2009 VW Jetta TDI Cup season on Discovery Channel

January 11, 2010 - A one hour documentary detailing the 2009 VW Jetta TDI Cup season titled Racing Under Green will air Monday January 18 at 11:00 pm (PST) time on Discovery HD and then again on Tuesday January 19 at 2:00 am (PST) on the Discovery channel and also on Tuesday January 19 at 6:00 pm (PST) on the Planet Green channel.  A trailer with highlights of this documentary can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnHaIVGou8U .  This is a great opportunity to experience the drama of the racing series that Kerstin competed in this past season.

Volkswagen Announces 2009 Jetta TDI Cup Race Broadcast Schedule

Races to air on Speed-TV beginning December 6 Herndon, VA (Nov. 24, 2009) – The 2009 SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup series produced many exciting moments, culminating with Timmy Megenbier’s Championship win. Beginning December 6, race broadcasts of the country’s only professional clean diesel racing series will begin airing on Speed-TV.

During the season, the series contested 10 races on eight circuits across North America. The 2009 campaign began with a double-race weekend at VIRginia International Raceway where two series rookies took home wins and concluded with a thrilling rain-drenched finish at Road Atlanta where local driver Mark Pombo won his final race in the series. The broadcast schedule for the first seven races of the season has been announced, and the final dates will be released at a later date. Each of the races will air in an edited 30-minute broadcast. Check local cable listings for channel information and www.speedtv.com

Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup TV Broadcast Schedule* (all times Eastern):
December 6, 5 pm - VIRginia International Raceway - Race #1
December 6, 5:30 pm - VIRginia International Raceway - Race #2
December 6, 6 pm - Miller Motorsports Park - Race #3
December 6, 6:30 pm - Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course - Race #4
December 13, 5 pm - Autobahn Country Club - Race #5
December 13, 5:30 pm - Road America - Race #6
December 20, 5:30 pm - Mosport International Raceway - Race #7
* Additional broadcasts dates will be announced at a later date.

In addition to the race broadcasts, the series also expects to announce the broadcast schedule for its season documentary, “Racing Under Green,” in the coming weeks. The 60-minute documentary will air on an array of Discovery Channel outlets and takes an inside look at the series to capture the personalities behind the wheel of the equally-prepared Jetta TDI Cup racecars. Exact broadcast dates and times will be announced at a later date.

Volkswagen is currently accepting driver applications for the 2010 season at www.vwmotorsportusa.com. Potential driver candidates must be between the ages of 16 and 26 as of January 1, 2010 and hold a passport from the U.S., Canada or Mexico. In addition, drivers entering the series for the first time must not have competed in any professional racing series regardless of location. Applicants must submit their application along with a season entry fee of $45,000 by December 11, 2009 in order to be considered as a candidate. The entry fee will be fully refunded to those not chosen as a 2010 series driver.

From the driver applications, up to 125 candidates will be selected to attend the Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup final driver selection event that will be held February 7-9 in Las Vegas. This final event will determine the final 25-driver lineup for the 2010 season. The final driver selection event includes three days of professional driving instruction, autocross competition, track time in a Jetta TDI Cup car, physical fitness training, a sponsorship development workshop, marketing and media training, and Volkswagen brand familiarization.

About Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup
The SCCA Pro Racing Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup was launched in 2008 as way to introduce clean diesel technology to the U.S. market and develop the best of motorsport’s up-and-coming talent. During the season, young, up and coming drivers (between ages 16-26) compete on road courses around North America in identical factory-prepared clean diesel Jetta TDI’s. Each driver competing in the series earns a Pro Racing license from SCCA at the conclusion of the season. In addition to more than $50,000 in prize money at stake during the season, the series champion receives Volkswagen factory career advancement support with a value up to $100,000.

