Two Years in a Row!  Money Money Money!

 

December 5, 2011

 

 

The 2011 karting season ends in Bakersfield at the Ol' Bakersfield Kart Raceway.  Rusty Sanders and the volunteers at BKR hosted a fun filled weekend of racing topping it all off with the second annual Senior Yamaha Pro Race.  The field was filled with former Regional and National Champions including Dylan Albiani, Chris Wesson, David Vasquez, Michael Varela, Jeffrey Dyer, Jason Hannegan, Bradley Espinoza, and Kolby Araki.   Sixteen drivers showed up with their best tuners to go after the $1000 first place prize. 

 

Kolby started off quick putting his P1 Engines, PKS Topkart on the pole just ahead of Albiani, Vasquez and Hannegan.  The format was two heat races and a main.  The twist came with the throw of a dice to determine a 1-6 car invert for each heat.  Kolby through a five putting him pack to the third row for the start of the first heat.

 

Kolby would come out of turn one in fourth and patiently work his way to the front after several laps taking the win on heat one.  The throw of the dice landed a 1 putting Kolby on the pole for heat two.  Kolby and Albiani started on the front row and put on one of the best first lap races in Bakersfield history.  Both ran side-by-side from turn one all the way to the top of the hill touching pods only once.  Kolby slid ahead at the top and went on to win the heat putting him n the pole for the main. 

 

The day was waiting for the big one and it came in turn one on the start of the main.  Kolby and Albiani raced into one, Kolby breaked late and got his kart loose leaving little room for Albiani.  Vasquez snuck under and this started a chain reaction of karts all over the track.  Albiani suffered the worst and was taken out.  Kolby came out with Varela and they raced down the the hole turn.  Kolby came out in front and never looked back winning for the second year in a row.  Vasquez fought back to place second wih Varela third and Hannegan fourth. 

 

The big winner was Heidi Garza who purchased Kolby in a Calcutta auction winning $1425 for his win!  Congrats to Heidi!

 

It was a great weekend and Kolby as always had fun racing with such a great bunch of drivers.  Kolby would like to thank his Uncle Glenn at PKS, mom and dad at Graphix Plus, Grand Products, RLV, DWT, P1 Engines, Espo Paint, Bell Helmets, and Grandma Araki. 

 

Special Thanks for a Great Season

November 10, 2011

 

Kolby didn't race a lot but spent the year learning all he could about sprint car racing.  Starting out the year at the Cory Kruseman Sprint Car School and competing once at the Ventura Raceway, then four more races in the Ishii Farms Maxim sprint car at Tulare and Hanford Speedways.  Kolby's first race at Tulare earned him the Hard Charger Award Finishing 9th after starting 22nd. 

 

Kolby would like to thank everyone for their support this year.  Garrett Ishii and family, PKS Kart Supplies, RLV, Western Metal, Scelzi Enterprise, King Taco, P1 Engines, Bell Helmets, DWT, Amsoil, Grand Products, Graphix Plus, and all the families and friends that helped with raising funds for the season.

 

New Lid

June 5, 2011

 

Kolby is looking a little different on the track these days now wearing his new Bell GTX2 with paint from the Unknown Painter.  Kolby designed the helmet based on his traditional rising sun and American flag theme. 

 

 

 

Lemoore Raceway

May 22, 2011

 

Kolby dusted off him PKS 600cc Micro Sprint this weekend to go run the wingless class out at Lemoore Raceway this past Saturday night.  There were only fourteen drivers signed up but the racing was some of the most exciting all year.

 

Kolby qualified 8th in the two lap format which placed him the fourth spot in his heat.  Kolby would finish 3rd in his heat putting him the 7th starting spot in the main.  The main was action packed as the top 10 drivers held together for most of the race running three wide in the corners.  Everyone kept is clean but there were still some occasional yellow flags.  When the race ended, Kolby was in 6th.  Koen Shaw was the winner.  Congrats to the Shaw family for all their hard work. 

 

Kolby will be in Fresno for the Kerman Kart Club race this coming weekend.

 

Photo Courtesy of B's Photos

 

West Coast 360 Tulare

May 15, 2011

 

Twenty four entries were on hand for the West Coast 360 sprint race at the Pombo-Sargent Classic in Tulare this past Saturday.  Big names like Sheridan, Faas, Kaeding, Murphy, and Venderweerd were on hand.

 

The 2/3rd mile track went slick right away which helped Kolby who has a knack for throttle control, at least for the first lap of qualifying where he set the 9th quick time.  Lap two was a little different as Kolby drove hard into one and spun the car.  Still a great first lap put him starting fourth in the heat. 

 

The track grew slicker for the heat race which proved to be a huge challenge for Kolby.  Kolby held his spot for several laps then started to slip back finishing in the sixth spot.  This would put Kolby back in the 18th spot for the main event.

 

Just when you thought the track couldn't get any slicker, it did and all the way to the wall.  As the main started, there would be very little passing except for veteran's Danny Sheridan who drove up from 24th to 7th and Peter Murphy who made several passes.  The rest of the field battled back and forth seeming not to get anywhere.  Kolby worked forward then back and would eventually end up 19th.  Bud Kaeding would win after a great battle with young California driver, Ryan Bernal.

 

This was another successful weekend even though the results didn't show.  Kolby drove one of the toughest tracks of the year and kept the car in good shape.  "I got more experience and that's what I need right now, lots of laps," says Kolby. 

 

Kolby hopes to race at least one more time this year in the 360 car but is all depends on funding.  Next race will be in the 600 mirco sprint at Lemoore next weekend.

 

May 2, 2011

Region 7 Comes to Fresno

 

It was 1982 when a Region or National level kart race was held in Fresno.  That race was held a the Sunnyside Bowl parking lot on Kings Canyon Avenue.  Well, it's 29 years later and about five miles west of Sunnyside Bowl where the Kerman Kart Club would host the Region 7 IKF Kart Series this past weekend.  Kolby hasn't raced i a region race since the middle of last year but he would compete in both the PRD Senior and Yamaha Super Sportsman classes.

