4/19/2021
KC Sparks
Minnesota Missile Monday: Season Championship in Emma
Minnesota Missile Monday: Season Championship in Emma
Emma Indoor Raceway; Emma, Missouri
April 19, 2021
Spring was in the air and outdoor season was knocking but four drivers had some unfinished business at Emma Indoor Raceway as they hit the dirt to race for the season championship for the 2020-2021 indoor season. The drivers who would finish in the top four positions, representing Iowa, South Dakota, and Minnesota put on a great show for the fans in attendance.
HEAT
The heat race was lined up by draw, but it turned out that they were also lined up by the current point standings going into the final show. Haylie Allen set the pace from the pole with KC Sparks scheduled to be alongside on the front row. Unfortunately, bad luck struck as Sparks was unable to get his kart to fire in staging and had to retire pitside before getting on the track. That moved Micah Haugan to the front row with Anthony Guessford alone in the back.
From the drop of the green, Allen jumped to the lead with Guessford tucking in behind and moving Haugan to third. The three drivers raced around the quick 1/10th mine track with Guessford right on the back bumper of Allen and Haugan just a few kart lengths back of the lead duo. Allen focused and hit her marks lap after lap, finally getting some track between her and second running Guessford. Meanwhile, Haugan started to close in on second while Allen cruised to the heat win. Guessford held off Haugan’s challenges to finish runner-up and Haugan third.
FEATURE
The feature line up put Guessford on the pole after his second place heat finish with the passing points, and Allen lined up alongside. Haugan was inside of Sparks in row two. When the green flag flew, Guessford held an early lead over Allen with Haugan in third and Sparks at the tail of the closely packed field.
The first two laps clicked off with all four drivers racing nose to tail, each trying to find a line around the kart just ahead of them.
Sparks was the first to make a move in the running order when he got a drive to the inside of Haugan and moved into the podium position.
Allen was faster than Guessford at the front of the field and was letting him know she was there with a few bumps on his tail. Unable to get under Guessford entering the third turn, Allen drifted high, losing ground to the leader and opening a lane for Sparks who quickly filled it and moved into the runner up position.
Allen tried to turn back under Sparks, but Haugan was right there in the fight and she settled into line to sprint down the backstretch.
Guessford continued to hold the top spot with Sparks in pursuit, searching for a line to get around the leader. Racing out of turn four, Sparks dove under Guessford and in a drag race to turn one, Sparks pulled ahead. Guessford tried to challenge back to the outside which caused his kart to get loose and forcing him to lift. That allowed Allen and Haugan to move up in the running order while Guessford collected his kart and refocused on his race.
With Sparks out front, Allen in second, and Haugan in third, the field started to spread out around the track. Sparks opened up a 10 kart length lead while Haugan remained within 5 lengths of Allen.
On the 18th lap, Haugan was charging the corner to challenge Allen and drove in too deep, causing the back end to come around on him. The young driver from Harrisburg, SD kept in the gas and drove out of the spin through the infield and back onto the racing surface without losing a position.
Sparks fought through the remainder of the 25 laps that ran green-white-checkered to claim the feature win. Allen came home in second with Haugan rounding out the podium. Guessford finished in fourth.
After the checkers, all four drivers and their parents “PARKED IT” in victory lane, knowing they were all winners and they all needed to be honored for their hard racing all season long.
NEXT UP
The top of the class in Box Stock at Emma have different avenues at the conclusion of the season.
Haylie Allen and Anthony Guessford will be moving up a class to the intermediate outlaw wing class with more horsepower. Fans can watch for them at English Creek Speedway, Newton Kart Klub, and Poplar Grove.
KC Sparks will continue his Box Stock racing with an aggressive schedule that takes him to the same tracks in Iowa along with venues in Wisconsin. Minnesota, and ending the year in Nebraska.
Micah Haugan will be racing as a rookie in the Box Stock class at Plessis Motor Speedway where he will share duties with his younger brother double classing in a blue plate outlaw wing kart.
1KC Motorsports Upcoming Schedule:
4/23: English Creek Speedway; Knoxville, IA
4/24: Newton Kart Klub; Newton, IA
4/30 English Creek Speedway; Knoxville, IA
5/1: Rumble Series; Cedar Lake Indoor Arena; New RIchmond, WI
2021 Partner/Sponsor Appreciation
Autoland; Sioux Falls, SD
Furby’s Auto Repair; Sioux Falls, SD
GRP Motorsports; Stillwater, MN
Last Deck LLC; Jackson, MN
Heser Auto and Detailing; Jackson, MN
DRE Horsepower; Boyden, IA
Jared Bailey Photography; Carlisle, IA
MyRacePass; #TeamMRP #GetTheApp
TL Racing; Jackson, MN
YTD Stats:
Features: 13
Wins: 7
Top 3: 12
Top 10:13
Heat Wins:4 out of 7
Quick Times: 0 out of 5
Article Credit: Stephanie Sparks
