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(Bill W) – June 29, 2010 – Kaley Gharst was in a familiar place last Friday night, towards the front of the pack. He has been gaining momentum in the Plath Motorsports #14P in Sprint Invaders competition and came home second at the Jacksonville Speedway. The finish put him into a tie for third in points heading into some big Fair races coming up in Iowa the next three weeks.

For once, the draw went well and Kaley was slotted to start on the pole of his heat race. "Starting on the pole with the Invaders definitely helps things," he says. "With the format, you need to be in the top two to make the dash."

Despite being impaired, Kaley won his heat in convincing fashion. "We had no brakes in the heat race, we were just lucky to hold on for the win," says the Decatur, Illinois driver. "We had a new motor in from Manny Rockhold (Automotive Machine) and it seemed to be hitting."

Starting fourth in the Shake-Up Dash, Kaley would run in the show position. Winner Justin Parrish rolled a four, meaning a start for Kaley outside of row three in the main event. "The invert didn't work as well for us as it did at Donnellson (he ended up on the pole and won that night)," he says. "It put us outside row three for the feature."

There was no time wasted on moving forward, as the track looked like it may take rubber. "We got off to a good start and got up to third," says Kaley. "The track took rubber, and about halfway through we were able to get second from Donnie Steward."

From there on, there was no catching Joey Moughan, who had put a number of lapped cars between himself and Kaley. "We fell in line after that and kind of rode out the race," says the 2007 Sprint Invaders champion. "I wasn't pushing the issue in lapped traffic really. I wasn't going to catch Joey, and even if I did, I don't know that I could have passed him the way the track was. Fortunately, nobody crashed. We got through it o.k. Sometimes, on a track like that, you're worried about contact."

The #14P team changed to a car they utilized in 2009 before their Donnellson win. That followed a struggle in a couple of Sprint Invaders shows and at the Knoxville Raceway. Things seem to be back on track. "We'll take second after how we did there a few races," says Kaley. "I want to thank Randy, Nick, John, Lucas and everyone that works on the team for their help."

Kaley is planning a two-night race weekend. He'll travel with the family #44G 410 sprint car to the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin on Friday night for the Sue Thiel Memorial with the IRA. On Saturday, he'll be back in Randy and Lori Plath's #14P with the Sprint Invaders at West Liberty Raceway in West Liberty, Iowa. "We were there once," Kaley says of Dodge County. "It was a short night. We set quick time, and then cooked the motor in the heat. We're hoping to stick around a little longer this time."

Keep an eye on Kaley's progress this week and beyond at www.KaleyGharst.com!

If you would like to receive Kaley's weekly releases, send an e-mail with the subject line "Kaley" to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net .

Kaley and car owner Randy Plath would like to thank Sebastian Powder Coating and Sandblasting, Holtkamp Truck and Trailer Repair, Nelson's Catering, Pieper Inc., Lange Chiropractic, Rockstar Graphics, Scott Performance, Midland Performance and GPC Race Products.

Kaley races down the backstretch at Jacksonville (Scott Leeman Designs)

Bill W Media

sprntcar@hotmail.com

Monroe, IA USA

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(Bill W) – June 10, 2010 – It must have felt like an eternity for "Showtime" Kaley Gharst, but he won his first race of the season in convincing fashion last Wednesday night at the Lee County Speedway in Donnellson, Iowa. The Decatur, Illinois driver led all 25 laps with the Sprint Invaders to take his 14th career feature win with the series. That is tied for tops on the all-time list. Saturday, he will return to the Knoxville Raceway in the family #44G.

With 30 cars in the pits, a bad draw was not the best of starts. Kaley made the most of it, however. "We had a bad draw (47 out of 50), but it worked out for us," he says. "We started outside row four in the fourth heat. The first start, (Mike Williams) crashed in front of us, so that moved us up to sixth. We got a real good start the next time and got around a couple of them."

By the time the checkers waved, despite a heavy track, he had driven to second. "We were fourth by the flagstand, and we were able to get a couple more in one and two," says Kaley. "We came out of there second, and that was important, because it got us in the dash and gave us a chance to start up front in the feature."

The draw continued to stink for the Shake-up Dash, but some luck came when winner Jim Moughan's draw put Kaley on the front of the main event. "We drew an eight for the dash and we needed to finish in the top six to make the first three rows," says Kaley. "We were able to bring it home fifth. Luckily, the draw worked in our favor and we ended up starting on the pole."

The preliminary events weren't without issues, and an adjustment had to be made for the feature. "We were chasing an overheating motor all night long," says Kaley. "Finally, we got a good temperature for the feature, but to get it done, we had to kill the drive off the bottom with the gear. I was a little worried, but it ended up working out for us."

