Alexander Vanchev starts the X30 Junior main event from the pole position (Photo: EKN)

The 2025 United States Pro Kart Series – the official IAME Series USA East – presented by MG Tires – fought with its first big weather issues on the season during Saturday’s action at the Carolina Grand Prix. Two different weather delays due to incoming rain systems into the Mooresville, North Carolina region put things on hold at the Trackhouse Motorplex. The first was a delay to allow competitors midway through the second round of heat races to change over to wet setups, the second was strong winds and lightning that rolled through midway through the third round of heats. Action went until past 7pm, with all the heats on the day completed, setting the grids for the main events on Sunday.

It was a two driver battle on the day in the Rolison Performance Group X30 Pro division, featuring 27 drivers. Top qualifier Gus Lawrence (RPG / Kosmic) battled with Daytona winner and three-time series champion Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic). Norberg took the advantage in the opening heat in the dry and then on a drying track with standard MG Tires in Heat #2. Heat #3 was on full wet tires with Lawrence taking the checkered flag first ahead of Norberg. It will be Norberg leading the field to the green flag for the main event with Lawrence on the unpopular outside pole position. Defending champion Austin Garrison (SCR / CS55) had three top five results on the day and starts from third with former race winner Hayden Jones (RPG / Kosmic) fourth and former IAME USA Grand National Champion Dalton Hanes (Hanes / Sodi Kart) in fifth. Hanes would have had a better starting position but penalties in Heat #1 dropped him to 12th in the order. Issues for Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Racing Kart) in the opening heat cost him valuable positions on the grid for the main event, finishing 22nd prior to two third-place results on the day. He goes from seventh on the grid for the Final.

Two heat race wins in the dry puts Ryan Norberg on the pole position for X30 Pro (Photo: EKN)

A total of 48 drivers make up the Brandon Jarsocrak Racing KA100 Senior division, which saw the change in weather happen between heat races in their ABCD format. Rain came between their two heat races in round two, and then the second delay happened just before the final BvsC heat race to close out their day. Some drivers were in the wet twice, some once, and those in the A group never had to put on wet tires. Overall, six different drivers won over the six different heat races – Jared Clarke (BJR / LN Racing Kart), Connor Ferris (TFR / Kart Republic), Brandon Lemke (SCR / CS55), Blake Nash (Nash / EOS), Pauly Massimino (BJR / LN Racing Kart), and James Overbeck (BJR / Tony Kart). Some won on the track while others won following penalties. Lemke was the driver to come away with the best results on the day, putting a third and second with his win to land on the pole position. Top qualifier Caleb Gafrarar (HDD / Tony Kart) was unable to win a hit race, but finished fourth, second and second to land on the outside of the front row. Overbeck was sixth, second and first in his races to place third overall in the heat races with Nash moving up to fourth on the grid after qualifying eight overall. Massimino and Ferris make up row three for the Final while Clarke had two bad results that drop him down to 21st for the starting grid on Sunday.

Brandon Lemke was among the six different winners in KA100 Senior heat races (Photo: EKN)

It was the same in the BBS Race Engines KA100 Junior division with six different winners over the six heat races on the day for the 51-driver field. Top qualifier John Antonino (MPG / Kart Republic) was one of the winners and retains the pole position for the Final with two runner-up results in his three races. Max Weiland (Magik Kart USA) won a heat race, combined with a third and a second to start on the front row on Sunday. Daytona winner Theo Salomao (Orsolon / Tony Kart) won his final heat race, and will start third after finishing fourth and second in his first two heats. Outside row two will be Max Cristea (JHDD / Kart Republic) returning from a broken leg while skiing. A opening heat race win with a fourth and a third put him there. Alexander Vanchev (RPG / Kosmic) won the second heat on the day, matched with a third and sixth puts him fifth in the order while Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) was third, sixth and third to start sixth on Sunday. Travis Pettit (SCR / CS55) was the sixth different winner, as he will start from seventh after placing 10th and fifth in his other heat races.

