2010 Season In Review
10-14-10 - While Adam Kekich suffered a bit of a “Sophomore Curse”, Kekich Racing is pleased with what was accomplished in the 2010 race season. “My second season in a Sprint Car was a little bittersweet” Adam commented. “It was frustrating that we had the engine problems throughout the season, but at the same time I gained some excellent experience. I know so much more about the car and how to get the most out of it in all sorts of track conditions.” Mike Kekich echoed his son’s feelings, “Adam got some great seat time this year, and we certainly feel blessed to load up the car in one piece every weekend and have our young driver compete aggressively yet safely week in and week out.”
The Warren Harley-Davidson race team put up some impressive numbers in spite of mechanical difficulties. In 12 starts, the 5K limited sprint logged 1 heat race win, 6 top 5 feature finishes, 12 top 10 feature finishes, and made the podium scoring 3rd place in points.
Kekich Racing would like to extend the warmest thanks to their 2010 Sponsors, Warren Harley-Davidson, Agway of Hermitage, Tight Seal Glass Block, K&N Filters, Royal Purple Oil, Advanced Auto Body, Designing Women Hairstyling, Hoosier Racing Tire, Simpson Racing Products, and Bell Helmets. Addition support from JMS ProPhoto, Sanders Engineering, ButlerBuilt Seats, J&J Auto Racing, Intense Fabrication, Scoville Race Car Lettering, Performance Bushing Specialties, TI22 and Premier Powdercoating made all the difference in fielding a car in these tough times. “We simply couldn’t race without our sponsors and supporters” team owner Mike Kekich says, “They are the best of the best in their businesses and just plain good people.”
Looking forward to 2011, the team is looking for just the right opportunities to continue Adam’s development. No question Adam will be back in the dirt of Sharon Speedway behind the wheel of a sprint car. The team is also looking for opportunities to get on some asphalt. Be sure and stay tuned to www.kekichracing.com for updates throughout the off-season as plans come together.
Long Night - Worth The Wait!
9-4-10 - With the points season done, the team was looking forward to a night at the track racing just for the fun of going for the win.
The Limited Sprint division was the last to run after a full compliment of heat races. The track had really slicked off when the 5k lined up on the front row for the 8 lap qualifier. It was obvious right off the bat that the crew had underestimated just how slick things had gotten, and Adam battled with a very loose racecar falling back to 5th by the time the time the checkers flew.
The team got busy right away getting the car ready for the feature, making some major changes to lock the car down. About half way through the features it began to rain. After the rain finally stopped at around 11;45, the track crew began to run the track in for the final two features of the night. At 1:30 am Adam was finally pushed out to run the feature. He was again slated to start on the front row, and the crew held their breath hoping they had chosen the right set-up for the new track conditions. When the green flew Adam settled into 2nd position and had a great battle with his veteran racer Uncle, Doug Kekich. They battled and Adam held him off for 9 laps of great action. Adam went on to finish in 3rd for his 5th top 5 of the year. "Racing my Uncle Doug was just a blast" Adam commented after climbing from the car. Doug was beaming with pride for young Adam, "Adam can sure wheel that car" he commented, "fast, clean, and in command".
One race is left on the schedule, and timing will dictate whether Adam can make the start. Adam has an obligation with his high school marching band next Friday. If possible, he'd like to make it to the track in time to race. Hopefully he'll be able to make it.
Back in the top 5
8-28-10 - Two straight weeks of rain out had the team anxious to get back on track and racing!
The heat race had The Warren Harley Davidson 5K set to start 2nd. It was obvious from the drop of the green that the team had the wrong gear in the car. Adam fell steadily though the field trough the 8 laps and ended up 7th. the crew went to work on the car looking to be ready to run up front come feature time.
The feature came along with the 5K set to start 7th. Adam got right to work and was up to 5th by the midway point. On lap 13 he picked off another car and finished 4th for his 4th top 5 of the season. This weekend marked the end of points racing at Sharon Speedway with Adam and the 5K team notching a 3rd place points finish.
There are still 2 post-season races on the schedule, and you can bet the team will be looking to make good use of them trying to score that first feature win.
A solid run not reflected in the finish
8-7-10 - This week the Warren Harley Davidson race team pulled a pill that would start Adam 4th in the heat race. On the start the 5K jumped into 3rd where he ran the first 5 laps until picking up a spot to finish 2nd posting a quickest lap of 16.26.
The pill draw for the feature wasn't as kind putting Adam in the 8th starting position. On the drop of the green the 5K got right to work picking up 2 positions in the first lap. By the 3rd lap he was up to 5th and coming on strong. He picked off another car on lap 8 and was going after the 3rd place car. On the final lap the car slowed a bit costing the team 2 spots for a 6th place finish.
