Red Bluff, CA – There’s an old sports adage that says, “You can’t win
for losing.” Well, at the Les Schwab Tires Red Bluff Winter Indoor Series inside the
Pauline Davis Pavilion last Saturday, ParkerStore Sprint Kart driver Kyle Larson
experienced the feeling first hand as he missed the A-main event for only the sixth time
in his career, which includes over 500 races. Racing in the 500cc Open Intermediate
Division, Larson put himself in position several times during the evening’s
activities to be in the feature race only to have circumstances thwart the attempts.
Larson qualified second quick of the 26 entries on hand and started fourth in the second
heat. Larson raced his ParkerStore/Grandpa George Motors/QRC Factory Kart to the front by
lap six only to spin out of turn four coming to the white flag. The race was not yellow
flagged as the field completed the final lap without Larson, who was relegated to the
B-Main.
Larson was in the six kart six lap dash for the six fastest qualifiers, starting fifth. He
moved into fourth on the first lap, got into third the next lap but found the inside
barrier in turn four when Colby Copleand spun in front of him and Tyler Taylor. Larson was
scored fifth at the finish.
Larson started on the pole of the B-Main and easily led the first four laps. However, in
turn one of lap five tail ender Brannon Asch half spun, momentarily collecting Larson.
Both were able to continue,
but Larson was back in third. By the next lap the lapped kart of Brandy Eiler slowed
in front of Larson and dropped him to sixth. When the caution appeared a lap later Larson
had moved back to fifth, one spot out of a transfer position. As the race resumed third
running Kenny Allen spun in turn one directly in front of Larson, brining out another
caution and sending both to the back. By lap 15 Larson had fought his way back to fifth,
behind Mathew Davis. Finally, on lap 18 Larson passed Davis on the front stretch to take
over the final transfer spot. However, entering trun one Davis’ kart jumped the rear
of Larson’s mount and locked the front bumper onto the ParkerStore kart’s rear
bumper. Larson tried swerving back and fourth for the next lap to free Davis’ kart
from his but to no avail. Larson restarted at the back again with only a lap to go and was
scored 11th at the finish, ending a very frustrating race.
Queried after the race Larson commented “This is why Red Bluff is such a tough place
to race. It is a bull ring and a lot of luck is involved here. Everybody that has ever
raced here for any length of time misses the A-Main sooner or later. Of the six A-Mains
that I’ve ever missed, three of them were here. I guess I’ve been real lucky
because the last one I missed here was in my box stock days 5 years ago. I will admit,
though, I had no reason to be in the B-Main because I just blew it spinning out in the
heat race. To finish the night watching the A-Mains was kind of weird too. I hope I
don’t get that feeling again.”
Race: December 2, 2006
Photos Courtesy of Jack Waterman
www.kylelarsonracing.com
