Mark Stevens

Allen, I thought I would drop you a quick email to say ?Thank You?! Not only did Kyle have a great trip and awesome driving experience with you and the ABRS Team of professionals but apparently it was obvious it paid off instantly. The Legend Cars of Alberta Season opener was at the Wetaskiwin track last night. Kyle Qualified in P4, then started Heat 1 in 7th finishing in P1. Heat 2 he started 2nd and finished P1 again. For the final 50 lap main his points for qualifying, heat race finishes and the dice roll inversion had him starting in P1. He led from the start and dominated the track with an impressive drive that was concise, and only giving up the lead for 2 laps during the race. He quickly regained P1 as the 2nd place car had used up his tires making the bump and run pass on Kyle. Kyle was easily able to set him up for a deep, late brake inside pass into turn 3 to regain the lead. After a couple of cautions during the race he continued to drive away from the field with a clear edge over the strong top 8 competitors. The race ended on a green, white checkered finish after a very late race caution, unfortunately corner one had become an oil slick under the caution for some unknown reason and he pushed up the track on the 1st and 2nd restarts causing him to lose 2 positions. He finished off the night in 3rd and was disappointed to not take the win. After his initial disappointment, a number of fellow drivers and the Legends Dealer, all congratulating him on a great drive he knew he was the car to beat and the win was his to lose. A tough break but a good lesson was learned about recognizing the changing track conditions and a change of line after the first restart would have changed the outcome. It is a long season ahead and he quickly refocused on the Championship run not the win. I personally attribute his successful night to a strong rebuilt power plant under the hood, Ira?s wicked chassis set up and most importantly the coaching he received at your driving school. His driving was beyond smooth, he drove deeper and later into the corners using more brake then anyone else, the results of your braking exercises at Thunderhill definitely paid dividends here. The clear track drives were amazing as the other drivers faded away and in traffic it was magic to watch him set up and execute pass after pass gapping 2nd and 3rd by 15 to 20 car lengths. By looking forward, being aware of the upcoming traffic, being patient and making the pass at the right time to leave 2nd and 3rd to deal with the lapped traffic at the apex of the corners was a strategy that paid off. My sister was in the pits with us last night and she commented on how much Kyle?s driving was at a whole new level. She has supported Kyle since the first year he started in kart racing. She raced karts with Kyle at Stratotech Park when he became a senior driver and has attended many of his major races including the World Finals trip to Egypt in 2009. I want you to know that had you not sent out the email news letter when you did we would have missed this huge opportunity to run your cars at Thunderhill. So I appreciate you keeping your students and the fans (or Dads) of ABRS informed. I can?t thank you enough for the experiences you and your ABRS Team have provided Kyle in the past, this recent Thunderhill experience and how much it has shaped him as a driver. Good job, no, ?Great job and a job well done? Allen Berg.