CalSpeedAug2018

T he eighth round of the 2018 IronMan Series championship saw the series roll through the shortest of the CalSpeed layouts, taking to the tight confines of the Classico course for the month of August. Coupled with the Classico Grand Prix, the track was as tight as it gets, with the walls right up next to the edge of the track. The 33 karts across two classes not only had to negotiate each other but those tight spaces for the full hour contest, putting on quite a show in the process… The Pro Class would look a little different this time around, with only Tony Wika as the regular driver in the category in attendance, joined by east coast fly-in driver Ryan Curtin and two-time sport class champion Adam Nagao. Wika would lead the field to the green, and through the first circuit, but it was Adam Nagao taking control by lap two, working up from third at the start. Nagao would not only hold onto the lead but stretch out to over a 2-second lead, as Curtin battled with Wika for the runner-up spot. Curtin would finally make his way by to complete lap seven in the 2nd position, with Nagao simultaneously electing to head into the pits for his first stop the very next lap as he caught traffic. Curtin would stay out until lap 20, while Nagao would come back down pit road for his second stop on lap 13, making for a wildly split strategy for the top two runners. It wasn’t until lap 47 that the battle resumed, with Curtin completing his second stop exiting out right with Adam after the duo had spent the past 40+ laps on their own. What ensued was an awesome battle back and forth between the two Pro Class drivers; each one of them splitting their focus between scything their way through the traffic, while still trying to find either a way past their foe or hold them at bay. It was one such occasion that Nagao mistimed his move through traffic out of the Esses, allowing Curtin to sneak by as the slower sport kart balked the former leaders’ progression. Still, Nagao fought back to steal the top spot back one lap later, putting Curtin back on the offensive. Unfortunately, the show would come to a premature halt after Curtin would make slight contact with a wall with only about ten minutes left, forcing him to settle for second while Nagao held on for the victory. Round 8 Aug 18 PRO Winn Adam Nagao PRO RESULTS 1) Adam Nagao 2) Ryan Curtin 3) Tony Wika