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Tracy |
Travis & Jim Ward between sessions at NCMP - photo by Julie.30 August - The Wards Take On NCMP
Regular guest drivers Jim and Travis Ward turned their attention to New Castle Motorsports Park for the last weekend in August to take on one of the finest karting facilities in the country. For Jim it was also a chance to get caught up with Mark Dismore and reminisce about the old Formula Atlantic days together. With that out of the way Jim and Travis set out to learn the NCMP Stars course and get up to speed. By the end of the first day both were comfortable and looking forward to the KRA race on Saturday.
Only some of what they learned Friday would apply to Saturday as the track was racing counter to the usual direction. Still with only two 5 minute practice sessions to learn the new layout (this was the second time the KRA club had run this course) both managed to qualify midpack. Unfortunately, a reoccurring back problem reared up again for Jim forcing him to drop out of the TAG USA Masters final after climbing to 6th place from his 10th starting position. Travis, in TAG USA Senior, gained three positions and nearly a second over his qualifying time in the Final looking more comfortable with the backwards layout (with the exception of one wild long spin through the grass on the last lap) with each lap.
As usual, the Ward father/son team had done their homework, focused while at the track and performed admirably on a new track. Actually, two new tracks. Many would do well to take their racing as seriously as Jim and Travis. Well done gentlemen.
Travis completes another lap in the Senior race
The start of the TAG USA Senior Final - photos by Julie 24 August - Longest Day of Nelson
The 5:01 Motorsports Longest Day Of Nelson 24 hour team - Photo by Brian Culbertson
Conlin SpeedSports again made the pilgrimmage to Nelson Ledges Road Course for the annual Longest Day Of Nelson 24 hour endurance race for SCCA sports cars to crew for 5:01 Motorsports. Team owner and driver Andy Cotyk was joined by returning drivers Steve Kramer, Lance Loughman and Audrey Zavodsky to challenge the notoriously rough Nelson Ledges course for 24 hours straight with their venerable Datsun 240Z.
With months of preparation and years of long distance racing experience to rely on, the 5:01 Motorsports team was looking forward to a good race. Qualifying 2nd in class and 4th overall, things were looking good. By hour 8 they were looking even better with the car circulating first in class (ITS) and second overall. But shortly after that the left stub axle/halfshaft broke sending the car off on a spin through the grass and into the garage for 1 1/2 hours of repairs. Returning in 14th position overall, the Datsun marched back up the lap charts to 2nd in class and 11th overall until getting involved in another car's 5am accident. Crash damage repairs cost another hour off track returning to competition about 6:30am. Other minor problems dicated some unscheduled stops but the car and team soldiered on until the checker flag waved at noon on Sunday. Final result was 3rd in class and 10th or 11th overall.
While it wasn't the result 5:01 Motorsports was hoping for and certainly not the result they deserved, it was another gathering of old friends with a common interest and goal. A chance to work together in the way only people with common passion and knowledge can. Many thanks to Andy, Karen, Cal, Mark and every one of the other 25+ team members for the invitation to join them for this truly special race yet again.
And for you visitors here that check in here to see how the gal racers are doing, you will be happy to know that Audrey turned the fastest lap in the 5:01 Motorsports car. Sorry guys, I couldn't let that go.
19 August - 08 RoboPong Plans, Drivers Announced (Press Release)
Conlin SpeedSports will field an all-female driving team in the 2008 Mazda RoboPong 200 presented by Bridgestone for the fourth year in a row - Photo by David Lee
For the fourth consecutive year, Conlin SpeedSports will field an all-female driving team in the 2008 Mazda Robopong 200 presented by Bridgestone, a 200 mile karting endurance event to be held at New Castle Motorsports Park on September 26-28, 2008. Once again, Dana Conlin-Mees, 25, and Tracy Conlin, 22, will join forces with USAC Midget driver Lynsey Tilton, 21 to take on karting’s best.
Having placed as high as sixteenth in the 2006 Robopong 200, Conlin SpeedSports will run a Kosmic chassis with POWERsports Rok TT power, allowing the team to be even more competitive this year. With support from Kartworks, Inc. of North Liberty, Ohio and INFONETICS of Grove City, Ohio, Conlin SpeedSports has high hopes of another great finish.
“The addition of the Kartworks Kosmic chassis to our usual driver line-up, great crew and thorough preparation will give us a chance at our best result yet,” Team Owner Jim Conlin says.
Conlin SpeedSports, LLC is a family-owned team and kart services company specializing in arrive & drives and race preparations. Based in Hilliard, Ohio it competes in races across the Midwest and serves racers in Ohio and Indiana.
9 - 10 August - Street Fighting in Commercial Point
Chris Carmen (L) & Ross Ricart chase Tracy through the streets of Commecial Point. Photo by Julie
Anytime your driver can lead the pack through the first turn of a race it is a good feeling and makes all the long days and short nights in this sport worth it. But when your driver comes from 3rd starting spot and outbrakes a National Champion and Midwest street racing legend to take the lead at the first corner, it is especially sweet. And that's exactly what Tracy managed to do when she slipped inside Gary Lawson just after the green flag in the TaG Pro race on Sunday at the Commercial Point Grand Prix.
It is unlikely she could have kept Mr. Lawson behind for the next 20 laps but, unfortunately, when she got to Turn 4 an engine problem revealed itself. She hung onto second for several laps but each time through the low speed Turn 4 the problem (we suspect a cracked reed) got worse. On lap four the engine stumbled and both Ross Ricart and Chris Carmen seized the opportunity. Knowing that her stumbling kart was in their way, she moved off line to let them through but clipped a hay bale and got pulled into the row of them along the track's edge, ending her day.
But lest we make it sound like a bad weekend, we should mention here that Tracy moved up to 3rd place in Saturday's 15 lap race after qualifying 9th out of 14 karts. She also managed to set 4th fastest time in that race. She also raced a very strong preliminary race on Sunday afternoon, placing fourth there. We were also very proud of Travis Ward, driving our second TaG kart in his very first American street race. Travis qualified 11th and finished 6th on Saturday. He put in another good, solid run on Sunday finishing 7th in the preliminary "trophy" race before a first turn accident took him out of the TaG Pro race
Other than the great racing and great weather the 2008 Commercial Point Grand Prix will be remembered for the great food. Hot, delicious lunches were provided by Julie Ward and a Saturday night barbeque cook-out was offered courtesy of the Liebhart family. Immense thanks to Daniel Legg for the much needed help, Jim Ward for driver coaching and the entire Conlin SpeedSports crew for a successful and fun weekend..
Check back here soon - on board video (including Tracy's crash) and track side video will be added shortly.
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