Race Date: 09/22/2002 This week's venue: Lake Geneva Raceway Nick Beinlich celebrated Sunday as he won the 7th Annual Purple Shootout at the Burris Circle Tour. The win was Nick's first on the Tour and brought the total number of different feature winners this year to 50. The Shootout got revved up with the trophy dashes. In the first dash Andy Jones found the gas pedal to win. Cody Daul, recently graduating from the Kid Kart class, Bryan Deutsch and Andrew Hintt, another Kid Kart graduate, were atop the podium. The second dash was hotly contested with Corey Domenick, Cody Potter, Nick Beinlich and Patrick McCarty running side by side for most of the race. Matt Shultz also made a strong showing. In the final dash, Alex Stumpf worked to make his kart as wide as he could to edge out Dylan Hobbs, Ross Kenseth and Tyler Peterson. Aaron Katzenberg and Ben Stumpf followed right behind the lead pack to finish fifth and sixth. The 25 lap Purple Shootout Feature Race was a showcase for skill and patience. Dylan Hobbs and Cody Potter took some drafting lessons, got hooked up early in the race and left the others to scrap for position. Behind them Aaron Katzenberg, Andy Jones, Nick Beinlich and Corey Domenick were running side by side, often 3 and 4 wide, each trying to find that extra tenth. Near the 20-lap mark, Cody Potter took his turn at the front and had his eye set on victory lane. Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. A stalled kart in turn 3 brought out the yellow flag on the last lap of the race. After a couple of misstarts, the field of 18 karts got going. But the Hobbs and Potter karts were set up for the long run, not a two-lap dash. Nick Beinlich seized the opportunity to jump into the lead as the white flag flew for the second time. An coming around the final turn Alex Stumpf and Ben Stumpf split Hobbs to take second and third. Less than a kart length back was Tyler Peterson, and Corey Domenick. Shane Morrissey won his first feature race of the year in Sr. Lite driving a great defensive line through the last corner. Morrissey put a nifty move on Jake Humphrey and held the tough inside line to stay out front for the win. The Sr. Medium class continues to add depth with Ryan Rockhold taking home the first place trophy. Veteran dirt racer, Steve Rex, found his setup on the 1/3 mile paved oval to narrowly inch by Jason Lingren's #30 kart. Another newcomer to the Burris Circle Tour, Chad Erickson, earned a respectable fourth place. Everyone is always on the fence to watch the Jr. 3's. This class has turned into one of the hotly contested championship drives. Today, Bill Hulbert's bright blue #88 kart led the race for 14 3/4 laps. Knocking on his door was Nick Chiapetta who was on Hulbert's bumper for most of the race. But coming around the last corner, Jeff Everts made his inside move bringing Tanner Bohlen and Mason Hadley with him. Tanner looked like he was going to be able to make a run on Everts, but had to settle for a very narrow 2nd place finish. Hulbert finished third, Hadley held on for fourth and Chiapetta faded a little to finish fifth. Brandon Eash celebrated his eighteenth birthday by winning the 4-Cycle Sportsman Class, Birthday Girl Carly Mandarino won her Jr. Yamaha feature, while Matt Scott and Makenzie Pillar took home the first place trophy for Jr. Champ and Jr. Sportsman Champ. Seth Lootans rounded out the day winning the Yamaha Sportsman feature - another first time feature winner in the 2002 Burris Circle Tour. Many of the Tour drivers will be participating in the Fall Classic at Lake Geneva Raceway Friday, September 27th and the staff of the Burris Circle Tour take to the streets at the Naperville Gran Prix, Race Against Child Abuse on Sunday, September 29th. The Burris Circle Tour Season Championships are scheduled for October 6th, closing down another successful |
