Flashback Friday: 2011 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SpringNationals
The first ever visit for Superkarts! USA Pro Tour to Tucson was in 2011 (Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca)
The following are the race reports from the 2011 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SpringNationals from the Musselman Honda Circuit in Tucson, Arizona. The event was held on April 29-May 1, marking the first visit for the organization launching its second season of the championship.
EKN Trackside: SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNationals Saturday Report
Bray, Felkins and others earn first Pro Tour victories at first round in Tucson
The Honda Racing/HPD SpringNationals kicked off the start of the 2011 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour season, putting in the first round of results into the books Saturday at the Musselman Honda Circuit in Tucson, Arizona. After battling hash weather conditions during Friday’s practice, including high temperatures and strong wind gusts that damaged tents throughout the paddock, Saturday was a warm welcome to comfortable racing conditions. With roughly 170 drivers in attendance and the fields stacked with talent, the racing on track was phenomenal as the nearly 8/10-mile circuit provided the perfect backdrop for exciting wheel-to-wheel action. At the end of the day, the first 2011 Pro Tour winners were established with a number of drivers earning their first ever series victory.
S1
S1 Saturday winner Daniel Bray (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
With the pro drivers of the S1 category, track time was limited to what they needed to post the fast lap. For Brad Dunford (CRG), he did it on his out lap early on. The SoCal driver set the bar with a 48.453 and returned to pit lane after a few more laps to see where he stood. Happy with the result, he watched as the veterans took to the track. Kiwi driver Daniel Bray (GP) posted the second best lap of the session and was unable to better Dunford’s time. Defending champion Fritz Leesmann (CRG) ended the session in third with Clinton Schoombee (DR Kart) in fourth while S1 rookie Ryon Beachner (Tony Kart) capped off the fast-five. Two-time SKUSA SuperNationals winner Tom Dyer (GP) made his first lap without a transponder, and once equipped with one he was only able to post the sixth fastest lap.
Bray was able to grab the holeshot to begin heat one as he darted just in front of Dunford as they entered the opening corner. Schoombee worked by Dunford through the opening lap, exchanging positions once again as they began lap two. Bray got away on the cold tires and the shuffling going on behind him helped his cause. Schoombee continued to fall back, losing third to Leesmann and eventually dropping to sixth at the end. The top two ran unchallenged for the remainder of the race with Bray taking the win by over a second. Leesmann fell to fourth as Dyer was able to take the spot in the closing laps, with Ryan Phinny (Wild Kart) charging to fifth.
Dunford took the holeshot for the second heat race but Bray was able to take the lead back before the end of the first lap. From there, Bray never looked back as he drove to over a one-second win. Dyer was the driver on the move, coming up to finish second in the run but unable to track down Bray. Dunford finished third but was penalized one position for jumping the start. The fight on the track was between Leesmann and Johnson. The rookie took it to the defending champ as they went back and forth until Johnson was able to secure the position. With Dunford’s penalty, he was moved into the third spot with Leesmann still in the fifth spot.
Dyer grabbed the holeshot to begin the main event as he slid in front of Bray as they filed into turn one. Leesmann jumped to third with Dunford and Johnson the early top five. Johnson moved to P4 at the start of lap two and began pressuring Leesmann for the third spot. Johnson pulled the same move, diving inside of turn one to take the position from Leesmann as Dyer and Bray pulled about half as second ahead of them. Schoombee was able to move up to fifth ahead of Dunford as he trailed the fight for third. The rookie continued to shine as Johnson was dropping the fast laps of the race and closing in on the top two. Completing lap eight, Bray dived inside of Dyer for the lead. He didn’t give it up easy, and that allowed Johnson to close right in on both of them. Dyer held off Johnson’s first attempt at a pass into turn one. Bray began to power away lap after lap as Johnson held ground on the rear bumper of the veteran Dyer. In the end, Bray was too consistent and went on to score the victory by over two-seconds ahead of Dyer and Johnson. Leesmann was able to edge out Schoombee and Dunford for the fourth spot.
TaG Senior
TaG Senior Saturday winner Brett Felkins (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
An Indy-like 33 kart field sat on the grid as the track opened up for qualifying to the TaG Senior category. ProKart Challenge South point leader Travis Lowe (Kosmic) held the provisional pole but was quickly shuffled down the order as late arrivals on track posted quicker laps. In the end, Mason Marotta (Tony Kart) took the spot with a 49.884-lap. Young driver Louie Pagano (Birel) clocked in the second fastest lap of the session with SKUSA SuperNationals winner – Brazilian Andre Nicastro (Italkart) – in third. Brett Felkins (Intrepid) was fourth with Dakota Dickerson (Arrow) – making his first Senior start ever – rounding out the fast five.
The start for heat one was clean as the field settled in for an epic 10-lap battle. Marotta held the point with Pagano, Dickerson, Nicastro and Felkins slotting in behind. Things got exciting right away as Felkins was the driver on the move. Lap five, he took third from Dickerson and then second from Pagano. This allowed a charging Plowman to join the mix as their shuffling gave him an opportunity to close in. Marotta was able to pull away as they mix it up behind him until it all disappeared on lap six when his throttle cable broke. The field flew around him as they jockeyed for position through the esses after turn one. Nicastro and Felkins made contact while in the lead, handing Pagano and Dickerson the front of the field with Plowman trailing. Pagano kept a defensive line in the closing laps, holding off Dickerson for the win. Matt Johnson (Tony Kart) stole third spot Plowman on the final turn as Giebler advanced to finish fifth.
