFM's Chris Jeppesen with long time rival Lon S. Bromley (BSH-"All-In") right on his tail. Strategy would be the name of the game in this race, with Jeppesen leading off as the first of the leaders to pit, bringing it in on lap number nine. Bromley would follow suit the very next lap, and with a little help from traffic, beat Chris into turn #2 to take the lead from pit strategy. This was akin to the position swap in the prior race where Marssdorf made it around Pepka via the pits, the question was if Jeppesen would be able to regain the lead like Pepka did. For the rest of the race Chris stayed all over the back bumper of Lon, slicing through traffic and staying in position for a chance at the top spot. The follow the leader came to an end when the duo came up on Lon's BSH-"All-In" teammate Jerry Hudson III, who was leading at the time, but had not made his pit stop yet. It took Lon a couple of tries on Jerry, but he would eventually get to his inside coming around turn #3, and when he had cleared all but the nose of his teammate's kart, Hudson would lift slightly to let him go. Jeppesen wasn't able to follow Lon through, and although noticeably faster than Hudson, couldn't find a way by him for the next several laps. This gave Lon a bit of a gap, clocking the fastest lap of the night with his new found clear track, a full two tenths faster than anyone else. Coming in third after one of the most spirited runs of the night was Dan Souder (CFM-M.S.T.), who driving with flu-like symptoms was able to work through traffic and come up from a 5th starting spot to round out the podium.
GT Heavy saw rookie pole sitter Dylan Hooker (Hooker Racing) lead the field into turn #1, followed by veterans Scott Santiani (BSH-Winslow), and Bob Segui (12 Wheels). As the race progressed, Santiani would capitalize on his experience advantage by eventually pulling out to a 12 plus second lead by the time the checkers fell. Segui would mirror that performance by securing the second position and the third fastest lap, barely a second over 3rd place driver Jason Edgy with team Speed Freaks. For his part, Jason had to dig himself out of a hole after missing Qualifying Night, resulting in a 7th place starting spot. Working his way to the front, he picked up the final step of the podium, and the second fastest lap for a total of 8 championship points.
---Mike Smith
Race Director
Sykart to provide pizza for practicing drivers (Fri, Feb 8th)
Management has just announced it will be providing pizza every monday night at 5:30pm, giving drivers coming in early to practice something to eat. For some this will give them a chance to get some practice time in, instead of having to try to squeeze a quick bite beforehand. This will last for the duration of the SIRS winter season.
Also, don't forget that round #1 is the deadline to take advantage of the pre-paying discount for the season. The discount basically gives drivers a week for free, covering the first 7 weeks a driver competes in. Drivers that take advantage of the discount will still need to pay for the Shootout Finale at the end of the season. However, if a driver misses a week in the regular season the pre-pay ammount will cover the finale, but there will be no refunds if they miss the finale.
The prepay discount is for members only, and is $180 for a single class, $300 for two. Again the deadline for the discount is during the round #1 signup.
New Forum added to website (Fri, Feb 8th)
In an effort to help bring the Sykart community a bit closer together, and enhance communication amongst the SIRS racers a new forum has been established here on the website. The link to the forum can be found under the 'Home' category from the menu on the left side of the page.
Check out the forum, and feel free to post your two cents. ---Mike Smith
Race Director
Nail biter Qualifying Night in the books... (Tues, Feb 5th) The interest in the Winter Season has continued to swell, now setting a record for total drivers, and for number of entries. Forty-five (45) drivers are currently on the sign up sheet, and once qualifying finished, the entry mark for round #1 was at fifty-three (53). It would have been higher too, but some classes have already reach there respective limits, including GT Senior and Pro Light. The immense ammount of entries will require the series to go to the 4-race per night format, with the schedules being kept to very strictly in order to get everyone home at a decent time.
For the first time in a year, the possibility of being 'bumped' from the class you wanted to run was a reality, and many drivers saw themselves simply trying to 'make the show'. In the end, no driver would be sent home, but some drivers had to make compromises to allow all drivers a spot in the lineup. Both Pro classes and the largest 6.5hp class, GT Senior, would take to the track first, followed later by GT Light, GT Sport and GT Heavy. First up I'll highlight the largest class, Pro Light:
Pro Light
With 17 drivers on the sign up, and only 14 spots available, this was one of the hotly contested classes to see whether or not you'd find a spot on the grid. With names like Bromley, Jeppesen, Kellerman, Pepka, Marssdorf, and Fletcher just to name a few, this may be the class stacked with the most experience, and was a nail biter for several drivers. The first driver to qualify would be the 5 time SIRS champion Lon Bromley, returning to the series after taking a season off this past Fall. His time of 30.969 would hold up until his BSH Racing stable mate, and return Pro Light Champion Steve Pepka knocked him off with a lap of 30.691. It would be enough for Pepka to secure the pole, with his fall season rivals Chris Jeppesen (30.760), and Rob Marssdorf (30.842) hot on his heels. The 11th driver out would be Kaupo Tammik, picking up right where he left off in the Fall, clocking a 30.991 which was enough to finish out the top 5. Towards the back of the grid was where the tension was, with a few seasoned drivers on the edge of thier seats. When the final driver crossed the line, veteran Jerry Hudson III found himself in the final transfer spot, with Dan Souder and Bob Stephens both just a few spots up. In the Bump zone were rookie Derrick Roeske, and Mitch Mlinar who both would find there SIRS Winter Season homes in the GT Senior class.
