|
 |
| July 08, 2006 News |
| EKN Trackside: Stars of Karting East #3 - Saturday Report |
| |
 | Mike Vincec was in the right place at the right time to pick up his first ever Stars ICC win
(Photo: Super Kart Illustrated) |
Another great day of weather greeted the Stars of Karting competitors for the first day of competition at the third round of the Eastern Division, held at the karting facility of Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. The action was extremely exciting with both the ICC and ICA mains being decided with last lap moves and contact.
ICC
The track record was smashed early in the first ICC group’s session as Ryan Kinnear (Intrepid) posted a 40.570-second lap to grab the provisional pole. Jeff Olean (Kosmic) and Chris Friel (First Kart) were second and third on the time sheets after the first run, with the ‘fast’ group from Friday’s timed practice sessions still to come. After Kinnear’s quick lap, a 39-second lap looked like a possibility as the times dropped quickly in the second group. Phillippe Gelinas (Sodikart) held the top spot for the first few minutes before Phil Giebler (Intrepid) came calling, dropping the time to a 40.1. The big smash came from Keith Spicer, who dropped a staggering 39.787 to steal the pole position. No one else could match Spicer’s pace, although both Stuart Marsell (Arrow) and Giebler would dip below the 40-second mark to sit second and third. Troy Hottman (Merlin) made a late-session set-up change to jump to fourth while Gelinas finished up in fifth. First group fast qualifier Kinnear would end up 23rd. The sport’s most dominant driver right now – Jordy Vorrath (Intrepid) – was an uncharacteristic tenth in the order.
The opening Prefinal saw Marsell grab the holeshot and pace the race from green to checker, although he did need to hold back Michael Vincec (CRG) through the entire distance. Starting fourth after qualifying eighth, Vincec got a rocket start to third before passing Hottmann for second. Vincec would maintain the pressure throughout the entire heat race but he could not find a way past, nor would he risk a low-percentage move. Jon Branam (Tony Kart) was the fastest driver on the track and advanced from ninth to third, getting by Hottmann late in the race before turning his attention on Vincec, only to run out of laps. Hottmann would finish up fourth ahead of Vorrath.
 | Champion Racing-G-Phactory driver Phil Giebler lead all but one lap after being held up by lap traffic
(Photo: Super Kart Illustrated) |
Giebler hammered the throttle off the line to assume the lead at the start of the second Prefinal and he would stretch a small cushion over Spicer during the first few laps. The fastest driver on the track, however, was Gelinas, as he attacked and then passed Spicer for the challenge position. The Sodikart pilot then focused on closing in on Giebler, cutting the gap to just a half second at the stripe. Spicer held on for third, finishing well ahead Wesley Boswell (Birel) in fourth. Matt Jaskol (Topkart) completed the top five, putting in a great effort to bounce back from a rough start. The fight for the final transfer changed late in the race when David Carmendy (CRG) dropped out of a top ten position with a mechanical failure on the last lap. This brought Marc Flood into the show from 18th, bumping him to 17th in the final tally.
The LCQ offered up six transfer positions and it was Chris Miller (CRG) who ran away and hid to score the win and the inside of the 18th row for the main. BJ Anderson (Arrow) and Alex Gaines rounded out the top three.
The start of the ICC race was all Giebler as he rocketed off the line to assume the lead. Marsell took up station in second ahead of Vincec and Gelinas to lay down the initial laps of the 24-lap event. Giebler would pull to a small lead over Vincec, that is, until Gelinas’ ride started coming in and he was ready to attack. First, he put Vincec back to third and then set about closing on the leader, eventually working it down to around sixth tenths. And for the majority of the race, that is about as close as it got.
