7/27/2020
KC Sparks
Fourth, Sixth, and Second Place Finishes
Minnesota Missile Monday: Fourth, Sixth, and Second Place Finishes
July 27, 2020
Wednesday Thunder Hill Speedway; Menomonie, WI
A strong field of 17 Junior Wing drivers made the tow to Thunder Hill Speedway for the Wednesday night racing action.
The feature event was paced to the green by Tyler Alton and Blake Adams on the front row. KC Sparks and Charlie Olsen made up the second row. On the initial start, Alton took the early lead into turn one while Sparks drove in hard and slid ahead of Olsen but couldn’t hold the bottom line allowing Olsen and Ayden Erickson to pull alongside. The field bunched up with Karter Heiskell and Kaleb Knopps piling into Erickson coming out of turn two. Erickson was done for the event while the rest of the field lined up for a complete restart, single file.
Alton protected the preferred line at the drop of the green and held Adams back with Sparks trying to get an advantage to the inside of Adams. Adams was too strong through the first set of turns and maintained the second position while Olsen stuck a nose under Sparks coming out of turn two to claim the third running position. Alton and Adams ran a comfortable distance ahead of the field while Olsen was leading Sparks while fighting off challenges from Michael Hucovski.
As Alton led at the halfway point, Adams began closing in on his lead while they caught the back of the field. Alton was the first to catch the Knopps kart down the backstretch and had to lift getting into turn three allowing Adams to dive under him to take over the top spot. Alton turned under Adams coming out of turn four to reclaim the lead. Adams drove to the outside of Alton going into turn one and the lead duo headed out of two side by side for the top spot. They caught the kart of Jacob Anderson. The three karts went into the third turn three wide with Alton squeezing into the middle where he ran out of room and incidental contact slowed his kart allowing Adams to pull ahead. Adams pulled down closer to the Anderson kart and coming through turn four, their karts briefly became stuck together, allowing Alton to close back in on the lead at the line. Heading into turn one, Alton was not able to clear the Anderson kart and Adams pulled away down the backstretch and to the win. Alton settled for second ahead of Olsen, Sparks, Hucovski, Heiskell, Ryley Finnegan, Cam Paninszke, Anderson and Knopps.
Heat race winners were Alton and Adams. The B Feature was won by Finnegan.
Friday English Creek Speedway
The biggest field this season signed in for the Box Stock class with 21 drivers in competition. The qualifying and one heat format saw Lily Webster earn quick time. Heat winners were Webster, Ian Steward, and KC Sparks.
The feature line up inverted the top six qualifiers putting Cole Garner and Daxton Heimbaugh on the front row. At the drop of the green, Garner claimed the lead from Heimbaugh with Willy Kirk in a close third. As the field came out of turn four for the opening lap, Heimbaugh moved past Garner while Sparks got a good drive out of four and drove past Kirk and Garner. Webster was strong and out of turn two had worked her way up to third. Heimbaugh had a comfortable lead while Webster pulled alongside Sparks to complete lap three. Going into the first set of turns, Webster moved past Sparks but a red flag came out for Aidan Leingang.
For the restart, Sparks lined up in second place behind Heimbaugh and worked on his racing line to stay close. The top five drivers raced nose to tail until the caution flew a couple laps later.
The next restart was strong for Sparks as he was able to get to the inside of Heimbaugh and take the top spot going into turn one. Heimbaugh tried to cross over and retake the top spot but instead drove into the back of Sparks’ kart getting both drivers sideways and allowing Webster to take the top spot. By the time Sparks was able to blend in, he was back to seventh.
Webster opened up a comfortable lead over Garner and Kirk following the scrambling to avoid the sideways karts. On the next lap Steward was able to move past Kirk into the top three. A quick caution saw another restart with Webster holding on to her lead. As the tight field went into turns one and two, fifth and sixth place, Trayton Brown and Carter Halcombs slid high allowing Sparks to turn under them to challenge for the position. Unfortunately, the Heimbaugh kart also made a dive for the opening on the track and ran into Sparks again, sending them spinning, collecting Lauren Pfoltner, and bringing out another caution.
Sparks was sent to the tail for the restart. Coming out of turn four on the next lap, Sparks drove under Heimbaugh and Pfoltner when they made contact and took the ninth running position. The next set of turns had Sparks moving past Nikki Ballard and closing on Jaden Alexander. Alexander was able to hold off challenges from Sparks for three laps until the caution flew one final time for Heimbaugh who spun.
The final restart put the field on Webster’s back bumper but her determination and focus helped her with a good start over Garner. Kirk made a run to the inside of Steward for third but couldn’t make it stick as Steward found a line out of turn two that moved him alongside Garner for second. Webster pulled ahead as the drivers battled behind her. Sparks moved past Alexander on the restart and was on the tail of Brown. Out of turn four to the white flag, Sparks and Brown were side by side. Sparks pulled ahead down the backstretch but Brown stuck his nose under him going into turn three and stole the fifth finishing position in the final corner.
Webster dominated the night with her first English Creek feature win, heat win, and quick time. Steward was able to move ahead of Garner for second. Kirk, Brown, Sparks, Alexander, Halcombs, Pfoltner, and Ballard crossed the line.
The B Feature was won by Gage Pulkrabek, transferring with Ballard, Pfoltner, and Halcombs.
Sunday Cedar Lake Indoor Arena
Seven drivers signed in for the Sizzlin’ Sunday Series Jr. Wing class. Following the heat races won by KC Sparks and Blake Adams, the feature line up was set with Adams on the pole and Sparks outside.
The field came to the start with Adams setting a fast pace but Sparks and Tyler Alton were ready for it and hung tight with him to the green flag. Adams jumped to the lead with Sparks pulling ahead of Alton into the first turn. Alton had a faster kart but Sparks was just fast enough to hold him off. Alton remained in close contact, even giving Sparks some reminders that he was there with some bumper taps and waited for Sparks to make a mistake as Adams pulled away. As Sparks and Alton battled, Trenton Boyer closed in to make it a three kart battle for runner up.
On the eighth lap, Sparks and Alton came up on Cade Nelson to put him a lap down. Sparks boldly moved to the outside down the backstretch and made the pass going into turn three. Alton got hung up behind Nelson and going into turn one, Alton also tried an outside move but it didn’t stick as Boyer drove to the inside of Nelson and Alton to overtake the third position.
Adams cruised to the feature win ahead of Sparks, Boyer, Alton, Michael Hucovski, Cole McQuiston, and Nelson.
Upcoming Schedule:
Wednesday 7/29: Spring Brooke Cars on the Course; Beaver Creek, MN
Friday 7/31: English Creek Speedway; Knoxville, IA
Saturday 8/1: Mississippi Thunder; Fountain City, WI
2020 Partner/Sponsor Appreciation
Autoland; Sioux Falls, SD
Furby’s Auto Repair; Sioux Falls, SD
GRP Motorsports; Stillwater, MN
Last Deck LLC; Jackson, MN
Heser Auto and Detailing; Jackson, MN
DRE Horsepower; Boyden, IA
Jared Bailey Photography; Carlisle, IA
MyRacePass; #TeamMRP #GetTheApp
TL Racing; Jackson, MN
YTD Stats:
Features: 23
Wins:3
Top 3: 11
Top 10: 22
Heat Wins: 11
Article Credit: Stephanie Sparks