WFXG Fox54 Augusta-Your News One Hour EarlierAdventures from the Road: Karting Blog by Skylar Robinson

May 11, 2012

Thankfully, this past weekend at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex wasn't as brutal as two weekends ago.  The weather was actually quite nice for the 3rd round of the World Karting Manufacturers Cup Series.  With over 35 people in each of the four classes in which I was contending, competition was intense, especially in Yamaha Jr. Heavy with 43 entries.

I was very quick in morning warm-up as I had one of the top 5 times.  In qualifying, the track heated up and the kart became "stuck".  In other words, the kart had too much grip which was not allowing it to accelerate off the turns.  Despite this, I ended up 10th, 3 tenths off of the pole time.  For the pre-final, we made a significant change to the kart.  This helped and I race my way up to 6th.  In the final, I would have to start on the outside of row three.  I was able to hold my ground and keep my position at the start.  However, I lost ground to the top 5.  Several laps later, I caught 5th and made the pass to advance into the top 5.  I then continued along this trend as I cut into the gap between me and 4th place.  I then made another move to advance my position to 4th.  About half way through, I caught Joel Jens who was running in 3rd at the time.  I tried to work with him to catch the leaders who had about a 2 second lead over us.  We gradually cut into the leaders gap, but I soon realized that we were not going to catch them.  I made a decisive move and passed Joel for 3rd.  Pulling away from Joel, I managed to stay a constant distance behind the leaders even though they were pushing each other.  I crossed the finish line in 3rd with the fastest lap out of all 43 drivers.

We had some mixed results.  In Yamaha, we were quick all weekend, especially on Sunday.  But, in the KPP class, we really struggled.  I am confident that we will be able to address the issue with the KPP before the next national.

May 2, 2012

Cold, windy, and, yes, even snow dominated this past weekend's Great Lakes Sprint Series Round 1 event at the Pittsburgh International Race Complex (previously BeaveRun Motorsports Complex).  After a cold and windy Friday practice with a couple of snow flakes falling, we felt that we had some work to do for Saturday and Sunday.

The best race I had during the course of the weekend was in Yamaha Jr. Lite.  After a solid qualifying effort, I would start 2nd in the 17 kart field for the pre-final.  Unfortunately, the pre-final would be cancelled as rainy weather was predicted to strike at around 3 p.m. (Around the time when the finals would take place if the pre-finals had been carried out).  This would mean that we would go straight into the finals.  In the final, I had a decent start, and I maintained my starting position.  For the first four laps of the race, I struggled with the kart tremendously and I fell back to 5th on the 4th lap.  However, the kart came in, and I charged back up to 2nd.  There wasn't enough time to chase down 1st place but I was gradually cutting into his gap.  

I am a little disapppointed with the weekend's results.  We were quick on Saturday, but we seemed to lose some speed on Sunday.  However, I am still looking forward to the national race which is coming up this weekend at the same venue, Pittsburgh International Race Complex.  I believe that we will be able to find the best set up for the kart and really excel.

Like the previous national events, there will be live coverage Saturday and Sunday on http://www.worldkarting.com/index.php/live.

Skylar

April 2, 2012

Had a very wet and rainy Saturday at the 10th annual Jacksonville Grand Prix for Spina Bifida.  None the less, it was awesome!  I qualified the kart 4th for the 4 hour race, with qualifying being my first time in the kart.  After starting the race in wet conditions with slick tires on, I managed to jump into the lead and lost one position before doing a driver change.  My second stint was in the dry and I moved up the leader board to 4th from 7th.  My final stint, once again in full wet conditions, was filled with lots of action.  I was consistently the fastest on track and I brought the kart home 2nd in class and 7th overall.  For the rain soaked 1.5 hour race, I would be starting P2.  I took the lead on the first lap and went on to win by 49+ seconds.  Big thanks to my crew chief, my dad, and my co-drivers for the 4 hour race: Judy Stropus, Jack Baldwin, Buz McCall, and Chuck Schoendorf!

