9/1/2014
Key Continues Strong Runs, Makes WAR Series Debut
(Photo by Hale Photography)
WARRENSBURG, Mo. – Labor Day Weekend saw both the finesse of a seasoned veteran and the promise of a future star from Warrensburg, MO native Kameron Key. He took to the track Saturday night at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex in his family-owned #21 Stallard/Yamaha 600cc nonwing entry and the Waters Motorsports #7jr Stallard/NPS Suzuki 600cc outlaw entry, as well as on Sunday night with the WAR series at Central Missouri Speedway in Warrensburg, MO in Terry Walton’s #93 JEI/Walton 360ci nonwing entry.
For the second week in a row at Sweet Springs, Key would start tail of his nonwing heat and move to the front. He started in the ninth and final spot and moved to second in the second of three heat races. He would start up front in outlaw heat number three of four, moving from the outside of the front row to the lead, and never looked back on his way to the heat race win.
Lineup via point average put the frequent frontrunner in the fourteenth starting position for the nonwing feature, and as usual, Key put his right foot down as soon as the green flag flew and started his charge to the front of the field. Coming under the crossed flags signifying that the 30-lap event was half over, he cracked the top five, going slider for slider with two other competitors on the way to the front. When the trio reached the leader with approximately five laps remaining, they also reached slower traffic for the first time. Now the four cars would do battle through the lapped cars, with a new leader emerging with three to go, but a blown water hose would surrender the lead back to the original leader. Key capitalized the next lap, capturing the top spot, but only for a moment. He would find himself in third as the white flag was displayed, too far back to make a move, and would finish in the third spot. Key would later say that he thought there were still a few more laps left than there actually were. “I would’ve raced harder there at the end if I would’ve known how many laps were left,” he added, admitting his small, but costly mistake.
Key looked to redeem himself in the outlaw feature. He was to start sixth in the 30-lapper, but a red flag on the start involving the outside polesitter moved him to the fourth spot for the restart. By lap 5, the tenth-place starter, former SSMC outlaw class champion and defending POWRi champion Nathan Benson had quickly moved up to the lead, with Key finding himself in third at that juncture. The running order at the front of the field would stay much the same for the next ten laps, albeit with the leader pulling away. Then, at the halfway point, Key made his move for second, and began to reel in the leader in painfully slow fashion. The track was extremely slick, but he rose to the challenge and remained, for the most part, smooth and consistent. The drive through lapped traffic helped Key pick up more ground, and eventually helped him catch the leader with three to go. He stayed patient and waited for his opponent to make a mistake large enough to capitalize on, but that mistake never came. Into turn three on the last lap, slight contact was made between the pair while they were nose to tail, but in the end, Key wound up second to his friendly rival Benson.
Hopeful to carry over the success from Saturday to Sunday, Key suited up at Central Missouri Speedway to compete against 28 other drivers, ready for his first laps in a wingless sprint car. The track was still quite greasy in hot laps, not allowing the drivers to get a feel for the car. This was especially detrimental to Key, whose first laps on a quality track would come in qualifying. He was the fifth car to time in, and was 22nd on the charts after all cars had made their laps around the 3/8 mile, which had already blown much of the moisture off and began to get dry-slick.
The full invert from qualifying to heat races put Key on the outside pole of heat two. On the start, he quickly fell in behind the polesitter on the bottom. Keeping the left side tires close to the infield tractor tires was the preferred line, and Key did just that. The leader would slide up every corner on entry, letting him peek through the gap, only to nab the lead back on exit. Key would finish in the second spot.
After the qualifying and heat race point totals were calculated, Key was again on the outside of the front row, this time for the B-feature. With a top four finish required to transfer to the main event, he attempted to get to the low side of the speedway on the start, but allowed one car to get by before he could do so. Ironically, that was the same driver he battled for the lead with in his heat race. The duo would then race each other for second place in oddly similar fashion to their heat race encounter. Key stuck his nose under whenever he got the opportunity, but could never make quite make the pass. Wisely, he settled for third, transferring to the feature in his WAR debut.
Before the night’s feature race could get underway, the skies opened up and unleashed a torrential downpour. The races were rained out for the evening, with the makeup date being set for Saturday, September 13th, but that appears to be subject to change. Key will still be set to start 19th, but could move forward in the starting lineup in the event that some teams are unable to return for the makeup.
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 6 in Sweet Springs, MO in his family's #21 600cc nonwing entry and the #7jr Waters Motorsports 600cc outlaw entry.
Quick Results
August 30 – Sweet Springs, MO – 600cc Nonwing – Heat: 2 (9); Feature: 3 (14)
August 30 – Sweet Springs, MO – 600cc Outlaw – Heat: 1 (2); Feature: 2 (6)
August 31 – Warrensburg, MO – 360ci Nonwing – Qualifying: 22; Heat: 2 (2); B-Feature: 3 (2); Feature: (TBD)
Season Stats
28 races, 7 wins, 14 top fives, 17 top tens, 9 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
