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| August 07, 2009 News |
| EKN Trackside: Championship Karting International Grand Prix of California - Preview |
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With roughly a month away from the track, the Championship Karting International series returns to action with the third round of the new 2009 program. The CalSpeed Karting facility, outside the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, is the site of the Grand Prix of California. The third round marks a long journey from round two in New Jersey with about 2,700 miles separating the two events. Weather should not be a factor all weekend as the sun is forecasted to shine all weekend long on the 3/4-mile circuit. The six divisions schedule to compete will see some close racing as the championship chases begin to heat up.
While the numbers are not there, the quality of the KZ2 field is strong with two former national champions and two up and coming drivers. Championship leader and former two-time national champion Gary Carlton (PCH Motorsports/SSC East/CRG) will look to extend his point lead over Gregory Liefooghe (Leading Edge Motorsports) - a KZ2 rookie that has put in two solid performances in the opening rounds. Alex Speed (Wunder-Bar Racing), another former national titlist, will return to CKI after missing the second round in New Jersey. Speed will look to end Carlton’s string of wins. The wild-card of the weekend will be the young Jacob Neal (PCH Motorsports). The SoCal driver has been stomping the competition up and down the California coast in regional action and will look to use that momentum toward his first national victory.
The same can be said for the KF2 program with a number of talented pilots set to do battle. Championship leader Arie Ouimet (SSC East) will be using the CalSpeed round as his drop race, allowing the rest of the title contenders a chance to earn some ground over the New Jersey winner. Chris Wehrheim (Team Top Kart USA) and Richard Benitez (J3 Competition) are in the driver’s seat to overtake the standings lead after this weekend with a solid run. Brett Felkins (Leading Edge Motorsports) is in the mix as well after a second place run in New Jersey. Wunder-Bar Racing’s Alex Speed and Will Martindale return to the class after missing the second round, both capable to earning the victory. Former Intercontinental A national champion and current Star Mazda driver Joel Miller (Tony Kart West) is on board this weekend for a one-off appearance while KZ2 driver Brendan Phinny (Kartel Motorsports) returns from a broken shoulder blade to contest his first ever KF2 event.
Neil McCoy (Team PKS) enters the CalSpeed round as the driver to beat in IAME Senior, leading the standings by 14 points over Neil Alberico (Kartel Motorsports). Both have yet to score victory but solid top-five runs in the opening rounds have the showing the way. New Jersey winner Andre Nicastro (Italian Motors) is back and looking for more gold along with inaugural winner Mason Marotta (Leading Edge Motorsports). A number of drivers are making their CKI debut - including Joey Licata Jr. (SSC Racing), Howie Idelson (Mike Manning Karting), Michael Lewis (Zanardi USA), and Kyle Shriver (Pitts Performance) - all of which have numerous laps around CalSpeed. Former ICC driver Cody Jolly is making his IAME Senior debut with PBIR/Screaming Talent and could be a wildcard.
 | The CalSpeed Karting circuit is located just outside Turn 4 of the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana
(Photo: CalSpeed Karting) |
Tristan DeGrand (J3 Competition) and Taylor Miinch (Team Top Kart USA) will look to extend their KF3 battle in CalSpeed. The two each have earned victory, DeGrand in New Castle and Miinch in New Jersey, with DeGrand holding the top spot in the championship chase. Miinch may have the advantage with a home state track but DeGrand is quick at learning new facilities, which should result in a great battle between the two on the weekend. Making their CKI debuts this weekend will be Gustavo Menezes (Tony Kart West), Nicholas Silva (Reaction Karting) and Alessandra Madrigal (J3 Competition). Menezes is returning back home to California after spending most of the year in Europe while Silva and Madrigal are looking to spoil the hopes of the series regulars.
IAME Junior championship leader Tyler Thomas (Team Top Kart USA) will be using the CalSpeed event as his drop race, which will open up the lead spot after this weekend to a number of drivers. Shawn Sharkey (Merlin USA) tops the list of challengers with a win already at the inaugural event. Privateer Camden Geise has two top-five performances to his credit and comes with local knowledge of the track along with Taylor Miinch (Team Top Kart USA) and Raquel Martinez (Team PKS). Like IAME Senior, the Junior division has a number of new faces that could be seen up front - including Alessandra Madrigal (J3 Competition), Adrian Starrantino, Kiel Spaulding (Kartel Motorsports), Gustavo Menezes (Tony Kart USA), and Louie Pagano (Birel).
