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Blazin' Blankenship
Local 11-year-old making his mark in go-cart world
Blakenship need for speed
William Blankenship, 11, is a demon behind the wheel of a go-cart. He finished second in points in the Tennessee Championship Series and won the Burris Fall Nationals on Oct. 25.
When he gets behind the wheel of a go-cart, 11-year-old William Blankenship is as fast as a cheetah.Blankenship certainly had the pedal to the metal on Oct. 25 when he approached speeds of 65 mph to win the second annual Burris Fall Nationals at Dumplin Valley Raceway in Kodak, Tenn.The race came down to the wire with four go-carts wrestling for the lead on the final lap. In Turn 3, William managed to make a move to catapult to the front as he claimed a photo-finish victory by 0.082 on the quarter-mile dirt track.“They interviewed him after the race and he sounded like Jeff Gordon,” said proud dad and crew chief Jerry Blankenship. “Then they interviewed me and I couldn’t get my tongue out of my mouth.”The win at fall nationals capped a successful 20-race season for William, the son of Jerry and Beth Blankenship.