TRAK RACE 7 – SATURDAY SCHEDULE
TRAK RACE 7 – RACE ORDER
TRAK Race 7 up next. Back to the standard Long Track Configuration as we use the same layout as next week’s big event, the KartStars Canada National Championship! The racing action at our Club Level continues to impress and we just wanted to send a THANK YOU to all of our participants who continue to see the value in our programs. We are looking forward to another great event! Click HERE for full TRAK Race 7 Details
TRAK RACE 7:
NOTES:
Drivers must pre-register for practice sessions, and be sure to include a signed waiver when submitting.
Friday July 31 was a very long day at the track for Chris Demaras. He arrived at Goodwood with his son Daniel just before 8:00 am to prepare the No. 412 New Speed Motorsports kart for practice in advance of TRAK Race 6. Engine issues interfered with Daniel’s preparation for the new track layout. Seven hours later, Chris sent young Daniel home to rest up for Saturday’s the big race. Chris got his race suit on for CRKC Race 4, and before qualifying, worked on replacing the race motor in the No. 412 kart.
Chris put down his wrenches and went on track for practice. Demaras had his hands full as the “reverse-track” layout Daniel practiced on was changed to “mid-track” configuration. Chris had never seen this layout used in his previous years in CRKC. Everyone would be starting from scratch figuring out eh double-apex left hander.
Demaras effectively used the draft behind Race 3 winner Ramees Khaja to take pole position with a 42.20 second lap. Starting out front, Demaras knew he would be a target on the opening lap, and planned a defensive line through the first few corners until he could build a gap and return to the normal racing line. That was the plan, anyway.
Chris’ little friend ‘The Migster’ raced in CRKC Race 4. In fact, the whole Montano family hung out with Chris, Rocco and Santiago under the NSM tent while Demaras continued wrenching on the No. 412. Miggy adapted quickly to the new track layout, and qualified P2.
Unfortunately for The Migster, the timing of his pass for the lead was outside the rules of CRKC (where Lap 1, Turn 1 passes are forbidden) and he was black flagged from the lead of the race which he would surely have won.
The Migster was disappointed, and needed a rapid infusion of ice-cream to console himself. Demaras’ NSM teammates Rocco and Santiago went home to get some sleep. Chris focused on the task at hand; win the race
Pole position can be a lonely place.
Not being able to see which competitors have lined up behind allows a racer to focus, but it’s an isolating feeling. Demaras was glad that his friend Trevor Reeve (of Reeve Webster Racing) had arrived at the track early enough to see the race. Chad Webster was out on track, flagging Turns 7A and 7B. Demaras giggled a little inside when he remembered that he was wearing a “Drive it Like You Stole It” Chad Webster T-shirt on under his race suit.
When the race started, Demaras attacked the track and never looked back. He lead the race from green flag to checkered flag, and never saw another competitor until the podium.
Chris was so excited at his second win of the year, he unzipped his race suit to show off his Reeve Webster Racing shirt to Chad when passing his post on the cool down lap.
More than 12 hours after arriving at the track, Chris climbed on the podium for the fourth straight time in 2020, including his second win from pole position. The podium wasn’t so lonely after all.
New Speed Motorsports is celebrating immediate success during its inaugural year of competition. Having achieved a podium at each of the first two rounds of the Kart Stars Canada series, New Speed Motorsports is off to a great start and looks to continue building on these early results.
With each driver achieving several podiums during the start of the competitive TRAK season, New Speed Motorsports drivers used the start of the club season to prepare for the highly-competitive Kart Stars Canada series.
In round one at Goodwood Kartways, achieving a third-place finish in Mini ROK through Santiago Ramirez, every driver placed the top-10 in all classes entered, including a mega-drive for Elijah Joshi in his first year of karting, finishing in eighth place after starting from 22nd in Briggs Cadet.
Moving into round two of Kart Stars at Innisfil Indy, the young team furthered its program with a stellar performance from Briggs Masters driver Daniel Demaras with a double third-place finish and a first-place finish for rising star Rocco Simone in Mini-Briggs. Santiago Ramirez crossed the line in fourth with speed to contend for the win but unfortunately suffered an on-track incident losing his battery and coming across just one pound underweight.
“We couldn’t be more proud of each and every driver under the tent,” remarks Team Driver Coach and Co-owner, Max Preston. “Our focus is about growing young Canadian karting talent and passing the torch to new drivers who are just entering the sport. I’m so proud of how Daniel, Elijah, Rocco, and Santiago have developed in such a short time, and achieving great results early in their career, and ours as new team owners.”
Focusing on creating a small team environment that is built for growth and learning, New Speed Motorsports brings together a wealth of racing experience to grow the next generation of drivers. With additional karting expertise provided through long-time kart racers Leonard D’Arrigo and Enzo Chiovotti Jr., New Speed Motorsports provides decades of professional racing experience at an extremely focused and affordable environment.
