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Xplex/Acceleration Rmax challenge Round #4 Round #4 marked the first night race of the summer for the Rmax series. The turnout wasn’t quite what was expected but that is not to say the racing wasn’t phenomenal. Josh Fultz, Roger Scott Jr. and Trent Regan were the class winners, Roger made it looks easy but Josh and Trent were forced to fight all the way until the end. In the Rotax Jr. class Roger Scott led the heat race from start to finish followed by Jacqueline Weiss who is probably the most improved driver of the year, she shadowed Roger for a couple of laps before settling into a solid second place. In third place Devin Lukowski (also a very improved driver) was able to hold off a hard charging Josh Gustat. In the main event Roger jumped out to the early lead followed by Devin and Jacqueline. As the race wore on Roger had checked out but Devin and Jacqueline had an epic battle trading second place a couple of times before they tangled handing second to the hard charging Josh Gustat. Roger cruised to an easy win followed by Josh, Jaqueline and Devin. It is nice to see the younger drivers progressing; the competition level seems to be rising each race. In the Rotax masters class Trent Regan was the winner after he passed a quick starting Mark Anderson at around the halfway point. Trent had his kart working good and drove smart and calculated; if he keeps this up he will be hard to beat. Mark seems to be the quick starter in the class; he is always out front early. Dan Ferrell and Al Lewis fought for the last podium spot with Dan coming out on top. In the Rotax International class Josh Fultz led the main event wire to wire followed by Zach Woodsford, Sean Gilmartin, Mike Herda and Dave Fountain. All five of these guys are fast and it is a pleasure watching them each time they hit the track. They didn’t change positions many times but that is not to say it wasn’t exciting. Bottom line these guys are fast! So if any of you out of state International drivers want to test your skill against the best in the country, I challenge you to come out to Vegas. I also want to remind all drivers about the next round at LVKC on the 25th of July. Acceleration will be adding extra incentive to any drivers driving a kart we sell while displaying our decals. 1st place will receive a $50 gift certificate 2nd place will receive $25 and third place will receive $20. These contingencies are available for the Rotax International, Rotax Masters and Rotax Jr Classes. Rotax
Southwest Region Team Cup Race / Black Rock Raceway
 The turn-out was a little lower than a lot of us hoped for a western regional rotax race, but the racers that showed were some of the best in the country. Two of the racers, Andy Seesemann and Mike Herda won national Rotax championships last year. The weather was perfect 70 to 80 degrees all weekend, and the track at Blackrock is challenging and fun. Junior qualifying
was super tight with Roger Scott from Las Vegas putting his CRG Kali (51.915)
on the pole by two thousandths of a second over Jacob Neal (51.917) a
Jeff Pesner (52.223) was third. In Masters qualifying Larry Moulton (53.145)
topped Jerry Tatum (53.286) and Andy Seesemann (53.304) for the pole.
In the International class Bonnier Moulton dominated qualifying with a
(51.414) lap time Wyatt Lloyd (51.767) was second and Mike Herda (51.781)
was third. After all of the heats and qualifying the Pre-Final would have been a final in most club racing, but today it only determined the starting order for the main. This would also be the best gauge yet of who would be fastest in a longer race. In the junior class the order was Jacob Neal 1st, Roger Scott 2nd, Jeff Pesner 3rd, Michael Self 4th, and Tyler Bennett in 5th. The Masters class had Jerry Tatum 1st, Andy Seesemann 2nd, Waqar Meyer 3rd, Larry Moulton 4th, and Gary Pesner 5th. In the International class we had the biggest shakeup with Bonnier Moulton pulling out on the first lap with mechanical trouble and having to start last in the main. Wesley Phillips won the International Pre-Final followed by Josh Fultz 2nd; Curtis Cooksey 3rd who started last after mechanical trouble in both heats, Zach Woodsford 4th, and Tigh Isaac 5th. Roger Scott
won the junior race after Jeff Pesner was disqualified for an illegal
squish. Michael Self finished second and Keenen Schmitke had a great come
from behind drive to finish third, followed by Austin Isaac 4th and Tyler
Bennett 5th. The Masters race was dominated by Jerry Tatum, after passing
Andy Seesemann early in the race he led the whole thing. Gary Pesner drove
awesome coming from last place on the first lap to finish third with a
lap time over 3 tenths faster than the leaders, Pesner 3rd, ran out of
time but was close to Seeseman 2nd, and Tatum 1st, at the end. Derek Murdock
finished 4th, Sammy Valafar 5th, and Albert Lewis held on for 6th.
