NEWS – For the second time in 2012, Bruce Brothers Racing scored feature race wins in both of our karts on the same race day. Mid-State of Ohio Kart Club Race No. 3 was a reverse direction (clockwise) event at Circleville Raceway Park. Conor qualified on pole and led every lap of the feature in his 80cc shifter kart race. Peter was in Cincinnati with his UA Crew teammates competing in the Midwest Junior Rowing Championships, so Conor did double duty. He qualified Peter’s Spec 100 Pipe kart on the front row and won the feature in it, too. Peter's 4+ boat won the gold medal at the Midwest Juniors, so it was an excellent day of racing for the Bruce boys.
PRACTICE – During practice, we had lots of changes to check out on Conor’s kart. After his flip in Race No. 2, we replaced his broken seat (an integral part of the chassis on a racing kart), repaired various bits and pieces, including the steering wheel and the radiator supports, and performed a wheel alignment. We also repaired a leak in his radiator. The only changes we had to make on Peter’s kart was to add weight – about 20 lbs – to bring him up to the class minimum and change the gear ratio to account for the reverse direction. Conor acclimated well to Peter’s kart, which is the same chassis he won the Yamaha Junior championship with in 2008. Conor had new tires on his kart and used tires on Peter kart.
SPEC 100 PIPE – Conor started the first heat race in Peter’s kart from pole position (of five). He led through the first turn, pulled away a bit, and won comfortably. From the rear of the grid in his second heat, he improved two positions at the start. He made another pass on Lap 2 to bring him up to second. He nipped at the heels of the leader on several occasions, but settled for second knowing that would put him on the front row for the start of the feature. At the start of the feature, he went side-by-side with the pole-sitter through the first four turns. He settled into second and pressured the leader for the first few laps. Conor’s opportunity came on Lap 4 when the leader made a small mistake entering Turn 5 (the turn before the long straightaway during reverse direction events). Conor was able to pull alongside and out-brake the leader going into Turn 4. He pulled away slightly and maintained a comfortable margin to the finish. This was Conor’s second win in Peter’s kart – he also did it last season during MSOKC Race No. 5 (June 25, 2011) while Peter was in Italy.
80cc SHIFTER – Conor started the first heat race in his own kart from the seventh position (of nine). He made a good start and was able to pick up a few positions on the inside in the second turn (Turn 9) by using a wide exit from Turn 10. He got bottled up while trying to make another pass on Lap 3 and lost two positions. He gained both back in the next lap and improved one more position to third on the following lap. The leader had gotten away but Conor was able to catch up and apply pressure to the second place kart. He got a good run through Turn 5 on the last lap and was able to make the pass for the win going into Turn 4. Starting from third in his second heat, Conor gained one position at the start and another in Turn 4 on the first lap, after which the first two pulled away from the field. Conor managed the gap and won comfortably. A video of the start and the first three laps can be found here. A second and a first earned Conor pole position for the start of his feature race. While he led every lap for another feature race win, it wasn't easy. While Conor recorded some amazingly consistent lap times (less than 1/4 second difference over 10 laps), the second place kart would draw near and then drop back as the result of pushing too hard. This happened twice before the gap opened up and Conor won by just over a second.
NEXT RACE – Peter’s rowing season is over now, so we’ll be back to full strength for MSOKC Race No. 4, which is Sunday, June 3, 2012, at CRP. This event will feature standing starts (like the 80cc Shifter class) for all classes. Henry will be home by then, too, after having graduated from Brown University last weekend. Hopefully he’ll be rested up enough to join us at the track.
Bill
p.s., Lap times, lap charts, and results can be found here.
SPEC 100 PIPE – Conor started the first heat race in Peter’s kart from pole position (of five). He led through the first turn, pulled away a bit, and won comfortably. From the rear of the grid in his second heat, he improved two positions at the start. He made another pass on Lap 2 to bring him up to second. He nipped at the heels of the leader on several occasions, but settled for second knowing that would put him on the front row for the start of the feature. At the start of the feature, he went side-by-side with the pole-sitter through the first four turns. He settled into second and pressured the leader for the first few laps. Conor’s opportunity came on Lap 4 when the leader made a small mistake entering Turn 5 (the turn before the long straightaway during reverse direction events). Conor was able to pull alongside and out-brake the leader going into Turn 4. He pulled away slightly and maintained a comfortable margin to the finish. This was Conor’s second win in Peter’s kart – he also did it last season during MSOKC Race No. 5 (June 25, 2011) while Peter was in Italy.
80cc SHIFTER – Conor started the first heat race in his own kart from the seventh position (of nine). He made a good start and was able to pick up a few positions on the inside in the second turn (Turn 9) by using a wide exit from Turn 10. He got bottled up while trying to make another pass on Lap 3 and lost two positions. He gained both back in the next lap and improved one more position to third on the following lap. The leader had gotten away but Conor was able to catch up and apply pressure to the second place kart. He got a good run through Turn 5 on the last lap and was able to make the pass for the win going into Turn 4. Starting from third in his second heat, Conor gained one position at the start and another in Turn 4 on the first lap, after which the first two pulled away from the field. Conor managed the gap and won comfortably. A video of the start and the first three laps can be found here. A second and a first earned Conor pole position for the start of his feature race. While he led every lap for another feature race win, it wasn't easy. While Conor recorded some amazingly consistent lap times (less than 1/4 second difference over 10 laps), the second place kart would draw near and then drop back as the result of pushing too hard. This happened twice before the gap opened up and Conor won by just over a second.
NEXT RACE – Peter’s rowing season is over now, so we’ll be back to full strength for MSOKC Race No. 4, which is Sunday, June 3, 2012, at CRP. This event will feature standing starts (like the 80cc Shifter class) for all classes. Henry will be home by then, too, after having graduated from Brown University last weekend. Hopefully he’ll be rested up enough to join us at the track.
Bill
p.s., Lap times, lap charts, and results can be found here.
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