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| October 12, 2011 News |
| Langon and Cricca Step into Spotlight with Streets of Lancaster Victories |
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 | Daniel Langon scored the Pro Shifter victory in his first visit to the SOLGP
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
The development, growth and evolution of any racing event are often fueled by the people behind the scenes and the racers who fill the fields. After the third running of the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix, it became very clear that this festival of karting has an extremely bright future. The City of Lancaster is behind this race 100% and this was vividly evident this past weekend as the event organizers went above and beyond to ensure that the race was a success but on and off the track. Superkarts! USA was brought in by the City to raise the bar on the program and the focus by Tom Kutscher and his staff was to set a new foundation for the race, making sure it was a success for both his racers and the City of Lancaster. Every driver we spoke with praised the new track design, and the common opinion was that it was very unique and extremely fun to drive. The racing itself was thrilling, as a result. Having a packed house always turns up the volume and the city’s estimates put the crowd at a record 35,000. The atmosphere was electric and the enthusiasm from the crowd was infectious. The impact on the downtown businesses was massive with record sales days being reported by many shops and restaurants.
The drivers certainly delivered this past weekend, putting on a show for the throngs of spectators who lined the downtown circuit. The Pro Shifter class was the fan-favorite and the storyline was compelling as rookie senior Daniel Langon emerged from the field to take control of the weekend, winning the main event in dominant fashion over EKN #1 ranked Stock Moto driver Nicky Freytag. In the TaG Senior final, Shawn Cricca stepped to the forefront to grab the biggest win of his career, as he was able to come out on top of a weekend-long scrap with Devin Lindsey.
The Pro Shifter event combined SKUSA’s S1 Pro and S2 Semi-Pro classes into one group and it was quickly apparent that there is a solid group of young drivers who are ready to make the step up to the Pro category. In qualifying, rookie S2 driver Daniel Langon shocked the paddock by laying down the fastest lap, a 40.889-second circuit to put the Zanardi America driver on the pole for the first 10-lap heat race. Former ProKart Challenge Stock Moto champion Bobby Legate (CRG) has returned from a multi-year absence and looks to have not skipped a beat, timing in second ahead of Pro pilots Brad Dunford (GP) and Clinton Schoombee (DR Kart). SpringNationals S2 winner Kyle Hathcox (GP) capped the fast five.
 | Jimmy McNeil bested Robert Marks in the S4 Master Stock Moto main event
(Photo: dromophotos.com) |
Legate would take the win in the opening heat as Langon stumbled off the line, although he would recover to take third. Hathcox advanced into second, but it was a minor early-race miscue by Dunford that put both he, Schoombee and Freytag on the sidelines. Dunford was aiming to get a run on Hathcox out of the right-hand turn three when he hooked his right rear on the apex TechPro, spinning him into the outer barriers, where he collected Schoombee and Freytag. Mariana Ramirez (Intrepid) and Sabre Cook (CRG) took fourth and fifth, respectively.
The second heat gave the fans two groups to watch; the lead duo of Langon and Legate, and the rapidly charging Schoombee and Freytag. Langon assumed the lead at the green and took control this time around, keeping Legate at bay to take the win and the pole for the main event. Schoombee and Freytag were both on a mission coming through the field, driving into the top-four over the course of just 10 laps. Freytag would take third while Schoombee was fourth, having turned the fastest lap of the race and the quickest lap of anyone all weekend. Hathcox remained in the hunt, finishing fifth.
The final was the opportunity for Langon to step into the spotlight as he dominated the race, as he turned the fastest circuit on lap 18 en route to a 2.811-second triumph over Freytag. Hathcox would end up third on the podium, while Ramirez and Cook again advanced to impressive top-five results. Mid-race action certainly shook up the order as Schoombee got turned in the hairpin midway through the race and fell to the tail of the field. He was able to drive back up to 10th. Legate also fell victim, as his race ended on lap 18. Dunford was on the sidelines much earlier, done on lap five. All in all, this was a huge display by the soon-to-be S1 rookies of the SKUSA program, as they came, saw, and conquered the Pro Shifter battle in Lancaster. Luckily for us, the fans of karting, this is only the start of some great things to come in the S1 class.
 | Anthony Sawyer scored the victory in TaG Cadet
(Photo: dromophotos.com) |
As is the case at most street circuit events, the crowds go crazy for the shifter kart classes. The fans at Lancaster were no different and with the pair of gearbox classes (S4 and Pro Shifter) capping the schedule, it was a wild finish. Ahead of the Pro Shifter battle, the S4 Master Stock Moto class put on an incredible show, thanks to the ongoing battle between the ultra-quick duo of SKUSA’s fastest father and son-in-law. Robert Marks (CRG) and Jimmy McNeil (CRG) are serious rivals on the racetrack, and you can be sure that it’s quite interesting around the table during race weekend meals. This time around, it once again came down to an all-out bar fight for the win on Sunday.
