Something Wicked This Way Comes....

Labor Day Weekend, 2002 at Ben Hur Speedway It was a bitter sweet Holiday weekend for Wicked Racing at the 18th Annual Indiana Dirt Championships. The two-day event brought the top karters from all over the Midwest to vie for Indiana's Premier Karting title.

Buzz, Bull, and Honk all opened up the first night of racing with great runs against tough competition. With a couple of heat wins and a feature win, all three drivers were in first place in their respective classes after the first night. Our sponsors from CCI were on hand, and we were proud to show their colors up front all night long.

We entered the second night with high hopes, and Buzz went out in the Super Heavy heat and smoked the field. He was leading by a football field with one lap to go. True to Buzz's nature, he tried a different line in turn one so that he could give Bull and Honk some feedback about the track and preferred lines. Unfortunately, it backfired, as the kart got away from him in turn 1. He did a 360 and kept going and still managed a 3rd place finish. In the feature, Buzz tried everything to get past the #28 and #77, but the karts were just too close in speed and handling. The leaders never bobbled, and he settled for 3rd in the feature, and an overall finish of 2nd place in the Super Heavy championship.

In Heavy, Bull had a heartbreaker, he finished 2nd in the heat, behind the always fast #42 of Owen Fiegel, but he raced with out his Timing and Scoring transponder and was DQ'd. Starting in the rear of the feature, he worked his way up to ninth, but his chances had been dashed with the DQ. Even with the DQ, Bull finished 4th in the Heavy class, but obviously was disappointed.

In Sr. Sportsman, Honk's competition from day 1 had some trouble getting through the field in both the heat and feature. Honk managed a 2nd place in both and took home his second consecutive Indiana Dirt Championship title.

Clearly, we had all three championships in our grasps. Our sponsors, CCI, were on hand for the weekend. They provided awesome accomodations, food, and fun throughout the event. They really came through for us, as they always have.

We now will get ready to finish the final 3 races of the 2002 season, and attempt to pull off a clean sweep in our classes.

August 17th, 2002 Wicked racing bounced back from their poorest showing of the year with good results as we geared up for the 18th Annual Indiana Dirt Championships on Labor Day Weekend.

In Super Heavy, Buzz started 17th in the 20 kart field and moved up nicely in the heat to finish 4th. In the feature, he raced with the #77 and the #28 early, as they were side by side for several laps. In a beautiful example of clean, fast driving, they drove into turn 3 three wide and never touched. The #77 cleared the pack first and began to chase down the #52 of Brandon Meyers, who had checked out by about 15 kart lengths. Buzz followed closely in 3rd, as they closed the gap to about 5 kart lengths, but ran out of laps. It was a good solid run in a large field, and keeps Buzz in the points lead.

In Sr. Sportsman, Honk started from the 3rd spot, but snuck down the inside to beat the pole sitter into turn #1. He stretched out a 6 or 7 kart length advantage to win the heat over Jeff Lone in the #91 kart. In the feature, Lone got the jump from the outside front pole and quickly stretched out a couple of kart lengths advantage in the first few laps. Honk closed the gap slowly to move back on the bumper of Lone with just a few laps to go. A slight bobble by Jeff in turn 3 was all Honk needed as he swept by down the main straight away. He held off Lone the final two laps to pick up another feature win and stretch his points lead.

In Heavy, Buzz substituted for Bull from the 11th starting spot and drove through the smaller than normal field of 12 karts to finish 2nd in the heat. The #42 of Owen Feigel was once again hooked up, and Buzz settled in for a 2nd place run in the feature. More importantly, he put Bull back in the points lead. Way to go Buzz!!!

We've got two weeks to prepare for the State Championships, which is sure to bring in the top karters from all over Indiana and the mid-west.

August 10th, 2002 It was more than just an off nite for Wicked Racing, as we took it on the chin. There were 191 entries, a record high for a regular season trophy race, and we just weren't prepared for the track conditions.

In Super Heavy, Buzz got off to a good start and was passing for the lead on the first lap, but the kart got away from him down low in turn 3, and he looped it in front of the oncoming field. A hard hit twisted the steering, but he continued on, barely missing another wreck later in the race. He finished 8th, but we new we had our work cut out for us. In the feature, he worked his way up to 4th early, but the poor handling kart prevented him from gaining any ground on the leaders.

In Sr. Sportsman, Honk nearly missed the heat race, as we mulled over the potential damage from Buzz's heat race. He got to the grid late, and had to start in the rear. Honk drove extremely agressively, but it paid off with a run all the way up to second. In the feature, Honk led early but couldn't keep the kart straight, as he continued to fight a severe loose condition. He held on for 3rd place, which was fortunate.

In Heavy, Honk substituted for the oft vacationing Bull. In the heat race, he battled hard with the leaders and came across the line in 5th place. Starting 10th in the feature, Honk chose to be conservative and it cost him. He lost a few positions early on, and then got turned into the infield by a first timer. Honk went to rear but was able to salvage a 17th place finish. He certainly didn't help Bull any, as he falls to 2nd place in the Heavy season points. We will lick our wounds and come back strong next time.

July 27th, 2002 Wicked Racing captured 2 more feature wins on a hot, humid night racing on the Dog Leg.

Buzz started in the rear of the Super Heavy Heat and followed the #77 kart early to move up several positions. Mid-way through the race, he moved up high in 3 and 4 passing the #77 and several other karts. He drove a smart race and finished 3rd behind the #0 and #8. In the feature, Buzz drafted with the #8 of Nick Welch for the first half of the race as they opened up a big league. He then started looking for a way around. Buzz tried several different ways, but saved the best attempt for the final corner of the last lap, and again he took the high line in 3 and 4 and passed Nick at the line for a sweet victory.

