Four Double at AKRA Labor Day Race

Story by Bruce C. Walls
Photos by:
Bruce C. Walls
Susan Taylor-Walls

    CARNESVILLE, GA-Racing action at the American Kart Racing Association’s American Speedway Championship Dirt Series National Sunday August 31st was as hot as the hot, humid 90 degrees in the air at the Georgia Karting Komplex in Carnesville, GA. Racers qualified by class for the first feature.  Then AKRA officials used moto-cross scoring based on qualifying and their first race finish to set the grid for the second feature.

Four entries were double winners.  Knopf, of Lancaster, S.C., kicked things off with the first of his two wins.  Matt Chavis put down a 15.034-seconds Stock Lite top-qualifying lap on the wide ¼-mile clay oval.  Knopf was second fastest qualifier at 15.051-seconds.  Behind them in row two were Corbin Dickson and Ashley Abernathy.  Chavis shot into the early lead with Knopf’s Tod Miller Racing Engines powered Phantom Icon kart in hot pursuit.

Knopf kept the pressure on Chavis for a lap before finding the opening he was looking for.  Once in the lead Knopf left his competition in the dust.  Except for Jason Scruggs who was taking a distant second, but coming on fast.  At mid-race Knopf commanded by ½-second.  Scruggs reached Knopf’s back bumper during the final laps.  With just three laps to go Scruggs pulled beside Knopf.  Scruggs kept a nose on Knopf most of the final lap.  Knopf prevailed for the narrow 0.073-seconds victory margin. Chavis crossed third, Robby Dunlop followed in fourth, Abernathy fifth.

“I couldn’t tell if there was anybody behind me or not,” Knopf said.  “Then I looked back and seen him (Jason Scruggs) back there so I was trying not to lift.  I didn’t want to drive it too hard and over drive it and have him get by me.  I was just trying to drive it as fast as I could without messing up.  I want to thank Phantom Racing Chassis for the Icon kart and Tod Miller for the motor, it was awesome.”

Abernathy clocked Stock Medium’s pole time in 15.076-seconds.  She shared front row with Scruggs.  On the first lap Abernathy hustled into the early lead while Brandon Owen shot by Scruggs for second.  Further back Knopf was working his way to the from a fifth place start.  After passing Scruggs and Owen, Knopf went after Abernathy.  He passed her several laps later, but she stayed glued to his tailpipe and was only 0.216-seconds late under the checkered flag.  Owen, Scruggs and Jeff Moss filled out the rest of the top five.

Mechanicsville, VA based, Avis Electric backed Scotty Bajer blasted around the track in 15.19-seconds for Stock Heavy’s pole.  Bajer took the early lead while Knopf worked his way through the field from fifth to second again. Then he worked by Bajer for the lead. It would be short lived.  Jerry Mullis grabbed a piece of it and showed them through the race’s only caution.  Mullis led the restart. Behind him 15-year-old Daniel Armstrong was closing in. 

“I wasn’t really wanting that caution,” said Armstrong an Eddie Mishue Racing Engines powered Galaxy kart pilot.  “It was iffy. I knew I had him (Knopf) on the long run, but I was worried on the short run cause I knew there was a few people behind me, but it worked out.  The kart’s been excellent all weekend.  I won three yesterday and the only one I entered today.”

Knopf stayed with Armstrong down to a 0.193-seconds difference at the stripe.  Bajer beat Scruggs to the finish line settling third and fourth.  Behind them Haire rounded out the top five.

Haire earned two poles from where he won back-to-back feature races, Super Heavy and Senior Champ.  Bandon Watson earned Super Heavy’s outside pole with a 15.491-seconds lap that was a tenth of a second off Harie’s 15.481-seconds pole-winning lap. When the green flag flew so did Watson who hustled into the early lead.  Haire hung behind Watson for several laps before taking the lead for the first time.  On lap four Zac Powell passed Haire for the lead and held it until five laps were left.  With time and distance against him Haire saw an opportunity and seized the lead.  Powell offered several late race challenges, but Haire shook them off before taking the final flag with a narrow 0.104-seconds lead.

