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| May 15, 2010 News |
| EKN Trackside: WSK North American Series - Phoenix Saturday Report |
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 | Arie Ouimet would overcome issues in the Prefinal to score his third straight KF2 victory
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
The WSK North American Series by CKI completed its opening day of racing as the second round at the Phoenix Kart Racing Association Formula K Raceway facility in the Arizona desert. Like the weather, the racing was hot as each of the six categories saw great wheel to wheel action take place throughout the day. Overcoming issues in the Prefinal, defending KF2 champion came back to score his third straight victory while Alberico was challenged to the end for his third consecutive feature win. The Junior categories saw two new winners - Raquel Martinez (KF3) and Kiel Spaulding (Leopard Junior) while Cadet category drivers Dalton Sargeant (Rotax Mini Max) and Zane Smith (Comer Cadet) another victory on the year.
KF2
The KF2 qualifying session was a dual for the pole position as point leader Arie Ouimet (CRG) and hometown driver Phil DeLaO (Top Kart) exchanged fast laps throughout the run. The two drivers challenge one another to try and break the 42-second mark, DeLaO was closest with a 42.082-lap. Ouimet cam in to make some changes to his SSC East/CRG entry and was able to post his quickest lap of the session, coming 0.047-seconds short of the mark set by DeLaO. Joey Wimsett (CRG) was third in the order, also finding some extra speed in the late stages of the session, with local driver Chad Brassfield (Tony Kart) making his first KF2 start.
Wimsett took advantage of contact to take the victory in the 16-lap Prefinal. Ouimet got a questionable jump as the KF2 field continue to play games at the start of their races. DeLaO fell back to third as Wimsett was able to slide by through the opening corner. DeLaO quickly retook the second spot through the kink in turn nine, certainly a daring move, and was the quickest kart on the track as he closed in on Ouimet. Contesting lap four, DeLaO went deep into turn eight from a few kart lengths back to the inside of Ouimet. The move caught Ouimet off-guard and while turning into the apex, the two made contact. The result sent DeLaO overtop of Ouimet’s right side of his CRG and out of the race. DeLaO was able to restart and only drive back into pits. This handed Wimsett the lead as he cruised to victory with Brassfield into second. DeLaO was placed behind Ouimet in the results, as the two will start from row two in the Final.
The inside line prevailed once again as Wimsett and Ouimet took the point with Brassfield sliding in for third ahead of DeLaO. Wimsett paced the field with DeLaO able to work by Brassfield, who ran into some kart troubles and going off twice, eventually retiring on lap three. By lap four, Ouimet assumed the point from Wimsett as the top three ran nose to tail. The three exchanged fast lap of the race as all three battled a dusty track from the previous race, but the more consistent driver would end up being Ouimet. By the end, Ouimet had stretched out to a 1.302-second advantage for the victory, his third straight, over Wimsett. DeLaO, credited for the fast lap of the race despite a rubbing brake disc, ended up third to record his best finish of the year thus far after two DNFs in New Castle.
 | Neil Alberico (442) came under pressure from Taylor Miinch but still managed to take home win number three on the year
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
TaG Senior
The top three championship contenders lead the way in the timed session to begin the second round. Point leader Neil Alberico made the switch from the Rotax to Leopard for the weekend, not missing a thing put his Wild Kart on the pole position. Alberico made a number of laps, most of the drivers in the session, but continued to get quicker and quicker. In the end, his 43.770-lap time was nearly two-tenths clear of Taylor Miinch (Top Kart/Leopard). Making his first visit to the PKRA facility, Kyle Wiegand (Top Kart/Leopard) was third in the order, looking for more speed to stay with the top-two. The remainder of the field was filled with local drivers - Lucas Barnett (Kosmic/Leopard), Michael England (Tony Kart/Rok TT) and Ian Pierce (Top Kart/Leopard).