The Jetta TDI Cup car is powered by a 2.0-liter, 170 hp, four-cylinder TDI clean diesel engine mated to a six-speed, double-clutch, automatic DSG transmission. The car is only slightly modified from stock with Pirelli racing tires, race suspension and brake components, drivers racing safety seat, FIA roll cage and an on-board fire extinguisher system. Series sponsors include: Pirelli, Bosch, ViON, Castrol, Oakley, Red Bull, HYPERFUELS, Aggreko, defNder, Lamin-X, Meguiar’s, Sherwin-Williams, Chicagoland VW, Safety-Kleen, Ringer Gloves, Jim Russell Racing School and Trellis Earth.

Volkswagen of America, Inc.
Founded in 1955, Volkswagen of America, Inc. is headquartered in Herndon, Virginia. It is a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one of the world’s largest producers of passenger cars and Europe’s largest automaker. Volkswagen sells the Golf, New Beetle, New Beetle convertible, GTI, Jetta, Jetta SportWagen, Eos, Passat, Passat wagon, CC, Tiguan, Touareg and Routan through approximately 600 independent U.S. dealers. All 2009 Volkswagens come standard-equipped with Electronic Stabilization Program. This is important because the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has called ESC the most effective new vehicle safety technology since the safety belt. Visit Volkswagen of America online at vw.com

Road America Review
August 16th

Hello all!! 

This weekend at Road America was a lot of fun!! I will start off by saying it is my new favorite race track! The weekend started off bright and early Friday morning with a track walk around the 4.048 mile legendary race track. I knew it would be a good track for me. There are several long straight-aways making it increasingly important to have perfect exits to your corners to gain as much speed down the long straights as possible. We went out for practice, my goal was to get up to speed within a couple laps and learn as much as possible in the 30 minutes of track time we had. I was happy with the practice and after reviewing the data from the car I was confident that I would be in a good position for qualifying on Saturday morning.  After practice we had fitness evaluations, all of us drivers went on a long run together through the surround Elkhart Lake, WI area. It was a tough workout with the heat and humidity but felt good and I think it was a good bonding experience for everyone as teammates.

I was right about being able to move up. It was one of my best qualifying runs of the season and I qualified 18^th in the field of nearly 30 cars. I unfortunately would start the race from the 23^rd spot because of my 5 position penalty from the race a few weeks ago at Autobahn Country Club.

When it came to the race making up those 5 positions would prove to be no problem. I got past a couple cars on the start, and a couple more on the first lap. Dodging all the accidents and staying out of trouble on track would prove to be a key as we spent about half the race behind the pace car. I ended up finishing 18^th the official results have yet to come out so we will see where that puts me in points but it’s definitely a good feeling to have a race where my car can go back to the shop in Virginia with zero damage! So overall a good weekend and I am looking forward to making more advances toward the front of the field in 2 weeks at Mosport, outside of Toronto, ON Canada!

Be sure to join my Facebook fan page and follow me on twitter @kerstincsmutny

Thank you so much for your continued support I really appreciate it!

Kerstin 

Autobahn Country Club - Review

This weekend at Autobahn Country Club in Joliet Illinois marked the half way point in the VW Jetta TDI Cup Season. My first race back after missing the last race in Mid-Ohio due to some sponsorship things falling through.

The weekend started off bright and early Saturday morning with our track orientation, the track was new to all but one driver in the series so there was a lot to learn. The track was really fun, 21 turns, 3.5 miles long and had a couple of pretty tricky corners. Practice went well getting used to the track. I picked up quite a bit of time throughout the session. After looking at data from practice and overlaying it with a faster driver's time I was able to see some ares where I could pick up a bunch of time going into qualifying. My biggest problem was turning in too early which would be fairly easy to correct.

Qualifying came and went. I shaved a solid 3 seconds off my best time from the previous session which I was happy with, unfortunately due to a penatly from the race at Miller Motorsports Park I had to start from the 26^th position, so I had a lot of racing to do.  I got a nice solid start picking up about 3 positions before the first turn. There was a little bit of bumping around on the first lap but once everyone took their places I worked my way up to 21^st place with a few great passes. We ended up taking the checkered flag under caution when someone hit the wall in a blind corner causing a full course yellow. It’s a bummer because I think there was a couple more spots to be gained. Oh well, that’s racing as they say.

