CONCORD, NC - There is a recurring theme in the RLV Tuned Exhaust Products Gold Cup Series this year. When a driver is on a roll at a specific event, there is no stopping them. And it hasn’t always been the same dominant face this year. Such was the case at the Michigan Kart Supply Nationals at G and J Kartway in Camden, Ohio, stop #3 for the 4 race series.
CONCORD, NC - There is a recurring theme in the RLV Tuned Exhaust Products Gold Cup Series this year. When a driver is on a roll at a specific event, there is no stopping them. And it hasn’t always been the same dominant face this year. Such was the case at the Michigan Kart Supply Nationals at G and J Kartway in Camden, Ohio, stop #3 for the 4 race series.
While Jacob Heavlow and Riley Kelley have scored national event wins this season, it wasn’t until the Camden stop where both put together large win streaks. For Heavlow, wins came in the Senior Pro Gas Money race, both of the Coyote Motorsports Senior Pro Gas Points races, and the Animal Medium main as well. For Kelley, his streak of 4 came in the Miller Welders Sportsman LO206, as well as the Razor Chassis Sportsman Pro Gas Lite, and the Baker Racing Engines Sportsman Pro Gas Heavy classes.
With late Friday afternoon rains halting practice for the day, the inclement weather also forced the Sportsman and Junior Pro Gas Money races, as well as the Senior Pro Gas Money race to Saturday evening, making for a full day of on track activity Saturday.
Defending champion Jax Walker came to life at Camden, also joining the multiple wins club, taking top honors in the Tyler Sandmeyer Kid Kart class both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday, Walker had to outhustle Mikim Motorsports Fast Time Award winner Blake Boone to take the win, as Kershaw winner Owen Lloyd chased the pair home in third. Walker bettered his qualifying run on Sunday, taking the pole, and once again fending off the efforts of Boone and Lloyd for his second win of the weekend. Wyatt Kessinger came home fourth on Sunday.
After dominating the top shelf of the podium in Kershaw, South Carolina in June, Aiden Baker Crouse continued his winning ways, securing the win in the Razor Chassis Sportsman Pro Gas Lite main event, the first of HIS 2 wins on the weekend. After taking the Mikim Motorsports Fast Time Award, Crouse bested Cale Hall for the top honors, while Riley Kelley chased the pair across the stripe for the win.
Once again, the Coyote Motorsports Senior Pro Gas class was packed with entries. And this also would serve as the starting point for Jacob Heavlows success as the Maryland driver staved off Dustin Demattia for his 1st of 4 wins for the weekend. Chasing the duo across the stripe were Sean Meier, Sarah Luoma, and Mike Greiner, as Gary Lawson, a longtime competitor on the series, returned to Camden and grabbed the Mikim Motorsports Fast Time award.
While 4 wins in a weekend was fantastic for some, Matt Miller wasn’t far behind in the win total category, notching 3 wins himself for the weekend. Starting with the Van K Wheels Junior Pro Gas Lite class, Miller had another quality field of competitors to fend off, taking the top honors over Jason Alder, with Joshua Stark, Cody Hall, and Brian Van Cleve chasing the Mikim Motorsports Fast Time winner across the stripe. Later in the day, Miller came back with an LO206 motor strapped on the kart, scored the Mikim Motorsports Fast time honors, then proceeded to top Jimmy Cole Jackson, Cody Hall, Talia Moffet, and Alex Vrabel in the Thor Oil sponsored class. Part of Millers wins would include a weekend sweep of the class as the Maryland driver returned Sunday to take the win, again over Jackson, with Jason Alder, Hall, and Vrabel completing the top 5.
With Matt Miller and Riley Kelley prepping for their next track time in the pits, Heavlow took back to the track to secure what would be the second win of the weekend, this time in the Animal Medium class. Heavlow topped Paul Headley, Jim Lipari, Justin Funkhouser, and Cayla Chapman, as well as securing the Mikim Motorsports fast time honors.
With a Sportsman Pro Gas Lite win already in his pocket, Aiden Baker Crouse returned to the track, taking the Mikim Motorsports Fast Time award in the Miller Welders Sportsman LO206 class. However, Riley Kelley was ready to click off his string of wins for the weekend, thus grabbing the lead, and holding on for the win over Crouse, with Tanner Carter rolling home third.
