How I spend Thanksgiving Weekend - By: Gary Boggan

Posted Jody Shannon on November 27th, 2007 | Filed under Articles, Gary Boggan, The DRC

Tunica, Mississippi, a town known for casino’s and gambling would play host to the nations largest indoor kart race. It’s a Thanksgiving weekend tradition for some 1100 karters from across the country. Top names in the karting industry such as Ice, Paschal, Smith, Young, Blackhurst, and Fox attempted to make what is called the National Indoor Kart Championships.

For 17 years this race has been put on, from it’s origin in the fairgrounds of Memphis, Tennessee to the current location in Tunica, Mississippi the track has played the biggest role in heartbreak to achievement and anywhere in between.

The track is a flat, tight 1/8^th mile indoor dirt track. You have to root and gouge in order to win, short track racing at it’s finest. Every driver will tell you it’s a challenge just to get in the show. Your class could have up to 150+ entries, although this year I believe the highest count was 90, in Stock Medium. The vehicles used, weigh roughly 130-150 pounds race ready without the driver, and can reach speeds on some track in excess of 80 mph. The engines, are a Briggs and Stratton 5 hp flathead, along with a Briggs and Stratton Over Head Valve engine known as an “Animal” engine. There are also a couple of higher horsepower classes known as Limited Mod., Stock 100cc 2 stroke, and Unlimited All-Stars.

Friday morning, bright and early at 7 a.m. saw the gates opening with practice at 8 a.m. The first class out was a former class I competed in, the Sr. Champ. These karts known as a Champ Kart have a roll cage on them and have to weigh 410 pounds. After two rounds of practice and 5 hours later, qualifying starts. Which saw Brent Rowell from Memphis, Tennessee on the pole by .078 of a second ahead of Josh Myers, Buddy Wilson, Roger Padget, and Justin Lowe in round one. Ryan Montgomery set quick time in Jr. 1 with Zach Axlen on pole for Senior Animal. Evan Finley set the pace in Jr. Champ with a lap of 10.581 around the tight indoor bullring. Justin Lowe was the class of the field in Stock Super Heavy. With Jake Blackhurst taking top honors ahead of Cory Talaska.

The last half of first round qualifying saw Buddy Anderson below the 10 second mark with a 9.97 in Limited Mod. Junior 3 saw Houston McCoy lead the field to green. Once again Jake Blackhurst set quick time in Jr. Sportsman Champ with BJ Zimmerman closely behind by .006 of a second. Brandon Young set the notch early in Stock Medium, and it was never matched. 100cc Stock 2 cycle saw Dee Paschal become the next driver to dip below the 10 second mark with a blistering 9.707 second trip around the track. Tim Schmitts was also below the 10 second barrier. Dustin Westercamp set the marker high in Senior Stock Over 35 with Dee Paschal right behind. Bryce Fauntleroy closed out the pole sitters in round one.

Features started somewhere around 8 p.m. with Sr. Champ taking to the track first. Brent Rowell walked away with this one. All other results can be found on mylaps.com by typing in “Tunica” in the search bar. We got out of there at around 1 p.m. and after watching several drivers destroy karts, Tyler Smith go barrel rolling down the front stretch and a kart catch on fire, I was sure wore out. After laying down in the hotel and gathering my thoughts we went down and got something to eat out of the snack machine. I went to sleep shortly after. Was up by 7 the next morning to do it all again, after a quick shower, we were off to the track. This time I found a place and stayed there the whole day.

We caught a few wrecks. Ryan Luza had to have taken the hardest crash I have ever seen. Let me try to describe this to you. A 10 year old boy, give or take a couple years, gets put in the wall, helmet flies off, the kart backs into traffic as I’m sure he is in pain right now, another kart hits him in the shoulder/head area and send him flying out of the kart with his head and back first up against the wall. Thank God for the safer barrier put in place. He got up and walked away under his own power but I know he has to be sore, hope you feel better Ryan! The wreck will probably make some sort of highlight reel for ESPN2, as they were there covering the event to be aired sometime in the first quarter of the new year.

Needless to say after all the racing was over Saturday we pulled out of the parking lot at 11 p.m. and I was home by 12:30 after stopping to get some food. It was a great trip, and I’m looking forward to next years event. I’m also planning on attending the 1^st Annual Tupelo Kart Classic in Tupelo, Ms. Scheduled for December 29^th and 30^th at the Lee County Agri-Center. If you have a kid, or your interested in getting into karting let me know and I will help out as much as I can.

The opinions in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the DRC. If you have any questions please email me at theatokaoutlaw90@yahoo.com

Thanks,

Gary Boggan.