Overall it was a really fun weekend. We had an autograph session with a great turn out and its always fun to meet and talk to all the fans! I am really looking forward to our next race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, WI August 14-16!!

Be sure to follow me on twitter @kerstincsmutny and join my fan page on facebook!

Thank you for your support!! 

Kerstin

Hello All!

After a long winter of making plans for the 2009 race season, I am excited to say that I have been invited to participate in the VW Jetta TDI Cup Driver Selection at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA February 1-4. Volkswagen will narrow down the drivers each day, based on a series of tests including both on and off track activities and narrow it down to the best 30 drivers who will race in the series for the 10-race season. I am very proud to potentially be part of such a ground breaking, and professional series.

I will try to post updates on my website about my progress each day throughout the selection process.

Thank you for your support!

Kerstin

Final Two Races of the 2008 Season

September 12 th and 13 th took us to Shasta Motorsports Park in Anderson, CA. Friday afternoon we got the opportunity to test on the track. I was really quick right off the bat, it was a testament to the advances I’ve made this season as Shasta was the first track I raced the Midget at earlier this year, in March, so we had that performance to directly compare to. Obviously I made huge strides with improvements well over a second per lap.

After Friday’s very successful test day I was really looking forward to Saturday’s race. We had the car set up well by the time qualifying came around. For whatever reason in qualifying I had trouble putting down the lap we needed in the allotted 2 laps. However, the way the heats were lined up I started on the pole. After once again finding the speed I had lost in qualifying it was time to put on a good show for the race. With a field of 21 cars, the strongest turnout of the season, I was excited for the race. I started about mid-pack and when the green flag dropped started making my way toward the front of the pack, while avoiding the many tangle ups and wrecks throughout the race. Halfway through the race I was turning laps over two tenths faster than my fastest of the weekend and just barely off the leader’s times. Then when going into turn one I went for the brakes and had none. I was able to spin the car out to scrub some speed off and limit the damage as I backed into the wall, but with no brakes my race would be over and I was forced to watch the race from the infield, something every driver dreads. Later my brake rotor was found in turn four, we’re not sure what exactly the failure was but in any event “that’s racing.” As they say.

Despite the wreck in the race the whole weekend was awesome! It was great being able to see all the progress that I had made from the first race to one of the last ones of the season.

Then it was onto the last race of the WMRA Championship on September 20 th at South Sound Speedway. I sat 4 th in the standings going into the night and mathematically was trying to stay ahead of the driver in 5 th. On a very cold damp night we got a couple of practice sessions prior to qualifying where I was a little bit off of my previous times at the track, which was to be expected with such cold weather. In qualifying however when most other cars were slowing down I was able to turn my best qualifying time to date at the track. With a low car count and threatening rain, the trophy dash was cancelled and we ran just one heat and one main. I got 6 th in the heat, and started near the back of the pack in the main. I had a good start and picked up a couple positions, it was a fairly uneventful race with all 25 laps going green to checkered. I stayed ahead of the cars I needed to in points, giving me 4 th place in the overall championship standings. It was a good season for the entire team with all 3 drivers placing in the top 4.

I am overall extremely happy about the season and learned a TON. I couldn’t have asked to be running for a better team than Atkinson Racing, and without all their knowledge and support would not have accomplished near as much.

Thank you to all who followed my career this season and stay tuned for updates on my website regarding plans for next year!

