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| August 03, 2012 News |
| EKN Trackside: WKA Manufacturers Cup Series - KartLift Nationals - Preview |
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 | EKN Driver Rankings number one driver Mason Chelootz is in the hunt for all three TaG title chases
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
The World Karting Association returns to the Concept Hauler Motor Speedway for the first time in four years, contesting the KartLift Nationals this weekend. The Mazda/Bridgestone Manufacturers Cup Series will host its fifth round of the 2012 season at the Norway, Illinois facility. The 3/4-mile course will challenge all the drivers in the 20 championship classes that continue their title fights this weekend.
The 12-turn CHMS facility was built in the early 1990s, currently owned by Les and Diann Finke, and has hosted a number of national and regional events during its history. Located outside the metropolitan-Chicago area, many of the best Midwest drivers have tamed the circuit a number of times in their career. The track is recognized for two distinct sections of the circuit, the fast monza corner and the tunnel turn
Three different drivers currently hold the number one position in the TaG title chases - Chris Wehrheim, Robert Bujdoso, and Mason Chelootz. Wehrheim (Top Kart) leads two-time champion Bujdoso (PCR) by 69 points in TaG 1 after he struggled in South Bend, recording a DNF. Tommy Andersen (Kosmic) also battled through a tough weekend in round four, but holds third after Chelootz (Top Kart) was disqualified for a seat infraction. Bujdoso’s day faired better on Sunday in TaG 2, placing fourth, to continue to lead the standings by 35 over Wehrheim. Chelootz scored points with a replacement driver after a rib injury set him on the sidelines for the main event, and sits third back by 115 points. Chelootz - the EKN TaG Driver Rankings number one driver - was able to place third in Parilla Leopard and is now tied with Bujdoso for the point standing lead. Two-time feature winner Calvin Stewart (Merlin) sits third, still in the hunt.
 | Dakota Pesek leads the point standings in both Yamaha SuperCan classes
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
Dakota Pesek took over the championship lead in both Yamaha SuperCan categories with his performances in South Bend. In Lite Pesek (Arrow), the Daytona winner, leads by 170 points over Weston Moon (PCR) with Mark Boos (Top Kart) in third. The lead is just 45 for Dakota in Heavy as John McCusker (Haase) and Patrick Olsen trail. In the four feature races for both categories, each class has had four different winners. Jimmy Clark (CRG) laid down the smack in South Bend, winning both categories in his first WKA weekend of the season, looking for the same in Norway. The fight in Komet Lite is tight as Jacob Donald overtook Chelootz with a victory in South Bend. Donald (Arrow) now leads Chelootz by five points heading into Norway with Olsen in third (Birel). Chelootz is four-for-four in the Heavy category and has a sizable lead on Olsen and Donald. John Ferris III (Top Kart) took over the lead in the TaG Masters championship, despite some tough results. The field was paced by Jeff Jewell (Margay) and now three-time feature winner Scott Ferris (Top Kart) on the weekend. In the 12-race title fight, Ferris leads by 85 points over Kim Carapellatti (PCR) with Jewell back by 232 points with just six races compared to the eight recorded by the top two.
The Junior categories have the same familiar names toward the top of the standings, all fighting for every point they can get in the final two events. Brandon Jarsocrak (Haase) and Joel Jens (Tony Kart) are locked up in the Yamaha Jr. Lite category. Jarsocrak has one win with Jens not yet scoring a victory in the class that has seen four different winners. Two-time runner-up Kyle Kalish (Merlin) is third, just two points back with South Bend winner Mike McAndrews (Birel) just two points back of him, making it a four-driver battle heading into this weekend. Jens has a 90 point lead in the Heavy division but two-time winner Kalish may have the advantage when counting in the drop race. Kyle Kirkwood (Arrow) has three straight runner-up finishes to sit third currently in the points. Kalish has finished either first or second in Komet Jr. Lite, and leads the point standings by 140 points over Jens with McAndrews in third. Jens leads the Heavy category, despite not recording a win, by 45 points over two-time winner Kyle Kirkwood in what could be just a two-driver battle to the end.
Zach Holden (Arrow) remain the driver to beat in the Yamaha Sportsman championships, but saw his leads shrink after the South Bend rounds. Holden leads the Saturday standings by 80 points over Leonardo Stoia (PCR) with Nick Luedeke (Kosmic) in third. The lead is just 28 in Sunday’s chase with South Bend winner Brandon Lemke (Merlin) right there as well as David Malukas (Birel). Jared Cordova (Haase) remains the point leader in the 12-race Cadet Sportsman title chase, gaining just one point on his advantage, making it 50 as they head to Norway. Round eight winner Stoia now sits second with Malukas and Holden trailing. Lemke earned his second victory of the season in Komet Sportsman at South Bend, and now leads the championship by 15 points over Holden. Stoia is third with Johnny Smith (Arrow) in fourth, Braden Eves (PCR) fifth and Malukas sixth, all within 100 points of each other. Gaining his first victory of the season in South Bend, Jason Welage (Merlin) now leads the standings in Yamaha Rookie Sportsman. Five-time winner Alex Verhagen (Haase) is back by 58 points with Samuel Paley (PCR) back of him by just two points.
 | Kyle Kalish has recorded the most wins in the Junior ranks with four in 16 features this season
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
Top Kart continues to lead in the Manufacturer Championship standings, now just two wins separating them and Arrow. Top Kart gained two wins in South Bend while Arrow took home four to close the gap heading into Norway. Merlin is third with 11 while Haase (10) and four-time defending champs Birel (9) complete the top five. With 40 wins still up for grabs, the prestigious trophy is not close to being decided.
eKartingNews.com will be Trackside all weekend long. The regular posting of the top-10 from each on-track session will be posted to the Official Event Discussion thread in the EKN forums. A report of the day’s action will be published at the end of each day with photos from Sean Buur at Go Racing Magazine. EKN will also be bringing some videos and interviews through the Facebook and Twitter accounts, so be sure to like and follow both to keep up-to-date as the weekend unfolds. Also, WKA will be providing their live coverage through their website worldkarting.com/index.php/live |
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