Northeast racers shine at Putnam Park
Road Racing national
08.26.2010 – The Dunlop Tire Road Racing Series driven by Mazda invaded the Putnam Park Road Course last weekend for the annual Dart Kart Club-hosted Road Race Nationals at the west-central Indiana venue.

Two Northeast drivers made the trek west to the Hoosier State and left as the only triple winners.

Don Guilbeault, of Pelham, N.H., had his best national race of the season with a trio of wins in the TaG ranks. Guilbeault triumphed in Spec 125 TaG 1 and 2 and TaG 1 to earn the hat trick. The DR Guilbeault Air Compressor driver won over teammate Keith Buffo in Spec TaG 1 and bested William Powell in Spec TaG 2.

Guilbeault’s second win of the weekend was his most impressive. He picked up his first win in TaG with a tight victory over Aaron Snyder, Aaron Jones and the dominant driver in the division, Chuck Gafrarar.

West Seneca, New York’s Adam Myers drove to another strong weekend as he joined Guilbeault as the only three-race winners at Putnam. Myers swept the PP Can Sprint mains with wins over Nick Hechler and Andrew Schmitt. The wins were Myers’ fifth and sixth of the season in the can-sprint category.

Myers’ third win came in WKA Sprint 2. After finishing third to Jerry Revely and Lindsay Read in Saturday’s WKA Sprint 1 main, Myers returned Sunday to net the big win over Read and Revely. Myers turned a fast lap of 1:17.805 on his way to the victory.

Nine drivers won a pair of mains at Putnam Park. Mikey Wright had his best weekend of the season when he swept the CIK 125 Shifter classes. Wright won over Steven Rougeou both days.

Scott Evans was the fastest Briggs Animal racer in attendance. The Illinois shoe won Saturday’s Briggs Animal 385 over Andrew Bruner and turned a faster lap than his brother, Jon Evans, who was victorious in Briggs Animal 335, which allows karts to weigh in 50 pounds lighter than the 385 division.

S. Evans returned Sunday to take his second win in Animal 360, which combines the 335 and 385 runners. Jon Evans was second and Mike Stroik third.

LAD Specialties racer Scott Grenier had a fast setup for Putnam. Grenier turned laps nearly two seconds faster than his counterparts in 100cc Controlled, and was rewarded with a convincing victory over Don Chrzan. Grenier also won Formula 100 #2 over Dale Coffey, and finished second to Randy Fulks in the 11-kart 100cc Controlled Spec 2 main.

Lance Yunck won a pair of laydown-enduro mains. Yunck triumphed in PP Can Lite and PP Can Medium.

Adam Ross swept the junior Briggs features. Ross won over Tom Smith in Briggs Jr Sprint Lite and Heavy.

Michael Ryan Arnold joined Ross as a double winner in the junior ranks. After picking up his first victory of the season in June at Mid-Ohio, Arnold notched two more at Putnam with wins over Trenton Bryant and Andrew Boyer in Jr Sprint Lite and Heavy.

Stock Honda saw over 20 starters in each of its mains earlier in the month at VIR. Only two racers entered the class at Putnam; Noah Stark won both affairs.

Chuck Gafrarar didn’t win a TaG main, but the North Carolina racer did sweep with Stock Leopard category. Gafrarar finished ahead of Sam Linhardt in Stock Leopard Final 1 and beat out Richard White in Final 2.

Jon Larue retuned to the Road Racing circuit after a hiatus. Larue won a pair of races in his return with victories in Yamaha Sportsman Heavy and PP Can Heavy.

Single race winners were rare at Putnam as double- or triple-weekend victors won most classes. Single winners included Lance Fry, who won his second 100cc Controlled Spec 1 main of the season. Lindsay and Brad Read split the 100cc Pipe divisions. Lindsay triumphed over Scott Buerman in Pipe Medium while Brad bested Lindsay in Pipe Heavy.

The aforementioned Jon Evans won Briggs Animal 335 over Mike Stroik. Jerry Revely won WKA Sprint 1. Mike Hickey was victorious in Formula 100 #1. Scott Davis bested Mike Lattos in Formula 125. Michael McLaughlin won Yamaha Sportsman Medium.

Chuck Bunnell won Unlimited Final 1 while William Schmitt prevailed in Unlimited Final 2. Lattos finished second in both races. Greg Stamm turned the fastest laps – 1:12.520 – in both races, but dropped out early both days.

Aaron Jones and John Pickens split the WKA 125 Shifter mains. Jones won Saturday’s go and Pickens prevailed on Sunday.

Local-option class winners were Andy Leighninger in PP Can Sprint 380 and the DKC Team Race; Jim McMurray in Open Sprint 1; Matt McCarrick in Open Sprint 2; Mike Hurdzan in 250 Twin 1; Chris Hurdzan in 250 Twin 2; Ryan Berkey in Vintage USA 1 and Vintage Euro 2; Rick Chapman in Vintage Euro 1; Mike Stroik in Briggs Limited Mod Heavy 1; Ben Morris in Limited Mod Heavy 2; Todd King in LO206 360; Doug Dodge in LO206 385.

The Dart Kart Club did another fine job in its hosting, promoting of the Putnam national. The race has stayed a staple on the Road Racing circuit for the last decade, and the DKC folks work hard each year to ensure WKA and DKC enduro-style kart racing continues its presence in Indiana.

The next stop on the Road Racing tour is the season finale Sept. 17-19 at New Jersey Motorsports Park. The northern Virginia-based Woodbridge Kart Club will host the event and it’s a doubleheader with the WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series.

Pre-registration for the NJMP Road Race Nationals is now open. Click here for the entry blank.