Alberico was able to break away early on to begin the Prefinal, taking the win in the 16-lap run. The field fell into line behind the pole sitter as they took the green flag. Wiegand was the first driver to attack, moving up to second through the first lap with a solid pass into turn 10. Miinch struck back on lap five in the same spot, getting inside Wiegand. Barnett and England, running fourth and fifth, were able to keep up with the fight for second. Both were able to get a great draft behind Wiegand and slide by in turn 10 to put the Top Kart driver back to fifth. Wiegand would gain one spot back on lap nine when England made a slight error on the exit of turn six, dropping off track and spinning around. He would go on to continue, finishing fifth. Out front, Alberico picked up the pace after Miinch cut into his lead momentarily, with the margin of victory nearly three-seconds. Barnett held off Wiegand for third at the line.
The start to the 22-lap Final was similar to the Prefinal with Alberico able to get away cleanly and establish a sizable lead early. Barnett was able to slide by Miinch for second through the opening corners as Wiegand and England fell in behind. Miinch was able to regain the second spot with a great move through turn five, catching Barnett off-guard and he dropped a wheel on the exit of the corner. This allowed both Wiegand and England to move through for position and drop Barnett to fifth. Within the first two laps, Alberico established a lead of over two-seconds until Miinch secured second, and began knocking into his lead lap after lap. With Miinch able to close the gap to nothing, Alberico switched into defensive mode for the first time on the day. Though Miinch appeared to be the faster kart on the track, he would find it difficult to get around the Wild Kart of Alberico. Coming to the checkered, Miinch made a late attempt at Alberico but it would not be enough. Alberico extended his wins to three with the Final victory and Miinch crossing the line second. Barnett was able to advance up to fourth and challenged Wiegand for third until the two made contact in turn 10. Barnett went over top of Wiegand and off track, out of the race. Wiegand was able to continue on and hold off England for the third podium step with Pierce completing the top-five.
 | Raquel Martinez held off Alessandra Madrigal for her first win of the year in KF3
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
KF3
The KF3 qualifying session was led by the female drivers of Raquel Martinez (Top Kart) and Alessandra Madrigal (Kosmic). Martinez was best in the session with her 43.597 lap time. Madrigal ran as the rabbit for her J3 Competition teammate Andrew Palmer (Kosmic), as they sat third and fourth provisionally. Point leader Madrigal would let Palmer by in the late stages of the session, using him as the rabbit. The move worked as she posted the second fastest lap of the session, moving her up to P2 on the Prefinal grid and dropping Chelootz and Palmer down the order.
From the pole position, Martinez went wire-to-wire for the Prefinal win. Getting the green flag, Martinez beat Madrigal to the opening corner with both Chelootz and Palmer able to slide by. Madrigal fell back to fourth briefly as she moved up to third, dropping Palmer to fourth. With Martinez alone out front, Chelootz fell under the pressure of Madrigal. The two swapped the position early on to keep Palmer close in for a third kart battle for the second position. As the 12 laps wore on, Martinez cruised to a three-second victory with Madrigal holding off Chelootz for second, while Palmer lost ground after dropping a wheel off the track to finish in fourth.
Coming from the third spot on the grid, Chelootz knifed through to take the point to begin the 17-lap. Martinez got away clean as the green flag waved while she bobbled through the second corner, allowing Chelootz by for the lead position. Sliding in behind for second, Martinez struck back inside turn eight on lap two to reclaim the lead. The four karts ran nose to tail with Madrigal and Palmer looking for a way by Chelootz. On lap five, Madrigal got a great run down the straight went to the inside of Chelootz in turn 10. Palmer tried to go by as well, making contact with Chelootz as both went off track. They would continue on but certainly out of the race as Martinez and Madrigal began their fight for the victory. The two female drivers would battle back and forth for the lead until Martinez secure the position. Madrigal made a late charge but would come up short. Martinez took the victory, becoming the second female to win in CKI history, with Madrigal - the first female winner in the series short history - placing second. Following their battle for position, Palmer and Chelootz found each other on track once again, sending both karts off into the barriers. Palmer would continue on to finish third and another podium result while Chelootz pulled off track after two laps.
