WKA: MWSS: Robert Stout Norway sumamry

Robert Stout is Victorious at WKA MWSS

On a day with temperatures approaching 100 degrees Robert Stout in the Lucas Oil Products #457 NeWave Television Products sponsored, MKP Birel put together all the pieces in his Hotlicks and Torco Race Fuels TAG kart to earn his first MWSS victory. It was his second trip to the track in as many years and this time it paid off. "We came here last year and got destroyed in the Yamaha Jr. Can class, so we got up here two days early just so I could drive the track. This place is pretty tricky and the locals here are tough not to mention the MWSS regulars".

Stout started off good by earning the number three spot in qualifying. The top four were all within a tenth of a second. "My mechanic Todd Bellew walked the track with us Saturday and we decided to completely change the kart from our test setup Friday. In the morning practice we ran the same lap times as Friday so we tweaked it just a little bit more and we picked up six tenths of a second in Qualifying".

Stout started the Pre-Final on the inside of the third row and at the start the outside row got a big run and both the number two and four qualifiers were able to get around the pole sitter putting Stout in fourth by the first turn. "They start the races to close to the turn at this track. If your on the inside the kart is bound up and while it looks like were even at the line by the time we get to the end of the straightaway the outside row has 3 or 4 MPH on the inside row. It happened all day"!

Stout made the best of a bad situation as he battled hard with the #31 kart of Chris Enderlein "He has good power so I had to try and out brake him or wait for him to make a mistake. Fortunately our car was handling a bit better than his today and I got by but it wasn't easy". That moved Stout up to 3rd and on the last lap he took over the 2nd position. "#406 Tyler Walsh is a great guy, we've raced with them all year and he and his dad are the best. They had a fast car today and proved it in qualifying finishing P2. My car really came in good at the end of the Pre-Final and this track has a huge high banked bowl turn where you never lift. I just got a great run on him and we went into the bowl side by side. I think I surprised him a little when he finally saw me at 70MPH in the middle of the turn and he gave me just enough to get by". Stout finished the Pre-Final in second and at this track had the best starting position for the final.

The start of the final mirrored the start of the Pre-Final. At the drop of the green flag the front row was even but by the time they entered the first turn the first two karts on the outside row had past the #49 pole sitter Luke Blazek. "At first I didn't think I was going to have enough to get past him but Enderlein gave me a nice push at the end of the straight and we both past Blazek. From that point on Stout ran very consistent laps and quickly put a lot of distance between himself and second place. "My dad and I have spoken many of times of what to do if I get out front early. I never really felt any pressure of being out front. I just drove the track like I do in practice, I hit all my marks and never really made any big bobbles. This is Blazek's home track and he is very fast here. He closed the gap and at the end was only a couple of kart lengths away but we hung on to win".

It was a flag to flag victory for Robert Stout and it catapulted him up into the top 3 in points just 5 behind second and 23 out of 1st.

"Today was an awesome day! Todd Bellew and my dad worked really hard on the kart in this blazing heat. They have both worked hard all year and we finally put it all together. We Qualified 3rd, finished 2nd in the Pre-Final and won the final! Lucas Oil has stood by me from the beginning and it's great to give them a win. Dennis Gibson from the HotLicks Top Fuel Hydro Drag Boat team helped us just because he loves racing, Torco Race Fuels has been with us for two years, Steven Grein President of NeWave Television Productions and his entire staff has supported us since the beginning and Motorama Kart Parts took us onto their team this year. All these people have provided me with a great opportunity and it is a great feeling to return their efforts with a win! I love to race and this is what it's all about"!!

-credit: ken stout