Skylar

March 28, 2012

We saw it all - the good, the bad, and the ugly - this past weekend at the Carolina Motorsports Park, the second stop on the World Karting Association Manufacturer's Cup 2012 tour.  

We had a decent day on Saturday, finishing the final in 4th out of 40 in Yamaha Lite and ending up just outside the top 20 in KPP Heavy.

On Sunday, I was poised and ready to get my first national win after coming through with a 4th place finish in Yamaha Lite on Saturday.  I put the kart on pole in the Yamaha Heavy class a full tenth and a half ahead of the field.  However, I was three pounds light when I rolled across the scales.  This set me up for one heck of a pre-final as I would have to start dead last, 40th.  After charging up to 30th in the first three corners during the start, I was collected by a spun kart.  This collision resulted in a totaled chassis on my part and another 40th starting spot.  After running the KPP Lite final race, the Yamaha engine was placed on the KPP kart.  Going into the final, I knew I would have to be very aggressive in marching towards the front.  I did just that, and with a little bit of luck, found myself 8th when the 13 lap final concluded.

We had a very strong showing in Yamaha, but I feel we need to work on the KPP quite a bit more.  I am looking forward to the next Man Cup which will be in Wampum, Pennsylvania.  Hopefully, with a little bit of luck and a lot of skill, we will be able to come through with my first 2-cycle national victory.

The link to this past weekends onboard is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-q7lpe3tI&list=UUtPeU_OjyIi9Qw9tzFM5qjw&index=1&feature=plcp.  This race is the Yamaha Jr. Lite final where I placed 3rd.

Skylar

March 19, 2012

Big week this week! Tomorrow (Tuesday) I have a interview on Suck It Up! radio station at 8:05 PM, You can listen live here http://suckitupusa.com/radio-player/. Following that, I will have a promo shoot for Fox54 of Augusta on Wednesday. Then as the week concludes and the weekend commences, I will travel to the Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina for the second round of the World Karting Association Manufacturer's Cup. Live timing is available at the following link http://www.worldkarting.com/. Under the Cover It Live logo, just click on the George Kugler/ Manufacturer's Cup Series. Look for me on Saturday and Sunday in the Yamaha Jr. Lite and Heavy and KPP Jr. Lite and Heavy.

Skylar

March 13, 2012

This past weekend, my dad, my teammate Simon, his dad Jeff, and I drove up to the Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina for the local race that would be occurring.  Due to the upcoming national Manufacturers Cup, we wanted to use the race as a test to prepare for the national.  Several others had the same thought process and I ended with five people in Yamaha Jr. and KPP Jr, all of whom have the potential to finish on the podium at a national.

We had the kart hooked up in KPP Jr.  I qualified 2nd a little less than a tenth off of pole.  Then in the Pre-Final, I had a great start to snag the lead away going into turn 1.  I didn't look back from there as I went flag to flag for the win.  In the Final, I had another good start and I held onto the lead through turn 1.  Several laps later, I was challenged by Corey Towles for the lead.  He was able to get the lead momentarily, but I was able to pass him right back.  He applied pressure the entire race, but a small error on his part enabled me to take the win by half a second.

In Yamaha Jr., we really struggled.  We decided to test on Sunday to see if we could figure out the problem.

We were very quick in KPP so I feel very confident that we will be good when the national comes around.  We still have a lot of work to do in Yamaha, but we have some things to try for the next test.

March 8, 2012

This past weekend, my dad and I drove down to the 103rd Street Karting Complex for the first round of five of the 2012 World Karting Association Gold Cup.  In the past couple of years, we have had a fair amount of reasonable success in the series and we hoped we could continue the trend.  I would run a total of three classes, two on Saturday and one on Sunday.

Throughout Friday and Saturday, we struggled with the kart and we could only muster two 5th place finishes, one in Briggs Jr. Lite and one in Briggs Jr. Heavy.