With 12 racers in the International class everyone had a chance to win. Bonnier Moulton was the fast guy in the morning International warm-up and there was a lot of talk about how exciting it will be to watch him come through the pack. Wesley Phillips was a little off the pace in the morning warm up but he knew it was the race that counts not the warm-up. The first start was waved off and you could see everyone was going for it. Wesley Phillips got a great start from pole position as everyone else struggled for position in the first few turns. Zach Woodsford and Tigh Isaac got together and both were out of the race, Bonnier got a great start going from last to fourth on the first lap. Josh Fultz in third and Curtis Cooksey in second set out after Wesley Phillips. On the third lap Cooksey set up Phillips for a pass down the front straight and drafted by. Cooksey 1st, on a Biesse led the rest of the race with Phillips 2nd, on his CRG followed by Fultz 3rd, Moulton 4th, and Wyatt Lloyd in 5th. The South West Rotax Regionals were fun for everyone that came and those of you who didn’t shouldn't miss the Blackrock shootout in June. This track is one of the most challenging and fun tracks you will find. The crew at Blackrock are one of the friendliest and most professional around. Don’t miss the Blackrock shootout or your shot at one of the largest purses in Kart racing. Xplex/Acceleration Southern Nevada Rmax Challenge Round #3
In the Rotax Jr class the racing was tight. Dusty Davis, Alexander Rossi and Roger Scott Jr had an epic battle through the entire main event. The Rotax Jr class is growing in size and looks to be one of the most competitive classes in our series. The heats were interesting; the timing system wasn’t working so they went back to the old pea pick and two heat system. Alexander Rossi looked tough winning both heats, although Davis showed he has some speed (Davis is returning from a broken collarbone) and we all know Roger is always a contender even though he struggled in his heats. In the main event Rossi jumped out to an early lead with Scott and Davis in tow. Scott quickly moved passed Rossi but only for a moment as Rossi countered and retook the lead. With Scott and Rossi battling Davis had quietly moved into the battle and when Scott went wide trying a move on Rossi, Davis snatched second place. With laps winding down Davis looked for a way around Rossi, but he was clearly not giving up the lead. Finishing order was Rossi, Davis and Scott. All three drivers were bumper to bumper from start to finish and put on an excellent show.
In the Rotax Masters class Ken Hurdle took both heat wins and the main event, but it was anything but easy. In the start of the main event Ken seemed to be sleeping, but Mark Anderson wasn’t, he quickly moved past both Ken and Dan Ferrell. The first few laps were mayhem with karts and dust moving in all directions, when the dust settled Sammy Valafar had moved past Mark for the lead while Hurdle had been shuffled back to sixth and Ferrell was out with a mechanical failure. Hurdle then found his groove moving through the pack to take the lead with a couple of laps left. Sammy had a mechanical failure and was forced out about the halfway point. When the mayhem was all said and done Ken took the win followed by Anderson and a tenacious Al Lewis in third.
