9/20/2021
KC Sparks
Minnesota Missile Monday: Racing Micros in Missouri
Minnesota Missile Monday: Racing Micros in Missouri
Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex, Missouri
September 20, 2021
By : Stephanie Sparks
The long-awaited debut in the new car finally happened this past Saturday. The team headed south to G-Force Chassis early Saturday to finalize some safety equipment and have a crash course in shifting. KC wasted no time in figuring out the shifting and was ready for his first event in the 2021 Micro fresh off the new build.
KC Sparks was among a group of 18 drivers registered in the restrictor class at Sweet Springs Motorplex for their regular point night. This would be the site of the first laps KC would run in a Micro Sprint coming off 5 seasons of Outlaw Wing Karts.
The tires first hit the track for hot laps where KC was just figuring out how the car felt and getting his bearings on the new track. After coming in, people were commenting about how smooth he looks on the track.
Sparks was one of a few drivers who requested a back starting spot in the line ups due to his first event. Another driver also requested the tail and that moved KC up to inside row 4 for the heat race start. KC had a good start and was still figuring out his comfort level as he settled into a three car battle for seventh. KC was racing a smooth line in eighth place behind Andres Jones with Grace Pugh just behind in ninth. The three battled closely with KC moving up to seventh at the finish line as the checkers flew.
KC decided to take the given position in the feature line up and started the feature from 12th. The initial start was great but KC was excited and drove too hard into turn one, missing the line and getting into the cushion. He quickly jumped off the throttle to collect the car before it got sucked into the wall and lost a couple positions before rejoining the line of traffic.
The first lap was logged with KC running in 14th place. A red came out on the next lap when another driver tipped over. The test came for KC when he had to independently restart the car remembering the fueling, ignition, and shifting into first gear to take off. He settled himself down and rejoined the field under caution like a pro.
The restart went green with KC in 12th place and in close contact with the cars just ahead of him. KC held his line and continued in the 12th position for the next handful of laps. Coming out of turn two, the 10th place driver’s car spun just ahead of 11th and 12th place. 11th place quickly jerked his car to the high side around the spinner and KC tried to move below the spun car and was tagged in the nerf bar forcing KC’s car to turn and roll over, retiring him from the event.
KC was fine after the crash, just disappointed he didn’t get to run all the laps. The team worked with G-Force Chassis and Benson Motorsports to work on car maintenance and repair the car to be ready to race next weekend back at Sweet Springs.
MEDIA REPORT:
RESTRICTOR: A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 46-Peyton White[1]; 2. 63-Jack Thomas[3]; 3. 5B-Brody Hibdon[2]; 4. 8-Logun Lunsford[5]; 5. 48-Hunter Creason[7]; 6. 3-Gage Trube[6]; 7. 3P-Dane Palmer[8]; 8. 5L-Landon Jesina[9]; 9. 55-dale johnston[13]; 10. 21K-Kooper Kelly[18]; 11. 4-Hayden Alberson[4]; 12. 5P-Grace Pugh[17]; 13. (DNF) 20-Zander Altis[14]; 14. (DNF) 6-Andres Jones[16]; 15. (DNF) 18Z-Maliki Altis[15]; 16. (DNF) 1-KC Sparks[12]; 17. (DNF) 23-Mason Nester[11]; 18. (DNF) 14-Landon Muehlberger[10]
Heat 1 (10 Laps): 1. 5B-Brody Hibdon[4]; 2. 63-Jack Thomas[3]; 3. 3P-Dane Palmer[1]; 4. 4-Hayden Alberson[7]; 5. 5L-Landon Jesina[6]; 6. 55-dale johnston[2]; 7. 18Z-Maliki Altis[5]; 8. 20-Zander Altis[9]; 9. (DNF) 21K-Kooper Kelly[8]
Heat 2 (10 Laps): 1. 46-Peyton White[7]; 2. 8-Logun Lunsford[2]; 3. 3-Gage Trube[3]; 4. 48-Hunter Creason[5]; 5. 14-Landon Muehlberger[6]; 6. 23-Mason Nester[8]; 7. 1-KC Sparks[9]; 8. 6-Andres Jones[4]; 9. 5P-Grace Pugh[1]
Upcoming Schedule:
9/24-25; Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex; Sweet Springs, MO
10/1-2; Brooklyn Raceway; Brooklyn, IA
2021 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
Red Camel Racing
YTD KART Stats:
Shows: 44
Wins: 8
Top 3: 19
Top 10: 39
Heat Wins: 14 out of 55
Quick Times: 1 out of 14
MICRO STATS:
Shows: 1
Wins: 0
Top 5: 0
Top 10: 0
Heat Wins: 0
Article Credit: Stephanie Sparks
