07 BSH Racing News Archive

BSH Racing News Archive

Oregon State Kart Championship

Round 4, McMinnville (2-4 May)

The first regional race for Lon and Steve. This brought teams and drivers from all states in the northwest region. 23 karts running in the world formula medium class alone. Lon had tire issues that kept him out of the morning practices. Follow that with a DQ in qualifying, which would haunt him all day. Steve on the other hand would qualify 7th. This being his second time out and first time on this track.

Both drivers would end up starting 22nd and 23rd in both heat races. Steve moved to the back because of rookie status and Lon from the DQ. Both would work through the field in the 8 and 6 lap heat races. Lon finished 11th and 12th. Steve ended up 19th and 15th, with laps times the same as the top 5 drivers.

The final would only be 6 laps, due to a schedule problem and running out of daylight. Lon would start 12th and end up 10th. Steve would come home in 15th. Not the best results on paper, but a good learning experience, and the team has started raising some eyebrows.

Oregon State Kart Championship

Round 3, Pats Acres (27th April)

What a wild day! New driver (Steve), new kart, first time two BSH team members on track, karts flying through the air, and camera crews.

Steve spent the first half of the day getting adapted to the kart and track. By the final race he was battling for 3rd, got spun out and ended up with 5th. On a positive note, the last two races of the day he ran 1/2 second faster than the rest of the field.

Lon started out strong, qualifing 2nd, and would win the first heat race. An invert start for the second heat race would give Lon a "too darn close" view of Dave from DD Racing, flipping through the air in front of him. The video can be seen here

http://www.kptv.com/news/16025987/detail.html

Dave was some how unhurt, even did a cartwheel walking back to the pits. After a red flag and restart, Lon would go on to win the heat. The final saw Lon on pole. He would not get a good start and would settle for second overall.

BSH Racing finish 12hr's of Dromo1 in 2nd place. (Feb 3rd 08)

Deans Ultra Plugs wins with Patrick Long running the final stint.
BSH Racing 2nd, with Mike Smith running final stint. Started the stint just under 2 laps behind Deans, but final kart selection had maybe 10% brakes left. Fell 2 more laps behind Patrick in the final stint. Congratulations to Deans, they ran a fantastic race. Thanks to everyone at Dromo for putting the event on, and especially Brad Packard for setting things up. Thanks also to all the competitors, it was fantastic racing with you all! Definitely will be back next year.

Dromo One Discussion Forum (Jan 30th 08)

Have your say & listen in to all the teams discussions for the inaugural Dromo1 12hr Enduro. Now officially sponsored by BSH Racing.

Dromo One Update (Jan 21st 08)

BSH Racing members Mike Smith, Steve Pepka, Tony Hana & Lon S Bromley will be competing at the Dromo One 12-Hr Lemans Enduro,

This will be an indoor/outdoor 12 hr karting event held at Dromo one in Orange, CA. Feb 2-3. Click on the link above for all the details.

BSH Racing SIRS Recap (Jan 1st)

SH Trophy Haul from SIRS Fall Season (November 15th 2007)

BSH Racing winning AutoX ways (October 29th 2007)

BSH Racing returns home after strong IKWC run (August 12th 2007)

BSH Racing returns home after strong IKWC run (8-12-07)
     The biggest event on the BSH Racing calendar is now in the books, and after 5 days in Phoenix, Arizona the team returns with a very strong showing. The team finished tied for 4th in the team standings with the two other premier U.S. based teams (GO FAST Energy Drink, Team 333/Canada), but after the tie breakers finished 7th. In driver's points both drivers made the top 25 IKWC Grand Prix Final, with Mike Smith finishing as highest American and 5th in the world, while IKWC rookie Steve Pepka finished as 5th American and 18th in the world. Team drivers Tony Hana and Lon S. Bromley also had strong runs, scoring top 5's and fastest laps of the race as well. Unfortunately, bad luck struck both drivers, with strong runs ending in broken karts, and traffic issues plaguing them all weekend long.