Kerstin

PA and Ephrata 2008

On August 9 th we made the trek up to Vernon, B.C. for the 8 th race in the WMRA Championship. The weather was threatening all day, going from sun to rain and back again. In the end we got in two practice sessions before the race was declared “rained out”. It was disappointing because I was clearly one of the fastest cars with my teammates and I all very close in lap times. The two weeks later on August 23 rd we would find ourselves at Port Angeles Speedway for round 9 of the WMRA Championship. The very bumpy track would make for some interesting racing throughout the night. After qualifying 6 th fast, it was on to the heat race where I placed 3 rd after avoiding a close call when 2 cars got together going into turn 1 and a car flipped in front of me. The main event was shortened to 25 laps due to the condition of the track. The race went green to checkered and was a good clean race, I finished in 6 th place, I was obviously hoping for a better result but it was good solid finish and I collected some valuable points for the Championship. This past weekend was race 10 of the Championship, in Ephrata. With only two more races left in the season it was going to be very important to accumulate points in order to move up to 3 rd in the point standings. After a somewhat disappointing qualifying effort, I would start on the pole of the B trophy dash and come in 4 th. After struggling most of the night with the set up on the car I came in 6 th in my heat race, and 8 th in a main event littered with cautions. I was definitely looking to finish higher to get some points toward the “Big picture” and the Championship race. With a free weekend between now and round 11 of the WMRA series at Shasta in Anderson, CA, I will definitely be looking forward to using the last 2 races of the season to build up some points and getting a podium finish in the Championship!!

INTRODUCING – KERSTIN SMUTNY

Bothell, Washington (August 07 2008) – Kerstin Smutny might not be a household name yet but the 18-year-old from Bothell, Washington is hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow North West racing drivers, Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne, in making it into the professional ranks of North American motorsport. Currently steering the #9 Atkinson Racing entry in the 2008 Washington Midget Racing Association (WMRA) Championship, Smutny has a burgeoning open-wheel racing pedigree having already sampled the likes of Formula Renault, Star Mazda and Indy Lights equipment. In advance of her next WMRA event, Kerstin took time out from her schedule to download a few details on her career to-date and where she hopes to head as her on-track adventures progress. Q: How did you get started in motorsport? Kerstin Smutny (KS): “My Dad’s always been a huge race fan and almost from birth he’d take me to the ‘Molson Indy’ in Vancouver until it ended a couple of years back. Growing up I tried all the usual girly things like dancing and gymnastics but when I was seven we saw some Quarter Midget racing going on at a State Fair and thought it looked like fun. I subsequently ended up trying one of the Quarter Midget’s and to be honest we haven’t looked back since.”

