A KGB Agents First Year in S1 - Lemel's Race in Norway By Jesse Lemel I was very excited to for the Superkarts Promoto Tour Eastern Zone race at Norway Speedway. I was hoping for this race to be the turning point of my season at one of my favorite tracks which also happens to be only about three and half hours from my home. This was the first time was my third time racing at Norway and only my second in a shifter. So as this year's been concerned I have a bunch of experience here, compared to most of the other tracks where I am driving the track for the first time. I was also excited because last time a raced there, I won. However, that was over a year ago and I was racing in Formula S2 at the SKUSA tri-regional, also it was only my third shifter race. On the ride down my dad and I discussed the fact that I need to race with confidence and I hoped I finally had my confidence and concentration back. The practice days went really well as Curtis Ruth had tuned my KGB kart perfectly and I was as fast in as a number of the Super Pros and I was having a lot of fun. I was relaxed and ready to go. Then race day came around and I lost my confidence, I just had too much on my mind to handle one of these big races. I was nervous about leaving home for college, and numerous other major and minor things that are going on in my life right now just got to me. I wasn't able to handle the weekend properly, and I also had some bad luck. I qualified mid-pack both days. In the heat on Saturday I messed up while attempting a pass and locked up the brakes causing me to spin off, and I was so angry with myself I forgot to try to restart the kart and finish the race. Then in the main I started in the back and coming into the first corner there was big wreck and as I attempted to avoid it I got pushed into someone and bent the front end up and popped the front left tire off the bead. In doing so, I created a bunch of work for my expert tuner Curtis and also got to watch the whole race, which was handily one by Nick Bussell who dominated the race, only to get DQ'd for fuel. In the heat race on Sunday I had a pretty good start and was making a pass coming into the one true braking zone at Norway when the rear breaks locked up causing me to spin out. I restarted and made it a little over half way before getting lapped. When I came into the pits we noticed that the axle had shifted causing the rear brakes to rub and when I tried to hit the brakes at the start of the race the rears locked up almost immediately which is what caused the spin. I only managed to make for the other part of the race because I turned the bias to the front and took it real easy when hitting the brakes. Then it came time for the main and for the second straight day I was starting form the back. I decided that for this race my only goal would be to finish the race. I took it nice and easy set into a slower pace and made my way to the second to last lap. When a kart in front of me lost control and got sideways and as I went to go around him his kart snapped back towards me and I made an evasive maneuver to the grass and came back on finding myself a lap down to Bussell. Who was well on his was to the Eastern Zone championship. That was how my weekend in Norway went. I'm now in the process of packing up my stuff and leaving home for the University of Arizona. I'm leaving good 'ol Wisconsin for hot weather and year round racing! And of course, school and girls! However; shortly I will be returning to the Midwest for the Rock Island Grand Prix, and my debut in the Pro class.