PARKERSTORE
DRIVER ENDURES DIFFICULT NIGHT IN THE OPEN INTERMEDIATE DIVISION
Red Bluff, CA - ParkerStore driver Kyle Larson experienced his first sub par night of the season Saturday night at the Corning Ford Red Bluff Winter Indoor Series. Although he did get a respectable 6th place finish in the 125cc division he was unable to complete the distance in the open intermediate division due to being a victim of the two stop rule.
The day started with point leader Larson setting second fast qualifying time in the 30 kart 125cc division behind second ranked Brian Southers. Larson lined up in the fourth position in his ParkerStore QRC Factory Sprint Kart for the 10 lap heat race. By lap seven he had chased down leader Andrew Cumpton and took over the lead, which he kept to the checkered flag. Larson lined up fifth for the six-kart six-lap trophy dash. When the green flag dropped little passing occurred and Larson found himself with a sixth place finish behind winner Mackena Bell.
The main event saw Larson again line his ParkerStore Banke powered mount in the fifth spot. With the race underway Larson settled into fourth behind leader Colby Copeland. Larson kept the fourth spot in the high speed chase at the front until a slight bobble in turn four allowed Derek Copeland to move by. Larson went after Copeland and finally passed him back on lap 22. The top seven karts then began to negotiate heavy lapped traffic and Bell took over the lead from C. Copeland. On lap 27 Larson again lost the fourth position to D. Copeland. On the next lap he got caught behind lapped traffic and dropped another spot to Southers. Bell went on to the checkered flag while Larson was credited with sixth in the final rundown.
The Open Intermediate division saw Larson qualify his ParkerStore/Grandpa George powered ride sixth out of the 20 entries. Larson started inside the third row of heat three. By lap three Larson had moved into third and he stayed there to the finish, with the win going to Mason Moore.
The trophy dash started Larson on the pole position. Coming out of turn two on the first lap the ParkerStore pilot allowed his kart to get a little sideways and fell back to fourth. He held that ranking to the lap six checkered behind winner Brett Hamilton.
In the main event Larson started behind the inversion in the fifth spot. He quickly moved into fourth on the first lap, however, on lap four he spun out in turn two bringing out a yellow. He then restarted last in the 13 kart field. By lap 17 Larson moved back to sixth. On lap 22, a multi-kart tangle happened at the exit of turn two that Larson nearly cleared. Unfortunately, as he was slowing to turn inside of the melee he was hit hard from behind causing the kart to stall. Due to the two stop rule Larson had to exit the race and was credited with a 10th place finish behind first time winner Derek O’Bannon.
When it was all over Larson was still upbeat as the 12 year old said “That 125 main event was so fun. Even though I only finished sixth there was so much happening in those last laps. In the 500cc open intermediate kart it was a little frustrating because I just couldn’t seem to ever get a good hold of the racetrack. But we’re just running that division for fun and experience and I’m sure my dad and Sean Sheppard will get my kart hooked up for me. I’m really looking forward to next week when it is the final QRC All Star Tour race and I get to race with the big boys in the open division.”
Race: December 4, 2004
Photos Courtesy of Jack Waterman