     Check back in the next few days for a full BSH Racing rundown on the event, and glimpses into the plans for the team in 2008. The next event will be the Centrailia street race, the "Hub City Grand Prix" August 25-26. Until then, you check out event recaps and results by clicking on our IKWC Event page here.

2007 IKWC next weekend, August 2nd-5th (7-28-07)
     It's nearly here, the event for which BSH Racing was founded for last year, the Indoor Karting World Championship. Again taking place at F1 Race Factory in Phoenix, Arizona the IKWC is the premier event in Indoor Karting, and the #1 event for the team in 2007.
     This year's driver lineup sees two new drivers added to the roster as team principals Lon S Bromley and Mike Smith will be joined by American Steve Pepka, and New Zealand native Tony Hana. Now a 5-time winner of the Sykart Indoor Racing Series (SIRS), Lon has the most indoor karting experience on the team, and will look to improve on his 2006 IKWC result. For his part, Mike has proven his indoor karting prowess by also winning a SIRS championship, and by his 2006 IKWC performance where he won the first qualifyuing round, and finished 18th overall in the event.
     Both of the rookies have one SIRS season under thier belt, Tony racing this past winter, and Steve this past Spring, both of which scoring 'Highest Ranking Rookie' honors. Tony would narrowly miss winning the Heavy Class championship in his debut season, and will be very strong right out of the box in Phoenix.
     After the conclusion of the Spring season, Steve was approached by the team about the IKWC, and since then has done extensive practice and testing with the team, showing excellent growth on top of his already strong skill-set. The team in fact is looking better than ever, and looks to have a very strong showing next weekend.
     "I am very happy with where our team sits right now", explained team co-pricipal Mike Smith. "Last year was a great learning experience, and since then Lon and I have worked hard to improve on our weaknesses as a team, and I feel that we are in a very good place right now. With the acquisition of Tony and Steve onto the IKWC team, we now have 4 very strong drivers, and an excellent chance at the team championship."

     BSH Racing will be posting updates daily through the course of the event, and can be seen by clicking to our IKWC Event page here.

BSH Racing prepares for upcoming IKWC (7-6-07)
     The Indoor Karting World Championship (IKWC) returns to Phoenix, AZ this August, and will again see some of the best indoor drivers fight for the world title. Last year the BSH Racing team was formed to take part in the event, and this year they will again compete, just with a different driver lineup.
     Team Principals Lon S. Bromley and Mike Smith will return to the event, and with them will be two new drivers to the BSH Racing lineup: American Steve Pepka, and Kiwi (New Zealand) Tony Hana. There are few other drivers that are possible additions, but these four will make up the core of the '07 IKWC team.
     Both of the new additions to the team were asked to join after standout performances in the past two SIRS championships. Tony narrowly missed winning the SIRS Winter Season Heavy Class championship in his rookie outing, with one of the toughest fields to date, while Steve took home the 'Highest Ranking Rookie' honor this past Spring, showing excellent improvement, and currently holds the 3rd fastest time at Sykart.
     Like last year, the team has started their practice by running in Sykart's 30 minute enduros every monday night. To further simulate the races at the IKWC, they will do two enduros back-to-back, getting as close to the hour long races held in the world championship event as possible. With a new, more physical track configuration at Sykart, coupled with the heat of the summer, these races do wonders to simulate conditions faced at the Phoenix track. In fact, in some drivers opinion, the track in Arizona is 'easier' to drive then Sykart here in Tigard. Mike Smith explains:
     "The biggest difference between Sykart and F1 Race Factory, other than the overall length (F1 is 1/2 mile, Sykart is 1/4mile), is the varying grip levels that we have here. At F1 the grip is virtually the same all the way around the course, and the karts seemed to be geared more for top end, then for acceleration like ours. This combination makes our course harder to drive smoothely, and when we go to F1 it seems a lot easier to drive."

