ARCHBOLD WEATHER

Time Off Doesn’t Slow Mann




Jeremy Mann, 18, Pettisville, has been busy.

In addition to finishing high school, he was a member of the state-qualifier PHS 4×800-meter relay track team, worked a summer job, and is preparing to head off to college.

John Huffman, veteran Archbold kart racer, said Mann has been out of the seat of a racing kart for two seasons.

On Friday, Aug. 1, Huffman and Mann traveled to the concrete oval track at Jackson, Mich., a place Mann hadn’t been since 2007. He slipped into the seat of his stock heavy class kart, and proved the time away hadn’t slowed him down.

Huffman said after a few adjustments to the kart, Mann was the fastest stock heavy class driver during qualifying.

He followed by winning his heat race.

Fun

Huffman quoted Mann as saying, “It all came back real quick, how much fun this is.”

At Jackson, Huffman said stock heavy karts reach a speed of 70 miles per hour at the end of the straightaways, and only slow to about 66 or 65 mph in the corners.

Before the feature event, the kart clutch failed, and Mann was unable to start.

Huffman, also racing stock heavy, Aug. 1, won the feature.

Mann returned to Jackson on Friday, Aug 8.

With his clutch problems rectified, he went out and set the fastest time during qualifying, then took checkered flags in both the heat race and the feature.

On Friday, July 18, Logan Wyse, Archbold borrowed a stock heavy class racer and in his first time out this season, won the feature at Jackson.

Wyse, who also hadn’t been to the Jackson track since 2007, turned a lap of 13.8 seconds. The track record is 13.76 for a stock heavy kart.

Huffman visited the Fremont track on Aug. 10.

Running in stock heavy, Huffman swept both heat races and the feature.

In one event, Huffman started from the back of the pack, and worked his to the front for the win.

Another Hornish

Hope Hornish, 17, Defi- ance, is racing out of Huffman’s stable this season. She is the niece of Sam Hornish, Jr., open wheel champion, Indianapolis 500 winner, and current NASCAR driver.

This season’s results, all from Jackson:

•May 23; Hornish first, Huffman second.

•May 30: Huffman first, Hornish did not race.

•June 13: Hornish first, Huffman second.

•June 19: Huffman first, Hornish did not race.

•June 27: Hornish first, Huffman second

•July 11: Huffman first, Hornish did not race.

•July 18: Wyse first, Hornish second; Huffman third.

Memorial Race

Stateline Speedway, a dirt kart racetrack near Edon, will host a race in honor of Kyle Beck.

Beck, a former kart racer, died in a farm accident on Oct. 25, 2013. A rural Pettisville resident, he was 18 years old.

The race is Saturday, Sept. 6.–information provided by John Huffman, written by David Pugh



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