In Senior Sportsman, Honk continued his lucky streak of drawing a great starting position for the Heat. He took the lead from the pole, and drove conservatively to win his 6th straight heat race. But trouble loomed.... The #35 kart of Jim Gatlin had been strong all nite and gained ground on Honk in the heat. The feature had both starting from the front row. Honk jumped out front in the first corner to get the early advantage. The #35 tried to pass low in 3 a couple of times, but Honk held him off to win Wicked's 2nd feature of the nite.

In Heavy, Bull continued his bad luck in drawing for a starting position. He kept his nose clean in the heat, barely missing a spinning kart midway through the race. A good run up through the field put him in the 6th starting spot for the feature. The strong field would prove to be tough, however, as he battled hard in the feature. He got by a couple of karts early and followed the top 3 to a 10 kart length advantage over the rest of the field. The top four were just too close in speed, as they stayed a kart length apart each for most of the race. A late move to the high line nearly got Bull another spot, but he settled for a nice 4th place finished. While not a feature win, he did extend his point lead for the season standings.

July 13th, 2002 Another large turn out on a beautiful summer night made for great racing, and Team Wicked kept the momentum going from their early season success.

Buzz started 2nd in his Super Heavy Heat and battled with the #0 and #8 karts early and often. He took what the kart would give him and finished 2nd behind Scott Gorman in the #0. In the feature, the top four karts battled lap after lap. Each took a turn out front. Midway through the race, the #77 of Mark Smith had engine problems while leading. The other three continued to battle hard. Buzz made a great outside groove pass on the #8 and held them off the final 3 laps to pick up another feature win and more importantly is the new Points Leader in Super Heavy.

In Sr. Sportsman, Honk jumped to the lead from the 2nd starting spot in the heat and pulled away for an easy victory. In the feature, he got an early challenge from Jeff Lone in the #91 kart, but stayed out front to lead wire to wire to pick up his fourth Feature win of the year.

In Heavy, Bull started from the pole in the heat and jumped out to an early lead. The #42 was hooked up on the outside and made a pass late to beat Bull to the line. In the feature, Bull battled early with the #8 kart of Nick Welch. He finally cleared him midway through the race, but the #42 had already stretched out a several kart length advantage. Bull maintained the gap but could never get closer and finished a strong second. He also regained the top spot in the points chase.

At the midpoint of the season, Wicked Racing is leading in all three of our classes... Let's hope we can keep up the good racing and hold off what will surely be tough challenges the rest of the year.

June 29, 2002 It was another great night for Wicked Racing at Ben Hur Speedway, with a clean sweep of 3 heat wins and 3 feature wins. Honk couldn’t be with us because he was partying the night away for his mother’s 60th birthday. I’m sure more than one racing story from Honk’s childhood came up.

Buzz was first out in Super Heavy and with a good draw started in the 3rd position for the heat race. Buzz showed improved patience as he passed the outside pole sitter and then finally the pole sitter on lap 3. Buzz led the remainder of the Super Heavy heat. The points leader, Mark Smith (#77), had a strong heat coming from deep in the pack to 3rd. Buzz started on the pole for the feature and got out to an early lead. He experimented with the high line a little until Mark started to close the gap. He promptly went back to the faster bottom line and led all 12 of the feature laps for his 2nd win of the year. Buzz remains in 2nd for points, but narrowed the gap by 1 and now trails Mark by 2 points.

Bull, substituting for Honk, was next in Senior Sportsmen. Yes, he officially joined the rank of Senior last October. He had an average draw and started the heat in the 6th starting position. He moved quickly through the field to 3rd on the first lap and then into the lead by the 3rd lap. He led the remaining laps of the heat. He started on the pole for the feature and got out to a great start. He led comfortably all 12 laps, but conservatively eased the karts through the corners as he felt the kart going away slightly as the race wore on. Bull captured his 3rd win of the season and extended Honk’s point lead.

Bull was up again for the Heavy class last. He had a decent draw and was supposed to line up 3rd in the second of two Heavy heats. The pole kart didn’t make the grid, so Bull rolled away as the pole sitter for the second heat. He got a great start, but it was yellow flagged because the outside pole sitter was slow starting. The #89 must not have thought much of the start as he gave Bull a cheap shot on ensuing pace lap and bent our rim. Bull got another great start and received the green flag this time. He got out to an early lead with the #16 close behind. He held on comfortably to win the heat. Fresh of his Senior Sportsman feature win and slight kart adjustment, he started the Heavy feature on the outside pole. The pole sitter got the jump at the start and Bull had to settle in two second on the first lap. He setup and completed the pass for the lead on the second lap and led the remainder of the feature for his 4th win of the year and second of the evening. The points leader Alan Overfelt (#2) narrowly escaped a spin, that started with a little help from his own cousin, while running in 3rd place. He made an excellent recovery and finished in 6th. Kris narrowed the points gap to just one behind Alan.

We hope our great season continues on the Ben Hur Oval again July 13th. See ya then.

June 8th, 2002 It was a pretty successful nite on the Ben Hur Dog Leg for Wicked Racing, as we picked up a couple more wins for the 2002 season. Buzz couldn't be with us, as he had some vacation time planned with his family.

Bull substitued for Buzz in Super Heavy, and in the Heat race he worked his way to second place from the 7th starting spot. Mark Smith, in the #77, led them from the pole in the feature. Bull pulled up behind him several times, but the low line was just not fast enough, as Mark stayed in the fast groove. Bull settled in for a nice 2nd place.

In Sr. Sportsman, Honk started in 8th spot, but with some agressive driving (3-wide twice)he snaked his way to the front to win the heat. Starting along side Andy Johnson in the feature, Honk got out front early. The setup was too conservative and the kart immediately developed a serious push in turn's one and two. Honk adjusted his entry and peddled the kart a bit to hold off the ongoing challenge from Andy, in the #7 kart. The win gives Honk his 2nd feature win of the year.

In Heavy, Bull jumped to the front in the second lap from his 3rd starting spot in the heat. He drove smoothly throughout to win the heat over the #12 kart. In the feature, Bull again jumped out to an early lead, and increased it lap after lap. He again drove a flawless race to pick up his 2nd Feature win of the year and put himself back in points contention.

