CalSpeedAug2018

Pole - TJ Blackledge T he Classico Grand Prix. For the drivers of the Super Series, this race is their Monaco; the ‘big one’; the one that each one wants to win above all others. Some of the best in the business have stood on the top step of the podium, and in 2018, a new face would add their name to the history books… Not only is the Classico a prestigious win, but it carries with it a few unique elements that make it a little more special, starting with the poster presentation; a poster commemorating the winner from the previous year, while also given to the current year’s winner. The 2017 event was a memorable one, as Jon Kimbrell was able to win after the passing of his father Dennis, and the poster captured the emotion of the pace lap from that day. Three-time winner of the event Jon Kimbrell posed with the poster at the drivers’ meeting and would go on to have a very good day indeed. The day would begin with TJ Blackledge scoring his second career pole position -first on Classico- with Masters point leader Diego Morales putting up his best performance in qualy this year to snag P2, just .010 off TJ. The heat races would be hotly contested throughout the day, with not only six different winners, but no winner doing better than fifth in their other heat race. Instead, consistency saw a pair of second-place finishes snag pole position for the A-Main, with none other than the ‘King of Classico’ himself, Jon Kimbrell doing the honors. Fellow non-heat winner Alyssa Yauney showed why she is the overall point leader with her off pole starting spot via a 2nd and a third, while Sean Fite led the heat race winners with a 3rd overall starting spot. Former title contending driver Aaron Scott lined up fourth via his own heat race win, with the other four heat race winners Mark Connell (5th), Taylor Hays (9th), Patrick Britain (11th), and Scott Milne (12th) lining up further back. Before the A-Main could get on course for their 20 lap contest, the first main of the day had to tackle their 15 lap challenge, with Grand Masters title contender Brian Starr leading the way. Starr would stay in the first position through the first half of the race until Nathaniel Small made his move from the second spot on lap 8. Starr would fall to third in the attack, and then immediately come under fire from the rest of the top five to fall back to sixth, with the fight for the lead really heating up in front of him. John Shepherd was the big mover while all the jostling for positions happened, moving up to second spot, on lap 10, before making his own move for the lead on lap 11. Small fell back one spot but still held a second or so lead on third, who was again Brian Starr, his counter attacks getting him back up to the top three. Unfortunately, Shepherd’s time at the front was short-lived, as the engine in his kart expired, relinquishing the top spot back to Small, who held on the final couple of circuits for the C-Main win. The B-Main would continue the trend of exciting racing, this time with Cameron Rose leading the field away, with Lukas Dziemidok, and Anthony Severson directly in tow. Rose would come under immediate pressure, with Severson moving up from third to steal away the lead in lap one, bringing Dziemidok with him. Lukas would waste no time with his own pursuit of the win, however, A Main Podium B-Main Winner Jose da Silva C-Main Winner Nathaniel Small Round 8 Aug 18