Clifton Savage

2012-02-05T13:21:00.000-08:00

MEDIA ALERT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

February 5th, 2012 NEWPORT NEWS, VIRGINIA

Clifton Savage will return to where it all began with a quest to advance his racing knowledge. Clifton drivers Pro Wing Champ Karts at Langley Speedway, and after the first two seasons he felt like his racing was progressing well, yet his public skills and marketing ideas were lacking. When an opportunity arrived in 2010 to become one of the first students in the new program called RACE 101 he jumped on it with great excitement and with huge success after creating the CHKD 100 Charity race thanks to tools and advice learned at RACE 101. Clifton was excited for the chance to learn hands-on experience, one-on-one training and how to become a better representative of oneself. Now after a year of watching the next class follow in his footsteps and helping guide them along the way Clifton is set to return to the shop as a participant in the Class of 2011’s Gala Dinner and Graduation.

The ceremony will begin at 7:30pm at the shop in Denver, North Carolina on February 11th. With students both new and old attending it will be the first event the school will witness this huge gathering. There will be multiple awards given out as well as the introduction of the new Class of 2012 roster. If you are unable to attend the event in person be sure to watch it live on the race101.net site for this exciting event! Each year the program grows and expands so make sure to keep up-to-date on all the RACE 101 news by following the RACE 101 Facebook page and also browsing race101.net to learn more about the founders and instructors of this program and the rosters of the students attending the program.

After receiving the Award For Most Improvement in Marketing for 2010 Clifton has sought out to continue to help other students in their areas of need and to give advice and ideas to those wanting to learn. Clifton Savage Motorsports looks forward to building the relations of the students and drivers of the program as well as learning more ways to promote himself at his local track of Langley Speedway. The 2012 season looks bright for Clifton with a slew of new events and ideas off the track, as well as some new rides coming on to the track. Look out for Clifton Savage to make some noise in 2012 with his Clifton Savage Facebook page and his cliftonsavagemotorsports.com home site.

Learn more at cliftonsavagemotorsports.com to keep up with all our news from various sources of media as well as our up-coming release on our plans for the 2012 race season! Also follow Clifton on Twitter @CliftonSavage.

2011-12-31T07:33:00.000-08:00

Hi,
This is Clifton Savage and I just entered the Search For a Champion and need your vote to help win.
You can view my entry and vote for me here:
http://engauge.votigo.com/contests/voteformyentry/1011714?sk=osr%40hgh6%2C

Thanks and wish me luck!
Sincerely, Clifton Savage
csavage63

Looking back on 2011

2011-11-03T06:23:00.000-07:00

Wow.

That is what I would use to describe this season for our team. 2011 started off with high hopes, impressive runs with leading practice sessions and turning heads of seasoned veterans and impressing teams that have been in this sport probably longer than I have been alive. After only 3 seasons prior to 2011 the leaps and bounds that our team, my father has made with our communication, testing and constant tinkering we have really made a huge accomplishment.

2008 a neighbors borrowed pick-up

2011 Full-fledge pit area with tents, tables, tools and testosterone.

We were so hyped and ready to go for 2011. Pre-season testing showed great times and better attitudes from the drivers and their chemistry. The 2011 season was looking bright for Clifton and John Savage with crew chief and father Harry Savage by their side. We all know a race season for any series can be long and strenuous. We sometimes forget where we started, and how hopeful we were at the beginning of the season. This season was the best we ever had. Although I won once last year for the first time ever in the greatest fashion ever (having my brother John push me to Victory, couldn't have asked for a better 1st win!)

And even if I hadn't have won a race this year I would have been o.k. with that just because of how impressed I was at our constant top-running performance practice after practice, race after race. We even got a top-4 qualifying spot! The first time our engine builder Jimmy Ogles of Ogles Race Engines attended one of our races we hit the top of the scoreboard for the first time until we were bumped back to 3rd and 4th. I was so excited it was like I had won another race pumping my fist and cheering all the way back to the pits.