For Sunday, we didn't really have anything else to try on the kart so we decided to switch to the prototype chassis that Steve Roberts, my kart owner, had.  The prototype had a radically different design than the kart I was driving so it would take some time to get used to.  During our one round of practice, I was unable to go out as the kart was still being prepared.  My first time ever driving the kart would be in qualifying!  I ended up 9th- about a second off of pole.  We weren't very fast, but there was still work to do on the kart.  In the pre-final, I had a start that was no less than spectacular.  I picked up seven spots to elevate me to 2nd.  During the course of the race, we picked up a quite a bit of speed.  Unfortunately though, I dropped back to 3rd.  After being passed, I knew my only chance to regain the spot was right away.  I tried for an inside move in the following corner but I did not prevail and I ended up pulling the bumper out after running over a curb.  This resulted in a disqualification and I would be forced to start last for the final.  We decided to put 25 psi of air in the rear tires to reduce the grip.  This is twice what we normally run so it was a very radical change.  Well, all I'm going to say is that it didn't work.

We had a tough weekend, but I am looking forward to our next race this weekend.  I was very lucky to have my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Rick come out and support me.  Also, a couple of family friends, Andy and Jeanne, made the trek to observe the on track action.  In addition to family and friends, my French exchange student, Antione, was able to come out and support me.

Skylar

March 1, 2012

As many of you are already aware, I will be heading down to the103rd Street Karting Complex for the first race of the World Karting Association Gold Cup series.  Live coverage will be available for your viewing at the following link http://www.worldkarting.com/pg/coverItLive/2012.jacksonville.live.coverage.gc.php on both Saturday and Sunday.  I will be racing in the Briggs Jr. Lite and Briggs Jr. Heavy class on Saturday.  I will then finish out the weekend with the Briggs Jr. Medium class on Sunday. 

Hope you can follow along!
Skylar

February 29, 2012

This past weekend, my dad and I headed down to the Ocala Grand Prix in Ocala, Florida for the second round of the Florida Karting Championship Series.  We wanted to use this race weekend to continue to learn how to tune and how to drive the Tony Kart chassis as it requires a different driving style than our old Arrow chassis.  We would be racing in the KPP Jr. and Yamaha Jr. classes.  

We started Friday off well, but we began to slow down.  At the end of the day, we had quite a bit of work to do in order to catch up with the leaders.

When Sunday came around, so did the rain.  This was not a problem as we put a wet setup on the kart and switched to the grooved, wet condition tires.  Our morning warm up session went very well and I was 2nd quickest.  Next up was qualifying.  Even though I didn't get pole, I was still pleased with the run as I ended up 3rd, a tenth of a second off the leader.  We made some adjustments to the chassis for the pre-final, but we went the wrong way and I was unable to keep up with the leaders.  For the final, more changes were made to put the kart in its "sweet spot" and it worked.  At the start, I managed to snag 2nd place away from Corey Towles.  I then focused on passing the leader, Ashley Rogero.  A couple of laps later, I made a pass for the lead going into turn one.  After leading for several laps, I was forced back to 2nd. I then took the spot away and resumed leading.  After several more laps of leading, Ashley passed me.  We went back and forth for several laps until things started to calm down.  As the laps started to wind down, I started to look for a place to pass.  With two laps to go, I had my chance, but unfortunately, I didn't seize the opportunity.  Not being close enough on the last lap, I was unable to make a move and I ended up finishing the weekend in 2nd.

Looking back on the weekend, we struggled quite a bit in the KPP Jr. class.  However, we were able to hit the right setup in Yamaha.  We had the kart to win, but unfortunately, I didn't take full advantage of the opportunity presented. 

February 23, 2012

After a lengthy break from our last race at Daytona, I am anxious to get back on track this weekend!  I will be heading down to the Ocala Grand Prix for the second round of the Florida Karting Championship Series.  Like last year, the FKCS will be offering live video and timing. You can click on the link that follows for the live video and timing page http://www.flwkasprintseries.com/fkcslive/index.php.  

I will be racing Saturday in the KPP Jr. class and Sunday in the Yamaha Jr. class.  

The schedule for Saturday and Sunday is available at http://www.flwkasprintseries.com/files/2012/2012_Ocala_Race_Day_Schedule.pdf.