Q: You’re currently competing in WMRA Midget’s – what led you to compete in that series? KS: “I was ultimately targeting a move into the Indy Lights Series (Indy Car’s official feeder series) this season but once we realized that probably wasn’t going to happen we started exploring some other options. I knew a few drivers who’d switched to Midget’s and thought I’d give it a go and secured my first test in January. We ended up going with a locally-based team as they were stepping up to the series and we felt it was the right path for this season.”   Q: How are things developing in your rookie year? KS: “Things are going well. When I started out it was quite a steep learning curve for me but now that I’m competitive it’s a lot of fun. I’m sitting fourth in the points right now with eight races remaining so I’m fairly pleased with the progress made this year.”   Q: You’ve also raced in open-wheel formula competition, reaching the podium in the Formula TR Pro Series. Was that a good experience and would you be keen to return to formula race cars? KS: “I think it’s a shame that the Formula TR Pro Series isn’t happening this season as I thought it was a great category to compete in. It was a really good experience for me developing my skills behind the wheel of a Formula Renault 1.6-litre race car. I really enjoy formula car racing, probably due to all the races I went to with my Dad!”   Q: Can you explain a little more about your involvement in the Lyn St James Women in the Winners Circle program? KS: “I went through the Lyn St James Driver Development program in Phoenix in 2006 and I was subsequently selected as one of the scholarship winners. My association has continued as I went back to help out with the program last November and again as recently as March. By keeping in contact with Lyn I became aware of the Women in the Winners Circle program and that then led to the opportunity to race in Portland a couple of weeks ago.”
Q: As you point out, that association led to a ride recently in the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Series in Portland. How did you get on and would you be keen to sample the series again? KS: “It was definitely a lot of fun. It was my first time racing a closed-wheel race car and I loved just how close the racing actually was out on-track. I’ve competed in Portland before so I knew the circuit and for sure I’d enjoy another opportunity to race in the MX-5 Cup Series. It was a fun weekend and I always enjoy the opportunity to race close to home.”   Q: For your age you’ve already experienced a wide variety of race cars – which stand out and why? KS: “Definitely all the formula race cars. In particular I loved testing the Star Mazda and Indy Lights cars when I sampled them in Canada at the Dunnville Autodrome. They were a lot of fun but in general, I relish any opportunity to run in open-wheel race cars.”   Q: Looking ahead, where do you see your career headed over the next few years? KS: “I really want to get back into road racing if possible. With our current budget I’m interested in the VW Jetta TDI Cup or the Mazda MX-5 Series, but I’m eagerly looking for partners to work with in order to race at the highest level possible. I’m keen to do well, raise more interest in my career then put a run together to be able to compete in something like the Indy Lights Series in the future. Ultimately I’d like to be a professional racing driver so you certainly can’t close-down any potential opportunities but I’ve always held the IndyCar Series as a long term goal.”   Q: How do you fill your spare time when you’re not busy testing or racing? KS: “I enjoy working out at the gym with my trainer and I’m also concentrating on going to community college in the Fall. It’s hard to study full-time when you’re working on a racing career so this way I’ll be able to work at my own pace and combine my studies with my on-track activities.”   Q: The North West has produced several famous racing names, including the likes of NASCAR stars Greg Biffle and Kasey Kahne. Do you have a favorite and have you had the chance to work with any leading names? KS: “Well if I had to pick a favorite I’d probably say Kasey Kahne. I know he’s been pretty active in the community and at some of the local dirt track ovals but I’m not necessarily a huge NASCAR fan. I haven’t had the chance to work with any big names yet but obviously that’s something I’m hoping to address as I build my own career.” Kerstin returns to WMRA Midget action with Round 8 hosted at the Sun Valley Speedway in Vernon, British Columbia on Saturday 9 th August 2008 – www.wmraracing.com ENDS – www.kerstinsmutnyracing.com Photo Credit – ‘Kerstin Smutny in WMRA action piloting the #9 Atkinson Racing entry’ – Kerstin Smutny Racing For further information and interview requests please contact Stuart Morrison Public Relations: Tel: +1 514 684 3253 / Cell: +1 514 945 3253 / Email: stuart@sm-pr.com

Mazda MX-5 Cup Race Portland I made my return to road racing this past weekend at the Mazda Grand Prix of Portland, in the Playboy MX-5 Cup series. The Opportunity was given to me through Mazda and Lyn St. James’ Women in the Winners Circle Foundation, and a great opportunity it was!

The first practice session started out a little rough, trying to master the skill of heel-toe downshifting, as I have only ever driven race cars with a sequential gearbox. However, after taking a car to the streets for a little heel-toe practice, I picked up 10 seconds in the second practice session! Throughout the rest of Thursday and Friday’s practice sessions I continued to find more speed and get more comfortable with the car. This was also my first race in any kind of closed wheel car so it was quite a change of pace.

My goal for qualifying was to end up somewhere in the middle of the very competitive 27 car pack. I ended up in 21st for qualifying. I was hoping to do a little better, however we had some small handling issues with the car. So I knew once we got those fixed I could easily be right in the thick of things.

Sunday came and after doing a number of Interviews in the morning I was ready to race! Starting from the 21st spot, I had an excellent start moving up several positions before the first turn. I made it up to about 12th when I had a spin going into the first turn. I just got into the corner a little fast and looped the car around. Once I got going again I picked up a few of the positions I had lost. It was a great weekend!

I made some good connections and had a lot of fun driving the MX-5 Cup cars. I want to thank Mazda and The Women in the Winners Circle Foundation for making it possible!

My next race will be in the Midget, in Vernon, B.C. on August 9th for round 8 of the WMRA Championship.

4th place finish at South Sound!!