The Cadet class throughout the weekend should be a wild one with the championship contenders up against a stack local field. Austin Schoonmaker made the trek from the Mid-west along with Ashley Rogero from Florida. Josh Saurino is also in the mix as they will try to outdo the local talent that will be looking to steal the victory from them on Sunday.
eKartingNews.com will have complete coverage of the event beginning Friday with Qualifying at the end of the day. Saturday will see three rounds of heat races for all six groups, lining them up for Sunday’s Prefinal that leads into the main events Sunday afternoon. Watch updates throughout the weekend at the Official Discussion Thread with the top-10 of each session beginning Friday with the final practice sessions before heading into Qualifying.
CKI Grand Prix of California Provisional Entry List
KZ2
| No. | Driver | City | State | Country | Chassis | Engine | Team| 109 | Liefooghe, Gregory | San Francisco | CA | USA | Intrepid | Maxter | Leading Edge Motorsports | | 133 | Neal, Jacob | Wildomar | CA | USA | CRG | Maxter | PCH Motorsports | | 141 | Speed, Alex | Manteca | CA | USA | Tony Kart | Vortex | Wunder-Bar Racing | | 152 | Carlton, Gary | Marysville | CA | USA | CRG | Maxter | SSC East | |
KF2
| No. | Driver | City | State | Country | Chassis | Engine | Team| 208 | Martindale, Will | Vacaville | CA | USA | Tony Kart | Vortex | Wunder-Bar Racing | | 214 | Miller, Joel | Hesperia | CA | USA | Tony Kart | Vortex | Tony Kart West | | 216 | Wehrheim, Chris | Norcross | GA | USA | Top Kart | Maxter | Team Top Kart USA | | 235 | Felkins, Brett | Lodi | CA | USA | Intrepid | Vortex | Leading Edge Motorsports | | 241 | Speed, Alex | Manteca | CA | USA | Tony Kart | Vortex | Wunder-Bar Racing | | 248 | Benitez, Richard | San Juan | | Puerto Rico | Kosmic | Vortex | J3 Competition | | 266 | Phinny, Brendan | Carmel Valley | CA | USA | Top Kart | Maxter | Kartel Motorsports | |
IAME Senior
| No. | Driver | City | State | Country | Chassis | Team| 400 | Politis, Michael | Brooklyn | NY | USA | Tony Kart | Politis Motorsports | | 406 | Bachman, Timmy | Bakersfield | CA | USA | Top Kart | Team PKS | | 415 | Hogg, Michael | N. Vancouver | BC | Canada | Top Kart | Kartel Motorsports | | 417 | Licata Jr., Joey | | | | CRG | | | 418 | Alberico, Neil | Los Getos | CA | USA | Top Kart | Kartel Motorsports | | 419 | Ritter, Hayden | N. Vancouver | BC | Canada | Top Kart | Kartel Motorsports | | 428 | Jolly, Cody | Houston | TX | USA | Tony Kart | PBIR/Screaming Talent | | 431 | Idelson, Howie | | | | MMK | | | 433 | Buckwalter, Brett | Petaluma | CA | USA | ItalKart | Cameron Karting | | 436 | Saurino, Nigel | Tulsa | OK | USA | Top Kart | Top Kart | | 442 | Lewis, Michael | | | | Zanardi | | | 447 | Herda, Mike | | | | CRG | | | 454 | Marotta, Mason | Bakersfield | CA | USA | Intrepid | Leading Edge Motorsports | | 459 | Shriver, Kyle | | | | CRG | | | 468 | Paterson, Joe | Essex | | GB | Tony Kart | PBIR/Screaming Talent | | 473 | Matta, Ty | | | | Top Kart | Tony Kart West | | 478 | Harris, Joshua | | | | Maddox | | | 492 | Nicastro, Andre | | | Brazil | ItalKart | Italian Motors | | 496 | Ruscitti, Remo | Burnaby | BC | Canada | ItalKart | Italian Motors | | 498 | McCoy, Neil | Henderson | NV | USA | Top Kart | Team PKS | |