February 3, 2012

Today, my dad and I presented our 6 Simple Machines presentation to a group of students ranging from 6th-8th graders at St. Mary's on the Hill school.  Approximately 150 students were in attendance, all seemed intrigued by what we were presenting.  The presentation itself went very well.  Looking forward to doing another one shortly!

January 11, 2012

With one event down in the 2012 World Karting Association Manufacturers Cup series, we have five more events before the final points are tallied up and championship winners are decided.  This season, we will be making several stops at tracks that we have visited during the 2011 season.  However, the 2012 tour will also take us to some tracks that will be foreign to us.  After running a limited schedule in the Gold Cup during the 2011 season, we plan to do the same this year.

Instead of running the full Florida Karting Championship Series, we will do a handful of events in the FKCS and Great Lakes Sprint Series.  The GLSS tends to go to the tracks where national events take place a week or two before the nationals.  We feel that this will allow us to practice tuning and refining my driving at these tracks.

Skylar

January 3, 2012

After a lengthy three month break since the last World Karting Association Manufacturers Cup race, I was anxious to hit the track for the Margay Sprint Championships at the Daytona International Speedway.  This is one of the biggest kart races of the year as it attracts the likes of AJ Allmendinger and Jamie McMurray.  Even though I would not be racing against them, I would be competing against some of the best junior kart racers in the country and the world as Canada and England would be represented in my classes.  Over the course of three days, I would be practicing and racing these top-level competitors in four different classes.

Practice on Wednesday went well with the help of professional kart tuner Mike Maurini.  We were quick, but we could have used a tenth or two more in all of the classes in which we were racing.

The most intense race of the race week had to be Yamaha Jr. Heavy.  In qualifying the engine did not start due to a carburetor problem.  This would place me in the 46th position out of 47 karts as one racer was disqualified due to a technical infraction.  The pre-final went extremely well.  On the start, I took the shortest way possible around the mayhem in turn one - the grass.  I came out some where in the 20s.  As the 9 lap race wore on, I continued to move up the leader board to the 19th position where I finished.  I was quite pleased with this as I would be on the inside row for the start of the final.  As the green flag waved for the start of the final race of the Margay Sprint Championships, total madness ensued.  Someone near the front of the field spun and collected several others.  This enabled me to move up to the 12th position.  I continued to pick people off until I reached 9th place.   It seemed as though 8th place and I were in a stale mate as I could close the gap but he would then pull away.  With 2 laps to go, the drivers behind me grew increasingly aggressive.  I was nailed from behind going into turn 6 and then a very aggressive pass followed going into the final turn leading on to the front straight.  I was forced wide and I ended up off course.  I lost two more spots which put me back to 12th were I finished the week.

Even though we were looking for better results, I managed to collect one top 10 finish in Yamaha Jr. Lite.  I had a small fan base for the week. On the first race day, Thursday, family friend and accomplished sportscar racer Hurley Haywood was able to come witness the on-track action.  On Friday, my aunt and cousin made the journey from Clermont, Florida to watch me race.  Hopefully, we can apply what we learned from this race into the next race which I am looking forward to with anticipation.

The link to the helmet cam is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_2yP3ALnBU&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL.

Happy New Years!
Skylar

December 27, 2011

The start of the 2012 season is right around the corner!  After a tough, yet successful 2011 season with two Florida Karting Championship Series championships, we will look to have a strong showing for the 2012 season opener at the Daytona International Speedway for the World Karting Association Manufacturers Cup Margay Sprint Championships.  This season brings several changes.  I will be piloting the #6 Tony Kart rather than the #59 Arrow, but will continue to be powered by Comet Engines.  The new number reflects our association with the "6 Simple Machines" program that we have developed and are presenting in schools.  We have received some local press coverage concerning this program.  If you are interested and would like to check it out, see the full story.

Another drastic change for the upcoming year is the teaming up with Jeff Sikes and his son Simon who races in the age group below me.  We will also be under the technical know how of professional kart tuner Mike Maurini.  Despite these changes, we will continue to focus on the WKA Manufacturers Cup with several 4-cycle national events sprinkled into the season.

