Formula 100 Karting Series Round 4; Orange County Grand Prix 2012

The 2^nd Annual Orange County Grand Prix hosted Formula 100 Karting Series Round 4 on September 15^th, 2012. Once again F100 drivers showed up in force and put on a great show for the many spectators attending the event. Although located near the beach, the Orange County Fairgrounds experienced weather that was much warmer than expected. Combined with the tight and technical track, this made for a challenging weekend for many racers, and provided some great action on the track. As the sole group of karts at the event, the Formula 100 Karting Series would provide all the 4 wheel action that fans could want.

The F100 Novice class had a great turnout, with past winners Gregorio Urueta and Jeremy Specht in the field along with newcomers Steven Hastings, Mike Heron and Jeff Fritch. Tom Denker, who has raced very well throughout the season, proved his racing might on the temporary course as he ran away with the victory in the main, his first victory of the season. Denker looked strong throughout taking the top spot in qualifying as well. With laptimes verging on the Intermediate class level, Denker is quickly becoming a formidable driver, and his performance at the OCGP was very impressive. Urueta, who has won 2 prior races, had some trouble in the heat and made contact with one of the hay bails placed around the track. He was not able to start the main, but he will be back for round 5 and as always will be a force to be reckoned with. Newcomer Steven Hastings impressed everyone. In his first race ever he ran lap times near Denkers and took home the 2^nd position. Hastings looked smooth and fast on the track, maneuvering his Top Kart with the proficiency of a much more seasoned racer. Hastings addition to the class makes for even tougher competition moving forward. In 3^rd place, and putting up a great fight for 2^nd, was Daniel Young. Young kissed a barrier earlier in the day but was able to get his kart back on the track for the main. He pressured Hastings for the entire race, and the battle between the two provided the spectators with a great deal of excitement. Young raced hard and clean in his first race since the opening round, and he will continue to challenge for podium positions and overall wins as the season progresses. Jeremy Specht, winner from round #3, put in another strong performance on the temporary OCGP course. Specht hit his marks all day as he brought home another strong 4^th place finish. With each race Specht continues to progress and having tasted victory already, he looks to stand atop the podium again at round 5. Newcomer Jeff Fritch took home a solid 5^th place at his first race of the 2012 season. After several years away from a kart Fritch looked strong and like he belonged in the drivers seat. His laptimes improved throughout the day, indicating an increased comfort level as he spent more time getting acquainted with his kart. With more seat time Fritch will be a threat for a podium finish. Mike Heron, in his first race of the year, ran the 2^nd fastest lap time of the day in the Novice class and looked strong. Heron, in his beautiful Birel number 42, got the kart dialed in the for the main and looked to be making a charge towards the front of the field to challenge the leaders. Unfortunately an accident with Rich Johnson thwarted Heron’s plans, but with a strong showing at round 4, Heron will be poised to make a run at the podium at round 5. Rich Johnson also brought a beautiful Birel with him to the race. The number 00 kart of Johnson wore the colors of Full Throttle Karting and with Johnson in the drivers seat the kart looked poised to challenge all comers. Johnson had a rough day on track, making contact a few times, but each time he was able to fix the kart and get on track for next event. Unfortunately his day would end in the accident with Heron, but Johnson will be back for round 5 and will look for another strong showing. Gabe Perreira arrived to the race a little late due to prior commitments, but was able to learn the track quickly. His laptimes were steadily decreasing and Perreira looked excited to challenge during the main event. Unfortunately trouble befell the number 95 machine early on and he was forced to retire, but Perreira will race again and with the steady improvements he has already made this season, Perreira is one to watch as the year goes on.

