Return of Black Flag Race Team
And to think, the day started off so well. Who saw such turmoil ahead.
After helping Daniel practice for Saturday’s TRAK Race 8, Chris stuck around after the dinner hour to compete in CRKC Round 4. Old friend, Abrar the K1NG of Speed, made a rare Friday appearance at the track. Steve Z and Guy V were there, and young Francesco even brought his vintage Mercury Marquis to the paddock.
Demaras’ times were looking good, as he improved from a 40.1 sec lap to a blistering 38.3 sec lap by second practice. The track had so much grip, corners could be taken at breakneck speed! Chris knew a podium was in his grasp.
In youth karts, #TheMigster showed everyone how it’s done. The young lion put his kart on pole and took a commanding win. Chris was proud to see his friend doing so well. Rumor has it that Migster Racing merchandise will be available at Goodwood Kartways in time for the next CRKC round, and Demaras will definitely be showing his support for the up-and-coming racer.
Desperate Demaras was his own worst enemy during the final. Starting 4th, just behind Greg F and in front of Damiano I., Chris could have achieved a Top 3 finish. He started strong, pushing hard off the line. He defended the inside line at Turn 4, then aggressively made a pass. Demaras capitalized on an error from a rival, and was up to P2, but tried to squeeze his competitor to the inside edge of the track at Turn 6, compromising his own line.
Falling down to P5, Demaras saw the white flag indicating the Final Lap. Drafting behind Damiano, Chris made a lunge at Turn 4, attempting to regain P3. Demaras collided with Greg F, then spun backwards, and lost multiple places. Adding insult to injury, Chris was shown the pointed black flag while the checkered flag waved as he crossed the line.
Big Damiano earned his first podium of the 2021 CRKC season, and Demaras was happy for his friend. But at the medal ceremony, Chris felt a lot of hostility from other racers.
The podium was within his grasp, and he could have done it cleanly. But Demaras had crossed the line, gone to the dark side, and once again become a member of the Black Flag Race Team.
