2009 GSKA Vintage Kart
Winter Nationals
Lamar County Raceway
Barnesville, Georgia

  God blessed us with beautiful weather the entire week leading up and including the March 20^th & 21^st (3^rd annual) Vintage Winter Nationals presented by the Georgia Sprint Karting Association. We had a record attendance with (48) entries and over 65 karts at the track Friday and Saturday. A big “thank you” goes to many of our GSKA members and even a few early arriving vintage karters who worked to get the historic track & grounds in clean and good shape for this event.

   Friday was planned to be a practice only day but after several requests we obtained consensus from virtually all in attendance to run an additional heat demonstration Friday afternoon. After the heat demo, we still had time for another round of practice. At 5:30 we concluded the practice session and proceeded to enjoy the delicious BBQ meal (65 meals served) that the GSKA & Lamar County Firehouse Café provided to all entrants. The Firehouse Café also provided excellent sandwiches and concessions both days of the event. After the meal we had a time of reminiscing and story telling. You’ll have to ask Pearle & Barb Gamble about their story on their way home from Quincy.

  Saturday’s events started with the Kart Show on the front straight at 9:00 a.m. Our esteemed judges were Dan Klutz, Junior Neal, and Dan Lotz and did a great job. We then had a two-hour practice session, Lunch, and a 20-minute drivers meeting. Safety was the main topic of the meeting along with slow parade laps and slow starts. We started the 2^nd round of heat demonstrations about 1:00 p.m. and were finished with the feature demonstrations by 4:30. We then started the awards presentation, which was enjoyed by all. Bob Lefferdo (our current GSKA president) fabricated and presented a half a dozen twisted sprocket awards and presented these to the appropriate vintage karters based on the various happening over the weekend. Dr Chip Bering received the coveted twisted sprocket award after losing a right rear wheel and making another half a lap riding on the sprocket. We were able to raise $290 in the 50/50 raffle of which $145.00 went to the winner Rick Chapman and the remaining $145 was sent to the VKA. We also signed three new VKA members and renewed two memberships at this event.

The Kart show winners and each classes finishing order of the feature event are listed below for each of the classes that run on Saturday:

Kart Show

 Original Unrestored: Red 1967 Margay New Breed with Mac101 (#98)
                   Owner: John Berkey

 Restored Modified: Margay with duel BM130’s (# Doc G)
                 Owner: John Griffin

Original Restored: Dart A Bone with twin Power Products
               Owner: Ralph Fenwick

People’s Choice: Black Dart Super K with twin Power Products
               Owner: Roy Fenwick

Feature Demonstrations

Junior Sportsman: 1. Skyler Morrall

• Trevor Armstrong
• Kelsey Barnett (DNS)

• Senior Sportsman: 1. Pearle Gamble

• 2. Steve Seewer
• 3. Ralph Fenwick
• Mervin Fenwick
• Roy Fenwick
• Jimmy Gay
• Roger Fenwick
• Mike Morrall
• Charles Bering
• Dan Flanders (DNS)

Single Rear < 6.1: 1. Pearle Gamble

• 2. Mike Morrall Jr.
• Ryan Berkey
• Roger Fenwick
• Roy Fenwick
• Steve Seewer
• Mervin Fenwick (DNS)
• Single Sidewinder > 6.1: 1. John Griffin
• Jeff Barnett
• Terry Schmitz
• Junior Neal (DNS)
• Single Am. Sidewinder < 6.1: 1. Butch Kavanagh
• Frank Hughs
• Bob Barthelemy
• Najera Gustavo
• Single For. Sidewinder < 6.1: 1. Brian Carr
•    2. Terence Armstrong

Single Rear > 6.1: 1. Roy Fenwick

• Mike Branham
• Cody King
• Billy Dalton
• Roger Fenwick
• David King
• Ernest Shores
• Ryan Berkey
• Charles Bering
• Steve Seewer (DNS)
• Duel Am. Sidewinder: 1. Ken Grissom
• Duel Rear American: 1. Mervin Fenwick
• Roy Fenwick
• Dicky Wilson (DNS)
• Robert Hartman (DNS)
• Mike Lotz (DNS)
• Duel Open. Sidewinder: 1.  John Griffin
• Jimmy Gay

• We look forward to an even bigger and better 2010 at the 4^th annual Vintage kart Winter Nationals at Lamar County Raceway, Barnesville, Georgia.

Thank you,
Bob Barthelemy

GSKA Vintage Race Coordinator