The Intermediate class featured several familiar faces and some newcomers as well. Series stalwarts Ivan Urueta, Timmy Fritch, Kyle Gash, John Shepherd, Adrian Yong and Steve Muehler all showed up to do battle at round 4. Newcomer James Hayner joined them. Once again the day belonged to Ivan Urueta. Urueta took the pole, and after a crash in the heat, would move through the field to take the victory, running a sub 40 second lap time in the process, the fastest overall lap of the day. Urueta’s result would increase his points lead over JTC Motorsports drivers Fritch and Gash. Fritch and Gash would look to keep pace. Unfortunately round 4 proved difficult for both drivers. Gash was feeling a little under the weather, while mechanical troubles kept Fritch from taking the green flag in the main. Both drivers will be hungry to get on track at round 5. Adrian Yong had a strong day of racing. Yong led the field to the green in the main after a strong heat race. After some difficulty at round 1, Yong has proven himself to be a very competitive, fast and consistent driver, and with yet another strong finish at round 4, Yong continues to climb in the points standings. Newcomer James Hayner, racing under the Birel tent, put in a strong showing as well. In his first race in many years, Hayner took the final podium spot, finishing just behind Yong. Hayner will be one to watch as the season progresses as he will look for continued improvement that hopefully will see him atop the podium very soon. Steve Muehler had another solid day at the track. Muehler had some troubles in the main, but he has consistently raced very well, and continues his steady improvement. Quietly, Muehler has become a very fast and capable racer, and he will continue to challenge for victories as the season continues. He is certainly one to watch for at each race he competes in. With little drama or fuss, Muehler puts in consistent top-notch performances each time he hits the track, and at round 5 he will look to continue his excellent season. John Shepherd also had a solid day at the track, but unfortunately ran into trouble in the main as well. Early on it looked as though Shepherd had a shot at the podium. His kart was dialed in all day, but unfortunately tightened up during the main event causing a bit of an issue. Shepherd will look to pilot his Tony Kart to another solid performance at round 5.

Advanced class racing was hotly contested as usual. Tom Ricketts put down the fast time in qualifying, but the rest of the field was nipping at his heels with times all within a few tenths. The main proved to be one of the best races of the season. All of the advanced drivers were grouped into a very tight pack for most of the race. Jean Michel Crettaz would lead for most of the race, followed closely by Tom Ricketts. Stu Hayner, Kalvin Chen, Sebastian Bacon and Jason Bunch were all right there should the front two have faultered. But Crettaz raced tough, holding a tight line, which made passing on the narrow track even more difficult. Hayner would get by Ricketts with only a few laps left, leading to an exciting final lap. Coming into turn 1 Bacon was able to get a run on Chen, and stuck his nose underneath the Swiss Hutless driver to take away 4^th position. Chen held his ground and was able to get back underneath Bacon going through turn 3 and into 4. Bacon would dive in, potentially a little late, with a bold move going into turn 4, but once again Chen held his ground. The 2 would once again race to the next corner neck and neck. They would come up quickly on Ricketts heading into turn 5. Chen stuck his nose under Ricketts, barely avoiding the hay bails, while Bacon maneuvered to the outside. Slight contact was made and Ricketts bumped into Bacon. All 3 would continue on, racing closely through the final corners but Chen’s move would hold and he would take home the final podium spot. Ricketts had an excellent weekend of racing, but it was not his day to be on the podium. Hayner also had a strong showing, crossing the line with his 2^nd podium finish of the year. After starting in 4^th, Hayner moved up 2 positions to claim the hard charger award. It was Crettaz that was the star of the day though, taking his first victory of the season. Crettaz raced a strong race, putting down fast lap after fast lap. With the field as tight as it was for the entirety of the 16 lap race, it was imperative that drivers not make mistakes in order to hold their positions. Crettaz certainly put in an excellent drive making very few mistakes and is a deserving victor. Jason Bunch, a newcomer to the series, had a tough day, eventually culminating in a blown motor in the main. Bunch is a very fast and competitive racer and he will look to challenge for the overall win at round #5. Yet again the Advanced class proves the competitiveness of the Formula 100 Karting Series.

The racing that 100cc engines provide is truly excellent. The OCGP 2012 provided excitement for fans and racers alike. Moving into the next round, The Formula 100 Karting Series points chase is heating up, with close battles in both the Intermediate and Advanced classes. The date and location for round 5 is tentatively set for October 28^th at Willow Springs Kart Track in Rosamond, CA. A final announcement will be made shortly. Be sure to check F100karters.com for more information on upcoming events and for all the latest news and information on the Formula 100 Karting Series.

Crazy Weather for Formula 100 Karting Series Race #3

The Formula 100 Karting Series held round 3 of their 2012 season on August 11^th at Apex in Perris, CA. The threat of brutal heat kept a few racers away but a strong contingent of determined drivers showed up to do battle. Scheduled as a night race, most drivers arrived around noon. Just as most of the racers were unloading their things the weather took an unexpected turn and the skies opened, hurling down raindrops onto unprepared drivers and their gear. The rain lasted for several hours. Once it had passed, prep work began for the racing that was to come.

