California State Championships 1989; More Excellent 100cc Racing!

Check out these videos from the 1989 California State Championships held at Adams Motorsports Park (then Adams Kart Track). Some very fast 100cc machines on display, first in the Yamaha KT100 Class and then in the Piston Port class.

KT100

Piston Port

Formula 100 Karting Series 2013 Updated Schedule

Here is the updated schedule for The Formula 100 Karting Series 2013 Season:

Round 1: April 14th, Apex Kart Track
Round 2: May 11th, Willow Springs Kart Track
Round 3: June 8th, Grange Motor Circuit
Round 4: July 27th, Adams Motorsports Park
Round 5: September 22nd, Apex Kart Track
Round 6: October 13th, Willow Springs Kart Track
Round 7: November 30th, Grange Motor Circuit
Notice that the date for Round #2 of The Formula 100 Karting 2013 Season has been changed to May 11th, 2013. Also, the date for Round #6 has changed as well. Round #6 will now take place on October 13th, 2013. Please mark this down on your calendars.

For more information on The Formula 100 Karting Series please visit their website, F100karters.com.

Formula 100 Karting 2013 Season Warmup Recap

The Formula 100 Karting Series began its 2013 season with the Season Warmup race at Apex Kart Track in Perris, CA. Even though the February 17th event was a non points race, a large number of 100cc racers showed up to compete. With many new faces set to battle series stalwarts, the action on track promised great excitement.

The first main event of the day would feature the F100 Senior Novice and F100 Senior Intermediate classes. The Novice class would take the green flag sans two racers, as both Rich Johnson and Ben Ward were unable to start the main event. As the green flag waived, it was Danny Young getting the jump down the straight and into turn one, followed by Rose, Michael Heron Sr, Bryan Walters and Isabella Busalacchi. As the race progressed, the Novice field would spread out, with Young and Rose proving their speed. Walters and Heron Sr would race closely for most of the race, only a short ways behind the leaders. Busalacchi would mount a hard charge to the front as she moved through the field, eventually passing Young en route to the victory. Young, who put in an excellent drive, would finish only a few feet behind Busalacchi on track. However, Busalacchi would cross the scales underweight after the main event, giving Young the victory. Congratulations to all the Novice class racers on their excellent performances. If 2013 is anything like 2012, the F100 Senior Novice class should prove to be an exciting and highly competitive class, with continual driver development and excellent racing action.

On track with the Novice class was the F100 Senior Intermediate class. As usual, the Intermediate class was extremely competitive. Starting from the second position, Alex Bacon would get the jump on polesitter Steve Muehler, rocketing into first place down the straight and into turn one. David Schall would follow Bacon up the outside to pass Tom Denker for third position heading into turn one. Denker, in his first Intermediate class race after racing in the Novice class in 2012, more than proved his driving abilities with a 3rd place qualifying position and excellent racing all day. Mike Heron, John Shepherd, Frank Bain, Timmy Fritch, Pak Ho Wong and Gregorio Urueta would follow the leaders into and through turn one. The first lap would progress mostly without incident until Wong and Urueta would come together right before the entrance to the pits. Wong would be able to continue on relatively quickly, while Urueta would continue on but after some delay, effectively putting him out of the race. Urueta, who also moved up from the Novice class, has proven his racing ability many times during his F100 career. While the contact knocked Urueta from contention at the Season Warmup race, Urueta will be one to watch in 2013.

Back at the front, Bacon and Muehler had developed a sizable advantage over the rest of the field. Right behind the leaders the action was heating up. Coming into turn one of lap two, Tom Denker would make a solid pass on David Schall. Schall would hold his line but would be pushed to the very edge of the track. Schall's momentum would slow enough to allow Heron and Shepherd to get past. Denker was now in third, with Heron close behind him, followed by John Shepherd. Unfortunately, Shepherd would pull off the track a few laps later with mechanical troubles. The Tony Kart driver raced well all day but was not able to attain the results he had hoped for. Like Urueta, Shepherd will also be a strong challenger in the Intermediate class in 2013.

The racing would remain extremely close for the next few laps, with Bain and Wong, who had clawed his way back into contention after a the lap one incident, both moving up in the order. By lap six, the leaders, Bacon and Muehler, had caught up to some of the Novice class drivers. Muehler, who had already closed some of the gap to the leader Bacon, benefitted from the traffic and would pull up right behind Bacon's rear bumper. Coming into the right hand sweeper near the pits, Muehler went for a pass up the inside. The move would result in Muehler's kart jumping on the back bumper and exhaust pipe of Bacon, knocking Bacon's pipe off the kart and the kart off the track. An unfortunate end to the day for Bacon. Muehler would continue on but the contact slowed him enough to allow most of the field to pass him by.