 

With only one kart, Kolby's uncle set Kolby up in an experimental kart from China for the Yamaha.  The kart is simple and somewhat retro, but it didn't stop Kolby from putting the P1 power on the pole in qualifying by over 2/10ths.  Safety gear issues would cause Kolby to drop out of the main event while running in 2nd place.

 

It was another pole position in PRD Senior, but it wouldn't last long as the tech officials took it away due to a water pump issue.  Kolby would have to start the heat race form the back.  A couple of laps into the race, Kolby motor heated up and he was forced to pull into the pits.  This put Kolby on the back row of the main.  With 34 laps of racing, this gave Kolby some time to get tot he front with a borrowed motor from Mack Motorsports.  Kolby pushed forward but wasn't able to reel Tem Topkart driver Camden Geise.  Geise won with Kolby second. 

 

Overall it was a great weekend with lots of great racing.  Kolby would like to thank all his sponsors and friends and also Mack Motorsports for all their help.      

 

April 17, 2011

Kolby's Second 360 Sprint Car Race is a Success!

 

The night before Kolby's fundraiser, a deal was made with Ishii Racing to partner in a program to gain Kolby some experience in a 360 Wingelss Sprinter.  Until now, Kolby has only raced a full size sprint car once.  Garrett Ishii of Ishii Farms doesn't let just anyone in his car and when he asked Kolby to drive his car, Kolby felt pretty honored.  Garrett asked Kolby to drive the car because he knew he could handle it and has seen some potential. 

 

Kolby's first night was a Tulare last Saturday at the Brian and Chris Faria Memorial Race.  Twenty-two cars were entered into the Wescoast 360 Sprint Car field which meant that some of the pressure was already off of Kolby as everyone was going to race in 30-lap main.  This was all too important because as a rookie, Kolby would have to start all the races this night from the back.

 

The night started with group style qualifying which is nothing new for Kolby.  Track management is the key to this style. Kolby took up the rear of the pack and as the green fell, he was on the pedal.  Keeping pace, one car got loose and spun in front of Kolby which slowed his pace.  Kolby would end up 16th overall but more  importantly, he didn't crash the car. 

 

Heat race one was strictly for learning.  Since he would have to start at the back of the main anyways, there was no point but to go out and learn.  Kolby ran at the rear running low, then high, trying all different lines. The car was really loose but it would all be worth the effort.

 

The 22 car main lined up with Kolby toward the rear.  The green fell and Kolby went to work down on the bottom.  He was picking them off car after car when the red fell for a flipped car on lap 9. Kolby found himself in the 10th position.   The red flag would prove a disruption in Kolby's rhythm as he fell back to 14th after a few laps into the restart.  Kolby gathered his thoughts and went to the top where no one else was running.  Kolby moved his way back up to 10th, then 9th, then 8th then back and forth for 8th and 9th.  The yellow fell with a couple laps to go and the officials called the race due to time.   Kolby would end up 9th overall gaining him the "Keizer Wheels Hard Charger Award!"

 

It was a great way to begin a new series.  Lots of laps, different types of setups and an ever changing track.  Kolby would like to thanks Ishii Farms, Scotty Perez, Doug Nunez, PKS Kart Supplies, RLV and all of the friends who made this possible. 

 

Photo Courtesy of SCRAFAN.COM

 

April 11, 2011

Congrats to Tanner Baker, Winner of the 60" TV!

 

Kolby's fundraiser was held at PKS this past Sunday, April 10th.  Many friends and family attended the event in hopes to win a 60" 3DTV package.  Other donated items were also on the raffle block as well. Tanner Baker, a Junior Sprint driver from Clovis, California was lucky winner of the TV.  Kolby and his family would like to thank everyone for making this a wonderful and successful event. 

 

Kolby and Jessica greeting friends at the party

 

March 13, 2011

 

Kolby's Debut in a 360 Sprint Car

 

The 2011 season in finally here and it is going to be another learning year for Kolby.  This weekend Kolby competed in his first 360 sprint car race at the Ventura Raceway.  After one session in the Cory Kruseman Sprint Car School a few weeks ago, Kolby felt he was ready to enter a race. 

 

With nerves jumping, Kolby headed out for the first hot lap session.  Staying clear of everyone else, Kolby began to get comfortable.  The car looked tight or it could have been Kolby's lack of experience on a tackier track than what he experienced at the school.   By the end of the session, Kolby looked pretty good and was keeping pace with the field.  Heat one would find Kolby starting in P5 among six other drivers.  This heat was about learning what 650 horsepower was going to do when you stand on it the first time on the start.  Kolby looked like veteran on the start and then made it through turn one.  By turn three Kolby slid a little high and lost some ground out of four,.  By the end of the heat Kolby was really starting to look comfortable.  Kolby would finish in P6 placing him in the P8 starting spot for he semi-main.   With the groove still at the bottom, Kolby's outside starting spot would prove to be challenging for a rookie driver.  On the start Kolby tried to get down to the bottom but it took a few laps and he ended up losing three positions before he could get there.  Kolby began working his way back passing a car each couple laps, but with two to go, he was still in the P8.  Kolby dove under for a last lap pass and ending in P7, just 3 spots out of the transfer. 

 

Kolby wasn't entirely disappointed because the goal for the weekend was to finish laps and gain experience.  That was certainly accomplished.  "I had fun even though I didn't make the main," stated Kolby.  Well the fun only lasts for so long then the competitive nature sets in .  Kolby will head back to Ventura in April to run once again.  Hopefully by the end of the year, Kolby is hoping to run a couple races here in the valley at Hanford or Tulare.

 

Kolby would like to thank the gang at RLV for all their support, Raul and Family at King Taco for always being there for him, his uncle Glenn at PKS, and all the friends and family for purchasing raffle tickets to help me raise funds for this awesome experience.  Kolby would also like to thank Cory Kruseman, Mikey and the rest of the crew for a great ride.  We'll see you soon!