Here is a link for a preview of the week.  I will remain in the Yamaha junior and KPP junior classes and will take on 50-60 karts this week.  Starting on Thursday, December 29th, there will be live coverage of my races at that you can watch here.  There will also be coverage Friday, December 30th.

Merry Christmas!  I am stoked about the upcoming racing season and the new year!

Skylar

December 7, 2011

This past weekend, my dad and I drove down to Jacksonville, Florida for the 3rd Annual Best Transmissions Box Stock Shoot-out at the 103rd Street Sports Complex.  I was really excited for this race as $1,000 would go to the winner.  Even though I would be racing in my third Senior Clone race against much older and more experienced racers, I was ready to take on the challenge.

The shoot-out was a one-day event set to take place on Saturday.  In typical 103rd Street fashion, we didn't start practice until 10:00 am.  At the WKA nationals, we usually start practice around 8:00 am.  Anyway, once things got under way, the day ran smoothly.  We were lacking speed in practice so we needed to get a bit quicker for qualifying.  We made some significant changes in hopes of finding some time, but it was all in vain.  So, the team went back to work for qualifying.  Unfortunately, in qualifying, we did not have the speed to qualify towards the front and we ended up 4 tenths off the pole.  Due to our lack of speed, the call was made to switch karts for the pre-final.  It was absolute madness trying to switch everything from one kart to the other.  We almost missed the race.  Because we switched karts, I had to start dead last (13th).  Since I was able to make my way up to 7th in twelve laps with nothing falling off the kart, I was pretty satisfied.  But, I was penalized one position for making a pass in the grass.  Therefore, I would start the first 15 lap segment of the 30 lap final in 8th.  The start of the final was pretty crazy even though nobody spun.  I picked up a position right off the bat which elevated me to 7th.  I then continued to pressure 6th place until he made a mistake.  I seized the opportunity and advanced my placing once again.  By now, I had lost the 5 kart lead draft.  I needed a break to be able to catch the lad pack before the end of the first segment.  Incredibly, I got that break.  An incident took out 3 of the top 5 karts.  This moved me up to 3rd where I finished the first segment.  As you can imagine, I was ecstatic.  From starting dead last to having a shot to win over the course of a pre-final and the first half of the final.  Because my teammate was starting 1st and I was starting 3rd, we decided to play a little bit of strategy.  I would push my teammate at the start, allowing me to slip into 2nd.  I would then pass my teammate and he would push me to get away from the rest of the field.  Everything worked out the way it was supposed to, and on the last lap, he made his bid for the lead.  However, I took a defensive line and was able to hold him off for the win!  We decided to split the prize money for 1st and second so we each walked away with $800.

Skylar

November 30, 2011

Yesterday (Monday), my dad and I gave our third 6 Simple Machines presentation at Lake Forest Hills Elementary School to a group of 75 forth graders.  We were fortunate enough to have a local news station, WFXG Fox 54, show up and cover us.  The link to the http://www.wfxg.com/story/16138688/a-go-cart-in-a-richmond-county-school-is-helping-students-learn-about-math-and-science.  

This upcoming weekend, I will be competing in my first money race in Jacksonville, Florida at the 103rd Street Kart Track.  I will be racing against some of the best in the Southeast for my chance to win $1000!

Skylar

October 21, 2011

This upcoming weekend, I will be heading down to Ocala, Florida for the Florida Karting Championship Series Awards Banquet.  The banquet will be broadcast live on October 22 at 8 PM.  I am not quite sure what the order for awards will be.  However, I will be called up for class wins in Yamaha Jr. and KPP Jr.

The link that follows will take you to the broadcast. http://www.flwkasprintseries.com/fkcslive/banquet.php

Skylar

August 15, 2011

Points championships were on the line for the Florida Karting Championship Series this past weekend at the brand new track, RaceComplex, in Ft. Myers, Florida.  My dad and I were ready to take on the challenge and claim our first two state series championships.  But first, we would have to overcome some tough competition.  In order to get a slight advantage, we practiced on Thursday so that I could learn the track.  Therefore, on Friday, we could work on the kart, not on my lines.  Anyway, after having a successful Thursday practice, we were ready for Friday practice.  Friday practice went well and I was one of the fastest through out the day.

