STEAD - Cold weather Saturday morning held up the proceedings but after things warmed up the Northern Nevada Kart Club got its season opening event under away. Due to an expected low kart count, two classes were combined and all the main events were extended to 14 laps.

Topping the day were two drivers that swept their respective classes.

After dominating the TAG Masters main, winner Dan Harris said, "I don't know what happened over the winter but I just picked up a lot of speed and everything worked perfect today."

Harris won both of his heats, including the invert where he had to come from the back of the pack. When the green waved on the 14-lap main, he took off and left everyone in his dust.

Chris McCabe ran solo in second but the real race was for third as Lionel Fayet and Nick Wadlow had a nose-to-tail and race long battle for that position. When the checkered waved, Fayet was just able to hold off Wadlow, who had to settle for fourth.

Back in the pack, Marty McNew was the first TAG Novice driver to reach the checkered flag.

The other driver sweeping his day was Spanish Springs High School junior David Brant, who won the TAG senior main. It was his first time in a kart since being involved in a huge accident this past fall.

Brant's truck was rolled over after being slammed by a woman that ran a stop sign. Fortunately his injuries were relatively minor although one arm was in a cast for a few weeks.

Showing that he was fully healed, Brant won both of his heats and left his competitors once the main began. At the end he have an almost 1/4 of a lap lead.

At the post-race tech area Brant said, "I could have slowed down and gone at a reasonable pace but I was trying to get a fast lap and trying to beat the time of all these young kids the junior classes. Today was the first day I've ran a lap since my accident and the kart felt great."

For Kay things weren't as easy as Harris and Brant had them.

When the TAG Junior main began, Kay took off with Austin DeMent right behind him. After swapping the lead a couple of times, Kay finally took the point for good and raced to the victory.

Further back, 13-year-old Austin Elliott from the Auburn area and Spanish Springs High School sophomore Chelsi Wagner were involved in a race long nose-to-tail battle for third.

When the checkered waved, Kay claimed the victory with DeMent following a few seconds back. Elliott was able to take third as he held off Wagner.

"I just got a good run and went by him (DeMent), then just drove a great race. My kart was great thanks to Jess Petersen," Kay, who attends Pine Middle School, said.

Both Harris and Kay were asked about winning by a wide margin and both had a different view of that.

Harris said, "I think it's easier when you're farther out as there's just a bit of pressure that's off you. And you can afford to make a mistake and not lose the lead."

For Kay, it's a different matter and he said, "It's better with someone close and racing them, cause it's more fun. When you're out by yourself, it's not as much fun."

Two of the youngest racers put on the day's closest battle for a victory.

When the Junior 1-2 main began, almost 10-year-old Garrett Dixon held the point as the field streamed into the first turn. Right behind him was 11-year-old Tyler Burke and both boys soon were nose-to-tail.

Rounding Turn 7 Burke used an inside move to claim the lead and now he had Dixon inches behind him. Both boys spend most of the remaining laps nose-to-tail as they roared around the track.

When the checkered waved they would finish in that order.

Asked about the winning pass he said, "I just got a good run coming out of the hairpin, he went out and I had enough room to get under him."

For Garrett the race meant not only giving chase but coming to grips with a slightly ill-handling kart.

"My kart was too tight and that meant when you turned it would go and then jolt," he said.

•This year there will be some changes in the class structure with the club. The 80cc Junior and Senior shifters have been combined into one class, and after a long absence, the 125 shifters will return to action.

OTHER RACING NEWS

•This weekend there are a variety of events for almost any racing fan and most are two-day shows.

Biggest news is the reopening of the clay oval at the Reno-Fernley Raceway. It's a double-header weekend with the headline division each day being the IMCA Modifieds and racing begins at 7 p.m. each day with reduced admission prices.

Friday's show includes two stock car divisions, the IMCA racers and Dwarf Cars. On Saturday there is a mix of oval track divisions, plus two demonstration races involving motorcycle/ATV flat track racing as well as Tuff Trucks.

Further east the Top Gun Raceway kicks off its Summit ET drag racing series on Saturday and Sunday. Qualifying begins at 9:30 a.m. and eliminations followed after all cars are timed in.

The Lovelock Speedway will also be in action; starting at 1 p.m. Saturday, in a show that includes IMCA Modifieds.

Making up a wind-canceled event the Sierra MX series visits the sand at the Fernley motocross track for a Saturday-Sunday show. Pee Wees, Beginner 65cc and Quads go on the first day then, starting around 10 a.m., the remaining classes race the following day.

On Saturday, starting around 10 a.m., the Silver Peak MX series will be at the Honey Lake Motocross Park, located south of Susanville, Calif., then on Sunday the facility hosts the next round of its GP series.

•While two of NASCAR's three top divisions were off the Nationwide series held its traditional Easter Saturday race at the Nashville Super Speedway. And two Nevada natives were in the field.

Kyle Busch ended up second after a 5-lap shootout, while Brendan Gaughan recovered after being involved in two incidents to finish 17th.

RESULTS

Desert Park Raceway - April 11

NNKC - Round 1

Junior 1-2 Cycle - 1. Tyler Burk, 2. Garrett Dixon, 3. Jeremy Kay, 4. Justin Hoekman

Tag Junior - 1. Cody Kay, 2. Austin DeMent, 3. Austin Elliott, 4. Chelsi Wagner, 5. Christian Scholz, 6. Logan Wyman

Tag Masters/Novice - 1. Dan Harris, 2. Chris McCabe, 3. Lionel Fayet, 4. Nick Wadlow, 5. Cameron Evans, 6. Bob Hoekman*, 7. Derrick Delong, 8. Marty McNew*, 9. Peter Murphy

Tag Senior - 1. David Brant, 2. Curt Baker, 3. Derrick Delong

* - TAG Novice drivers

•The Sierra MX series also hosts a double header as they make up for their wind-canceled event in March. Saturday is for the Pee Wees and Quads while all the other classes, beginning around 10 a.m., race on Sunday.

•Further east the Lovelock Speedway hosts its second event of the season with racing starting at 1 p.m.