The race didn't go as well as we had hoped. A misaligned bumper and a broken wing brace had my kart darting to the right the whole race. Went from running 2nd to falling back mid-pack, but guess who picked me up? Of course! My faithful brother John! Anytime things go wrong all I have to do is look up in my mirror and see that #64 coming up to draft me from behind. And what a coincidence that same race we partnered up with the #8 of Jake Harberts after jokingly telling each other if we see each other again we will hook-up and go places. Well that was after we almost got in a fight the race before!

A bad judgement call on my part left me diving below the slowing #8 of Jake who had no drafting help and instead of picking up another spot on the track I picked up and drove right over the left rear tire of Jake which sent him and my brother spinning in-front of half the field and tearing up both our karts. We restrained from physical confrontation, but there was definitely verbal communication of our frustration towards the #8 driver until after cooling down and reviewing my on-board camera I admitted to the fault being of my own wrong-doing, but we live and learn and move on. And move on we did, coming from the back to the front that next race the 3 of us took off and salvaged another good run.

This whole season was full of ups and downs, mainly ups then downs then back ups I guess you could say. We would start off the races great, get caught up in someone's pushing the issue on making a pass or not being able to hold a steering wheel straight. Whatever the circumstances were we always seemed to pounce back at the end somehow; things I never thought we would be capable of doing when we started 3 years ago. Through all the adversity we somehow were seeming to spring to the top. With only 4 races last for the season, after having my 2nd career win on October 3rd, NASCAR Whelen Modified night catapulted me to the 5th position in points. This was the first time I really looked at the points all year and man was I surprised!


And Tim Brown congratulated me in Victory Lane! Just to think one year before he witnessed me cursing out my motor that let go with literally 44 seconds left in the race (2 laps.)

And of course we can't forget the special people that came for their first time the 2 times I won. The first win we had our sister and her husband and his father along and then this 2nd win I had my wonderful girlfriend Alex and her family drive 3 hours down just to watch me race!

Yeah my hair was a little messed up. But her's was perfect! :)

In racing you do your best to prepare for the good and the bad times and hope things work towards your favor. This year we've had a little bit of both. We had great runs and impressive practice sessions and qualifying sessions that 2 years ago we thought we would never have been able to accomplish. The things we have done in barely 3 full seasons of racing is phenomenal. Of course we did it with help and tips from the great community of Pro Wing Champ drivers, but I can't thank anyone anymore than my father. He was the one that helped finance my start in racing. He was the one that fully committed to totally converting our garage from storage junkyard into a full-fledge racing garage with scales, pre-set tables with all the tools and tires we needed to make 2011 our year.

We always came to the track 2 karts loaded on a innovatively designed trailer that was meant for maybe one kart. We would set-up our tents and layout our tables and tools and be prepared for a good day of racing. Ever since I started Arena Racing in the winter of 2010 I started carrying a Bible in my helmet bag. It reminds me that the Good Lord is with me before I race and when I bring back my helmet and put it away for the night it reminds me that He was watching over me and brought me home safe.
I was reminded many times this year how lucky I was, how lucky our team was to avoid the nasty wrecks and potentially disastrous incidents on the track. But I really didn't know the meaning behind it until October 22nd our last race day of the season. It was a 2-race event that night to make up for some rained out races. I was a little skeptical about the way people would race since there was 2 races and a lot of points positions on the line, and I was right in the middle of it in 5th.
But the one thing I have noticed this year more than before, it seems like some drivers drive more aggressive in practice than the race itself. We have had some close calls this year in practice alone. I don't mind a good tight battle with a little door-slapping here and there, but with our karts tires touching, or high-siding it usually doesn't end very well. And with the weather being fairly cold that day not much rubber was being laid down and the karts were slipping and sliding. It was a nice quiet run for us though at first, we did our usual thing I was in the lead, Shawn 2nd and John 3rd. We let the whole field get ahead of us so we are not breathing down their necks as they jostle for position on who will draft with who. This plan doesn't always work and that Saturday was pure proof of that.