Thanks to some excellent work by the staff at Apex and PAK the track was cleared of standing water and readied for battle. The Formula 100 Karting Series fielded a strong turnout in 2 classes, Novice and Intermediate. Unfortunately, due to the conditions, the Advanced class drivers decided to cancel their race.

The Novice and Intermediate classes took to the track together in what would be the largest senior class of the day. As usual the Formula 100 Karting Series delivered close and competitive racing and provided the rain soaked crowd with some excitement.

In the intermediate group local driver, Kyle Gash, dominated the day. Gash took the pole and the heat victory with 2 strong showings. Even though the rain was heavy, the track was never wet enough to warrant treaded tires or rain setups. As the track dried Gash seemed to get stronger and stronger and it was evident that his knowledge of his home track was paying dividends. Behind him was a raging battle between Kalvin Chen and hard charging Ivan Urueta, who recently scored a victory at round 2. Urueta and Chen would battle throughout the day. In the heat Urueta chased Chen for the entire race. Chen made a few mistakes but each time held off the passing attempts by Urueta giving Chen the 2^nd place finish and outside pole for the start of the main. Steve Muehler had a strong showing in the heat as well, as he was firmly planted on the bumper of Urueta for most of the race. Further back was David Schall who was not his normal self at Apex. He soldiered on and collected his points for the day but something was obviously not right in the Schall camp. Timmy Fritch, the round 1 winner, had engine troubles and was not able to take the green flag with the rest of the group for the heat, although he would make a brief appearance on track before retiring from the heat for good.

Great racing continued in the main. Kyle Gash led the field down to the green and with a strong bump from Urueta who was gridded right behind him Gash took the whole shot. Urueta’s jump gave him P2 going into turn 1 with Chen falling back to 3^rd. The racers would stay close throughout the race, with Urueta harassing Gash and Chen chasing Urueta. It was not until the last lap, heading into the tight infield hairpin that there would be a lead change. Gash came around the high speed right hander and drove right to set up his braking zone for the hairpin. Urueta stayed inside and beat him to the corner. Urueta would park the kart in the corner causing Gash and Chen to pile up momentarily. The pass was epic, and the fans went wild. A drag race ensued and Urueta was the first to the sweeper leading onto the back straight. Gash had led the whole race, fighting off Urueta at every turn, but on the last lap Urueta got the position with a bold move to the inside and some nice late braking. Gash would maintain 2nd position with Chen coming home in 3^rd. Urueta would lead the field down the back straight and finally to the checkered flag besting the field by almost .5 seconds. This marks the 2^nd victory of the season for Urueta who has put in strong efforts at each race this season. Urueta is currently leading the points standing in the Intermediate class a result of his strong racing.

Further back, Timmy Fritch was busy tearing his way through the field. He would eventually land in 4^th position after having passed Muehler and although his laps were on par with the leaders, his starting position had put him too far back to mount a serious charge. Fritch would get the hard charger award on the day and with that and his 4^th place finish, he maintains 2^nd position in the point’s standings heading into round 4.

Muehler, who raced beautifully in the heat, would finish in 5^th, another strong showing. Had it not been for him overcooking the hairpin in the infield, Muehler may have challenged the lead pack for a higher position. Nonetheless a strong result for Muehler, and he is certainly one to watch for heading into round 4.

As previously mentioned, David Schall did not seem like his normal "Superfast" self and he would come in with a sixth place finish. Even though his results were not strong at round 3, David is a threat to win anytime he sits in his yellow CRG and he will be on the prowl at round 4.

The Novice class featured 2 racers, Jeremy Specht and Ronald Yu. It was Ronald’s first race of the season, and he looked strong. Unfortunately for Yu, he would have trouble in the main and would retire early in the race. Specht raced strong all day. His lap times and race savvy have improved greatly throughout the season and he was able to take home his first victory of the year. The pace at which Jeremy drives and the amount that he pushes himself on the track have noticeably increased, and he has the lap times to prove it. Both Specht and Yu will be serious contenders for Gregorio Urueta, Tom Denker and Dave Mabry at round 4.

Another great event for the Formula 100 Karting Series is in the books and the series is looking forward to its next race on September 15^th, 2012 at the Orange County Grand Prix. A very large turnout is expected and thousands of fans will be present as the Formula 100 Karting Series will take to the track for its first street race of the season. For more information on the Formula 100 Karting Series visit their website, F100karters.com, or email them, formula100kartingseries@gmail.com.

