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Kaley Gharst – Two Top Tens Set Up Shootout!
by: Bill Wright
DECATUR, ILL (Feb. 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 .
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