Oyague leads Pat's Acres A & D Series (7-6-07)

With the summer comes the Pat's Acres Arrive & Drive Series, a six round competition taking place at the outdoor course from which the series gets it's name. With a heavy and light class offered this season, BSH Racing driver Eric Oyague is doing double duty as he looks to win both championships this year. A previous champion of the series, Eric currently leads the points in both classes after two rounds. With seasoned series drivers and Sykart regulars racing with him, the competition is stiff, but so far things have favored Eric, as he has also set the track recored for the 9hp karts.

BSH Racing 1-2 in SIRS Spring Season (7-2-07)

In a season where the team held the top place in points all season, BSH Racing's dominance over the SIRS came to a head with Lon Bromley taking the championship, and Eric Oyague taking the second spot. BSH's third driver in the series, Jerry Hudson, would finish the season 4th spot in points after a strong run that saw him on the podium most of the season.

Overall, the team would prove to be the drivers to beat all season, grabbing the pole on qualifying night, then by winning 3 of the six rounds. Jerry would win the first round, Eric the second, then Lon in the 5th, including a comlete sweep of the podium in the 2nd round.

It was a very strong showing from the team, and was a great way to prepare for the stiff competition that the IKWC will offer. Unfortunately, only Lon will be able to compete in the event, as Jerry will be away in Detroit, and Eric will be pursuing a championship in the Pat's Acres Arrive & Drive Series.

Congratulations to Lon for winning his 5th overall title, and his third in a row, and to Eric for grabbing another solid podium finish, his third in a row as well.

BSH Racing poised to take another SIRS title (6-3-07)

BSH Racing has shown the way since the drop of the green on qualifying night, and look to cap it off with a championship come Monday night.Only question is, which BSH Racing driver will take it?

Lon S. Bromley:

With his win last week, and the misfortune by teammate Oyague, Lon S. Bromley now controls the point lead going into the season finale. It is a "Drive for 5" for Lon, as well as his second attempt at 3-in-a-row, something never done by any driver at Sykart. He has a 63 point lead on his closest competitor in Eric, but will still need to have a strong night if his teammates are towards the front in the 'A'. If he is able to make the A-Feature, he should be able to breathe easier, but he'll still need to keep an eye on the man from Peru...

Eric Oyague:

Eric held the point lead from rounds 2-4, and was in a solid position until a rough round #5 where he had to settle for a B-Feature podium. He has won a championship before in the heavy class, and is no stranger to tough competition in a title fight. Bouncing back from a tough run last week will be key for Eric, and he'll have a strong starting spot to help him out with that. Concentration on winning, and not the points, will be of the utmost importance for Eric to stay focused, and have a shot at his second championship.

Jerry Hudson III:

Sitting in the 3rd spot in points, it has been another typical Hudson season, staying consistent all season, never scoring less than 244 points a night. In fact he's scored more total points than Eric so far, but still finds himself back from Lon, and the point lead by 95 points. Sweeping the first round, Jerry opened up the season with the point lead, and stayed in the top two for the first half of the season. For Jerry to earn his first title he'll need to match his round #1 feat, but also have his teammates have bad nights.

The Sykart Indoor Racing Series Spring Season Finale will be held at Sykart this Monday at 7pm.

Bromley sweeps round #5, takes point lead (6-3-07)

Showing consistency all season long, defending SIRS champion Lon S. Bromley found the top step of the podium for the first time this season this past week. Whats more, he grabbed the point lead away from BSH Racing teammate Eric Oyague, setting the stage for an exciting season finale.

"Toughest season yet, as you can tell by the lack of first place finishes," Lon said in an interview after his win."Most of the group have made lots of improvement, even some of the rookies are impressive."

It wasn't business as usual for Lon however, as he had to battle with a stomach bug along with his on track competitors.

"During the pill pick I tossed around the idea of going home. The only way to get through the night was to get sick, run out to the kart, race and run back to the bathroom," Lon explained. "The outcome was rather surprising, but was the goal."

Now with the point lead going into the final round, Lon has a 63 point lead on teammate Oyague, and 95 points on 3rd place Jerry Hudson.