With the former leaders now either out or well back in the pack, the bunched up field would continue on, racing closely for the remaining laps of the race. When the checkered waived, after a hard fought battle, it was Frank Bain who emerged victorious, followed in second by Pak Ho Wong, who had stormed through the field after early race contact, and David Schall. Wong, however, would be disqualified in post race tech, an unfortunate result for the young racer, giving Schall the second place position and bumping Mike Heron onto the podium. Congratulations to the winner and podium finishers in the Intermediate class on their excellent drives.

The Advanced class was next on the track. With a large field, the heats had proven ultra competitive. Stu Hayner had earned the pole position for his work throughout the day. Hayner would lead the field to the green flag and down into turn one. Matt Jones, starting in the third position would get the jump and follow Hayner into turn one. Tom Ricketts, starting from the outside pole, would slide into p3. Logan Manus would move up one spot, passing Kalvin Chen heading into turn one. Sebastian Bacon, Ivan Urueta, Martin Harnois, Kyle Hayner and James Hayner would follow the leaders through the first corner.

Bumper to bumper and nose to tail the group would go through the first lap. Jones would move past Hayner and into first place heading down the front straight to complete lap one. This would be the last that any racer would see of Jones on track. As the rest of the field engaged in a fierce battle, Jones would take advantage of excellent kart setup and driving skill to cruise to victory by a solid margin.

Behind Jones, however, the action was fast and furious. The drivers in this group would stay in a tight pack for the remainder of the race. Heading into turn one on lap two, Urueta and Harnois would collect each other, effectively ending each others races early on. An unfortunate result for the two drivers who had aspirations of podium finishes. There were very few incidents to report, only a few minor contacts that unfortunately would have a large impact on the results of the race. Kyle Hayner, Logan Manus, Stu Hayner and Sebastian Bacon would all fall victim to the consequences of incidental contact. All three had the speed to challenge for a podium finish, but in racing sometimes speed is not enough, as all three would end the day shy of their goal.

As the race crossed the half way mark, Kalvin Chen and Tom Ricketts were locked in an intense battle for the second position. After several laps, Chen was able to make a pass stick, eventually developing a solid margin over the number 22 Birel pilot Ricketts en route to a second place finish. Ricketts would hold off the hard charging duo of Manus and Bacon to hold onto a third place finish. As mentioned earlier, Matt Jones put in an excellent drive and would cross the line a healthy margin ahead the rest of the field to earn a well deserved victory. Congratulations to all the podium finishers in the Advanced class.

The Season Warmup proved to be an exciting debut for The Formula 100 Karting Series in 2013. For more information on The Formula 100 Karting Series check out their website, F100karters.com. Be sure to check out photos from the event at the follow link. Videos of the main events are included below as well.

Photos: http://www.f100karters.com/apps/photos/album?albumid=14525649

Novice/Intermediate Main Event

Advanced Main Event

Excellent 100cc Racing from New Zealand!

Here are videos of some excellent 100cc racing from New Zealand. These videos are from the Yamaha Light Class at the CIK Trophy of New Zealand and The New Zealand Sprint Champs. 

The Yamaha Light class utilizes 100cc Yamaha KT-100 engines with tuned exhaust pipes delivering very similar output to what an HPV-3 or KT-100 3 pipe engine delivers. 

The racing is fast, clean and close. Very little contact is made between drivers. Drivers make clean passes and give their competitors plenty of room. 

Once again 100cc racing proves that while it may not have the most horsepower or highest straight line speed, the racing action that 100cc engines provide is intense and unrivaled. Check out the videos below:

Formula 100 Karting Rules Update

The Formula 100 Karting Series has released a few rule updates prior to their opening round on February 17th.

Tire rules have been decided upon for the 2013 season. In order to help make kart racing more accessible for new, part time and budget racers, the Formula 100 Karting Series will once again institute its approved “SL” compound tire rule for its Novice, Sportsman and Intermediate classes. Most tires are eligible to be run under this rule, which means that no matter what tires you currently have, or what your budget is for new tires, you will be able to find and use whichever tires you choose to race with F100. This competition between manufacturers helps save the racer money, as the racer is now free to find the best deal on tires possible or to use leftovers from another series. This rule is not designed so that competitors will go out and test between all the different legal tire brands and types to find the fastest one for the specific track conditions. This rule applies to racers who race in Intermediate or Novice level classes, where tire compound should not be the ultimate deciding factor in a race. While some of the approved tires may be slightly faster than others, by allowing many different brands and types, F100 is helping to make racing more accessible and affordable for the racer.