Pagano found himself out front with Johnson sliding through for second to begin heat two. Dickerson got shuffled on the outside as Giebler and Plowman both worked by. Lap two saw a host of drivers spinning and making contact. Included in that mix and out of the race was Giebler as he was stranded in turn one. Out front, Pagano and Johnson ran out front with Plowman showing Dickerson the way in third and Felkins in fifth. With Dickerson pushing Plowman, the two caught the leaders with Johnson now showing the way. Plowman and Pagano exchanged positions and both drove off at turn four. This gave Johnson a large lead heading to the checkered flag while Dickerson and Felkins crossed the line second and third. Pagano got back on track to finish fourth with Devin Lindsey (Tony Kart) placing fifth ahead of Plowman to cap off another wild heat race.
After completing the first lap of the main, Lindsey found himself with the lead over Kiel Spaulding (Tony Kart), Johnson and Pagano. After the second lap, Pagano was back into third with Dickerson back in the fight up to fourth. Completing lap three, Pagano gained another spot as he worked by Johnson for the second position. Felkins remained in the battle as the front group was six karts. Pagano put himself into the lead as they completed the fifth lap but Lindsey came back in turn four to retain the lead as they completed lap six. Marotta, recovering from a heat one disappointment, was creeping his way into the lead group with Travis Lowe (Kosmic) trailing. Before the halfway point, Johnson was given the meatball flag for a loose bumper, ending his shot at the victory. This allowed Pagano to run alone up front as the drivers behind him were shuffling for position. Breaking away from them was Felkins as he was on the mission to catch Pagano. Trouble hit Marotta once again as another mechanical issue put him on the sidelines after lap 11. At the same time, Felkins caught and passed Pagano for the lead. Felkins put some distance on Pagano while Lindsey was getting some help from Dickerson in an effort to catch the front two. Lap 15, Dickerson had enough as the wingman and took over the third spot into the turn two-three esses and ran down Pagano. Lowe was coming on at the end of the race as well, working by Lindsey as they completed lap 16. With Dickerson pressuring Pagano, Felkins ran solo out front and powered away to the big victory. Pagano held on to take second over Dickerson at the checkered flag with Lowe placing fourth over Spaulding, Lindsey, and Plowman.
S2
S2 Saturday winner Nicky Freytag (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
A solid field of 31-drivers took to the track for qualifying in the S2 category. 2010 S5 Junior champion Daniel Langon (GP) held the provisional pole early on as the karts hit the track. Langon’s time held through until Nicky Freytag (Intrepid) posted his fast lap on his second circuit. Freytag’s local knowledge certainly helped the Arizona driver as he put down a 48.730-lap. Making a return to the seat on the weekend was Utah’s Patrick Cushenberry (CRG). ‘Cush’ moved to second in the order to fill out the front row for heat one. Another S5 graduate posted a strong result in qualifying as Christian Schureman (GP) ended the session third with Cory Milne (GP) sandwiched between he and Langon.
A very young and excited front group of drivers stalled at the start of the opening heat. Polesitter Freytag stalled at the line and Schureman had no where to go, making contact with him. Langon stalled behind them as well, able to get going after the field left. Cush took the holeshot with Matt Alcorn (Energy) coming from 10th on the grid to second. Owen, Milne and Arie LuyendykArie Luyendyk Jr. (Zanardi) made up the top-five. Cush led they way until Alcorn took the top spot from him on lap seven with a great move into turn one. Behind them, Luyendyk was on the charge as he put both Owen and Milne behind him and looked to chase down the leaders. After 10 laps, Alcorn took the win over Cush with Luyendyk, Owen and Evan Walters (Intrepid) completing the top-five.
A better and clean start for the S2 group as they all got off the line and around the opening corners. Cush grabbed the holeshot but Alcorn led the opening lap. Cush’s race came to end quickly as a broken rear bumper put him on the sidelines. Luyendyk, Hathcox and Owen made up the top five until contact dropped Arie and Owen to the tail of the field after the fourth lap. Walters, Jake French (Birel) – who started 19th in heat one and 10th this heat, made his way forward to fourth with Lane in fifth. Hathcox pulled some distance on Alcorn as Walters reeled in Alcorn slightly. Freytag, who finish 18th in heat one, worked his way up to sixth and was pressuring Lane. Hathcox took the win comfortably as Alcorn held off Walters. Lane made a last lap pass to steal the outside of row two for the main event with Freytag crossing in sixth behind French.
