Flat tire ends Open
division chances

DuQuoin, IL – ParkerStore outlaw sprint kart driver Kyle Larson ventured far from his Elk Grove, California home to the frigid Midwest to compete at the OKS National Indoor Championships inside the brand new Southern Illinois Center at the Illinois State Fairgrounds in DuQuoin last Saturday and came away with finishes on each end of the spectrum in the 125cc and Open 500cc divisions. Larson, wheeling his QRC Factory Karts, was able to remain undefeated in 2005 in the 125’s but was the victim of an unfortunate flat tire at the start of the open main that ended his chances for victory.

Both divisions saw a draw type format that set the heat race lineups for each class. Larson drew the outside front row starting spot for the 10 lap125 heat. He got the jump on polesitter Jay Reynolds and proceeded to lap everyone but Missouri runner Reynolds and fellow Californian Tyler Reddick, both using 250cc power plants. The finish gave the diminutive ParkerStore hotshoe the pole for the 20 lap main and that race resulted in a repeat of the heat performance as Larson again showed the dominance of his Banke powered rocket by lapping everyone but Reddick, while Max Adams finished third to complete a podium sweep by the California trio.

The open division saw Larson draw the inside third row spot for the 10 lap heat race. The start saw Larson avoid a couple of first lap tangles and move into second place. Although it was stated in the pit meeting there would only be one double file start and that any cars stopping on the track would be placed at the rear, a complete restart was ordered. Clearly the fastest kart, Larson was only able to work his way to a third place finish in the 10 lapper that found passing very difficult on the narrow one groove track. The finish lined the ParkerStore chauffeur inside the fifth row of the 20 lap A-Main. As the green appeared Larson got a great jump on the bottom of turn four and passed several karts before the kart next to him popped a wheelie and came down hard on his right rear tire and blew the valve stem out of the wheel. The track officials would not allow Larson’s team to enter the infield and change the tire, thus ending his quest for victory. Concord, North Carolina driver Kyle Beattie, steering Clarence Reddick’s kart from California, was the feature winner as he nipped race long leader Nick DeMoss in a photo finish.

Larson was disappointed with the outcome of his open division race but found several positives in his trip far from home. The ParkerStore leadfoot noted “I got to see a lot of the people I raced with at Knoxville last summer and it was fun to meet new fans and sign some autographs. I made some cool new friends here today. Plus, ParkerStore representative John Strand, who noticed me at Knoxville, came all the way from Minneapolis with his family to watch me race. I really appreciate their support. I wish I could have shown them what I could do in the open main because I think I could have won it. Hopefully, they can come out to Red Bluff and watch me race before the indoor season is over.”

Race: January 22, 2005