Formula 100 Karting Series Onboard Video

Here's an onboard video from the July 21st Formula 100 Karting Series race. Enjoy!

From Australia its the F100 Nationals

Here's a video from down under. Its the Formula 100 Nationals! In Australia F100 utilizes either reed (ICA) or rotary (Formula A) engines. These karts fly. Check out the video:

100cc Karting Revolution

There's a revolution building momentum across the country. Yesterday's trash is now today's engine of choice. In an attempt to fight against ballooning costs and increased fragmentation across the sport, karters, clubs and series all over the country have turned to the abundant, reliable and cost effective 100cc kart engines to power their racing machines.

There are many examples of this phenomena. The first is from a series that receives a great deal of coverage on this blog, The Formula 100 Karting Series (f100karters.com). The Formula 100 Karting Series combines the KT-100 and KPV/HPV in all classes and divides drivers based on experience and lap times, creating some great and affordable racing. F100 also allows the use of many other 100cc piston port engines, including the TKM BT82, ARC 100cc, PRD RK100 and many more. But F100 is not the only series to try this concept, and with the support and turnout that F100 has received thus far, they will not be the last.

The Midwest Karting Association in Wisconsin (mkaracing.com) runs a combined KPV/HPV and KT-100 class that they call Piston Port Senior. They also have a similar class for Junior drivers as well.

In Ohio the MidState Ohio Kart Club (msokc.org) runs the KT-100 and KPV/HPV together as well in a class they call Spec 100 pipe.

PKRA, NRKA and Michigan Kart Club have all had similar classes in their class structure as well.

And the revolution is not limited to just the trusted KT-100 and the reliable KPV/HPV engine packages.

At SEKA in Tennessee (sekaracing.com), senior drivers are opting for Junior ICA engines and running them against expensive and powerful TAG motors in the TAG Senior class. The piston port JICA engines are said to be as quick as the TAG engines when given a weight break. The drivers of the JICA engines enjoy the simplicity of the air cooled JICA package and with less overall cost involved in the JICA and similar reliability (when the rpm's are kept down) the JICA drivers have only gained from the switch.

In New Jersey there is discussion of a clubman class utilizing ICA engines, which are powerhouse direct drive 100cc engines. (http://www.ekartingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=116177)

In Europe and Australia the ICA engines are being utilized as well. In the UK there was a movement to bring back the ICA/FA engines (properkarting.com) and in Australia the 100cc karts never died and are still going strong to this day.

100cc engines are coming back. Racers desire the simplicity, purity, reliability and thrill of a 100cc kart! Hop on board! Find a club or a series near you running one of these great classes, grab a 100cc engine and go racing!

Old school 2 cycle footage- Wheel to Wheel

This was posted on ekartingnews. It’s a really cool video and it might be of interest to the readers of this blog, so it's being posted here as well. There's a thread on ekartingnews about the video (link below), and some are reminiscing about how awesome, simple and fun the 100cc air cooled engine package is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crz7X8W5SS4&feature=related

Ekartingnews thread:

http://www.ekartingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=116156

ICA 100cc direct drive versus ICC 125cc shifter

Information about ICA engines has been posted on this blog before. Here’s another post just to show how fast and powerful a 100cc engine can be. This is an onboard video of an ICA kart versus an ICC kart. An ICA kart is a 100cc engine, direct drive kart, with sticky tires at a low weight (335 lbs in the US). ICC karts are 42 horsepower shifter karts. Michael Schumacher drove an ICC powered kart at the Supernationals a few years back. ICC karts are a little bit quicker than the normal shifter kart you see at the track here in the US. They have about 8 more horsepower than a stock moto shifter kart. There is no way to tell if either driver is at spec weight, how their tires are or who is even driving well, but it is easy to gather from the video that an ICA powered 100cc kart is an absolute monster. Very interesting video. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyqcRMZZ9M8

A Strong Turnout for Formula 100 Karting Series Race #2

            The second race of The Formula 100 Karting Series 2012 season was held on July 21^st at Calspeed in Fontana in conjunction with Tri-C Karters. With many of the usual Rotax racers and crew in Utah for SKUSA Summernats, the day felt like a step back in time as most of the racers had 100cc powered karts. There were six classes of 100cc karts on the day, three of which belonged to the Formula 100 Karting Series.