After an early caution we got behind and lost track of where the rest of the field was. It seemed like we were going to get through this practice no problem. Do you ever have that day, the day when you feel like things just aren't right? I have had those before. Nothing goes your way, and I have had days where everything falls into place. I have experienced both feelings this year. The worst feeling I had was when we had that bad wreck and half-near go in a fight after the race, and I had the best feeling knowing things were just clicking when I won my second race of the year.

But today, felt different from both those days. It was almost unexplainable and just very intriguing. I soon began to figure out what was coming up next. As the laps were winding down in practice we were coming up on a kart that lost its draft. We were making a move on the second groove to pass him. Next thing you know the hornet's nest of karts comes flying past us and jumbling up everyone. I just held my line in the middle hoping the guys below wouldn't come up anymore and the guys up high wouldn't think they could push us down.

Somehow through all the jostling John was in front of the #45 of Bill Dailey and #99 of Chris O'Brien. Now it was just me and Shawn drafting trying to hold on for the last 2 laps. We those last 2 laps never came for u.s
Going through the middle of turns 1 and 2 John was not in front of me and off we went again. John, myself and Shawn in toe we were taking off looking to lay down some fast laps with all the drafting help around us, but we never made it out of those turns...not pointing straight at least. Being slick and cold the track was hard to handle and somehow or another the #45 got sideways and got turned by the #99. Seeing this before it happened I started to back out of the throttle. But it was too late.

Down went the #45 and up went my brother, John's kart. As the #45 slid back up the track it set a launching point for my brother's kart who had absolutely nowhere to go. Almost like I was living a nightmare I saw my brother's kart get launched into the air and into the wall end-over-end. I heard the crunch of metal against concrete. That image, that sound will resonate in my mind for years to come. And the aftermath was even worse. As I slid to a stop amazingly unscathed, nobody hit me, and I didn't hit anyone else. It was like I was protected from the whole incident even though I was in the middle of it all and should have been the main one damaged, besides my brother's kart of course.

But no, that wasn't my concern. My eyes watched my brother's kart land on the track. My brother was laying back in his kart. Motionless. Almost like a bad dream where you are trying to run away, but can't move...I was trying to run to him, but felt like it took an eternity to get there. As fast as I could I tried talking off my steering wheel, my seatbelts and then my arm restraints that were so annoyingly constricting my movement from getting out in a timely manner. As I yelled for my brother, my identical twin brother who I have known literally since I was born the one that I have spent all my 21 years of my life with as he did with me I made a run to his kart.

Just part of the damage that twisted this kart.

Still laying motionless, I continued to call out his name. As if this wasn't real I just stared. I saw my brother laying there not responding to anything I was saying. I didn't know what to do. I was all alone. No one was around, but myself and my brother. I didn't want to touch him and end up hurting him or further injuring him if he had any from that horrific spill. But he soon was coming to..I saw him open his eyes. He slowly lifted his head and moaned. I screamed again telling him to wake up. He started to lay his head back down. I was freaking out. I thought we were losing him, I was losing my brother. I thought I was watching my brother leave this world. This world that obviously many people are unfortunately not even able to see half their life time and others don't make it pass 1 year old. But this was my brother we are talking about.

Out of all the wrecks and accidents and deaths I have seen in my time in racing, nothing came anywhere near experiencing what I thought I was experiencing. I seriously thought I had lost my brother. But fortunately he was coming to. Slowly, very slowly. He had no idea where he was at. I should have been happy that he was conscious, but I was so distraught from what I just saw. Judge me if you like. I dare you to find anyone as close to you as my brother is to me and put you in my shoes and see how you react. If you don't go through what I went through and feel the same way I did then I question your having a soul or not.