The start of the 2002 season as been our best thus far... we hope we can keep it up.

June 1st, 2002 After a very wet May that included two race cancellations, we were back at the track anxious to get some racing in. The fields were large, over 180 entries, with karts from all over Indiana and Illinois.

Buzz opened the evening in Super Heavy, starting dead last in his heat. He drove expertly up to 2nd place, finishing just behind the leader. Things turn a bit sour in the feature for Buzz, as the combination of a setup change that didn't quite work and the moisture in the track from a watering during intermission. Buzz couldn't keep the poor handling kart down low in 1 and 2 for the first few laps, letting several competitors get by. He regained some spots late and came home in 6th place.

In Heavy, Bull also suffered from a bad draw and started at the back. After moving up several positions, a kart jumped his left rear, got hung up, and rode him to a complete stop. He caught the end of the field just has the checkered flag flew. This forced Bull into an unusual position of having to make the feature through the consolation race. He started outside of the front row, and easily won the consi. In the feature, again relegated to the back of the pack, he picked off nearly a kart a lap to finish the feature in 11th. It was a nice drive through traffic, as he never really lost any ground to the leader.

Honk started 4th in the Sr. Sportsman heat. He raced with the #7 kart side by side for a couple of laps before edgeing ahead and winning the heat. In the feature, Honk led from the start, but a strong move by the #7 kart with two laps to go, sent him home with a 2nd place finish.

April 20th, 2002 It was finally good to get the season started after two successive rainouts in early April. There were a 161 entries for the opening nite race at Ben Hur, and most of the big guns were up for the show.

After a short rain-delay, Buzz opened the season from the 6th starting position in the Super Heavy heat. He charged to the front on lap 1, never looked back, and took the checkered by several kart lengths. In the feature, Buzz quickly pulled away from the #77 kart and held him at bay for the entire race. It was a great way to start the season.

In the Heavy heat, Bull jumped to 2nd from his 4th starting position in the first corner. He trailed the leader closely until a yellow flag mid-way through the race. Bull got a great start on the green flag, and pulled away for his first heat win of the year.

In Sportsman, Honk flashed to the lead before turn one from the 6th spot. He pulled away from the field over the next several laps, and maintained the gap to take home the checkered and the early points lead.

It was the best night ever for Wicked Racing, as we finished first in every class we ran. Don't know if we can ever duplicate that feat, but it is certainly nice to be up front at the start of the season.

January 8th, 2002 Great News from Wicked Racing land!!! Our Premier Sponsorship for 2002 has been awarded to CCI of Medora, Indiana. We have consistently improved in our finishes and standings over the last four years, and CCI has been a part of that trend. Thanks to Tim Burton and the rest of the gang for their continued support.

November 30th, 2001 The 2001 Season was our most successful so far. We brought home our 1st State Championship, and all 3 of us finished in the top 5 in points at Ben Hur. This winter, our goal is to have the karts unloaded and the shop cleaned up before February (We didn't reach that goal last year). In the meantime, we will be backpacking in the Joyce Kilmer and Cherokee National Forests in North Carolina and Tennessee in October, and in February we will be skiing the slopes of Vail. In between, we'll get some badly needed family time during the Holidays. If we make it to spring without injury, we'll be lucky. Either way, we're sure to have fun!

October 21st, 2001 After a year with 3 rainouts, it was nice to end the 2001 season on a beautful fall night at Ben Hur Speedway. Although not a points race, there was still a good turn out of over 120 karts. Bull, Honk, and Jerry ran in 6 classes to make sure we got enough racing in to tide us over 'till spring.

Bull started and stayed up front in the Super Heavy heat finishing 2nd to Mark Smith in the #77 kart. In the feature, he jumped out on the outside groove in turn one to take the lead. The #77 kart stayed on his bumper the entire race, even moving up along side once or twice, but he could never complete the pass. Bull went on to capture his 3rd feature of the year.

In Medium, Honk drew a bad number to start near the back, but worked his way to 3rd in the heat. With double heats, he started 6th in the feature and stayed there throughout. A bad gear choice over reved the engine causing it to miss at the end of the main straight throughout the race, and he was never able to make up any ground.

In Sr. Sportsman, Bull and Jerry started near the front and stayed there in the heat and feature. Bull was able to bring home a 3rd place in the feature, finishing just behind a couple of the Zunk team karts. Jerry got introduced to the track steward's bumper and wound up off-course.

In Heavy, Jerry started mid-pack, while Honk (consistent in his poor draws for the night) started near the tail of the field. Jerry quickly moved up to third in the heat, but slid a little to finish 9th. Honk moved up to finish 7th. In the feature, Honk missed the setup and battled a push throughout the race, but held on to finish 6th. Jerry drove a solid race to finish in the top 10.

We also said goodbye to 'Jack', our 1999 Banshee. We parted ways, as someone made us an offer we couldn't refuse.

September 29th, 2001 The weather gets cold in late September but Wicked Racing is staying Hot... picking up 2 heat wins and feature win on the Ben Hur Oval. Bull started 3rd in the Super Heavy heat and quickly moved to the front to get his 1st Heat win of the year. In the feature, he jumped out early on the #52 kart (the current points leader)and was looking good.... that is until a lapped kart decided to go from the high line to the low line just as the leaders approached. Bull swerved to miss, but side swiped the culprit, lost momentum, and watched the #52 Kart go by. It was a tough break, but a 2nd place finish ahead moves Bull into a tie for second in season points with last years champion, Mark Smith.

In Sr. Sportsman, Honk got a rare good draw and started from the pole. He led every lap of the heat and feature to make it 3 wins in a row.

Buzz started dead last in the Heavy heat and was working his way to the front, when a kart spun and provided an unexpected obstacle. The obstacle destroyed the left front spindle, and buzz made his way to the pits. Frustration was taken out in the feature, as Buzz came from 16th to 7th, in a nice drive through traffic and the usual mayhem in the heavy class.