The Rotax International class was highly competitive, the level of karters in this class is unbelievable. In the end it was 04’Rotax Jr national champion Mike Herda taking the win over teammate Zach Woodsford with Josh Fultz taking third. Mike looked confident and seems to have found his groove in the International class. In the first heat Herda soundly defeated Woodsford with Fultz in third. In the second heat Fultz took the win followed by Woodsford and Herda. Herda seemed to be on a mission in the main event winning by a safe margin, with Woodsford taking second and Fultz rounding out the podium. Xplex/Acceleration Southern Nevada Rmax Challenge Round #2 It turned out to be a beautiful day at LVKC, Saturday practice had some scattered showers but we couldn’t have asked for better weather on Sunday. The story of the day had to be Ray Chiappe, Ray looked fast in practice and qualified 3rd in the Rotax Masters class. In the heat Ken Hurdle took the win with Ray and Sammy Valafar in 2nd and 3rd respectively. The stage was set for a knock down drag out battle between the three contenders, although Ray spoiled the battle to be, he took the lead and quickly put a gap on the field. Sammy made a couple of attempts at a pass on Hurdle, but eventually settled into a solid third with Al Lewis claiming 4th. Kart club president Keith Lammers put in a strong run and looked to have 4th locked up before losing his chain with one lap to go. In the Rotax Jr class Roger Scott asserted his dominance by taking the pole, heat and main event wins. Alexander Rossi kept him honest and looked to mount a challenge in the main event although Roger held tough, Alexander looked to have 2nd place locked up until he lost his chain with one lap left. Josh Gustat took 2nd place and is inching closer and closer to Roger and Alexander, look for Josh to be in the mix for a win in the next race or two. Ian Anderson took the win in the Mini Max class. This class is ideal for the younger kids; any of you parents with kids in the Comer 80 class might want to look at the Mini Max package. The initial purchase is quite a bit more but the maintenance is far less and wouldn’t it be great to focus on chassis setup rather than constantly tinkering with your Comer motor. In the Mini Max class you can be confident your child has a competitive motor, and you can focus on the other aspects of racing rather than who paid the most for their Comer blueprint. In the Rotax International
Zach Woodsford took the win followed by Sean Gilmartin, In the Comer 80 class Larry Thomas and Dylan Kwasniewski had a tremendous battle in both the heat and main events. In the main event Larry made his way through the lapped traffic a little better and ended coming out on top. My hat is off to both kids they put on quite a show and I really enjoyed watching the race Xplex/Acceleration Southern Nevada Rmax Challenge Round #1 The weather was perfect and everyone was in full force. This race had the largest Rotax turn out we have seen in quite some time. In the largest class the Rotax Masters Dan Ferrel took the win followed by Ken Hurdle and Sam Valafar. Hurdle jumped out to the early lead in the main followed closely by Ferrel with Earl West in third place. At about the halfway point Ferrel made his move using lapped traffic to his advantage sliding past Hurdle. Hurdle looked to make a counter move but the race was red flagged due to an accident and since they were past the halfway point Ferrel was declared the winner followed by Hurdle, Valafar(In his first Rotax race) and West rounding out the top four. The accident that caused the red flag turned out to just be broken equipment and a couple of bruises but everyone was alright. In the Rotax Jr class Roger Scott Jr was the class of the field taking the pole position and winning both the prefinal and the final. Alexander Rossi made the trip from northern California but suffered the heartbreak story of the day losing his chain while running second with two turns until the finish. Josh Gustat finished second and Kennan Schmitke was third.
In the Rotax International class there were six drivers that separated themselves from the pack; this class has become far more competitive since license restrictions have been removed. The additions of Curtis Cooksey and Bonnier Moulton (both accomplished shifter racers) raised the competition level considerably. Zach Woodsford took the win followed by Josh Fultz, Sean Gilmartin and Bonnier Moulton in the International class. After several false starts the race was started, and then for no apparent reason it was red flagged and restarted (I am still waiting to hear why). After the starting fiasco Woodsford had the lead followed by Cooksey and Fultz. Cooksey dropped out with a broken throttle cable which allowed Fultz into second with Gilmartin in third; Fultz seemed to make the pass several times at the end of the back straight but never made the pass stick. Finishing order was Woodsford, Fultz, Gilmartin and Moulton first through fourth place were bumper to bumper all the way to the finish. I also wanted
to mention Ian Anderson took the win in the Mini Max class at our first
round. This class is a great stepping stone for younger drivers and I
look forward watching the class grow. It is nice to have a class where
the kids can focus on their driving and chassis setup rather than who
has the best motor builder. 2004 ~ Rotax Grand Nationals This years Rotax Nationals was a huge event that only experienced a few minor operational details. Marshal Martin and the crew did a great job and I still believe Marshal and his crew put on one of the best races of the year. This year the event was held in Las Vegas at the famous X-plex track, the weather was windy and the temperature was cooler than normal but the racing was some of the best I have ever seen.