With safety crew around him and trying to keep him talking I tried to get some air. Shawn was there, bruised and beaten up after totalling his kart into the wall to avoid the wreck in front of him. Dad came over, Dannie Wyatt came over. Wanting to know how he was. We finally got him out of his safety equipment, his HANS device, his helmet, his rib protector and gloves. We tried slowing him down he was getting out of his kart faster than we had liked not knowing if he had injuries or not since he definitely couldn't tell. He didn't even know where he was at first. He asked "what day is it?" He thought he just had a dream about the whole thing. Personally I am glad he doesn't remember the wreck. Unfortunately I will never again forget what I witnessed having a front-row seat to the devastating wreck.

The one of many pictures dad has taken of us when we go to Richmond every year for the NASCAR races.

I had a lot of people around me that day. It made me look back and realize how blessed I am to have started my life into racing at Langley Speedway and having been introduced to so many great people. Many of my fellow drivers and crew were asking about his condition as he was admitted to the hospital for precautionary x-rays which were negative for anything broken or bruised. I thank the Lord for bringing me to Langley Speedway and meeting all the great people we have over the years from getting help getting started by Bill Mullis, to guidance from Matt Mullins and help from Bill Dailey. Friends like Sammy Gaita and John Matthews who have always been there if we need something. Jim Hicks always having a smile when we stop by or Sandra Emerson giving us a nice wave. Even gaining Shawn Gervais as more than just another kart we helped out, but our teammate and our friend. There are just so many people to list them all I would hate to try and then forget someone, but I am truly blessed for all that I have had and through it all even though we have 2 torn up karts, 2 sore drivers and went from 5th to 10th in points as we watched everyone race without us that night I am just glad I still have my brother.

Beginning of the year pose with the team.

Bill Mullis interviewing me in 2010 HRKC Kart Club Display

Before the start of 2010 having Matt Mullins chat with us

We will make it back next year stronger than ever. We thank the Good Lord for watching over John and my family and friends and we take this as a lesson and cherish the moments we have together, because everytime we strap into that kart, or drive away from home in our street car, or head into work we may not make it home to our loved ones that night. Never take a day for granted, and most definitely never take the strong bond and love you get with family for everything they do for you no matter how much of a butt I can be to them sometimes.

Thank you all for a wonderful 2011 season. We are looking forward to 2012 and will be back stronger than ever and working on plans for moving up in the future!

God bless!

-Sincerely, Clifton Savage

The CHKD is nearing race day!

2011-10-20T19:12:00.000-07:00

October 20th, 2011: Newport News, Virginia's Clifton Savage is ready to race and raise some money for CHKD!

Here is the video from the 13 News at Noon shoot I did for our up-coming charity go kart race.
http://www.wvec.com/community/13News-at-Noon-Putting-in-the-laps-for-CHKD-132159128.html

With race day coming up for Langley Speedway that means ONLY 2 more days until the Monday, October 24th CHKD 100 at AIK.

This is the 2nd year I am hosting this awesome kart event at the American Indoor Karting of Virginia Beach for The Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters.

http://cliftonsavagemotorsports.com/chkd100.html

With only days away from the event we are managing to book almost every single spot for the 20 team, 100 driver racing event which includes 2, 100 minute endurance kart races for the night of October 24th from 5-9pm.

The CHKD 100 Minute Race Entry List

2011-10-11T16:52:00.001-07:00

The current listing of confirmed teams is as follows:

PicYerPhotos Pro Wing team:
John Savage
Bill Mullis
Bill Dailey
Vaughan Crittenden
Shawn Gervais

Pro 6 team:
Steve Williams
Doug Warren
Joe White
Bobby Bowen
Mike White

The Replacements:
Mason Dunn
CE Falk
Wes Falk
Jeremy Jordan
Kyle Waltz

Lets Talk Racing:
Cameron Patrick
Steve Durbin
Sparky West
Dan Brode
Terri O'Connell

Chesapeake Custom Plumbing:
Lee Waddell
Tom Wilson
Pascual Torres
Albert Wilson
Jason Lisner

Arena Team:
Spencer Saunders
Ryan Center
Matt Waltz
Matt Morgan
???

