To kick off 2009 (just a little early!) we are going to be doing profiles of all of the 2008 Pro Solo and Solo National Champions. These will be presented in no particular order so don’t look for some hidden meaning!
We are going to kick of the series with Karen Kraus who was the 2008 L1 Pro Solo Champion driving a 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX on Hoosier tires. Karen resides in the greater Baltimore/Washington D.C. area. She calls Blue Ridge her home region and is also a dual member with the Atlanta region.
RR: Is this your first attendance at Nationals?
KK: No.
RR: How many times have you attended?
KK: I’ve been at Nationals every year since 1997, though I don’t always go to the ProSolo Finale.
RR: Is this your first national championship?
KK: As far as I’m concerned, yeah. I didn’t have to work for the other one. (please don’t quote me on that)
RR: If not, how many others? What class(es)? What years?
KK: 2007 DSL National Champion.
RR: What was your favorite memory of the competition?
KK: During the Pro Solo Finale me and Beth Strelnieks standing in impound, watching Tara Johns’ last 4 runs in drying conditions, both of us praying she didn’t overtake our 1-2 positions.
RR: What do you think was your key to success?
KK: Rain at the Finale, and luck. Seriously. Beth Strelnieks is a hell of a competitor.
RR: Who has most influenced you?
KK: In autocross, Tim Aro and Mike “Junior” Johnson.
RR: Who inspires you?
KK: James Wilson (for being on a shoe-string budget with cars no one thinks has a chance, and still going out there and driving hard) and Billy Brooks and Greg McCance, just for their attitudes.
RR: Do you have any special pre-race routine, or any superstitions you follow?
KK: I have my mascot, “Softy” the turtle. And at the line, I have my music and my nervous “A/C off, car in 1st, A./C off, car in 1st” hand motions.
RR: Do you have any driving aids or tools you use to help you?
KK: Nope
RR: What do you think you do differently than your competition?
KK: Versus most of my competition, I think the thing I do differently is try to pit myself against the toughest competition I can during the year at most events. If I’m not against the hardest competition, there is no drive to push myself to do better.
RR: Have you attended any driving school?
KK: 1996 SCCA Club Racing Competition school at Summit Point, and a couple of Evolution Performance schools
RR: Describe your driving style.
KK: Steven Rankins described it as “Fernando Alonso.” I’m not smooth behind the wheel at all.
RR: What was your first -and favorite autocross car?
KK: The first car I autocrossed regularly wasn’t mine. It was a 1992 Ford Mustang LX 5.0, with springs and a rear swaybar, so I started off in ESPL. My first autocross car, and pretty much my favorite is my 1996 Camaro Z28 1LE (the “green terror”). My second favorite autocross car is also not mine; it’s Joel Fehrman’s 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STi (“Stompy”).
RR: If you could change one Solo rule – either for your specific class or in general — what would it be?
KK: Allow rear swaybars in stock classes.
RR: Who would you like to thank for your success?
KK: Randy Reinhardt at Subaru for supporting me specifically and autocross in general, Rick and JJ at IAG Performance for the support, Gabe for driving the car out to Topeka, Beth for pushing me so hard, and, of course, Pat for not minding me playing with my cars when his weren’t working.
Photo credits thanks to Gabriel Dunn & David Cosseboom
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