Marks dropped the gauntlet in qualifying with a lap of 41.746 seconds, and he was followed closely by defending race winner Jim Kidd (Italkart), who was less than four hundredths of a second back. McNeil was right there as well in third. Phil Dunford (GP) and Doug Hayashi (Tony Kart) rounded out the fast five. In the two heat races that led to the 20-lap main, McNeil asserted his power and topped each race ahead of Marks. Kidd was third in the opening heat, but got involved in an early incident in the second heat, and was forced to spend the rest of the sprint race trying to catch the tail of the field. A 14th for the 2010 champ set up a stellar charge from the back in the feature.
The main event produced a thrilling fight between McNeil and Marks, as McNeil led early with his teammate glued to the rear bumper of his CRG. After setting the pace from the get-go, McNeil found himself back in second on lap nine when Marks found a way by to assume the point. Marks looked poised to score the big win, as he was able to keep his challenger at bay lap after lap, that is, until the final circuit when McNeil squeezed to the inside at the end of the short straightway that leads to the turn four hairpin. The SKUSA Pro Tour S4 point leader was able to defend at the end of the 1080’ dragstrip, and took the win by 0.163 seconds at the stripe. It was a wild finish that had the crowd going crazy. PP Mastro (CRG) completed a strong outing by advancing to third ahead of Hayashi, while Kidd put on a show throughout the race to claw his way back to fifth. Kidd’s steering system was damaged early in the race and he needed to adjust his driving style to maintain his advancement. It was a gutsy performance by the talented S4 pilot.
 | Nathan Seegrist benefited from contact ahead of him and was awarded the win in TaG Junior
(Photo: dromophotos.com) |
SKUSA had their full TaG class line-up in Lancaster, presenting all the different levels to the packed house of spectators. The TaG Cadets won over the hearts of the fans, as they watched Anthony Sawyer (DR Kart) take the victory on Sunday over Hunter Kelly and Scott Huffaker (Birel). Kelly was the quickest out of the gate in taking the pole in qualifying, timing in ahead of Sawyer and Michael Michoff (Birel), but Sawyer showed his racecraft by winning the first heat race. Christian Brooks (Tony Kart) was not able to post a lap in qualifying, so he needed to recover in the opening moto and he did just that, coming back to third behind Michoff. Brooks then advanced to the pole for the main when Heat #2 leaders Michoff and Huffaker failed post-race tech. In the final, Jack Von Quilich (Birel) led the opening laps before making way to Sawyer and Brooks. The lead duo ran nose-to-tail for several laps before Sawyer began to pull away. Brooks would eventually retire from the race on lap 13, leaving Sawyer to run away to the victory. Kelly and Huffaker ran together all race and enjoyed a spirited battle won by Kelly, while the remainder of the top-five included Michoff and Garrett Dixon (Birel).
Stepping up to TaG Junior, the racing was just as intense. Carter Williams (Tony Kart) and Jake Craig (CRG) were the drivers to beat, as they topped the first three timed sessions. Williams led the way in qualifying with a 45.219, just ahead of Mason Daughters (FA Kart) and Craig. Craig and Williams ran glued together for the entirety of the opening heat race, with Craig taking the win. Local driver Brendan Baker (CRG) was third. The second heat on Sunday morning was a carbon copy of the first, setting up the scrap for the main event triumph. When the 20-lap final got underway, the pairing locked up together once again and began chasing down the slower lapped cars, which made things interesting. The battle came to a disappointing end on lap 16 when the duo got tangled up trying to overtake lapped cars. Williams got into the back of Craig at the exit of the hairpin, looping him around. The Tony Kart pilot was able to continue, as was Craig back in third, and while Williams was the first to the checker, he would later be put back behind Craig as a result of the incident. This advanced Nathan Seegrist to the win, and put Craig and Williams on the final step of the podium. For his part, Seegrist turned in an impressive performance after qualifying in sixth. He held his position in the first heat and jumped to fifth in the second, but he stepped up in the 20-lap main and advanced to a strong third, a position that would give him the victory after the incident and the subsequent ruling by the officials. Zanardi America drivers Jim McKinney and Mason Filippi rounded out the top-five.
 | TaG Masters was a race of attrition with Steve Ryckebosch outlasting the field for the victory
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
The racing in the TaG Master category was thrilling to watch, but in the end, it seemed like a race that no one wanted to win. Attrition played a key role in the final outcome, as three different drivers led laps in the main event. The race started off with Full Throttle Karting’s Paul Bonilla (Arrow) taking the pole in qualifying over Texan Trevor McAlister in his Leading Edge Intrepid. National #1 plateholder Ethan Wilson (Tony Kart) was third in the time session ahead of Paul Holbein (Intrepid) and Steve Ryckebosch. The top-four drivers held station in the opening heat race, as the focus was put on FTK’s Andy Seesemann (Arrow) as he advanced from his eighth place qualifying position to fifth. This speed improvement continued in the second 10-lapper as Seesemann was easily the fastest driver on the track, knifing through the competition quickly to place himself on his teammate’s bumper on lap four. Seesemann challenged aggressively, but thought better of making a low percentage move, preferring to put two FTK Arrows on the front row for the start of the final. Wilson, Holbein and Ryckebosch capped the top-five, while McAlister ended up sixth after coming back from a spin.
