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| May 03, 2012 |
| Team News: Leading Edge Motorsports Shows Speed at SKUSA Pro Tour Opener |
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The Leading Edge Motorsports operation traveled to Phoenix, Arizona for the start of the 2012 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour. The PKRA Formula K Raceway hosted the SKUSA MG Tires SpringNationals with the Northern California operation fielding nine drivers in six categories. The defending TaG Senior championship team returned with fast Intrepid and Praga chassis prepared in-house, powered by Leading Edge Power engines in TaG and Stock Moto competition. Leading the team on the weekend was the result recorded by TaG Master driver Randy Froom, piloting his LEM entry to a runner-up position. The remainder of the team showed the speed needed to battle for victories, but varying circumstances kept the rest of the squad off the podium.
Froom gave the Leading Edge Motorsports operation its first Pro Tour podium of the season in TaG Master. During open practice Friday, Froom was among the drivers at the top of the time sheets. That transferred over to qualifying for Round #1 as he clocked in the third quickest lap of the session. The racing on the weekend was rougher than normal and Froom took the brunt of it from the start, retiring after the first lap due to contact. Collected in another incident during heat two, Froom started the main event near the back. Unable to match the pace he set earlier in the event, Randy placed sixth at the checkered flag. After an overhaul and debriefing overnight with Bell, Froom returned Sunday ready for battle. The LEM Intrepid/Parilla package showed the speed in qualifying as Froom piloted his entry to the pole position with a 46.083-second lap time, out-pacing the rest of the field by over three-tenths. After a clean fight for the win during the opening heat, Froom crossed the line second but was penalized along with the winner for jumping the start, which dropped him to fourth in the order. Able to avoid any troubles, Froom drove back to the second position in heat two. Slotting into the second spot at the start of the main event, Froom held the second spot until the checkered flag waved, unable to remain on the leader’s bumper despite posting the fast lap of the race.
 | Randy Froom gave Leading Edge Motorsports a podium finish in TaG Master
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
“I’m proud to see Randy do well here to start out the Pro Tour,” Bell stated. “After his podium at the SuperNationals last year, I wasn’t sure how he would react when we got here. He’s certainly capable of laying down some fast laps, as we saw. Now we just have to work on the long runs in order to be there for the victory next time around. The Intrepid/Parilla package by Leading Edge Motorsports proved again to be the fastest ride out there.”
Former LEM driver Trevor McAlister has returned to work with Bell once again, piloting an LEM Praga entry in the S4 division. The new Praga chassis, manufactured by the same company as the Intrepid, was fast throughout the weekend but the misfortunes of other drivers cost ‘T-Mac’ a chance at victory both days. McAlister was toward the top of the time charts all weekend, placing third in the Round #1 qualifying. Driving to the win in heat one, Trevor was taken out in the second heat and classified 19th. Making his way through the field, he was ready to move into the top-five when contact from another driver ended his race in the dirt. Looking to avoid any issues in Round #2, McAlister put his LEM entry on the pole position with a 44.664-second lap time, two-tenths quicker then second. Trevor went wire-to-wire in the heat races to set up for what was thought to be a run toward victory in the main event. Leading from when the starting lights went out, Trevor was settling into a rhythm for the 20-lap feature. On lap eight, a poor pass attempt on McAlister by another driver produced contact and sent both drivers hard into the barriers, ending both their races.
“Working with Trevor in the past, it’s great to be connected with him again. We had a great partnership and it looks like things are back to old days, LEM and T-Mac at the front,” spouted Bell about McAlister. “Unfortunately, things did not work out in the end for Trevor. He was super-fast both days and could have had two wins on the Praga Tacho chassis but over-zealous drivers ended our hopes. We’ll be back better and faster for the next one.”
 | S4 driver Trevor McAlister showed speed throughout the weekend, and will be battling for victories throughout the season
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Mexican driver Mariana Ramirez began her second season under the LEM tent for the S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto division. Visiting the Phoenix circuit for the first time, Friday and Saturday were spent growing accustom to the course. Dropped to the tail of the field after the second heat, she muscled her way forward to end up 14th from 22nd in the main event. After troubles in qualifying on Sunday, Ramirez advanced her way up to a respectable seventh place finish to end the weekend.
“I’m thrill to gain the end result we did this weekend with Mariana. She’s working hard to improve each time out and I know there is more we can do to put her further up the order,” Bell stated. “Visiting new tracks she has never seen forces us to focus more on learning the track than getting the kart faster for her. We will have to work on speeding up the learning curve of a new track so we can get her closer to the front faster than we did this weekend.”
Defending TaG Senior champion Brett Felkins had a tough weekend in his first start since clinching the title at the SKUSA SuperNationals in November. An injury to his ribs limited his pace some and rough racing in the category added to the troubles. Starting the heat races outside the top-30, he fought his way throughout the day to end up ninth showing the speed of the LEM Intrepid/Parilla. Sunday was not as successful as contact kept Felkins from advancing higher than 26th in the main event. The Intrepid orange must have looked like a target to the other competitors as Reno driver Jess Peterson and Kiwi Kris Wall had possible top-10 finishes taken away. Both worked their way forward throughout the day until an opening lap incident dropped them out of the running. The same happened to both on Sunday as they finished outside the top-25.
Bell is confident in the LEM TaG package, “We proved our product is the fastest out there last year, and we are fast once again this year. When you put 43 karts on the track at the same time, things don’t always end on the positive side. Brett toughed it out and managed one good finish. Jess was in the top-10 Saturday until wreck and engine issues kept him off the pace on Sunday. Kris showed speed but always found himself in the middle of the storm both days. It was just not a lucky weekend for our TaG Senior group and not what we set out to do, but I know we can recover and make a statement at the next event.”
The Leading Edge Motorsports Junior drivers faired well on the weekend as all three made their Pro Tour debut. TaG Cadet driver Jack von Quilich went for a wild ride during heat two on Saturday that destroyed his Intrepid Speedy kart. Able to walk away from the wreck, he returned in his back-up ride to drive up to sixth from last. He fought strong once again on Sunday, finishing eighth in the main event. S5 Junior Stock Moto drivers Jarred Campbell and Christian Peterson gained experience in the first SpringNationals. Campbell ran to an impressive fifth place on Saturday and finished eighth on Sunday. Though Peterson did not finish either main event, he walked away with knowledge for future events.
 | Mariana Ramirez drove to a solid eighth place run in S2
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Next on the schedule for the Leading Edge Motorsports is a return to the California ProKart Challenge, as it travels to the Adams Motorsports Park on May 18-19 in Riverside. A full roster of LEM drivers are expected to compete. To learn how you can be a part of the growing operation that is Leading Edge Motorsports and working with veteran Greg Bell, contact Bell directly at 209.369.0921 or e-mail leadingedgeguy@sbcglobal.net and be sure to visit http://www.leadingedgemotorsports.com
About Leading Edge Motorsports:
Since 1995, Greg Bell and his Leading Edge Motorsports outfit have provided the foundation for a number of the sport’s champions. Based in Lodi, California, Leading Edge Motorsports is a full-service kart shop providing the best equipment for all levels of the sport. As an Intrepid dealer, LEM is available to support Northern California customers of the brand. The combination of LEM, Bell and driver Brett Felkins scored the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour TaG Senior championship in 2011. LEM was recognized as the national Team of the Year by eKartingNews.com in 2001, and in 2006 along Champion Racing. Bell added a Mechanic of the Year award that same season. From arrive-and-drive programs and kart preparation to driver coaching and parts supply to get you on the track, Leading Edge Motorsports is the answer to the question of success. Winning never gets old. |
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