Road Racing Series heads to Putnam Park
08.17.2010 – The WKA Dunlop Tire Road Racing Series driven by Mazda is deep into the second half of its 2010 season with the tour’s seventh round approaching this weekend. Many of the top road racers throughout the eastern half of the country will head to the Hoosier State for high-speed kart racing at the Putnam Park Road Course, a 1.78-mile course located in the rural land of Mt. Meridian, Ind.

The fine folks at the Ohio-based Dart Kart Club will again host the Putnam Park Road Race Nationals. The event is the second and last DKC-promoted race of the year and it marks the Road Racing Series’ final visit of the season to the Midwest.

This year marks the ninth consecutive season the Road Racing Series has visited Putnam Park. The series first went to Putnam in 1998 before not returning until 2002. The tour has made the west-central Indiana venue an annual stop since with 2003’s version of the race being the best attended at 491 entries. Entry numbers have steadily been between 300 and 400 for the last several years, and with strong turnouts this season at nearly every Road Racing national, DKC and WKA officials are optimistic this weekend’s race will be one of the best Putnam nationals in recent memory.

The series’ 41 regular national divisions plus a host of local-option classes will be in action on Saturday and Sunday. The two days of racing will follow a full day of Friday practice. This year’s local options include an array of vintage-kart divisions, two Open Sprint and two Briggs Limited Modified classes, Clone and Briggs LO206 classes and a pair of 250cc Twin categories.

In national categories, laydown Controlled classes have traditionally been strong at Putnam Park. Last year, 100cc Controlled started 21 karts while Controlled Spec had 16. The 100cc Pipe divisions each boasted 15 entries. The pair of Stock Leopard Sprint divisions each started over a dozen karts, and the Briggs Animal categories had respectable fields, as well.

As the end of the season approaches, several racers will have national points on their minds when they hit the track this weekend. A collection of classes have tight point battles at the top of the standings, and with only one race remaining after Putnam Park, this weekend’s event is vital to the final standings.

The three senior Briggs Animal classes have consistently been the largest classes in 2010, and each of the three divisions has a close battle for the national championship. Jon Evans leads Mike Stroik in Animal 335 and Animal 360. Evans is 70 points ahead of Stroik in Animal 335, and his lead is just 25 in Animal 360. Animal 385 shows Maryland’s Kevin Colborn 20 markers in front of Scott Evans, while Steve Johnson is just 35 points out of the lead in third.

2009 double-class champion Justin Taylor is looking for a repeat in 2010. Despite missing a couple of nationals this season, Taylor still leads 100cc Pipe Medium and Heavy. He is 29 points ahead of Scott Goodman in Medium and 47 points better than Goodman in Heavy.

100cc Controlled Spec 1 and 2 have seen solid fields at most nationals this season. Randy Fulks appears to have Cont. Spec 1 about wrapped up with three victories in the class and a commanding 265-point lead over Jim Fry. Cont. Spec 2 is a different story, however, as Fry sits 17 points ahead of Fulks and 30 points better than his son, Lance, who is in third.

Four of the sprint-shifter classes are close. Stephen Flatt leads John Pickens in both WKA 125 Shifter categories. Flatt is 45 points in front of Pickens in WKA 125 Shifter 1, and 80 points ahead in Sunday’s version of the class. In Stock Honda 1, Brian Davies leads Noah Stark by a 25-point margin. Stark is 98 points ahead of Brian Fisher in Stock Honda 2, while Davies sits 100 points out of the lead in third.

The track is open for pit pass sales and parking Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. Gates will open at 7 a.m. throughout the course of the weekend. Practice is slated to start at 9 a.m. Friday; racing will get under way just before 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Click here to view the Putnam Park weekend schedule and other important information.