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| Blackhawk Farms Raceway Entrance |
Day 1 - Saturday, June 2, 2012
Bruce Racing had been preparing for this day. We were very excited because this is the only race this year that will be held outside Badger Raceway. Blachawk Farms Raceway (http://www.blackhawkfarms.com/) is a 1.95 mile racetrack located in South Beloit, IL, just on the WI/IL border.We drove for about an hour with my dad pulling the travel trailer while Tom drove the pick-up truck with the Bruce Racing #21 go kart in it. There was practice and racing going on the first day but we had not signed up Connor to do either one. We just wanted to get settled there and get ready for the next day, though Connor was itching to drive on the track.
Tom found some people we know from Badger Kart Club and he did not waste time tracking the person we were supposed to get our "new to us" wheeled kart stand. (Finally, we can give our wagon a rest from pulling the go kart.) He also found the person who was going to modify the motor for the next day's event. Connor's kart also got a new number for the next day's event: 325.
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| The kart with the #325 on and the "new to us" kart stand. |
When everything was squared away, (the driver registered, go kart prepared and travel trailer set up), we had time to just watch the practice and racing going on. At 6 p.m., the track was closed so we were able to walk the entire track just to see how long it was and where it all went. Later in the evening, Tom joined the rest of the Badger Kart Club members at the awards party that was going on for the races that day.
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| Connor with Grandma and Grandpa Tayone |
Day 2 - Sunday, June 3, 2012
Things start bright and early here. Before I could feed Connor & Tom breakfast, they were called to driver's meeting, which was around 7:30 a.m. Practice started right away at 8 a.m. but Connor's group was the fourth to go. So Tom and Connor were able to come back to the trailer to eat.
When it was time for Connor's practice to start, we all went down to the Start/Finish line to watch him go. There were many classes practicing at the same time. It was a good mixture of kids and adults. When it was done, we waited for Connor at the exit and when we saw him stop where he was and got out of the kart, we knew something was wrong. The exhaust pipe broke. Connor said he noticed that the kart was getting louder on his last lap on turn 7, the last turn on the track. So the kart was wheeled back under our tent and Tom worked on it. Tom had to get a new pipe and bracket to fix it. It took him long enough to fix that Connor had to miss the second practice. Connor beamed though when I asked him what his favorite part of first practice was. He said he passed five go karts and not one was able to pass him.
During the third and final practice, the bracket that held the muffler, the one that Tom just fixed, broke again, leaving it to dangle while Connor drove the track. Connor noticed it on the first lap of practice but he kept on going. Tom bought another bracket and fixed it again.
There were six races scheduled to run that day. Connor's group was the last. Two races were run just before lunch break and we just watched and waited for Connor's turn to go. We walked around. We went to the gift shop and browsed. We went up to the lookout tower and had ice cream there.
Connor's race did not start until almost 3 p.m. It was a race timed at 25 minutes. Connor started second in his class and he was in the 3rd wave. The karts were going about 70mph. I was watching with my mom, Colin and Tommy at the bleachers by turn 1 which was closest to our trailer. When the 3rd lap was in, I saw one ambulance turned its lights on and started to move away from the medical building followed by another ambulance. Then the flagger by our corner quickly threw the red flag. When he did not think that was enough, he actually ran in the middle of the track waving his red flag vigorously. I knew something bad happened. Red flag means all engines must stop. This can only happen because of weather or something that happened on the track. It was clearly not the weather and with the ambulances going off, it had to be a wreck. I flew from where I was to the Start/Finish line. I was almost there when I saw Tom also running toward where I was going. Then we saw Connor, with his helmet off and walking around his go kart with other drivers. Thank God! He was fine. From afar, I could see the emergency vehicles converging on turn 7. A five-kart crash (all adult drivers) on turn 7 prompted the red flag. Two people were taken in the emergency vehicle and they turned out being fine. The race was stopped for about half an hour, getting the drivers involved out safely and getting the vehicles out of the track.
Connor had been involved in the wreck somewhat. He was about to pass someone at full speed when he saw the wreck in front of him. So he stepped on the brakes which made him spin and hit another kart. While he was spinning, someone else hit his kart also. The kart was a little banged up but Connor and the rest of the kids were unscathed.
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| Waiting for his turn at restart. |
At restart, Connor started in 3rd place but quickly gained one position. There was only fifteen minutes remaining on the clock. The kids were able to go about 3 or 4 laps before it ended and a couple of times, we thought Connor lost his second position but he held it strong with a few seconds lead over the kart behind him.
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| Connor finishing second! (He's actually in the first kart in this picture.) |
Next race is on Sunday, June 10th @ Badger Raceway. To check point standings, click here:
http://www.badgerkartclub.com/2012points.htm