At the start of the main when the lights went out, Hathcox grabbed the holeshot with Freytag moving up to second when they completed their first lap with Alcorn falling to fourth behind Lane. The trio fighting for third allowed Hathcox and Freytag to pull away and allowed Ryan Kinnear (Intrepid) to close in on the fight for the top-five. Lap seven, Freytag took over the top spot with a pass through turn four and held the spot for two laps before Hathcox came back in turn 10. Walters was able to pull away in the third spot as Kinnear, Lane and French fought for fourth. Lap 13, Lane went off at turn four while racing for position, losing his shot at a top-five. With three to go, the top two began their dual for the victory. They exchanged the position into turn one and then back out of the corner. Freytag took the white flag as the leader and held off Hathcox’s charge into turn one. Hathcox regained the lost real-estate and made a moved in close by turn ten but it wasn’t enough. Freytag held on for the victory at the line to overcome his mishap from the first heat race in a strong performance in his home state. Walters ran to an impressive third spot on the podium with French fourth and Kinnear holding on to the fifth spot over Milne and Alcorn. Luyendyk drove from 28th on the grid to end up eighth and another driver of note was Cushenberry’s charge from 20th to 13th.
S4
S4 Saturday winner Jimmy McNeil (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
Robert Marks (CRG) held the provisional pole as the 32-kart S4 field took to the track for their qualifying session. Marks time held up until his son-in-law Jimmy McNeil (CRG) put down a monster lap in his out lap (49.026) and pulled it into pit lane. Marks time stood for the second best with Jason Campbell (Zanardi), Nick Firestone (Zanardi) and Christiaan Bouhuys (Tony Kart)
A nice clean start for the S4 field began their first heat race without any trouble. McNeil grabbed the holeshot with Marks slotting into second. Firestone jumped ahead of Campbell with Roy Montgomery (CRG) up to fifth. McNeil checked out early as Marks was fighting off Firestone and Campbell. Halfway through, both Campbell and Firestone put Marks behind them and set their sites on McNeil. The gap between McNeil and Campbell stayed consistent with McNeil taking the win. Firestone held off Marks for fourth with Montgomery holding strong in fifth.
McNeil grabbed the holeshot once again but this time Campbell gave pressure early on. Lance Lane (DR Kart) got a great run on the outside and slid into fourth behind Marks as Firestone dropped back a few positions off the grid. Campbell kept the pressure on, keeping within striking distance of McNeil through the first half of the race. Marks and Lane settled in a couple seconds back with Montgomery running fifth ahead of Fernando Diaz (GP) and Firestone. Campbell kept the pressure on until the last lap when they two went side by side through turn one. McNeil kept the inside line heading into the esses as Campbell had to give him the line. A dropped wheel on the exit of turn four ended Campbell’s chance at the win. McNeil took the win over Campbell, Marks was third with Firestone advancing to fourth ahead of Lane.
A few drivers mid-pack got sideways as the field went through turn one to begin the main event and dropped a number of drivers back while others took advantage. McNeil earned the holeshot with Campbell pressuring him. Lane slotted into third with Marks and three-time SKUSA SuperNationals winner Jeff Littrell (Tony Kart), who had been quiet all day until now. Beginning lap three, Campbell was able to work by for the lead, putting McNeil in the challenger position for the first time on the day. The top two continued to show the way over Lane, who ran alone, with a host of others battling for fourth. Lap eight, the top-10 lost two drivers with Mike McDonough (GP) and Marks both going off in turn one, ending their race. At the halfway mark, McNeil went back to the lead and put a couple kart lengths on Campbell. They went static until two laps to go. Campbell looked but McNeil shut the door. On the final lap, the two made contact as the made their way through turn nine. Campbell kept his ride running while McNeil stalled. Campbell went on to cross the line as the provisional winner with McNeil able to get refired on his own and take the checkered in second. Officials however ruled Campbell to be placed behind McNeil in the order, giving the win to McNeil. Lane completed the podium as the accomplished road racer finished third. G1-convert PP Mastro (CRG) drove a great final to end up fourth with Bouhuys completing the top-five over Littrell.
TaG Master
TaG Master Saturday winner Brian McHattie (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
The first group on track was the 19-kart field of TaG Master. Tire management was a key to qualifying with two heat races and the final to think about. Nevada’s David Harwin (Tony Kart) held the provisional pole position with his out lap and bettered that time to claim the top spot in the session. His 51.269-lap was best with veteran Billy Cleavelin (CRG) in the second spot. Colorado’s Scott Falcone (Arrow) was third in the order over road racing veteran Jim Russell Jr. (Parolin). Defending class champion Ethan Wilson (Tony Kart) rounded out the fast five. Engines for the top five were Motori, Motori, Rotax, Leopard and Motori.
Harwin held on to the lead with Cleavelin holding off a hungry Falcone in the early corners of the 10-lap opening heat race. Completing the first lap, Russell held fourth with Wilson losing a number of spots, handing fifth to Larry Fraser (GP). Cleavelin led the way after two laps as the top three broke away from Russell and Fraser. Falcone and Harwin battled for the second spot beginning on lap four, allowing Cleavelin to pull away more and bringing Russell and Fraser into the mix. The second half was static with Cleavelin taking the win by over a second with Falcone holding the second spot over Harwin. Fraser placed fourth with Russell back to fifth.
Cleavelin and Harwin broke away early to start heat two with Falcone dropping down the order as a number of drivers battled for the third spot. Fraser and Russell led that group with a host of others behind them. Falcone was the driver to watch as he fell outside the top five and charged forward. A lot of dicing on lap seven gave the position to Chuck Gafrarar (Parolin), until he lost it to Falcone the following lap. After 10 laps, Cleavelin took the win by a comfortable margin over Harwin. Fraser and Russell ended up third and fourth with Falcone ending up fifth.