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kolby at the March 12, 2011 Ventura Sprint Car Race

 

 

January 28, 2011

 

Weekend at Sprint Car School

 

Kolby spent last Sunday learning his way around a full size 360 sprint car at the Cory Kruseman school at Ventura Raceway.  The day went really well for Kolby as he was able to get up to a decent speed by the first session.  After a few sessions, the track started taking a little rubber and was getting faster and faster.  By the last session, Kolby was looking very comfortable in the car.  Cory stated that he was impressed with Kolby's patience and throttle control on such a dry-slick track. 

 

Kolby is currently seeking funding to run a limited number of wingless sprint car shows this year.  "We are hoping to run a few races with Cory Kruseman at the Ventura track and a couple here in the Valley with another team.  It all depends on the the funding," states Kolby.

 

     

 

November 29, 2010

Kolby Brings Home the Cash

 

When Bakersfield re-opened the old kart track south of Oildale, Kolby had to go race on this historic track where names like Sarver, Mears, Harvick, and Crafton grew up.  It's the same old track with many upgrades to the facility.  Under cold and cloudy sky's, the Bakersfield Kart Racing club hosted the first annual "Year-end-Shootout" with a thousand-dollar prize to the winner of the Senior Yamaha Pro race. It didn't take long on Friday practice for Kolby to learn the track and come up to speed.  A few tweeks of the chassis and some gear changes and Kolby was near the top of the field.  By Sunday race day, Kolby had figured out the track and some new passing zones.  Kolby put his PKS Topkart Flash on the pole over four-tenths of a second ahead of the off-pole driver..  The heat race was a battle for the front row position for the main.  At the green Kolby blasted into turn one and was tapped a bit allowing David Vasquez (Tony Kart) to move past for the lead.  Brandon Toy came out third with the rest of the field in tow.  Vasquez, Kolby and Toy broke away early and started working on finishing in the top two spots.  Kolby began working on P1 with dicey moves down the straight, one which almost took himself off the course.  A few laps later Kolby was able to duck under Vasquez to take the lead and the heat race win.  Vasquez ended up in P2 with Toy in P3.  In the main, Kolby got a jump on the start and lead the field into turn one.  That was all Kolby needed as he drove his Topkart to a five second victory in the thrirty-lap race.

 

November 20, 2010

Kolby Heads Back to Roseville to Finish the Ron Sutton Shootout

 

Kolby and his dad headed back to Roseville, California to finish up the Ron Sutton Shootout that was rained out previously.  Kolby waited his turn while two other groups of drivers drove around the third-mile oval.  By the time Kolby's turn came it was getting cold and dark.  Kolby loves driving under the lights so this was a treat for him.  Kolby drove the Ford-Focus Midget in five different sessions.  The sessions are designed to bring the drivers up to speed from 50% in the first to 100% in the last.  Kolby took his time listening to the coach while learning the line.  By the third session, Kolby began getting real comfortable in the car.  After each session, Kolby consulted with the crew and analyzed each run.  BY the fifth session, Kolby was up on the throttle running some very consistent times.  After the run, Kolby and his dad talked about his performance.  Dad wasn't surprised that Kolby could handle the car. 

 

Ron Sutton will be selecting a group of drivers based on their performance from the Shootout.  If selected, Kolby could be racing for the Winner's Circle Racing Team from 2011-2013. 

 

Kolby will be heading to the Cory Kruseman school of sprint cars in December for more full size racing experience.

 

October 24, 2010

Kolby Gets Invited to Ron Sutton Winner's Circle Shootout with K&N Sposorship

 

Kolby was one of 38 drivers selected to audition for the Ron Sutton Driver Development program for the 2011 season.  Ron Sutton of Sacramento, California operates  one of the only driver development programs on the western part of the US.  The development program, sponsored by K&N Filters, is designed to work with young drivers for a career in NASCAR. 

 

Kolby spent the weekend  at the driver shootout for one of three weekends of testing.  Kolby was among 17 drivers from all over the US and Mexico hoping to be selected to the program.  Kolby was also one of six drivers who earned a scholarship from K&N Filters to attend the event.  Scholarships were based on the drivers past performance.  Kolby was selected for his three IKF National Championships and select wins in the micro sprint.

 

Unfortunately for Kolby, the weekend was rained out so beyond the classroom training, shop tours, and meeting some really great families, no actual driving was accomplished.  Ron Sutton will be re-scheduling the on-track portion of the test in a few weeks. 

 

  Kolby Getting Fitted into a Ford Focus Midget

 

 

 

September 13, 2010

Apex Shootout News

 

 

Kolby made a last minute decision to take the IKF Region 7's challenge to win $2000 by beating both Position One driver's, Bobby Kelley and Nick Johnston at Apex Raceway.  Kolby had only been to Apex once so Saturday practice would prove important.  Kolby started right off with quick times on the 40 second course.  Pushing it to the limits trying to find the fast way around the track found Kolby off the track a few times into the gravel.  One scary trip into the pit turn with no brakes sent Kolby creaming through the scale area, luckily with no contact. 

 

Sunday practice went well and it was evident by lap times that the rest of the field had come prepared.  Kolby and Kelley due to their quick times in practice sent them on the track first for qualifying.  Bobby set the pace with a 40.701.  Then Kolby was looking good and crossed the line .at a 40.709, just eight-thousandths slower.  Nick Johnston lost a clutch and ended up back in the field.  Kolby's team mate Matt Johnson would end up P4 and Chris Zimmerman in P3. 

 

The heat race was fairly uneventful with Kelley leading the way to the finish, Zimmerman in P2, Johnson in P3 and Kolby in P4.  Nick Johnston moved up with a good run to finish in P6.  The main lined up on the parade lap without Zimmerman who lost a filter and had to retire moving the outside row up one putting Matt Johnson in P2.  At the start, Kelley led the field into the tight right hand corner with the rest bunching up.  Kolby would come out in P2 with Johnson in tow.  Kolby and Johnson worked together to real Kelley in and by lap 6, Kolby made his move into turn one for the lead.  Kolby couldn't make it stick and ended up damaging his left front ending his chance for the win.  Johnson kept on Kelley and made a move for the P1 spot with one lap to go.  Johnson made the move stick and ended up with the $2000 bounty.  Kolby would end up in P4 with Ty Matta in P3.  