“We’re here to put a smile on the face of our drivers and their families, and ultimately to continue giving back to the sport that has given us years of experience and friendship,” comments Preston. “It feels great to achieve success so early with such a young roster. It’s going to be a really exciting journey for Anthony Simone, myself and the rest of the team.”
Next up for New Speed Motorsports is a return to TRAK club race at Goodwood Kartways, helping best prepare the team for round three of the Kart Stars Canada Championship.
After back-to-back regional races, club racing returned at Goodwood Kartways for TRAK Race 6. On an all new layout, reverse long track with chicane, drivers had to adapt to the challenging circuit.
Friday practice was difficult for Daniel. Despite feeling comfortable on the new track layout, the No. 412 had stubborn issues with the motor cutting out, an issue which persisted despite cleaning the carburetor, replacing the fuel pump and adjusting the valves. After practice, and before his CRKC race started, Chris decided to switch out the race motor, replacing Uniqua with her twin Skyler, as a preventive measure.
Daniel topped morning practice, but curiously wasn’t as fast as he had been on Friday.
While inspecting the kart before qualifying, driving coach / team mechanic Enzo Chiovitti Jr. found a massive crack on the side of the seat. After installing a new fiberglass IMAF seat, the team bolted on a fresh set of Vega qualifying tires, and sent Daniel on track. Demaras set pole position by four tenths of a second ahead of his nearest rival.
Daniel warded off an attack in the start of the pre-final race and stretched his lead to a 6.272 second gap by consistently setting lap times half a second faster than anyone else on track, leading from flag to flag comfortably.
In the final race, Daniel once again maintained his lead off the start, and grew the gap. The race was not problem free. Daniel’s dad Chris had over-filled the gas tank (to make sure the kart reached minimum weight) but the excess fuel sprayed out the overflow hose, soaking Daniel’s right arm in the process. Daniel was worried he had a fuel leak before determining the issue would not sideline him. He mentally noted that as long as the gas absorbed into his race suit, he’d make weight.
A slight bobble over the curbs and a missed apex due to dirt on the track did little to slow Demaras down, and Daniel took his first win in Briggs & Stratton club racing.
A great day all around for New Speed Motorsports as the team took pole positions and wins in all three classes it competed in. Santiago Ramirez took the win in Mini Rok while Elijah Joshi earned his first win of the season by edging out teammate Rocco Simone in Briggs Cadet.
For Daniel, finally taking a win was a long time coming. He spent a year in Briggs Jr and two years in Briggs Sr, only finishing in the Top 10 at the club level. The move to Briggs Masters allowed Daniel to show how fast and competitive he is. With support from the whole NSM team, Daniel had a dominant race, and looks to repeat his success next weekend.
Daniel thanks Anthony, Leonard, Enzo, Max, Cale, Liam and the team at NSM for the support, Darryl and Curtis at PRO for the race winning engines, and James Treadwell at VRS for his unwavering belief and support.
This weekend is the biggest club race in karting, the 4th annual Battle at the Brickyard. Last year over 300 entries competed in the “Greatest Spectacle in Karting”.In 2020, the Will Power Kart will be competing!
Great social media post from Team Penske driver Will Power promoting his new kart brand at the big race. Almost makes you want to go out and buy one!
TRAK RACE 6 – PRACTICE AVAILABILITY
TRAK RACE 6 – SATURDAY SCHEDULE
TRAK RACE 6 – RACE ORDER
TRAK RACE 6 – NOTES
After a few great weeks of racing in conjunction with KartStars Canada, action resumes this Saturday at Goodwood Kartways with TRAK Race Six.
New track configuration this week as for the first time this year we run the reverse direction (clockwise) and just to add in a bit more fun we have added the bus stop (chicane) as well. Long Track Reverse w/ Chicane is always a crowd favourite! We are looking forward to another great event!
On Sunday morning, everything felt better. More relaxed. Even Leonard was having some fun, and looked very comfortable in the driver’s seat!
Daniel Demaras has been doing double duty in the KartStars Canada series. On Saturday he competed in Briggs Masters and came away with a podium. He returned to Innisfil Indy on Sunday to compete in the ‘catch-weight’ category, KartStars Senior. Brimming with confidence, Daniel took top spot in morning warm-up, dethroning Zach Boam, who topped every session in Briggs Senior on Saturday.
A difficult qualifying for Demaras had him starting mid-pack for both of the heat races. Daniel felt he had the speed to compete for a podium and challenge for an outright win, but he’d have to get past his competitors. Unfortunately, contact on lap one, turn one, send Daniel over the curbs for some ‘off-roading’. The plume of dust and sand kicked up by Demaras’ kart was visible from across the track. The damage was done; not only would Daniel start further in the pack than he wanted, but the curbs at Innisfil had destroyed the bottom of his IMAF seat…again.
Between sessions it was all hands on deck in the New Speed Motorsports tent. Leonard, Max and Anthony got to work changing the piston on young Rocco’s ROK engine while simultaneously replacing the seat in Daniel’s kart. Liam and his father brought a portable welder and jumped in to repair busted side pod bars and get the team ready for action again.