“That was a close one,” Haire said of the finish gasping for air while running to Senior Champ’s grid.  “I don’t like having them that close.  Zac (Powell) and Brandon (Watson) ran a good race.  I just let them get out front and had to get them back at the right time and at the right place.  I have to thank Eddie Mishue and Galaxy Racing Chassis, Andy Murray, my dad, David and everybody that came here to help me.  I’m tired.  We drove seven hours to get here last night to get here this morning.  We can sleep tomorrow.”

Watson was third followed by Scooter Way who finished fourth.  Way and his father, Stan Way, are both former national champions who have returned to karting after chasing the stock car circuit for a few years. “We did good with the car,” Stan said adding, “We won some races and earned some championships and decided to get back into karting. Actually this is our first time back in a kart.”

After weighting in and getting his kart to tech Harie ran back to the front of the grid and hopped into his Senior Champ kart.  Earlier Harie put his Eddie Mishue Motorsports powered Galaxy Senior Champ kart on the pole with a 15.396-seconds lap. Outside pole winner Marty Abernathy (15.543-sec.) offered Haire several early race challenges before Haire rocked away from the field on his way to building a comfortable 2.294-seconds finish line advantage over Abernathy.

Junior 1 Purple Plate’s first feature started as a heated lead swapping battle between front-runners Spencer Davis and Taylor Wilkes.  Wilkes won the pole with a 16.269-seconds trip; Davis spun a 16.319-seconds lap for the outside pole.  Trailing Wilkes, Davis watched him go high in turn three so next time around Davis dropped low and passed Wilkes for the lead.   Before it was over Woodrow Mullis passed Wilkes sending him further back as Davis continued opening the lead.   In the final laps Mullis closed the gap crossing the stripe 0.210-seconds behind Davis.  Russell Winchester and Grant Sebok completed the podium. 

“It was kind of hard,” Davis, of Dawsonville, GA, said of the winning pass.  “My friend Taylor Wilkes hit my left rear and that sent him back to third.  The Ultramax kart handled good and Tim Fishel’s motor was good.”

In the second feature Davis secured the lead and held it as Wilkes challenged him at every turn.  Davis dominated to the end where he was 0.395-seconds ahead of Wilkes.

Wilkes and Davis were also the top two Junior Sportsman Champ racers.  Davis dominated qualifying with a 16.457-seconds run.  They battled for the early lead. Wilkes won that fight and the race taking the checkered flag with a 0.262-seconds edge over Davis. “I didn’t think I had it there for a second.  It just ended up the way I wanted it to,” said the 11-year-old Jefferson, GA based winner  “The Ultramax kart handled pretty good and Tim’s motor was fast.”

Matt Bowling spun a track blistering 15.070-seconds lap for Junior 3 Gold’s pole, but followed double winner Wilson Keene’s Tim Fishel Racing Engines powered Ultramax Racing Chassis across the stripe in both features.  Keene captured the first feature’s early lead as three and two wide battles for positions unfolded behind him.   By mid-race Keene owned a huge lead over Bowling who trailed him across the stripe by 1.260-seconds.  Jacob Abernathy, Brandon Brown and Brett Heatherly rounded out the top five. 

“The kart was as fast as it’s been all day long and I was able to pull away from them,” said the 15-year-old Abbeville, GA based double winner. “Tim’s motor was awesome. It pulled good down the shoot.  The setup was good and we finally figured out the tires.”

After two cautions on the first lap Junior 3 Gold Plate racers settled down and followed Keene single file.  Keene shook off several early challenges from Bowling before building a 0.800-seconds finish line edge over Bowling.  Behind Bowling in the top five were Jacob Abernathy, Brown and Hunter Weickum.

“It was great,” Keene said of his second win. “There was a lot of competition out there.”

Jason Scruggs and Jerry Mullis topped the Animal Heavy features.  Scruggs was the fastest qualifier at 14.768-seconds; Mullis was second fastest at 14.785-seconds.  They opened the first feature with an exciting side-by-side battle the first time around.  Scruggs held his line forcing Mullis to tuck in behind him.  Working together Mullis and Brandon Owen tried to draft by Scruggs, but Scruggs, piloting a Hi Tech Racing Engines powered Tempest Racing Chassis, fought hard and held on for the day’s closest win.  Just 0.058-seconds separated them.