For the Advanced class, there will be 3 spec tires. The Bridgestone YLC will continue as one of the spec tires. In addition to the YLC, the Burris B44 and Burris B55 tire have been added to the list. The Burris tires have proven to have excellent grip and longevity. The Burris tires are also much more affordable than the YLC tires, making them an excellent choice for Advanced class racers. Unlike the Intermediate level classes, where tires have a smaller chance of being the deciding factor between a win and a loss, the Advanced class will continue to utilize spec tires in order to combat this much more likely possibility. With racers often separated by less than a tenth, competitors would be right to test all the available tire brands to find an edge on the track. For this reason, the spec tire is the right choice for the Advanced class, and by allowing multiple spec tires the Formula 100 Karting Series continues to give the kart racer money saving options by furthering a competitive marketplace while also helping to keep costs at an acceptable level by not overwhelming the racer with too many tire options.

The Formula 100 Karting Series has also made changes to its Senior Open class. Due to concerns over potential expense from a base weight open engine class, where it would behove the racer to make as much horsepower as possible, F100 has decided to implement a weight to power ratio to determine the appropriate weight for driver and kart, with weight minimums implemented for each engine type. Reed and Rotary valve engines will operate with an 11.61 lbs per horsepower ratio, with a 360 lb minimum weight, while Piston Ports and McCullochs will operate with a 12.6 lbs per horsepower ratio, with a 315 lb mimimum weight. The Senior Open class was never designed to be a spending frenzy, but was instead designed to give all powerful 100cc engine packages that did not fit into the other F100 classes a place to run. By implementing an open ruleset, F100 saves racers money. No longer are racers handcuffed by spec rules, which limit competition in the marketplace, both from a manufacturer and retailer standpoint. This rule allows racers to use parts that would otherwise not be legal for their engines under spec class rules, and also to run engines that would not be legal were a spec class to be implemented. The open nature allows racers to choose what powerplant to run, how they will make their power, how much power they would like to make, and what replacement parts they would like to use. It is this freedom that will save the racer money. F100 also understands that a truly open class is detrimental to cost saving, and thus the weight to power ratio calculation is put in place to make monetary outlay in the search of horsepower less beneficial to the racer than it would be under a traditional open class structure. All drivers wishing to participate in the F100 Senior Open class must have their engines dyno tested at the approved F100 engine dyno testing center, and must bring their dyno sheets with them to the race in order to be allowed to compete. An engine horsepower protest has also been put in place should a racer feel the need to protest another competitor’s engine and weight combination.

For more information on The Formula 100 Karting Series and the rule updates please visit www.F100karters.com.

Formula 100 Karting Series 2013 Schedule

After a successful first season that saw tremendous growth and incredible racing, The Formula 100 Karting Series has released their complete schedule for the 2013 season. The southern California based 100cc specific kart racing series will hold 7 official points races throughout the year. The Formula 100 Karting Series will visit some amazing tracks including Apex Kart Track, Willow Springs Kart Track, Grange Motor Circuit, and the world famous Adams Motorsports Park. The complete 2013 schedule is included below.

The Formula 100 Karting Series offers classes for almost all 100cc engines. Please visit the following link to download the 2013 Formula 100 Karting Series Rules and Class Structure: http://www.f100karters.com/rules-and-classes. For more information on the Formula 100 Karting Series please visit their website, F100karters.com.

Date	Location
April 14th	Apex Kart Track
May 18th	Willow Springs Kart Track
June 8th	Grange Motor Circuit
July 27th	Adams Motorsports Park
September 22nd	Willow Springs Kart Track
October 20th	Apex Kart Track
November 30th	The Thanksgiving Dash for Cash in the Desert, Grange Motor Circuit

Formula 100 Karting Series Round 6

The Formula 100 Karting Series hit the track for the 6th and final round of the 2012 season on December 9th at Grange Motor Circuit in Apple Valley, CA. A beautiful December day in the high desert greeted the racers as they arrived to do battle. Ivan Urueta had already clinched the Intermediate class title, but points battles were yet to be decided for the final 2 podium positions in the Intermediate class, while all 3 podium positions in the Advanced class were still up for grabs. The closest battle in Advanced was between Stu Hayner, who came in with a 6 point lead over Sebastian Bacon for 1st place in the 2012 Series Championship.