 | Scoring win number one on the year, Kiel Spaulding ran away to victory in Leopard Junior
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Leopard Junior
The largest field of the weekend is the Leopard Junior division with 14 drivers taking to the track for the qualifying session. Kiel Spaulding (Top Kart) was provisional pole setter until round one double winner Camden Geise (CRG) began making his way up the order. Certainly with a ton of confidence following the New Caste event, Geise progressed to a 44.075-lap time to secure the pole position. Spaulding fell to second in the order with Sebastian Ordonez (Kart Mini), local driver Bailey Murphy (CRG) and Raquel Martinez (Top Kart) completing the fast-five.
Though he was challenged, Geise was able to secure the win to retain the top spot through the Prefinal. Clean through the opening corner, Geise assumed the lead with Ordonez sliding by Spaulding for second. Dore Chaponick (FA Kart) battled to fourth through the first lap, dropping Murphy back to fifth for the early top-five. Ordonez put some pressure on Geise early on, taking the lead on lap three as Geise went wide in turn 11. The two ran nose to tail for the majority of the race until Geise struck back on lap eight to assume the lead. Meanwhile, Spaulding was the fastest kart on the track to close into the top two. When Geise went around Ordonez for the lead, Spaulding took advantage to battle for the second spot. Their battle allowed Geise to cruise for the win with Ordonez able to hold on for second over Spaulding. Martinez came on strong after dropping out of the top-five to finish fourth with Alessandra Madrigal (Kosmic) moving up to fifth. Murphy dropped a wheel off mid-way through and dropped him back to tenth while Chaponick had issues as well, finishing eighth behind Sabre Cook (CRG) and Bryan Lemon (Komic).
The final race of the day was the exciting Final for the Leopard Junior category. From the pole position, Geise led the field through the first corners of the race Ordonez able to hold the second spot ahead of Spaulding. Ordonez was quick to act as he took over the lead before the field crossed the line for the first time. On lap six, Geise reclaimed the point through turn 10 but not without a fight back from Ordonez. The two got together, slowing their progress and allowing Spaulding and Chaponick to close in. The four jostled for position with Spaulding taking over the point with Geise dropping off to fifth with Martinez and Madrigal now in the fight. On lap eight, Ordonez was back to the lead with a bold move in turn seven. The two continued to swap the lead until Spaulding held the spot while Geise rejoined the fight. Geise and Ordonez went at it once again on lap 11 with Geise sliding through for second and the two making contact once again. With the contact, Spaulding was able to break away while Ordonez fell behind Chaponick. Geise got the worst for a second time, dropping to sixth with the laps winding down. In the end, Spaulding took the victory by 1.315-seconds over Chaponick and Ordonez. Martinez was fourth with Geise able to get around Madrigal for fifth in the final lap.
 | Avoiding the opening lap skirmish, Dalton Sargeant went on to score his third straight Rotax Mini Max victory
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Rotax Mini Max
The driver to watch during the Rotax Mini Max qualifying session was Devlin DeFrancesco. The FA Kart driver in the top-five early on but continued to pick up the pace as the session wore on. Patricio O’Ward - his DeFrancesco Racing/FA Kart teammate - held the provisional pole early on until DeFrancesco crept his way up the time chart. Posting a 45.015-lap time, DeFrancesco edged out O’Ward by 0.006-seconds for the pole position. Parker Thompson (Tony Kart) showed the way in practice on Friday but was only able to muster the third quickest lap. Point leader Dalton Sargeant was fourth in the order with his brother and RDD Motorsports/Kart Mini teammate Logan Sargeant rounding out the fast-five.