Modified Team:
Joe Scarborough
Hunter Slayton
Stephanie Brooks
???
???

Kart team:
Jesse Call
Charlie Lorah
Brandon Lorah
Bobby Gobble
Clayton Parrish

Lazer Motorsports:
Matt Mullins
Thomas Tacy
Amy Wilbert
JW
???

Team UCAR:
Michael Waters
Ben Zoellner
Jesse Jones
John Matthews
???

Best of Times Nostalgia Drag Racing Association
Adam Frantz
Caroline Frantz
???
???
???

Team 12:
Brent Robinson
Philip Crist
Jared Von Bargen
???
???

Other drivers interested but not on teams:
Steve Emerson
Robbie Parker
James Williams
Steve Keesee

If I am missing anyone or anyone who has open slots of not on a team can find drivers to fill those slots please contact me ASAP.

We are trying to see how many teams we will have for the event and how much work I have to do to get more drivers.

Thank you all for your interest and support. Please continue to SPREAD THE WORD, we need more participants, spectators and partners for the benefit of The Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters!

http://cliftonsavagemotorsports.com/chkd100.html

Race Recap: October 9th, 2011 Langley Speedway Pro Wings & UCARs

2011-10-09T12:11:00.000-07:00

Race Recap From the Pro Wings & UCAR divisions at Langley Speedway on October 8th, 2011.

What a night! Another long day of racing 2 divisions, but an eventful and enjoyable one.

After starting 9th in the Pro Wing race and getting spun in front of about 14 other karts, I recovered and came back to finish 10th after a caution saved me and I picked up random drafting partners to make it to the front.
Getting closer to the end of the race my drafting partner dumped me after going 2-wide with only a few laps to go. But my faithful teammeates, Shawn and John picked me up and we drafted our way to a 10th, 11th and 12th place finishing order to come out strong after a pretty eventful race with 2 wrecks, and 1 spin under caution.

A few drivers were hot after the race due to aggressive driving, but I should have been the one mad, after getting spun before we even got one lap complete..but I wasn't. I was focused on packing up the Pro Wing trailer and heading over to my UCAR to get it ready for my next race of the night.

Practice went well for the UCAR. We picked up ran a 20.43 and a 20.33 in respectively in both practice sessions for the UCARs. Still working on corner entry and picking up the throttle up and off the corners to keep momentum going I only eeked out a 20.36 in qualifying. This isn't really that bad though, considering this car is a 3 year old car, going on 4 from having not raced since the 2008 season; and this division has seen alot of changes in rules and setups since then when 20.1s and 20.2s were the pole compared to now 19.3s and 19.4s are what turn the heads.

The race was even better than expected. Obviously starting in the back I was just taking my time and keeping up with the field. I did a great job of staying with the field and didn't lose their bumpers until a few laps before halfway. I used up the car trying to stay up there with them as they battled for position. I was able to knock off a 20.196 as my fastest lap of the night. The car felt good in the beginning of the run, actually turning when coming up off the corner, but as the runs went on the car started sliding going into the turns as I tried keeping it going in deep to keep a close chase with the pack in-front.

With about 4 laps to go a sudden vibration occurred in the transmission and the car lost all drive. It was like the clutch was being pressed, but was still in gear. All gears would work, but the car would not roll. We got it pushed back to the trailer and packed it up for the night.

We have got a lot of TLC for this UCAR over this coming winter to get it ready for next year. We still have one more night of racing, October 22nd with 2, twin-15 races for the Pro Wing Champs. We will get those prepared and be ready to finish off the season, I am working on trying to get a top-5 in points. Good finishes are what we need right now and we have a chance to capitalize with 2 races in the same night next time.

