Whew! What a weekend in South Carolina!! Thun

Whew! What a weekend in South Carolina!! Thunder Valley Motorplex in Neeses SC was the scene of one
of the most anticipated kart events of the calendar year,
the Maxxis National Championships. Being a tad over two
hours from home base here, it's definitely a welcomed
change of pace for me and Pam, and "the wagon". Just as
in the seven previous years of this event, racers traveled
from far and wide to compete for the title of National Champion. When this event comes to mind, there are several
"factors" that can be immediately associated with it. Racers
can bank on the best competition being in the house, and
they can wager the house and the farm that Mackie Flood
will provide racers with an immaculate racing surface. Visitors can also count on a fun filled night on Friday to kick off
the weekend. Attendees were treated again with an awesome BBQ dinner to get the party started, and back by popular demand on the Thunder Valley stage was local megaband Diamondback. Just a lil time for some camaraderie
and general BS'ing before the
hectic "dog-eat-dog" competition of the
weekend.
We'll get to the racing action in a bit, but first we
have to tell you about another very special deal that went
down in Neeses. For the past several years, there have
been walks, auctions, raffles, etc, generally centered around
Breast Cancer Awareness, usually coordinated by the "P"
of P&R and Ms Patti at Goldspeed USA. This year, there
was another "cause", and a great big tip of the hat to Keisha
Glover, Alexia Riggins, and the Kartsport Media gang for
taking the lead on a project that exposed just what the karting family is all about. a couple of weeks ago, the karting
family lost TN's
Wayne Overton.
His life, tragically
cut short by an
auto accident, left
a beautiful fouryear old daughter
behind. The goal;
to hopefully raise
funds to help lil
Harper Overton,
and let know that
her daddy was respected and loved
by many, and part
of a very special
family. This event
was the first of
two planned, with
the latter coming in a couple of
weeks at Wayne's
home track, Dumplin Valley Raceway
in Kodak TN at the Burris Nationals.
Silent and live auctions, along with raffled items donated from industry members raised over $20,000 this weekend
alone!!! Outstanding !!!
Just as in years past, someone has stepped up and hit it out of the
park "for the cause" during the auction.
This year's hero was Johnny Barnhill,
and we know he didn't do anything for
recognition, but we wouldn't be doing the world justice if we
didn't give him some props.
Johnny won a spirited bidding war for a helmet with
a custom paint job, donated
by Brain and Carrie Morgan
at BKP Art. The bidding war
was a major highlight that
left many jaws on the ground
in amazement at the generosity of Mr Barnhill. Thank
you from P&R Photos, CRI,
and I'm sure Kartsport for
your kindness.
The Friday night party, true
to form, lasted over into the morning
hours, but come Saturday morning, it
was time to get down to the business
of winning a national championship.
The pits were packed with the
heaviest of the heavy hitters in the
sport. Championship quality racers
from far and wide had
made their way to
Neeses SC, to settle
the score, and earn
bragging rights as national champions.
lil
stroll
A
through the pits could
find the cream of the
crop from nearly every
region in America. From
hot rods like Spicer and Little from the
Northeast, to Raven, Brown, Henderson, and Bohatka from sunny Florida,
to Cardin, Love, and Carr reppin' the
deep south…. And the list could go
on and on. Perhaps the strongest
contingent of "outsiders"
making their way to South
Carolina was the group that
proclaimed themselves as
#teammidwest. Many of the
best from west of the Mississippi River made the long
haul to Neeses to wrangle
with the fabled best of the
best. The Pope Brothers and
O'Neal from MO, the Ballhagen Brothers from Allison IA,
Team Thram from Sanborn
MN, Solander and Reynolds
out of Kansas, and that list goes on
too! That's why this event has become
"the one" that everyone aspires to
make when the season gets underway,
and the "I Made The Man" decals have
become a very popular commodity.
The event format, again this
year, had a little different flavor. Racers
took to the track for qualifying under
the clock to lock in the front row starting spots. Then, in most cases,
the remainder of
the field
was set by running A and B mains. Odd numbered qualifiers would race in the A's and the B's would be the even
numbered qualifiers. Depending on the class, up to fourteen
racers would transfer from each of the preliminary mains,
into the features. The format insured racers would get a lil
more than the typical practice and qualifying track time, and
actually get to race instead of packing up and heading to
the house after a poor qualifying run. Unfortunately, it also
increased the chance for more damaged equipment, and in
the case of a few, a good qualifying run combined with bad
luck in the prelim's meant a short night.