BSH Racing owns podium at SIRS Halfway Point (5-18-07)
     After 3 of 6 rounds it is all BSH Racing atop the points in the S.I.R.S. Spring season, with Eric Oyague leading the way. With no team orders, each of the three team drivers are going for the championship, with an 'every man for himself' attitude. Team co-founder Mike Smith talked about the team's goals for the S.I.R.S. championship, and how it tied in with preparing for the IKWC.
     "The Sykart Indoor Racing Series is the perfect arena to prepare for a world class event like the IKWC. This series has each starting grid inverted from the previous week, meaning our drivers are having to work there way to the front to win every week, instead of starting out front right away. That, and the tight confines of the Sykart Tigard track makes passing setup paramount, and with the rules evening out the karts and driver weight, there little if any advatage to be had. This series definetly breeds great drivers."
     While the S.I.R.S. Spring Season may be an individual effort for the championship, the team has also worked with each other off track, to help the team gel. While the championship is comprised of short, sprint-styled races, the team will also be running in a series of endurance races during the months of June and July.
     "The Sykart Tigard track is really an excellent venue for preparing for the IKWC," Mike continued. "With it's varying grip levels, it requires a high amount of feel and concentration than your average indoor kart track. For the team, we are able to not only work on racecraft against a wide range of drivers in the S.I.R.S. championship, and then work on our endurance runs with traffic and strategies during the summer. Plus we have a great pit stop program this year as well. I am really excited not only go to the IKWC, but also put all our new testing elements to the test."
     With all three drivers showing the way in the S.I.R.S. championship thus far, things are looking bright for a podium sweep at the end of the season. Only question is, which BSH Racing driver will take the crown?

BSH Racing sweeps SIRS podium (5-7-07)
     In an excellent show of dominance, BSH Racing drivers Eric Oyague, Lon S. Bromley, and Jerry Hudson swept the podium in the 2nd round of the S.I.R.S. Spring Season. It was nearly a perfect night for the team as well, with Eric and Lon winning thier heat races, and Jerry narrowly missing the victory in the 2nd heat. Missing the heat win, Jerry would make up for it working really well on track with teammate Lon during the A-Feature, helping to push both drivers up from 3rd and 4th, to sweep the podium. He would top that off with the 'Night's Fastest' honor as well.
     The sweep helped pad BSH Racing's hold on the championship fight, with all three drivers occupying the top three spots. Next week's round #3 will also mark the halfway point for the series, and will be an important round for the title fight.

SIRS Season starts with an overall win (5-1-07)

The first round of the Sykart Indoor Racing Series (SIRS) Spring Season was an up and down night for the BSH Racing Team, but overall was another success. Overall polesitter and returning champ Lon Bromley won his heat race, but then during his bid for the A-Feature win was caught up in a turn #2 accident, dropping him off the podium. Eric Oyague was able to make it around the outside of that accident, and would add a 3rd overall finish to his heat race podium earlier in the night. Returning to the BSH Racing driver roster just prior to the nights event, Jerry Hudson found things going all his way, making a pass for the win in his heat race, then sailed on to a comfortable win in the A-Feature.

This puts BSH Racing drivers 1st, 3rd, and 4th in the standings, and in excellent shape to take the podium this season. For complete event results, visit the SIRS event page.

Hudson returns to BSH Racing (5-1-07)
     Just before the start of the first round of the SIRS Spring Season, Jerry Hudson got the word he was back on the BSH Racing team. Hudson one of the original members of the team was let go from the team last summer, with a possible opportuinity to come back. All wrongs were made right and under the watchful eye of team pricipal Mike Smith, Jerry has grown to be a very formidable racer.
     "I've been working with Jerry exclusively for the past two seasons," Mike commented, "and his growth since the IKWC last year has been fantastic. I am impressed with is growth on and off the track, and I am very pleased to have him on the team once again."
    Though racing under the BSH Racing banner during the SIRS Spring Season, a possible work conflict could keep him out of the seat for the 2007 IKWC. Traveling to Detroit for work in the Summer, it is still up in the air whether he'll be able to get the time off or not.
     Indoor karting isn't the only thing Jerry has been working on however, as he'll make his pro-karting debut this weekend in the IKF Gold Cup Season Opener, along side Mike Smith on the Black Flag Raing Products / Sodi Racing Team.