After a morning of open practice the day started with the first of 2 peapick heat races for the Novice and Intermediate classes. The peapick results would be used to determine the grid for the main events. When the dust had settled after 10 exciting laps, it was Bryan Bender who emerged to claim the checkered flag in heat 1. After being sidelined for many months with a severe shoulder injury, Bender made his first race of 2012 count, as he piloted his new Birel machine to top finishes throughout the day. Right behind Bender was Willow Springs race winner Adrian Yong who continued his impressive driving with another strong run. John Shepherd would finish in 3rd place, and although he brought home good results on the day, Shepherd struggled getting his CRG chassis dialed in and was not particularly happy with his performances. After a solid season in 2012, Shepherd will look to put himself at the front of pack in the Intermediate class in 2013. Tom Denker put in another strong drive as he was the first of the  Novice drivers to cross the finish line in heat 1. Denker has been impressive all season and will look to move up the ladder next year and do battle in the Intermediate class. Following behind Denker was another impressive rookie, Jeremy Specht. Specht would have a marvelous day in the high desert, showing speed and determination in his racing. Gregorio Urueta would finish right behind Specht. Urueta had a tough day at the track. Tire and engine issues led to frustrating results, but Urueta has proven himself to be an excellent racer all year, and he will be a force to be reckoned with in 2013. Vincent Lefevre, who participated in his first race of the season at Willow Springs, had a strong showing at Grange, crossing the line behind Urueta. Lefevre got his Top Kart Kt100 powered machine dialed in after a difficult day at Willow and he was able to put down some solid laps. Mike Heron had some trouble in the first heat, but his day was only just beginning as Heron would put in another strong showing eventually landing him on the podium.

The Advanced class was next to take the track. A strong group of racers showed up to battle in the Advanced class and with the points championship and season ending podium positions up for grabs, it was sure to be a great day of racing. In the first heat Kyle Hayner continued his run of excellent drives as he grabbed the checkered flag. He was followed closely by Sebastian Bacon, who was looking for a strong finish and a possible 2012 points championship. Kalvin Chen piloted his number 56 machine to a 3rd place finish in heat 1. Chen challenged for 2nd for much of the race. He and Bacon had a great battle at Grange, as they have for much of the year, with Bacon able to hold off Chen in heat 1. Stu Hayner would grab a 4th place finish as he looked to maintain his 6 point edge over Bacon in the points championship. Tom Ricketts followed closely behind Hayner coming in with a 5th place finish. Jason Bunch, who had an impressive season in KPV4 Heavy with Tri-C Karters, had a difficult day at the track. He would cross the line in 6th position in heat 1. The result was not one that Bunch will be happy with but his determination will allow him to get back into top form, and he will be a driver to watch during the 2013 season. Ivan Urueta would round out the field. Ivan Urueta, much like his dad Gregorio, would also have a bit of a tough day. His lap times were there but he was not able to put up the results that he is accustomed to. Urueta had an off day, as did Bunch, but with continued work both will have their share of podium finishes during the 2013 season.

Heat 2 provided some great racing action as well. Drivers in both classes looked to add a strong result in the 2nd heat in order to solidify their grid positions for the main event. First on the track were the Novice and Intermediate groups. Up front, Adrian Yong and Bryan Bender swapped positions, with Yong taking the win, and Bender taking 2nd. Both drivers raced very closely all race, and it was an exciting race for the spectators to watch. Jeremy Specht would have another strong drive as he would cross the line in 3rd. Tom Denker followed closely behind Specht also putting in another excellent drive. Mike Heron would cross the line behind Denker in 5th. John Shepherd finished in 6th, followed by Gregorio Urueta and Vincent Lefevre.

Next up was the Advanced class. Stu Hayner would be the first to cross the line as the checkered flag flew, followed closely by his son Kyle Hayner who put in another excellent race. Kalvin Chen and Sebastian Bacon would flip flop in heat 2, with Chen taking home 3rd and Bacon coming home in 4th. Tom Ricketts followed closely behind Bacon in 5th, with Ivan Urueta and Jason Bunch rounding out the field.

