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| January 01, 2012 News |
| WKA Daytona Margay Sprint Championships - Friday Report |
| Article by: Keith Shampine - WKA |
The final day of Daytona KartWeek competition saw Jared Cordova and Brandon Lemke become the only double final winners at the Margay Sprint Championships, while Daytona 500 champion Jamie McMurray added a new accomplishment to his success at the World Center of Racing with his first WKA Manufacturers Cup triumph aboard his sleek American-made JMK chassis.
APPCO Karting
Yamaha Supercan Heavy
Kyle Kuntze kicked things off Friday with the win in Yamaha Supercan Heavy over multi-time Daytona winner Jeff Jewell. Kuntze, driving a Maddox chassis, bested Jewell, John McCusker, Thursday Supercan winner Dakota Pesek and Jackson Mears for the big win. Twenty-six senior Yamaha racers started the 15-lap main.
Grand Products / Top Kart
Cadet Final 2
Friday’s second event saw 40 Cadet youngsters take the green in Cadet Sportsman Final 2. Friday’s Cadet top five differed quite a bit from Thursday’s, which saw Zach Holden capture the win. One constant in the fast five was Jared Cordova, who finished second to Holden in Cadet Final 1 and returned to win Final 2 behind the wheel of his No. 8 Haase.
Following Cordova across the stripe was Missouri Merlin racer Kaleb Allison, who finished 0.644 seconds back of the victor. Seve Depinto took third, Nick Luedeke fourth and Brandon Lemke fifth. Six through ten were Leonardo Stoia, Devin Bowerman, Zach Holden, Neil Verhagen and Jamie Williams.
OTK Kart USA
TaG Final 2
One of the bright spots of KartWeek came in Friday’s third main, TaG Final 2. In it, Jamie McMurray returned to victory lane in the top ranks of American karting, and he did it in convincing fashion.
McMurray swept the day in TaG 2, qualifying fastest of 49 entrants at a 40.635 around the 0.7-mile Sprint Course, winning the pre-final and besting defending TaG 1 and TaG 2 national champion Robert Bujdoso in the final.
The win gave McMurray his first triumph since designing and having his JMK chassis built in the United States, a rarity today in 2-cycle sprint racing.
Bujdoso was second on his PCR, Man Cup veteran Tommy Andersen third, Richard Petty Motorsports NASCAR Cup star A.J. Allmendinger fourth and Wisconsin’s T.J. Koyen fifth. Six through ten in the 49-kart field were Kyle Smith, Chris Wehrheim, Scott Kopp, Jacob Duvall and Mason Chelootz.
PCR
Komet Jr Lite
Merlin driver James Kellett surprised some onlookers Friday when he scored the Komet Jr Lite victory over three heavy hitters in the WKA junior ranks. Kellett fended off the best Man Cup has to offer in Kyle Kalish, Ashley Rogero, Joel Jens and Jake Craig for the triumph.
Grant Quinlan took sixth in his first WKA weekend in the junior classes. Austin Osborne was seventh, Garrett Johnston eighth, Gavin Reichelt ninth and James Bennett tenth. Forty-two karts started the main.
Mike Doty Racing
Yamaha Rookie Final 2
Another stout field of Yamaha Rookie competitors battled it out in Rookie Final 2. PCR pilot Kaylen Frederick bested 27 young racers for the big win. Frederick crossed the stripe 0.371 seconds in front of Ohio’s Jason Welage. Samuel Paley took third, New Jersey’s Tyler Ferris fourth and Mark Fineis fifth.
Six through ten in the Rookie KartWeek capper were Jed Cary Perkins, Kyra Frederick, Max Kaeser, James Lynch and Gage Rodgers.
Komet Lite
The Komet senior classes were the smallest at the Margay Sprint Championships with 11 starters. The short fields didn’t spell lack of competition. Florida Tony Kart veteran Nick Neri scored the Komet Lite main after passing and slightly gapping the likes of Jacob Donald (second), Raquel Martinez (third), Patrick Olsen (fourth) and James Brock rounding out the top five. Donald and Martinez were running senior classes for the first time in WKA after several successful years in the Yamaha and KPV junior divisions.
MRP / Birel
Yamaha Sportsman Lite
Merlin racer Brandon Lemke left little doubt that he’ll be a force to be reckoned with in the Jr Sportsman categories in 2012. After triumphing in Thursday’s Komet Sportsman final, Lemke returned Friday to best 41 competitors in Yamaha Sportsman Lite.
Lemke and Nick Luedeke pulled away from the strong field of Yamaha Sportsman racers to settle the main between themselves. The end saw Lemke cross the stripe less than a kart-length ahead of Luedeke, who mounted a spirited last-straightaway challenge but fell just short of a prestigious KartWeek victory.
Kaleb Allison was over two seconds back of the lead duo in third. Michael Cruz took fourth and Colorado’s Flinn Lazier, son of Indianapolis 500 champion Buddy Lazier, rounded out the top five.
Six through ten in Yamaha Lite were Ian Nelson, Neil Verhagen, Zach Holden, Hunter Brayton and Seve Depinto.
Margay Racing Products
TaG Masters Final 2
New Jersey Top Kart pilot John Ferris III found some speed for Friday’s competition and it led to convincing win in TaG Masters Final 2. Ferris pulled out to nearly a second lead on Jeff Jewell before crossing the finish line a decent 0.782 seconds ahead of the Tennessean.
Ferris and Jewell paced the field ahead of Birel racer Steve Schiewer, Brian McHattie and North Carolina’s Chuck Tate. Nineteen over-35 racers started the TaG Masters KartWeek capper.
Verde Speed Resources
Yamaha Jr Heavy
Daytona KartWeek’s final main featured nearly 50 Yamaha Jr Heavy racers take the green. Defending Triple Crown champion Joel Jens had control throughout the 15-lapper. The checkered flag saw Jens, aboard his familiar No. 35 Tony Kart, score his first and only win of KartWeek by a cool 1.8-second margin over Top Kart driver Jake Johnston.
Austin Osborne had his best run at Daytona with a solid third-place effort. Cory Towles took fourth with Brandon Jarsocrak scoring another top five in fifth. Six through ten were Matt Solarczyk, Garrett Johnston, Gresham Wagner, Ashley Rogero and Jared Thomas.
The four junior mains saw four different winners in Jens, James Kellett, Kyle Kalish and G. Johnston.
While a number of WKA Manufacturers Cup regulars will spend quite a bit of time in Florida this winter with the Florida Winter Tour events on tap over the next few months, the next time Man Cup competition will shine is March 23-25 at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, S.C. The Zoom Zoom Nationals Kershaw entry blank will be available soon. |
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