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| July 15, 2010 News |
| EKN Trackside: US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals - Thursday Report |
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 | Phillip Arscott earned the pole position and went wire-to-wire for the first heat victory
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
One thing is for sure when you are in Indiana, the weather is certainly something to keep on eye on throughout the day. The first day of official on track action for the US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals took place on Thursday as the qualifying and first round of heat races took place at the New Castle Motorsports Park. By the time qualifying took place at 10am, the temperature was well over 80 degrees and rising. By the time the first round of heat races completed, a storm front passed through to drop some rain on the area, helping to cool things off briefly before the sun went down. On-track, the action was hot with some fast laps dropped down in qualifying and hotly contested heat races to start off the wheel-to-wheel action.
Senior
With 44 drivers set to do battle in the Senior category, the field was split by Wednesday’s final practice session to make up the two qualifying groups on Thursday. Texan Ryan Kinnear (Intrepid) led the way in the first group with a 1:05.610 lap time. The second group saw defending champion Phillip Arscott (Tony Kart) put up the only lap below the 1:05 mark. The Oregon native posted a 1:04.921 alone on the track to secure the pole position. A number of different drivers held the second spot briefly with Senior rookie Louie Pagano (Birel) coming away the position, two-tenths back of Arscott. Fellow Senior rookie Jesus Rios Jr. (CRG) was right there as was Fabio Orsolon (Tony Kart). Daniel Formal (Kosmic) completed the top-five to put three Florida drivers in the fast-five.
Andrew Hawkins (Kosmic) pick up just a bit from yesterday’s practice session to end up sixth while last year’s podium finisher Victor Pedrosa (Arrow) was seventh. Jeremy Kane (Birel) picked up from yesterday to move into the top-10, ending up eighth in the order while Sam Beasley (Arrow) and Mason Marotta (Intrepid) were just a bit off to round out the top-10.
Group A vs. B hit the track first to begin the first round of heat races, led by Arscott and Pagano. Pagano was slow as the green flag waved, allowing Arscott to go free with Beasley and Formal coming through for position. A pack of seven karts formed Arscott with Hawkins, Marotta, Joey Wimsett (CRG), Kyle Demeter (CRG) and Neil Alberico (Wildkart). On lap three, Formal was able to draft by Beasley for the second spot as Arscott continued to pull away. Pagano then tried to get Beasley in the last corner, but had the door shut. That allowed Hawkins to slide by for fourth with Marotta now pressuring Pagano for fifth. On lap six, Beasley made a slight bobble in the back section, allowing Hawkins by for the third position while Marotta worked around Pagano. On lap seven, Hawkins got a great draft down the straight and was able to take over the second spot from Formal, certainly showing to be the second fastest kart on the track next to Arscott. As they battled behind him, Arscott drove a clean race to extend his lead each lap. Arscott took the victory by over four-seconds while Formal was able to work by Hawkins in the final corner for the second spot. Pagano ended up fourth with Marotta ahead of Beasley.
 | From the pole position in C vs. D, Jesus Rios Jr. took the heat win in Senior
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
In the Group C vs. D heat race, Rios was able to get away cleanly from the pole position and cruise to the 10-lap heat win. Pedrosa and Andy Dunne (Birel) were able to partner up and stay locked, trying to catch up to Rios while a heavy battle ensued for fourth. In the end, Rios took the win by nearly three-seconds with Pedrosa and Dunne crossing the line behind him. Orsolon eventually won the battle for fourth with Mark Pellegrini (CRG) over Stepanova Nekeel (Tony Kart).
DD2
The defending champion Cody Hodgson (Tony Kart) began his defense by scoring the pole position in DD2. Nathan Mauel (CRG) and Derek Wang (CRG) exchanged the provisional pole before Hodgson put up a faster lap in his second circuit. 2008 Masters champion Marc Miller (Birel) made a few changes during the open pit road session in order to slide up to the second spot ahead of Wang. Mauel would end up fourth with Riley Turk (Birel) completing the fast-five.
