Austin Garrison provisionally clinched the X30 Pro championship with three heat wins on Saturday (Photo: EKN)

An extensive day on Saturday for the 2024 United States Pro Kart Series Indiana Grand Prix with the weather hitting the area from Hurricane Helene. With the afternoon cancelled on Friday due to safety with the unknown potential of strong winds and heavy rain hitting the New Castle Motorsports Park, qualifying was pushed into today. It made for a long day that included some dry track time before the clouds rolled in once again and provided a wet track throughout the rest of the day. The final heat races of the 2024 season were completed, reduced to 10 laps for the first two rounds and eight laps for the third, setting up the final championship push into the main events on Sunday.

One championship that was decided after Saturday’s action was in the X30 Pro presented by Rolison Performance Group. Championship leader Austin Garrison (SCR / Redspeed) was able to battle through the three rounds of heat races with dominating wins after qualifying second to four-time defending champion Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic). Only eight thousandths separated the two for their best lap on a drying track as Norberg posted at 1:07.056. The opening heat was an eight-second advantage, with Garrison winning heat two by over three seconds. The final heat was the worst conditions of the day, with very little light and a soaked track that saw two-seconds slower than in heat two. Garrison avoided going off track like others did, going on to win, provisionally earning his first series championship. Norberg, Ayden Ingratta (RPG / Kosmic) and Nicholas Terlecki (HDD / Tony Kart) each placed runner-up in a heat race. Ingratta will start on the front row alongside Garrison with Terlecki and Norberg in row two while Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Racing Kart) and Harley Keeble (Inter MS / Tony Kart) go from row three.

Two heat wins puts AJ Myers on the pole position for the KA100 Senior main event (Photo: EKN)

The change in schedule removed the separate heat groups for the KA100 Senior presented by Brandon Jarsocrak Racing, putting all 42 drivers on track at the same time. Ohio GP winner James Overbeck (BJR / Tony Kart) was able to set fast time in qualifying on a drying track, the first class with a full session of everyone on dry tires, posting a 1:12.061. Second was Jose Carlos Hernandez (Orsolon / Tony Kart) who took to the wet track well, dominating the opening heat over championship contenders AJ Myers (Magik Kart USA) and Cooper Shipman (IRM / Tony Kart). Prior to the race, it was a mad dash to get back to rain tires as the wet weather returned just before their first heat. In that process, Shipman was unable to set the rear width above the minimum measurement, and failed post-race tech. That put him to the tail of the field for results, hurting his championship chase. Myers stepped up his game in the final two heat races, going on to win both to earn the pole position for Sunday. Hernandez and Overbeck each placed runner-up. It will be Hernandez from the outside of row one with Overbeck joined by Brandon Lemke (LN Racing Kart) in row two after three top-seven finishes. Cameron Weinberg (CDR / Kart Republic) and Oliver Calvo (SSM / Exprit) – coming off shoulder surgery – go from row three. Myers needs to finish ninth or better in order to clinch the championship on Sunday, and become the first driver to win a title in all three Senior categories – KA, TaG and Shifter.

Jackson Wolny dominated the heat races for X30 Junior (Photo: EKN)

It was a dominated day for Jackson Wolny (SCR / Kart Republic) in the X30 Junior presented by Speed Concepts Racing. Setting fast time in qualifying a dry track, Wolny came away with all three wins in the wet weather heat races in dominating fashion. Wire-to-wire wins in all three heat races keeps him on the pole position as Enzo Vidmontiene (Trinity / Kart Republic) will join him on the front row with top-seven results. Lillan Scarbrough (RPG / Kosmic) and Michael McGaughy (RPM / Tony Kart) will make up row two with Agustus Toniolo (RPG / Kosmic) and Tristan Murphy (Supertune / Tony Kart) going from row three. Championship leader Diego Ardiles (SCR / CS55) suffered a mechanical issue in heat one but finished second and third in the final two heats and will start from eighth. He needs to finish 19th or better to claim his first USPKS title.