Once again, Cleavelin led the way to the green flag with Fraser unable to slide Harwin back to the third spot to begin the main event. Falcone moved to fourth with Brian McHattie (FA Kart) in fifth and in the hunt. Fraser was able to work by for second on the second circuit, with Falcone going by the next lap to put Harwin in fourth. The fight for second heated up on lap seven as Falcone was able to work by for the spot. When Fraser fought back, the two went side-by-side, allowing Harwin to close in. When they mixed it up again, Harwin worked by both to sit second while Cleavelin continued to stretch his lead. The second place trio continued to dice it up lap after lap, giving McHattie in fifth some hope as he inched forward. Lap 13, Cleavelin began messing around with his engine as it was losing power and he was losing ground to the field. Meanwhile, with five to go, Falcone dropped a wheel in turn four and lost any chance of a top-five. This put McHattie into second until Fraser took the spot back and continued chasing Cleaevlin. Two to go, both McHattie and Fraser went around Cleavelin on the front straight with McHattie selecting the quickest way around, moving into the lead. Fraser chased on after him but at the checkered, McHattie held on for an exciting victory. Russell worked by Harwin for the third step of the podium with Gafrarar in fifth and Cleavelin hanging on for sixth in a wild main event.
TaG Junior
TaG Junior Saturday winner Austin Dement (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
Jake Craig (CRG) stole the pole position in TaG Junior qualifying with a best lap of 51.338. Austin Dement (DR Kart) held the provisional position but lost it to Craig with five minutes to go in the session. Bailey Murphy (CRG), Carter Williams (Tony Kart) and Parker Thompson (Tony Kart). The top four were all within a tenth of a second for their best laps.
Craig led the way to begin heat one with Murphy able to move into second with Thompson behind them in third. Dement fell to fourth and found himself trailing early but closing in bit by bit while Jack Freese (Intrepid) advanced from his 15th starting position to fifth by the halfway point with a host of karts behind him. With two laps to go, Thompson advance to the lead with a deep move into turn one. Dement had closed enough and found himself into the second spot, pressuring the Junior rookie Thompson for the lead. Dement made the move in the final corners, getting the position and the win. Thompson crossed second with Craig third, Murphy fourth, and Blain Rocha (Wild Kart) moving up from 12th to fifth in the eight lap run.
Dement and Craig broke away on the opening lap of heat two as Thompson dropped to fourth behind Rocha. Defending class champion Luis Tyrrell (Wild Kart) joined the mix after placing eighth in the opening heat race, putting Thompson back another position before they crossed the line for the first time. Thompson muscled his way back to third by the end of the third lap and pulled away from a shuffling battle for fourth. With two to go, Craig took over the top spot and held on for the heat win over Dement while contact in the final corners drop Thompson out of the top-10. Murphy took the third spot over Tyrrell and Maxx Marian (Zanardi).
S5 Saturday winner Alex Tartaglia (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
Craig continued his run at the front, pulling out to a solid lead early on over Dement with Murphy and Marian trailing to begin the main event. Dement and Murphy worked together as they ran down Craig by lap four. The front three ran static until six laps to go when Dement pushed to the lead until the beginning of lap 12 when Murphy helped push Craig back into the lead. As the laps clicked off, you could put a blanket over the top three as they ran nose to tail, measuring up each other for the final push. Coming to the white flag, Craig went too deep into turn 10, giving up the lead to Dement and losing about two kart lengths. Dement got through the middle section of the track strong to keep some distance between them. With a great final lap, Dement scored the victory with Craig edging Murphy for second. Marian ran to fourth with Thompson and Williams pushing from the back of the grid to fifth and sixth over Tyrrell.
S5
Austin Schimmel (GP) was the only driver to dip below the 50-second mark in qualifying with a 49.786-lap. Alex Tartaglia (Intrepid) was second with Luis Tyrrell (Wild Kart) Grant Prejean (Birel) and Ryan Rudolph (GP) rounding out the fast five. The top two broke away from the field and kept in the same order with Schimmel taking the heat one win over Tartaglia. A great battle took place over the eight laps with Micah Hendricks (Intrepid) advancing from seventh to third over Rudolph and Tyrrell. Tartaglia took the victory in heat two as he outran Schimmel. Rudolph was third over Hendricks and Lopez as both Prejean and Tyrrell were unable to start. Tartaglia continued his role at the front of the field, going on to take the victory by 2.840 for his first Pro Tour win. Schimmel finished second with Tyrrell completing the podium. Migel Lopez (GP) crossed the line fourth with Hendricks retiring on the last corner of the last lap in fifth.
TaG Cadet
TaG Cadet Saturday winner Colton Herta (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
The top two drivers in the TaG Cadet qualifying session were the Wild Karts of Davey Manthei Jr. and Sting Ray Robb. Manthei was the top of the charts first before Robb took over and held it through the session. Defending Pro Tour champ Colton Herta was third with Flinn Lazier and Tate Holleran (FA Kart) capping off the fast-five. Herta was able to get a great start for heat one and walked away with the win over Manthei and Robb. Holleran won a great battle for fourth with Christian Brooks (DR Kart) up to fifth. Herta was able to get away from the field to take the win in heat two. Robb kept within distance but was unable to gain any ground on the defending champ. Manthei was third while Noah Grey (FA Kart) edged out Lazier for fourth. The main event was all Herta as he took his pole position and led flag-to-flag for the victory. The story of the race was Robb as he was shuffled outside the top-five, but with grit and determination he regained the second position back before the checkered flag while cutting into Herta’s lead. Manthei edged out Justice Lepe (DR Kart) for with Trenton Estep rounding out the top-five.