Leonard warned Daniel that the replacement seat was not a the same as his fiberglass IMAF. The seating position was different, Demaras would be sitting higher up, and the weight transfer in the corners would be…dramatic.
Sitting so high in the kart made Daniel understand what Max Preston described experiencing in his kart racing career. The high centre of gravity caused the kart to two-wheeling through the corners, feeling like the kart was going to roll over. Demaras had to adapt his driving style quickly.
Daniel’s lap times suffered, and his starting position in the final would be compromised, but Leonard went back to the toolbox one last time before the final to lower the seat as much as possible. D’Arrigo warned Demaras; the seat was now millimetres off the ground. Great for handling and weight distribution, but any off track excursions, any trips over the curbs, and it would be game over.
Despite starting fourth in the final race, Daniel made an aggressive pass on Cameron Hogg and took third place. Demaras closed the gap to second place in the closing laps, but nobody was going to beat Zach Boam on this day; he ran the full race uncontested.
Daniel settled for third place, behind his new rival Levon Beaudin. Demaras earned himself a double podium finish at KartStars Canada round two, proudly representing the New Speed Motorsports team.
For Daniel, seeing his friends and teammates do well is just as important as a podium finish for himself. Over the course of the weekend Daniel got to see his friend Chad Webster on the podium in Briggs Senior, teammate Rocco Simone on the Briggs Cadet podium, and little brother Matte Ferrari earn his first ROK podium, while Matte’s dad Luigi Ferrari held back tears.
Overall, a fantastic weekend for Daniel Demaras and his No. 412 New Speed Motorsports kart at Innisfil Indy. No rest for the weary though. Race 6 is coming up in only six days as TRAK returns to Goodwood Kartways.
One week after the first ever KartStars Canada race weekend at Goodwood Kartways, the series visited Innisfil Indy for round 2. For many drivers, the track presented a new challenge.
After gaining some experience in IKC races at Innisfil, Daniel Demaras believed he had better knowledge of the track than many of his rivals. After working hard on Friday, the No. 412 New Speed Motorsports kart was set up to perfection for the race weekend.
Daniel set good pace in morning practice, topping the time sheets over many seasoned veterans in the field. Working with Marc Stehle in qualifying, Demaras took pole position for the first time in his career, giving him the top spot on the grid for both heat races.
In heat race one, Stehle jumped Demaras off the line, a move which would later earn him a penalty. Daniel ran behind Marc for much of the race, before making a pass for the lead. On the last lap, Leavon Beaudin managed to make his way past Demaras and Stehle, with Daniel falling back to fourth. The New Speed Motorsports driver’s start was better in heat race two, and held on to the position. Leading seven of eight laps, Stehle passed Demaras in the final corner of the final lap, leaving Demaras in second.
Daniel Demaras started second in the pre-final alongside Marc Stehle. After dropping a position to Eli Yanko off the start, Daniel sat behind him for a few laps before making the pass and trying to catch Stehle. On the last lap, Yanko passed Daniel into turn one, followed by Beaudin, and after a minor collision, two more karts got past Daniel while Yanko who was forced off track. Demaras finished the pre-final in fifth.
While looking over the kart before the final race, Chris Demaras noticed a that the exhaust header was loose, and as a result was causing a lack of power from ‘Uniqua’ the Briggs & Stratton LO206 motor race prepared by PRO. After correcting the issue, The No. 412 was ready to challenge for victory.
Daniel used the inside lane on the start to good effect, passing Yanko in turn one. He settled into the train of Stehle, Beaudin and Macavoy for the early laps of the race. Macavoy was given a black and orange flag when the visor broke off his helmet! It would now be a three kart race to the finish.
After multiple laps of pushing, Daniel passed Beaudin with three to go, and followed Stehle closely, looking for where he might be vulnerable. On the last lap, Daniel pushed Stehle through turns one and two, and looked to the inside into the hairpin at turn three. Marc moved to the middle of the track, squeezing Demaras, but young Daniel didn’t back out, braking later than Marc and taking the lead, locking up his brakes in the process.
Beaudin took advantage of the overtake and looked to Daniel’s outside into turn four, but Daniel held the inside line to keep the position. Stehle cut back and went alongside Daniel into turn five, with Daniel dropping a wheel off the track, but Daniel again used the inside line to hold position, and defended another attack from Beaudin in the high speed turn six. Daniel led down the hill, covering the inside of the track before moving mid track for the final corner. Seeing the opening, Stehle went to the inside of Demaras, Daniel ending up out on the kerbs, with Beaudin getting past him too. Stehle crossed the line first, Daniel tried to pass Beaudin for second to no avail, finishing third.
While some might say Demaras’ result wasn’t as good as it could’ve been, they’re wrong. A podium finish in the Kartstars regional karting series is a great accomplishment.
The Briggs Masters field put on a thrilling race for everyone watching. The intense last lap battle for the lead, a clean and close contest, was a great example of how exciting Briggs racing can be. Daniel picked up his first big podium finish in exciting fashion, and had high hopes for Sunday at KartStars Canada round two.