The Mackie Flood prepared racing surface was
smooth as glass, held up all weekend, and was nothing
short of "stupid fast"!!
With all the elements in place for a near euphoric
experience for any speed
junkie, let's face it, some of the
racing was downright pitiful!! Racers, crew
members, and families can blame it on whomever, or whatever they want to, but the bottom line is that the kart ain't
gonna drive itself! In the end, it's the hands on the wheel,
and the mind that's in control of them, that determines the
outcome. For whatever reason, there were some horrible
decisions made on the track that resulted in a lot of dam-
aged equipment. Of course, the crew, or the track was expected to take all the blame. Oh and the common "plea"
of insanity seemed to be, "the track is too fast!", or even
better, "there's no runoff room here!?!" Really?! I'm sorry to
inform you, but the runoff room at Thunder Valley is among
the best in the country, particularly in the East, although
turn four was a burial ground for many good runs. We're
gonna let that dog lay right there, and talk a lil about the
good racing that happened.
Lawsonville NC's Donnie Nall is a household name
in this sport, and for good reason. Nall has been
winning feature events seemingly
forever, and on the biggest stag-
es. The reigning Champion of Champions managed to
bag two more National Championship titles this year,
the only racer to double up!
In one of the most exciting features of the weekend, Nall rolled off the grid behind fast timer Jason
Moates for the Sr Champ title match on Sunday. By the
halfway mark of the twenty lap feature, it was a three
buggy battle with Tom Spanel and Shay Chavous joining
Nall at the head of the field. Spanel, piloting the #67 Su-
perior Tire Management PRC buggy normally wheeled
by Jerry Mullis, wrestled his way from his eighth starting spot to contend for the win. On the final lap, it was
Spanel and Chavous on top, and Nall in the best seat
in the house. Contact between the leaders in turn three
opened the door for Nall to slip by on the low side on the
way to the checkers. Nall's Tod Miller powered Charger Dynasty buggy crossed the stripe 0.162 seconds ahead of the
side-by-side battle between Spanel and Chavous. Spanel
claimed the second spot by a scant 0.004 seconds over
Chavous! The scuffle up front allowed the rest of the field
to close the gap, making for an outstanding finish. Florida's
Jessica Bohatka, and SC's Lee Higdon capped the top five.
Proving again that he knows how to get the job done
regardless what he's riding, Nall scored the Pro Animal win
on Sunday, fighting off the Platinum machine of Tony Gaylord and Chad "Houdini" Haithcock. Bryan VonCannon and
P&P Speed Shop pilot Jonathan Cash rounded out the top
five.
Tampa Fl's Colin Bernstein quickly fought his way
from his ninth starting spot into contention for the Jr 1 title
bout. Fast timer Cutter
Love held the early lead, but
fell to third on lap five, when Stewart Dalton and Bernstein slipped by. A couple of laps later, it
was Trynt Lloyd and Brysen Duncan on the move, taking
over the top two spots. Duncan claimed the lead for a few
laps before Bernstein took over with five to go. Dalton shadowed Bernstein until slipping on the final lap, allowing Lloyd
to claim the runner-up spot behind Bernstein. Cody Wright
and Duncan wrapped up the top five at the checkers.
Wright bounced back on Sunday to put the SchuPower Premier Racing Chassis into winner's circle in the
Jr 1 Ace feature. Wright fought off Dalton and Duncan for
the win, while Levi Seagraves and Bernstein trailed the
front trio to the finish line.
Another youngster out of the Hermie Sadler stable
to record a win in Neeses was Salisbury NC's Colby "The
Tarheel Terror" Quick. Quick battled tooth and nail all the
way to the checkers, actually trailing Greenville SC's Devon
"Outlaw" Morgan's Ultramax Xceed at the checkers. But a
misunderstanding on weights led to Morgan coming up
a mere pound shy at the scales, relegating the win to
Quick. Completing the top were Drew Wiltse, Ethan Endicott, Dillon Brown, and Dillon Hodge.