Saturday June 28th took us again to South Sound Speedway for round 5 of the WMRA series. The night started out with a little bit of struggle in practice with the engine but we quickly got things sorted out I time to qualify. I had my best qualifying effort so far this season, about 3/10ths faster than my previous times at the track. I started 6th I finished in the same place I started but it was a great race because I knew I had a car that would be very competitive in the main event.

I started from the 3 spot in the main event. I took off at the start and tried passing on the bottom, we ended up having a restart and I tried the same move as we we’re several cars wide. We all made it through turn 1 and sorted out. There was a lot of passing and dicing all throughout the race, as well as a few yellows to mix things up. We ended up with about a 5 lap dash to the finish, I was knocking on the door of 3rd place for while but couldn’t quite pull it off.

Overall it was a great with the highest finish I have had this season coming in 4th. So I am very happy with the way things went, as we had a lot of good momentum coming from Ephrata two weeks ago.
We return to South Sound in two weeks on Jul y 12th for round 6 of the series, and definitely look forward to good things!

Kerstin to participate in the Playboy Mazda MX5 Cup June 25, 2008 - Kerstin will be returning to road course racing on July 26th and 27th at Portland International Raceway where she will compete in the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup. This SCCA sanctioned race series is made up of similarly prepared production based Mazda MX-5 roadsters.Kerstin was invited to participate at this event through her involvement with Lyn St. James Women in the Winners Circle program.

Having previously raced at Portland International Raceway when she competed in the Formula TR Pro Series Kerstin is very much looking forward to returning to this exciting venue.

June 16 - Ephrata - Round 4Hello all!

Saturday June 14th took us to Ephrata Raceway in Ephrata, WA for round 4 of the WMRA series and would prove to be a break out weekend for myself. We got some time to practice on the Friday before the race which proved to be valuable as I adjusted to the unique track very quickly.By the time practice for the event started on Saturday afternoon I was already very comfortable with my set up and the track. All throughout practice I was running competitive times. I had the best qualifying effort of the season so far. I qualified 7thwhich was a good solid mid pack position. I started 3rd in the B trophy dash and finished 4th. I finished a close 5th in the heat, which due to the invert process would put me on the outside pole for the start of the main. This was exciting because I knew with how competitive we had been all night that it would be a good race. Then, due to the pole sitter electing to start at the back of the race I moved down into pole position! I took off like a bullet at the start of the race and opened up quite a gap on the rest of the pack. I lead several laps that way when the pack started getting closer and I ended up battling for 5th place and finished the race in 7th. This was one of the best and most exhilarating races in a long time. The race went green to checkered and the action never stopped! We will return to South Sound Speedway on June 28th for round 5 of the WMRA series. Thank you for your continuing support! Kerstin
WMRA #3 South Sound. June 4th, 2008 - May 31st brought us back to South Sound Speedway for the 3rd race of the WMRA season. The evening had its ups and downs. I started out strong in practice being one of the faster cars however, in the last practice sessions we started having problems, the engine was sputtering and we couldn’t figure out why.
Before qualifying the team looked at the engine and made a few changes that we all hoped would solve the problem. When I went out to qualify the engine was doing the same thing, and was greatly affecting my speed down the straightaway. So I came in and we looked at some more things that could be going wrong. We changed all the spark plugs before the trophy dash hoping that would do the trick. It held off for a couple laps but the problems started in again at the end of the dash. We would continue to have the same problem in the heat race where I started from outside pole position. Thankfully, we go the problem solved for the main event.

I am really proud of the way the main went. I got 8th and it was very close race the whole time in the heat of the battle for 6th 7th and 8th place. I continue to learn a lot at each race, and am very proud of the team for all their hard work and I look forward to good results at the next race in Ephrata, WA on June 14th.WMRA Race #2 South Sound.
May 5th, 2008 - This weekend’s race at South Sound Speedway went really well. We got 2 practice sessions where I turned laps not too far off the leaders and the fastest laps that I have run at South Sound to date.