It was clear Sean Gilmartin was the man all weekend and proved he has what it to takes to be one of the top racers in the country. Sean has worked very hard to get where he is, with exercise and a strict diet Sean has transformed himself into one of the top racers in the country. The confidence and knowledge Sean gained will surely help him in the future. Sean and his sponsor Jack of Diamonds will be a force in karting for years to come. Sean will try his luck in the TAG class at the Super nationals. Sean is also a very skilled shifter driver and might enter either S1 or Stock Honda.
Acceleration Southern Nevada Final Round Xplex 9/19/04  Sean Gilmartin - 1st Place The
final round of the Acceleration Southern Nevada Championship was windy
and cool but the racing was unbelievable. In the premier class (Rotax
International) it was the Sean Gilmartin show. Sean qualified 2nd behind
Josh Fultz but quickly took the lead in the heat race, Fultz shadowed
Sean all race before bobbling on the last lap allowing Jordan Musser to
pass for 2nd. The heat race finishing order was Gilmartin, Musser, Fultz
and Matt Jaskol rounding out the top four. In
the main event Jack of Diamonds driver Sean Gilmartin jumped out to an
early lead with Fultz in 2nd applying constant pressure, the two quickly
distanced themselves from the field, it was apparent they were in a class
of their own. Several drivers were left to battle for 3rd, but the battle
for 1st was between Fultz and Gilmartin. Fultz made his way past Gilmartin
and lead the majority of the race, but on the last lap Gilmartin snuck
underneath Fultz to take the win. The finishing order was Gilmartin, Fultz,
and Ken Hurdle who battled with Musser, Jaskol and Gavin Ernstone all
race. The Rotax
Jr’s put on a race that had as many lead changes as a NASCAR race
at Taladega. Roger Scott Jr took the win followed by Mike Herda. In the
Rotax Masters class Waqer Meyer took the win followed by Andy Seesman
and Mike Mautner. In the Shifter class Matt Jaskol took the win followed
by Nate Balzer and Jeff Kruger. Rick Smith took the win in Jr Superbox.
Unfortunately I missed the Junior 1 and kid kart classes, I was taking
cover from the wind. The official results will be posted as soon as they
become available. Nevada
R-Max Challenge Round 7 - Xplex 7/17/04:
By Chris Cooksey After some slight rain delay’s racing got underway without a hitch. In the Rotax International class it was total domination by Jack of Diamonds new driver Sean Gilmartin. Sean was on the pole position with Josh Fultz qualifying 2nd. In the heat race Sean and Zach Woodsford battled for a couple of laps before Sean made his way around Zach and stretched his lead to a considerable size. In the main event Sean took the lead and opened a sizable lead in a very short time. The battle for 2nd was heated with Ken Hurdle, Matt Monti, Fernando Poli and Josh Fultz changing positions for what seemed like over half of the race (fun to watch). Fultz ended up 2nd on the track, but was light at the scales giving Matt Monti 2nd and Ken Hurdle 3rd. In the Rotax Masters class Waqer Meyer took the win with Dan Ferrell, Trent Reagan and Bob Hurst following in that order. The local Masters are looking fast and we should have some frontrunners at the Grand Nationals in October. In the Rotax Jr class Roger Scott continued his dominance, but Mike Herda pushed him the whole way, on the last lap Herda passed Scott only to be passed back a couple of turns later, it was intense to watch. Jacob Dirkson looked fast taking 3rd place in the Rotax Jr class which is growing at each race. It was nice to see the 125 shifter class getting some new participants. Dave Fultz took the win followed by Zane Hollander, Nate Balzar and Jeff Schildmeyer. This may have been the race of the night; Zane took the lead followed by Jeff and Nate. Nate made his way past Jeff after some serious battling and quickly caught Zane, but the two tangled handing the lead to Jeff who was feeling some heat from Fultz. Fultz eventually made his way around Jeff and opened up a considerable lead. Nate and Zane quickly untangled their karts and began chasing Jeff, each of them made their way past but not without a