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| August 16, 2012 |
| Team News: PSL Karting and Alan Rudolph Score US Rotax DD2 Masters Title |
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 | Rene Martinelli will once again join Team USA after his vice-championship in Rotax DD2 Masters
(Photo: Cody Schindel - CKN) |
After earning championship titles in both the 2012 Florida Winter Tour and Eastern Canadian Karting Championship, Team PSL Karting would take on the Rotax Max Challenge United States Grand Nationals this past week at the Jet Karting of Michiana Raceway Park facility near South Bend, Indiana. Having to endure ever-changing weather conditions, the team would rise to the occasion, earning yet another championship title via karting legend Alan Rudolph in the Rotax DD2 Masters category. Podium positions and Team USA berths for the 2012 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals (RMCGF), which will take place at the Kartodromo Internacional Algarve in Portimao, Portugal later this year, were also acquired by DD2 Masters pilot Rene Martinelli and 2011 Rotax DD2 US Grand National Champion Kristina Vorndran.
"This year's Nationals was definitely a tough one," stated PSL Karting Team Manager Andrew Campbell. "The facility at MRP is a very technical circuit which allows for the truly talented drivers to shine."
Leading Team PSL Karting to a 2012 US National title, Alan Rudolph would get his week started right in South Bend by clocking the fastest lap of the DD2 Masters drivers during Thursday's official qualifying, and an impressive third overall in the combined DD2/DD2 Masters class. Posting first place results in the ensuing three heat races would earn the shifter kart master the pole position for Saturday’s prefinal action. Although a dry day was forecasted for Championship Saturday, after enduring on and off rain all week long, drivers would be greeted with misty, drizzly conditions Saturday morning from uncharacteristic lake-effect rain. By the time the DD2 Masters group, now separated into DD2 and DD2 Masters, was set to contest their prefinal event, conditions had improved slightly with the track beginning to dry. Half the field went out on rain tires, with the other half on slicks. Rudolph was one to gamble with the choice of wet tires, hoping the rain would return. It was not to be however, as the track quickly formed a dry line, with Rudolph slipping back to finish in the eighth place on the slower rain tires. By the start of the final, the rain had completely cleared out, with puffy clouds dotting the blue sky. Rudolph was able to gain two positions at the drop of the green and used his speed to meticulously pick off the remaining four karts until he was in command of the race. Scoring the win by more than eight seconds, Rudolph earned his first ever US Rotax Grand National title.
"Rudolph has been on the top all year - outstanding performance at the Florida Winter Tour, it was no surprise to see him at the front in South Bend," added PSL Karting Team Principal Dominic Labrecque.
Joining Rudolph on the DD2 Masters podium was 2011 Florida Winter Tour DD2 Masters champion Rene Martinelli. Looking to join Rudolph on Team USA for the second year in a row, Martinelli's strong showing at the Jet Karting facility allowed him to do just that. After posting third in qualifying, and then fourth, sixth and fourth in the heats, Martinelli would come home fifth in the prefinal, despite being one of the drivers to go with slick tires. Martinelli would not be denied in the final race however, muscling his way to second at the checkers to make it a 1-2 finish for Team PSL Karting drivers and securing his berth on Team USA.
Kristina Vorndran would earn another podium result for Team PSL Karting and also secure a second-in-a-row invite to the RMCGF. Clocking fifth quick in qualifying, the 2011 US DD2 Champion went on to sixth, third and fourth place results in the three heats. Starting the prefinal from the fourth position, Vorndran would endure a crazy race, as rain began to fall harder than it had all week. With water collecting in multiple areas on the track, Vorndran would succumb to the conditions, spinning on lap three while running in second. Turning herself around, Vorndran went on to a sixth place result before the all-important final race. Up to third by lap two of the final, Vorndran wasn’t able to defend her title, but held off the advances of her competitors for the remaining 24 laps to secure third place on the podium and the coveted Team USA invite.
 | Kristina Vorndran drove to a third place podium finish in the Rotax DD2 class and earned a repeat invite to the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals
(Photo: Cody Schindel - CKN) |
In the Rotax Senior class, Fritz Leesmann was on a tear. The 2012 Gatorz Challenge of the Americas DD2 champion had already secured his position on Team USA, but was on the prowl for the US National title. Never posting results outside the top-four until the final, Leesmann would get spun around on the second flyer, posting a disappointing 16th place result overall. Austin Versteeg would meet a similar fate in the Rotax Junior category. A slow start in qualifying didn’t deter the Sandy, Utah resident, who progressed nicely in the heats and then scored a phenomenal third in the wet prefinal race. Also on the second lap of the final, Versteeg would get spun through turn eight, dropping all the way to the tail of the field and ending his run with a 23rd place finish. In Mini Max, hot shoe Matthew Thomas would also post some impressive results against the field of 36 drivers, coming home with a solid tenth place in the final race.
"Fritz Leesmann has suffered from some seriously poor luck - for sure we were capable of a podium a win or perhaps even a win," continued Campbell. "Dan Roeper, with only two years of Senior experience, had a decent performance considering the track conditions - now we will look for a seat at the Pan Am event."
"Overall, we were definitely impressed with the competition levels - top ten drivers within each class were sometimes separated by only two-tenths," concluded Labrecque. "We are looking forward to the Canadian Nationals and Pan American Championships in the next few weeks."
Next up for Team PSL Karting are the ASN Canada FIA Canadian National Championships, set for August 24-26 at the beautiful Le Circuit Mont Tremblant, in Mont Tremblant, Quebec. PSL Karting enters as the defending champion in DD2 and Mini Max, and will look to continue their impressive ways during the 2012 karting season.
Team PSL Karting will be trackside in 2012 at the Pan American Rotax Max Challenge, Quebec Cup, ASN Canada FIA Canadian National Karting Championships and SKUSA SuperNationals. Team PSL Karting is associated with CRG, Maxter Kart Engines, Rotax, Tillett Racing Seats, Sniper, Unipro, Douglas Wheels, Vega, MG Tires, Arai, Bell, ULV, Mir, Freem, Elf Fuels, Alfano, MaxJet Software, D.I.D. Racing Chains, KC and Power Mist.
To learn more about the World's #1 CRG distributor, sales & service, arrive & drive opportunities, PSL racing engines or dealer opportunities, please visit http://www.pslkarting.com or http://www.pslkartingusa.com |
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