LINCOLN, Neb. (September 3, 2014) - The West course at the 42nd Tire Rack Solo National Championships opened on Wednesday with the some fast classes, some smiles, and lots of heartbreak, especially in the Junior karting supplemental classes.
Clemens Burger, of Noblesville, Ind., captured his fourth B Modified National Championship after battling back and forth with co-driver Daniel Stone in the No. 140 LeGrand Mk 18. Burger trailed entering Wednesday, but set clean times in his early runs and eventually won by 0.585-second.
“I was sitting second yesterday, behind my co-driver, which made me happy for him,” Burger said. “It was the first time for him that he was in possession [of the lead], but I wasn’t going to let it finish that way.
“I spent a lot of time coaching him, and I didn’t discontinue that, but he had an unfortunate cone on the first run which messed him up a little bit. It changed his strategy a little bit, but I wouldn’t change a thing. Both of us drove as hard as we can, as fast as we can, and whoever was the fastest in the end wins.”
Diane Bollenbeck, of San Diego, Calif., took the Street Touring Ultra Ladies class by just 0.336-second with a strong second run in the No. 98 Winmax/Cusco/ChaseCam/Cobb/Girodisc Subaru STI for her first National Championship. Bollenbeck needed every bit of the cushion she built on the first day to stay ahead of Mina Ingraham’s No. 77 James Dooley Racing/Johnson Tuning Subaru STI.
“I am so excited right now, I was crying before I went out on my last run,” Bollenbeck said. “I feel good, this is my fourth year autocrossing, this is my second nationals, and I’m just so excited.
“I knew Mina was going to be tough, and it was tough. I feel great right now. She was quickest today, and I knew she would be.”
Kate Regganie, of Joliet, Ill., expanded her day one lead in Kart Modified Ladies to take her first National Championship. A graduate of the Formula Junior program running in the same heat, Regganie was on the edge to post her best times on the way to the title in the No. 21 Honda kart. It’s just the second appearance in a shifter kart at Solo Nationals for the 17-year-old.
“I’m very excited. This is my first time winning, so I’m loving it,” Regganie said. “I feel this course was easier. It’s more similar to what I run at home, and I was more comfortable. The other course had bigger shutdowns, and I’m still learning how to get through those.”
The drama was intense in the Formula Junior ranks, with both Junior A and Junior B coming down to the absolute final runs of the class.
In Junior A, Riley Heaton, of Omaha, Neb., set the time to beat in his No. 99 Birel Kart and then had to sit and wait for the second driver runs to finish to know where he stood. Day one leader Kevin Jung fell just 0.208-second short on his final run in the No. 79 Ciro Racing/7th Gear Tony Kart, but Heaton still didn’t have time to breath. Zak Kiesel followed almost immediately in the No. 194 seventh-gear.com Tony Kart, with a time that gave him an opening, but cones negated the run and relegated him to third.
“I’m feeling pretty good. I’m excited,” Heaton said. “That was my best run [the last one]. I kept it cleaner and kept it tighter through the finish, which I thought was faster. Seeing Keisel and Jung coming through the lights, my heart was really beating.”
Alexander Nelson, of Amherstdale, W.V., nailed his best time on his final circuit in the No. 99 “Mom and Dad” Birel Kart, then sat back and waited on Tuesday leader Johan Yost to complete his final run. Yost crossed the stripe at the finish and everyone held their breath as the computers did the difficult math. Yost had fallen just 0.002-second short of Nelson’s time.
“I really couldn’t tell. I was just looking at that board, staring at it, waiting,” said the 10-year-old, who was very pleased with his win. “ was almost the same as before, but I came around the last turn and I hit four cones. On the last run, I went around the finish and went a little wider and I think that stopped my tires from sliding around and I got a better time.”
The Junior A class impacted the last run for National Champion Shawn Kiesel, who was able to take home her seventh National Championship with the E Modified Ladies win. Kiesel had to make her last run just after her son Zak fell just short of his title.
“The last run, I cried actually after watching JAs,” Kiesel said. “So I cried pretty much the whole run, and I don’t know if I went faster or not. The times were almost identical, but I didn’t even check.”
The Tire Rack Solo Nationals continues through Friday. More information can be found at SCCA.com/SoloNationals.
2014 Solo National Championship