At the drop of the green, the battle was for second, as Kaley quickly opened up a straightaway lead on his competition. Despite a few cautions and restarts, he maintained his dominance. It was his fourth win in Sprint Invaders competition at the 3/8 mile oval, and his first since a Winged Outlaw Warriors win in 2008 in Dale Oaks #41. "The top of one and two had a big cushion, and the first half was pretty much against the fence," he says of the racing conditions. "I never did go to the bottom to see if there was anything down there. In three and four, there was a pretty big hole up top. I went up there a few times and you could get around it if you got high enough. I wanted all the drive I could get, so I chose the bottom on that end."

The Randy and Lori Plath Motorsports #14P team brought out a different car. "We put together another car on Tuesday night, and it's a car we ran last year," says Kaley. "The car we've been running the last three weeks…we just were struggling and couldn't get it to do anything. I was happy to get this car out here and get a win with it. I'd like to thank the team for the hard work they put in this week. Randy, Nick, John, Lucas and everyone just did a great job."

Keep an eye on Kaley's progress this week and beyond at www.KaleyGharst.com!

If you would like to receive Kaley's weekly releases, send an e-mail with the subject line "Kaley" to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net .

Kaley and car owner Randy Plath would like to thank Sebastian Powder Coating and Sandblasting, Holtkamp Truck and Trailer Repair, Nelson's Catering, Pieper Inc., Lange Chiropractic, Rockstar Graphics, Scott Performance, Midland Performance and GPC Race Products.

Kaley Gharst – Lowlights!

(Bill W) – May 12, 2010 – It was a rough weekend to say the least for 21 year old sprint car driver Kaley Gharst. A mechanical breakdown in Jacksonville, Illinois on Friday, and an unavoidable crash on Saturday at Knoxville Raceway were the lowlights. However, the Randy and Lori Plath Motorsports #14P will be back in action this weekend at Knoxville with high hopes.

The Sprint Invaders visit to the Jacksonville Speedway saw the Decatur, Illinois driver draw outside row one of the first heat. He would win that and then run fifth in the shake-up dash. “We were pretty decent there in the heat, and we were able to win it,” says Kaley. “We drew bad for the dash, but things get scrambled up after the draw anyway. We were trying a few things, but I think we ended up finishing where we started.”

The dash roll of the dice put Kaley inside row two for the main event. Unfortunately, his race would not last long. “We started third, and once we got going after a few cautions, I think we were good,” he says. “I think we were set up to get better as the race wore on.”

Mechanical gremlins set in. “Unfortunately, we had the throttle pedal break on us,” says Kaley. “I tried to use the side of my foot on the throttle for awhile, but to keep from getting someone hurt, I pulled it off. Unfortunately, we didn’t get an opportunity to see what we had for Jerrod Hull. That’s part of racing.”

After changing to the 410 sprinter, the team headed over to Knoxville on Saturday, where 39 sprinters signed in on Knoxville vs. IRA Challenge night. Kaley registered the 16th quick time of the night. “We qualified around 15.2 and that’s the quickest I’ve went up there for awhile,” he says of his lap. “I bobbled in turn two, and again in three and four, so hopefully, I can get that smoothed out this weekend.”

The heat ended for Kaley in turn one. “We started third there, and unfortunately, the guy on the pole got sideways going into turn one,” he shares. “I tried to miss him, but I couldn’t avoid him, and we got upside down.”

Kaley walked back to the pits, and it looked like he was going to be o.k. Eventually, pain in the lower to mid-back region prompted him to take a ride to the hospital. “I had some soreness in my back, so we didn’t want to take any chances,” he says. “They gave me some meds, but all they did was make me sleep. I’m fine today (Tuesday).”

Preparations are being made for Knoxville, and the crew will be working hard this week. “The front of the car was junk, but I don’t think the back was too bad,” says Kaley. “We’re putting another one together this week. I’d like to thank Randy, Lori and everyone who is helping us get things back together.”

Keep an eye on Kaley's progress this week and beyond at www.KaleyGharst.com!

If you would like to receive Kaley's weekly releases, send an e-mail with the subject line "Kaley" to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net .

Kaley and car owner Randy Plath would like to thank Sebastian Powder Coating and Sandblasting, Holtkamp Truck and Trailer Repair, Nelson Catering, Pieper Inc., Lange Chiropractic, Rockstar Graphics, Scott Performance, Midland Performance and GPC Race Products.

Bill W Media

sprntcar@hotmail.com

Monroe, IA USA

Kaley Gharst – A Good Start at Knoxville!

(Bill W) – May 5, 2010 – After a scary beginning to the season opener at Knoxville Raceway last Saturday night, "Showtime" Kaley Gharst emerged with a solid top ten finish. The driver of the Plath Motorsports #14P had to do it the hard way, however. This weekend, the team will split their time between 360 and 410 action, as they will tackle Jacksonville (IL) Speedway with the Sprint Invaders on Friday, before racing again at Knoxville against the IRA invaders on Saturday.

Car owners Randy and Lori Plath nearly had their first ever 410 action at Knoxville end before it even started as Kaley got on the gas down the back chute in hot laps. "The way the night started, we were about ready to load up," says Kaley. "The driveshaft broke, we only had a ¼ lap in, and it dinged the motor pretty bad. We thought it might have bent a valve too. We were able to get the drive train and the driveshaft changed, and everything leaked down o.k., so we decided to run it."

