Allen Johnston Memorial Race at NTK By Janice Bond - PR2DAY DENTON, TEXAS - North Texas Kartway held its Allen Johnston Memorial Race on Sunday, April 13, 2003. The event is in memory of Allen Johnston who was the 2002 President of North Texas Kartway, and also served as a board member. Mr. Johnston passed away on January 20, 2002 at the age of 38. Proceeds benefit the NTK club karters throughout the season. The race brought out over 60 karters who exhibited some great racing. In the O&H Kart Products Junior Sportsman Lite class, the racing was excellent in mid pack. The #33 kart of Ansel Gaddy took the lead from the start and never looked back. The battle in the race was for 3rd place, between #48, Megan Sauce, #57, Matt Winnett and #11 Lindsey Adams, all who seemed to trade places lap by lap. But in the end, it was Sauce taking 3rd, Winnett taking 4th, and Lindsey taking 5th. Ansel Gaddy took the win with brother Austin Gaddy grabbing second. The Junior Super Sportsman race, sponsored by Sefcik Racing Solutions, started out with a 3-way race for first place among #33 Ansel Gaddy, #12 Sean Owns, and #32, Austin Gaddy. The three kept the heat on for the first half of the race, but eventually put space between the three karters. Further back in pack, it was Nicky Boulle, #44 and Corey McKinney, #73 going after the fourth position, with Boulle eventually pulling away from McKinney. The finishing order was Ansel Gaddy, Owens, Austin Gaddy, Boulle and McKinney. No doubt that Maxwell Paper Products and Dynamic Trophies & Awards sponsors were cheering for the Yamaha/Senior Super Sportsman race, and with good reason. Yamaha kart# 95, Jared Hodgkins and #12, Jereme Wellborn were neck to neck throughout the entire race with Wellborn taking 1st and Hodgkins only inches from him to take 2nd. The Senior Sportsman's race was an exciting one between the top four competitors of Wes Heslor #82, Roger Dillard, #25, Doug Foisy, #65 and Steve Murray, #7. Each of these competitors was shown in first place at some time in the race. Much of the swapping took place between Foisy and Murray, but at the half way mark, Murray passed Foisy and went on to claim 2nd. Dillard claimed victory, Heslor finished 3rd and Foisy took the fourth spot. The special highlight of the afternoon went to the powder puff race among the mothers, wives and girlfriends of the karters. It was a two session race with numbers too close to call. So, to all the Rotax karters who 'willingly' volunteered their karts for the ladies, a big 'thank you!' To all the ladies who raced in the event, congratulations on a job well done! The next Spring Series race will be held under the lights on Saturday, May 3rd at 7:00 p.m. NTK will host the SKUSA Red River Regional event on May 24th and 25th. For more information on the North Texas Karters schedule, visit their web site at www. www.ntkarters.com.