 

It was another great event by Region 7, IKF and Dave Demond of Apex Raceway.  Kolby would like to thank all his sponsors, Dave of Apex, IKF, Region 7, and all the great competitors in the Sr. PRD class.

 

June 27, 2010

Photo Courtesy of Race Media Group

 

The 2010 International Kart Federation Sprint Grand Nationals are all but a memory now and in the end, Kolby did what only a handful have been able to accomplish in their karting career. Kolby earned his second National title as a senior driver on the last day at Willow Springs International Kart Track obtaining his expert status.  Kolby competed in the KPV4 division amongst other veteran experts and this raced proved he was a deserving candidate for the status. 

 

Kolby began his day with a decent qualifying run putting his PKS, Grand Products Topkart in P4.  A little problem with the engine tuning kept him from running for his second Eagle (pole position) for the week.  Knowing that there was some areas to gain, Kolby was pretty confident that he could run with the front three, Nick Johnston, Brett Felkins and Robby Harryman.  The heat race pretty much was a follow-the-leader affair but Kolby was able to move around a Harryman to finish in P3 which would help setup his bid for the main win.  There was still some work to do as Kolby had to struggle to keep pace with Johnston and Felkins with Harryman and Matt Johnson (Kolby’s teammate) in tow the whole race was well.  Kolby and his dad went to work making a few changes to the chassis and gearing.

 

The main would be all about the start and making sure anyone who jumped in to the lead was not able to get way.  The senior drivers all understand this and do very little passing early to maintain the pack.  At the green, Kolby latched onto Johnston bumper into turn one and they came out P1 and P2 with Harryman in P3, Felkins then Johnson.  Then it was follow-the leader as Nick lead the way.  Kolby made a mid race attempt for the lead in turn 7 but Johns was too quick and smart to let Kolby go.  The top three soon gain a one second gap on Johnson who now was passed Felkins for P4.   As the laps wound down, it looked like Kolby had a little more as he would lose ground to Johnston but was able to close the gap pretty easy.  With one to go, everyone knew to watch turn seven where all the late breaking moves were made.  As they entered, Kolby made no attempt at the pass and it looked like he just didn’t have what it was going to take to win the race.  Then in turn eight, Johnston entered the corner, Kolby darted to the inside brushing  Johnston’s read bumper sending him just a touch off his line.  Kolby came off high and Johnston tried to cross Kolby over and they dragged raced down the back shoot with Harryman right behind. As they entered turn nine, Kolby was on the high side with the preferred line and it was all about the Topkart brakes at that point.  Kolby drove into the corner as hard as he could knowing that Johnston and Harryman would have to try to get slowed up on the dirty part of the track.  The two sailed by entering the corner, Kolby crossed them over and beat both of them to the line.  It was one of the best finishes of the week and appropriately the last race of the event.

 

“I’m still not sure how all that worked, but I knew if Johnston was able to make his kart stick down there I wasn’t going to win and he would have deserved it.  But it worked.”  Kolby explained afterward.

 

Kolby wished to express his sincere thanks to the many people who helped him prior, during and after the event.   Kolby’s sponsors, uncle Glenn at PKS Kart Supplies, Mike Tetrault of Grand Products, Jesus Vasquez of P1 Engines, Scott Gordinier of Douglas Wheels, his mom and dad of Graphix Plus, Art and Rod Verlengiere of RLV, Shane Perry of Primerica, the Runyan Family of Raging Bull Motorsports, Brad Espinoza of Espo Paint, and Don Clark of Bakersfield.  Kolby would also like to thank all the families and friends that make up Team PKS, Zane Smith for allowing him to use his KPV engine, Matt Johnson for all his advice and leadership, and specially Brittney Kearney for all her help on that wonderful Wednesday when they won the Senior PRD all on their own.  Many thanks to the IKF team, Willow Springs, TiMi Promotions and all the volunteers for putting on a great event.

 

 

June 23, 2010

Kolby Wins on Day 1 of the IKF Nationals

 

Kolby headed down to the Nationals at Willow Springs Raceway a few days early to help out his Uncle Glenn,waiting for his day to race which would be Friday the third day of the event.  Sometime between Clovis and Bakersfield, Kolby decided he wanted to run all four days.  With a little help from some friends, we were able to make it happen and he entered the Senior PRD class with 21 other drivers tonight.  Kolby was at the track pitting for himself and getting advice from a very busy Uncle Glenn and new team mate Matt Johnson.  Using some knowledge he learned over the several years of racing, Kolby put his P1 Engine powered Topkart on the pole.  Then proceeded to win the heat and the main event. 

 

Kolby would like to thank the Runyan Family of Raging Bull, Shane Perry of Primerica, Don Clark, PKS, Graphix Plus, P1 Engines, Grand Products, RLV, DWT, Espo Paint, and all his friends for making this happen.

 

June 7, 2010

Kolby Returns to IKF Region 7 Action with New Teammate

 

Kolby took advantage of some time off in the dirt car to go racing with some old friends and join a new teammate at the IKF Region 7 Series held at the Willow Springs Raceway in Rosemond, California.  Kolby welcomed the newest PKS team driver, Matt Johnson to the camp.  Matt has several years experience in karting and other forms of racing including Nascar late models.  Kolby and Matt were entered in the Senior PRD TAG class together.  Things started great early Sunday morning as Kolby and Matt put their Grand Products PKS Topkarts on the front row with Kolby in P1 over 3 tenths on the field. 

 

The senior drivers were starting to show their competitive side right off the start of the heat race.  Willow Springs allows for 6 and 7 wide going into turn one on the starts and that's exactly how they did it.  Kolby was knocked off the track dropping back to 10th and had to claw his way back through the traffic as Matt and two others started getting away.  Kolby just kept plugging away as the top three started going after each other with a few laps to go.  Kolby found his way into third and as they approached turn one on the last lap, Matt was tagged from behind leading send both drivers in a spin allowing Kolby to cruise to the checkered.  After all the penalties for driving infractions were handed down, Kolby would be on the pole with Matt back in 7th.  Kolby played a little more defense on the start and good thing he was hanging on tight in turn one as he was tagged hard going in almost taking Ty Matta (P2) off the track.  Kolby came out in second and worked his way past for the lead on lap  two, and never looked back winning by just over 6 seconds.  Matt would battle back to a fourth place finish.  In Team PKS style, Kolby and Matt left the scales with smiles on their faces knowing that they both have a great package for the upcoming Nationals at the same track.