fight. It was Jeff and Nates first race but you never would have known it the way they drove. As A reminder, Acceleration Kart Racing will be offering contingency dollars for all racers that display our decals and use a chassis that we carry. We will announce more details soon, but will be offering contingencies at LVKC on August 14th. See you there! Acceleration Southern Nevada Championship Round 6: By Chris Cooksey Unfortunately I was not able to attend round 6 of the series, Sean and I went to Utah for the Black rock summer shootout. I took the win in the Rotax Masters class and Sean was 6th in the International class. The track was challenging wide and smooth, what more can you ask for? The people who put on the race were super nice and really helpful. We will definitely be back next year. Here in Vegas I heard Todd Walton was flying. Todd took the win in the Rotax International class while Chris Davenport took the win in the Rotax Masters class and in the Rotax Junior class Josh Gustat took the win. It was good to hear some shifter guys that we haven’t seen for a while showed up. Dr. Mike Sullivan took the win; it is great to see Mike racing again. Here are the complete results: Rotax
Jr 80cc
Jr/60cc Rotax
International Rotax
Masters Superbox
Sr Jr.
2 Jr.
1 Kid
Kart 125
Shifter Acceleration Race Report: Rotax Southwest Team Cup 3/26/04-3/28/04
All of the locals that chose to race the regional race did great, first off the Rotax Jr’s; Roger Scott Jr. placed 3rd overall after an eventful weekend that saw him coming from behind after a miscalculation on kart width in qualifying. Roger drove smart in his heat races and in the prefinal giving him an outside front row starting position in the main event. Roger led the main briefly before settling into 3rd. Mike Herda in only his 2nd race qualified 4th and ran up front all weekend. Mike showed poise not usually shown by most rookie’s, he ended up around 7th. Mike has a some real talent and we look forward to watching his development. Mike is just learning so Rotax Jr’s watch out in October.
In the Masters class Trent Regan finished around 10th after starting the final from almost last. In the prefinal Trent was making a pass for 4th and hit some rocks that were scattered on the outside line of the track sending him sliding off the track. Trent was fast and will only get faster for October. Chris Davenport qualified 2nd and looked like a contender before encountering some problems in the first heat which did not allow him to finish the weekend.
In
the Mini Max class Dusty Davis was the class of the field taking the win
easily. Daniel Coop put in a great run to finish 2nd. ............................................................................................................................................... |
In
the International class Gavin Ernstone worked all weekend and with some
smart racing put himself in 5th at the end of the final. Gavin is a seasoned
racer and it showed; he did just what he needed to do all weekend to put
himself in a position for a good finish on Sunday. Ken Hurdle showed some
flashes of speed followed by fading results. I think Ken ended up in 7th,
but I think his expectations were a little higher. Sean Gilmartin had
an interesting weekend, in qualifying he pinched his fuel line leaving
his motor starving for fuel. This put Sean about midpack for the heat
races, Sean got a little excited in his first heat knocking his bumper
off leaving him with a DNF. Sean worked hard and was looking at 8th place
in the main before his fuel line came off…..damn racing is cruel
sometimes.
Jake
DeAngelis isn’t from Las Vegas, but we claim him in the Acceleration
pits. Jake in his second Rotax race (he is a seasoned KT racer) was strong
all weekend finishing 11th. Jake drove smart and is getting familiar with
his Rotax package. We look for some great results from Jake in the Gatorz
series and at the national in October. Fernando Poli, I am not sure how
his weekend went but I am sure he had some bad luck. Every time I saw
Fernando he had his helmet off watching the races from the infield (any
racer knows the awful feeling of watching your own race). Better days
are ahead for Fernando. 