The most hotly contested of the Formula 100 classes was the 100cc Senior Intermediate where ten racers showed up for a shot at victory. Kyle Gash put down the fastest lap in qualifying running a 55.627, almost a tenth faster than second place qualifier Timmy Fritch. Steve Muehler, Ivan Urueta, John Shepherd and David Schall were all nipping at Fritch’s heels with qualifying times all within three tenths of the pole.

In the first heat Muehler raced strong and got the victory over Urueta, Gash, Shepherd, Schall and Yong. Timmy Fritch ran into a bit of trouble but kept the kart on track. He was able to finish the race, but well back of the rest of the field. The top four in the first heat were separated by about a second.

Heat two proved to be as exciting as the first. The first turn coming up the hill showed the risk inherent in tight racing situations. Steve Muehler and John Shepherd went into turn two side by side. Muehler’s kart slid out a little bit in the front causing contact between he and Shepherd. Before he knew it, John Shepherd was flying backwards across the field as they head for the tight right hander at the top of the hill right in front of the pits. Only one racer was unfortunate enough to make contact. David Schall took quite a hit that broke his sidepod off and almost flipped his kart over. Luckily for Schall, the kart stayed right side up, but the damage would end his day and a bid for the win. After a strong showing two races ago at Apex, Schall has had trouble in the first two points of the races of the year, but with continued effort and a little more luck he will be back in the hunt. Shepherd’s race also ended at that point but there was minimal damage to his kart and he would race again. The race had one other incident between Gash and Muehler, as they got into it right before the tight left hand hairpin. The crash would end their heat race but not their day. Back at the front Ivan Urueta was harassing 100cc Senior Advanced driver Kalvin Chen for the overall lead. Urueta ran the fastest lap of the race at a 55.835. Chen crossed the line first but the battle for the overall win had only just begun. Adrian Yong was able to finish strong with a second place. After some incidents in the last few races, Yong was able to keep his nose clean and attain a strong result in all races. Timmy Fritch would finish in fourth. Alex Bacon, who at the last Grange race ran the fastest 100cc Intermediate lap time, had a catastrophic engine failure that knocked him out for the day during heat two. He would finish in fifth during the heat, but his day was done.

The main saw eight racers take the green flag in Intermediate. There was action all over the field but the most intriguing battle was at the front where Ivan Urueta and Kalvin Chen continued their fight from the second heat for the overall lead. Urueta would get passed Chen early. Chen would give chase, but the two would never swap positions again, with Urueta taking the checkered by a healthy one second margin for his first victory of the year. Urueta would run the fastest lap of the race at a 55.246. Timmy Fritch put in another strong performance after his win at Grange finishing in second to keep him at the top of the points standings after two races. Adrian Yong put his speed to use as he raced strong and came away with a third place. John Shepherd, who also ran in World Formula with Tri-C, put in another strong showing as he finished in fourth. Kyle Gash, the pole sitter, had the speed early on in the day but was not able to maintain his advantage over the rest of the field. He put in the second fastest lap of the main at a 55.310, but he was not able to parlay his fast lap times into a podium result. Gash finished the day strong though in the fiercely competitive Intermediate class and grabbed a fifth place finish. Heat one winner, Steve Muehler finished sixth, a few seconds behind Gash. The racing was fast and furious in 100c Senior Intermediate. With a little more luck any of the racers could have taken home the victory but this was Urueta’s day, as he captured his first win of the young season.

100cc Senior Novice provided some great racing action as well. Gregorio Urueta proved to be too much for Tom Denker, Jeremy Specht and Rich Johnson as he captured win number two on the season. Specht, who was recovering from sickness, put in a valiant effort on the day and is one to watch for as the season progresses. Tom Denker looked solid early in the day, as he laid down the fastest qualifying time. In both heats and the main Denker raced hard and was consistently fast. Denker would qualify on pole but Gregorio Urueta would prove too much as he continued to get faster as the day progressed. Denker and Urueta would be close all day and the battle between the two of them provided for some great entertainment. Both drivers are looking very good on track, racing clean and consistent. Rich Johnson, in his first race with his new Yamaha KT-100, proved he had the guts to go fast, crashing through a barrier during qualifying. Once he gets his kart dialed in he will be another racer to watch for as the season continues.