Saturday would be a very exciting race in the KPP Jr. class.  It would be a fight to the finish for me to take home my first state championship.  We kicked things off well in practice as I was one of the quickest on the leaderboard.  Qualifying would be super important as the RaceComplex is extremely difficult to pass at.  We had a good qualifying effort and we ended up 2nd.  The top 5 were separated by less than a tenth of a second so I was going to be on top of my game for the pre-final.  The pre-final went well, I managed to lead for a while but I soon fell back to 3rd were I finished.  Even tough I would not be on the front row for the final, I hoped to utilize my inside row position to my advantage.  Unfortunately,  I thought that the flagman was going to wave off the start due to someone not being in the correct starting spot.  However, I was wrong.  I managed to hold my position, but I lost valuable time to the leaders.  Several laps later, I dropped to 4th when Ian Tilbor passed me.  I was able to get back around him with three laps to go.  Even though I was able to hold my position for the a couple of laps, Ian was able to squeak by me on the inside going into turn 1.  I tried to make a move in the infield, but I wasn't close enough.  Despite finishing 4th, I sill managed to win the championship by 8 points!

We had the speed to win in KPP, but a driving error by me cost us the win.

July 13, 2011

This weekend, I will be hitting the track for the World Karting Association Manufacturers Cup in Wampum, Pennsylvania. There will be live coverage of the event. Here is the link http://www.worldkarting.com/. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and then click on the "Cover it Live" box. I believe this should take you to the live timing and scoring page. I will be racing in the Yamaha Jr. Light and Heavy classes and KPP Jr. Light and Heavy classes. Look for me to be up front!

July 12, 2011

After a solid weekend at the Great Lakes Sprint Series, we were looking to build on our results for the World Karting Association Manufacturers Cup national at the BeaveRun Motorsports Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania.

But, we would have to over come some adversity. In my first practice session on Friday, the right front corner of the KPP kart was torn off when I was collected in an accident. Luckily, one of the kart teams at the race had a spare chassis that they let us use for the rest of the weekend. My dad, my other mechanic (Mike Pugh), and I took advantage of a rain delay to assemble the kart.

In Yamaha Jr. Light, I struggled a little bit in qualifying and I ended up 12th. The pre-final started well as I was able to maneuver my way up to 8th. Unfortunately, I dropped out of contention when I was collected in a crash. For the final, I had to start dead last (40th). Tension was in the air on the pace lap and once the green flag fell, all strings snapped. At least 20 karts were involved in a massive crash that occurred in turn 1. After a close call, I dodged the wreck which moved me up to 15th. I then started to move up the leader board to where I finished- 12th.

The weekend didn't go as well as we would have liked. Even though I managed a 5th place finish, we still struggled with kart set-up which hindered us quite a bit. The link to the helmet cam is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BNkLgbkCuzs.

June 29, 2011

After having a disappointing weekend in Jacksonville, it was time for us to redeem ourselves at the Great Lakes Sprint Series divisional series at the BeaveRun Motorsports Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania. We would also use this race weekend as a test for the upcoming Manufacturers Cup national that would occur there in two weeks.

We felt prepared for practice that would occur on Friday. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and we ended up only getting 3 sessions. However, the weather was perfect the rest of the weekend, especially on Saturday. I would hit the track in the KPP Jr. Heavy class and the Yamaha Jr. Light class. The Yamaha final was a race that went down the wire. But before the final, we had a morning warm up session. I was very happy with the way things went and I was one of the fastest in the 19 kart field. Next up, qualifying. I would end up posting the 3rd quickest time. At the start of the pre-final, I went a little to deep into the braking zone at the start and I spun. I fell back to 14th. With only 6 laps in the pre-final, I knew I would have to make my way through the field quickly. I managed to claw my way through the field to end up 6th where I finished. The start of the final didn't go well for me and I dropped back to 10th. Anyhow, I succeeded in moving up to 4th before the halfway point. I then pushed Austin Self until the last lap when I made my move for 3rd. Well, I thought I made a move for 3rd. But luck was on my side and the two leaders got together slowing each other down. I drove around both of them for the lead. With only five corners left and Austin and Jacob right behind me, I took a defensive line into the next corner. Jacob decided that he was going through me, not around me. Jacob hit me so hard that the chain was knocked off and I was not able to continue. Therefore, I ended up second last.