Enzo Vidmontiene had the best average score over the three heat races to sit pole position in KA100 Junior (Photo: EKN)

It was a wild and intense day in the KA100 Junior presented by BBS Race Engines. Changing weather conditions between groups from the warm-up ‘happy hour’ session to the opening heat kept the competitors in a mad dash to make the correct calls on tires and setup. USPKS elected to implement the ‘zipper’ format with changing conditions between the two sessions. Thus, the three groups for qualifying included a mix of drivers based on time rather than a slow group, medium group and fast group on the happy hour lap times. The C group went out on a wet by drying track. When B group hit the course, two drivers on dry tires were able to clock in quicker times as the rest on rain destroyed their tires. This gave the A group the opportunity to go with dry tires. With the difference between groups greater than 107%, the zipper format was implemented once again to determine the overall qualifying order. Thus, fast driver in Group A was P1, fast driver in Group B was P2, fast driver in Group C was P3 – for all 50 drivers. They ran all of them together for the three heat races, and the kids did a great job making through the opening corners with no incidents. The first heat, competitors went out on dry tires, however, the weather rolled back in and began sprinkling, making the track surface wet but not unsafe. Enzo Vidmontiene (Trinity / Kart Republic) was able to go on to score the race win as top qualifier Michael McGaughy (RPM / Tony Kart) retired after five laps. McGaughy was able to battle back in the final two heats with impressive wins. He will start from 14th as Vidmontiene earned the pole position for the main event, joined in the front row by Max Weiland (Magik Kart USA). Charlie Smith (Nash / EOS) and championship contender Diego Ardiles (SCR / CS55) make up row two with championship leader Sebastian Garzon (Orsolon / Tony Kart) and Jackson Wolny (SCR / Kart Republic) filling in row three. Garzon – with results of 19th, sixth and sixth – needs to finish 14th or better to clinch his first USPKS title.

Dominating day for championship leader Niki Coello in KA100 Masters (Photo: EKN)

KA100 Masters presented by Nash Motorsportz championship leader Niki Coello (FMS / Merlin) is seeking his first title, and first series victory. A dominating performance in the heat races after just missing out on the fast time qualifying to championship rival Martin Stone (RPG / Kosmic) is helping his cause. The three wins puts him in the pole position for the main event with Stone now starting on the outside of row one after three straight runner-up results. Adam Crepin (FMS / Gillard) started each heat race from dead last after losing a chain in qualifying. The Route 66 Sprint Series champion came from 17th to third in the opening two heats, and finished fourth in the last to earn a third-place starting spot in the final alongside Laurentiu Mardan (Tecno Kart USA). Texas Sprint Racing Series champion Pierce Baldus (Hi5 / Redspeed) starts fifth with former series champ Scott Kopp (FMS / Redspeed) in sixth.

Nico Kotowski will lead the Mini Swift field to the green flag (Photo: Studio52.us)

Three different drivers came out of the heat races with wins in the Mini Swift presented by Sodi Racing USA. Top qualifier Marco Sammut (BJR/ LN Racing Kart) held the top spot through the opening heat while getting spun in the second to finish 14th. That allowed Royce Vega (Team Benik) to drive away to the win in heat two. Vega had troubles in the third heat as championship contender Ashton Woon (Supertune / Parolin) emerged with the top spot, helping his push to the title. All the issues for the heat winners puts Nico Kotowski (JNM / Sodi Kart) into the pole position for the main event with results of second, second and fourth. Woon will go from the outside of the front row while Nico Orbezo (RPG / Kosmic) and Sammut start from row two. In row three will be Valentino Santillian (Sodi Racing USA) and Vega. Championship leader Parker Ives (RPM / Nitro Kart) did not have his best day, qualifying 12th, and finishing ninth, 21st, 22nd in his heat races to go from 19th. He will need to advance up to seventh in order to take the championship with both Woon, Vega, Sammut and Orbezo all still with the opportunity to steal the title.

Wynn Godschalk mastered the wet weather for two heat wins in Micro Swift (Photo: EKN)

It was a near perfect day for Wynn Godschalk (Team Benik) in the Micro Swift presented by Team Ferris Racing. Godschalk set fast time in qualifying but missed out on the win in the opening heat race as Santiago Orioli (MPG / Kart Republic) grabbed the win from P4 starting spot in dry conditions. When the track returned to wet conditions, Godschalk dominated for two race wins and the pole position for the main event. Jayden Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) will go from the second spot with Jake Manalio (TFR / Alonso Kart) and Orioli going from row two. Making up row three is Cameron Johnson (FMS / Merlin) and championship leader Zayne Burgess (Sodi Racing USA), who only needs to finish 27th in a field of 29 drivers to earn his first USPKS title.

Follow the coverage all weekend long on the EKN Social Media accounts for Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for news, updates, photos, videos and more, including the top-10 results after each session beginning with qualifying on Friday. Listen to the racing action by heading to the EKN Live page or tune in on the EKN Radio Network.

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