Things all changed on the final lap when Giebler closed up on a lapped car that did not heed the black removal flag to leave the racing surface. Much slower through the final sets of corners, the backmarker forced Giebler to check up, which allowed Gelinas to close right to the leader’s bumper. Heading to the turn 14 right-hander, Gelinas wanted to capitalize on the situation and dove hard to the inside, putting two wheels in the grass as Giebler defended, eventually making contact with Giebler at the apex. The collision put Giebler off into the grass and stopped Gelinas in his tracks, allowing Vincec to drive through on the inside to take the win. Spicer would also slip by for second while Gelinas recovered for third. Giebler restarted and took ninth in the final tally. However, Gelinas would eventually be penalized and put behind Giebler in the official order.
Marsell would advance from fourth to third with the Gelinas penalty, putting the Florida driver on the podium. Jon Branam (Tony Kart) and Matt Jaskol (Topkart) rounded out the top five. After winning five of six starts this year in Stars competition, Vorrath was not on pace today and would retire after just five laps following contact that put him off track.
 | Chris Larson was able to make a T14 pass stick and beat Jake Rosenzweig to the line for the ICA victory
(Photo: Super Kart Illustrated) |
ICA
Currently ranked #1 in the Super Kart Illustrated Driver Rankings, PSL Karting’s Jake Rosenzweig (CRG) showed why in ICA qualifying this morning, posting a 40.560-second lap to win the Gatorz Pole. Mike Giessen is looking good in his return to Stars competition, pushing his Birel to second on the time charts with a 40.697. New Castle winner Caleb Loniewski (Margay) was third quick while Chris Larson (Gillard) and Phillip Arscott (Swiss Hutless) rounded out the fast five.
In the Prefinal, Rosenzweig checked out at the green flag only to have a major pile-up occur behind him when Chris Livengood (Mach 1) spun in the opening corner. This caused a chain reaction that collected at least 12 cars, eight of them calling it a day. Back up front, Rosenzweig maintained a comfortable gap over the battle between Loniewski and Larson in the early going. Giessen got shuffled at the start and dropped back, but he would fight forward and would finish up fifth, ahead of Arscott. Loniewski outran Larson for second while Johnny Johnson (Topkart) drove from eighth to fourth in the final tally.
In the Final, Rosenzweig pulled quickly into the lead and held the position throughout the race. There were a few good battles happening behind him, but the attrition stepped in again with Jess Peterson, Johnson, Loniewski, Miller and Giessen all retiring with mechanical failures. The final three all fell out of top five positions.
Rosenzweig would become embroiled in a race-long fight with Larson, one that would come to the final corners. The CRG led strongly, never putting a wheel wrong all day. Larson did what he could be find away by, and finally pulled the trigger in the right-hand turn 14. Larson threw his Gillard to the inside in a perfectly executed slide job, taking over the spot with just enough momentum to exit the corner. Rosenzweig tried to counter underneath, but there was no room and he was forced to take second. Anthony Llopiz (Kosmic) put in a fantastic effort to take third, while Arscott was fourth ahead of Joseph Genest (Tecno), career bets finishes for both drivers.
 | Team OVRP.com's Adam Johnson lead all 20 lap and held off a hard charging Dion Von Moltke
(Photo: Super Kart Illustrated) |
SPEC RACER
After Adam Johnson (Topkart) took the provisional pole early in the Spec Racer Qualifying run, CRG driver Dion Von Moltke came calling with a 42.076 to steal the top spot and the pole for the Prefinal. Double New Castle winner Brandon Adkins (Margay) was second on the time sheet with a 42.126. Johnson would end up third while Brandon Jones (Arrow) was fourth. Two-time Stars of Karting winner Eric Gerrits (First Kart) was just 0.005 seconds off Jones in fifth. 1978 World Champion Lake Speed (Birel) was tenth in the order with a 42.898.
Despite the leading the first half of the Prefinal, Von Moltke would find himself back in third at the checkered flag after Johnson slipped through to take the lead. With Johnson in control of the point, Jones would make a move for second on the penultimate lap, sliding by Von Moltke at the end of the backshute. Adkins dropped from second to fourth early and was unable to make any more ground, finishing there. Gerrits would cap the top five.
