8/24/2020
KC Sparks
Minnesota Missile Monday: Return to Newton Pays Off ; Another Podium at Cedar Lake
Minnesota Missile Monday: Return to Newton Pays Off ; Another Podium at Cedar Lake
August 24, 2020
Saturday 8/22 Newton Kart Klub; Newton, IA
Eighteen drivers entered the racing competition last Saturday night as racing returned to Newton Kart Klub after the storms forced the postponement of racing the week before. With the group divided into three heat races, Ryan Waterman earned the pole position after picking up the wins in both his rounds of heat action. KC Sparks and Lily Webster also picked up heat wins and qualifying in the top three starting positions.
The fifteen lap A Main event was a fight to the end with several cautions throughout the race. The first start was even at the line but four wide into turn one did not go smoothly with half the field spinning, making contact, or stopping in turn one.
After the track was cleared, the drivers took the green again with Waterman and Sparks slide by side down the front stretch. Sparks drove hard into turn one and came out of two with the lead. Cole Garner quickly moved from sixth to the top of the track and was three wide down the back stretch with Waterman and Webster for second place. Aidan Leingang threw his kart into the battle entering turn three diving to the inside and moving into third to complete lap one.
The field strung out behind Sparks with WIlly Kirk challenging Garner for the fifth position as the caution came out. On the restart, Sparks quickly opened up a three kart length lead by the exit of turn two as the top six broke away from the rest of the pack quickly but the caution flew again.
On the restart, Sparks caught Waterman snoozing and had a comfortable lead going into the first turn and leading the next circuit. Kirk and Webster started mixing it up in a battle for fourth with Kirk driving over an infield disc in turn one that forced his kart to spin and bring out another caution.
With the field again nose to tail, the field was set loose again but Webster’s kart broke loose in turn two spinning and collecting Knox Peterson. This incident again closed up the field.
Ready for a longer green flag run, the field took off with Sparks still at the point, Waterman in second and Leingang holding off challenges from Garner. Garret Warren worked his way into the top five and tried to keep in close contact waiting for one of the front runners to make an error.
Waterman was running a slightly lower line on the backstretch, but Sparks was able to drive through the corners and keep his lead. One final caution flew that bunched up the field one last time.
Sparks confidently led the final few circuits winning by nearly half a second over Waterman, Leingang and Garner. Kirk restarted the last three lap run in seventh and came home a respectable fifth. Warren, Webster, Janelle Saffell, Nikki Ballard, and Rozlyn Stoker made up the top ten. Sawyer Nott came home eleventh after winning the B feature with Haylie Allen the twelfth and final finisher.
Round one heat winners were Waterman, Leingang, and Sparks. Heat winners in round two were Waterman, Webster, and Landon Elliot. The B Feature was won by Sawyer Nott.
Sunday 8/25: Sizzling Summer Series
New Richmond, WI
After a long night in tech and drive north, the 1KC Motorsports team checked in for racing action at the Cedar Lake Indoor Arena with seven other Jr. Wing drivers for the Sizzling Summer Series event.
The front row of the feature lined up two GRP Motorsports sponsored karts with KC Sparks earning the pole and Owen Graf alongside. At the drop of the green, Sparks jumped into the lead but Graf got tangled up with Tylar Alton trying to move to the inside line and brought the field back for a complete restart.
The second try at the start was better with Sparks again getting the lead and Graf moving safely into second ahead of Alton and Blake Adams. After completing lap one, Alton made a charge to the inside of Graf but ran over a disc entering turn one forcing his kart up the track and spinning out. Officials determined that contact with Graf caused the spin and Graf was sent to the tail with Alton restarting in second.
On the restart, Sparks led Alton, Adams, Trenton Boyer, and Hunter Hanson. Alton did not let Sparks get very far ahead as he made his kart hug the bottom coming off the turns to close in on Sparks. On lap three, Alton was able to drive under Sparks out of turn two and the duo raced into turn three side by side with Alton taking over the top position and Sparks sliding high and dropping back to third.
The green flag laps continued to click off with Alton opening a sizable lead while Sparks hounded Adams for the position on the track. After three laps of being held up, Sparks saw the opportunity and moved to the inside of Adams to reclaim the runner up position.
Alton was too far ahead and cruised to the feature victory ahead of Sparks, Adams, Boyer, Graf, Hanson,, Michael Hucovski, and COle McQuiston.
Heat wins went to Sparks and Alton.
Upcoming Schedule:
Sat 8/29:Plessis Motor Speedway; Hartley, IA
Sat 5/5: Plessis Motor Speedway Bullring Nationals; Hartley, IA
Sun 5/6: Rumble Series; Cedar Lake Indoor Arena; New Richmond, 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: 32
Wins:4
Top 3: 14
Top 10: 30
Heat Wins: 14
Article Credit: Stephanie Sparks