 

May 30, 2010

Engine Woes in 2010

 

Kolby had hopes of gaining a lot of experience this year in his DWT PKS Micro Sprint but two blown engines has put his dirt racing on hold for several weeks.  Kolby lost a motor at the first night of the season out at Plaza Park, then another six weeks later at Lemoore.  Kolby has been racing a every light kart schedule in order to keep his driving skills in check.  Kolby will be heading to Willow Springs next weekend to compete in the Region 7 Kart Series.

 

March 30, 2010

Almost Ready for the 2010 Season

 

Kolby and his dad have spent many hours trying to get the 600 Mini Sprint together for the 2010 season that actually started last weekend in Lemoore, California.  After tonight, it looks like Friday night will be the opening night for Kolby as they head for Plaza Park in Visalia.  The car is just about done and Kolby is definitely ready. 

 

The winter break wasn't long enough to get the car ready due to a number of kart races that Kolby decided to race.  Kolby's second year in the senior division in karts has been very successful and he is hoping that success will carry over to his second year of the 600 Multi class also.

 

Kolby's 600 Mini Sprint

 

Region 7 Buffalo Bill's Race Report

 

The Kerman Kart Club hosted the third round of the IKF Region 7 Series at the Buffalo Bill's Casino in Primm, Nevada this pas weekend.  It was another great event.  Kolby entered two classes including Spec PRD on Saturday and HPV4 on Sunday.  Kolby spent Saturday morning chasing Bobby Kelley and Lloyd Mack in the PRD class.   By the time qualifying came, Kolby was up to speed and was able to put his PKS/DWT Topkart off pole outside of Bobby Kelly of Position One.  The outside row would prove challenging all weekend.  Kolby held on in the heat to finish behind Kelley who both checked out from the rest of the field.  Turn one in the main bit Kolby as the inside was owned by three Position One drivers who used the advantage to move Kolby back several positions by turn two.  Kolby crawled his way back through the field into second and managed to work his way back to within a second behind Kelley.  The gap would remain the same for the last few laps as Kolby settled for second place.

 

Sunday, Kolby put his P1 Engine powered Topkart on the pole by 2 tenths of a second over Carl Modoff (series leader). That was the highlight of the day as Kolby suffered from a gas/oil separation problem a the drop of the green flag in the heat race which kept him from finishing the race.  This would put Kolby at the back of the field for the main.  With rain falling, there was a chance to make a big move.  Unfortunately Kolby was caught up on the start in a turn one incident and had to fight his back through the field.  Kolby managed to move his way into the fifth position where he eventually finished.  

 

It was a fun weekend for Kolby and the entire Team PKS.  Kolby would like to thank PKS Motorsports, DWT Racing Wheels, Grand Products, P1 Racing Engines, Graphix Plus, Espo Paint, RLV, Meclec Metal Finishing, and especially John and Neil McCoy for the use of their kart and motors.   

 

January 14, 2010

Kolby Welcomes DWT Wheels to Araki Racing

 

 

Kolby has had a great sponsor relationship with DWT Racing Wheels for several years in the karting program. DWT has just launched their new line of micro sprint wheels which will be outfitted on Kolby's 600cc PMP Chassis this season. Kolby would like to thank Scott Gordinier of DWT Racing Wheels for all of his help and support through the years.

 

January 10, 2010

Kolby wins Season Opener IKF Race at Buttonwillow

 

The 2010 IKF Region 7 Series started early this year and the first race was at the at the Buttonwillow Raceway Kart Track.   Kolby took advantage of the early start and headed over after his high school soccer game on Friday night.  Missing Friday practice did not seem to be much of an issue when the morning brought wet/cold conditions, far different than Friday. Kolby began the weekend in PRD Senior.  Kolby jumped right in and put his P1 powered Topkart on the pole by over 6 tenths of a second.  The heat race started out pretty exciting with a brief battle with car racing veteran Lloyd Mack, but soon Kolby made his way passed Mack and was on his way to a heat race win.  In the main, Kolby jumped out in to the lead and didn't look back.  That is until lap 13 when his motor stumbled due to a broken throttle linkage and simultaneous air filter problem.  Kolby pulled off the track with over a 6 second lead to give way to the others to battle it out.

 

Day two was going to be a day off for Kolby but dad couldn't let Kolby leave the track after Saturdays resuts.  Kolby would enter the KPV4 Senior class.  Another wet morning made for an interesting qualifying session but when all was said and done, Kolby put his Topkart off pole.  Heat one, Kolby jumped into the lead and spent most of the race in a battle with old friend Justin Copeland, Teammate Bradlely Espinoza and Carl Modoff.  The four broke apart from the rest of the field swapping the lead for several laps.  The checkered saw Kolby in third which would put him on the inside of row two for the main.  At the drop of the flag in the main, Kolby came out third but was soon at the point with Copeland and Modoff in tow.  Kolby began to check out and developed a 3 second lead which he took to the checkered flag winning the first Region race of the season.

 

Kolby would like to thank his sponsors, IKF, Region 7, Buttowillow Raceway, Bakersfield Kart Club, the entire PKS racing team, and all of the friends and competitors for a great weekend.

 

December 31, 2009

Araki Racing Welcomes Bell Motorsports as Sponsor

 

Kolby will enter the 2010 racing season with a new partner.  Andre Consorte with Bell Motorsports will be providing safety support for Kolby in both the karts and mini sprint.  Kolby has wore several different helmets over his 11 years of racing and has never been as comfortable as he was with his Bell helmets.  Kolby welcomes his new partner and hopes to put their safety gear on the podium at each event. 

