2/25/2009
Kaley Gharst
Kaley Gharst – Two Top Tens Set Up Shootout!
2/25/2009 - Kaley Gharst jumped into a new car to lodge two top tens in Western Australia’s “King of Wings” held at the Perth Motorplex. The finishes came despite some setbacks mechanically and luck-wise. This weekend, Kaley will tackle the “Krikke Boys Shootout” at the Bunbury City Speedway commencing this Saturday and Sunday.
Kaley, piloting the Steve Duggan #41 Maxim, qualified 14th in Friday’s “King of Wings” field. “That was o.k. for being out of a sprint car for five months,” says Kaley. “We decided not to practice during the week. We didn’t want to tear the car up before we even raced, and I think it was a good decision.”
The qualifying effort lined Kaley up inside row two for his heat. “We got a good start there and tucked in behind (Luch) Monte,” he says. “We ran him down, and I made a bid for the lead, but unfortunately, the yellow came out. I couldn’t get back underneath him after we restarted.”
After finishing fourth in the dash, Kaley lined up inside row four for the preliminary feature. “The cushion was against the wall, and we had a bar package that was way too tight for the track,” he relates. “It seemed like we were being passed by someone every lap, but somehow we came out the other end in ninth.”
Saturday brought several changes to the machine sponsored by Steve and Karenna Duggan, Cowara Contractors, RJ Vincent, Spencer Motors, Skipper Trucks, Perkins Builders, Big Lift Cranes and Mason Signs. “We changed the bar and shock package to try and get the car better, and it really felt good in practice,” says Kaley. “We lined up third in the heat race, but some mayhem started on the outside (between Darryl Clayden and Jack Dover) resulting in a car (Clayden’s) heading straight for the infield. That collected me on the bottom and sidelined us for the heat.”
Kaley scraped in through the B main. “We started outside row one, but the car was soft on the right rear again,” he says. “We managed to grab fourth and the final transfer.”
The 20 year old driver was poised for a charge, starting 24th in the finale. “We worked quite a bit on the car to get it better,” says the native of Decatur, Illinois. “We headed to the cushion and the car felt great. We were storming through there pretty good after that. We managed to pass Reidy for 10th coming out of turn four at the checkers, so I think we have the car pretty close to where it needs to be.”
Kaley is excited about his machine heading into the “Krikkie Boys Shootout”. “I feel like we have a good car for this weekend,” he says. “I just need to do my job, and hopefully, we can get a win before I head back to the States!”
Back in the States, Randy Plath is preparing his #14P for a run with the Sprint Invaders. Kaley will be behind the wheel, seeking his second championship with the series. In 2007, Kaley dominated the series with seven wins. The Sprint Invaders first race will commence on Friday, April 3 at the Morgan County Speedway in Jacksonville, Illinois.
Keep an eye on Kaley's progress this week and beyond at www.KaleyGharst.com!
If you would like to receive Kaley's weekly releases, send an e-mail with the subject line "Kaley" to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net.
Bill Wright
Bill W Media
Monroe, IAUSA
sprntcar@iowatelecom.net
