By Greg Spotts
Photos Phil Sedgwick
  The Momo Grand Prix
Report from the Kart race featuring CART drivers

rock'n'roll

Momo Grand Prix Part One: "They can drive a 500 mile race,but after ten laps in a Kart, they are toast."

"To make a Kart handle, you have to bear in mind that we don’t have suspension to speak of. In a car when you jump on the brakes or let off the throttle there is a weight transfer forward. We don’t have a lot of that here, there still is some, but not a lot. So to help put weight forward to get the car to turn in, we stiff-arm, where you lock your arm in and push down on the steering wheel, it helps plant the front of the Kart down and helps you turn in better. Not keeping your arms in close to your body where they are real noodly, but putting them out there where they are stiff and you’re using your shoulder to get leverage for pushing right down on the axis of the steering column. If you’re experiencing an entry push, stiff-arm driving helps plant the front end down. It also helps you be smooth. These cars have a tremendous amount of grip and there’s no rack and pinion steering to absorb any of that, it’s direct steering, so your arms and body are taking all the impact. You run over a cigarette butt and you feel it in your arms. We’ve had Winston Cup drivers come out and drive these and go ten laps, and they can barely get out of the car. They can run a 500 mile race, but they get in these and after ten laps they are toast. They are used to a very large steering wheel that is effortless to rotate."

Paige Adler, 17 year-old entrant in 125cc Pro class.
"My Dream is to be the first woman to win the Indy 500."

Vital tips indeed from Alan Rudolph, 1998 National Champion in 125cc Pro Class and chief instructor at the Bodourant Superkart School. Karts are deceptively simple little machines, weighing just 200 pounds without driver or fuel. The only suspension is the tubular frame itself, so the driver acts as a damper between the seat mounting on the rear of the tubular frame and the steering column base mounted on the front of the frame. According to Rudolph, certain Karts can accelerate from 0-60 mph in under four seconds, 0-100 in about six, and can brake from 100-0 in about five seconds. On an especially grippy track they can pull close to three lateral g’s. Drivers are forced to use their left foot on the brake, because the steering column is mounted between the gas pedal on the right and the brake pedal on the left.

There are more than a dozen classes of Karts with different engine specifications. The top Karters drive in 125cc pro, which is a Shifter-Kart. The gearbox on a Shifter-Kart is a sequential one just like the Champcars. No clutch is needed for on-the-fly shifting, but you use the steering-wheel mounted clutch lever for the F1-style standing start that is one of the hallmarks of a Shifter-Kart race.

Momo Grand Prix Part Two: Gracious Celebrities, a Grouchy Has-Been, and Not Enough Horsepower

There were twelve entrants in the Momo Grand Prix Celebrity Race. The best-known racers were past, present, and future Champcar drivers Richie Hearn, Alex Barron, Robbie Gordon, and Roberto Guerrero. Two actors, Sean Patrick Flanery (who played lead in the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles and starred in the film Powder) and Alfonso Ribero (who played the preppy Carlton on the Fresh Prince of Bel Air) were entered in both the celebrity race and the 125 Pro race. Both actors are avid Karters, and their 125 Pro entries were fielded by JM Racing, the factory team for chassis manufacturer Tony Kart. Flanery is currently ranked 10th in the nation by Shifter Kart Illustrated.

one more question...
The entry-list for the celebrity race was rounded out by skateboarder Sean Palmer, IMSA ex-champion Steve Millen, and a few others, including a very tall man on crutches who refused toidentify himself to your SpeedCenter Reporter:


overhead richie's ride
 

Not Greg Moore
 

Fast Female
 
What’s your name and what brings you here?

Elvis Presley.

Back from the dead?

Back from the dead. I’ve been vacationing in Kalamazoo. Got some time off at the minimart, so I thought I’d bomb on out here, do a little go-carting, and see how it goes.

OK, let’s try again. What’s your real name?

If you don’t know, then I’m not a celebrity.

I only cover Champcars, so I don’t know all the other people.

You don’t?

I can give you some coverage if you tell me who you are.

That’s cool. I’m alright.

You don’t want to tell me.

I’d rather not.

Other entrants were more friendly (see our extensive interviews with Richie Hearn and Alex Barron that are available on SpeedCenter.) Roberto Guerrero wore a big smile as he prepared to go Karting for the first time in quite a while.


pony tail
 

up to no good
 

Richie is ready
 

winner
 
What brings you here today?

I live in San Juan Capistrano, just 15 minutes down the road. I haven’t driven a Cart for 22 years.

What made you decide to come out here today?

Oh, they invited me, and it sounded like fun.

What are you doing these days?

Well, I’m supposed to be driving for Cobb Racing in the IRL, but they kind of ran out of money, so we’re just standing by, not much right now.

Are you interested in getting back into CART at some point?

I would love to, yeah.

How many races did you run this year in the IRL?

Just three.

How did you do in those three?

