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 4

Hello 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 Race

April 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 Report

March 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

March 3rd, 2008 - Kerstin Smutny Racing announced today that Kerstin will be racing midgets in 2008 with Atkinson Racing out of Kirkland Washington. Atkinson Racing will field two cars in the Western Midget Racing Association (WMRA) regional series. The WMRA series consists of 12 events at tracks in Washington, California and British Columbia Canada. In addition Kerstin and her teammate Mark Atkinson will also run in select United States Auto Club (USAC) events at various venues during their 2008 campaign.

Midget racecars run on oval tracks anywhere in size from ¼ mile to 1 mile in length. At 900 pounds and powered by engines pumping out better than 350 horse power midget racing offers an incredible power to weight ratio and is an excellent form of racing for young drivers to hone their skills as they move up the racing ladder.

Kerstin to test USAC Midget

January 17, 2008 - Kerstin Smutny will be testing a USAC Midget racecar with Cunningham Motorsports on January 25th at Lanier Speedway near Atlanta Georgia. This Midget test could mark a return to oval type racing for Kerstin in 2008. It was only after many years of success in racing on ovals with Quarter Midgets that Kerstin became involved in karting and eventually formula type racing where drivers compete on road courses. Most recently, in 2006 and 2007 Kerstin competed in the West Coast Formula TR series.

An Attitude of Success

December 23, 2007 - BOTHELL, Wash. - Following the track of the first female Indy Racing League Rookie of the Year, Lyn St. James, Bothell, Washington's Kerstin Smutny is learning that success on the race track starts inside herself. The 17-year-old recently participated as a team leader in the first of four training weekends in St. James' 2008 Women in the Winner's Circle Driver Development Program in Tempe, Ariz. where she focused on the physical and mental preparation required to be a champion driver.

Lyn St James Driver Development Program 2007-2008

Kerstin will return to Phoenix for the Lyn St James Driver Development Program November 17-18. This year not as a participant, but as a team leader for the program. The driver development program is designed to teach young women the tools to be successful in motorsports.
In December 2006, Kerstin was invited to participate in the Driver Development Program where she won the 2006 Women’s Sports Foundation Scholarship. She was asked to come back and assist with this year’s program. “I am excited to help out with this year’s driver development program. I think it’s a great opportunity for young women to make valuable connections and learn about the tools needed for a successful career in motorsports” commented Smutny.