The first heat race was a battle small battle between Hodgson and Miller for the win. Hodgson was able to use the inside line to keep control of the field while Miller was able to slot in behind ahead of Wang and Mauel. Lap two, Wang went deep into the I-70 corner and lost a lot of ground and positions in the process to put Mauel into third. Hodgson and Miller ran nose to tail through the 10-lap run. Miller made a few attempts but Hodgson was able to keep him at bay. In the end, Hodgson led all the laps for the win with Miller on hi bumper. Mauel ended up third with Wang able to drive back up to fourth ahead of James Carey (Arrow).
 | In DD2, Cody Hodgson has led the way in qualifying and heat one
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Masters
The Masters category has been paced by Eric Jones (Arrow) since he arrived on Monday during unofficial practice. Going through Wednesday’s practice sessions, the BTK Motorsports driver continued to be the driver to beat. Qualifying was no different with Jones posting the fast lap of the session in his out lap - 1:06.958. Jones’ session however was cut short as his engine died on him the following lap. Unsure of his engine’s status, he sat out the remainder of the session. Coming 55-thousadths off Jones lap, John Dixon (Tony Kart) was second in the order, just short of breaking the 1:07 mark. Russ Hamel (CRG) posted a similar lap to his times yesterday to end up third while the 19-year old Sean Scott (Birel) found some much needed speed after yesterday’s session to sit fourth. Texan DJ Ortiz (Tony Kart) completed the fast-five.
Following qualifying, Jones replaced his failed powerplant but would retain his spot at the pole position per the regulations. At the drop of the green, Jones pulled away to a 1.7-second advantage as Dixon was slow to get going and fell to fifth. Ortiz assumed the second spot with Hamel, Dixon and Scott making up the top-five. Scott dropped a wheel on lap two, falling to 11th to put Eric Chappell (Birel) into fifth. Dixon got himself grouped back up and was into third by lap two, chasing down Ortiz. The front five went unchanged until Chappell was able to get around Hamel for fourth with John Bonanno (Haase) - the fastest kart on the track - putting on the pressure for the fifth spot from Hamel. As the laps went on Hamel, made a few mistakes, costing him positions in the process as he eventually ended up 17th. Out front, Jones won by nearly six-seconds with Dixon able to get around Ortiz for second. Chappell ended up fourth with Bonanno up from 11th to fifth and Andy Seesemann (Birel) up from 12th to sixth.
Junior
The large 55 driver Junior field was split up into two groups. Leading the way in the first group was Texan Austin Self (Birel) as he struggled in the final practice session yesterday. He posted a 1:05.249 to lead the first session. His time would quickly be overtaken as the drivers in the second group began shuffling the top spot. Last year’s third-place finisher and 2007 Mini Max champion Jake French (Birel) led the session early on until Dore Chaponick Jr. (Alonso) posted his fast laps of the session - a 1:04.428. French would come in to make changes to his Birel but was unable to get any quicker with most drivers recording their fast lap within the first two laps. Alessandra Madrigal (Kosmic) is no stranger to the New Castle facility and was third in the order. Tristan Nunez (Tony Kart) was fourth with 2009 runner-up Ethan Ringel (Tony Kart) completing the fast five.
 | Despite some engine issues after securing the Masters pole position, Eric Jones ran away with the first heat race win
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Sixth in the order was Pietro Fittipaldi (Tony Kart) followed by Shawn Sharkey (Merlin) and Team USA 2009 member Alec Udell (Top Kart). Parker McKean (Birel) was ninth with Rotax Pan American Challenge Series leader Sebastian Ordonez (Kart Mini) rounding out the top-10. Yesterday’s fast driver Oliver Askew (Tony Kart) went backwards after strapping on new Mojo tires, ending up 16th overall.
A vs. B took to the track to begin their racing with Chaponick able to escape the opening corners with the lead followed by Ringel and French. The rest of the field shuffled behind him, including Nicholas Silva (Kosmic) who lost a chain. Behind the top three, Fittipaldi was fighting off a group behind him, led by Ordonez. Halfway through lap three, Ordonez was able to get around along with Self - up from tenth into fifth. Chaponick was able to get some space as Ringel and French fought hard for the second position. That allowed Ordonez to close in as the front four were clearly the class of the field. Once Ringel and French settled down, they were able to close back in to Chaponick for the final lap. Coming to the final corner, Chaponick ran the inside line down the straight as Ringel went to the outside. With the criss-cross move, Ringel had the inside line to the finish line, edging out Chaponick for the win. French would end up third with Ordonez fourth. Self eventually held off Alex Gamache (CRG) for the fifth spot until he was removed in the tech barn for an issue having a wrong part in the carburetor.