We also got to put 'Jerry' in a kart for the first time in a while. He drove smartly in the heat race to move from 11th to 8th in Sr. Sportsman. He continued his push to the front in the feature, finishing in 6th place. Another nice performance for our full-time crew chief and part time driver.

September 15th, 2001 Well, another competitive night of racing for Wicked Racing. We were looking to back up our success in the State Championships by carrying some momentum in to the final 3 races at Ben Hur in 2001.

Bull started in the 2nd spot in the Super Heavy heat and stayed near the front all race. He lost a little ground early to the #28 and #77 karts, but was closing late to finish 3rd. In the feature, he took the lead on the 1st lap and never relinquished it. No one had enough to run him down, and he picked up a championship point on Mark Smith. Bull is now only 1 point out of second place.

In Sr. Sportsman, Honk moved up from 5th to 3rd early in the heat race, and watched a tight battle for the lead between #77 and #35 the entire race. He was able to slip by the #35 kart on the final turn to finish 2nd. In the feature, Honk got a great jump on the start and pulled ahead of Smith in the 1st corner. He white knuckled an extremely loose kart, but maintained his advantage and took home his second straight feature win.

Luck was not on Buzz's side in the Heavy class. Buzz was leading early and looking good, when the race was halted for a flip in turn 4. While returning to the pits, the clutch locked up, and we only had time to do a quick fix (hammer and screwdriver) before sending him out for the restart. The motor came loose on the restart, and Buzz had to watch from the grass. Starting from the rear in the feature, Buzz was passing 2 and 3 karts a lap. By mid-race he was up to 6th and closing on the lead pack. A slight miscue coming out of turn 4 got him just enough into the hay bails to turn him around. Buzz has been extremely fast for the last several races but fallen victim to bad draws and mechanical failures. We think that ugly monkey on his back is about to get blown off.

September 1st and 2nd, 2001 17th Annual Indiana Dirt Championships Labor Day weekend

It was an unforgetable weekend for Wicked Racing! Our team hosted our premier sponsor, CCI, for the 2-day championships. Well, really they hosted us as Tim Burton and Darrell Persinger treated us like royalty. They prepared food for kings, provided a fully-equipped camper with all the amenities, and added Powered Parachute adventure rides for the team on Sunday morning! Everyone at Ben Hur can now appreciate why we sport the CCI logo proudly. And let me tell you, they know how to throw a party!

As for the racing, we went in to the weekend with a lot of unknowns. It would be the first race on our new Nemesis chassis, and our tried and true Banshee had just been completely reconstructed after Buzz got t-boned at the last race. We got off to a slow start on the first night but improved with every heat and feature. Bull ran solid to end the first night 6th in Super Heavy. Honk finished the night tied for second in Sr. Sportsman with perennial champ Mark Smith. Buzz made perfect chassis set up calls and proved we were gonna be competitive on the second night when he went from 24th to 8th in the Heavy feature. He finished the night 9th in points.

All the momentum carried forward to the 2nd night of racing, and Buzz continued to make the right calls on setup. Bull finished the Super Heavy heat in 2nd, and backed it up with a 2nd in the feature only behind the eventual champion, Nick Welch. In Sr. Sportsman, Honk took the lead after 3 laps and won the heat. He battled the 2000 champ, Jeff Lone, for the first 4 laps in the feature as they traded the lead and some paint as both tried to get any advantage they could. Honk eventually pulled away to win the feature. In the Heavy class heat, Buzz went to 2nd early and pressured eventual champion, Doug Wolf, the entire race. It was really the only time Mr. Wolf was challenged all weekend. Buzz then ran a strong feature, only losing a few spots when he was boxed out on the outside line. He finished 5th in the tough 41 kart field.

Because points are awarded based on both nights of racing, we were unsure of our final finishing positions. The results were in at Midnight with Bull going to the podium as the 3rd place finisher in Super Heavy, backing up his 2000 results. Buzz finished 5th in Heavy, but was the one most responsible for our success. Honk was surprised to learn that he finished tied for 1st in points with Lone, but by virtue of his first place finish in the 2nd night feature, Honk was awarded the Sr. Sportsman Championship.

This will be a State Championship that won't soon be forgotten

Here are some Pictures of the 2001 State Championships and the preparation of the new Nemesis.

August 18th, 2001 Rain Again!!! It has been a tough summer of racing this year.... 3 rain outs, 2 blown engines, and a badly damaged kart. That's the bad news. The good news is that Wicked is still hanging in there in the points chase for the season. We also just purchased a new 2001 Nemesis chassis that we hope we can get dialed in by the end of the year, so we can make a run at the championships next year. We are selling one of our 1999 CE Banshees so..... if anyone's interested, click on the email us link below or post a message and we will get back to you.

June 16th, 2001 Bull started the night with an unlucky draw putting him 10th out of 12 karts. Working traffic and avoiding spinning karts he was able to reach second. However, Mark Smith was a tick quicker and was able to get Bull on the last lap to put him back to third. In the feature, Mark got out front followed by a new contender, the 01 kart, who passed Bull and Brandon. Bull finished with a solid fourth.

Buzz started at the back in his heat as well but was able to pass several karts in the large field making it to 7th. In the feature, he quickly got to 4th where he would ride out the rest of the race, never able to quite catch the leader group.

Brian "Jerry" Ennis came in as a hired gun by Wicked Racing putting him in Honk's seat, who was unable to attend due to his girlfriend's unexpected pregnancy. If the odds had been laid Jerry would have been a real longshot having only seen action in two previous races in the last several years. His odds would have even lengthened at the beginning of the heat when after starting second he quickly fell back to 6th. However, through some "right-place-at-the-right-time" kind of luck he avoided a collision that took out the 2nd through 5th place karts on the last lap allowing Jerry to finish the heat in second. It didn't take long for Jerry to get to the top spot passing Mark Smith in turn three of the first lap. With consistent lap after lap driving, Jerry held off Smith to take the checkered flag and keep Honk in the points race. Great Job Jerry!!