Pro Heavy
The second Pro class on track would see a constant battle for the pole, with each driver one-upping the driver who had just gone. It would bounce first from Brian Blount to Scott Santiani, then from Scott to former champ Adam Griffith before the returning Heavy Class champ would cement himself at the helm. With a lap of 31.122, Tony Hana started the winter out strong, earning the right to lead the field into the new season. Earning the 3rd spot behind Griffith was Greg Olsen, who had shown extremely well in his rookie season a few seasons back, followed by veteran Bob Segui reigning in the 4th spot. A new driver in this class to watch for will be the guy who finishes out the top five, and that's Milan Diebel. Milan narrowly missed 2nd in the GT Senior class last fall, and finish 4th in Pro Light class.
GT Senior
The third class on track in the first group was also the only other class the hosted the threat of getting bumped out of the field. In his first foray into the GT category, Lon Bromly looked to start his debut with a bang, and just missed the top spot. Clocking a strong 31.867, he held the pole position all the way until the 2nd to last driver, returning class champ Eric Oyague. Eric showed that he will still be the man to beat this winter, going a full tenth faster than Bromley, securing his second pole in as many attempts. GT Senior hotshoe, and fall season standout Vladimir Fedotov put together a solid time of 32.080, and although he was unhappy with the run, it was good enough for 3rd on the charts. Going out last was veteran Fernando Gaete, locking down the 4th starting spot with his 32.323, just in front of Kaupo Tammik's 32.369. At the rear of the field was the revolving door of 'who stays, who goes', all drivers pushing to make the 10 kart field. In the end, 3 drivers would find new homes in other classes including Milan Diebel and Joey Tanner, each choosing keep there starting spots in other classes. Lastly, kudos to Brent Palmer who moved over to GT Light, opening up a spot for a rookie to run in the class.
"I'm not going for points," Brent said, "I'm just here for fun. I don't even need a class."
Class act.
GT Light
Here is a class that hosted one of the closest championship battles from last season between James Bernard and Joseph Criscione. While Bernard was present (he would qualify 4th), defending champ Criscione was nowhere to be seen, even though he was slotted to defend his title this winter. Instead, grabbing up the pole was his fall season teammate Cale Lennard, who looked better than ever on track. Behind him was former Pro Light champion and fall season race winner Adam Kellerman, followed by rookie Brian Cronk who was also looking very strong on track. Look for this class to again bring some excellent racing come Monday Night, especially if we add Joseph trying to work his way to the front.
GT Sport
This class showed one of the two most impressive, if not surprising runs of the night. Qualifying in 4 different classes, Milan Diebel was unsure of what classes he wanted to run, and was also taking precautionary measures to make sure he didn't get bumped (he also qualified in GT Senior, Pro Light, and Pro Heavy). Going out second Milan put together a very solid second lap, clocking a 32.149, eventually earning him the pole over past champ Tony Hana by over 3 tenths. Also with a strong run was Joe Filipanko, taking third in his return to the series after about 2 years off. Behind Joe was a great group of rookies, four in all, and it's anyones guess who will find the upper hand in this class.
GT Heavy
The second impressive performance I eluded to before was by rookie Dylan Hooker here in the GT Heavy class, besting veteran Scott Santiani to the class pole by .036. Right behind Scott was Bob Segui, and if this looks familiar to some of you, it may be because Bob and Scott seemed to be inseperable on track last season. Is this a prelude to what we can expect this winter? As with GT Sport, GT Heavy also has several rookies in it, and it will be interesting to see which ones find a foot hold first in what is one of the most competitive classes in the SIRS. One of the biggest surprises in this class however was the absence of fall season sensation Jason Edgy. Earning the 'Highest Ranking Rookie' honors in the fall, Jason will certainly be one of the drivers to beat come round #1, and it will be fun to watch him working from the rear of the field.