100cc Senior Advanced was run with the Tri-C class 100cc Senior. The class featured a strong showing of fast and experienced racers and proved to be an exciting class to watch throughout the day. Joe Grable, Greg Perhacs, Nathan Thibodeaux, Chris Smith, Mike Pringle, Tyler Coffman, Sebastian Bacon and Kalvin Chen locked horns in each event of the day. P1 on the grid went to Joe Grable with a 54.171. Thibodeaux took heat one over Perhacs and Chen. Heat two was probably the most exciting race of the day with Grable coming from the back to take second position. Bacon would follow Grable through the field but was not able to make it as far forward. Perhacs and Bacon would cross the finish line neck and neck with Perhacs taking the position narrowly. Chris Smith would cross the line in first during heat two, with Grable close behind. Right behind Grable and in front of Perhacs was Thibodeaux who would finish in third. In the main Smith led the field down to the green. The field went hard into turn one, with Perhacs and Thibodeaux coming into turn one side by side. Thibodeaux hit the curb and slid out into Perhacs who would be forced into the wall. Perhacs was able to continue but, due to damage, would not be able to put up a strong challenge for position. Grable would get around Smith and would take off from the field. Thibodeaux would also pass Smith and would secure second position. Bacon was hot on Smith for several laps eventually getting past. He set off in pursuit of Thibodeaux but would not be able to make serious inroads. Chen and Smith would battle for several laps with Chen eventually getting around Smith as well, and although Chen had the speed to challenge for higher positions, his battle with Smith had lasted for several laps and he would run out of time. Chen would finish in fourth but would run the second fastest lap time of the race with a 54.971. Behind Chen were Smith, Pringle and Perhacs. Grable ran away with the main event, running the fast lap at 54.746.

The Formula 100 Karting Series hopes to see all of these racers at their next race on August 11^th at Apex in Perris, CA. Advanced class points will not be calculated until after the August 11^th race. Racers that competed on July 21st and compete and pay $45 for an F100 membership at the August 11^th race at Apex, will receive points for their finishing positions in both races. Kalvin Chen and Sebastian Bacon, both of whom are already F100 members, will receive points for the July 21^st race but these points will only be calculated after the August 11^th race. Those that do not show up to the August 11^th race who raced in the July 21^st race will forfeit their position and the closest F100 member that finished behind them will take their position and their points.

The racing at round two of the Formula 100 Karting Series was excellent. Round three should be more of the same. For more information on the Formula 100 Karting Series check out their website, F100karters.com, and if you have any questions send them an email, formula100kartingseries@gmail.com.

Formula 100 Karting Series Race #1- A Huge Success

The first points race of the season for the Formula 100 Karting Series took place on June 30^th at Grange Motor Circuit and it was a huge success. A strong contingent of racers took to the track in all three of the Formula 100 Karting Series classes. All classes at the Formula 100 Karting Series combine the Yamaha KT-100 and the HPV/KPV piston port 100cc engines. Walking through the paddock it was great to see these sturdy, reliable and uncomplicated engines everywhere the eye wandered. Although these engines are almost forgotten on the west coast, the sound of a rolling 100cc start is like nothing else in karting and is truly an aural pleasure, one that must be experienced by any karting enthusiast.

The racing was fierce throughout the day. With open practice all morning and racing beginning at 1 pm, drivers had ample time to prepare their karts for the days festivities. A pea pick system was used for qualifying. In a pea pick a random starting grid is generated for the first race. That random grid is then inverted to create the grid for the second heat race. To determine the grid for the feature race, the average finishing position of each driver is calculated and the driver with the best (i.e. lowest numerical) average finishing position wins the pole. Many clubs and organizations have gone away from pea pick because of safety concerns due to speed differences between racers in the same class. But because the Formula 100 Karting Series places drivers into classes by driving skill and lap time, these safety issues are not as big of a concern. Using a pea pick qualifying system makes for some great racing, as no matter how fast you are you will have to pass someone in order to get the pole.