In the final, Bonilla checked out early and looked positioned to bag a dominant win before he was on the sidelined when the low-speed needle in his car backed out. Seesemann was gone on lap two with a mechanical failure, while McAlister was the target of some seriously bad luck when he was erroneously given the black flag for contact with Seesemann, who confirmed with EKN that there indeed was no contact between the two drivers. When Bonilla retired on lap 14, the fight for second between Wilson and Ryckebosch was vaulted into a battle for the win. Wilson held the position and was ready to take the checker when he broke his exhaust header springs and rapidly lost power. Ryckebosch took full advantage and slid past for the lead and the win, as Wilson limped across the line, his pipe coming completely off the exhaust manifold as he crossed the line. This race of attrition saw Holbein take third, ahead of Will Jadiker (CRG) and Dave Moody (Birel).
 | Shawn Cricca held off Devin Lindsey for the TaG Senior win
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
As one of the two unofficial headline races of the weekend, TaG Senior drew the largest field at 26 entries. They also provided tight racing throughout the field, especially at the point end as Shawn Cricca (FA Kart) and Devin Lindsey (Tony Kart) were locked and loaded all weekend long, rarely more than a couple kart lengths apart. Cricca dominated the weekend at the front in each session, qualifying ahead of one-off Phil Giebler Racing teammate Joel Miller (FA Kart). Chris Cricca (FA Kart) was third in the order to give PGR a 1-2-3 to start off the weekend. Adrian Starrantino (Tony Kart) was fourth in the timed run, ahead of Larry Fraser (GP) and Lindsey.
Despite Cricca’s strong start to the first heat, Lindsey ran him down with ease and planted his Tony Kart on his mark’s bumper, turning the race’s fastest circuit on lap seven. Miller was a solid third, ahead of Camden Geise (Top Kart) and Travis Lowe (Tony Kart). The lead duo checked out again in the second heat, although it was the last lap, last corner scrap for third that shook up the end result. As Miller, Geise and Cricca raced hard for the position, Miller was unceremoniously shuffled off the apex and hard into the TechPros as Geise proceeded to take third over Cricca. None of the officials, or this reporter, saw the actual cause of the incident and no charges were laid. Andrew Weiner (FA Kart) was the benefactor as he slipped into fifth.
Cricca and Lindsey hooked up once again in the final, and Lindsey continued to show extreme patience in waiting for a time that would, surprisingly, never come. Cricca was able to stretch away slightly in the late going to pull a 0.442-second advantage at the checker to win his first major national event. Lindsey came up just short, but his superb performance duly noted. Geise joined Cricca and Lindsey on the podium, while Chris Cricca edge Miller for fourth. It was an incredible drive for Miller after his Heat #2 DNF, once again showing why he is considered such an amazing talent behind the wheel.
 | Jeffrey Dyer, Mike Manning and Yannick Rolland put on a great show in the PRD class with Dyer scoring the victory
(Photo: dromophotos.com) |
SKUSA offered up a couple of spots on the schedule to local option categories, and only the PRD Senior community answered the call in any number, so six entries were included in the event. The race was exciting, thanks in part of the participation of 64 year-old karting legend Mike Manning. The veteran racer, tuner and kart shop owner showed that he hasn’t lost a thing, qualifying third, less than two tenths behind Christian Weiland and Yannick Roland. Manning would come out of the gate strong in the first heat to post the win over Jeffrey Dyer, a result that would continue in heat #2. With the duo on the front row for the main, the battle was quickly back on as the leaders set up for a race long fight. It was not to be as a minor melee in the hairpin scattered the lead group, putting Dyer out front to assume the lead and the eventually win. Roland had second for most of the race, however, Manning was turning the fastest laps and eventually hunted down, caught and passed his rival to take the runner-up position. It was a solid performance by Dyer and an inspiring one from Manning.
With just seven classes on the docket and just over 100 racers, the overall grade from this race was an ‘A’. The fans were thrilled with the excitement and the move of the racetrack right into the downtown corner, utilizing the exciting crossroads at Lancaster Boulevard and Ehrlich Avenue, was a great decision. This race has a ridiculous amount of potential and the powers behind the event are already indentifying areas of potential improvement and the development of new additions. The drivers should be given serious kudos for the respect of the course and each other and the City of Lancaster deserves a big ‘thank you’ from the karting community for providing us with a venue and a location that is sure to become an integral part of the American racing landscape. |
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