The qualifying results have been posted, and you can view them by clicking here. Also, check back later in the week for a projected grid on round #1, which will include all the run groups and race times. This season has got all the makings of the biggest and best Sykart Indoor Racing Series season to date, and I can't wait to drop the green to get things started. See you Monday! ---Mike Smith
Race Director
JANUARY 2008
Classes meet new entry limit (Tues, Jan. 29th)
With the increase in popularity of the series, the class sizes are starting to swell. With a proposed amount of nearly 20 drivers on track at one time, efforts have been made to make it a more manageable group, somewhere in the middle-teens. To achieve this, the Pro class limits have been reduced from 16 to 14, and the GT classes from 12 to 10. This will make the absolute max per race set at 17, which will be much more manageable both for the Sykart staff, and for the drivers. Last night we had a bit of a look at what those big races might look like, when we had 13 6.5hp karts on track at once, and there was still open and clean laps to be had. In fact, many of the enduros this off season have had 12 drivers in them, and with a mixture of 9's and 6's, it went very smoothly.
The downside to the new smaller entry cap is that there is a good possibility that drivers may get bumped on Q Night, the first time that has happened in 2 years. The goal is to make sure that everyone gets a chance to race at least one time per night, so the first drivers that could be bumped are those running two classes. Every driver running two classes will be asked to declare thier primary class, had I will try not to bump them from that class, but there are no guarantees. If you're towards the back of the lineup after qualifying ends, you may find yourself bumped. Because of this, all drivers that think they may be towards the back of the grid are asked to qualify in multiple classes. This mainly applies to the Pro Light drivers, and/or GT Senior drivers that are borderline on moving to another GT weight class. A look into the '08 Winter Season... (Mon, Jan. 28th)
With Qualifying Night only about a week away (Feb. 4th), I thought it would be a good time to look at the immense driver lineup for this season, and showcase some of the guys to watch for. Of course many of the drivers have yet to claim thier class choice, but I've made my best guess as to what drivers are going to run, and the impact it may have on the class. Also, with both Pro Light and GT Senior looking to meet the cap mark, some drivers looking to run two classes may find themselves either bumped, or forced to run in a lighter GT class. Hopefully no single class drivers will be bumped, and wil be able to run in the proper class. Something of note however: the entry cap in the GT Senior class may be reduced from 12 to bring the total number of drivers in each race down. This will most likely be a decision made on Q. Night.
First up in what could almost be called the 'headlining' class, the Pro Light division is entering it's 9th season, and it is shaping up to be one of the toughest to date. After a fantastic championship battle last leason that saw sophomore driver Steve Pepka narrowly win over veterans Rob Marssdorf and Chris Jeppesen, the class will have an influx of even more talent this winter, which should only heighten the intensity. Former series champ Adam Kellerman, and race winner Kevin Fletcher will both return for the full season, both participating in only partial schedules last fall. Coming back for the first time since finishing 3rd in his rookie season in the Pro Heavy class is Bob Stephens, now making the move to the lighter pro class, but with no weight handicap. Then there is a host of drivers who have really come on strong as of late, including Shootout Finale drivers from the fall Milan Diebel and Dan Souder, plus fall season standout Tim McKinney who're all looking to impress in '08. One kid to keep an eye on is series rookie Joey Tanner who has just recently qualified for the 9hp karts, but has shown very strong in the monday night enduros of late.
Pro Heavy will be a fun class to watch this season as champions Adam Griffith and Tony Hana will lead a group of drivers who hav e grown faster and faster with every season. Bob Segui, Scott Santiani, Greg Olsen, and Brian Blount have each found success in prior seasons, and it will certainly be a spirited fight for not only the podium, but to make the shootout itself. And while the focus may be on the champs at the start of the season, all six drivers have the ability to grab wins, and with the invert coming back it's anyone's guess how it'll go.
Currently GT Light is looking a bit thin with only defending champ Joseph Criscione, and his teammate Cale Lennard on the sign up, but it was the same way going into the fall, and it grew throughout the season. The biggest notable not on the list is the fall season title contender and eventual runner-up James Bernard, who would certainly be a contender again this season if he were to run. Instead it looks that he will concentrate on his Pro Light program, looking to improve upon last season's campaign where he finished just outside the top 10 overall in 11th place. Another possible entry into the GT Light class, and one that would certainly make life interesting for the defending champ is former Pro Light champion Adam Kellerman. Adam run in a couple of GT Light races last season, and was the only one other than the two title contenders to score a win.