We went the wrong way on some adjustments after practice, I ended up qualifying 9th which I knew could have been better, but it worked to my advantage because I got to start on the pole for the heat race. The 10 lap heat was full of collisions, however I managed to come in 8th.

By race time we had everything sorted out with the car, and I was confident that we had a very competitive race car. I could tell in hot laps that it was going to be a great race. The race went flag to flag and I was in the mix of things the whole time. I ended up 8th which I was really proud of.

I would definitely consider this to be one of the best races I have had so far this season. Everyone at Atkinson Racing is great to work with and I know there are great things to come!

The next race will be back at South Sound speedway on May 31st after brief hiatus for the WMRA series.
Thank you for your support!
Top ten finish at USAC Western States RaceApril 19th was my first USAC race. We went down to the Altamont Motorsports Park in Tracy, CA. Going into the race I was both excited and a little nervous. I knew there would be a lot of competition at the USAC level and Altamont is by far the longest and fastest oval I’ve raced on, a ½ mile track.

I went out for the practice session and was not too far off the pace, so I felt good going into qualifying. I qualified the car 19th, which was a little disappointing but I knew there were some things we could do to the car, as well as places on the track where some time could be picked up. In the heat race was where I got the real idea of the kind of competition there would be at this level. Regardless, I stepped up to the challenge and stayed close to the pack with a 7th place finish. In the main I started 19th and as the race wore on, I was able to pick up positions by avoiding the carnage to record a 10th place finish overall. A pretty impressive finish.

We have a weekend off, then we go back to South Sound Speedway for race two of the WMRA Series. I am excited to return to South Sound with all the new knowledge I’ve gained on a faster track. I look forward to putting on a great performance May 3rd.
South Sound Race #1 Review:
April 12th 2008

The first race of the Washington Midget Racing Association (WMRA) season was April 12th at South Sound Speedway in Rochester, WA. It was my second race in the Midget.

The day went really well. In practice we were running times not far off of the previous year’s champion. I was able to apply a lot of information that I learned from the previous race at Shasta Speedway. I qualified the car 8th, and with the cancellation of the trophy dashes due to program time constraints we went straight into the heat races where I finished a close 4th.

In the main I had to start at the back of the lineup because I am a rookie to the Midget racing. Regardless of having to start behind I was able to pick up a few positions to finish 6th in the main event. I am excited that we could get a good jump on the points for the season and contend for the Rookie of the Year title.
It was a productive race weekend and I continue to learn more about the car as I gain valuable experience. Next weekend I race at Altamont Motorsports Park, in Tracy, CA.
Shasta Raceway Race ReportMarch 29th, 2008 - This past weekend was more than just the first race of the season. It marked my first Midget race and return to oval racing, after a two seasons of road racing. I was very excited leading up to the weekend. We had done a few days of testing in the Midget so I was comfortable with the car and it’s nearly 400 horsepower, but still was not sure what to expect of the competition.

Saturday afternoon’s three practice sessions proved promising. Finally I got some time on the track with traffic around me and it went well. In qualifying, I was slightly slower than practice as the temperature and dropped and tires were very cold with little time to get them up to temperature. Then it was time for the heat race, I had to start at the back because I am a rookie to the series. When the checkered flag dropped to end the 8 lap race I ended up 5th. The feature was next. I again started at the back (The whole rookie thing.) Not a big deal though as the main is a longer race with 35 laps. I started picking up positions as a result of attrition from all the yellows and one red flag. Unfortunately toward the end of the race I fell victim to the carnage, when a car spun in front of me, and I had nowhere to go. There was not a lot of damage but enough to end the night for me.

The race didn’t end as well as I would have hoped but I now have that “first race” out of the way, and I learned a lot of things that I know I will put to good use in the races to come. I am excited to be racing with Atkinson Racing. There is so much knowledge and experience on the team and it is a pleasure to work with such a first rate organization.

Kerstin to race midgets in ‘08