19 January 2019 Go Kart Racing
We had 8 drivers and some good fun. Two 10 minute race sessions.
It was pretty cold and breezy for Houston!
These are the fastest lap winners. Picture pretty much sums it up.
JT just managed to squeak a faster lap than Dylan, spun out, recovered and still finished first.
Quoting John:
Space City's inaugural event scored a big win for everyone on the fun meter. Brunch at the Toasted Yolk was delicious with plenty of discussion around current automotive technical challenges, restoration progress being made, CVAR race planning for Feb 22nd and other Pantera events planned in Europe and the US. Brunch included John, Drew & Kevin Vincent, Kirby Schrader, Fred Foreman, Steve Hawkins, Ed Nagel and John Taphorn. Steve, John V & John T drove their Panteras. Kirby's Pantera produced no sound at the turn of the key; so, he opted for the Shelby. Ed's Pantera was in Dallas; thus, he shook the ground with his, over the top, Olds 442+. Fred had carb issues and elected a boring alternative. :^)
Then it was off to the Karting track. We were joined by Dylan and Ariel Schrader for our main event. The skies cleared and the sun greeted us. The wind made things cool and thankfully, it relented part of the time.The track still had puddles from the previous evening's rain. The largest in turn #1's apex after the front straight. Wow, this would prove fun and it really was. Everyone had a ball sliding and fighting for position. The Vincents were busy strategizing between rounds on a three wide blocking maneuver. It proved unnecessary as John V had little trouble earning a podium spot despite being stuck off course and in the mud for at least a third of the session. Our only female racer, Ariel, (with a distinct weight advantage I might add) seemed to pass everyone at one time or another. She was a fighter out there.
While we were playing on the short track, the serious racers were entertaining us on the pro track. Very quick drivers were racing high end non-shifter carts and shifter class carts. Not only was the driving impressive, so was the support teams and trailers they had accompanying them. It looked like an SCCA event. Large attendance and some serious investments being made; I suppose on the optimism of a career down the road.
Steve Hawkins had apprised us that he began to hear a knock in his Pantera's engine after leaving the restaurant and on the way to the Track. After our racing concluded, he removed his valve cover and discovered a broken pushrod and damaged rocker. Steve has a stroker motor based on a 400 block. While I lived within a half hour of the facility, my extra supply of Cleveland pushrods would be too short for his monster motor. Thus, it was tow truck service time for the orange Pantera. Kudos to Fred Foreman who waited with Steve for the tow rig to show.
Unquote.
Race Results