 

May 2, 2010

KOLBY PREPARES FOR UPCOMING MICRO SPRINT RACE

 

Kolby is hoping to have his Yamaha back from the engine builder this week so he can get out to Plaza Park for one shake down run before the Tachi Palace Nationals on May 14, 15th.  Kolby suffered engine problems at the first race of the 2010 season which sidelined him for a few weekends.  Kolby spent the few weeks off working on his newly acquired 1987 square body Silverado.  Between the truck and his karts, there's still plenty to do on the weekends.

 

 November 12, 2009

 Kolby Finishes Karting Season with Win at Santa Maria

 

It's been since June that Kolby last visited a Region 7 IKF race. December 4th,  Kolby and his dad decided to attend the last Region 7 race in remembrance of Kolby's grandpa (Nob) Araki.  This was Nob's favorite place to race karts, not only because of the pleasant weather most of the time, but because the track is located 10 miles south of Nipomo, California, home of Jocko's Steakhouse.   Nob introduced many friends to Jocko's each time he went to Santa Maria.  This past weekend, Team PKS loaded up the RV with 20 friends and headed over to Jocko's on Friday night for great food and fun.

 

Saturday, Kolby entered the Spec PRD class with his Grand Products, PKS, RLV, DWT sponsored Topkart.  After missing Friday practice, it was going to be a quick learn for Kolby to get up to speed and get the kart tuned.  After the second session, it was apparent that Kolby was right back to where he was in May, outrunning the field by more than a second a lap.  Qualifying came and it was time to deal with a new Bridgestone tire that Kolby had not used before.  Missing the setup and air pressure a bit, Kolby put his kart on the outside of the front row just one tenth off the pole.  Heat one saw the leader (Bobby Kelley) spin in turn one ending his chance of a win on this day.  Kolby took advantage and won the heat race by more than six seconds, then went on to win the main event by more than five seconds.  

 

All in all, it was a great weekend and Kolby would like to thanks Grand Products, PKS Kart Supplies, Douglas Wheels, RLV, and Graphix Plus for a great season.  Kolby would also like to thanks IKF, Region 7, Bridgestone Tire, and Santa Maria Kart Club for a great event and weekend.

 

September 22, 2009

Kolby Wins 2009 Kerman Kart Club Championship

 

The final race of the Kerman Kart Club Championship Series was held on October 11th at the Buttonwillow Raceway Park kart track.  Home track Champion and fellow PKS team driver Cody Moss was on hand after a brief layoff due to appendicitis.  It's always a blast watching Kolby and Cody go at it because they have so much respect for each other.  Kolby wasn't able to catch up with the track setup all weekend and ende dup second to Cody but was able to secure enough points to win the Kerman Championship.

 

September 21, 2009

GOOD LUCK BAD LUCK

 

With two weeks before the Super 600 Nationals at Plaza Park, Kolby took the opportunity to shake some of the bugs out of the car.  The night started off with some obvious problems which kept Kolby from racing past the heat races. A burned up clutch would end the night.  The good news is that this would have happened at the Nationals if Kolby  would have taken the night off.  The engine was pulled the next day and sent off for freshening and a new clutch.  Kolby will shake the car down in Lemoore at the Budweiser Grand Prix this coming weekend and then if all goes well, off to Plaza Park next Thursday.

 

July 27th, 2009

KOLBY WINS WINGLESS SHOW IN LEMOORE!

 

Kolby stayed home from the kart Nationals this year to work on his dirt program.  Saturday night, Kolby returned to Lemoore Raceway to run the wingless class.  The track was redesigned and lengthened since Kolby's last visit several weeks ago.  Fourteen cars entered the slowly growing wingless class and Kolby was first out to qualify.  Kolby would put his PMP chassis in the P1 spot with a time of 11.85.  This would put Kolby in the P4 starting spot for the heat race.  Bryan (dad) had been trying different things to get the car to bite coming off the corners and with no special wingless components, it's been a challenge to get the car right.  A few adjustments proved that it wasn't the right direction as Kolby finished in the 4th spot.  Luck of the draw would put Kolby on the front row of the main.  Bryan made some adjustments to the car, back where it was and then some and sent Kolby on his way.  At the drop of the green, Kolby was a rocket gapping the field by two and three car lengths each corner.  With one red and a few yellows, the field hung fairly tight until the last run where Kolby left the field for a great win. 

 

The win was particularly special because Lemoore Raceway dedicated the evening the to recent passing of Kolby's grandpa, Nob Araki.  During the winner circle interview, Kolby dedicated his win to grandpa and thanked all of his sponsors for all of their support.

 

August 2, 2009

SECOND PLACE IN LEMOORE

 

Kolby drove his wingless car to a second place finish this weekend in Lemoore, California.  Kolby put his PMP 600 on the pole in qualifying which put him on the pole position for the main event.  Kolby got beat off turn two by Sean Thompson who used the topside cushion to his advantage.  Kolby chased Thompson for most for the race but was unable to put up a real challenge. Kolby heads back to Plaza Park Raceway next Friday for race number one of a three race summer series.

 

June 22, 2009

OUTLAW NATIONALS

 

The 2009 Outlaw Nationals were held at Plaza Park this weekend and 39 cars showed up to qualify for one of 22 spots in the Super 600 Main event.  Kolby has been thinking about what it will take to get the car qualified good enough to start close to the front in the heat races.  All the thinking would pay off with a decent P23 qualifying attempt.  Although not what Kolby wanted, it would place him 6th on the grid in a 13 lap heat race.  The top four of each heat go directly to the main on Saturday night while the others battle through semi mains.  Kolby would transfer with a third place finish putting him in the P14 starting spot for the main.

 

Unfortunately, that would be most of the racing for Kolby's weekend.  At the green flag, Kolby went to the high side and moved quickly into the eleventh spot on the second lap.  Then coming off of turn four, a car spun causing the cars in front of Kolby to check up.  Kolby had no where to go and no way to stop, hitting the right rear of Ryan Reeves starting a violent flip for Kolby.  Kolby's race ended with a torn up car but no injuries.  Mitchell Faccinto went on to win the race. 
 

Kolby will take the next couple weeks off to get the car back together and spend some time at the kart races at the Fresno Fairgrounds on the Fourth of July weekend.