The second largest division, and argueably the toughest of the "slower" classes is GT Senior, and as with Pro Light is looking to fill this season. Defending champ Eric Oyague will have the target painted on his back, and setting his sights squarely on that target will be sophomore driver Vladimir Fedotov. In the fall, Vlad grew faster and faster with his efforts culminating in a spirited battle with Oyague for the Shootout Finale win, eventually finishing second, but with fastest lap. If this is any indication to what this season will hold, then this will certainly be one of the funnest classes to watch. Milan Diebel will look to bounce back this season, after seeing his chances at 2nd place overall slip through his fingers during the Shootout Finale, instead finishing 5th. Fernando Gaete will also look to build on his consistent fall season, as the only driver to best Oyague in lap time during the regular season, earning 3rd place overall. One of the biggest surprises last fall was the performance out of Kaupo Tammik in the final to regular season races, scoring back to back second place finishes with second fastest lap as well. These strong runs propelled him out of the cellar and into the Shootout Finale, and he should again be a threat for the top 5 or more this season.
Last Season the GT Sport class started with two drivers, but by round #3 the entry list found itself empty. This winter however, at least 5 drivers are confirmed in the class, and although most are rookies one driver is making his return to the SIRS. Joe Filipanko will be returning to competition after a two plus year hiatus, looking to get back to his "highest ranking rookie" form and challenge for the GT Sport title. As was previously stated, most of the drivers in this class are newcomers, and we may see our first rookie champion out of this class. Should be fun to watch.
As with the Gt Light class, the Gt Heavy class is a bit on the low end in terms of driver turn out, but it will surely be tight racing all season long. Driver to watch in this class will certainly be the highest ranking rookie from last season Jason Edgy, who won 3 times and finished 2nd 3 times, narrowly missing the title in his first attempt. Joining him in the class will be veterans Bob Segui and Scott Santiani for sure, with a few other unconfirmed drivers who may join them. Even if it is just these three in the class, it will be a down to the wire fight where the title could go to any of them.
One of the hardest things to predict is the Team Championship, especially since not a single team has been confimed at this point, although the deadline isn't until the first round. In fact last fall many teams waited to confirm thier 3rd drivers until after qualifying, looking to pick up either a higher qualified driver, or perhaps some valuable bonus points. Of the top three teams from last season, champions "BSH A-Team" look to be unchanged, although neither Steve Pepka or Tony Hana have confirmed this fact. Either way, this guys will certainly have the target on their backs. 2nd place team from last fall "BSH-Winslow" has gone through some changes, as Eric Oyague has left the team, rumored to possibly be heading over to the "Crazy Flying Monkeys" (CFM) camp. If BSH-Winslow returns this winter it will have some big shoes to fill, as Oyague was a big part of the team. CFM's possible acquistion of Oyague's services would be huge for the team, as he was a big part of BSH-Winslow's 2nd place last fall. It is also rumored that CFM could be expanding to a two or three team stable, with a talk of several big names being recruited into the team here in the offseason. While each team earns it's own points, having that many drivers working together certainly can't hurt. With names like Jeppesen, Marssdorf, Fletcher, Oyague, and Kellerman rumored to be slotted into CFM, it could very well be a CFM team that shows as the favorite for the title. As many of the smaller teams are getting absorbed into the CFM camp (allegedly), there will certainly be a fewer number of teams out there, but it could be one of those 'privateer' teams that pulls out the upset.
---Mike Smith
Race Director
Pre-Registration closes with 31 entries; 9 rookies (Sat, Jan. 12th)
With a month to go before the first round of the SIRS Winter Championship, pre registration has come and gone, closing with a record number of entries. With 31 drivers signing up early, it more than doubles the pre-reg amount from the 2007 Fall season, showing the increased popularity of the new SIRS endurance format. Many of the usual suspects can be seen on the list, inlcuding names like Marssdorf, Jeppesen, Oyague, and Pepka, but there are also 9 rookies entering the mix this winter. On top of that there are a few drivers who are coming back from hiatus, like Adam Griffith, and Joe Filipanko.
In what could be the biggest entry list since the '06 winter season, each of the 6 classes see drivers entered in them, and with plenty of time still before the start of the season, more are sure to come. Not all drivers have selected what class they are going to run this season, but right now it looks like both Pro Light and GT Senior are very close to the cap point, raising the question of having drivers 'bumped' from the entry list on Qualifying Night.
Also up in the air are the teams for the new season, with an influx of new talent and many drivers returning from the endurance format's inaugural season. While many teams found success and showed strong last season, it is presumed that not all the teams will try and carry this momentum into the new year. Instead, new teams, or new additions to existing teams may show before the first round, especially if this can gain a team valuable points from Q Night. In fact, this was the strategy of many teams this past fall, choosing teams post-qualifying in an effort to secure bonus points gained from thier results.
For a full entry list, click here.
Click HERE for the 2007 news archive.