Photo courtesy of GraphXDesigns

The Insider- July 13^th-Winner, winner chicken dinner was a worn out statement last Saturday night!  It was a very hot afternoon in Chico California and after having a 25pt lead evaporate to a 15 pt deficit it was time to turn up our own heat on the situation.  Suffering from cracked ribs I would have to endure much pain in getting in and out of the kart.  The cracked ribs were the result of a right rear beats left front crash coming out of turn two just 2 weeks ago that destroyed my kart. 

Jimmy, his son Tony and I worked hard over the 4^th of July holiday to recover from that crash and recover we did.  With the help from QRC in getting us a frame and cage kit pronto, we put the new kart together not knowing where we would be come Saturday night.  We qualified 2^nd fast was not so good in the dash and would start in the 5^th row outside in the main making it interesting to say the least.  On the start I would get right into 3^rd place challenging Ken Mahoney for the top spot with Eric Pettinger on the outside of Ken.  After a couple of attempts at passing for the lead I was finally able to get in under Ken, (who was driving an awesome race) and take the lead from 1^st and also 2^nd place. 

With only a handful of laps in the books and leading, the yellow would come out that would set up for a battle royal.  When the green flew Eric Pettinger would go under me in turn one passing but blowing the corner allowing me to get up under him for the lead once again.  However Eric being the strong competitor would keep pace and run on my outside for the next 5 laps. 

I would work the bottom and inch by inch I would finally gain the lead and go on to take the checkered flag in a very rewarding win for this team.  This was the 1^st time in a month that Team Yannazzo had all the team karts on hand with Stephani and Shannon on hand to represent the team in the Open class and the Open Intermediate class as well.  Stephani looked good but would have trouble in her A finishing up out of the top 10 and Shannon would have her best night finishing up in the  7^th spot from 14^th, her best race ever and on doing it uncharacteristically on the bottom. 

 

RACE TO THE CHAMPONSHIP

 Last year nearing the end of the Cycleland season in 2009 I met someone that would be pivotal to Yannazzo Motorsports ability to make more speed, his name is Peter Sheppard.  Peter was a transplant from California and moved to North Carolina where he still lives.   Peter has work here in California which keeps him here on and off.  Peter has a son Peter Sheppard  that runs in the Open Intermediate class and has come along very fast in these little machines. 

When I met Peter I knew he was a straight shooter right off the bat.  On a day we were testing Peter handed me an important piece to the puzzle and gave me some information that led us to win the very next week at Cycleland becoming someone I could rely on to get the power I needed to win and a good friend at the same time.  At this time Jimmy Patterson my crew chief and I agreed that if we start off the 2010 race season at Cycleland successfully we would see about taking on the long Cycleland season in a fight for the 2010 Sportsman Championship.

Over winter my buddy Peter purchased a Late Model Truck for Peter Jr to run at Hickory Speedway in No Carolina, I thought for sure we would lose his support but he would stay true to assisting us in the quest for the Championship even being instrumental in talking me into this long journey.   So it was agreed there that we would keep the equipment safe from the winter season at Red Bluff and concentrate on the summer season in 2010.   With a new engine set up and some new ideas we started the season off and was successful right off the bat!  With the support from my teammates and drivers Stephani and Shannon along with my wife Team H20 would take the Sportsman point lead until bad luck started to show its ugly head. 

The 1^st one was a crash into a parked kart off a dark turn 4.  That crash chipped my elbow and badly sprain in my wrist, the next week another crash into my left elbow this time and then the big one.  I was pushed into the back straight away wall running off of turn 2 and hit with violent results that cracked a rib and bruised me up pretty bad and killed our kart.  After many hours of work over the 4^th of July we came back and won the main on July 10th. 

This championship is going to be a tough one with Rodney Lamar being every bit as tough on his journey to the same goal I have.  It will be very rewarding in the end as I told Rodney no matter the result knowing how competitive he is.  There are still 7 races left on this long season and anything can happen so for now its still my only goal to reach and until this is over, its not over….More to come.

 

 

 

Check out this link to see some video clips of our sport.  http://www.youtube.com/user/carlwilsonproduction#play/all/uploads-all/0/KZdCq0ngBgE   

 
 
Thank You
 
Yannazzo Motorsports wants to thank the following people for their hard work and dedication to our team that allows us to race during the weekends.  Cziska Family Racing, Jimmy and Tony Patterson, Pete Johnstone at Locked & Loaded Graphics for giving us the best looking karts out, not to mention for winning us the best looking kart in the Sportsman Division.  We thank you so very much for being part of this team and family.
 

 

 

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