With the grids set for the main event, it was time to decide the 2012 Formula 100 Karting Series Points Championship. With Bryan Bender electing to start in the back of the field, Adrian Yong would take pole position for the main event. Bender would work his way through the field in a few laps and would eventually meet Yong at the front, but would be unable to unseat Yong from his top position. Yong would claim his 2nd victory in as many races, putting in another strong performance. Bender, in his first race of the 2012 season, would also put in a strong showing crossing the line in the 2nd. Bender will look to continue to challenge at the front of the field in 2013. Jeremy Specht would follow the 2 intermediate drivers putting in an excellent showing en route to claiming his first victory of the season. Specht has continued to put in good drive after good drive and his steady improvement and progression throughout the season has been impressive to watch. Specht will look to continue his winning ways heading into 2013. Following behind Specht was Mike Heron who, after struggling in Heat 1, continued his excellent day with a solid result. Like Specht, Heron will look to continue his solid driving heading into the 2013 season. Gregorio Urueta was finally able to get his tire and engine troubles sorted out in time for the main event and he would put in a good performance on his way to a 5th place finish (3rd in class). Urueta was a force in the Novice class in 2012 and he is looking forward to an excellent 2013 campaign. Tom Denker had speed all day, as he has all season, and was able to translate the speed into a solid result. After excellent performance in both heats, Denker would bring home a 6th place finish in the main. Denker proved himself to be an excellent racer throughout 2012 and Formula 100 is looking forward to watching him pilot his number 19 Birel during the 2013 season. John Shepherd raced well in the main, but a spin sent him off the track and finished his day. Shepherd had an excellent 2012 season, finding himself on the podium in the year end standings. Shepherd will look for a repeat performance in 2013 and he will continue to push towards a first place finish. Vincent Lefevre, after a solid race in heat 1, continued to have trouble with his kart and would round out the field in the main event. Lefevre will look to continue to dial in his equipment heading into 2013. With more seat time and more work Lefevre will be a driver to watch heading into the 2013 season.

Next up was the Advanced class who took to the track for the final on track event of the 2012 season, with points leader Stu Hayner and 2nd place racer Sebastian Bacon gridded 2nd and 3rd for the main event. As the green flag dropped it was the inside of row of Kyle Hayner and Bacon that would get the jump, with Bacon moving into 2nd. Stu Hayner would fall to 3rd, with Tom Ricketts jumping into 4th. The racing stayed clean and tight through most of lap 1, until the final corner. Stu Hayner stuck a nose in on Sebastian Bacon but while attempting to back off was tapped by Tom Ricketts from behind as Ricketts tried to push Hayner past Bacon. Hayner would spin out and would drop all the way to the back of the field. With Bacon maintaining his 2nd position, Stu Hayner would have to work his way back through the field in order to claim the 2012 Series Championship. Kyle Hayner would put in an excellent drive, running away with the main event. His number 55c Birel was dialed in and Hayner made few mistakes making it difficult for Bacon to make up any ground. While Hayner continued to put in an excellent and impressive drive up front, most of the action in the race occurred in the battle for 2nd between Tom Ricketts, Sebastian Bacon and Kalvin Chen. Ricketts hounded Bacon, criss crossing several times, and bumping and touching through many corners. The racing was clean and hard as Bacon tried desperately to hold off the speedy Birel pilot Ricketts. Chen followed closely behind Ricketts waiting for the right time to pounce. With Stu Hayner moving through the field eventually getting himself into 5th position with only a few laps to go, Bacon knew the importance of maintaining his 2nd place finish. On the last lap Bacon led Ricketts followed closely by Chen. On the final turn Bacon ran a blocking line keeping his kart to the inside. Ricketts went high attempting to set up a pass coming onto the main straight. Chen, who had been waiting for the right time to make his move, ducked to the inside and followed Bacon through the final turn. A drag race ensued between the 3 drivers and as they came down the straight it was Bacon who pumped his fists in celebration as he held off the hard charging Chen and Ricketts to bring home a 2nd place finish and seal his first Formula 100 Karting Series Senior Advanced Championship. Chen would follow closely in 3rd, with Ricketts, who raced a very strong race, just missing the podium in 4th. Stu Hayner made up much ground after his lap 1 scuffle but was not able to move past Chen or Ricketts. Ivan Urueta posted solid lap times but had a rough day at the track. After becoming accustomed to finishing in the front of the field, Urueta came home with a solid but dissapointing 6th place. Bunch would come in 7th after a difficult day at the races. Both Bunch and Urueta will look to forget about their day at Grange. Both will be serious contenders in 2013. Congratulations to Kyle Hayner for an excellent performance and a well deserved victory, and to Sebastian Bacon for taking home the 2012 Series Championship.

After an excellent first season, The Formula 100 Karting Series capped its year with a great day of racing at beautiful Grange Motor Circuit. Congratulations to Ivan Urueta and Sebastian Bacon for their 2012 Season Championships, and also to Stu Hayner, Kalvin Chen, Adriany Yong and John Shepherd for their 2nd and 3rd place finishes in the 2012 Points Championship. The Formula 100 Karting Series is working diligently to put together its ruleset, class structure and schedule for 2013, and each of those items will be available very soon. For more information on the Formula 100 Karting Series please visit their website, F100karters.com.