May 19th, 2001 May 19th was a night of mixed results for Wicked Racing. With a clear shield, fancy new gloves(Thanks Donna) and a decent starting position, Bull managed to stay at the front finishing 2nd in his heat. After a red flag and something like 12 restarts, he ran a strong feature race finishing third behind the #77 and #52 karts. Maybe he should go back to not being able to see the track; he won the race before. Honk's night was pretty eventful, but about the best thing he can claim was being the second one of us to get home from the track. He could claim to be 2nd to bed if it wasn't for that nasty addiction to Internet racing since he got his DSL line. He drew in the back of the pack and while running strong and moving through the pack in the heat he spun with a couple laps to go. With a larger than normal Senior Sportsman class it took a while to work back through the field in the feature, but Honk was getting it done. That was until the last corner of the race when he forgot which end was supposed to go around the track first. It was all Jerry's fault since he wasn't there to spot. It was the normal larger crowd in the Heavy class for Buzz. After a history of lousy draws for the year thus far, Buzz thought the 6 he pulled out was pretty good. Turns out 1&2 were drawn in that class too. Buzz started the 1st Heavy heat on the outside pole, got a good jump and managed to win the heat race. He started on the pole for the feature and got a good start, but just wasn't strong enough to hold off the #02 car in the third turn. He slid to fourth when he got caught on the outside of turn 1&2, but ran a consistent race to finish 4th.

May 5th, 2001 This was the first race of the year when all 3 of us participated. In fact, with Kajun Kaden, the Safety Clan, and Jerry all there, we had an overflowing pit of karts and drivers. Bull finished 3rd in the heat, then drove smoothly on a slick track to his first feature win of the year. Honk won his heat easily from the pole. When the #77 came to the grid with treads on, Honk knew he was in trouble. A good start put him in the lead for a couple of laps, but the #77 easily got around, resulting in another 2nd place finish for Honk. Buzz had to start in the rear of the tough 18 kart heavy class. He began moving through the pack, but got collected in turn 4. He went on to finish 11th in the heat. Another good move toward the front in the feature gave Buzz a 7th place finish. All in all not a bad night, as Safety Bill also finished in the money for the first time.

April 21, 2001 After a long two weeks of rebuilding motors and rethinking the handling problems, the Team had a much better showing at the 2nd points race. Bull made his first appearance at a race this year and showed well, finishing 3rd in the heat and feature of Sr. Stock Super Heavy. A little too much gear kept him just behind the #77 kart all night. The #52 kart was a different story, as he continued his strong performances since last years State Championships and won going away.

Honker started toward the rear in the heat of the Sr. Sportsman class but found a hole early on lap 1 and raced to a 1st place finish. After leading the first two-thirds of the feature, Honk got a little greedy and went in too hot in 3 and slid up the banking. He raced hard the last couple of laps but could not get back by the #91 Kart and finished 2nd. He helped himself in the points chase by beating the #77 kart.,

Jerry ran for Buzz in the Sr. Stock Heavy class, as Buzz was beachcombing in Aruba for a week. He did a nice job to finish 2nd in the Heat race. The tough Heavy class was agressive as usual, and banged a little (okay a lot) in the feature. An unexpected pleasure for Jerry. He bit his lip and finished right behind the lead pack in 10th.

A tip of the hat to Kajun Kaden as he sat on the pole and finished 2nd in his first ever race in the Rookie class!!!

April 7, 2001 Well opening night at Ben Hur was not what we had hoped for as we prepared our karts for the upcoming season. Oh it was an impressive night, as there were 141 karts from 3 states on hand for the first points race of the year. There were many new faces, and of course, a lot of the same tough competitors from last year. As a team, we blew two engines and tore up our fresh body work. It probably could not have been much worse, except that we all walked away.

Buzz ran in the Sr. Stock Heavy field of 25 karts. His engine quit in the first heat resulting in a DNF, but he won the consolation race to make the feature. He started 21st and passed 10 karts in the first lap! It was a hopefull start. He put several more karts in his wake throughout the race and finished 6th, sniffing out the #44 kart as they crossed the line.

Honker ran from 10th to 5th in the opening lap of the Sr. Sportsman class. Poor handling and a motor that was going away prevented further advancement and settled for a 6th place finish. He raced the #3 kart during the feature nearly every lap, but could never find a way around. (A little mud in the face from the #3 didn't help either) A 5th place finish was actually pretty good considering the effort to swap motors, mounts, and karts in about 15 minutes. It was like the rainbow warriors at work in the pits.

"Jerry" raced for Bull in the Super Heavy class. He looked like a seasoned veteran in the heat race, as he finished in 4th in his first race at Ben Hur. He did a masterful job of avoiding a spinning kart right in front of him midway through the race. "Jerry" had an engine let go in the feature, while running 4th and with the lead pack. His fine substitue driving was the bright spot of the evening.

Well, we've got 13 days to get two motors rebuilt, repair the body work, and figure out how to get these things to handle. We certainly didn't carry any momentum from last year.

April 2001 It is our pleasure to annouce that Bell TechLogix of Indianapolis has offered their support of our racing program by becoming a Major Sponsor of Wicked Racing for the 2001 season. Special thanks to Chris Ferry for his interest and pursuit of this sponsorship. Our team is looking forward to hosting the Bell team this year at our sponsorship appreciation night.

March 2001 The team spent most of the off-season doing everything but racing. We had our annual October pilgrimage to Joyce Kilmer Nat'l Forest for a week of backpacking, camping, and shooting anything that moves. The weather was probably the best ever, and no one got shot! I think we finally unloaded the karts from the trailer in December, once we got the shop a little organized. In February, we visited the snowy slopes of the Colorado Rockies for 3 full days of skiing. Hopefully this winter trip will also become an annual tradition! Finally in early March, we actually began to think about racing again. With only 3 weeks to prepare for the first race, we have had to hustle to get everything ready. A very, very special thanks to 'Jerry' for all his help!