Wiltse, from Lithia Fl, jockeyed his Kinetik Genesis to the checkers with a 0.216 seconds advantage
over Hunter Mallory and Devon Morgan in the Jr 2 Ace
feature on Sunday evening. Garret Himminghoefer and
Dillen Brown took the final two spots in the top five.
Perhaps the hottest racer in the country these
days is Charlotte NC's Jerry Mullis. Mullis earned an
invitation to compete in Neeses, but elected instead to
provide trackside support for his growing empire, oth-
erwise known as Superior Tire Management. The company slogan says it all, "Champions are Made Here!"
and at this event, Mullis and STM delivered with three
National Champions being crowned!
Harrisonville MO's Brody Pope in Pro Jr 3, Alma
GA's Brice Boatright in Sr Champ Animal, and Ila GA's
Lance Chitwood in Jr Champ scored feature wins for the
Superior camp. Pope, aboard a Phantom Triton, powered by a
Hunter Curtis power plant, fought his way into the lead
briefly on lap seven of the Pro Jr 3 feature. But Aaron Weed
and Austin Barnhill slipped by on lap ten. It only took a couple of laps for Pope to regain some momentum and slide by
Barnhill for the second spot. Pope made his move with two
laps remaining, getting by Weed on the way to the finish
line. Adam Ruff and Hunter Markham followed Pope by
Weed to claim second and third respectively. Weed and
Barnhill capped the top five.
Of all places to take a maiden voyage, this track
would not be at the top of the list. However, Chitwood saddled up a champ buggy for his first time, and the combi-
nation of KSR horsepower and Superior Tire Management
mounted to the Ultramax buggy, proved to be too much for
the competition. Chitwood outran Brady Penny to the
checkers by 0.818 seconds for the win. Evan Dennis,
Camden Testerman, and Austin Barnhill added top five
finishes to their resumes.
Boatright's race program has come a long way over
past couple of years, but since pairing with Mullis and the
Superior team, the line on the improvement chart has had
a steady rise. Boatright muscled out the Sr Champ Animal
feature win on Sunday, taking the checkers 0.551 seconds
ahead of Florida's Darren Brown. Donnie Bryant, Chester
VA's Tim O'Connor, and "Disco Donnie" Nall chased the
lead pair to the stripe.
Teammates Shay Chavous and Colin Mize, from Hephzibah GA, each
scored national titles, with Chavous
claiming Pro Stock, and Mize coming away
with the Semi-Pro title.
Chavous was aboard the new release from Millenium Racing Chassis, the Faktor, which is quickly proving
to be another masterpiece from JT Stillwagon and the gang
in Greenville SC. In the Pro Stock feature, it was the P&P
powered machine of Jonathan Cash leading the field to
the green flag, but it Onyx Racing Chassis pilot Austin Yarbrough quickly taking over on lap two. Chavous worked his
way into second on lap six. By lap nine, he had seen all of
the rear bumper of the #127 that he could stand, and bolted
into the lead. Yarbrough managed to hang tough, but Chavous was flawless, all the way to the checkers, crossing the
stripe with a 0.286 seconds advantage. Bryan VonCannon,
Nall, and Cash trailed the leaders to the finish line.
Mize followed Chavous' lead on Sunday, and
through the gates here in Neeses. Grooms claimed the
"B" main win, while Dange Hanniford bagged the "A"
main to earn second row starting spots behind Hermie
Sadler and David Steele. This one looked like the Hermie Sadler show in the early laps, with Grooms quickly
settling into the second spot. After a long red flag situ-
scored the Semi-Pro feature win over Austin Wyatt and
Josh Spicer. Ironically, Mize's advantage at the finish
line was dang near a carbon copy of Chavous' win the
day before. Mize beat Wyatt to the checkers by 0.268
seconds. Cole Johnson and Brad Anderson capped
the top five.
Two South Carolina racers who really seem to
find a way to bag a win at Thunder Valley are Conway's
Travis Adair, and Summerville's Matthew Grooms.
Adair scored another National title on Saturday, beating Tony Gaylord and Doug Cash to the checkers in
ation for turn four crash involving Andrew Chandler,
Sadler's tires didn't seem to fire off on the restart, and
the field cruised on by, led by Grooms, Hanniford, and
Dan Sox. At the checkers, it was Grooms over Hanniford, Matt Brelsford, Brett Heatherly, and Sox.
