CalSpeedSept2018

FIRST OF TWO TRI-C EVENTS OF OCTOBER FOR CSK. O ctober brings the first of two Tri-C races for the month, with round #7 taking place this past weekend on the Classico Counter Clockwise circuit at CalSpeed Karting. Going into the event, CSK Racing had drivers in position to clinch the championship in all three 206 categories entered, with each class putting on a show on track. In the end, it would be an up and down day for the team, pairing wins with bad luck throughout the event… VLR SPEC 206 Mark Connell once again showed why he is the driver to beat in the VLR Spec class in round #7, clocking his fourth pole of the year to start the first heat race out front. It was exactly the start to the day that he wanted, looking to clinch the championship one round early over stablemate and closest competitor TJ Blackledge. He may have had pole position, but it was fellow CSK Racing driver Adam Nagao that would take things into turn #1, leading the opening couple of circuits before an electrical issue took him out of the running. Blackledge would find his way by at the same time, and it would be the 41 leading the 4 at the finish of heat 1. Heat two would see the outside row again with the jump, this time with Connell out front, a position he would hold onto for the duration of the race. For his part, Nagao would work up to third by the checkers, slotting in just behind Blackledge at the line. For the main, it was again the same three drivers at the front to kick things off, but this time it was TJ leading, with Adam sneaking past Mark by lap three. From there the top two would stretch away, while Connell battled with Lukas Dziemidok and 206 racing newcomer Evan Karp, eventually slipping to 5th. Out front, TJ Blackledge would hold off Adam Nagao to claim his fourth win of the year, while Lukas Dziemidok held on for his second podium of the season. With the win, Blackledge was able to take the championship on to the season finale, with Connell still holding an 89 point lead going in… VLR SPEC 206 TOP 5 POINTS (DROP): 1) Mark Connell 2337 (308) 2) TJ Blackledge 2248 (324) 3) Lukas Dziemidok 2099 (320) 4) Sean Bradley 2052 (316) 5) Adam Nagao 1826 (0) SENIOR 206 206 Senior would be a tumultuous one for the protagonists in the championship, as point leader Derek Esquibel came in with a chance to clinch, and Mike Smith a chance for second, but both would see their worst finishes of the year. The duo would go 3-2 in qualifying respectively, and after a hard fought battle for the first heat, it was Esquibel that would come out on top, with Smith settling for fourth after briefly leading. The second heat would again see the elbows-up type of racing that has been prevalent in the last couple of events, with Esquibel and Smith settling for 2nd and 3rd. The main would look to start in the right way, with Smith leading out of the gate and Esquibel slotting in behind to make it a CSK Racing 1-2 for the opening couple of laps. Unfortunately, Esquibel would receive contact that would knock him out of the running, while podium contender Riley Dugan and Drew Zeller would slip by Smith all in the same lap. Things would get turned on their head -literally- after a flip brought out a red flag, and created a 4 lap shootout for the win, with Smith starting second. Unfortunately, contact while going for a pass would knock his chain off and end his main prematurely, but it wasn’t all bad for CSK Racing. Smith’s bad luck was advantageous for a pair of his stablemates, as both Seth Willits -making his 206 racing debut- and Spec class standout Adam Nagao were promoted into striking distance of the podium. Willits would have 3rd on the white flag lap, but it would be Nagao stealing it away in the hairpin to score his second podium of the day. In the points it was a rough one for Esquibel, losing 57 points after getting knocked out of the main, his lead now counting just 5 markers going into the Season Finale. Smith also would lose points, and will either finish in third or fourth depending on how the last race goes… 206 SENIOR TOP 5 POINTS (DROP): 1) Derek Esquibel 2269 (332) 2) KC Cook 2264 (341) 3) Mike Smith 2187 (342) 4) Riley Dugan 2151 (326) 5) Drew Zeller 2044 (295) 206 MASTERS Like the other two classes, CSK Racing had a driver in position to clinch the championship an event early, this Photos by Heather Perrin Round 6 Sept 1