2019CalSpeedMagazineApril

R ound #2 for the Tri-C Karters season saw overcast skies eventually clear to a beautifully sunny day, and perfect conditions to go racing. And with nice weather comes more racers, with each of the three classes CSK Racing competes in swelling in numbers for the April event. When the dust settled, the team saw their drivers score pole positions, heat wins, and fast laps; all culminating in a pair of 1-2 finishes to cap things off… 100CC TAG MASTERS Known as a powerhouse in the 206 ranks, the VLR Emerald chassis has made its debut in the 2-stroke ranks here in 2019, with Mark Connell carrying the torch for the CSK Racing team at Tri-C Karters. Scoring a podium in the rain during his debut in the package, Connell came into the weekend with very little seat time in the dry, but was able to benefit from the R&D from fellow CSK Racing coaches Mike Smith and Derek Esquibel. Making the most of the development since February, Connell looked anything but a newcomer to the class, scoring the pole position in qualifying. He would back that up with a pair of heat wins going away, including cutting the fastest lap of the race in heat race 2. In the Main he would get the hole shot from the pole position, and immediately drive to over a second lead in the opening laps. Unfortunately, carburetor issues began to plague his motor from then on out, and his advantage over the rest of the field waned. Slipping from 1st to just off the podium in 4th, it was a tough pill to swallow for the driver who had been so dominant, but was able to take solace in the fact it was still a solid points day. He’ll head into round #3 second in the standings, just 6 points behind the leader… 100CC TAG MASTERS (TOP 5) 1. Robert Perez 767 2. Mark Connell 761 3. Bryan Williams 712 4. Nick Dyer 682 5. Jason Collins 681 206 MASTERS Finishing 1-2 in the rain, CSK Racing drivers Jose da Silva and Lukas Dziemidok entered round #2 tied for the point lead, and certainly favorites once again for the sharp end of the field. In qualifying, the pair would each have issues, the former with a small mistake in the final corner, while the latter battle with traffic. It would be a battle royale in each of the three races on the day, with the teammates always at the front. Heat one would see da Silva finish in front of Dziemidok after the pair lost the lead during their infighting, while heat two would see Lukas emerge the winner, with Jose coming home third, just in front of stablemate Sean Bradley. When the green dropped for the Main it was clear another CSK Racing driver intended on being in the mix, as Alexander Bermudez immediately worked inside the top three. For Bermudez, it was a long climb from the back in heat race two, having cut the fastest lap en route to a 5th place finish. It did not take long in the main to again show his speed, and by lap six he moved into the lead. From there it was him and Lukas Dziemidok controlling the race from the front, while Jose da Silva and Sean Bradley found themselves embroiled in a battle with Steve Jasinksi for the final podium spot. At the front, Lukas would find his way back by Alexander in the last few laps, but was unable to shake his rival before the end. On the final lap it was Bermudez again on the hunt, challenging Dziemidok through the final corner, the pair crossing the line just .054 seconds apart, advantage Dziemidok. Behind them da Silva and Bradley saw a shot at the podium for a brief moment, before settling for 4th and 5th respectively after a three- wide battle. 206 MASTERS (TOP 5) 1. Lukas Dziemidok 790 2. Jose da Silva 761 3. Steve Jasinski 736 4. Sean Bradley 710 5. John Rice 700 SENIOR 206 The 206 Senior category again would host some extremely tough competition, beginning straight away with the battle for pole position in Qualifying. CSK Racing would claim the first two rows on the grid, with Evan Karp coming away with his first pole position of the year by .177 seconds over round one podium finisher Seth Willits. Karp would lead a closely packed group at the front during heat #1, until the last few laps when Willits found his way by. Somewhere in the pack, contact saw Karp’s bumper ripped off from its holdings, earning him an early trip out of the race. Willits would hold on for the win, with TJ Blackledge besting Lukas Photos by Heather Perrin Round 2 April 20

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