In the week leading up to TRAK Race 2, the weather forecast called for a 98% chance of rain. On Saturday morning, the weather radar confirmed it. Demaras was ready.
Special thanks to new sponsor Paragon Competition for the rain suit that was sure to keep Daniel dry throughout the race day. New equipment, plus a fresh set of rain tires, and Demaras was all set for qualifying after a solid morning practice. The sessions were combined with Briggs Sr, and Daniel was 8th overall of the 22 racers, but 2nd in the Briggs Masters class.
With the kart set up for monsoon conditions, Daniel knew he was in trouble just waiting on grid for qualifying. The rain stopped, the sun was poking through the clouds, and with every lap the karts in the previous session ran, the track dried out more. Way too much grip for the conditions, the No. 412 kart was stuck to the track and Demaras qualified 20th overall.
Last year, Daniel was the oldest racer on the New Speed Motorsports racing team, and he took on a big brother role with Rocco, Santiago and Elijah. This year, Daniel is still a team veteran, but young Rocco returned the favour, helping lift up Daniel’s spirits, who looked a little down after qualifying.
That’s what’s great about New Speed Motorsports. The team really pulled together to help the racers achieve the maximum results. Max Preston was on hand to give Daniel some coaching, while helping wipe down the kart (the last part is definitely not part of Max’s job description). Leonard and Anthony attacked the No. 412 to completely change the set-up for the Final.
Starting at the back of the pack, Demaras did everything he could to move forward. Using aggressive overtakes, the right gear, and a new set of slicks (two new sets of tires in one race…a first for Demaras) he pushed forward to finish 2nd place in Briggs Masters, only 1.189 seconds back of the race winner at the line.
When it was time for the podium ceremony, NSM was well represented. VLR Masters racer Cayden Goodridge took the win, while Rocco Simone finished 2nd in Mini ROK and Leo Simone took 3rd in Kid Karts. Daniel Demaras was proud to stand on the podium two weeks in a row, this time 2nd in Briggs Masters.
Some weekends, everything falls into place, and racers dominate events. This wasn’t one of those weekends! Daniel was tested at every moment. A gamble in qualifying didn’t pay off, and put him back of the pack. Later, a mechanical failure during the Pre-Final occurred, when a fuel line tore (starving the engine of gas, stopping Demaras’ kart on track). But with NSM’s Leonard, Cale, Anthony and Max pushed Daniel forward, to overcome those challenges and maximize his results. Truly a team effort.
For TRAK Race 3 next weekend, the competition gets tougher, as the event doubles up as KartStars Canada Round 1. The provincial series brings in competitors from all across Ontario, for a chance at racing glory.
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