True to its billing the pea pick system did offer some great racing action. All three classes were hotly contested. All day it felt that any driver could win their respective class. The racing was truly incredible. This point needs no further proof than the 100cc Senior Advanced Feature Race results. Stu Hayner got a good start and led the entire race. Behind Hayner the battle for second place was brewing hot and heavy as Jean Michel Crettaz, Sebastian Bacon, Tom Ricketts and Kyle Hayner all swapped positions multiple times throughout the race battling for a podium position. With a few laps left Kyle Hayner attempted a pass on Stu Hayner. The attempt was aborted before it really began, but the move caused Kyle Hayner to lose momentum and Sebastian Bacon passed him for p2 on the track. Bacon was able to track down Stu Hayner and on the final turn he made a move to the inside coming up the hill. The two crossed the finish line side by side, a true photo finish. The computers were consulted and it was found that both racers had finished the race in a time of 14:11.710. The two racers were tied crossing the line to three decimal places. It was only the fourth decimal place that broke the tie with Bacon coming out on top. Grange Motor Circuit owner Jim Granger stated that he had never seen a photo finish as close as the one between Bacon and Hayner in all the years that he has been running the track. This result is a testament to the closeness and competitiveness of the Formula 100 Karting Series. Bacon actually ran the slowest fastest lap out of any racer in 100cc Senior Advanced, but because racing is different than time attack Bacon was able to take the victory.

The racing in 100cc Intermediate and 100cc Novice was thrilling as well. In the Novice Feature Race, Tom Denker and Gregorio Urueta battled for much of the race. Denker looked to have the speed for most of the day, but Urueta never backed down and his persistence eventually paid off with a bold maneuver around the outside of Denker coming out of turn one and going down the hill into turn two. The fans went crazy for this move and rightly so, Urueta showed no fear in his attack and his boldness was rewarded. Denker would give chase but would succumb to a stalled engine as he locked his brakes in turn one, ending his day prematurely. Urueta would lead the rest of the way with newcomer Jeremy Specht putting in a strong showing finishing in p2. Specht almost caught Urueta towards the end of the race and finished only a few kart lengths back. Specht also posted the fastest lap of the race at a 1:03.324. Rounding out the podium was David Mabry who, after an early race spin, gathered himself and put in a strong showing finishing just behind the top two finishers.

100cc Intermediate was the largest class of the day and one of the most hotly contested as well. All drivers in the class ran lap times within .5 seconds of each other making the field very close. Because of this closeness there were a few on track racing incidents, which are to be expected, but each time the racers involved in the incidents gathered themselves and continued on with their day. The heat races were close all day, with the pea pick proving its worth, as passing became the rule not the exception. The start of the Feature Race was very good, particularly for Alex Bacon who was able to jump two positions and come out of turn one in 3^rd. Turn two would prove troublesome as Adrian Yong made a bold move up the inside of several karts but tried to push it a little too far and locked up the brakes sending him sliding backwards into Alex Bacon. David Schall, who put in a strong performance all day, was also affected by the wreck but was able to continue, although because of the incident he stayed well behind the rest of the field for the duration of the race. Even after the incident Yong and Bacon were all smiles as they discussed what had occurred. An apology and a pat on the back resolved the situation. It was a shame the two racers were not able to continue, as they both were showing strong throughout the day, and just like everyone in the class, had a strong shot at contending for the victory. Back at the front Timmy Fritch proved to be too much for John Shepherd and Steve Muehler, as he posted the fastest race lap and took the victory in a strong showing. Fritch drove clean and fast all day and he gapped the field in the Feature Race flexing his karting muscles and taking the victory in the first point’s race of the season. John Shepherd had a great drive holding p2 for most of the race and finishing with a strong second place showing. Steve Muehler and Kyle Gash had a great battle for third place, swapping positions several times. Eventually Muehler would take third and hold it, crossing the line a mere .6 before Gash would. Ivan Urueta posted great lap times and raced well all day but was forced to retire due to what turned out to be a magical disappearing chain. Very unfortunate for Ivan but he will be back, and he will contend for many more victories this season. David Schall posted solid lap times but the early race crash made it an almost impossible task for him to catch up and contend. It was a tough day for Schall, but like Urueta, he will be back and he will contend for many victories this season. All of the drivers in 100cc Intermediate had a shot at the podium and this trend will continue throughout the season. The racing on the track was exciting and the fans watching were on the edge of their seats, jumping up and down during the Intermediate race. For anyone who enjoys close, action packed racing, 100cc Intermediate is a must watch.

The first round of the Formula 100 Karting Series was a huge success. A strong turnout coupled with amazing racing and countless smiles made the sunny Saturday afternoon massively enjoyable for all involved. The Formula 100 Karting Series is looking forward to their next event tentatively scheduled as a joint race with Tri-C Karters for July 21^st, 2012 at Calspeed Karting Center in Fontana, Ca. Wherever they go next the Formula 100 Karting Series will put on a great show. For more information on the Formula 100 Karting Series please visit their website at F100karters.com. They can also be reached via email at formula100kartingseries@gmail.com.