February 2001 Once again Wicked Racing is just plain excited to announce that CCI of Medora, IN has graciously offered their support by signing on as our Premier Sponsor for the 2001 season. Special thanks to Tim Burton and the guys for going above and beyond by hosting Buzz and Honk for a terrific weekend of pheasant hunting, and providing a stock-pile of goodies in the largest cooler we have ever seen. (I'm not kidding it is as big as my refridgerator!!!) As always, we will do our best to represent CCI on and off the track.

November 14, 2000 Bull and Honk attended the Ben Hur banquet with their primary sponsors, Donna and Dawne. It was a little odd seeing some of the competitors lose the driving suit and chain oil for a coat and tie. Oh well, I guess even racers can clean up once in a while. The banquet was very well attended, and it was good to get to laugh with some of the guys we bumped and banged with during the season. A good time was had by all, especially the part where we received are rewards! Bull and Honk brought home 2nd place finishes in the season point chase, getting edged out in both classes by the ever-winning Mark Smith.

September 23, 2000 Wicked Racing hosted their sponsors from CCI on a beautiful fall night. The team performed much better than the last years sponsor night by winning two heat races and placing in the top 5 in all 3 features. Hopefully, the guys from CCI had a great time, as we gave them a chance to get behind the wheel during open practice.

Bull went to the front to win the Super Heavy heat from a 4th place starting position. This was due mainly to the 1st place car crashing out. However, he didn't prove as lucky in the feature as the #77 and #52 karts got around him. He finished 3rd to maintain a secure hold on his 2nd place in season points.

In Sr. Sportsman, Honk won the heat. He too had some problems keeping karts behind him and finished 5th in the feature. One of the few times in recent memory that the #77 kart finished ahead of the #19.

Buzz struggled in the heat somewhat, starting up front but falling to 5th. This came will a little help as a kart or two thought his kart looked better sliding off the track than running in front of them. However, Buzz was able to move up in the feature and finished a strong 4th, just a tick off the leaders times.

September 16, 2000

Ben Hur Speedway The Team had another good weekend of racing as the season begins to wrap up at Ben Hur.

Bull went right to the front to win the Super Heavy heat with Buzz finishing in 4th. Fortunes were reversed in the feature, however, as a bad gear choice had Bull slipping to 6th. Buzz worked up through some fast karts to close on the #77 Kart, but ran out of steam late and finished 2nd.

In Sr. Sportsman, Honk moved up steadily in the heat to finish 3rd behind the #3 and #77 karts. A good start in the feature put him second on the first lap. Trying many different lines and a few nudges, honk struggled to find a way around Tom Asdale in the #3 kart. On the last corner of the last lap, honk dove in deep to come up beside Asdale. They raced the final 50 yards side by side, with honk coming up the winner by about 2 inches for his fourth feature victory of the year.

Buzz came from mid-pack in the Heavy heat to finish second to the #28 Kart. He got a great start on the green flag in the feature to lead wire to wire. The #28 kart was there the whole race to take advantage if Buzz made any slips. He didn't and got his 2nd straight feature win!

September 2 & 3,2000

Ben Hur Speedway Wicked Racing showed well in the premier karting event in the Midwest...
The 2000 Indiana Dirt Championships! Over 200 entries from 5 different states were out for the claim to be best of the best.

Honker and Bull represented the Team in 3 classes. Honker raced in the Sr. Sportsman class and Bull ran in Sr. Stock Super Heavy. They shared duties in the Sr. Stock Heavy class. On the first night of racing, Honk won two heats and finished 3rd in the Sr. Sportsman feature. Bull won his heat and finished 4th in the feature. The second night features were rained out, but strong heat races by both Bull and Honk resulted in podium finishes for their primary classes. Honk finished the championships with a 3rd place in Sr. Sportsman and Bull also ended up with a 3rd in Sr. Stock Super Heavy. With 3 wins and two top 3 finishes overall, rest assured that a lot of people knew Wicked Racing was there.

August 26,2000

Ben Hur Speedway After the rough race weekend of August 12th, Wicked racing rebounded strongly. With a few changes to karts' setup, handling was much improved and Buzz, Bull and Honk managed to win the Heavy, Super-Heavy and Sr. Sportsman heats respectively.

Starting 10th, after wheel-hopping a car on the first lap and falling to nearly last, Buzz made a strong charge through the Super-Heavy heat pack to finish 4th. From that 4th starting position, Buzz went to the lead on the second lap of the feature and never relinquished it for his first win. Buzz started the Heavy class in 4th and won the heat race to start the feature on the pole. After leading two laps, fighting a loose kart again as the track began to get drier and slicker, Buzz slid positions a little, but held on for a 5th place finish.

Bull started the Super-Heavy heat race in 4th and went to the lead early, holding off the #3 and #77 kart's to win yet another heat race. Bull got a strong start in the feature and settled in to 2nd after Buzz went to the lead. Bull ran most of the race in 2nd until the final lap when a lapped kart got in his line allowing the #77 kart to slip by into 2nd. Bull finished in third.

Honker started on the pole in the Sr. Sportsman heat and easily won, holding off the strong #91 kart of Jeff Lone and the #77 of Mark Smith. Honker slipped to 3rd behind Lone and Smith at the start, but made a great move off of turn 4 to get back around the #77 and go on to finish in 2nd place.

The team is looking forward to a strong showing this weekend at the Indiana Dirt State Championships. Let's hope with some luck the team can post their first State Championship on this site next week.

August 12,2000

Ben Hur Speedway The team took it on the chin during the race of August 12th, with the only bright spot being a second place finish by Buzzin Super Heavy. Buzz won the heat race battling a newcomer till late in the race when the newcomer tried to race backwards (a feat both Bull and Honker would later try themselves). Buzz was in good shape in the feature to take his first win but as the kart started to go away the field started to catch up. He did a masterful job of holding on to second and once again beating the perennial champion in the 77 kart.

