|
 |
|
 |
| July 09, 2010 News |
| EKN Trackside: World Karting Association Zoom Zoom Nationals - Preview |
| |
 | The Road America facility
(Photo: roadamerica.com) |
This weekend marks the return of the WKA Zoom Zoom Nationals to the famed Road American facility in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The WKA George Kugler/Bridgestone Manufacturer’s Cup Series and the WKA Dunlop Tire Road Racing Series will compete at the same venue for the second time this season. Round three of the Manufacturer’s Cup program will utilize the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex kart track, while the Road Racers will navigate the historic 4-mile road course for round five of their 2010 season. It should be an interesting weekend for sure, especially considering the latest issues regarding the recent suspension of six trustees, although every competitor in both paddocks will likely be looking forward to getting back to the real reason that everyone will be in Wisconsin this weekend, which is to race and enjoy their time with friends and family.
With the Manufacturer’s Cup Series reaching its halfway point this weekend, the hunt to earn the coveted Triple Crown status is still in reach for many drivers. Looking at the Senior categories, no one stands out alone as a potential TC award winner, as the championship chases are close. Colton Ramsey (Merlin) has been consistent in the Yamaha SuperCan Lite category and heads into Road America with the championship lead. Tony Jump (Margay) is right there in second with Daytona winner TJ Koyen (Merlin) dropping to third after a tough weekend in South Bend. In the Heavy category, Ryan Stewart (Birel) remains in the top spot with Jump and Chuck Tate (Margay) in the challenger positions. Stewart also leads the Komet Heavy division over Patrick Olsen (Birel) and Corey Reeves (Arrow), while Olsen has the advantage in the Lite class with Ramsey and South Bend winner Shinya Michimi (Merlin) giving chase. Kevin Nelson (Arrow) is the only driver holding the top spot in two categories - Yamaha Pipe and Yamaha Masters - however, he is not in position to challenge in any other class.
Jacob Sekey (Arrow) has a solid lead in the TaG category with two podium finishes to his credit with Michael Politis (Merlin) and South Bend winner Robert Bujdoso (PCR) looking to cut into his lead. Politis and Patrick Soares (Haase) are tied up in the Parilla Leopard class with Tommy Andersen (Merlin) close behind. Bujdoso and Sekey are also locked at the top of the TaG Heavy standings with Andy Dunne (Birel) and two-time winner John Dixon (Tony Kart) holding comfortable leads in Rotax and TaG Masters, respectively.
The Junior categories have a number of drivers in contention with Nick Neri (Tony Kart) leading the way thus far. The Florida driver leads the Komet Jr. Lite and Yamaha Jr. Heavy standings heading to round three. Last year’s Triple Crown inductee Sam Beasley (Arrow) is atop the standings in Yamaha Jr. Lite and challenging in others, as is Komet Jr. Heavy leader Austin Self (Birel). In the Sportsman groups, Ashley Rogero comes to Road America as the championship leader in all four classes, leading Cadet Jr. Sportsman, Komet Sportsman, Yamaha Sportsman Lite, while being tied in Yamaha Sportsman Heavy with South Bend winner Brandon Jarsocrak (Haase). As competitive as these classes have been thus far, Rogero will have to be on her game to keep the field at bay.
 | The Briggs and Stratton Motorplex inside Road America
(Photo: roadamerica.com) |
For the Manufacturer’s Trophy standings, two-time defending champion Birel still hold the lead with 12 wins on the year. Arrow is close by with eight and Tony Kart right there with seven. Four other brands are tied at three wins each - Haase, Margay, Merlin and Top Kart - and this weekend in sure to point towards the contenders will be ready to vie for the prestigious trophy over the final two weekends.
With nearly 40 classes making up the WKA Road Racing Series, a number of drivers are in the hunt for the coveted Triple Crown status, an award not earned by a road racer last year. Some of the classes to watch this weekend included the 100cc Controlled Spec laydown class with legend Randy Fulks leading the standings for both competition days. The TaG and Stock Leopard categories will see some great drafting with championship leader Chuck Gafrarar looking to come away with more hardware. With the event in the home state of Briggs & Stratton, the Briggs classes are sure to be among the largest and heavily contested classes with three different weight categories for the Senior drivers (335, 360, 385). With the Lite and Heavy running Saturday, everyone will join together for the Medium class on Sunday. The shifterkart classes will be amazing to watch with their speed and jostling for position each and every lap, with names like Beth Chryst, Stephen Flatt, and Brian Davies, just to name a few, expected in the lead pack.
eKartingNews.com will be trackside all weekend long, providing full coverage of the event. Readers can watch updates throughout the weekend in the Official Discussion Thread, which will include the popular Top-10 from each on-track session Saturday and Sunday for the Manufacturer’s Cup Series. Daily reports along with photos and results will be posted each night following the racing action as well. For the Road Racing action, a separate thread in the Road Racing section of the forums will have updates as the results are posted for the racers. |
|
|
Go Top
|
|
|
|
|