EKN Trackside: SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNationals Sunday Report
Johnson triumphs in exciting TaG Senior thriller while Bray repeats in S1
The final day of the Superkarts! USA Honda Racing/HPD SpringNationals completed a near perfect start to the 2011 SKUSA Pro Tour. The Musselman Honda Circuit in Tucson, Arizona and the nearly 170 drivers on hand provided an exciting show from the morning hours in qualifying to the last corner of the final main event of the day. The weather was the best it had been all weekend with comfortable temperatures and a slight wind. Leaving the weekend, eight drivers have put themselves in the best position at claiming the Pro Tour championship, including a couple double winners on the weekend.
TaG Senior
TaG Senior Sunday winner Matt Johnson (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
The qualifying session for TaG Senior was an open pit lane, but no one waited to take the track for the 12-minute run as all 33 karts hit the track. Louie Pagano (Birel) was the provisional pole holder early until SKUSA SuperNationals winner Andre Nicastro (Italkart) took the position from him. Five minutes in, the top driver from Saturday’s qualifying session – Mason Marotta (Tony Kart) – moved to the top spot. Nearly every driver came into the pit lane to make changes, looking for some extra speed but it appeared that no one was able to better their own personal best. That was until Matt Johnson (Tony Kart) found Marotta on track and used him as a rabbit. Johnson jumped to P3 to move Pagano down to fourth. Marotta’s 49.777 was best and he would end the session with another pole position on the weekend with Nicastro starting outside row one of heat one. Adam Isman (Italkart) had a great session, posting the fifth fastest lap to complete the fast-five.
Marotta kept his P1 position as the TaG Senior field was clean through the start of heat one. Johnson shuffled Nicastro back to third, while Pagano and Devin Lindsey (Tony Kart) were right there. The group was busy with Nicastro back up into second and a host of others fighting for third. Saturday winner Brett Felkins (Intrepid) was the driver on the move from his sixth starting spot. By the halfway mark, he was on the bumper of Pagano looking for a way by for the third spot. Nicastro kept close to Marotta with two to go as Felkins now was into the third position and closing in on the front two. Nicastro looked at the big picture and did not make an advance on Marotta, who would score the win. Felkins was a close third with Pagano and Johnson capping off the top-five.
Nicastro was shuffled back from his outside row one position at the start of heat two as Marotta and Felkins showed the way with Johnson in the mix. Before they crossed the line for the first time, Johnson passed Felkins for the second spot. A great start for rookie Dakota Dickerson (Arrow) who found himself up to fifth after starting ninth before they completed lap two and quickly to the back of the lead pack. Completing lap four, Johnson found himself taking the lead as he and Marotta pulled about three lengths on Nicastro in the third spot. With two to go, Nicastro was there and Marotta felt it, drafting by Johnson for the lead into turn one. Their jostling allowed Dickerson to close in as well after he put away Felkins. Johnson held on for the victory with Marotta and Nicastro close. Dickerson had an issue in the final corners, allowing Felkins back by for fourth.
Aside from a few drivers at the back of the field, the start to the main event was clean with Johnson coming away with the lead over Nicastro, Dickerson, Felkins and Shawn Cricca (FA Kart). With a push from Dickerson, Nicastro jumped to the point on lap two with Felkins and Marotta rejoining the lead group. The lead group continued to mix it up during the first half of the race with Dickerson taking the lead briefly before Johnson returned to the point. At the halfway mark, Johnson led with Felkins, Marotta, Dickerson, Martin Plowman (Zanardi) and Nicastro in the lead group. On lap 12, Plowman lost ground to the leaders as he experience carburetor issues, leaving five to fight it out for the win. Johnson continued to lead as they mixed it up behind him. On lap 17, Marotta made the move for the lead as the exited turn one. Johnson sized him up and returned the favor on lap 19, brining Dickerson with him in turn 10. As they made their way around for the final lap, Dickerson kept the pressure on Johnson. Coming to the final corners, Johnson was able to get a good run, just enough to keep Dickerson from attempting a pass. At the line, Johnson took the victory over Dickerson with Felkins ahead Marotta and Nicastro. With his performance on the weekend, Felkins took home the $1,000 paycheck as the weekend point leader.
S1
S1 Sunday winner Daniel Bray (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
Saturday winner Daniel Bray (GP) took to the track first in S1 qualifying and set the bar for the field to match. Bray’s third lap was best of the session and a new track record for the configuration with a 48.237. Lukas Johnson was second in the order with Tom Dyer making it a GP 1-2-3. Ryon Beachner (Tony Kart) and Clinton Schoombee (DR Kart) capped off the fast-five while both Brad Dunford (CRG) and Fritz Leesmann (CRG) did not mount their transponders and would have to start from the tail of the field.