We have work to do for the national, but I feel we are moving in the right direction.

June 21, 2011

Last week, my dad and I drove down to the 103rd Street Sports Complex in Jacksonville, Florida for the fifth round of the Florida Karting Championship Series.  We would test all day on Thursday to get a head-start on the competition.  Friday practice didn't go as well as we would have liked.  We were constantly making changes to the kart but we weren't getting anywhere.  

Saturday was the first day of racing.  In my class, KPP Jr, we had nine karts.  For our one and only practice session, we switched from our practice engine to our race engine.  During practice, we were way off the pace.  For qualifying, we put our practice engine back on.  We qualified 4th which gave me a decent starting spot of the pre-final.  Before the pre-final, my dad's old team owner Bob Tullius came out to watch me race.  Also, Hurley Haywood, my dad's old team mate dropped by.  For the pre-final, we made some front end adjustments.  In the pre-final, the kart was extremely tight so I was unable to advance my position.  I ended up where I started, 4th.  For the final, we changed the axle and the front end.  I was a bit quicker as I was able to move up to 2nd.  However, I got in the marbles in one of the turns and this sent me off of the track.  I rejoined the race in 6th.  Even though there were only three laps left, I was able to move up to 4th.  After the race, the 3rd place kart was DQed for a tech infraction.  This moved me up to 3rd.  

It was great having Bob and Hurley come out to the track on Saturday and my aunt, cousin, and my dad's godmother come out on Sunday.  However, I am unsatisfied with our results.  Unfortunately, there is no helmet cam due to technical problems.

June 17, 2011

Over the course of the weekend, I will be competing in the Florida Karting Championship Series at the 103rd Street Sports Complex in Jacksonville, Florida. The Florida Karting Championship Series is providing video coverage of the event. The link is http://www.flwkasprintseries.com/fkcslive/index.php. On Saturday, I will be racing in the KPP Jr. class. Qualifying will occur around 10:05 am, the pre-final 12:25 pm, and the final around 3:01 pm. The Yamaha Jr. class will occur on Sunday. Qualifying should begin around 10:01 am, the pre-final 11:55 pm, and to close out the day, the final which will begin at 2:21 pm.

May 17, 2011

Last Thursday, my dad and I made our annual trip to the Monticello Kart Club in Monticello, Florida for the fourth round of the Florida Karting Championship Series. I would be competing in the Yamaha and KPP Jr. classes over the course of the weekend.

On Friday, we had a rough day. We were quick early on but we lost some speed and I ended the day a second off of the leaders. In addition to having a tough day in the KPP, I was offered the opportunity to drive a TAG Jr. kart which can hit speeds over 100 mph. The first time I went out, the kart stalled due to my inexperience with a TAG kart. The second time I went out, things seemed to be going smoothly, and then all of a sudden the steering wheel came off. I was not able to control the kart and I went flying into the hay bales. However, I managed to walk away unscathed.

The KPP Jr. class on Saturday was a bit disappointing. We were able to complete qualifying and the pre-final. However, due to the weather, we did not race the final. (Results are below)