"We thought we just needed to get more air though the radiator to keep then engine cool" Mike Kekich commented after the race. "Turns out we have a leak in the cooling system, so the car was loosing water throughout the race causing the engine temperature to skyrocket on the last couple laps. Now that we finally found this problem we should be set for a strong run through the last few races of the season".
In spite of the engine troubles this year, Adam is sitting solidly in 3rd place in points. Stay tuned to see if the the team can make a late season run to move up in the points battle.
One Word - HEARTBREAK
7-31-10 - Anyone that has been watching young Adam Kekich race knows that his first feature win is not far off, and will be followed by many more. For 12 laps this week, the crowd at the Hartford oval thought they were going to see it.
The Warren Harley-Davidson race team was full of confidence rolling into the pits this weekend. The engine was running great, an they had a set up in mind that should give Adam everything he needed to make magic happen. The heat race confirmed their outlook, as Adam started 3rd and wasted no time jumping into the lead and was the class of the field with a whopping 16.77 second quick lap. Everything was in place for a great night.
When the feature rolled around, the 5K was set to start 3rd again and the team was buzzing, a year and a half of learning this Limited Sprint was paying off and victory was at their fingertips. When the green flag dropped Adam again jumped into the lead, and as the 2nd through 5th place cars battled for position the 5K set sail, by the 5th lap he was running with a full straightaway advantage. The crowd and the team held their breath as the laps ticked away, Adam running smooth and quick. All hopes were dashed when on lap 12, just 3 laps short of the winners circle, the 5K slowed and pulled to the infield. Adam would be scored with a 10th place finish after his best performance of his career.
"It is just heartbreaking" Adams mother Shelly Kekich commented after the race. "He has worked so hard, and he drove his heart out".
"This engine has never run right, and now that we finally have it dialed in and running like it should, it just overheated", team owner Mike Kekich said. "We need to figure out how to get more air through the radiator. You can bet we'll have this problem solved before next week. It's been a learning experience for all of us, but we are almost there".
If It's Not One Thing, It's Another
7-17-10 - Excited to get back to racing, the Warren Harley Davidson Race Team pulled into the pits with high hopes this week.
The pill draw set Adam to start 5th in the heat race. When the green came out the 5K was on the move, picking up a spot before the first circuit was complete. The remaining 7 laps were a great 3 car battle for 2nd. In the end Adam had picked up another spot for a 3rd place finish.
The hot weather and the heat racing had combined for a very dry slick racing surface by the time the feature rolled around, the crew had set up the car to give Adam the best chance on a night were there was sure not to be much passing. The 5K started the race in the 3rd spot, and he held there through 10 laps of caution laden racing as a few cars spun for lack or traction. When the field restarted on lap 10, the 5K just didn't want to go, forcing Adam to pull to the infield. A faulty temperature sensor, or possibly an air pocket in the cooling system had caused the computer to cut the power. Some attrition from the spin outs helped a little, and Adam was credited with a 6th place finish.
Engine Problems Fixed, 5K Back In The Saddle
7-10-10 - After 2 months of struggling to find the gremlin in the engine, the Warren Harley-Davidson machine is finally back up to full power. Adam was thrilled to step on the pedal this week and feel the car respond as it should.
The 5K lined up to start the heat race in the 4th spot, and he wasted no time picking up 3rd where he ran most of the race until sliding a little high allowing the 11 car by on the low side. He finished the race 4th with a best lap less then a tenth off the quickest lap of the event.
The track was slicking off as the team set about dialing in the car for the feature. With such a change in the engine performance, the set-up and gear for the car would be a challenge. "We're back to square one" team owner Mike Kekich commented, "we don't know what will work in the car with this engine".
Adam lined up 3rd for the 15 lap main event, and it was obvious they hadn't missed by much when the 5K quickly moved into 2nd. He dropped back to 3rd where he ran the rest of the race for a 3rd place finish to score the teams 3rd top 5 of the year. "With these engine problems behind us, we can get to work on dialing in the car and going for the win" Adam commented after he climbed from his racecar. "It's great to be back in the battle".
This Week Brings An 8th and 6th
6-26-10 - The Warren Harley-Davidson Limited Sprint Team had an extra "at bat" this week with the ASCOC paying a visit to Sharon Speedway during Ohio Speedweek. Thursday night Adam lined up on the pole of the first heat race and finished 3rd. The engine woes seemed to be continuing as the car was a full second off the leader. When the feature rolled around, the 5K lined up 6th and Adam struggled to get the most he could from the car, ending up with an 8th place finish.