The TKM BT82 Piston Port Engine and TKM Festival Onboard Video

Check out the video below for some great driving action from the TKM Festival in England. The Festival is one of the largest one make engine gatherings in the world. The TKM BT82 2 stroke engine is the engine featured in the video. It is very similar to the KPV/HPV engine package and the Yamaha KT100 in terms of performance. The US received these motors and they were popular for a short time but did not have the staying power of other 100cc packages. Now the British made BT82's that are stateside mostly sit in garages unused. Check out the video and if you're interested check out the TKM website for more information on the engine.

http://www.tal-ko.com/bt82.html

http://youtu.be/eZupAkli2dM

Formula 100 Karting Series Round 5; Willow Springs

Round 5 of the Formula 100 Karting Series 2012 season proved to be every bit as exciting as the prior 4 rounds. The racing in all classes was hotly contested, and the surprisingly mild desert weather made the experience at the beautiful Willow Springs Kart Track all the more pleasant for the contingent of F100 racers who made the trek to the site of the 2013 IKF 2 Cycle Grand Nationals. After a several month hiatus from action, the Willow Springs Kart Club and Mike Manning sprung back into action for the late October gathering, and graciously hosted the 100cc specific Formula 100 Karting Series.

After 2 early morning practice sessions, the Novice and Intermediate classes would take the track first for their qualifying session. Ivan Urueta paced the field, as he has done many times throughout the year, earning 3 points for pole position. Ivan drove the red number 33 Birel fast and smooth, and even though he had very few laps under his belt at Willow, his inexperience did not show as his times were blisteringly fast, besting the field by almost an entire second with a 47.809; truly a remarkable feat for the young KPV pilot. James Hayner qualified second in his black Birel, posting a fast time of 48.437. Hayner has put in solid performances throughout his time in the drivers seat, and Willow would prove no different. Behind Hayner, Adrian Yong put down a solid time of his own at 48.730. Yong has become a fast and consistent driver behind the wheel and each time he hits the track he seems to improve. His development over the course of the year has been remarkable and he is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with. Series newcomer Tyler Coffman, who made the journey to Willow Springs from Bakersfield, after spending the previous day in Fresno for the IKF Region 11 race, qualified in 4^th position with a solid lap time of 48.860. Coffman also had few laps at Willow, and his ability to quickly learn and attack the track was impressive. Qualifying 5^th was Alex Bacon. When Bacon’s OTK kart is on track it is fast, as evidenced by his solid lap time of 49.280. Behind Bacon, Dave Harrison maneuvered the 67 kart to a 6^th place qualifying spot with a time of 49.356, followed closely by series stalwart Steve Muehler, who was looking for another solid performance. John Shepherd rounded out the intermediate class in the 7^th position. Shepherd, who had been driving a very nice Tony Kart for most of the season, had switched Italian chassis manufacturers for the Willow Springs race and was now on a nice looking CRG. Unfortunately for Shepherd the new chassis did not provide much luck as he would struggle during qualifying and through much of the day while trying to get the kart dialed in. If Shepherd can get the CRG anywhere near the level of where he had his Tony Kart then there is no doubt that he will return to his podium finishing ways of earlier rounds.

Behind the Intermediate group, the Novice group completed their qualifying with Gregorio Urueta taking the top spot. Gregorio, much like his son Ivan, has proved himself to be a fast, consistent and solid racer, and his skills were on display yet again at Willow Springs. Close behind Urueta was Jeremy Specht. Specht has continued to develop as a driver and his rate of progression has been quite impressive. At Willow Specht threw down a qualifying time .01 off the top Novice qualifier Urueta. The 3^rd fastest time of the day in the Novice group belonged to Rich Johnson. Johnson drove fast and smooth and looked the most comfortable behind the wheel that he has looked all season, and his lap times showed it. Newcomer Vincent Lefevre rounded out the field. Lefevre, who had only recently purchased his KT100 powered kart, did an excellent job on track, and with each lap he looked faster and more comfortable in his kart after years away from the sport.

Following the Novice and Intermediate group, the Advanced group took to the track for their qualifying session. As always the field was very close, with about a half second separating top qualifier and the final position. Stu Hayner would have trouble with a flat tire and would have to pull in. Kalvin Chen in his beautiful white Birel would put down the fast time of the session with a 47.832. Chen’s time would gap the field by almost .2, a very solid performance. Behind Chen was another Birel driver, and winner of the Orange County Grand Prix, Jean Michel Crettaz, who clocked a time of 48.090. Kyle Hayner and Sebastian Bacon qualified 3^rd and 4^th, with times of 48.216 and 48.261 respectively. Tom Ricketts qualified just behind Bacon with a time of 48.422.