“It was pretty good from start to finish,” Scruggs, of Easley, S.C. said of his machine. “The Tempest kart was good, it started sliding toward the end, but other than that it was pretty good and the Hi Tech motor was good, it ran good.”

Stoney Creek, VA based Adam Beville, Brandon Owen and Haire trailed Mullis nose-to-tail for the top five.

Mullis and Owen were on row one for the second feature.  Mullis checked out early with Owen challenging.  John Cunningham threaded his way to second, but that was a far as he could go. Scruggs crossed third, Clinton Yon followed in fourth and Bajer was fifth across the stripe.

“It was pretty good, We definitely needed it,” Mullis beamed.  “We’ve been fast all weekend things have just been falling away. We definitely needed this one. The Ultramax Racing Chassis was perfect like always.  Tim’s motor was excellent; we definitely couldn’t get any more power.” 

Brandon Brown beat out Morgan Kellett in Junior Champ.  Brown was fastest qualifier turning a 15.971-seconds lap.  Kellett shared front row.  Brown blasted into the early lead and never surrendered it before crossing the finish line with a 4.084-seconds advantage. 

Piloting a Tod Miller Racing Engines powered Phantom Icon kart 12-year-old Jak Kicklighter turned a 15.543-seconds lap for Junior 2 Blue Plate’s pole.  Kicklighter shot into the early lead. Behind him Jonathan Hinson was working his way from a fourth place start.  Hinson reached second and started challenging the leader.  Nick Schlager reached third and tried, with Hinson, to draft by Kicklighter.  Kicklighter prevailed taking the final flag with a 0.236-seconds edge over Hinson.  Further back Schlager held onto third trailed in the top five by Ryan Heaver and Houston Smith.

“We’ve been good all weekend and well, I guess we’re doing good right now,” laughed Kickligher of Savannah, GA. “The kart felt good, it was a little slick; I think we have to go down a little in air pressure. Tod Miller’s motor was jumping out of the corners; it felt good.”

Smith turned the tables on Kicklighter in the second Junior 2 Blue Plate feature.  Once again Kicklighter roared into the early lead. This time Smith quickly shot by Kicklighter.  Kickligher tried recapturing the lead, but Hinson and Davis kept him so busy defending second he couldn’t comfortably challenge Smith.  In the final laps Davis got a little drafting help and briefly took the lead from Smith.  Smith rallied back, recaptured the lead, and beat Kicklighter to the stripe by 0.251-seconds. Hinson, Davis and Schlager filled the rest of the podium.

“It was ok,” 12-year-old Smith, of Claremont, GA, said of having to climb through the field to catch Jak Kicklighter.  “I knew Jak (Kicklighter) was going to walk away early.  I caught up with him with three laps to go.  On the last lap he went to the inside and I went to the outside and passed him for the win. The Ultramax kart was awesome.  The motor was awesome. Tim Fisher’s motors are awesome.  I’d like to thank Ultramax, Kevin, Matt Chavis and everybody else that helped me.” 

Unlimited All-Stars joined the show.  Robby Yow’s Wankle Rotary Engine powered Shadow Racing Chassis posted the day’s fastest qualifying lap at 13.571-seconds. From there Yow roared around the track leaving his competition in the dust.  When the dust settled Yow was at the stripe 3.156-seconds ahead of Teddy Headrick.

“It was all the Wankle Rotary engine and the tires by Track Tac. I’d like to thank Randy Ransome for all of that,” said the Greensboro, N.C. based Yow.  “The Shadow Racing Chassis handled great.  The first lap it was perfect and the last lap was perfect.  I couldn’t ask for anything better.”

AKRA dirt racers will join the 7th Annual Big Kahuna September 28th at Margarettsville Speedway in Margarettsville, N.C.  For more information on this exciting event visit the AKRA website at www.akrainc.com.