KF3
| No. | Driver | City | State | Country | Chassis | Engine | Team| 310 | Menezes, Gustavo | Coto de Caza | CA | USA | Tony Kart | Vortex | Tony Kart West | | 320 | Miinch, Taylor | El Cajon | CA | USA | Top Kart | Vortex | Team Top Kart USA | | 324 | Loftsgard, Cole | | | | Tony Kart | Vortex | Tony Kart West | | 325 | Silva, Nicholas | | | | Kosmic | Vortex | Reaction Karting | | 328 | DeGrand, Tristian | Eureka | MO | USA | Kosmic | Vortex | J3 Competition | | 375 | Enerson, RC | Tampa | FL | USA | Tony Kart | TM | PBIR/Screaming Talent | | 377 | DeLaO, Phil | Peoria | AZ | USA | CRG | Maxter | SSC East | | 394 | Sharkey, Shawn | Middletown | NJ | USA | Merlin | XTR | Franklin Motorsports | | 396 | Madrigal, Alessandra | Chicago | IL | USA | Kosmic | Vortex | J3 Competition | |
IAME Junior
| No. | Driver | City | State | Country | Chassis | Team| 602 | Starrantino, Adrian | Simi Valley | CA | USA | CRG | Privateer | | 606 | Martinez, Raquel | Pico Rivera | CA | USA | Top Kart | Team PKS | | 608 | Spaulding, Kiel | Elk Grove | CA | USA | Top Kart | Kartel Motorsports | | 609 | Craig, Jake | | | | CRG | | | 610 | Menezes, Gustavo | Coto de Caza | CA | USA | Tony Kart | Tony Kart West | | 611 | Torres, Jared | | | | Top Kart | | | 620 | Miinch, Taylor | El Cajon | CA | USA | Top Kart | Team Top Kart USA | | 624 | Saurino, Hans | Tulsa | OK | USA | Top Kart | Team Top Kart USA | | 627 | Lupton, Dylan | Elk Grove | CA | USA | Birel | Andersen Racing | | 628 | DeGrand, Tristian | Eureka | MO | USA | Kosmic | J3 Competition | | 631 | Cook, Sabre | Grand Junction | CO | USA | CRG | Critical Zone Racing | | 634 | Geise, Camden | R.S.M. | CA | USA | CRG | Team Pitts Performance | | 638 | Neveau, Corey | | | | Tony Kart | | | 655 | Pagano, Lou | Camarello | CA | USA | Birel | DPK | | 677 | DeLaO, Phil | Peoria | AZ | USA | CRG | SSC East | | 682 | Taylor, Carlee | | | | Tony Kart | | | 684 | Maddison, Emily | | | | PCR | | | 688 | Lin, Fred | | | | Italkart | | | 694 | Sharkey, Shawn | Middletown | NJ | USA | Merlin | Merlin USA | | 696 | Madrigal, Alessandra | Chicago | IL | USA | Kosmic | J3 Competition | |
Cadet
| No. | Driver | City | State | Country | Chassis | Team| 3 | Womack, Michael | | | | Birel | | | 9 | Baker, Brendan | | | | Nevoso | | | 14 | Million, Matt | | | | Top Kart | | | 17 | Rogero, Ashley | Naples | FL | USA | Kosmic | Paragon Motorsports | | 18 | Lepe, Justice | | | | Nevoso | | | 19 | May, Wyatt | | | | Top Kart | | | 24 | Axton, Willy | | | | Top Kart | | | 25 | Riley Reyes | Alpine | CA | USA | CRG | SSC Racing | | 26 | Herta, Colton | | | | | | | 34 | Brooks, Colton | | | | | | | 39 | Stowell, Slater | | | | | | | 41 | Holleran, Tate | | | | | | | 43 | Manthei, Davey | Pasco | WA | USA | Top Kart | Kartel Motorsports | | 44 | Whitbread, Cooper | | | | Birel | | | 48 | Schoonmaker, Austin | Lebanon | OH | USA | Merlin | Franklin Motorsports | | 57 | Saurino, Josh | Tulsa | OK | USA | Top Kart | Kartel Motorsports | | 66 | Smith, Zane | Huntington Beach | CA | USA | Top Kart | Team PKS | | 80 | Thompson, Parker | | | | Tony Kart | | | 88 | McDaniel, Chase | | | | Nevoso | | | 83 | Ramirez, Nick | | | | S1 | | |
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