A mixed bag of racing; elation, disappointment, laughter, sadness, accomplishment, frustration, forgetfulness, memories . . . it all blew in with the DCC Crew along with some chilly South Carolina weather.
After a full day of soggy practice and the evening awards ceremony for the 2017 National Champions, Friday had drawn to a close. The DCC Crew was now ready and focus was trained on the full two days of racing ahead.
Kershaw can be a very challenging track. It’s referred to by some racers as a “point and shoot track”, with some pretty taxing turns. Specifically the 94 degree turn 1, and 116 degree turn 14 have earned well deserved reputations. Adding to the challenge is the aging tarmac which has seen better days and could use a little TLC in some spots. Nevertheless the DCC crew managed to not only rack up some points, but look good doing it.
Saturday Races:
-Race 1 – CB160 LeMans Start – Scott Turner finished 5th
-Race 3 – Novice Historic Production Heavyweight – this would be the race in which forgetfulness made an untimely arrival – Herm lead this race and was on his way to his first ever win, but on the final lap found himself short on fuel and in a rare occasion the machine ran out of gas before the rider! Oops! Dawn King took advantage and finished 5th securing a feeling of accomplishment and bragging rights for leaving Herm in the dust. Rosie’s got nothing on her!
-Race 5 – Vintage Superbike Heavyweight – George Hernandez takes down a respectable 5th place.
-Race 6 – Sportsman 350 – Scott finished 5th, but only after a long delay and red flag restart. A fellow racer suffered a significant crash and was airlifted for immediate medical attention. Looking at the tank as half full, the downed racer is back home and on the mend.
-Race 7 – Formula 250 – Jim Korn finished 4th while George also finished 4th in the Vintage Superbike Middleweight.
-Race 8 – Two separate waves and multiple class starts. In Sportsman 500 – Scott was elated with his hard fought 2nd place finish. In the Novice Historic Production Lightweight class Herm chased down a spot on the podium with 3rd. Scot Fiedler 6th, and Dawn 11th. Unfortunately Jim was experiencing some frustrating issues with his bike and was unable to race in the 350 Grand Prix Saturday or Sunday and chalked up a couple DNS.
Sunday Races:
-Race 1 – CB160 LeMans Start – Scott Turner took 3rd place and a spot in the winner’s circle.
-Race 3 – Novice Historic Production Heavyweight – With a full tank of fuel, Herm redeemed himself and made history claiming his first AHRMA win! Dawn pulled in another honorable 5th place finish.
-Race 5 – Vintage Superbike Heavyweight – The field was a bit more competitive this time around and George found himself taking 8th place. This was not a problem though; anyone who is lucky enough to befriend Mr. Hernandez knows that he sees only lemonade, no lemons.
-Race 6 – Sportsman 350 – Scotty gets himself a podium spot with another 3rd place finish.
-Race 7 – Formula 250 – Another race and another 4th for Jim, while George raced his way to a 5th place finish in Vintage Superbike Middleweight.
-Race 8 – Scott finished 3rd in the Sportsman 500. Herm found himself engaged in a heated battle for 1st but ultimately had to settle for a hard fought 2nd. Scot Fiedler scored 6th again, and Dawn had to concede a DNF after her first off track mishap in the Production Lightweight Class. With some disappointment, new knowledge, and a couple minor bike repairs, Dawn is already forming her plan of attack for the next weekend at the track.
Racing always has highs and lows, and while there is usually no shortage of laughter in the DCC Pit no matter the results, there was a sadness looming this weekend. Friday morning brought sad news that fellow AHRMA racer Charlie Mavros lost his life in an accident on I-95 driving to Kershaw. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, and to his girlfriend who suffered critical injuries. Trying to maintain the tank half full outlook, we are relieved to report that the two racers who were airlifted from the track that weekend will make full recoveries.
Hallet Motor Racing Circuit in Jennings Oklahoma will be the next target for the podium seeking DCC crew on April 20-22. We hope to see you there!
(via Dime City Cycles)