WKA: Daytona dynomite: Kart week story

Daytona Beach, FL-For three decades from December 26th to the 30th Daytona Beach, FL has been a Mecca for kart racers. This year's WKA Daytona Kart Week was no different as 3,750 North American kart racers descended on the south east coast city. It began with the ninth annual WKA/Briggs & Stratton Day at Daytona where 250 top 4-cycle sprint karts race on Daytona International Speedway's 2.5mile tri-oval and road course under Gold Cup rules and continued for the next four days with the 23rd annul WKA/Briggs & Stratton Speedway Dirt Series 2003 World Dirt Championships presented by American Power Sports where 2, 258 racers battled for 2004 national points and contingency prizes on Daytona Beach Municipal Stadium's 1/4-mile dirt oval. Back at DIS 800 National Dunlop Tire Road Racing Series racers competed in their 2004 season opener the 30th Annual Elite Karting World Championships and 520 WKA/George Kugler Manufacturer's Cup presented by Bridgestone 2-cycle sprint racers kicked off their 2004 season with Margay Sprint Championships.

Woodstock, GA racer Allen Redman was Briggs & Stratton Day at Daytona's only multi class winner. The Tod Miller Racing Engines powered CKI kart pilot posted wins in Briggs Super Heavy where he owned most of the race until veteran Jackson Berrier, of Kernersville, NC came up on him at the end and nearly took it from him. "It was tough there at the end. I didn't know anyone was behind me and then we thought we was on the last lap and he (Berrier) showed his cards and came up on me and we didn't get the checkered flag, and went around one more time. I took a different line and pinched him off on the inside and that was all she wrote," Redman laughed. Redman also won the event's final feature Briggs Senior with Joseph Murzynsky chasing him across the finish line.

Two dirt racers were triple winners on the always-tricky Daytona Municipal Stadium dirt track. Veteran 2-Cycle star Barrett Terry swept all three 2- Cycle offerings wire-to- wire and young gun John Stancill showed the way in Team Simpson Racing Briggs Junior Sportsman Champ Lite, Tyler Racing Engines Briggs Junior Sportsman Champ Heavy and Vickery's Speed Shop Briggs Junior Sportsman 2 Lite. Ultramax factory pilot Chad Porginski posted a pair of Dirt World Championship wins topping CKI Briggs Limited Lite and Dixie Karting/Southern Karting Briggs Super Stock.

Terry has been a regular podium winner for many years at Daytona will have his winning kart on display at Daytona USA until next year. He and Stancill were tied in the competition to have their kart at Daytona USA and the deciding factor was Terry's fifth place finish in Power Products/Super Seat Briggs Limited Heavy over Stancill's next highest finish of sixth in Smith Sign Designs Briggs Junior Sportsman 2 Heavy.

"We've had a good week," Terry said after his third win. "I don't know anything about this track that anybody else does. I've always compared it to a little track back home as far as the driving of it and everything cause it's always loose and you always have to drive it loose and I think that's helped us some because I've raced on this stuff quite a bit where everybody else comes here once a year."

Road racer Mike Spear earned five wins taking Controlled Limited, 100cc Controlled Spec, Formula 100, 100cc and Controlled Formula 100. Randy Fulks ruled three classes with wins in Yamaha Medium and Yamaha Sportsman Medium and Heavy. Five others, Jessie Morrison, a 15-year-old Silver Springs, MD based CKT kart pilot beginning her second Road Racing season, Bret Spaude, Keith Shampine and David Wilson were double Road Racing series winners during the Elite Karting World Championships.

2003 George Kugler Manufacturer's Cup Series presented by Bridgestone Triple Crown winner Corey Reeves, of Franklin, WI kick off his 2004 season with a trio of wins. The Switch Racing Engines powered Margay kart pilot was unstoppable in Lonici Rental HPV Lite, Spec 100 and UEMSI HPV Heavy.

Full reports from all of the WKA Daytona Kart Week events will appear in an up coming issue of WKA's Karting Scene. To subscribe visit the WKA web site at www.worldkarting.com or call the office at 704-455-1606.

By: Bruce C. Walls