 

June 10th, 2009

RETURN TO IKF AT CALSPEED

 

With no sprint car races scheduled for the weekend, Kolby packed the karts up and headed to Calspeed to run against his friends at the IKF Region 7 Series.  Kolby raced in the Spec PRD Class on Saturday and HPV4 Senior on Sunday.  It was a pretty relaxing weekend for both Kolby and Bryan.  They started the weekend practice well off the pace but gathered it all together for the races.  Kolby finished the weekend in fifth in both classes with a very good run in the PRD main to catch the leaders on the last lap after getting knocked off the track on the first lap.  The evenings were a blast as usual with Team PKS enjoying a great dinner with great friends.

 

May 30, 2009

KOLBY PLACES SECOND AT PLAZA PARK

 

What a difference two weeks makes.  Kolby took Memorial weekend off from the mini sprint to race gokarts witht he Kerman Kart Club.  The week off seemed to do the trick as Kolby was able to get the car back in the main event and top it all off with a second place finish.  Kolby started the main from the pole position and jumped out to an fairly large early lead.  Several yellow flags kept the pack bunched up and also gave everyone a chance to keep checking out the different lines on the track.  As Kolby continued on at the top, Joey Greenburg found some bite at the bottom and chased Kolby down passing him on lap 9.  Kolby moved to the bottom behind Greenburg, them it was Jake Hagopian who found the cushion way at the top of the track and it paid off as he caught both leaders and passed them.  Kolby moved back up to the top as Greenburg stayed down low.  At the checkered Kolby and Greenburg running side by side were closing in on Hagopian.  Kolby drove deep into three coming to the checkered beating Greenburg for second just by the front wing.

 

Racing for the weekend continues tonight in Lemoore.  

 

May 26, 2009

KERMAN KART CLUB RACE TWO

 

Race two of the Kerman Kart Club Series was held this past weekend at the Fresno Fairgrounds.  Kolby decided to enter the Senior Superbox class with 12 other drivers.  Kolby started the day by qualifying on the pole just nine hundredths of a second faster than teammate Cody Moss from Bakersfield.  Kolby would go on to win the heat race from the front row setting up a 18 lap battle for the main.  At the start Kolby and Cody began to gap the field putting on a show for the spectators.  Cody passed Kolby then back and forth until Cody finally got passed for good to beat Kolby by two seconds at the checkered flag.  "The car was a little loose but it was really fun racing with Cody like that," Kolby explained.  Kolby's next kart race will be June 6-7 at California Speedway (CalSpeed).

 

May 20, 2009

PLAZA PARK TACHI PALACE SHOOTOUT

 

With all the focus on the electrical system in the first five races of the season, Kolby and his dad Bryan had little time to get acquainted with the chassis setup for new clay at Plaza Park.  Night one, Kolby was first out to wheel pack and it was the biggest mistake of the year.  The entire car packed with over 175 pounds of clay and had to be flipped over and tore apart to get enough out to get the rear axle to turn.  Missing practice, Kolby was only able to qualify 37th out of 40 cars.  It didn't get any better as Kolby failed to qualify for the main event.

 

Night two started out where things left off on Friday night.  A poor qualifying attempt put Kolby well back in the field for the heat races and with a very fast track, there was little room to pass sending Kolby to the semi.  The track conditions were even more evident when Kolby lined up for the semi behind some of fastest drivers in the class who also struggled in the heat races.  Kolby made a few passes in the semi but was again not able to transfer to the main event.   Even with all the trouble in both nights of racing, Kolby and Bryan smiled and took this as a learning tool.  The next race is May 29th, where Kolby hopes to get back into the groove and get the car back up front.

 

April 5, 2009

LEMOORE RACEWAY REPORT

 

The opening night at Lemoore Raceway was held this past Saturday night.  Kolby entered the new open 600 wingless class that Lemoore had added this season.  Unfortunately, there were only ten entries in the class however, there was no loss of competition and excitement.  Kolby started out the night in great fashion with a win in each heat race.  With a few adjustments on the car Kolby headed out to the main starting in the P3 spot.  At the start the field immediately started racing three wide on the very wide and redesigned Lemoore Track. Kolby went to the high side coming off four and was clipped in the right front sending him into the wall and end over end coming to a rest a the starter stand.  Kolby being alright, but with a bent front axle and right rear wheel, was pushed off to rejoin the field.  On the restart, Kolby made the most of it and worked his way back up to second.  The pack raced side-by-side for several laps, sometimes four wide.  Eventually Kolby's battery gave way and which ended his night.  Kolby's buddy, Sean Thomspon went on the win the main.  Next dirt race will be on April 17, at Plaza Park Raceway.

 

April 4, 2009

OPENING NIGHT UNDER DARK CLOUD

 

The opening night of the Plaza Park Racing Season began on Friday night and the mood was somber with the recent passing of a racing friend, Christian Stover of San Diego, California.  Christian ran at Plaza Park and Lemoore Raceway prior to furthering his career in a full size sprint car.  Christian lost his life in a quad accident Wednesday night.  Racing went on as Christian would have wanted it. 

 

Kolby begins the season in the Super 600 class where 39 cars were looking for one of the 22 spots in the main event.  Kolby would qualify his PMP chassis in the P15 spot which put him on the pole for the heat race.  Kolby darted to the lead in the heat gapping the field by over a whole straight.  This put Kolby solid in the main event which is a huge feat at the competitive Plaza Park Raceway.  After all the heats and semi mains were over, Kolby would be lined up in the P9 spot.  At the drop of the green it was clear that the new track surface was going to be a battle for everyone.  Kolby worked the traffic and gained a couple positions, then lost a few then gained a few back.  While running in the P7 spot, Kolby slowed pulling to the infield with an engine problem.  After working with it a little, Koby was able to fire the motor back up and re-enter the race, unfortunately 6 laps down.  Kolby used the rest of the race to learn the driving style on the  slick surface.  When the night was over, Kolby finished in the P16 spot.  Kolby would like to thank PMP, Primerica, Graphics Plus, PKS Kart Supplies, and Plaza Park.  Kolby would also like to thank all the the racers for running a memorial decal during the night for Christian.