Not very well, I don’t think we finished any of them, we had engine problems in all of them.

Have you been impressed with Juan Montoya this year?

Oh, unbelievable, yeah he is amazing. He is a good friend of my family. My youngest brother grew up racing with him in Colombia.

There must have been a time when you were the most popular man in Colombia?

Yeah, not anymore, but for a while it was like that.

Is that happening for Montoya now?

Oh absolutely, he could be president if he wanted to.

So just in eight months the whole country has gone crazy over him?

That’s right. And he deserves it. He’s done an unbelievable job.

Did you have an idea of how good he was before this year?

Yes, I knew that he had done really well in Europe, and I thought he would do really well in Cart. But to be honest with you I didn’t think he would do as well as he did so quickly, especially with the ovals. It’s just amazing, it’s unbelievable, there really are no other words for him.

Who’s the man to beat today?

[A beaming Alfonso Ribero interjects:]Either Richie or Alex. Those guys they weigh about 120 pounds, in these things they’re light as hell, and they’ve been racing them a lot. I won’t win. I’m not the man to beat today. Not enough power for me, I need bigger engines.

Indeed, the identically-prepared clutch Karts furnished by the Bondurant SuperKart School were much lighter on horsepower than the 125cc shifter models Alfonso was accustomed to driving. The Karts for the Celebrity Race featured twin eight-horsepower Briggs and Stratton engines and a self-regulating transmission that provides very little low-end power, requiring drivers to use a precise line in the corners in order to carry as much speed through the exit. After the race, we heard Hearn and Gordon exchanging thoughts on the equipment.

 Robbie: Actually they went faster than I thought.

Richie: This was the first time I had driven the dual motor Kart, those things hauled ass.

Robbie: They were pretty fast right?

Richie: They got going, they got some torque and everything. It was fun.

Robbie: [Dramatic Pause] Shifter Karts...

Richie: Yeah, Shifter Karts, but you know what?

Robbie: We would have hurt ourselves in Shifter Karts.

 

Momo Grand Prix Part Three: The Fifteen Lap Race: (A transcript of you reporter’s live play-by-play intohis tape recorder.)

A tricked-out Bondurant Mustang Cobra in orange and blue livery is leading they way on the parade lap. It looks quite funny, a very large pace car leading these tiny go-carts behind it that could almost get sucked up in its wake.

The Champcar drivers have been put in the back, in P8-12.

Green flag drops, Karts are four-wide, Flanery’s in first, local yellow is out for somebody who spun, wheelbanging going on, at the end of the first lap it’s Guerrero, Palmer, Gordon, Flanery, Ribero, with Hearn in 8th.

Guerrero has pulled out a big lead, driving away from a huge pack of competitors- Robbie’s doing some banging with Alex Barron.

Flanery the young Indiana Jones is quite a competitive driver here, there’s no question about that. Guerrero leads, Flanery second, Robby in third, Barron in fourth.

Barron comes around inside to pass Gordon: It’s now Guerrero, Flanery, Gordon, Palmer and Hearn.

Guerrero leads, hasn’t been in a Kart for 22 years. Richie Hearn coming into third place

Gordon is gesturing wildly to Sean Palmer on his inside, "get away from me!"

It’s Guerrero, with a narrowing lead over the pack of Flanery, Hearn. Ribero, Gordon and Barron.

Guerrero gets caught up by the actor Flanery, who’s right on his tail, with a gap to Barron and Hearn, who are battling for third.

Robby Gordon has dropped back quite a bit, he seems to have made an off-track excursion.

The leaders are banging wheels, as Flanhery takes the lead coming around the final turn. Guerrero taps his back bumper and comes around to the outside. Barron in third, takes Guerrero, Guerrero has a problem and is fading fast.


Approaching the halfway mark of the race, we’ve got Flanery, Barron, Hearn, Guerrero at lap seven.

Alfonso Ribero is standing in the infield next to his car, his day is done. Will Smith’s straight man is dissed once again.

On the front straightaway the leader Flanery cuts off the challenger Barron, which knocks Barron’s red plastic bumper upwards. Alex reaches down, grabs bumper, pushes it right back down into place. Flanery shakes his fist at Barron, who passes the actor for the lead just seconds after self-repairing his car. It’s incredible, Barron has taken the lead and very effectively re-installed his front bumper all at the same time! You don’t see that in Champcar racing!

Hearn now in second- Flanery is hammering him from behind, both are madly gesturing.

On Lap 10, two-thirds into the race, it’s Barron, Hearn, Flanery, Guerrero and the skateboarder Palmer. Oh no, Hearn goes into the haybales in Turn One battling with Flanery for second-so much for the victory speech. Hearn’s Kart is wrecked and he’s out of the race.

Lap 12: Barron has comfortable lead over Flanery, Palmer, Tommy Kendall (alias Elvis Presley,) and Robby Gordon.

