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| September 16, 2007 News |
| EKN Trackside: Stars of Karting - West #3 - Sunday Report |
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 | Gary Carlton two wins at Moran give him a large advantage heading into the National Finals
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
An end to a great weekend in Beaumont, California as clear skies again greeted the Stars of Karting Western Division finale at the Moran Raceway. With the championship races heating up, so did the racing on track with close racing in all five divisions with three titles still up in the air heading into the day. Reigning ICC champion Gary Carlton scored another victory after battling Jordy Vorrath again. In ICA, James Kennedy was granted the victory after the two leaders made contact on the final lap of the main event.
ICC
History would be made during the 15 minute ICC Gatorz Pole Qualifying session as the track record set by Alan Sciuto during the 2004 SKUSA Pro Moto Tour event would fall. Early on, David Jurca (Italkart) looked to be the man to break that record, dropping three tenths off his previous fast lap to hit the 1:00.698 lap time. Following Jurca’s quick time, Carlton moved to second with his out lap at a .866 with expectations of getting faster. He did, however he stayed in the eights with a 1:00.804. The track record would go to the Canadian Jordy Vorrath (Intrepid) who on his out lap came up just short of the record with a .664 and would drop to a 1:00.374 the following lap to earn the new track record. Jurca would hold strong in second with Carlton, Fritz Leesman (CRG) and Jan Velez-Walter (Intrepid) rounding out the fast five.
Vorrath grabbed the hole shot to start the 15 lap Prefinal with Carlton quickly getting by Jurca for the second spot heading into turn one. The top three ran that way for most of the race until Carlton made a deep pass into turn one for the top spot on lap 13. Carlton would go on to take the win with Vorrath not challenging back and settling for second with Jurca third. Leesmann dropped back to fifth behind Duerson but was able to pass back in the late stages of the race.
It was Vorrath and Jurca again getting a great jump as Carlton struggled to get off the line quick. Champion Racing’s Vorrath put a small gap on Jurca with the Italian Motors driver doing the same to the PCH driver. Lap 10 is when Carlton began his drive to the front, getting by Jurca in the familiar deep pass heading into turn one that he had used all weekend long.
He then began studying Vorrath, looking inside of turn two a few times, just barely missing the back bumper of Vorrath as they turned in. Then Carlton put in his signature Moran move into one, this time Vorrath fighting back and not giving up the outside line as they exited the turn. Carlton drifted high and the two made contact, sending Carlton to the dirt though he stayed on the gas to dirt track it to turn two before Vorrath could get there. The Canadian stayed close but was unable to make an attempt for the remainder of the race as Carlton went on to take his sixth Western Division victory to head to the National Finals with a solid point lead for his second straight national crown.
The rest of the field were in packs of two as Leesmann and Jurca fought for third while Duerson won the battle for fifth over Mandarino. Recent King of the Streets winner Alan Rudolph (First Kart), who started the final 27th after losing the chain in the Prefinal, passed 10 karts in the opening five corners of the race and managed to advance up to ninth behind strong performances from Richard Benitez (Kosmic) and Jon Allen (GP).
 | James Kennedy earned a second ICA victory on Sunday after the leader made contact on the final lap
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
ICA
Many of the ICA drivers took there time getting out on track for the 15 minute Gatorz Pole Qualifying session with Victor Cabrera (Kosmic) leading the way for most of the session. Transponder problems hit Brit Scott Jenkins (Intrepid) as his transponder was dead and not picking up. After the Stars officials were able to flag him off track with their transponder flag, he came in and switched transponders with just enough time to make two timed laps. His out lap was all he needed as he put down a 1:02.339 lap time, nearly two tenths clear of Cabrera’s best time. Michael Hogg (Italkart) was third quickest with Saturday winner James Kennedy (Sodi Kart) and Tyler Dueck (Intrepid) completing the fast five. Championship contenders Cody Jolly (CRG) and Jacob Neal (CRG) were sixth and ninth respectively.
The ICA drivers went three wide into turn one with everyone coming away clean with Jenkins leading the way. The top four was uneventful as they drove away from the rest of the field with Jenkins taking the win ahead of Hogg, Jolly, and Kennedy. Dueck fell back early but managed to get back to fifth.
The Western Division ICA championship would be decided on the last lap of the main event in dramatic fashion. Neal held the point lead heading into the event with Jolly a close second. In the opening laps, contact between Neal and Dueck put the PCH Motorsports driver at the back of the field and eventually retired from the event in 15th. This gave Jolly a chance at the title outright with a strong result. On lap five, Jolly took control of the lead from the Prefinal winner Jenkins - who continued to fall back throughout the 22 lap event with ignition trouble - eventually finishing sixth.
Jolly held a comfortable lead on Cabrera for most of race until the J3 Competition driver began to close up the gap. With the white flag flying, Cabrera was on the bumper of Jolly crossing the line. Getting a great run through turns three and four, Cabrera pulled along side Jolly heading into the corkscrew. Entering the corner, the two made heavy contact, allowing third place runner Kennedy to slide trough the section to inherit the lead and the win. Dueck would win the battle for second with Nick Tonkin (Birel) completing the podium. Cabrera would continue to finish but was moved behind Jolly who also continued to be classified 10th.
