Written By: Vogel Racing

ST. LOUIS, MO (May 3rd, 2010) It’s been a while since Vogel Racing could say this, but the racing season has officially begun.   The team has been watching Formula one religiously just to calm the urge to get back in the racing grove.  After our tune up weekend we only took a brief breather before we were on the road agian.  We hooked up the rig and headed out to Springfield Illinois for the first Route 66 race.  With the karts ready and the drivers ready we took on the weekend with high expectations.

Saturday started off at the ridiculously early hour of 5:00 AM.  Still in our home town of Imperial we had a two hour haul to the track, not that bad but it was two hours of sleep we didn’t get.  Arriving at the track around eight we got our pit passes and our parking spot and got to work on the karts.  Luckily receiving a generous amount of practice rounds we were able to get a feel for the track and the karts.   After practice came to a close the team was looking good, neither Grant nor Christian were more than a half a second of the pace. 

Grant was able to start off the race day on the right foot, pulling out an incredible 2nd place starting position putting him in the hunt for the pre final.  In the pre final he was challenged by a charging Justin Stiffler and in the end loosing the 2nd spot to him.  With Grant starting in the 3rd spot for the final the team was confident that a win was just within their grasp.  The final had a shaky start when Grant looped it in the first corner, putting him deep in the field and out of a podium finish opportunity.  Despite the start Grant was able to charge through the field and pull out an impressive 6th place for the team. 

Christian’s qualifying was looking promising but we underestimated the grip of the new tires and with only three laps to adjust he could only achieve the 10th spot on the grid.  Christian’s heat was an all out dog fight for position.  With a good start he was able to make up two spots and then maintained a respectable 8th spot throughout the course of the race. He finished a solid 8th place but was only a few tenths off the fast time.  “Today was a learning experience for me,” Christians continues saying, “Even though I didn’t get the results I was looking for I learned a lot that I can use going into Sunday race day.” 

In the grand scheme of things it was a successful day of learning on and off the track.  The Team was looking forward to Sundays racing and both drivers expected to improve on their results.  “Tomorrow is a new day,” says John Vogel (Vogel Racing CEO), “Anything can happen.”

It was a new day, and a good chance for a fresh start.  The morning was slow as always but after the teams ritual coffee stop, it was go time!  We checked out of our hotel and headed to the track for yet another day of racing. 

Sundays racing started out with a practice session then qualifying shortly following that.  With Grant looking good in the practice session we had a good feeling about the qualifying session.  The number one rule in racing is never getting to comfortable with your pace, something can always go wrong.   With what would appear to be a lack of “The luck of the Irish” we went out for qualifying and coming around for the first lap the engine seized.  Not only did we blow an engine but we had to start from the back of the grid for the pre final.  The team, putting on their last engine and giving it a kiss and a promise, was surprisingly upbeat about their starting position.  With pre final looking like déjà vu, grant was looking to work his way through the field for a second time this weekend.  He was able to charge his way to the 6th spot in the pre final.  With a great run in the pre final Grant put himself in a good position for a podium finish.  The Sunday Yammy final started the same as Saturday’s with Grant involved in a first turn melee.  Fortunately the race director elected a full restart… whew a second chance to get it right.  Once Grant put the incident behind him, he was able to put a good run together.  Battling yet again with Justin Stiffler the race came down to a last ditch, last corner effort and an incredible pass for Grant to claim the 2nd place.   As a result of this performance the team expects a lot of good things from the young driver.

Christian’s number 34 was quick in morning practice and wasn’t too far off in qualifying.  He was looking at a 6th place starting spot for the pre final, not bad but there was more than enough room for improvement.  He was able to make a few spots up at the start of the pre final but shuffled back to the 6th spot at the close of the pre final.  Still struggling to out race the seasoned senior drivers he took the green for the final.  Again making up a few spots on the start and running with the 3rd, 4th and 5th place group.  Coming around for the 4th lap the front guys in the group got together and when one of the drivers spun it broke the whole group up.  After the incident the group maintained the status quo and held their position until the end of the race.  At the close to a lack luster race and to be honest a lack luster weekend, the team focused on the positive things and the major opportunities where they could improve. 

Despite the lack of results the team had a productive race weekend and plan to improve for the next race on their schedule.  “It is apparent that we have areas were we need to improve on, but looking back on the weekend I have learned more this weekend than I have in the past few years,” Christian states at the close of the weekend.  With it being Grant’s first real race in what seems like forever and Christian’s first race in the senior category the team is not worried about a failure to perform in the upcoming races.  Even though the team has a lot of work ahead of them, they promise that shortly they plan on being a true force to be reckoned with.  The teams next race will be the second Route 66 race in Norway, see you all at the track.