Until then, I've got time to work more on the CHKD charity race coming up, trying to get more competitors to participate and finalize their teams for the charity race at the American Indoor Karting in Virginia Beach to help race money for The Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters. This is the second year I am hosting this event and hope to make strides in doubling our funding raising efforts!

I plan on having a talk with the track about finalizing details for the event as well as talking about it more and promoting some on Lets Talk Racing as well as on our Facebook fan pages Clifton Savage and The CHKD 100.

Our next Pro Wing Champ race is October 22nd at Langley Speedway. Don't miss it, the end of year points battles are making racing even more intense on and off the track!

Check us out at Clifton Savage Motorsports!

2011-09-09T12:39:00.000-07:00

The Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters 100 Minute Endurance race has had a few changes to the event plans this year!

We've decided to increase the race event into 2 100-minute races with a total of 20 teams and 100 drivers participating.

The event will begin at 5pm Monday October 24th.
Driver entry is $50. Everyone else can watch for free, but donations are always nice!

We also have banner and kart sponsorship opportunities for those looking to get their business posted up regularly at AIK's facility.

For more info. check out the site and download the flyer!

http://cliftonsavagemotorsports.com/chkd100.html

http://www.facebook.com/CHKD100

The Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters 100 at AIK is set for 2011!

2011-08-30T14:54:00.000-07:00

The date is set for the 2011 CHKD 100!
We will be back at the American Indoor Karting in Virginia Beach on October 24th, 2011 Monday night for the 2nd Annual CHKD 100!

More information is on our website:
http://cliftonsavagemotorsports.com/chkd100.html
http://www.facebook.com/CHKD100

RACE RECAP: June 25th, 2011 Langley Speedway

2011-06-26T05:44:00.000-07:00

We tried it again, Saturday June 25th at Langley Speedway. Practice was so-so..we just got done completely re-doing our front-end after that nasty race on the 4th of June. We had no clue what we had when we hit the track..well..besides scaling the day before, but actual track time says it all for me.

After the first practice run we figured out an adjustment to help settle the kart a bit better and then were focused on getting ready for qualifying. The flying lap for qualifying went awesome! I kept that thing wound up all the way around the track and man oh man did it feel good!
I couldn't see what time I got, but as I rounded turn 2 after taking the checkered flag I saw my number in 2nd place. I burst into excitement with my fist pumping and me screaming at the top of my lungs. You really could have thought I just won the race!

I was super stoked to have qualified up there after all the other karts..we usually qualify at the tail-end just to see what everyone else is running and since all of the good karts went out I knew we were pretty much set!

And on-top of that my brother John qualified right behind me! It was awesome! We jumped from doing 8th and 10th place qualifying runs to only missing the pole by 2/10ths! I had a smile as wide as my kart after I got out of that thing! Alot of people congratulated us and were definitely looking at us after that.

I could drag my feet and say we haven't had the "performance" we needed this year, but that just wouldn't be right..we have had the "performance" we just haven't had the "luck". We have had great karts and have gained spots every single practice and every single qualifying run we have tried new things and learned new things..the races just are a totally different beast and you not only need luck on your side in a Pro Wing Champ race, but you need the faith in the drivers around you to race you clean and be aware of eachother..almost like Sprint Car drivers, but we make it seem alot harder than it really needs to be! :P

The starting line-up had us in 3rd place with John in 4th (one more kart beat us in qualifying..which coincidentally was the driver we loaned a higher gear too). The race started off with a jump from our inside lane; but by lap 2 the support bolt for the right side of my wing broke off...I didn't know that thought until after the race.

What happened as a result of that was everytime I went into the turns the kart darted out like there was no steering..it wasn't doing a 4-wheel drift, but it was like someone was lifting the front-end up off the ground and not letting me steer at all..it was pretty wild a few times I would go up the track and it would whip back down and I got hooked multiple times and almost wrecked..I pulled out of the lead draft while running 2nd place and gave up a bunch of spots to avoid any major pile-up.