KA100 Junior top qualifier John Antonino maintains the pole position for the main event (Photo: EKN)

The Speed Concepts Racing X30 Junior division welcomed 28 drivers on the day, all racing together in their three heat races. Alexander Vanchev (RPG / Kosmic) used the two heat races in the wet to grab wins while starting the day second in the opening heat to earn the pole position for Sunday. Ashton Woon (SCR / CS55) remains in the second position on the grid after finishing fourth, fourth and second. Same for Canadian Cole Medeiros (REM / Kosmic), placing fifth, second and third on the day to start from P3. John Antonino (MPG / Kart Republic) improved his position to now start from fourth after results of third, fifth and 11th. Same for Jose Halphen (RPG / Kosmic), placing 11th, sixth and eighth to now start fifth after placing 16th in qualifying. Dayton winner Theo Salomao (Orsolon / Tony Kart) came away with the opening heat race win but finished seventh and 29th in his heat races. He will go from P9 on the main event grid. Top qualifier Lucas Palacio (Kart Republic) suffered a mechanical issue in the opening heat while finishing third and fourth during the wet weather heats, dropping him to 10th on the starting grid.

Dusty Davis came away with two heat races wins to maintain the P1 starting spot in KA100 Masters (Photo: EKN)

Two different drivers won a heat race for the three heats in the Nash Motorsportz KA100 Masters division. Multiple drivers were in the hunt on the day, led by top qualifier Dusty Davis (Tony Kart) in the opening heat race. The second heat was in wet track conditions with Daytona winner Renato Jader-David (Orsolon / Kosmic) out front until two flat rear tires dropped him down to ninth in the closing laps, allowing Davis to win a second heat. The final heat in wet conditions saw Ariel Castro (RPG / Exprit) come through for the win with a solid performance ahead of the 17 driver field. RJD starts second after finishing second in his other two heat races. Castro improved up to third on the grid after recording an 11th and second. Martin Stone (RPG / Kosmic) was third in two of his heat races, having engine issues in the second moto. Stone will start fourth while Miguel Mier (Orsolon / Tony Kart) and Scott Falcone (Orsolon / Kart Republic) go from row three.

Santiago Orioli won both heat races in the wet for Mini Swift (Photo: EKN)

The wet weather was welcomed by Santiago Orioli (MPG / Kart Republic) in the Sodi Racing USA Mini Swift division. Finishing fourth in the opening heat race, Orioli dominated the two heat races in the wet and will start from the pole position. Zayne Burgess (SCR / Sodi Kart) had a string of third place finishes to move up to second on the grid for the final. Maxwell Macha (Velocity / Sodi Kart) holds his third spot for the final with two second-place finishes and a seventh. Parker Ives (RPM / Nitro Kart) was the winning in the opening heat race in what was a big scramble over the last two laps. Ives was eighth and fifth over the other two races and will start from the outside of row two. Daytona winner Jayden Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) and Cameron Johnson (FMS / Merlin) start from the third row.

Consistency landed Brody Stoffle on the pole position for the Micro Swift main event (Photo: EKN)

Three different drivers took wins in the three heat races for the Team Ferris Racing Micro Swift class, yet none of them will start from the pole position. Brody Stoffle (JHDD / Kart Republic) had three top-three results to earn the pole position for the Final. Slate Harrell (RPM / Nitro Kart) won the opening heat and starts from the outside of row one after placing fifth and second in his other heats. Lenox Lockhart (Velocity / Sodi Kart) won the third heat and will start from the P3 spot. Top qualifier Alvaro Medeiros (Orsolon / Tony Kart) had a best finish of third over the three heat races, and starts on the outside of row two. Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik) and Leo Simone (JHDD / Kart Republic) make up row three with Simone improving from 11th in qualifying. Marcelo Flores (JHDD / Kart Republic) won the second heat, and starts seventh.

The weather for Sunday is going to improve for the main events at Trackhouse Motorplex, beginning in the morning and running through all seven categories to decide the winners of the 2025 USPKS Carolina Grand Prix.

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