Sunday went a bit better in the Yamaha Jr. class. I was one of the quickest through out practice. We were a little bit off in qualifying and I qualified 2nd. In the pre-final, I was able to hold my position around the outside of turn 1. I then made a successful move for the lead. Leading for several laps, I felt second place breathing down my neck. However, I did not have enough speed to keep the lead and I fell back to second where I finished. For the final, we made some adjustments to help free the kart up. Once again, I managed to maintain my second place starting position at the beginning. We didn't go far enough on the adjustments and I quickly lost sight of first. As the laps ticked by, I noticed the group of karts behind me rapidly closing in. With four laps to go, Oliver Askew drafted by me which put me back to 3rd. I knew I had to retake the position so I did on the next lap. With two laps to go, Oliver made an aggressive pass going into turn 1. I managed to get a better run out of the corner and I was able to pull up along side of him. Side-by-side, we went through the fastest turns on the track. This slowed us down and Ian TiIbor managed to get a massive run and pass us both going into turn 5. I also managed to get by Oliver in turn 5. I followed Ian for the remainder of the lap. Then on the last lap, I passed Ian going down the front straight for second. I held then held my position for the remainder of the lap to take second.

Even though there was night and day difference between the practice days and race days, I am a little disappointed that we weren't able to come away with a win. The link to the helmet cam is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QKA2xBbLg0.

May 11, 2011

As you may already know, I will be competing in Monticello, Florida this weekend in the Florida Karting Championship Series (FKCS). The FKCS has made a live timing and scoring page on their website. If you would like to follow my races on Saturday and Sunday, click the link that follows http://www.flwkasprintseries.com/fkcslive/index.php. Unfortunately, I do not know the times that I will be racing. Therefore, you may want to ask the FKCS Lord when Skylar Robinson will be racing.

Enjoy!

Skylar

May 6, 2011

On Thursday, my friend Simon (Simon also races in the class below me), his dad (Jeff), and I flew up to Southbend, Indiana for the third round of the World Karting Association George Kuglers Manufacturers' Cup Series.  This race would take place at the Michiana Raceway Park.  

I woke up Friday with a stomach virus.  Unfortunately, this illness stayed with me throughout the weekend.  Anyway, this made things tough as I was harassed with the normal effects of the virus.

I ran a total of four classes over the course of the weekend with Komet Jr. Lite being the most exciting.  I didn't start the day off well as I qualified 20th out of 40 karts.  In the pre-final, I made one lap before my chain was knocked off earning me a DNF.  In the final, I managed to tiptoe my way around the carnage on the first lap, moving from 30th to 9th.  After an intense first lap, I tried to run down 8th.  Unfortunately, the rear end of the kart slid out causing me to drop a wheel off the track.  I then was sent into a 180 spin.  Despite my best efforts, I could not catch back up to the top 10, so I had to settle for a 13th place finish.

This weekend was a bit disappointing after our performance at Kershaw.  In addition to being sick, I broke two tie rods and I lost three chains.  I am looking forward to the next national where I will be able to prove that I can win a 2-cycle national.  The link to the helmet cam video is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv0mTcbA5dA.

April 7, 2011

Last Thursday, my dad and I drove to the Ocala Gran Prix kart track in Ocala, Florida for the third round of the Florida Karting Championship Series.  Over the course of the weekend, we would be competing in the Yamaha Jr. class and the KPP Jr. class.  I will focus on the most exciting one, though.

Friday went without a hitch and I was consistently at the top of the speed charts throughout the day.

On Saturday, I would "lock horns" so to speak with my rivals as we would vie for the win in the KPP Jr class.  The morning warm-up session went smoothly as I was one of the fastest.  In qualifying, I posted the 3rd fastest lap time four hundreths of a second off of the pole position.  During the lunch break in between qualifying and the pre-final, my dad's old team owner and racing legend Bob Tullius came out to the track to watch me race.  After some intriguing conversation and lunch, I was ready to take on the challenge that lie ahead.  At the start of the pre-final, I managed to move into second.  Several laps later, I passed my friend Corey Towles for the lead.  I then lead for the remainder of the race and took the checkered flag first.  Because I won the pre-final, I would be starting on the pole position for the final.  I didn't have the best start during the final as I dropped back to second.  Despite this, I was able to get by Corey for the lead and open up a decent lead.  However, my other friend Ian Tilbor ran me down and passed me on the last lap.  The race isn't over until the checkered flag drops and I was able to get back by around Ian and take my first win of the weekend.

I am very pleased with our results.  Even my dad did a good job tuning the kart.  The link to the helmet cam video is http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rlc1plLhk6E.