For Daniel and Chris, CRKC races couldn’t be any more different.
Daniel races in TRAK and MIKA. Big events like Champion Ron Fellows Karting Challenge and Pfaff Kartsport Cup. Chris races only in Arrive & Drive (he plans on entering K1 Speed’s new series in the fall). For now, CRKC is Chris’ big challenge…but for Daniel, CRKC just doesn’t have the same excitement it did.
Pole position against a field of 8 in a CRKC race…
…compared to leading a field of 50 at Briggs& Stratton Summerfest.
For Daniel, CRKC races often pan out the same way each week. Strong qualifying, often on pole. Always on the podium, sometimes on top step.
Despite the best efforts of mechanics like Big Brian and Rob, sometimes the A&D karts aren’t equal. Even the best driver can get saddled with a crappy kart. Achieving a podium can be an amazing accomplishment.
Considering that Chris and Daniel started racing at the same time, their results are quite different. With dozens of wins and a couple of Championships, Daniel excelled in CRKC. Chris scored a few podium finished in previous years, and took a win to start the 2018 season. But lately, his results have been unworthy of the Demaras name.
Week after week, Chris qualifies mid-pack, gets punted into a spin by drivers who think CRKC means ‘bumper cars’…and limps home in last place.
Daniel Demaras’ target of a Teen Division CRKC Championship is possible this year. He would add to his Cadet Division CRKC Championships. But that might be the end of Arrive & Drive for Daniel, as he focuses exclusively on club racing.
Without Daniel competing in 2019, it wouldn’t be a ‘father and son’ activity anymore. And without good results, Chris is questioning whether he should quit racing altogether.