BSH Racing drivers qualify well (4-27-07)

The Champ Car World Series presents the S.I.R.S. Spring Season kicked off the start to the season with Qualifying Night this past Tuesday, and BSH Racing drivers would fill 2 of the top three spots. Finishing 2nd in the points last season, newly signed Eric Oyague took the 3rd overall position in qualifying, which will set him up for the pole in heat #3. It was Lon S. Bromley however shining in qualifying once again, picking up his record 3rd pole position in a row and setting things up for a championship run.

With BSH Racing drivers starting on pole for 2 out of three heat races, chances are good for a solid A-Feature start, and an almost inevitable battle between teammates for the win. There are no team orders, so this should be an excellent battle to watch.

Bromley wins 4th S.I.R.S. title! (4-9-07)

The 2007 S.I.R.S. Winter Season went to Lon S. Bromley once again this year as the series veteran won his 4th title and 2-in-a-row for the second time in his 6 season career. It was the second time that Lon had made the Fall/Winter Seasons sweep, the last time coming in the '04 Fall, '05 Winter championships, and he will be going for the 'Hat Trick' once again this spring. Lon's "Drive for Five" and three-in-a-row hunt will be fully covered here on bshracing.com, so be sure to check back often once the season starts with the Qualifying Night on Tuesday, April 24th. He will be looking to kick off his campaign by getting another 'Hat Trick', 3 poles in a row, as he has taken the honors in both the Fall and Winter championships.

He will once again be accompanied by teammate Trevor Rice as he continues his preperations for the 2007 IKWC this summer. Trevor just missed the top 10 in the winter, and will be looking to improve on his tremendous growth through last season.

Bromley back on top of the standings going into season's second half (2-8-07)

The 4th round for the Winter Season in the S.I.R.S. was a strong one for the BSH Racing team, as both drivers made the A-Feature, and moved up in the point standings going into the second half of the season. Lon would win his heat race outright, setting the fastest lap and earning pole for the A-Feature, while Trevor would win his heat after a driver was penalized. In the feature race, Lon would hold onto the lead until about halfway, getting passed going into the sixth turn on the Sykart Portland circuit. Battling back, Lon was unable to find his way around, but would set fastest lap in the process. Trevor would start 3rd, and keep it all race long until the second to last lap, when the 3rd place driver made an illegal dive pass to take the spot away. This strong round moves Lon back into the points lead, and Trevor up to the top 10 in points.

Solid 2nd round performances strengthen BSH Racing in the S.I.R.S. standings (1-28-07)

Round #2 is in the books, and Lon still leads the points while Trevor has moved up to the 10th spot. Both BSH Racing drivers made the A-Feature, Lon taking 2nd place in his heat, and Trevor via his heat win. In the feature race Lon's progress to the front hiccuped when he cam up to Trevor, and after a lengthy battle eventually moved up a spot. Finishing 5th and 6th in the feature was not what they were hoping, but it was still in the 'A', meaning they accrued valuable points on the competition.

Bromley sweeps S.I.R.S. season opener, secures point lead (1-21-07)

Coming off a very tight Qualifying Night where he won the pole, Lon Bromley went into the season opener on top of a very tough field of over twenty drivers. On pole for the first heat of the night, Lon would eventually run away from the rest of the field, taking the fastest lap along with the victory. His fast lap would be good enough to earn him the pole for the A-Feature, where he would again pull away from the rest of the pack for the win.

For his part, Trevor had a tough start in his return to the series, coming off a 15th place result in qualifying. This would put him in the 5th starting spot for the third heat race, a positon he would be unable to improve on. Starting on pole for the C-Feature Trevor would be passed early, but would hold off the rest of the field in an impressive bout for the second spot.