The holeshot for heat one went to Bray as he, Dyer, and Schoombee made up the front three with Johnson dropping to fourth. Beachner held on to the tail of the lead group to make it five drivers in the front pack. Johnson regained one position back as he worked by Schoombee and set his sites on the veteran Dyer. At the halfway point, Bray held nearly a one-second advantage and it grew larger with Johnson all over Dyer with Schoombee and Beachner waiting in the wings. Johnson continued to attempt at taking the spot away from Dyer, but the veteran showed why he is a two-time SuperNationals winner. Things got crazy in the final corners of the race. Bray slowed big-time, allowing the fight for second to close right in. At the final corner, Bray had no power and they all scattered around him. At the line, Johnson earned the win with Schoombee, Beachner, and Dyer crossing behind. Leesmann and Dunford were able to cross the loop before Bray did, putting him seventh in the order with a rear sprocket the culprit to his mechanical issues.
Johnson brought the field to the front straight grid for the second heat race and performed his first holeshot as a S1 driver. He would lead Dyer, Schoombee, Leesmann and Beachner around the circuit. Bray, looking to recover from his heat one mishap, was into P5 by the end of lap two. A few laps later, Schoombee fell off the pace as Leesmann, Bray, and Beachner all worked by for position. Bray continued to advance, into third by the halfway point, up to second with two laps to go and then took the lead from Johnson as they started lap nine. Bray would score the win by six-tenths over Johnson with Dyer, Ryan Phinny (Wild Kart) and Leesmann rounding out the top-five.
Aside from the rear sprocket issue, the day belonged to Daniel Bray. The Kiwi grabbed the holeshot and never looked back for the victory. Johnson gave chase but Bray posted the fast laps of the race to pull out to a three-second victory and the $1,000 paycheck as the weekend point leader. Johnson, earned another podium finish in his S1 debut and leaves Tucson as the second place driver in the championship. Dyer ran third with Leesmann challenging early. This brought Phinny into the mix. As the laps clicked off, Phinny continued on the charge. First getting by Leesmann and then on lap 11 he worked around Dyer for third. Phinny earned the final podium spot for the day while Beachner worked around Leesmann to drop him to sixth in the final order.
S2
S2 Sunday winner Kyle Hathcox (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
The front of the field looked much different in S2 qualifying on Sunday compared to Saturday. Evan Walters (Intrepid) held the provisional pole while a number of karts sat in the pit lane. Logan Jones (GP) took the spot from him with about six minutes to go. Jake French (Birel) was the driver to watch as he moved up to P2 on his out lap, then found some clear track to take the top position on the time chart. His 48.599-lap was best with Jones dropping to second. Patrick Cushenberry (CRG) ended up third in the order with Kyle Hathcox (CRG) and Arie Luyendyk Jr. (Zanardi) capping off the fast-five.
Holeshot for heat one went to Cushenberry from P3 on the grid but French came right back as they exited turn one to take back the point. Hathcox slid in behind them to form a three kart breakaway with Josh Lane (DR Kart) in fourth and Jones in fifth. Completing lap two, Hathcox drafted by Cushenberry for the second spot, allowing French to put three kart lengths on the two. With Hathcox into second, he cut right into the gap and closed right in on French’s bumper. Lap four, Hathcox drove past French in the same spot he advanced before and put himself at the point for the first time on the day. Completing lap seven, Cushenberry drafted around French for the second spot as Hathcox continued to stretch out his lead. At the checkered, Hathcox took the win by six-tenths of a second over Cushenberry and French. Daniel Langon (GP) was able to run down Lane and work by for fourth in the final lap.
As the lights went out for heat two, Lane’s kart did not move as his powerplant had an issue and luckily the field worked around him without any issues. Hathcox took the lead with French, Cushenberry, and Langon in the lead group. With four to go, the battle for third between Cushenberry and Langon gave the front two some distance and the second pack to close in and steal some positions. Walters moved into the third spot while Langon held fourth and ‘Cush’ dropped outside the top-five. Hathcox went on to score the win with French a close second. Walters ended up third with Langon and Ryan Kinnear (Intrepid) ahead of Cushenberry.
Hathcox held his P1 position as the lights went out to start the 20-lap main event for the S2 group. French held second as they pulled a slight gap on Kinnear, Saturday winner Nicky Freytag (Intrepid), Cushenberry and Walters. Lap four, Cushenberry and Walters made contact on the exit of turn five, taking them out of contention. At the same time, French took over the top spot but it was short-lived with Hathcox back in the spot after completing lap five. Lap six, French missed turn 10, allowing Kinnear and Freytag by for position and giving Hathcox more room out front. The front four stayed consistent with Hathcox holding a two-second advantage over the trio fighting for second. He would be too strong, posting his fast lap on lap 19 to secure the victory by 3.215-seconds. Kinnear held second at the white flag. French looked inside at turn four but the two bogged on the exit. This gave Freytag the room to move into third to put French back to fourth. Kinnear would cross the line second ahead of Freytag and French. Langon ran alone in fifth for a solid result in his first S2 weekend on the Pro Tour.
