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| February 01, 2010 News |
| Apex Karting: Winter Series Gets Underway with Three Winners |
The 2010 Apex Challenge Series Winter Season commenced this past Tuesday (January 26), with the first round what will be a seven-week fight for the title. With three separate classes running (Light- 150lbs, Medium- 200lbs, Heavy- 250lbs), there was plenty of action on the true quarter mile track, with all drivers looking to get their title hopes started strong. With the starting grid set from last weeks Qualifying Night, moving up the order would be tough, but the night offered a few surprises…
Starting from the point in the Light class was Jessica Dana, the outright track record holder at Apex Karting, and one of it’s up and coming stars. The third place Light class points finisher from last Fall, Dana looked strong all night, winning the Heat race in convincing fashion, and then holding off a late charge from rookie Pranesh Ganesh for the overall victory. Ganesh, a native of India, applied heavy pressure to the local hotshoe, proving he would be a threat for the tile by clocking the fastest lap of the night en route to his second place finish. Rounding out the podium was Fall Season Light class champion Chaz Wilder, again showing his speed and consistency that took him to the title in the ACS inaugural season. Fourth place at the 2009 U.S. Indoor Karting Championship KC Ben Wallace, finished the night fourth in points, after recovering from a botched pit stop.
The new Medium class featured the regular national weight standard of 200lbs, and of no surprise had the largest grid and some of the strongest competition. Wallace led the way at the drop of the green in the Heat race, holding off a hard charge from standout rookie Gary Smith. Wallace’s chance at overall victory were hampered by a slipping belt however, narrowly missing the podium, as the issue became worse throughout the race. Smith looked to be a contender for the win, until he also messed up his mandatory stop, eventually settling for sixth in the points. Their misfortune benefited Adam White and Dana however, as the duo saw their fight for third place become a fight for the win. White, last Fall’s second place finisher in Light class, staved off the constant pressure from Dana to score an impressive victory to start the season. White had come from sixth at the start of the night, making three-wide passes and using great pit strategy to make his way to the top. On the final step of the podium was be Michael Kinney, clocking fastest lap of the night, using smart strategy to leapfrog Wallace in the pits.
The tightest grouping of skill in the ACS is the Heavy class, with it’s drivers separated by less than a quarter second on many occasions. On this night however, Smith dominated the event, sweeping both the Heat race and the Feature after starting from pole. Behind the rookie, Michael Kinney continued to show his improvement from last season, showing pace and consistency that will keep him in contention for the championship until the final round. Wowing the sidelines was Rich Swanson, driving his machine past the 45 sec barrier, bringing home fastest lap of the night on his way to a third place finish. His 44.919sec time marks the first sub 45 second lap for the Heavy class at Apex Karting, showing the vast increase of pace in the class.
The second round of the ACS Winter Season will be Tuesday (February 2), and will be the first time this season that the drivers take to the track in the reverse direction.
As always, look for all the event coverage here at IndoorKartingNews.com, as well as results, standings, and race reports at the official site for the Apex Challenge Series, http://www.apexkarting.webs.com
Apex Championship Series - Winter League
Tumwater, Wash. - Round 1 Results
Light class (150lbs)
| Pos. | Driver | Heat Win | Feature Win | Fast LapPts | Round One | Total| 1. | Jessica Dana | 1 | 1 | 8 | 118 | 118 | | 2. | Pranesh Ganesh | - | - | 7 | 97 | 97 | | 3. | Chaz Wilder | - | - | 8 | 89 | 89 | | 4. | Ben Wallace | - | - | 5 | 75 | 75 | | 5. | Dan Coggeshall | - | - | - | 70 | 70 | | 6. | Jake Yancey | - | - | 1 | 59 | 59 | | 7. | Tristan Haider | - | - | 1 | 57 | 57 | | 8. | Bob Vanderhoof | - | - | - | 49 | 49 | |
Medium class (200lbs)
| Pos. | Driver | Heat Win | Feature Win | Fast LapPts | Round One | Total| 1. | Adam White | - | 1 | 5 | 110 | 110 | | 2. | Jessica Dana | - | - | 2 | 93 | 93 | | 3. | Mike Kinney | - | - | 5 | 84 | 84 | | 4. | Ben Wallace | 1 | - | 5 | 82 | 82 | | 5. | Rich Swanson | - | - | - | 64 | 64 | | 5. | Gary Smith | - | - | 9 | 64 | 64 | | 7. | Brent Quebedeaux | - | - | 1 | 61 | 61 | | 8. | Jake Yancey | - | - | - | 52 | 52 | | 9. | Turis Corning | - | - | - | 43 | 43 | | 10. | Randy Bell | - | - | 3 | 40 | 40 | | 11. | Bob Vanderhoof | - | - | - | 32 | 32 | | 12. | Dan Coggeshall | - | - | - | 27 | 27 | |
Heavy class (250lbs)
| Pos. | Driver | Heat Win | Feature Win | Fast LapPts | Round One | Total| 1. | Gary Smith | 1 | 1 | 7 | 117 | 117 | | 2. | Mike Kinney | - | - | 7 | 98 | 98 | | 3. | Rich Swanson | - | - | 6 | 85 | 85 | | 4. | Brent Quebedeaux | - | - | 3 | 74 | 74 | | 5. | Kip Kyler | - | - | - | 71 | 71 | | 6. | Eric Waehling | - | - | 7 | 70 | 70 | |
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