2019CalSpeedMagazineAug

S print Series Round 8 would set the stage for our first ever Classico Grand Prix Weekend, a celebration of the 100th Super Series in the history of our arrive & drive offering! The names to watch were numerous in this one, including the entire podium from 2018 so if there was ever a stacked Sprint Series, this would be it. Wrapping up the race, however, was someone with a fresh face... Sprint Series drivers had dusty track conditions towork with for qualifying but this wouldn’t stop them from making the best out of the situation. For Round 8, Max DeMoss scored the top honors for the second time in a row with a 56.154, pole sponsored by Red Six Race Gear and Molecule Sports. Michael Hazlewood and Ivan Martinez linked up for heat 1B from the getgo, teaming up to try and get away from the pack racing behind them. Ronnie Swaim Jr. brought up the field at P3, giving little breathing room to the top duo. As the race wore on, Hazlewood and Martinez would sail away to grab the top 2 spots with Jeremy Aldridge stealing away third from Swaim at the white flag. The A-Main would be an excellent show to watch. Max DeMoss led the first few laps after a less than perfect start from pole sitter Hazlewood. He would recover quickly though, passing P5 starter Ivan Martinez around lap 3-- simultaneously however, letting the top 3 of Max DeMoss, Hunt, and Ayrton DeMoss to get away for a while. The pair of Hazlewood and Martinez had a better run out of the Esses, jumping to P3 and P4 behind Max and Hunt. By this time, the top 5 run a tight pack. Hunt would go for the inside on turn 1, newly christened with the name Kimbrell in honor of beloved driver Dennis Kimbrell, but Hunt and Max ended up going wide around the Bus Stop, allowing Hazlewood to steal the lead and Martinez up to second. It was a bumpy ride through the Hairpin as Hazlewood upset his kart over the burm, leaving the door open just enough for Martinez to get a faster exit onto the back straight. Both Ayrton and Hunt drew closer, the latter attaching himself to Martinez’s bumper to bring on the pressure. Come the checkered flag, Martinez would stave off any attacks, and he can be heard in his onboard video shouting ecstatically as he crosses the finishing line, scoring his first ever win in the Sprint Series! And then we have the Overall. Needless to say, it wasn’t going to the best day for points leaders Tyler Redman and Chase Nickells, both having to take this round as one of their drops. Ayrton’s podium appearance closed the gap a bit, bringing him 27 points behind Nickells. With 2 rounds left in the season, no one has sealed the deal on any of the 3 pieces of hardware... Lastly, the Summer Subchampion: although Redman still leads, Hazlewood and Ayrton are within a 10 point window for the win. We can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen in the last few races! A Main Podium B-Main Winner Michael Floerchinger C-Main Winner Nicholas Descamps Round 8 - Aug 10