Madrigal and Nunez led the field to the green for the C vs. D heat race. Nunez was slow at the wave of flag and fell back to seventh by the time they came through the first lap. Madrigal led the field through the opening corner with Andrew Palmer (Kosmic) sliding up from fifth to second, dropping Sharkey to third with Jack West (Tony Kart) and Evan Mehan (Kosmic) making the top-five. Sharkey continued to lose positions each lap as the two top J3 Competition drivers pulled away with West giving chase. On the move was Alec Udell (Top Kart) as he was up to fourth by lap six after getting stuck behind Nunez at the drop of the green. With two to go, Palmer went to the point with Madrigal now in the chase position. As they went through turn four, they all shuffled around as Udell went off track. West came away with second with Sharkey up to third. Madrigal fell to fourth with Udell back to sixth. At the line, Palmer held on to the win with West fighting off Sharkey, Madrigal and Mehan for second while Udell crossed the line in sixth.
 | Ethan Ringel (371) was able to slide by top qualifier Dore Chaponick Jr. (379) in the final corner for the Junior A vs. B heat win
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Mini Max
The Mini Max field picked up the pace from yesterday’s final practice session, led by Dalton Sargeant (Kart Mini). The RDD Motorsports driver posted a 1:08.814 lap time to be able to edge out the rest of the competition. Kyle Kirkwood (Alonso) was just five-hundredths off Sargeant’s time. William Myers (CRG) was the only other driver below the 1:08 mark. Logan Sargent was fourth to put a second Kart Mini in the top-five while Patricio O’Ward put in a second Alonso in the fast-five. Yesterday’s fast driver Jordan Perry (CRG) ended up sixth, making it an all Florida-Texas top-six.
The first heat race matched groups A vs. B with Sargeant and Kirkwood leading the way. Kirkwood got a great jump at the drop of the green and led through the opening corners. Sargeant fell to third while Perry was up to second. Perry quickly took care of Kirkwood and assumed the lead, going on to take the win in the eight-lap heat race. Sargeant was able to get up to second, as he and Perry drove away. Thomas Issa (CRG) moved up to third as he was able to work by O’Ward while Kirkwood fell back to fifth.
Groups C vs. D hit the track next with Myers and Logan Sargeant leading the field to the green flag. The top two got through the first few corners and began to pull away with Cole Glasson (Alonso) in tow. Glasson tried to work around Sargeant in the last corner with the result equally slight contact. That allowed Myers to put some distance between himself and the other two. On lap five, Glasson was able to work by Sargeant finally for the position, as did Devlin DeFrancesco (Alonso), who had caught up to the front three. Both Glasson and DeFrancesco were caught up to Myers on the final lap, bringing Sargeant with them. With a great run off the I-70 corner, DeFrancesco got a great draft from the front two. He was able to slingshot to the lead as they entered the final corner. DeFrancesco took the victory, bringing Glasson with him to put Myers to third. Sargeant ended up fourth with Gavin Reichelt (CRG) in fifth.
 | Andrew Palmer shined in the C vs. D Junior heat race, taking the win
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Micro Max
The first class to hit the track for qualifying Thursday morning was the Micro Max category with all 24 drivers hitting the track. The young pilots found partners on the track as large draft packs formed during the 10-minute session. Local driver Camden Donaldson (Birel) was edged out for the top spot in the session with a 1:14.718. Darren Keane (CRG) was just three-thousandths off his time while Anthony Gangi Jr. (CRG) came within a tenth of Donaldson’s time also. Matthew Thomas (CRG) was fourth in the order with Juan David Buitrago (Tony Kart) completing the fast-five.
Donaldson was the early leader of the first seven-lap heat race until the shuffling began. The youngest drivers of the event put together a nine-kart lead pack with numerous exchanges for the lead. Coming through the final corner, the pack bunched up with Keane going over before the start/finish line. He along with Thomas was involved, unable to cross the line. Out front, Gangi was able to break away for the win with Joshua Sirgany (CRG) in second- who also recorded the fast lap of the race. Ryan Lewis (Birel) came up from 11th to third with Buitrago, Justin Sirgany (Birel), Nicholas Brueckner (CRG), and Donaldson crossing behind.
Friday will be rounds two and three of the heat races followed by the Last Chance Qualifiers. eKartingNews.com will be trackside all week 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. US Rotax Max Challenge will also be providing live coverage through their website - http://www.rotaxmaxchallenge.com |
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