12/7/2020
KC Sparks
Minnesota Missile Monday: Double the Box Stock Karts for Double the Action
Minnesota Missile Monday: Double the Box Stock Karts for Double the Action
Emma, MO
December 7, 2020
The second kart event for the Emma Indoor Arena did not disappoint with the Box Stock Outlaw Wing class. The kart count doubled from the opening weekend and drew drivers from Missouri, Iowa, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. The one heat format with passing points was utilized for the large kart count.
Feature (20 laps)
After racing from sixth to second in the heat race, Kaden Rice earned the pole position for the feature event. He started alongside Haylie Allen, the winner from week one and current point leader. The caution filled race was high on action and passing as drivers all challenged for position throughout the field.
The initial start saw Rice jump on the gas and quickly pull away from Allen as KC Sparks raced to her inside down the frontstretch. Sparks took second through the first set of turns just to have Allen race back to his inside before the first caution flew for the back half of the field having troubles in turn one.
The next attempt at the start was single file with Rice out front . Rice led Allen and Sparks down the backstretch with Allen getting a nose under his kart going into turn three. Allen and Sparks moved ahead of Rice at the line but the caution flew again before the entire field crossed and reset the field for another restart.
The first lap was recorded as Rice led the field, protecting the bottom line and holding Allen back. The early mover in the race was Kahne Groves who raced from seventh into the top five.
The field strung together a run of laps and on lap three Sparks got a run on Allen out of turn four. She heard him to the inside and moved down into his lane going into turn one.
On lap four, Sparks got a better drive and was able to make the pass on Allen for second going into turn one. Allen used a crossover as Sparks was not able to hold the bottom line and she reclaimed the position down the backstretch. At the same time, Groves set up Anthony Guessford and was able to advance into fourth with Hunter Hanson following past, into the top five.
After a lap five caution, the field was again nose to tail with Allen protecting her low line out of two. Sparks tagged her back causing him to get out of the throttle, allowing Groves to get a drive under him down the backstretch. Groves had the line going into turn three and advanced into the top three with Hanson taking fourth.
Lap seven saw Groves giving challenge to Allen while Rice pulled ahead. Sparks drove under Hanson getting into turn three and reclaimed fourth with Ayden Erickson following past and into the top five. Hanson swapped position with Erickson on the next circuit.
At the halfway point, Rice continued to lead when Groves got a drive on Allen out ot turn two and jumped her back wheel. His kart came down and while he recovered, Sparks moved around the outside and back into the top three. On the next lap, Allen missed her line out of turn two and Sparks made the pass to her inside only to have her take it back out of turn four.
Lap twelve saw Allen again struggle out of turn two and in saving her kart, she came across the front of Sparks forcing the two drivers to break momentum and Groves was there to throttle his way past both drivers.
A caution flew again and restacked the field on the back tank of Rice as he set a slow pace to the restart line. Groves thought twice about a run on Rice while Sparks made a move under Allen. This time he was able to hold his line and Allen tried to slide him but caught his wheel and sent her kart spinning, bringing out another caution.
The restart saw Groves’s kart start to drift out in turn two as Sparks arrived and tagged his back bumper. This contact sent Groves around where he stopped on the infield to bring out another caution. Both Groves and Sparks were sent to the tail for the next restart.
Rice was now leading Hanson, Guessford, Micah Haugan and Sierra Rose Gary with only a handful of laps remaining. Allen led the charge to move through the field past Gary and Haugen but Sparks didn’t clear the Haugen machine and the two got tangled together.
After separating the karts, they restarted and Gary spun ahead of Sparks who spun to avoid her but couldn’t avoid the Haugan kart again.
Having met the time limit, the remaining karts lined up for a final dash to the checkers. Guessford tried to hold his top three but got rooted out of his line by Allen who led Groves and Sparks past and back into the top five. Down the backstretch, Hanson got a good drive into turn three on the last lap and made a challenge for the win at the checkered flag to come up just short in second. Groves raced side by side by Allen to the line to claim the third position and Sparks fought back to a top five. Guessford, Gary, and Haugan were the rest of the finishing field.
The heat race was won from the pole by Sparks.
Feature (20 lpas) 1-Kaden Rice (1); 2-Hunter Hanson (8); 3-Kahne Groves (7); 4-Haylie Allen (2); 5-KC Sparks (3); 6-Anthony Guessford (4); 7-Sierra Rose Gary (9); 8-Micah Haugan (10); DNF Ayden Erickson (5); DNF Jaden Alexander (6)
Upcoming Schedule:
FINAL EVENT FOR 2020
12/19: Emma Indoor Arena; Emma, Missouri
2020 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: 44
Wins: 7
Top 3: 20
Top 10: 42
Heat Wins: 20
Article Credit: Stephanie Sparks