 

April 1, 2009

KOLBY AND FRIENDS RACING FRESNO

 

After 27 years, kart racing was back in Fresno and in a big way.  The Kerman Kart Club hosted the first of six races at the Fresno Fairgrounds this past weekend and the front row of each race looked more like a Regional race rather than a club race.  Although short in numbers, the TAG Senior class included multi time IKF National Champion, Neil McCoy, STARS winner, Timmy Bachman, IKF Region 11 Champion, Nick Dunn, and Kolby who has a National and Region Championship under his belt too.  Kolby started out breaking his TAG motor in practice and had to qualify and run the heat race with his lower powered PRD engine.  After realizing that the PRD wasn't going to cut it, the Bachmans offered to lend their spare to Kolby to run the main.  The switch was made and the race was on.  Neil starting on Pole with Bachman off  would lead the four into the most exciting six laps of the weekend.  Neil, Timmy and Kolby went three wide in the narrowest spot on the track and came out in a completely different order.  Then the next lap, two wide in the same spot and out they pop in a different order again.  This went on for several laps until Neil sent Timmy into the barriers where it caused the field to separate.  Dunn eventually fell out with engine problems.  Neil, Timmy and Kolby all raced about 2 seconds apart while running identical lap times.  This became rather boring until the checkered where they finished in that order.  The race was a big success for the Kerman Kart Club and it was a chance for Kolby to have fun racing with his friends from Region 7.

 

Next up is the start of the 2009 Mini Sprint Season this weekend with Visalia Plaza Park on Friday and Lemoore Raceway on Saturday.  Stay tuned for results.

 

March 9, 2009

KOLBY GETS INITIATED TO SENIOR CLASS

 

Round two of the IKF Region 7 Series was held at Buttonwillow Kart Track this past weekend and this would be where Kolby would experience his first Senior Division start.  Friday practice started and ended very well with both the Spec PRD and HPV4 karts working flawlessly all day.  Saturday started off great with a P1 qualifying attempt in Spec PRD amongst a field on 28 drivers including some of the best in the US.  Heat race action started early as the senior group went to work on Kolby shoving him around for about three laps pushing him back to sixth place.  Kolby regrouped and started attacking one at a time until he was back in the lead on lap 7.  With four laps to go and a 2 second lead, Kolby's drive chain fell off and ended his chance at a front row start for the main.  Starting 26th in the main Kolby went to work trying to keep his kart in shape while passing as many as he could.  Kolby worked his way up to 15th then was caught in an incident which bent the front end enough to cause a bad understeer.  Kolby was able to keep moving forward to a P7 finish.  A great drive for his first outing with the Seniors.

 

Day two started off well with a P4 qualifying attempt amongst a group of 16 drivers.  Kolby got a good start in the heat and was able to finish in P2 after Devin Lindsey let him go by at the start finish (a tactic used to gain an inside starting spot).  Kolby used his outside row to his advantage for the main and was able to jump into the lead on the start.  Position One driver, Bobby Kelly passed Kolby right back on lap one and then they swapped the lead a few time before Kolby settled in behind Kelly to attempt to leave the rest of the pack.  The two began to pull away and it was apparent that Kolby didn't have the gearing to keep pace with Kelly.  With five laps to go, Kolby began to creep back up to Kelly and with one lap to go he was right on his back bumper.  Kolby made a last turn attempt to go the the win as they both drag raced down the straight to the checkered flag, it was Kelly by less than 100th of a second. 

 

Kolby had a lot of fun this past weekend and wished to thank all his sponsors and team mates for their help and the competitors for their respect. 

 

March 3, 2009

KART TESTING IN BUTTONWILLOW

 

Kolby spent Saturday reuniting with his karts at Buttonwillow Raceway.  It's been 6 months since Kolby sat in a kart seat.  Kolby has been approved to run in the senior classes so uncle Glenn bolted a TAG PRD on one kart, an HPV4 on the other and 30 pounds of weight on each and off we went.  This is the first time lead weights have been a part of Kolby's program in a long time as he ran overweight in the junior classes all 2008.  It took a couple of laps to shake out the cob webs but once that was done, Kolby was up to speed.  A few adjustments throughout the day and the times kept coming down.  All in all testing went very well and Kolby learned a lot about the new packages.  Kolby will be heading to Buttonwillow this coming weekend to catch up with his friends in the IKF Region 7 Series.

 

December 1, 2008

KOLBY ENDS SEASON ON HIGH NOTE

 

Kolby finished off the Mini Sprint season at the annual Turkey Shootout at Plaza Park Raceway on Thanksgiving weekend.  Kolby entered the Super 600 class where veterans from all over the west coast would compete including top fuel champions Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps. Forty-six drivers were entered into the Super 600 class looking for one of the 22 spots in the main event.

Kolby was the 7th car on the track for qualifying on a wet and slick track and posted a 12.05 which was not going to hold on the drying track surface. Kolby would end up 36th in the field of 46 putting him in the P9 spot on the grid for his heat.

Kolby got a luck break on the start as a couple cars got collected and allowed him to jump into the 7th spot. By the end of the heat Kolby passed one more car putting him in the B-Main and avoiding the C-Main. Six cars would transfer from the B-Main into the A-Main and Kolby would have to start from P7. Again Kolby caught some breaks and avoided every crash on the track to finish fourth putting him safely in the main event.

Kolby would start the main event from P20. At the green, Kolby jumped to the high side and went to work passing cars every lap. By lap 20, Kolby was in P7. Kolby lost one spot with five to go and then the car
developed a miss on the straights. Leter it was discovered that the car was very low on fuel and barely made it to the finish in eighth. All in all, Kolby’s debut in the wingless Super 600 was awesome and Kolby cannot
wait for next season.

Kolby would like to thank Shane Perry from Primerica, Stan Greenberg of Western Metal, Grandpa and Grandma Araki, Uncle Glenn of PKS, TRP Motorsports, TNA Designs, and Graphix Plus for a great year.