CalSpeedSept2018

T om Zevin would follow the Pro Class karts down into the Esses for the start of the two-hour event, but it would be TJ Blackledge taking over the top spot from third by the end of lap one. Initially out front by a decent margin for the opening laps, Ariel Rubio would catch and link up with him, and from there, their advantage grew over the rest of the front pack. Elsewhere, pit stops had already started to take place amongst some of the regular front runners, with Steve Spring the first to blink on lap 3, quickly followed by Sean Fite one lap later. New hot shoe in recent months Evan Karp would follow suit a lap after Fite, and the trio linked up to make the most off of their alternate strategy. For the rest of the protagonists, it was all about working up through the field, with pit sops pushed out until later in the first half. The driver on the move in the first half was none other than the Summer Series point leader, Alyssa Yauney; starting 15th, she steadily worked her way through the field, making the most of the first half as she could. By about the 20-minute mark the lead was hers, with Blackledge able to latch on the tow hooks and stay with her, while Rubio slipped off the back of the train after trouble in traffic. From there through when the pit window for kart changes opened, it was all Yauney, her closest rival -Blackledge- electing to pit on his own just after the 30-minute mark. Without pressure, she would make her pair of pit stops back to back just after the 50-minute mark, not relinquishing the lead until making her required kart change just past halfway. The aforementioned Blackledge would be the benefactor of that stop, inheriting the lead from Yauney for the next five or so laps before he too ahead to make his kart change. Those five laps were important ones, however, as once the kart change was completed, it was TJ that had leapfrogged the former leader. From there it was Blackledge that would show he had the pace to beat, and as he clicked off lap after unfaltering lap, his advantage grew to a comfortable gap. Behind him, drivers pushed to adapt to their new rides, while other fresh drivers took over during the kart swap to make the most out of the second hour. Taking over for the former winner this season Chris Carter, Adam Nagao picked up where his teammate had left off, keeping up their front-running status that began with a P2 start. Third after the kart and driver changes were finished -albeit 10 seconds down from 2nd- Nagao pushed for more than just a podium finish, reeling in former leader Yauney a little every lap. Also making inroads with his varied strategy from the rest of his rivals, Sean Fite had a lot more work to do, sitting 7th and ten seconds astern of the podium. While both drivers put on the afterburners and shot towards the front, the latter had to fight through several drivers for position, while the former even led for a while when the second duo of pit stops started. While Blackledge cruised to his first career victory, both Nagao and Fite would be able to do the same for their respective podium spots, with the real fight being for fourth. Title contenders Alyssa Yauney and Taylor Hays would duke things out coming to the line, with Yauney keeping her title hopes alive for one more race by beating Hays at the line by just .012seconds… Round 9 Sept 22 2 HR