Barron takes the white flag with a six second lead over Flanery: Sean Palmer the skateboarder will win third. Neither of the two drivers with a current Champcar ride are going to make the podium. Hearn will earn a DNF, and Gordon will come in sixth, behind Guerrero in fourth and Elvis in fifth.

A dominating performance by Alex Barron, he was expected to be the most experienced Karter in the field and he showed it today- he’s almost lapped somebody at the end there. Barron does a 360 in frontof the crowd, in an all white driving suit.

Momo Grand Prix Part Four: The Post-Race Interviews

 Alex Barron, first place:

You didn’t think you were going to make it here?

Actually, I got to get on an airplane right now, but it was worth it, I had a good time.

Who was your toughest competition?

Definitely Richie Hearn. He and I have been racing since we were nine, so I knew it was going to be quite competitive, it was just a matter of who was going to get the lucky break.

How about when you fixed your own car by replacing the front bumper at one point? Is that an old Karting trick?

[Laughs] I wish. I think it was just luck that it came down in the right spot.

 

Sean Patrick Flanery, second place: (rapid-fire delivery, adrenaline still pumping)

It’s funny because me and Richie and Alex did a celebrity race up at Willow Springs and it was the three of us again battling for the lead, and the same thing this time. It’s a big dice, it’s a shambles, it’s bedlam, and the best guy comes out ahead. Me and Richie came together, and Alex clocked out once that happened. I limped the Kart home for second but it was good fun.

What happened when you and Richie got together?

Richie thought he could outbrake me, so I braked at the last possible minute. I guess he thought he could carry it longer, he didn’t, he went directly into the haybale right in front of me. I smashed into him, but I kept my foot in it, I think I rolled right over the top of his front end and kept on going.

Did you have fun?

Oh yeah, if I could do it again right now I would.


There was a lot of gesturing going on out there?

Alex was right behind me, and it was like [Shouting] Come on, what are you doing?!?

Have you been a race fan for a long time?

Eons. I’ve been following Indycar and F1 since I was eight years old. My first real race was a celebrity race in a Dodge Neon in ’95. I went to the Skip Barber two liter school, I strapped myself into those cars, and I never looked back man.

How many times a year are you going Karting?

As many as my schedule will allow.

Have you had any victories yet?

Yeah, I won the Florida Grand Prix, that was a big national race. As a matter of fact I was on the cover of Shifter Kart Illustrated last issue holding up the checker for that victory. It was good, I was really proud of that.

 

 

 Roberto Guerrero fifth place:

It was a lot of fun, it brought back a lot of good memories. The brakes started going away mid-race, so I had to back off a bit and try to keep them cool. Then unfortunately when [Hearn and Flanery] got together there was no place to go and I was forced into the bales. That cost me a lot of spots.

 

Richie Hearn, DNF:

What happened to you there Richie, you were going to give me a victory speech?

Yeah Yeah, I was working on it. But I just got a little loose there in turn one racing with Sean there, I wasn’t going to lift, that’s for sure, I never lifted for the corner. Maybe I should have, but, there’s a little pride involved. It was all or nothing for me. I didn’t care if I crashed I just didn’t want to get beat.

You got a little hay all over you?

Yeah, I wrecked the car, bent the axle, tore the front nose off and everything, hell, it’s for fun. It gave the people a show down there.

Did you have a good time?

Oh Yeah. How can you not. I didn’t get hurt, so...

There was a lot of gesturing going on out there?

I was trying to get Sean to push me to catch up to Alex. It was actually helping me, he was bumping me, pushing me down the straightaway.

Were you impressed with Sean?

I’ve raced with him before yeah. He races all the time, he’s pretty good.

 

 

 Robbie Gordon, sixth place:

How much karting have you done?

About ten days. I haven’t done a lot of go-carting. It’s all the same thing, you want to carry a lot of momentum. I think that’s one thing go-carts teach you at the beginning, that’s why it’s important to start with clutch go-carts first, you have to carry a lot of momentum. Lately I’ve been driving a Shifter Kart where you can just kind of flash into the corner, throw it sideways, and it’s just as fast one way or the other because they have the power. Whereas these don’t have the power so if you slide sideways you slow down quite a bit.

It was fun, we had a good start, we were second. They guys seemed to drive right by me on the straightaway, I don’t know if I was coming off the last corner bad or what the deal was. I guess I should have done what Tommy Kendall did, he cut the corner. I didn’t know that [drivers who went off] cut the course.

What happened in your particular incident?

Somebody hit me in the back, and I was already starting to get sideways, and then I stayed on it full throttle, I think I spun the clutch forever and it didn’t hook up. It was fun though.

 

 
Jonathan Evans, a seven year old Karter who started at age 5. This iswhat he said to his dad after trying a 100cc Kart for the first time:

"Dad, THAT's the kind of speed I've been talking about my whole life."

what speed!

 

 

©1999 Greg Spotts and SpeedCenter

 

 

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