5/6/2010
Sprint Source
Kaley Gharst – A Good Start at Knoxville!
(Bill W) – May 5, 2010 – After a scary beginning to the season opener at Knoxville Raceway last Saturday night, “Showtime” Kaley Gharst emerged with a solid top ten finish. The driver of the Plath Motorsports #14P had to do it the hard way, however. This weekend, the team will split their time between 360 and 410 action, as they will tackle Jacksonville (IL) Speedway with the Sprint Invaders on Friday, before racing again at Knoxville against the IRA invaders on Saturday.
Car owners Randy and Lori Plath nearly had their first ever 410 action at Knoxville end before it even started as Kaley got on the gas down the back chute in hot laps. “The way the night started, we were about ready to load up,” says Kaley. “The driveshaft broke, we only had a ¼ lap in, and it dinged the motor pretty bad. We thought it might have bent a valve too. We were able to get the drive train and the driveshaft changed, and everything leaked down o.k., so we decided to run it.”
While the team that includes Nick Breuer, Randy and John Plath, Lucas Glasgow, Berl Gharst and others feverishly worked to resolve the issue, qualifying went by the wayside. “We missed qualifying, but I may have qualified in the same spot they put me in anyway,” says Kaley. “We only moved up a couple of spots in the heat, but everyone made the feature.”
He drove from seventh to fifth in the heat and the top six allowed him to start in the first eight rows. “We started fifteenth there in the feature, and we actually had a left rear shock come off early on,” says the Decatur, Illinois driver. “The car got faster, and we moved up through there pretty well to sixth.”
Kaley was poised to make a move into the top five when an open red occurred with just two laps to go. “During the open red with two to go, we put the shock back on and went backward two spots,” he says. “Maybe we’ll run this week without a left rear shock, or get something with a little less compression. I think we learned something from that, and that’s’ what we’re trying to do right now.”
The 21 year old driver looks back on Saturday with a lot of positives. “For the first race at Knoxville of the year, and the first time we’ve had Randy’s car there, things looked pretty good,” he says. “The car felt good, and it was reacting to the changes we were making throughout the night.”
While a pair of teams lost left rear Goodyear tires, Kaley had no issues whatsoever. “We had no problems with the tires,” he assures. “Some were saying they were having trouble with blistering. We had good tire wear, and that’s a good thing. We’d like to continue that.”
Kaley is ready for this weekend. “We’ll hit Jacksonville on Friday and Knoxville again on Saturday. I’d like to thank the crew for all their help last weekend. They were busy, and with the two races this weekend, it’s going to continue.”
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.
Kaley and car owner Randy Plath would like to thank Sebastian Powder Coating and Sandblasting, Holtkamp Truck and Trailer Repair, Nelson Catering, Pieper Inc., Lange Chiropractic, Rockstar Graphics, Scott Performance, Midland Performance and GPC Race Products.
[i Photo: Kaley at Knoxville’s season opener (Danny Howk Photo)]
Submitted By: Bill Wright