Bull started 9th in the Super Heavy heat and finished third. In the feature, early contact with the 52 car let 4 cars get passed. Bull found the high line and was working to pass fifth place on the white-flag lap when a costly mistake (mistake=bad driving) sent him to the back of the field.

Honker had similar luck. He stated towards the tail in the feature and went high early jumping up many positions in the first few laps. However, a bad-handling kart on the slick track soon cost him and he looped it in 4 going nose to nose with a kart driving in the counter-clockwise direction. The incident forced Honker off the track and forced the team into some costly repairs before the next race.

As they say, "There's always next week."

July 29,2000

Ben Hur Speedway It was one of the best nights ever for Wicked Racing, with two feature wins and the MadDog back for a tour!!!

In the Super Heavy class, Bull ran strong to finish second in the heat race behind champion Mark Smith. A rain delay after the heat was followed by some open practice to work the track back in. We took advantage of the practice to try out a new setup based on advice from the Asdale Race Team. We did not hear the call to the grid for Super Heavy, and Bull had to start in the rear for the feature. Hold on though... In one of the most impressive runs ever witnessed at Ben Hur, Bull drove through the entire field in less than 6 laps and finished 20 yards in front of 2nd place. It was a dominating run!!

In Medium, Dog shook off rust to battle with the regulars in a 26 kart field. He made the feature with a 6th place run, and remained in the top 10 through most of the feature. A late spin cost him a higher finish.

In Senior Sportsman, Honker finally got a decent draw and started 6th in the Heat. After some side by side banging with Mark Smith, Honk finished 2nd to Tom Asdale. In the feature, Honk took the lead coming out of turn 2 on the first lap and never relinquished it. For most of the race, the top 4 were nose to tail. A third feature win in a row, inches Honk closer to the points lead, now just one point behind Smith.

Buzz ran 4th in the Heavy Heat on a very tired motor. Just a tick off the pace, Buzz finished 5th in feature. Even with the tired motor, he battled with the lead pack for several laps. Buzz ran consistent laps for the entire race, but just needed a 10th or so to stay in the fray.

July 15,2000

Ben Hur Speedway Another good night for Team Wicked, with 1st and 2nc place feature finishes!!!. On the downside, Bull could not attend due to an earlier commitment.

In the Super Heavy class, Buzz started near the front and stayed there. He finished first in the Heat, but could not hold off perenial champ Mark Smith in the feature. A second place finish, however, keeps Bull second in the season points, still within range of first.

In Senior Sportsman, Honker started 16th of the 17 kart field in the heat. Dan Lumley had a nasty flip in turn one on the first lap, but seemed to be okay afterwards. Hope he's back next time. Honker had the #19 hooked up, and drove through the field to finish second in the heat. He backed that up with a win in the feature, his second in a row, to keep him second in the season points.

Buzz also started from the back in the Heavy class. After executing perfect passes to move solidly into 4th place, Mark Peters spun in turn 4 directly in Buzz's path, ending hopes of a high finish. In the feature, he again drove from the rear to finish a strong 7th, clearly the fastest on the track at the end.

This race represented the mid-point of the season, with Wicked Racing standing 2nd in points in two classes and 6th in another. A good second half of the season could bode well.

July 1, 2000

Ben Hur Speedway A large contingent from some of the other area tracks was onhand for a great night of racing. The Heavy and Sportsman classes had to be split into two heats. Bull finished the night with a 2nd in both the heat & feature, solidifing his hold on second in the Super Heavy points. Buzz competed in the Heavy class of 36 karts. He ran out front to win the heat, but lost positions in the feature to finish 8th. Honk backed up a tough Heat win in Sr. Sportsman with his first feature win of the year. All in all it was good night for Wicked.

June 24, 2000

Ben Hur Speedway Wicked Racing is having a fun, exciting and successful race season. Bull, Buzz, and Honker are all in the top 5 in their classes for the points championship at Ben Hur Speedway. Bull is currently second in points in Super Heavy with 1 Feature win. Buzz is 5th in points in the highly competitive Sr. Stock Heavy class. Honker is 3rd in the Sr. Sportsman division. Check out the 2000 Results page for details.

March 31, 2000

Terre Haute, IN Bell TechLogix will be Wicked Racing's Major Sponsor for 2000. We are extremely pleased to have this high-tech company join our sponsor ranks. We look forward to having them attend our Sponsor Nite program this summer.

March 1, 2000 1999 Season Review

Terre Haute, IN Wicked Racing had a fun and exciting 1999 race season. Bull, Buzz, and Honker competed for the points championship at Ben Hur Speedway. All three finished in the top 5 for the season. Overall, the team had 18 top 5 feature finishes, including one 1st, five 2nd's, and 4 3rd's. We also had three heat wins, along with seven 2nd's, and seven 3rd's. Bull ended the season 4th in Sr. Stock Heavy, while Honker and Buzz finished 4th and 5th respectively in Sr. Stock Medium. The team also had a respectable showing at the Indiana State Championships (our first visit). Bull finished 5th in Super Heavy and Honker placed 4th in Sportsman. We are really excited about the 2000 season, now that our rookie season at Ben Hur is behind us.

February 1, 2000

Terre Haute, IN Another 1999 sponsor has graciously renewed their commitment for 2000. Orion Group Software Engineers of South Bend, Indiana will be displayed on our karts for the coming season.

January 17, 2000

Terre Haute, IN Wicked Racing is extremely proud to announce that CCI, of Medora, Indiana has signed on as the Premier Sponsor for 2000! There is no question, that the competitiveness of our team is dependent upon sponsor relationships. We hope to make our premier sponsor proud of our accomplishments this coming season.

October 2, 1999

Ben Hur Speedway (Oval) Bull, Buzz, and Honker competed in 4 classes at the final points race of the season. It was a hard luck night all around, with only one positive finish.