The crew continued to troubleshoot the engine looking for whatever was robbing the machine of power. Hopes were high heading into Saturday night that they had found the bug, and the heat race seemed to indicate the car was back to full power as Adam was one of a two car break-away and sailed to a convincing 2nd place finish. Starting 6th in the feature the true test was to see if the 5K could pick up some spots in the 15 lap main event.
While he didn't seem to be getting outrun, Adam was not able to make any forward progress as he spent the entire 15 lap feature between 5th and 6th place. The checkered would come out with Adam in 6th. "It didn't seem as flat as is has been" Adam commented. "The track really slicked off, so It is hard to tell for sure, but the engine does seem to be running better."
The team will have 2 weeks to comb over the powerplant as there will be no racing at Sharon Speedway over the upcoming holiday weekend. The team will be back in action July 10th.
Adam Scores Second top 5 Of The Year
6-19-10 - The team rolled back into the pits this weekend hoping to get back on track with an engine that has just not been performing as it should. Several weeks of troubleshooting and replacing sensors and spark plug have thus far not brought the power plant back to 100 percent.
The heat race rolled around and again the 5K was off the pace. Adam lined up 7th and found that the car would run anywhere he wanted in the turns, but he was just getting out run in the straights. In spite of his best effort he dropped 2 spots for a 9th place finish.
The crew set the car up to get everything possible out of the machine, and it paid off. Adam lined up 3rd for the feature and battled the first few laps to hold that 3rd spot, finally settling into 5th where he ran most of the race until 3 to go when he picked up 4th where he would finish.
Team owner Mike Kekich was proud of his young drivers performance. "Adam drove a great race, he moved around and got everything he could have out the car. I think we are finally down to the problem, it's been a long process of elimination. If we are right, we should be back up to full power next time out".
The Weather Holds, Team Hits the Track
6-12-10 - After 3 weeks off for rain and schedule, Adam and the Warren Harley Davidson Limited Sprint Car team was anxious to get back to the track and see if the engine problems were solved.
The heat race line Adam up in the 2nd starting position, and at the drop of the flag the 5k dropped into 3rd where he ran the first half of the race. He lost another spot to finish 4th. "The car was handling well" Adam commented after the race, "but if felt like we had the wrong gear in the car, I just couldn't get off the turns".
The track slicked off pretty well by the time the feature rolled around, and team felt like they had made he right changes to to the car. Starting 3rd, Adam was excite for a good race. Again, the 5K dropped back a couple spots in the early laps, the car just couldn't seem to keep pace with the leaders. When the checkers flew Adam crossed the finish line in 6th spot.
"There is still something wrong with this engine" Mike commented, "we're just getting out powered out there". "We'll get back to work in the shop and figure it out".
The Second Race of 2010 Plagued With Engine Problems
5-15-10 - It was a rough night at the track for the Warren Harley-Davidson Race Team. Adam was line up to start last in the second heat race of the night. It was clear from the start that the engine was not performing as it should. "It sounded like it was running on 6 cylinders" Mike commented. "We checked and changed everything we could at the track, but it just seemed to get worse. Adam finished the heat race in 5th, right where he started.
When the feature rolled around, Adam was set to start 6th, and the team was hopeful that they had found the problem, but it was not so. Adam held his spot in 6th for the first 5 lap and then began to drop back though the field. When all was said and done Adam took the checkers in the 10th spot. "We'll figure out what the problem and be back up front as soon as possible" Adam said after the race.
The 2010 Race Season is Officially Underway!
5-1-10 - This was the night the team and race fans have been waiting for. The first night of racing at Sharon Speedway for the 2010 race season! Kekich Racing was set to take on the field with the 5K Warren Harley-Davidson Limited Sprint with Adam Kekich at the wheel. Coming off a very successful rookie season in 2009, Adam was more then ready to get back to work at the team loaded the hauler at their Hermitage PA race shop.
The 410 will have to wait a little while for it's 2010 debut while driver Mike Kekich completes physical therapy for a work injury and awaits the doctors approval to return to competition.
Adam started the first heat race in the second position where he stayed through the 8 lap race, laying down a quickest lap of 16.621 at 81.223 mph. The crew watch the heavy track through the remaining heat races to try and dial the car in for the feature. Adam was set to start the feature in the 4th spot where he stayed until a red flag on lap 9. When the green came back out Adam put the hammer down and picked up a spot with a bold move coming though turns 3 and 4. When the checkers fell Adam crossed the line in 3rd place. "It sure felt good to be back in the car' Adam commented, "I am really excited about this season. I am going to do everything I can to get this car in victory lane." Adam will be back in action next weekend at the Hartford oval.