S4
S4 Sunday winner Jimmy McNeil (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
A number of drivers from the front of Saturday’s main event sat on pit lane for the first half of the S4 qualifying session. Mike McDonough (GP) held strong with the provisional pole after a quick two-lap run and down into pit lane. A 49.362-lap was the bar he set for the drivers still on pit lane, over 10 drivers waiting for the final half of the session and a clear track. With four to go is when the pit lane drivers began posting their out laps. As he did Saturday, Jimmy McNeil (CRG) jumped to P1 in the order on his out lap, dropping the hammer on a 48.923. Nick Firestone (Zanardi) moved up to the second spot on his second circuit, still about two tenths back of McNeil’s lap. They would stay that order with McDonough back into the third spot. Fernando Diaz (GP) picked up the pace over the night and was fourth in the session with Roy Montgomery (CRG) rounding out the fast-five.
McNeil grabbed the holeshot and stretched out to a good lead early with McDonough into second briefly before Firestone took the spot as they completed the first lap. Firestone put distance on the pack for third with Montgomery now into the position with McDonough now back in fifth behind Diaz. McNeil stretched out to over a two-second advantage for the win ahead of Firestone. Diaz finished a good run into third with Montgomery in fourth and PP Mastro (CRG) up into fifth.
Two for two on the holeshots for the day was McNeil as he led the way to begin heat two with Firestone not letting him get away early. Diaz, Montgomery and Mastro held their positions through the opening laps. McNeil was just too strong as he pulled out to another good lead, scoring a 2.3-second victory. Firestone was second once again ahead of Diaz and Montgomery. Mastro had an issue on the final lap and that moved Lance Lane (DR Kart) into the fifth spot.
McNeil grabbed the third holeshot of the day to begin the 20-lap main event with Firestone there in second. Montgomery moved up to third with Rob Logan (CRG) jumping from sixth to fourth with Diaz dropping to fifth. At the halfway point, McNeil’s lead was just over two-seconds over Firestone as Diaz now ran third ahead of Montgomery and Lane. 15 laps down, the situation was the same with McNeil holding the same gap over Firestone. Diaz gapped a bit from Montgomery as he was coming under fire from Lane with Logan and Bouhuys right there. That was until Lane slid wide trying to pass Montgomery, dropping back to seventh as the rest moved up one position. McNeil went on to score win number two and the Pro Tour championship lead. Firestone put in a solid effort for second. Diaz ran to his first podium in S4 with Montgomery and Logan rounding out the top-five.
TaG Master
TaG Master Sunday winner Brian McHattie (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
Billy Cleavelin (CRG) remedied the problems that stole his victory away on Saturday as he topped the charts in TaG Master qualifying. Larry Fraser (GP) held the provisional pole until Cleavelin took to the track and assumed the position on his second lap. Cleavelin bettered his time on lap three, posting a 50.589. Fraser held second until a late charge by Scott Falcone (Arrow) put him into the second spot in the order, moving Fraser to third ahead of David Harwin (Tony Kart) and round one winner Brian McHattie (FA Kart).
Cleavelin and Fraser used the inside line to pull out to the front of the field to begin heat one. McHattie dropped to third in the order until Harwin worked by for the position. The next time by, Harwin went by Fraser, as he was hooked up and put himself into the lead chase position to reel in Cleavelin. On lap six, Fraser dropped a wheel on the exit of turn four. This gave Falcone room to pressure and allowed Harwin a break away opportunity. Falcone pounced and took the third spot from Fraser into turn two with McHattie working by into turn four. Out front, Cleavelin ran to a 1.753-win over Harwin. Falcone ended up third with McHattie fourth and Fraser back to fifth.
Harwin got the shaft at the start of heat two as he dropped off on the exit of turn one, falling to eighth the first time by the stripe. Cleavelin broke away quickly with Fraser up to second with McHattie, Jim Russell Jr. (Parolin), and Falcone making up the top five after two laps. They continued to fight behind Cleavelin as he had nearly two-second advantage on McHattie, who now held the second position. Falcone charged back forward, reclaiming the third spot and then second from McHattie as they began lap six. Lap seven, Russell spun in turn one, dropping him outside the top-10 and moving Harwin up to fourth with Fraser back to fifth. Cleavelin went on to win by 1.489-seconds. Falcone ran second with McHattie third, Harwin fourth and Fraser fifth.
For the first time all day, Cleavelin found himself trailing with McHattie getting a great jump to begin the main event with Harwin, Falcone, and Fraser. Cleavelin reassumed the top spot on lap two and McHattie went into defensive mode with Harwin on his bumper. Starting lap four, Harwin got around him in turn one with Falcone sliding by in turn four briefly before losing ground and dropping to ninth in the order. Six laps in, Cleavelin’s lead was 1.5-seconds over Harwin with McHattie, Wilson and Fraser. At the halfway mark, Fraser was able to capitalize on mistakes from Wilson and McHattie to move into third with Russell and Falcone able to close back in. Starting lap 12, Falcone spun while trying to get inside of Russell, losing his shot at the top-five finish. At the same time, Harwin pulled off to pit lane with an engine issue, moving the fight for third now for second. Just seconds later, trouble again struck Cleavelin as he slowed on lap 14, allowing the fight for second to move into the battle for the win. Fraser then pulled the trigger and worked by McHattie for the top spot. McHattie fought back and that gave Wilson a shot for second. This allowed Fraser to pull away to at least 10 kart lengths. They would line up and cut into the advantage with McHattie able to get back out front as the two to go signal was given. McHattie put down two great laps at the end and scored his second victory of the weekend to establish himself as the championship leader. Fraser and Wilson fought through the final corners but it was Fraser with the second position and Russell right there in fourth. Chuck Gafrarar (Parolin) drove his way to fifth after not recording a lap in qualifying.
