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TNT Kartways Vintage Olympics

TNT Kartways Vintage Olympics

by Jim Kammueller

Congratulations to TNT Kartways in Taylor, Missouri for celebrating their 60th anniversary this year.  Also a big thank you to track staff for hosting VKA races  (August 5th, 6th and 7th) on its new state-of-the-art racing surface laid down in late 2020. 

Thursday was an open practice day with the driving events beginning after lunch due to some rain delays earlier in the morning.  There were 84 entries with 18 VKA classes represented.  Heat #1 ran on Friday followed by a kart show and a fish fry.

Saturday morning practice was followed by Heat #2 and a tribute to the late Faye “Ladybug” Pierson.  Track owner Terry Traeder began the tribute by reading an article on Faye that summarized her life in Bug kart manufacturing and racing.  Local kart racer Avery Scott closed the memorial service by driving two laps around the TNT track in my 1962 Bug Fly reproduction kart built by Steve Welte. The 3rd and final heat and the awards ceremony followed.  

Saturday was a “warm” day with the air temperature at 90 degrees.  A big thank you to Jeff Miles and staff for all of their hard work, and to Christy Miller who provided the racing photos for this write-up. 

 
Kart show. L to R front row: Donnie Cain, Tom Brabant, Shawn Welte, John Wall Jr., Ludovico Prelogar. L to R rear: Jason Kenney, Cameron Stock, Cody Brookman.

SASW racing action. #113 Tom Day, #632 Gene Lang and #47 Ron Brookman.
Combined Yamaha Limited and Piston Port Heavy racing action.

Yamaha Piston Port action.* TNT
Yamaha Masters racing action. #4 Marty Weston, #9 Denny Scott and #23 David Drewes.
100 CC Classic, Reggie Rowsey, #71.
100 CC Classic, Steve Wager # 74.
Dual Sidewinder/Dual Yamaha/150cc Sidewinder. #15 Ben Hamilton, #17 Daniel Birge and #00 Rodney Fish.
Yamaha Piston Port Light. #23 Peter Vetter, #67 Jerry Fondrey and #3 Ron Funkhouser.
100 CC Sidewinder. Dean Didion #3, Jerry Foundry # 67, Ludovico Prelogar #00 and Jim Rowe # 75.
Yamaha Masters including #59 Lorenzo Dibacco, #23 David Drewes, # 75 Jim Rowe and #4 Marty Weston.
Start of West Bend Sidewinder race. At left Randy Duncaff #68 and Kevin Rice. At right Tom day #113, John Konkle, Steve Welte and Cal Stafford.
Start of combined Yamaha Piston Port Heavy and Limited race. Matt Roberts #4 and Ron Funkhouser #3 in front.
Start of heat 1 Sportsman Sidewinder race. L to R are David Lovell # 23, Dean Didion # 62, Nick Kammueller # 117, Stuart Keller # 41, and Kevin Rice #7. In back are Bill McCornack # 6 and Jim Kammueller #04.
Combined Sportsman rear, 80 CC MAC and Junior Race. Miles Frost and Vince Arconati.
Combined Sportsman rear, 80 CC MAC, and Junior race. Jim Kammueller # 04, Rick Magnuson # 77, Shawn Welte # 6, Vince Arconati # 7, Tom Brabant # 49 and Ralph Potter # 20.
The 4 cycle karts of the Hamilton and Vandermaiden families. Nathan Hamilton #55, Ben Hamilton # 85, Taylor Vandermaiden #V4 and Richard Vandermaiden # 22.
Combined SASW and Over 60 Race. L to R front are Ludovico Prelogar, Tom Day and Ron Brookman.