After not scoring the pole position in qualifying, Dalton Sargeant struck back in the Prefinal to take a dominant win. DeFrancesco secured the lead as the green flag waved to begin the race while O’Ward fell to fourth through the opening corners. As they field ran down the long straight for the first time at speed, Sargeant went from third to first to assume the lead as they completed the opening lap. From there, Sargeant broke away as they battle for second behind him, taking the win by over a second. DeFrancesco held off Thompson and O’Ward, despite a number of exchanges for position. Logan Sargeant completed the top-five, running just a few lengths behind the battle for second.
Making it through the day without much action in the opening corner, the Rotax Mini Max group went wild and crazy in turn one at the start of the 14-lap Final. Contact in the opening corner dropped DeFrancesco, Thompson, and O’Ward to the back of the field while both Sargeants slide by to claim first and second. Manthei, Corbitt and Nick Ramirez (Top Kart) made up the rest of the top-five. On lap five, Corbitt was gone as he went off course in turn five. This moved a charging O’Ward now up to fifth and closing in on the duo running third and fourth. Up front, Dalton Sargeant had a sizable lead on Logan Sargeant until the halfway mark when Dalton dropped a wheel, allowing Logan to close in on his bumper. From there, the two ran identical times to go one to score a 1-2 finish, Dalton’s third straight victory. Behind them, O’Ward recovered from the opening corner incident to record a third place drive. Thompson came through with him to finish fourth while Manthei completed the top-five.
 | Overcoming a two-second deficit, Zane Smith came through in the final corners for the win in Comer Cadet
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Comer Cadet
Practice day was all Parker Thompson (Tony Kart) as the Canadian has been working with Indy 500 winner and Arizona native Buddy Rice. Thompson was the only driver to dip below the 50-second mark, posting a 49.684-lap. Clearing the rest of the field by nearly half a second, Thompson’s time would be removed as he came into the scales underweight. This put Davey Manthei Jr. (Wild Kart) to the top of the order with Kartel Motorsports teammate Blaine Rocha (Wild Kart) alongside on the front row. The Top Kart’s of Hunter Corbitt and point leader Zane Smith in row two with Sting Ray Robb (Wild Kart) completing the fast-five.
Starting from the back, Thompson disproved his issues from qualifying to drive to the front for the Prefinal win. Manthei held the lead through the opening corner as Rocha fell back to fifth through the first few corners. Manthei would fall victim to a freight train that included Corbitt, Smith, and Thompson on lap two as the lead group went through corner 10. The next lap, Thompson was up second and set his sights for the lead. Using the draft from Corbitt, Thompson took the lead as they went through turn 10. From there, Thompson fought off the advances of Smith while they pulled away from Corbitt and Manthei. In the end, Thompson held off Smith by 0.234-seconds at the line while Corbitt and Manthei exchanged for the third spot in the final corners before Corbitt earned the position at the checkered. Rocha fell off the pace, allowing Robb to place fifth.
Certainly the Cadet divisions give plenty of excitement for those watching along the fence line week after week. The Final Saturday was no exception. Thompson appeared to have the race in hand, breaking away early with the lead as the rest of the field fought it out for second. Smith, Manthei and Corbitt swapped the second spot a number of times until Corbitt retired with engine issues. Smith and Manthei then worked together to cut into the lead of Thompson. Lap by lap, the gap was smaller and smaller until the final lap when the lead group became three. Heading down the long straight, Thompson held the inside line with Smith on his bumper. Through turn 10, Thompson went wide on the exit, allowing Smith to move to the inside and through for the lead. At the line, Thompson took the victory with Thompson edging out Manthei for second. The battle for fourth ended with Rocha earning the spot over Robb.
With the first day of action complete, the drivers and teams will go to work overnight to prepare for the final day of racing to wrap up round two in Phoenix. For most of the divisions, the question will be who will step up to be the next person to challenge for a win with a number of drivers looking to break through for win number one of the season. To follow updates throughout the day on Sunday, click over to the Forum Thread for the event. For complete coverage, click over to the EKN Event Page. |
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