While the team that includes Nick Breuer, Randy and John Plath, Lucas Glasgow, Berl Gharst and others feverishly worked to resolve the issue, qualifying went by the wayside. "We missed qualifying, but I may have qualified in the same spot they put me in anyway," says Kaley. "We only moved up a couple of spots in the heat, but everyone made the feature."

He drove from seventh to fifth in the heat and the top six allowed him to start in the first eight rows. "We started fifteenth there in the feature, and we actually had a left rear shock come off early on," says the Decatur, Illinois driver. "The car got faster, and we moved up through there pretty well to sixth."

Kaley was poised to make a move into the top five when an open red occurred with just two laps to go. "During the open red with two to go, we put the shock back on and went backward two spots," he says. "Maybe we'll run this week without a left rear shock, or get something with a little less compression. I think we learned something from that, and that's' what we're trying to do right now."

The 21 year old driver looks back on Saturday with a lot of positives. "For the first race at Knoxville of the year, and the first time we've had Randy's car there, things looked pretty good," he says. "The car felt good, and it was reacting to the changes we were making throughout the night."

While a pair of teams lost left rear Goodyear tires, Kaley had no issues whatsoever. "We had no problems with the tires," he assures. "Some were saying they were having trouble with blistering. We had good tire wear, and that's a good thing. We'd like to continue that."

Kaley is ready for this weekend. "We'll hit Jacksonville on Friday and Knoxville again on Saturday. I'd like to thank the crew for all their help last weekend. They were busy, and with the two races this weekend, it's going to continue."

Keep an eye on Kaley's progress this week and beyond at www.KaleyGharst.com!

If you would like to receive Kaley's weekly releases, send an e-mail with the subject line "Kaley" to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net .

Kaley and car owner Randy Plath would like to thank Sebastian Powder Coating and Sandblasting, Holtkamp Truck and Trailer Repair, Nelson Catering, Pieper Inc., Lange Chiropractic, Rockstar Graphics, Scott Performance, Midland Performance and GPC Race Products.

www.hoseheads.com/billw.html

Kaley Gharst – Slick Start!

(Bill W) – April 21, 2010 – Kaley Gharst went into the "360 Sprint Challenge" at the 34 Raceway near West Burlington, Iowa thinking he may take the opportunity to go to the back and make some extra cash. During the course of the night, he decided against it, then thought he should have, and finally settled for fourth in the main event even after being covered in power steering fluid.

The Decatur, Illinois driver had an uncharacteristic draw. "Actually, I drew for myself, and that was a little change from the usual," says Kaley. "I actually drew decent. We had a little bit of a concern in hot laps, because there was a vibration. I think we narrowed it down to a bent wheel."

After solving the vibration issues, Kaley rolled to victory from the front row in his heat race. "The car felt good in the heat, and the vibration was gone," he says. "We got the win, but the motor was a little bit rich on the top end. That hurt us a bit, but we were in the dash."

The dash draw put him back in row four, and the 3/8 mile oval was tacky through the middle, yielding little passing opportunities. Though offered the challenge to go to the back, he refused, citing track conditions. "We didn't go anywhere, but we got a feel for the track," he says. "At the time, it didn't look like it would widen up, so we refused the challenge. The track got better, and I kind of wished we would have taken it."

Starting sixth in the special 34-lap main event, Kaley held his own in the top five. "I knew we'd be tight to start the feature, but it was a little more than I thought," he remembers. "I was doing everything I could to maintain track position. By the time the car came around, it may have been a little too late."

Once he got going, he started reeling in the second place car, while leader Jerrod Hull was out of sight. With power steering fluid making things slick with the pedals, he was lucky to finish where he did. "We started moving forward, and got up to third behind (Ryan) Jamison," he says. "That's when the red came out and we lost power steering. The last ten or eleven laps, we were without it, so finishing fourth wasn't too bad. I got a nice shower of power steering fluid too."

Plans for the Randy and Lori Plath Motorsports #14P team are still a bit undecided for this weekend with the forecasts. "We're really looking at the weather," says Kaley. "We're kicking around going down to the Lake of the Ozarks on Saturday instead of Wisconsin (IRA). We're leaning towards Missouri, and hitting Shepp's on Friday. We'll see how the weather pans out, and we'll try to make it a two-race weekend."

Keep an eye on Kaley's progress this week and beyond at www.KaleyGharst.com!

If you would like to receive Kaley's weekly releases, send an e-mail with the subject line "Kaley" to sprntcar@iowatelecom.net .

Kaley and car owner Randy Plath would like to thank Sebastian Powder Coating and Sandblasting, Holtkamp Truck and Trailer Repair, Nelson Catering, Pieper Inc., Lange Chiropractic, Rockstar Graphics, Scott Performance, Midland Performance and GPC Race Products.

Kaley, his dad (right) and some dumb writer (Dennis Krieger Imagery)

www.hoseheads.com/billw.html