November 29, 2012 Shelton Mason County Journal | ![]() |
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Eric Johnson races down a straightaway at 120
CR 250 Honda class. Johnson, 29, from Shelton,
mph on Oct. 9 at Heartland Park in Topeka,
won first place and his fourth national title.
Courtesj of Eric ~ohnson
Kan., at the Kart Club National Championships in the
By EMILY HANSON
emily@masoncoulzty.corn
Journal photo by Emily Hanson
Eric Johnson kneels with the
national trophy he won in
superkart driving at the Kart
Club National Championship
in the CR 250 Honda Class.
Johnson placed first, his
fourth national title, on Oct.
9 at the Heartland Park in
Topeka, Kan.
Three to four seconds doesn't
seem like much time, but in a
superkart going 120 mph on a
straightaway, it's enough to win
first place.
Shelton resident Eric Johnson,
29, recently won his fourth national
superkart title in four years. During
the weekend of Oct. 7-9, Johnson
raced in the CR 250 Honda Class at
the Kart Club National Champion-
ships held at the Heartland Park
in Topeka, Kan., where he won first
place both days and took first place
overall among three classes of rac-
ers.
"It was a double header weekend
with races on Saturday and on Sun-
day," Johnson said.
Though he won both races, nei-
ther was easy.
"I got a decent lead in the Satur-
day race," he said. "Then, with three
laps left, I got a flat in my left rear
tire. The second place racer started
to catch me, but I was able to win. I
probably only finished ahead by 3-4
seconds. At one point, I was ahead
by 20 seconds, so it was a very close
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Page C-4- Shelton-Mason County Journal- Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012
race." '~iou're so tired by the end of it,"
Johnson and his crew put new he said. "It's a workout."
tires on his superkart and then hit Though Johnson builds his own
the track for the Sunday race. superkart engines, he's not alone
"I got out to another big lead," he in the racing endeavor. His spon-
said. "This time, with two laps to go, sors are Bill Busacca, a local den-
the engine got very hot and began tist, Joe Street from Gig Harbor and
losing power. We were able to win it Joe Skillman from Shelton. He said
again, though." the three help him out all season.
When Johnson returned home Skillman and Johnson drove home
with his heavy trophy, he took apart together from Topeka for 30 hours,
the top part of his engine to discover splitting the driving time as they
that it was completely destroyed, traveled straight through.
"A bearing got loose and the Street, a fellow racer, finished in
pieces around it exploded," Johnson second place behind Johnson both
said. "So, we barely got away with it days of the championship.
again. We had luck on our side." "Not only was he responsible for
During the two-day racing cham-me being there, he ran two fantastic
pionship, Johnson competed in the races," Johnson said.
slowest class of racers. However, He said he just has fun with rac-
due to his track times, he won over- ing.
all first place on Sunday. "It'd be nice to win a couple more
With his fourth title under hischampionships," Johnson said. "It
belt, Johnson said he's doing pretty was always my dream to move up to
well, but his kart needs major work. the big cars and race, but the fund-
"It's going to need a full engine ing's just not there."
rebuild," he said. Johnson said he and his sponsors
Johnson said the superkart sea-do all the work on his kart and he
son runs from February to Novem- even builds his own engines.
ber with roughly one race per month. "That almost feels better than the
Though the season just ended, he's driving part, sometimes," he said.
already repairing his kart for a big "I'm building engines for about five
race in California in February.guys now, so the word's spreading."
"We used to race strictly the A superkart is a go-kart with a
Northwest region, but our club is 250-cc engine that can go as fast as
down to five or six races a year so 135 miles per hour on a straight-
we've been traveling all over and away. Johnson said the engine is a
want to race at the national level, modified motorbike engine.
too," he said. Though the schedule for next
With competitors traveling up season is not yet available, Johnson
to 120 mph, Johnson said the races said .he knows there will be at least
last about a half hour and are at one race at the Ridge Motorsports
least 15 laps. Park outside of Shelton.
'tO Yard:
MON-FRI