Hanniford found his way to winner's circle on
Sunday, edging Duane Wade by 0.285 seconds for the
Super Heavy EL national title. Dennis Carroway fought
off the rest of the field to take third, with Wesley Lee
and Jimmy Flynn rounding out the top five.
Jacksonville FL's Hunter Markham cruised to
the Pro Jr 3 title aboard a Radical powered Prowler
Racing Chassis on Sunday. Trailing Markham at the
finish line by nearly 2.5 seconds were Colby Horner,
Brody Pope, Noah Garner, and Jacob Harberts.
Comer GA's Blake Lester escaped Neeses
with the Semi Pro Jr 3 national title after edging Evan
the Sr Stock main. VA's Chris Beazley, and Olie "Hot
Rod" Stinson capped the top five.
Grooms may have caught the competition by
surprise a couple of years ago when he scored the Super Heavy title, but these days, there's no "flying
under the radar" for this youngster.
Grooms is a marked man
when he rolls
Dennis at the stripe by 0.123 seconds. Following
closely behind the lead pair were Molly Raven, Reed
Hatchett, and Austin Yance.
Hartley Hoyle and Ryan Matthews led the field
of Jr Sportsman Champs to the green flag, with Hoyle
leading early, before relinquishing the top spot to Ethan
Endicott on lap six. Endicott led until the halfway mark
of the twenty lap feature. That's when Devin Morgan
and James Seeright took over. With three laps to go, Dillon
Hodge slipped by Morgan for the lead. Hodge managed to
hang on for the win, edging Endicott by 0.167 seconds, followed by Seeright, Hoyle, and Morgan, in the top five.
Richlands NC's BJ Thompson turned in the fastest
qualifying lap for the Semi Pro EL feature, and led all but
two laps on the way to the national championship. Thompson took the checkers 0.742 seconds ahead of Michael
Smith, followed by Clint Cash, Preston Sparks, and JR Tippens.
"Strollin' Nolan" Starnes took over the lead form
Molly Raven on lap three of the time shortened Jr 3 feature,
consisted of Logan Shockley, Veronica Flynn, Hayden
Mann, Jaxson Black, Cooper Brown, Kason Evans, Hudson Seebok, Jensen Brown, and Connor Morgan.
As sponsor of this class, I was downright appalled
at the actions of some parents. This class has never been
nothing more than an opportunity to get some seat time at
one of the biggest events of the year, where an older sibling
is most likely competing. It's an exhibition class per say.
If you brought your child to this event specifically for this
and went on to claim the win. These youngsters had major
issues getting in green flag laps. On the track for nearly
forty-five minutes, and well short of the mandatory eleven
laps (of twenty) to be recognized as a national championship feature, officials made the call to remove all but the top
five karts, in an effort to make it an official feature. Obviously, there were many protests about it being "unfair", but
from the outside looking in, it was "unfair" to the top five
to not have a chance at a national title because the back
half of the field couldn't make a lap without bouncing off of
something, or someone. It was reminiscent of a bumper car
ride at the county fair. Starnes claimed the title over Raven,
Reed Hatchett, Blake Lester, and Kirsten Simmons.
The Chase'n Race'n Kid participants included, in
the "A" group, Olivia Scott, Kendahl Erb, Jaxson Monroe,
Hunter King, Luke Cooper, Garrett Dugger, Kasey Presto,
Nathan Towers, Brody Smith, and Cole Cash. The "B" group
class, expecting something more, you might should have
read the guidelines for the class. All participants received
the same award. They are five to seven years old for crying
out loud!! They've got the rest of their lives to race in the
"dog eat dog" world. Please don't turn them off by trying to
live vicariously through them! Let them enjoy this time. It
won't last forever.
Yeah, there were a few bumps in the road, but this
was still a fantastic event, and should remain every kart racers short list of "must do" events in 2015, which by the way
will be hosted in Neeses again on October 16-18, 2015.
Mark your calendars, and start making plans, and we'll see
you at Thunder Valley next October.
Anyone leaving South Carolina with the feeling that
they were treated to anything less than a great facility, a
great event, and a fair chance to race against the best in
the nation, should possibly consider ballet, checkers, or
maybe even hibernation from the real world.