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With over a thousand laps
logged in at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in June,
Raquel Martinez and her team of Glenn Araki, Jimmy
and Josh Harris were prepared. Going into the event
as a championship point leader in three classes
and 30 points shy of the lead in her fourth class,
the hope of bringing home several national titles
at the IKF Sprint and Shifter Grand Nationals were
high. It has been said that luck is where preparation
meets opportunity. Being prepared was an understatement,
having the right set-up of luck was the uncontrollable
factor that set the tone for much of the week.
In motor sports, being
prepared typically brings home the gold, but as
most experienced racers know, lady luck can make
or break the day. What loomed for the Martinez Racing
Team in the hot desert sun on the grueling seven-tenths
mile circuit was a lesson of uncontrollable fate.
Sometimes, the element of chance unavoidably befalls
a racer on-track. They can do all the right things;
make all the right moves to put themselves in the
right place, but sometimes - it’s the right
place at the wrong time. That was the case for “Rocky”
who at only 11 understands that it’s just
one more lesson in the school of racing –
sometimes, the cards just don’t fall in your
favor but you take what you get and move forward
to the next race and the next goal.
The third week in June
was a 50/50 kind of week for Rocky who closed out
the event with a first, second, sixth and 24th place
finish. The cadet category, considered among the
most competitive classes in the country, is filled
with young talent and tight margins. Rocky knew
race strategy and precise driving was critical.
Her skill on-track was phenomenal and her efforts
were valiant. She passed in places few dared to
venture, she methodically strategized, calculated
and gave it her all. In racing, however, a true
driver wants the win, not second, not, sixth or
24th. While three of her results were not what she
hoped for, she has every reason to be proud.
Martinez Racing would
like to thank all of Rocky’s fans who came
to cheer her on and to the dedicated crew who worked
so hard for success. As we see time after time,
these kids in the cadet category are amazing to
watch and it was a week to remember. We would also
like to thank KGET Channel 17 news, the NBC affiliate
in Bakersfield. Anchor Todd Strain spent the day
with the team on Tuesday and from what we understand,
did a phenomenal piece for Thursday’s news.
For those who weren’t at the event, here’s
a recap of each race from our perspective below.
Wednesday, June 20 –
Race Day 1 - HPV 1 Cadet
Competition was tough as expected in the first day’s
HPV 1 action where 29 karts filled the grid. Rocky
qualified her Top Kart / HPV package in fourth only
0.123 seconds off-pole. Heat racing action took
place in large packs, but by race end, it was anyone’s
win contesting in the top five. Brandon Reed took
the heat win as Rocky’s fifth place finish
instilled a stronger drive for a final race win.
Starting the final on the third row inside, Rocky
turned up the heat after a red-flag restart and
began a calculated and star-studded performance.
By the white flag lap, it was once again, any one
of five driver’s race. Rocky took over the
lead in the Monza where she and Luis Tyrrell endured
a challenging battle to the checkered. Tyrrell re-took
the lead in the Monte Carlo horseshoe toward the
final stretch of straight-a-way. Giving it her all,
Rocky used the draft, took an inside line toward
victory but fell short by two feet, 0.053 seconds
shy of a win. Tyrrell was ecstatic with his first
Duffy as Camden Geise, Brandon Reed and Jake Craig
rounded out the top five. Both Rocky and her team
were elated with her performance and set their focus
for a win on the next day.
Thursday, June 21 –
Race Day 2 – Junior 1
Thursday’s Junior 1 action was once again
compact with Rocky’s fifth place qualifying
position only 0.337 seconds from pole for the 28-kart
field. Again, Reed took the heat race honors as
Rocky worked her way to a stellar second place finish
after taking the lead on several occasions. In the
feature race, it was often a 12-pack battle that
eventually narrowed down to five karts with two
laps remaining. As in HPV 1 the day before, Rocky’s
performance was phenomenal with calculated and strategic
moves. On the final lap, Rocky made a dazzling pass
for the lead in the Monte Carlo but misfortune took
over in the chicane where Brandon Reed’s aggression
in the #33 kart knocked them both out of contention.
Geise stormed through the chaos to grab the glory
of his first Duffy win. John Norris, Connor Ford,
Austin Barnes and Jacob Will rounded out the top
five and Reed was disqualified for rough driving.
Although disappointing for all, altercations are
a reality of racing and the Martinez Racing Team
re-grouped for Friday.
Friday, June 22 –
Race Day 3 – Rookie Sportsman
The final 100cc sprint class was Rookie Sportsman
with Rocky qualifying her Top Kart/Yamaha combination
in a difficult seventh position at 0.510 seconds
off the pole of the #33 of Camden Geise. Austin
Barnes, driving the #51 Pitts Performance machine,
took the heat race win with Rocky improving her
position by two for a fifth place. For the final,
Rocky did her usual settling in, assessed the situation
and began to systematically pick off the competition
to better her position for a final lap dual. With
two to go, the race was open to any one of seven
drivers – Rocky, Geise, Conner Ford, Kiel
Spaulding, Misty Balser and Barnes. On the white
flag lap, Rocky took the lead right before the chicane
in the daring Monte Carlo horseshoe. It was a déjà
vu situation with memories still present from chicane
treachery but none-the-less, it’s a path that
can make or break the best of drivers. This time,
it was a four-pack squeezing into in an area that’s
difficult for two. And, as the fate of misfortune
took hold once again, this time it was Reed and
Geise who collided and Rocky was a race victim.
Geise regained control of the win as Balser, Barnes,
Ford and Spaulding rounded out the top five. Rocky
finished a respectable sixth.
Saturday, June 23 – Race Day 4 –
80cc Cadet Shifter
The 80cc Cadet Shifter wasn’t the largest
class of the week for Rocky but it’s definitely
among the most thrilling to watch. With higher speeds
and the precision of shifting added to the driving
equation, this is one class where Rocky shined.
As the defending national champion, it was Rocky’s
goal to add the prestigious IKF Expert status and
the gold plates to her resume.
Going into this race with a perfect season score,
it was surprising to see Rocky qualify in third
and three-quarters of a second slower than she had
previously qualified for the regional race at Buttonwillow
earlier in the month. At first, it seemed as if
the lady luck factor was taking hold again but as
the first few laps of the heat race unfolded, Rocky
was back up to speed as she picked off each driver
flawlessly for the win. In the final, Rocky was
through playing around and took the lead in turn
one and never looked back. At the checkered, she
controlled the win by 4.6 seconds. Austin Barnes
and Misty Balser took home second and third, respectively.
At last, after a hard week, preparation finally
met opportunity at the right time! Rocky had her
second Duffy and Expert plates to add to her trophy
collection!
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