Round one's results have put Lon in the point lead by 41 points, and Trevor in the 16th position only three points out of 15th. Going into round #2, the projected starting grid has both BSH Racing drivers in the 2nd heat, with Trevor starting second and Lon seventh after the invert. With a couple of big names accompanying them, it should prove to be a very good challenge for the duo.

"Be smart, and don't make any mistakes," Lon commented when asked about his strategy for the upcoming round. "The race will play out in the first couple of laps. If somebody is quick then I'll just follow. If not, then I'll have to make the move. You can't let the front runners pull away."

For Trevor, the focus lays not on the his competition, but on himself as he continues to make forward progress. "Work on my lines, and most importantly just get comfortable in indoor karts again. I'm not there to play blocking games of any sort, I'm there to have fun."

With one round in the books, BSH Racing sees itself with two fifferent agendas, and on two ends of the spectrum. Lon sits on the top of the mountain and looks to continue his success, while Trevor sees himself looking up with a steady climb of improvement. Seeing themselves in the same race for the first time this season, it will be interesting to see if the duo can both make the A-Feature, and the top of the points standings.

Bromley takes pole for S.I.R.S. Winter Season opener! (1-14-07)

Lon made it two in a row this past tuesday, grabbing the pole for the second season in a row. This will put him on pole for the first heat of the night, and in a prime position for a solid starting spot in the A-Feature. Lon was asked his thoughts on his qualifying run in the latest edition of the official S.I.R.S. newsletter, the 'View From The Flag Stand.'

"I was upset with myself because I screwed up and left the door wide open. I assumed I wouldn’t get it from the mistakes I made." To read the rest of the interview, click on the 'event calendar' link, then the SIRS page.

BSH Racing's 2nd entry into the series, Trevor Rice, was also on hand for qualifying. When asked whether it was going to a strong qualifying run, or be a classic Trevor Qualifying run, Trevor had this to say. "I'll let you know after I do a classic Trevor qualifying run." Not known as the strongest of qualifiers, Trevor more than makes up for it with his racecraft, which will be on display in the season opener. Trevor will start 5th in the 3rd heat of the night.

To follow the progress of BSH Racing in the S.I.R.S. Winter Season, click on the link at left, or go to www.sykartracing.com.

BSH Racing gears up for S.I.R.S. Winter Season (1-7-07)

Coming off a fantastic Fall Season where he won his record third championship, Lon Bromley will have a little help on track this season. Making his first full season run since the 2004 Fall Season, newly signed Trevor Rice will join Lon in the ‘07 S.I.R.S. Winter season campaign.

This will be a whole new element for Lon, having a teammate for the first time. However he doesn’t think it will change things too much.

“Having a teammate out there really won’t change anything, except I’ll have one more guy to root for (laughs). It still comes down to every driver for himself, but you know that when you’re racing your teammate he won’t do anything to take you out. The game plan really stays the same, but you have another guy to bounce ideas off of. With Trevor's experience he’s able to produce some good information. The whole deal will be good practice for the IKWC.”

For Trevor, in his first season back to the series in over two years, it’s all about preparation.

“Honestly, it’s all preparation for the 2007 IKWC. Get in race fit, race trim, get back into ‘racing’ again. It’ll be considerably different from the autocross I’ve focused on the past couple of years.”

What are your goals for the season, and do you think having a teammate will change how you drive?

“Work on consistency, and podium finishes. Should finish in the top 5. Lon and I have been racing together a long time, so we work together really well.”

This won’t be the first time that Lon and Trevor have teamed up, as the two made up ‘Team Reflex’ back in ‘04, where they had 3 2 hour enduro victories and one 2nd in four starts. Also in ‘04, Lon would clinch his first championship, while Trevor would narrowly miss the second spot after missing the final round. Needless to say, they work well together. Remember though it’s still a driver’s championship, and Lon’s goals reflect that.

“Finish 1-2 in the championship, with him right behind me (laughs).”