9/8/2014
Key Collects Another Podium Finish
(Photo by Hale Photography)
SWEET SPRINGS, Mo. – Though the season is beginning to wind down at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex, the action is still fierce as ever, seeing lengthy battles for the lead in nearly every class. Warrensburg, MO native Kameron Key left his mark on the night, finding himself further back in the starting lineup than he has been most of this season in both the nonwing class, driving his family-owned #21 Stallard/Yamaha, and the outlaw class, driving the Waters Motorsports #7jr Stallard/NPS Suzuki. He was set to do battle with 25 and 29 other cars in the nonwing and outlaw classes, respectively.
Key had two strong heat race runs, starting third and winning nonwing heat number three, and starting fifth and finishing second in outlaw heat number two.
The full invert placed Key deep in the field of the nonwing feature, on the outside of row number ten. The red flag waved on the initial start of the race, and after the field was realigned, he moved up two rows to the 16th position. It only took him four laps after the restart to move into the top ten, but the next cars would prove harder to pass. On lap nine, Key drove by the ninth place car, but it would be four more laps until he could gain another position, because as he made the pass for eighth, the 22nd starter made his way by Key. A lap 16 caution shored the field back up, allowing him to make quick work of two cars, then moving into fifth on lap 20. All five cars in the front put on a stellar show the final ten laps, with Key using the top side of the speedway to charge into the second position with two laps to go, albeit with the leader nearly a straightaway ahead. He would settle in and bring the #21 home in the runner-up spot.
Moving into the outlaw car, the outlook from the beginning of the main event was a little better, as Key started in the twelfth spot. He picked off one car on the opening lap before the caution flew with one lap complete. With the car causing the yellow going to the tail, Key restarted tenth, with 29 laps remaining. He fell back to eleventh, and the yellow light came back on four laps into the race. The next restart went much better for Key, picking up three spots in one lap before the yellow flew once again. From the eighth position on the restart, his ride began to fade, getting tighter and tighter with each lap. He did his best to corral the car and pick up a solid finish, but it was not to be. The race from lap five onward went without incident, going green the rest of the way. Key would fall to ninth on that restart, and then to tenth a couple laps later. He ran in the tenth spot for the next ten laps, losing the position on lap 19. He fell into a torrid battle for the eleventh position for several laps, before succumbing. The brake pedal had been getting softer since the halfway point of the race, finally falling to the floor with three to go. Not wanting to risk wrecking the car in the heavy traffic he found himself in, he pulled to the infield at the completion of lap 28, two laps before the checkered was to wave. He was scored in the 18th position.
Key would like to thank Bybee Lawn Care for their continued support with his family’s #21 car.
Key is next scheduled to compete on September 12 at Valley Speedway in Grain Valley, MO in the #93 360ci nonwing sprint car, and on September 13 in Knoxville, IA, for English Creek Speedway’s “Micro Short Track Nationals,” in the #7jr Waters Motorsports 600cc outlaw micro sprint.
Quick Results
September 6 – Sweet Springs, MO – 600cc Nonwing – Heat: 1 (3); Feature: 2 (20)
September 6 – Sweet Springs, MO – 600cc Outlaw – Heat: 2 (5); Feature: 18 (12)
Season Stats
30 races, 7 wins, 15 top fives, 18 top tens, 10 DNFs
Social Media
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kameronkey_21
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kameron.key.9
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/kameronkey_21
Article Credit: Redbeard Promotions