TaG Junior
TaG Junior Sunday winner Parker Thompson (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
Round one winner Austin Dement began Sunday’s action where he left off last night, at the top of the time charts. The DR Kart driver posted a 50.805-lap to score the pole position for the opening heat race. Bailey Murphy (CRG) was second in the session with Canadian Parker Thompson (Tony Kart) up to third with Jake Craig (CRG) and Christian Munoz (Sodi Kart) completing the fast-five.
Craig was unable to get started and missed the initial start of the first heat but was able to reassume his fourth place position. After a second missed start, the front two rows swapped to put Thompson and Craig now on the front to pace the field to the green flag. They finally got the green flag with the field getting through the opening corners clean. Thompson took the lead with Dement sliding inside of Craig for second to begin the race. About eight karts made up the lead pack early with Thompson getting freight-trained by Craig and Dement to start lap four. With some more shuffling, the lead group was now five with Murphy and Munoz in the mix. Munoz lost ground on lap six, leaving the front four to fight it out for the final two laps. Craig led with Thompson on his bumper as they got the white flag but Dement pushed by for the second spot. Craig had a solid final lap to secure the win as Dement took the second spot over Thompson. Murphy dropped back in the final lap and came under pressure from Sonny Cervelli (Tony Kart). In the final corner, the two made contact and dropped them down the order to put Carter Williams (Tony Kart) and Juan Jimenez (Sodi Kart) into the top five.
The first attempt at the second heat was a red flag for half the field getting caught up in a turn one incident. After regrouping the field, the green flag waved again. Craig got a bad run through the opening corners as both Dement and Thompson worked by for position. The front three remained consistent until the final lap when Craig attempted a pass on Thompson that was not the best, taking both off the track in turn 10. That allowed Dement to cruise to the checkered with Munoz up to second, Jordan Redlin (Italkart) to third, Blaine Rocha (Wild Kart) fourth and Jimenez fifth.
Dement got a great start from the pole position to begin the main event as he had nearly a one second advantage after the opening lap over Rocha, Munoz, Jimenez, and Curtis Paul (Tony Kart). As the laps went on, Dement’s radiator became loose and began rubbing the tire. SKUSA officials elected to meatball flag him off the track and when he ignored them, he was black-flagged off the track. This gave Thompson the lead as he drove to a one-second victory in his first TaG Junior weekend with SKUSA. Cervelli won the battle for second over Craig and Murphy with Rocha placing fifth.
S5
Austin Schimmel (GP) began the day with the top time in S5 qualifying. His 49.671-lap was best in the session. Saturday winner Alex Tartaglia (Intrepid) gave it all he could but was unable to better Schimmel’s time. Miguel Lopez (GP) was third in the order with Luis Tyrrell (Wild Kart) and Micah Hendricks (Intrepid) rounding out the fast-five. Tartaglia grabbed the holeshot to begin heat one but it would be Schimmel who would came away with the win after eight laps. Tartaglia made an error that allowed both Tyrrell and Lopez by for position with Hendricks placing fifth. The second he was nearly the same with Tartaglia getting the better start but Schimmel would eventually work by and take the victory. Tyrrell was able to take second with Tartaglia back to third. Lopez ran fourth with Ryan Rudolph (GP) finishing fifth. The main eventually came down to two drivers – Schimmel and Tartaglia – after Lopez grabbed the holeshot and Tyrrell led early. Once out front, the two returning S5 championship contenders from last year put on a great show with Schimmel completing the sweep on the day over Tartaglia. Hendricks drove a great race to earn his spot on the podium with Rudolph and Tyrrell completing the top-five.
TaG Cadet
TaG Cadet Sunday Colton Herta (Photo: On Track Promotions – otp.ca)
The day for TaG Cadet was all Colton Herta (DR Kart). The defending class champion was on rails and swept the day’s action. Herta posted a 55.685-lap in qualifying with Flinn Lazier (Tony Kart) posting the second quickest lap of the session ahead of Sting Ray Robb (Wild Kart), Christian Brooks (Tony Kart) and Davey Manthei Jr. (Wild Kart). Herta won heat one by four-seconds with Lazier holding on to second ahead of Robb, Brooks and Tate Holleran (FA Kart) and the same advantage in heat two over Brooks, Robb, Lazier and Holleran. The 16-lap main event saw Herta pull out to a seven-second margin of victory to position himself as the championship leader leaving the SpringNationals. Behind him was a great fight between Lazier and Brooks for second. At the line, Brooks would come away with the position with Holleran earning fourth ahead of Garrett Dixon (Birel).
Recap
The book is closed on the opening weekend for the 2011 edition of the SKUSA Pro Tour. The Honda Racing/HPD SpringNationals will go down as a ‘mini’ SuperNationals with amazing racing and large fields. The eight championship leaders are now identified, which sets the stage for the SKUSA SummerNationals in July at the Grand Junction Motor Speedway in Colorado.
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