Time off from the Gold Cup Series hasn’t slowed Gary Lawson down one bit, as the Mentor, Ohio driver returned to Camden, and laid claim to the Briggs and Stratton Racing LO206 Senior class victory on Saturday. Fresh off a second place run earlier in the day in Senior Pro Gas, Dustin Demattia roared home for a second place run, with Mikim Motorsports Fast Time winner Eric Fagan, Chris Osgood, and Ben Wagenhals completing the top 5.
Demattia was finally able to break the second place streak on Sunday, flip flopping the finishing order, and taking the LO 206 win over Lawson, with Tyler Smith, Richie Kuhn, and Austin Queen completing the top 5.
In the Baker Racing Engines Sportsman Pro Gas Heavy class, Aiden Baker Crouse returned to the podium to claim his second win of the weekend, edging Riley Kelley for the top honors.
Following a solid second place in the Animal Medium class earlier in the day, Paul Headley found his familiar spot back up front, taking the Power Plus Lubricants Animal Heavy Mix main event. Headley was able to beat out Josh Stiefel for the honors, with Tim Stiefel, Case Hall, and Jacob Connor completing the top 5.
In the midst of so many multiple winners, Alex Vrabel was able to sneak in and slow down the win streak of Matt Miller in winning the Brads Heating and Cooling Junior Pro Gas Heavy main event. Miller was hot on Vrabels heels in second, with Brian Van Cleve, Mikim Motorsports Fast Time winner Jason Alder, and David Kalb completing the top 5.
With the bulk of points races in the books for Saturday, it was time to focus on the rescheduled Money Races, sponsored by Brads Heating and Cooling. In the 10 lap Sportsman Pro Gas Shootout, Cale Hall laid claim to the $200 event win, topping Riley Kelley and Aiden Baker Crouse. For his second place effort, Kelley received $100, with Crouse earning a cool $50.
In Junior Pro Gas Shootout competition, the Hall family tradition continued as Cale’s older brother Cody topped Matt Miller for the $200, 10 lap win, while Brian Van Cleve streaked across the line in third.
With Zach Linsell not in attendance, the 2 race Senior Pro Gas Money race win streak also came to a conclusion as Jacob Heavlow scored his third event win of the weekend, besting Sean Meier, Eric Fagan, Scott Klemen, and Sarah Luoma.
Sundays Razor Chassis Sportsman Pro Gas Lite Main found Riley Kelley back in the win column again, topping Mikim Motorsports Fast Time winner Aiden Baker Crouse and Tanner Carter. Kelley would win the bulk of his races on Sunday, roaring back for the top honors in the Baker Racing Engines Sportsman Pro Gas Heavy Class, again taking the win over Crouse. Kelley polished off the day in the Miller Welders Sportsman LO206 Class, with Crouse haunting him the entire way, while Tanner Carter again took third.
Heavlow returned to the winners circle Sunday, stopping older brother Jimmy in the Coyote Motorports Senior Pro Gas Class. Gary Lawson returned on Sunday as well, taking third, with Eric Fagan and Josh Stiefel completing the top 5. Lawson was the Mikim Motorsports Fast Time winner.
After many efforts on Saturday, the fruits of labor paid off for Jason Alder as he laid claim to the Van K Wheels Junior Pro Gas Lite victory. After taking the Mikim Motorsports Fast Time honors, Alder proceeded to show the field his rear bumper in taking his lone win of the weekend. Cody Hall came home second followed by Brian Van Cleve, Matt Miller, and Austin Williamson.
In Animal Medium, Paul Headley improved one spot from the day before, storming out of the gate for the Fast Time honors, then taking his second national win of the weekend. Headly edged out Justin Funkhouser and Jim Lipari.
After scoring the LO206 win on Saturday, Gary Lawson came back to take the top honors in the Power Plus Lubricants Animal Heavy Mix class, topping Saturday winner Paul Headley, with Josh Stiefel, Sarah Luoma, and Jacob Connor completing the top 5.
The final event of the weekend found Cody Hall triumphing in the Brads Heating and Cooling Junior Pro Gas Heavy main, making it two wins for the weekend for Hall after taking the Junior Pro Gas Shootout Saturday night. Hall bested Brian Van Cleve, Matt Miller, Joshua Stark, and Jason Alder for the top honors.
Following two back-to-back national events, just 1 month apart, the series gets a major breather, not running the GT Machine Grand Nationals until September 25-28 at Lamar County Speedway in Barnesville, Georgia.