4/29/2019
KC Sparks
Minnesota Missile Monday: Opening Night ECS
The season opener at English Creek Speedway was the venue for racing action this past weekend for KC Sparks. With the updated racing format and transponders to track timing, Sparks would be qualifying, running one heat race, and then the feature. Fifteen drivers registered for the restricted box class for competition for opening night.
Qualifying occurred in groups of four karts with Sparks going out in the second group. Sparks was able to get on the track without other karts near him and hit the gas in open track. Drivers raced around for three laps with their best time being recorded. Sparks was able to lay down a lap of 13.839 seconds to earn quick time for the restricted box class. The second quick time was 14.134 seconds by Nolan Freeman.
With the quick time, Sparks earned the pole position for the first heat race. Kaden Rice lined up alongside Sparks with Brantley Tjaden and Logon Benge completing the first two rows based on time trials. At the drop of the green, Sparks secured the early lead as the field throttled it into turn one. Sparks held a narrow lead over Rice as the front duo put some distance on the third place battle behind them. Rice remained within striking distance and coming to the line with two to go, Rice pulled to the inside of Sparks. Sparks maintained the lead but heading into turn one, Rice had the preferred line and was able to capture the top spot and held on the claim the heat race win. Sparks crossed the line in second with Tjaden, Benge, and Peyton Langlois finishing top five.
After some glitches with the new transponder system, the feature lineup was posted just before midnight with Sparks lining up inside row three due to a scoring error. Rice and Freeman earned the front row based on their heat race wins with Tjaden and Lauren Pfoltner in row two. With all fifteen drivers on the track, the pace four-wheeler led the field to the line. As the leaders hit the accelerate line together, Sparks pulled out of line and jumped to the lead by the flagstand. The officials let the start stand and Sparks led the field down the backstretch ahead of Rice, Freeman and Tjaden. Sparks slipped a little in turn four with Rice pulling alongside as they completed lap one. Rice and Sparks made contact at the line with Rice being forced to the infield as Sparks maintained the top spot. In turn two, contact between third and fourth runners, Tjaden and Benge resulted in a yellow flag and retiring Benge from the event.
The single file restart had Sparks line up ahead of Freeman, Rice, Pfoltner and Knox Peterson. Rice moved out of line early and was put back in line as the green fell for the restart. Sparks maintained the lead over Freeman who was battling with Rice for second. Another caution came out on lap four when the 87 of Carson Reutzel spun off of turn two. Sparks again led the field to the restart with Rice, Freeman, Pfoltner, and Peterson as the top running order. Sparks held a slight lead on the restart as the top three battled hard. Rice would catch Sparks in the turns and tag the back bumper before Sparks could pull away down the straightways. Freeman was using the second racing grove above Sparks and Rice to challenge for the top positions. On the ninth circuit, Rice bumped Sparks with more force coming out of turn four, causing Sparks to spin. Pfoltner was running fourth and had no place to go and tagged the left rear wheel of Sparks’s kart, ending her strong run. Sparks drove around to line up for the restart but complications from the contact sent him to the infield and retired. Rice went on to win his first feature at ECS with Freeman, Tjaden recovering from the early altercation to come home third, Peterson and Langlois from 9th to the top five.
When asked about his night Sparks excitedly declared that winning quick time was a great way to start the night. He noted that he made some mistakes, “I left the bottom open and that is where he got passed me.”
UPCOMING EVENTS:
Friday 5/3: English Creek Speedway
Saturday 5/4: Hy-Vee Knoxville Kart Show (10-2)
Saturday 5/4: Newton Kart Klub Weekly Races
SPONSOR APPRECIATION:
Autoland; Sioux Falls, SD
Furby’s Auto Repair; Sioux Falls, SD
Heser Auto and Detailing; Jackson, MN
Last Deck LLC: Jackson, MN
Jared Bailey Photography; Carlisle, IA
DRE; Boyden, IA
YTD STATS:
Heats Ran: 5 Wins: 2
Features: 3 Wins: 0 Top 5: 2 Top 10: 3
Submitted By: Stephanie Sparks