As the heat races commenced the stage was set for another exciting day of Formula 100 action. Leading off the days heats were the Novice and Intermediate groups, who took one green flag in a combined race. Once again, Ivan Urueta took off from the group, eventually besting the field by 3 seconds at the checkered flag. Adrian Yong put in an excellent effort coming home in 2^nd place, as he continued his strong performances on the day. Newcomer Tyler Coffman rounded out the podium with a solid 3^rd place performance. Dave Harrison followed closely behind the KT100 pilot Coffman, with Steve Muehler following Harrison, some 10 seconds back. Behind Muehler was Novice class heat race winner Jeremy Specht, who continued his excellent driving on the day. Gregorio Urueta would finish just behind Specht, as Specht was able to get around the Novice class pole sitter en route to the heat race win. John Shepherd would cross the line behind Urueta. Shepherd, who has put in many strong performances on his Tony Kart, was not quite able to get his new CRG dialed in on the day and his results reflected this struggle. The speed is in the CRG though, and with more work Shepherd will be able to navigate back to the top of the field. Rich Johnson finished just behind Shepherd, as he continued to put forth his best day of work so far this season. Johnson cut another second off his time from qualifying. Newcomer Vincent Lefevre would round out the field. Lefevre, who was just getting back into karting after a long hiatus, looked more and more comfortable as the race went on, cutting a further 5 seconds off his lap time from qualifying. The heat, however, would end Lefevre’s day, but F100 looks forward to having Vincent compete in future events. Alex Bacon finished in the back of the pack as he was not able to finish the race. This has been a problem for Bacon this season. Even though he puts down fast laps, racing incidences and kart issues have thwarted his efforts.

The Advanced class heat was every bit as exciting as the Novice/Intermediate heat. Taking the track a short time after the F100 Novice and Intermediate race had concluded, the Advanced had picked up an extra driver, with James Hayner deciding to make the move up to the top level of the Formula 100 Karting Series ladder. This proved to be a wise move by the youngest Hayner, as he would register the fastest lap time of the heat race, laying down a 47.790. Kalvin Chen would continue his strong performance on the day taking home the heat race victory by a healthy 1-second margin. Behind him, 5 drivers would cross the finish line all within a second of each other. Tom Ricketts would be the first of these drivers, continuing his string of solid heat race performances. Ricketts has performed very well early in the day at each of the Formula 100 Karting Series events, but his results in main events have been mixed. If Ricketts can carry over his solid heat race performances into the main events he will enjoy a great deal of success moving forward. Right behind Ricketts was James Hayner who, as already mentioned, clocked the fastest time of the heat. His brother, Kyle Hayner, would finish right behind, less than a tenth back, putting in another solid drive in the number 55 Birel. Sebastian Bacon finished behind Hayner, with Jean Michel Crettaz slotting in behind Bacon and finishing in 6^th. Stu Hayner, who appeared to have some good speed early in the race, would finish almost a second back of Crettaz. After behind bumped off line midway through the race, Hayner was not able to regain the form he showed early, but he would be back with a strong showing in the main.

The first main of the day was the Novice and Intermediate combined main. With points leader and heat race winner Ivan Urueta deciding to take advantage of his attained A license grade by moving up to the Advanced class, the Novice and Intermediate main appeared to be anybody’s race. Adrian Yong jumped at the opportunity and blasted away from the field, impressing everyone by putting in another excellent drive. Yong would best the field by 10 seconds en route to his first career victory. F100 congratulates Adrian Yong for his accomplishment! If he continues to drive the way that he did at F100 round 5, there will be many more victories to come for Yong. In second place, and also putting in a strong effort, was the KT100 pilot and series newcomer Tyler Coffman. Coffman drove well, and even though his kart was not perfectly dialed in, he was able to put down fast lap after fast lap and he would take home the 2^nd spot. Dave Harrison would finish 3^rd. Harrison picked up speed as the day went on, further dialing in his number 67 Birel. Not far behind Harrison was Novice race winner Gregorio Urueta, who continues to impress everybody with his results on the track. Jeremy Specht, who gave a valiant effort in chasing Urueta and who has also impressed everyone with his on track performance, would slot in right behind Urueta to take P2 in the Novice class. John Shepherd would finish behind the 2 Novice drivers. Shepherd was awarded the hard charger award for his work in the main event. He will look to dial in his CRG for the next round of the series where hopefully he can return his podium finishing ways. Rich Johnson crossed the line behind Shepherd, cutting a further half-second off his lap time, to make his total improvement a hefty 1.5 seconds for the day. Johnson kept the nose on his Birel clean and put in an impressive performance. With continued improvement Johnson will be poised to battle Specht and Urueta for future Novice class victories. Alex Bacon would finish behind Johnson. Bacon continued his string of bad luck. When on the track, Bacon is fast, but things have not gone his way so far this year. With continued effort Bacon will attain the results he is looking for. Steve Muehler had a strong day, but early race contact caused him to retire only a few laps in. Muehler has raced very well all year and he will look to continue his excellent 2012 season at F100 round 6. Vincent Lefevre was not able to participate in the main event, but F100 looks forward to Vincent’s continued participation in the series.

