Anderson student wins feature kart racing event

ROWDY MCCLENON

Fourteen-year-old Rowdy McClenon has already won more races than most drivers twice his age, but his most recent win was one of the sweetest.

The ninth grade student at Anderson Union High School is practically a racing veteran. He has spent half his life racing in some of the most competitive divisions in motorsports.

Rowdy, and yes that is his given name, comes from a racing family. Father Steve McClenon, who owns the very successful Hot Rods to Hell Inc. a custom car fabricator and Hot Rod shop in Anderson, has passed his love of cars on to his son.

Rowdy McClenon has done very well racing against some of the best drivers in the sport including Sean Becker - Sprint Car champion, King of California champion who drives with the World of Outlaws sprint car series, and NASCAR's Ryan Foster and Steven Gannon.

Race of the year

With only three races left in the Red Bluff Outlaws sprint kart series, Rowdy is currently nineteenth in points.

Just weeks ago was one of the biggest races of the year for the Red Bluff Outlaws. For more than a dozen years the feature event winners from the night are awarded an incredible 6-foot tall trophy as well as a very substantial payout. This year nearly 140 karts were on hand to race for the giant trophies. Forty two of them were there to compete in the Open Division alongside Rowdy.

Rowdy ran a great race knowing his kart was well setup for the ever-changing track conditions and worked his way to a second place finish just inches behind Beau Perkins. This finish lined him up to start on the pole of the a main event feature of the night which would determine the winner of the coveted trophy.

Starting the race right next to Rowdy was Red Bluff Outlaw veteran and Local NASCAR Champion Steven Gannon. Gannon is known for his rocket-like starts and Rowdy knew he had to time everything just perfectly to be able to lead over Gannon on that critical first lap. "No Pressure" was his mantra as he came around to take that green flag - one eye on the flagman, one eye on Gannon and his concentration honed to getting down that first straightaway, hit his mark and take his line at the front of the pack of fifteen other karts.

The flag waved and Rowdy was hard on the gas. He edged a short lead on Gannon and held it strong. But this was no ordinary race, it went 25 frantic laps without seeing a single yellow caution flag. This is almost unprecedented in dirt racing. Such a race has both positive side and a negative side for the racers, especially for the leader. It is beneficial for the leader when there are no restarts as no one has the ability to beat him off the corner. On the downside it is also allows the slower karts on the track to become traffic obstacles when the leader catches up and starts to lap the tail end karts. Thick traffic will often pose an opportunity for second and third spot karts to get around the leader if they are forced to slow or avoid a kart on a pass.

Eye on the prize

"Concentrate - No Pressure" continued the voice in Rowdy's mind. "No Pressure" as the laps ticked by and there was no caution flag. "No Pressure" as he drove as hard as possible, pushing the winged kart to the very edge of its capabilities. Because you have no peripheral vision, no spotters and usually no idea what is happening behind you.

Experienced drivers like Rowdy rely on other senses to know if other karts are nipping at their tails or charging up for a slidejob or high-side pass. They can feel the change in vibrations for the 500cc motors roaring behind them - it is like a sixth sense.

Rowdy was pretty sure that the yellow 38 kart of the hard charging Gannon was tailing him, working every angle to get a nose under in a turn or to out-brake him on the straightaways and high sides. "No Pressure" continued the chant as lap traffic came into view. Conflicted if wanting a yellow to reset the field, or pole-to-checkered run to forestall any restarts, Rowdy just held his line, kept the pedal to the floor and dashed across the finish line with room to spare in front of second place Gannon.

A feeling of victory

Father Steve was nearly overcome with pride and excitement as his son winged his way to victory in one of the most important races of his career.

"It was beyond even my wildest expectations," exclaimed Steve. "To win his very first Feature Event at Red Bluff, to do it during his rookie year, and to do it on Red Bluff Yamaha Perpetual Trophy Night. It just doesn't get much better than this."

Steve went on to explain, "I believe that the Open Division at Red Bluff is some of the most competitive racing anywhere on the planet. The depth of talent at Red Bluff is world-class. The Carrel family and QRC Karts have created a unique gift to motorsports: a cost effective breeding ground for young talent and an ideal place for established 'shoes' to stay sharp in the off-season."

Few people realize that a motorsport phenomenon exists just down the road from them. Outlaw Sprint Karts started in Red Bluff nearly 30 years ago when a group of racers wanted to have racing fun during the winter months. They gathered at the fairgrounds indoor pavilion to race makeshift, homemade karts. The events grew, the crowds grew, and the karts became faster, wilder, and safer which made it family-friendly. Now, 30 years later, there are Outlaw Sprint Kart Tracks in nearly every state and the sport is rapidly growing in Canada, Australia and Europe.

"I'm so excited to even be racing here, and to have won this awesome trophy is just unbelievable," said an elated Rowdy after the race. "I want to really thank my Dad, who has been my inspiration, my coach, my pit crew and sponsor through my whole career. I can't wait to get back to racing!"

Rowdy's next race with the Red Bluff Outlaws is Saturday Feb. 7 at the Tehama District Fairgrounds.