Short Course Off-Road Racer Mitch Guthrie at Las Vegas Motor Speedway LOORRS Event
- 29 Dec 2011
Some students in Guthrie's shoes might find the chore of juggling their school work and racing somewhat overwhelming, but the Glendora High School sophomore doesn't seem to mind the responsibility. His outlook is fairly simple and straightforward. "It's not that hard. I just have to keep up on what I miss, and focus on school as much as possible." Guthrie and his crew recently pulled into the Las Vegas Motor Speedway to compete in a Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series event. Qualifying with the second fastest time on day-one of the two-day event, Mitch entered the race in his #555 modified kart with confidence on his side. "I was very confident and knew I could win," recalled Guthrie, "I felt that I could be the fastest in the race and I was consistent." Starting in the fifth spot, the high school sophomore worked his way into a favorable position. After taking the lead from Bradley Morris in the tenth lap, Mitch never looked back and took the checkered flag. On the following day, Guthrie qualified first and was inverted to the sixth starting position. Upon the waving of the green flag, Mitch began working his way to the front and soon thereafter found himself running in third place. Aware that he was amongst the front of the pack in the points race, Mitch and his father decided it would prove advantageous to avoid the risk of being taken out. That said, Guthrie opted to hold back and finished fourth on the twelve lap race.
"I was very confident because I won the day before, and I knew I was the fastest out there going into the race," explained Mitch. He continued, "Being patient, using time, and driving smart to move up in the pack is one key to our success. It was during the last few laps when I moved into third, but I had to back off and not risk getting taken out, so I finished the race in fourth." Referring to holding back Guthrie continued, "It was hard, but I knew it was the right thing to do if I wanted to try to win the championship." His next event, round fifteen of the Lucas Oil Off-Road Racing Series at Firebird Raceway, the only thing standing between Mitch Guthrie and the championship was a good run, but luck simply wasn't on his side. "I pretty much had the championship," stated the young driver. "The checkered flag was out, and on the second to last corner, I got taken out. That put me four points out of winning the championship." Although Mitch Guthrie barely missed winning the title, he had obviously experienced a stellar season to be in the running. When asked the importance of his team throughout 2011, Mitch explained, "I couldn't be here or have a winning car without them." Acutely aware that maintenance plays a huge role in his success, he continued, "We use a lot of K&N products; air filters, oil filters, air cleaner spray and power-clean. My dad has been using them for a long time and we have been using K&N on my truck since I started racing. They are quality and help make my truck the best it can be." Referring to what he would be doing during the off-season, Guthrie Said, "I will be racing the King of Hammers UTV race with my dad, so we'll be getting ready for that. Next season I won't be racing short course. I'm going to run some UTV races in different series." Sharing what he enjoys most about the sport of racing, Guthrie said, "It's just so much fun battling it out with the other kids and winning!" In respect of his supporters, Mitch Guthrie concluded, "Thank you all for all of the support. I had such a good season because of the support from my family, friends, and sponsors." Find K&N products for your vehicle using the K&N application search then use the K&N dealer search to find a K&N dealer in your part of the world. |