The last race of the day was the Advanced class main event. As with all the Advanced class main events this season, the racing was incredibly close. Stu Hayner, starting from the back, would take home the checkered flag. Hayner blasted his way through the field and withstood an early challenge from Bacon, and a continued challenge from his son Kyle, en route to the feature win. In second was Kyle Hayner, who put in a solid drive. Hayner would comment that he was very happy with how the number 55 Birel felt, and his comfort with his machine showed as he hounded his father for the lead for much of the race. The battle for 3^rd and 4^th was hotly contested between Sebastian Bacon and Kalvin Chen, both of whom had led the race for brief periods of time, but had fallen off the pace of the Hayner’s. Bacon would lead Chen and hold onto 3^rd for most of the event. The two would go side-by-side several times with Chen not able to nose past Bacon. On the first white flag lap Bacon and Chen would go into the final corner with Chen sticking his nose under Bacon to attempt the pass. Bacon would give way and over-under Chen heading towards the line. Thinking he had the position won Bacon was very surprised when he crossed the line to see another white flag. The extra lap proved to be all that Chen needed. Bacon held Chen off for much of the lap. At the final turn Bacon drove a defensive line while Chen swung wide. Bacon slid one wheel off the track and rode the exit burm and this mistake proved enough for Chen to slide underneath Bacon to take the 3^rd position away. It was an excellent, exciting and clean race between the two, and a testament to the competitiveness of the F100 Advanced class. Bacon would eventually be disqualified from the race at the scales, as it was found that he was 2 lbs under the minimum weight. A tough result on track and a loss of points made the day especially difficult for Bacon, the pilot of the number 80 Kosmic machine. Behind Bacon was Jean Michel Crettaz who was not able to translate his speed early in the day or his fast lap times in the main into a better result. After winning round 4, Crettaz will look to yet again stand atop the podium at F100 round 6. Ivan Urueta, moving up from the Intermediate class, put in a solid performance and will be a force to be reckoned with as he continues to transition to the highest level F100 class. Urueta was unable to finish the race but in his time on the track he was able to put down the fastest lap of the race. Tom Ricketts had mechanical trouble and was unable to complete the race. After showing well early in the day, Ricketts was unable to translate his speed into a podium result. He will look for a better result at round 6. James Hayner would round out the field. After gridding in 3^rd Hayner experienced some trouble on an aborted green flag start. He would end up in the marbles and would be unable to keep his kart going. Hayner was disappointed with the way his day ended but he performed well in his first race with the Advanced class and his presence is a welcome addition to the group. He will look to continue his excellent performances at F100 round 6.

As the series moves into its 6^th and final round of the season, the points battles are heating up. Ivan Urueta has claimed the Intermediate class crown. Congratulations are in order for his excellent performances this season. Adrian Yong, John Shepherd and Timmy Fritch are all within a few points of each other for 2^nd place points position in the Intermediate class. Steve Muehler and Kyle Gash are not too far behind them, and with solid performances at round 6 they could jump up into the top 3. The results at round 6 will have a huge impact on the season ending points standings.

As with the Intermediate class, the points battle in Advanced is tight with many positions still up for grabs. Stu Hayner currently leads the points by 6 over Sebastian Bacon, and 11 over Kalvin Chen. Jean Michel Crettaz is in 4^th, followed closely by Tom Ricketts. The results for round 6 will also have a huge impact on the season end points standings in the Advanced class.

As a reminder to those of you interested in the current points battles, only F100 members are eligible for the year end points standings. If you are not a member and you finish in the top 3, your finishing position will be forfeited and your position will be given to the F100 member that finished closest behind you in the standings. If you would like to become a member of F100 so that you may be eligible for the year end points standings, please contact formula100kartingseries@gmail.com for a special offer.

Round 5 of the 2012 Formula 100 Karting Series proved to be every bit as competitive and exciting as the previous 4 rounds. Racers continue to battle for their chance to stand atop the podium. Many thanks go out to Mike Manning and everyone involved with the Willow Springs Kart Club for helping to make the Sunday afternoon contest possible. F100 looks forward to round 6, tentatively scheduled for early December, to close out the year. For more information on the Formula 100 Karting Series, visit their website, F100karters.com.