I fell back and guess who picks me up? Of course! My brother hooked up right behind me and we were off...ironically it was me, John and the kart we got in a wreck with last week. I was laughing for a few laps there just thinking "how ironic is this if we pull this off". The 3 of us were running down the lead group of 3-karts. We thought we had them, but every turn I had to dive on the apron to keep it from shooting up the track..well one lap I didn't go low enough and it shot up the track and another 3-kart draft pulled out below us leaving us high and dry...after the mad scramble I began pushing another kart while John stayed on my bumper, but we didn't last with my kart pushing like a dump truck..we survived the last few laps and picked off karts here and there that lost the draft and going through turns 3 and 4 on the last lap I edged out over the 7th place kart and beat him at the line to give Savage Motorsports a 7th and 9th place finish..which is really really good compared to the many many "almost" wrecks and incidents we were in out of a 24 kart field.

I say another good day..just had to bring it home in one piece and we did so now we just have to do alittle more research to get that Pole next race and then if John can line-up behind me then we're good to go! :D

Our next race is July 16th at Langley Speedway!

Come on out!

http://cliftonsavagemotorsports.com/
http://www.facebook.com/cliftonsavage63

Qualifying order for the race. Clifton starting 3rd with John alongside in 4th.

RACE RECAP: June 4th, 2011 Langley Speedway

2011-06-07T14:03:00.000-07:00

Well...this past Saturdays race did not go as well as hoped. Drove over one kart after a first lap spin in front of me with nowhere to go...and ended up in a second wreck involving myself, my brother and another guy whom i drove over his left rear..tore both sides of the kart up and some steering components I am sure. I parked it to save it from further damage..but the after race altercation with my team and the other driver were not pleasant. I feel bad for the way I let my anger get to me, but glad I controlled myself to only allowing myself to yell at the driver after the race. I made him stop in-front of me on pit road and I proceeded to question why he came down on us and why he didn't move over and give us room instead of pinching us down and wrecking more than 3 or so karts...and having John and my dad mad with him too was not helpful...dad argued with his owner and John told me to wreck him after the 3rd restart..which of course I just parked it because I was dead last with 2 sides dragging the track and probably a cut tire...

Very disappointing day, not by our performance of the karts..the karts themselves were great if we could just race..but the attitude of my team, and myself. What we did out there was appalling and I regret it. I regretted it pretty much the minute after we went back to our garage area.
I watched my in-kart camera and realized I should have just waited to pass, or go on the outside..my issue was waiting meant ramming in the back of him. we came up on him 5mph or more faster and we wouldn't have slowed down in time..or because passing on the outside kills our momentum and then we'd be wasting time getting around him...but then I realize forget the reasons why I decided to go down on the inside..the point is I went there, we wrecked, and its over. I apologized with the driver and team and we are moving on. And I told my team,...if we go out there with a mission to wreck him again I will not race anymore. I told John I will not let him think about wrecking anyone out there, because I will not fix the karts or drive the karts if that is what we go out there to do. That is not why I race, especially at this entry level of racing , it means nothing to go out there and want to hurt someone else because you are blinded by your own wrongdoings...I lead myself and my brother into that wreck with that guy and I take full blame for the wreck and I admitted it...yeah I blew off some steam beforehand, but I realized this is not the way to race...now instead of using these next weeks off getting my UCAR ready its now back to fixing the Pro Wings. But tis another lesson in life/racing for me.
I will count my blessings, thank the Lord we didn't get injured and move on to the next race.

If anyone on my team wants to make payback...then we will no longer be racing. Period. I do not go to the track plotting to wreck someone. I get those thoughts out of the way the race before and have a clean mind the next time or it will mess up your focus and I won't have that.

Live and learn, and live on.

Clifton Savage Motorsports