The finishing order gave Tonkin the Western Division ICA championship for MRP-Birel America as the Canadian edged Dueck by just five points for the title. Jolly fell back to third, just ahead of Neal, Rosenzweig and Joel Miller (Tony Kart) - all separated by just one point.
 | The Spec Racer win Sunday by Sandeen gave him the Western Division crown
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Spec Racer
Michael Self (Arrow) held the top spot in Spec Racer Gatorz Pole Qualifying early on until Conor Daly hit the track following the five minute mark. The Top Kart driver moved up to second in his out lap and then P1 the following circuit with a 1:04.662 lap time. Self held second until FirstKart.com’s Andy Lee got a good draft behind Chris Scribner to move up to the provisional second spot. Two more Top Karts joined Daly up front as Neil McCoy moved up to second with Ty Matta third fastest, moving Lee to fourth and Self to fifth. Things shook up in the tech shed as Matta was removed for a carburetion rule moving Jason Toft (Birel) into the fast five.
After a short stint up front by Lee, Daly took over the point on lap four and led the rest of the 12 lap Prefinal for a three second lead. The ‘drives’ of the race however were Devon Sandeen (Intrepid) and Matta, both starting from the back of the field and driving their way up. The battle for second saw numerous drivers hold the spot, but when the checkered flag fell, Joey Wimsett (Intrepid) moved up from 11th to take the spot. Joey Licata Jr. (Biesse) started eighth and moved up to third with Matta and Sandeen completing the top five.
As has been the case all year, the Spec Racer Final was a wild one. Pole sitter Daly again had trouble after leading the early portion of the race. Contact in the final corner with Self put him further back in the field and gave Wimsett the lead. Two laps later, Self took his turn at the point as he and Sandeen were both able to get around him. At the halfway mark, Sandeen got a good run down the straight and made the pass for the lead heading into turn one. From that point on, Sandeen put his head down and stretched out to a five second victory over Self who ran the final laps of the race holding onto his gas tank that came loose during the race. Wimsett won the battle for third over Licata with Toft completing the top five. After the race, officials moved Self behind Daly in the finishing order for the contact in the final corner, classifying Daly 10th and Self 11th, moving Matta into the top five.
The win gave Sandeen a solid advantage in the standings and his second straight Spec Racer Western Division crown and will lead the overall standings heading into the National Finals.
 | Miles Maroney was strong again on Sunday to earn his second JICA main event win
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
JICA
The JICA division was the first group to hit the track for Gatorz Pole Qualifying with yesterday’s pole winner Taylor Miinch (Birel) leading the way early until the First Kart trio began to run their fastest laps of the session. Phil DeLaO took the top spot before Spencer Pigot stole it from his teammate while Brandon Langlois jumped up to P4 behind Miinch. Saturday winner Miles Maroney (CRG) jumped up into second in the late stages to break up the front five. Problems in the scale house though for Langlois has he came in underweight to continue a rough weekend for the Canadian, moving Garrison Masters (CRG) up to fifth.
Pigot controlled the start of the JICA final with DeLaO, Maroney, Miinch, and Brendan Phinny (Top Kart) rounding out the early top five. After getting shuffled back to fifth on lap three, DeLaO brought out a red flag after contact with Masters. On the restart, Pigot, Maroney and Miinch pulled out to a solid lead and ran that way to the checkered flag. Phinny ran a solid fourth with Langlois working up to fifth from 20th.
From the pole position, Pigot lead the field through turn one to being the JICA main event however his reign up front did not last long with both Miinch and Phinny getting by before completing the first lap. On lap three, Phinny took his turn at the point with a charging Maroney pushing Miinch to third in the same lap. Three laps later, Maroney assumed the top spot and would not look back, leading the rest of the way for his second win on the weekend. Phinny ran a close second with Pigot - who fell back to fifth in the early stages - drove back to third ahead of Miinch with Masters rounding out the top five.
 | Sage Karam's win Sunday clinched the Cadet Western Division championship
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Cadet
Sunday was a new day as Tristan DeGrand (Kosmic) bounced back from a tough day Saturday to earn the pole in Cadet with a 1:12.769 lap time. Tyler Thomas (Top Kart) was second fastest with Mason Chelootz (Intrepid), Scott Phillips (Birel) and Santino Ferrucci (S-1) completing the fast five.
After two laps, the Cadet Prefinal was stopped for a red flag accident with Sean Conyers needing medical attention but walked away. The race had a single-file restart with the field running nose to tail except for three wide action down the long front straight. When the checkered fell, Sage Karam (Birel) moved up to take the win just ahead of Thomas by 0.005-seconds. Dylan Kwasniewski (Tony Kart) was 0.079-seconds behind. Saturday winner Camden Geise (Top Kart) was fourth with Ferrucci fifth.
The Cadet final was at first a six kart battle for the lead and as the race reached the halfway mark, eight drivers were in the lead pack. The group went four wide into turn one with Thomas getting the short end of the stick and went off the outside of the corner, ending his race and the championship hopes. With the shuffling and four wide action, Karam and Kwasniewski broke away for a two kart battle for the win with Karam grabbing the checkered flag 0.082s in front. With the win, Karam earned the West Cadet title and matched his East Division point total with five wins counted toward each total. Ferrucci won the battle for third ahead of Chelootz and Phillips. |
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