In the final, Johnson emerged as the man to beat, putting his Top Kart out early before building a small cushion. Von Moltke kept pushing through the latter stages of the race to keep Johnson honest, cutting into the gap during the final laps. Johnson was able to counter and stepped it up a little, despite being exhausted, a fact that he detailed with EKN Editor Rob Howden in the podium interview.
Von Moltke’s runner-up finish was his career best result while Adkins improved to third to add a podium finish to his pair of wins at New Castle. Jones and Gerrits rounded out the top five.
 | Canadian David Ostella put on a great performance toward his first JICA victory of the year
(Photo: Super Kart Illustrated) |
JICA
Jose Antonio Zanella (CRG) topped the first JICA group in Gatorz Pole Qualifying with a 42.070-second lap to lead Taylor Miinch (Birel) and Sergio Pena (Maranello). Zanella would end up fifth in the final order after the second group completed their session as Andres Lopez grabbed the Gatorz Pole with a 41.998 to sit ahead of Richard Benitez (Kosmic) and David Ostella (CRG). Dusty Davis (Maranello) was fourth quick to finish ahead of Zanella in the order.
Benitez led the first Prefinal early before a stuck motor put him on the sidelines on lap five. This handed the win to Victor Cabrera Jr. (Kosmic), who stretched out to a 3.6-second lead over the final laps. Brendan Langlois (Maranello) took second on the final lap by passing Davis on the backshute. Davis would hold on to third ahead of Arie Ouimet (CRG) and Derek Wagner (Kosmic). With 17 drivers transferring straight to the main, the man on the bubble was Thomas Silva (CRG), securing a starting position on row 17.
In the second Prefinal, Ostella grabbed the early lead but it was Carlos Munoz who would lead to the checkered flag, winning a front row starting spot for the main event. Ostella held on for second while Jacob Neal (CRG) moved to third. Lopez was fourth in the run while Gustavo Menezes (Tony Kart).
It was Ostella’s big day in the main event as he was able to chase down Munoz, the early leader, to score the win. Munoz got a good jump at the green flag to lead the 40-kart field for the first few laps before Ostella took over and managed his lead for the remainder of the run. Cabrera would keep the pressure up from second and took the position in the final tally while Munoz capped the podium.
 | Sage Karam moves to Birel and picks up his first Cadet victory of 2006
(Photo: Super Kart Illustrated) |
CADET
Spencer Pigot (Juncos) got things underway in Cadet Qualifying with a 46.520 to edge Nick Neri (Shockwave) by 0.063 seconds to take the pole for the Prefinal. Sebastien Ordonez (Juncos) was third in the order while Birel drivers Andrew Murray and reigning champ Sage Karam rounded out the fast five. After beginning the season on a Topkart, Karam is making his return to the Birel marque and looks to be on pace.
Neri grabbed the lead early in the Prefinal and walked to a large gap by the halfway point, but he would not finish the race unchallenged. Murray would work his way to second with Karam on his rear bumper and they eventually reeled in the leader, placing themselves right behind Neri with two to go. The Shockwave pilot would fend off all charges to take the win and the pole in the Final. Murray and Karam were locked together at the line in second and third while Oscar Tunjo (Juncos)
A four-driver breakaway developed early in the Cadet final as Neri led Karam, Murray and Ordonez. The quartet would take turns up front before Murray went in turn 11. When the race came down to the final laps, Karam led and was holding back Neri by running a slightly defensive line. Neri went wide in turn 14 on the final lap to set up for a run over to turn 15, but he mis-judged his competition and got shuffled to the outside when Tristan DeGrand (Kosmic) and Cody Humphries (KRT) slid through to take second and third. Karam would go on to win with DeGrand getting a huge run on him to the stripe, with the gap being just 0.040 seconds at the line. Humphries would take third ahead of Jaime Ortega (Juncos) and Ordonez. |
|
|
Go Top
|
|
|
|
|
