He does it AGAIN! and AGAIN!

First Race First Place Trophy

Calvin went into today's races after two shaky practices, unsure if his kart was going to handle well. He spun off the track again and again on the fresh, cool track with the tires we've decided he's finishing the season. His dad, Eric, had transferred weight from back to front hoping it would help Calvin stick to the track better, but after the rough practice sessions he moved the weight back. 

Calvin hit the track for the first set of races ready for anything. There was some good racing on the track today! The Romeo brothers put up a good fight for first. Confusion about a flag signal slowed Calvin down in the first heat race and he took second. In the first feature race, where it really counted, he pushed for first making some close passes and triumphed! First place finish!

Second Race First Place Trophy

In the second set of races today, the driving direction was reversed, and Calvin thrived! He's at his best on this track when he's racing counter clockwise. Again, his closest competitors, the Romeos fought to the finish. This feature race was exciting with spins, tire rubs, bumper bumps, tire climbs - we were on the edges of our seats! Calvin pulled it off again with a healthy lead. Two first place finishes in one afternoon. 

Calvin is modest and shows great sportsmanship. Never gloating or yelling! He just shows that shy smile, admires his trophies, accepts knuckle bumps, and glows from the inside out.

Calvin Takes First in the Boulder Classic Triple 25s!

Calvin is on FIRE! We got to the track today unaware of the change in race format for the day. The track was COLD, so handling was different too. All drivers had two practices - one counter clockwise and one clockwise. Practice was followed by individual time trials (qualifying). 

Then the racing began! The cadets and the shifter karts alternated through a total of 12 races today. Jeff Blow reported before awards that there were a total of 300 laps driven today with 100 laps run under caution.

Calvin won first place in his first two races and second place in his final race. This gave him a total of 4 points for the day...the lowest score in ALL classes...and earned him first place in the Cadet B class. 

Calvin was lucky to have a best friend with him today too to cheer him on and help him relax with some play in between races. Thanks for spending the long day with us Colby!

Short Video of Calvin in the Lead

Calvin Takes Second in a Close Race!

Calvin started out the day strong taking first place in his heat race. A young man returning to the track after a couple years' break was hot on his heels. In the feature race, Calvin had a great start pulling into the lead. He spun though in the bottom bowl turn, letting his closest opponent speed by. Calvin caught up and stayed on his tail and finished with a fast second! Way to go Calvin! "Pit-Crew Pepere" drove him to the race again today and grabbed some photos.

Calvin with Admiring Fan After the Race (4-year-old Kid Kart driver just learning)

Calvin with Pepere after the race

Calvin Takes First Place!

Today in his first race since June, being rained out both races in July, Calvin took first place in both the heat race and the main event! We're so proud of him! Eric (his dad) has been coaching him, talking through the track, visualizing the race and each corner for the last month. Yes, seat time is essential. BUT look at how powerful the mind is! Amazing boy! Photo of Calvin and his trophy coming soon.

Last Race Canceled

...but got some practice in!

Eric and Calvin made the drive to Graniteville last Sunday, July 13th in uncertain weather. They got to the track to discover the race had been canceled. The track was open however, so Calvin got some laps in - three hours worth! Calvin's favorite part of the day: Dad running the race line with him driving behind!

In the video below, Calvin goes full throttle all the way through the banked corner. Impressive!

"...he came alive today"

Calvin had a GREAT race day today! The track owner, Jeff Blow, was impressed with Calvin's improvement. As he was announcing awards he said about Calvin, "I've been watching this driver for a couple of years and he came alive today!" 

In this video, you see Calvin starting in the pole position (first), holding off the rest of the field for quite a few laps. He finished 4th today, racing against 10 to 12 year olds. He keeps beating his personal best lap times. He picked a perfect day to show his stuff. He was surprised by a special audience, his Pepere and Great-Uncle Dave.

This blog was created to chronicle our son, Calvin's, adventures in karting. Calvin is an athlete. He's played ice hockey since he was three, plays baseball and has a killer arm and races go-karts. He tells us his favorite sport is go-karting!