In Sr. Stock Medium, Honker and Buzz went in to the night tied for 3rd in points, but only 2 points ahead of the 5th place driver. In the heat, buzz blew a motor on the third lap, ending his hopes for a top three finish. We did change to a backup motor, and buzz drove smartly to an 8th place feature finish.

Honker still had a chance, as he finished 3rd in the heat, a couple of spots ahead of the competition. However, hopes were dashed in the feature. Honker was running 4th in the feature, just where he needed to be to lock up 3rd in the points battle. A spinning kart in the middle of turn 2 forced him wide, letting several karts get by. There were not enough laps left to run them back down, resulting in a 7th place finish.

Bull had even tougher luck. He also came in to the night 3rd in points. A 3rd place finish in the heat raised optimizm. On a restart in the feature, the carb broke in half, and bull coasted to stop on the back straight.

Honker took out his frustration on the field in the Sr. Sportsman feature. He started in the rear, but gained several spots early. Passing an average of a kart a lap, he tore through the field to finish second.

While disappointed with the bad luck of the last points race, and two broken motors, we were still proud that all three team members finished in the top 5 in points for the year.

September 18, 1999

Ben Hur Speedway (Dog Leg) It was a great night of racing for the Wicked Race Team. Buzz and Honker carried the team torch, as Bull and Dog were tending to chores in other parts of the world. Poor starting positions did not prevent Buzz and Honker from moving to the front. Honker finished 2nd in the Sr. Stock Medium heat, with Buzz moving up from 8th to finish 3rd. In the medium feature, Buzz drove to a 3rd place showing with Honker still in the money in 5th.

In Sr. Sportsman, Honker started dead last in the heat, but drove to a 2nd place finish. The competition switched to treaded tires in the feature, but Honk hung on to finish 2nd to track champion Mark Smith.

In Sr. Stock Heavy, Buzz drove a fantastic race, moving from 12th to 2nd in the heat. He finished 8th in the feature against a strong field.

The team had 4 2nd's, 2 3rd's, a 5th, and a 7th place finish for the night.

September 4th and 5th, 1999

Ben Hur Speedway 15th Annual Indiana Dirt Championships WOW!!! Where to begin... This was our first trip to the Indiana Dirt Championships, and we'll be back. Buzz made a tough decision not to compete, but I trust had fun tromping in the Rocky Mountains with a 50lb back pack on his shoulders. Bull, Honker, and Mad Dog competed in 4 classes. Saturday started out poorly, as we had to pit in the north 40, far from the track entrance and exit, not to mention the loud speakers. In fact, because we could not hear the PA announcer, Bull was late to the grid in Super Heavy and had to start in the rear. He drove a smart race and finished 12th in a heat of 18. He later made up a lot of ground in the feature to come home in 7th.

Honker drove to a 2nd place finish in the Sr. Sportsman heat. He slipped to 7th in the feature, battling Dan Lumley nearly every lap.

In the Medium class of 35 karts, Honker finished a promising 5th in the heat. However, he also did not get to the grid in time for the feature, as he was unaware of a last minute schedule change.

Mad Dog ran in the Heavy class of 42 karts. A poor starting position, and aggressive, fast competitors made moving up very tough. He finished 6th in the consolation race, not enough to make the feature.

On Sunday, the team faired better. Bull finished 7th in the Super Heavy Heat and came home in 4th in the feature. Honker ran 2nd in the Sr. Sportsman heat and finished 5th in the feature. He also ran 3rd in the Medium heat, but ran out of fuel with 1/2 lap to go and coasted to a 9th place finish.

Mad Dog rubbed up against the competition in Sr. Sportsman. He finished 9th in the Heat and 8th in the feature.

Overall in the combined 2-day event, Bull finished 5th in the State in Super Heavy, and Honker finished 4th in Sr. Sportsman. We'll take it!!!!

A few photos have been posted on the More Pics page.

August 21, 1999

Ben Hur Speedway (Oval) Buzz missed this event due to some unknown event north of the border. He was the lucky one! Not a very productive night for the Team. In fact, it turned out to be quite costly. Honker finished 2nd in the Medium heat, but was taken out in the feature. The result was a badly twisted nose cone, a bent tie-rod, and a busted wheel. And that's what we could determine at the track. Dog finished a very respectable 5th in medium, considering the tired motor he was running. Bull finished 5th in the heavy heat, but ended up 9th in feature. He had to run the quickly bandaged kart that Honker busted up in the medium feature. The handling was just not has good as it had been. Honker narrowly missed the big wreck in the Heavy heat, as three karts came together and flipped at the end of the back straight. A 8th place feature finish was all that could be mustered in the Heavy feature. The bad night didn't just end with us. "Safety" Bill got his kart torn to pieces in hotlaps. He was t-boned by a kart that was running in the wrong practice session. Hope the evening was not a preview of the state race.

August 14, 1999

Ben Hur Speedway (Dog Leg) Honker and Bull missed this event. Dog had a poor handling kart for most of the evening. He battled all night to finish 6th in Medium and 7th in Heavy. A very good showing for a $$ race with lot's of strong competition. Buzz suffered with poor starting positions in both classes. Diane was handling much better, however, and he moved up in both the heat and feature to finish 4th in Medium and 9th in Heavy. We have struggled quite a bit in July and August to get the handle on these karts on hard, dry tracks. It's been tough trying to get the karts not to push. Buzz seems to have got Diane on the right track. All in all, it was a good, safe night of racing.

July 31, 1999

Ben Hur Speedway (Oval) Sponsor Appreciation Night!!! Wicked Racing hosted their sponsors at Ben Hur this weekend. Representatives from CCI of Bloomington, Hewlett-Packard of Indianapolis, and Orion Group of South Bend were in attendance. A large contingent of the Lawson family also participated. The team took the opportunity to express thanks and appreciation to our sponsors for their involvement in our racing adventures.

Unfortunately, the team did not fair so well. Honker finished 8th in Medium. Buzz finished 7th in Medium. Bull finished 9th in Heavy. Dog finished 6th in Heavy, in only his second race of the year.