Jakub Kolar scored the X30 Pro victory at the 2024 IAME USA Grand National Championship (Photo: Kart Chaser)

The fourth edition of the IAME USA Grand National Championship was contested over the Labor Day weekend at the Trackhouse Motorplex in Mooresville, North Carolina – hosted by IAME USA East and MG Tires USA. The special ‘one-off’ event featured a unique format, racing under the lights, with big prize money on the line for the regular classes and the special shootout events each night. Six IAME categories competed over the four days, battling tough competition and changing weather conditions.

The format for the 2024 IAME USA Grand National Championship featured six rounds of practice on Thursday. The first three on the ‘Switchback’ course with the final three on the ‘National’ layout. Friday featured Qualifying and the opening round of heat races, in addition to the Shootout for Micro, KA100 Junior and KA100 Senior presented by CNC Performance Engineering. Saturday was the final two rounds of the heat races, along with the Shootout events for Mini, X30 Junior and X30 Pro presented by MG Tires. A Superheat session added three times the points of a heat race, and combined set the grid for the main event Sunday afternoon.

Hayden Jones (RPG / Kosmic) opened the event as the driver to beat in the 21-kart field for X30 Pro division. A 47.271-lap was nine thousandths quicker than that of Pauly Massimino (BJR/MDR / LN Racing Kart) for the fast time in qualifying. California driver Frankie Mossman (SCR / CS55) was a close third with Senior rookies Nixx Eggleston (Ruthless / Exprit) and Carter McMurray (TimmyTech / CompKart) rounding out the fast-five. Jones fought back after falling to seventh in the opening heat, beating Dalton Hanes (SLA / Sodi Kart) for the race win. Jones and Massimino were able to get away from the field in Heat #2 for a 1-2 finish. Mossman changed the driver at the front in Heat #3, leading a majority of the race for the win ahead of Jakub Kolar (Vice / Kart Republic) with Jones sixth and Massimino third. Starting the Superheat from the pole position, Jones reclaimed the top spot in the 18-lap race with Hanes moving up one spot to second and Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) improving to third from ninth. Jones led the way early in the main event until Hanes and Kolar battled him for the position with a large group trailing. After several exchanges for the lead, Kolar escaped with the lead on lap 15 and drove away with the rest battling for second. Mossman eventually grabbed the spot with Norberg moving up to third after starting seventh. Norberg ran down Mossman for second and was inching closer to Kolar when a red flag came out on the last lap for heavy rain. Officials reverted to lap 23, giving Kolar the victory and $5,000 payday. Norberg and Mossman completed the podium, earning $2,500 and $1,250 respectively, with McMurray winning the fight for fourth ahead of Massimino. McMurray took home $1,000 while $750 went to Massimino.

The 38-driver field for KA100 Senior welcomed its first international winner. Double duty driver Frankie Mossman (SCR / CS55) posted the quickest time in qualifying of 49.506 to beat out former Junior winner Caleb Gafrarar (CDR / Kart Republic). Cameron Weinberg (CDR / Kart Republic) and Gafrarar split the opening round of heat races while Hayden Jones (RPG / Kosmic) and Pauly Massimino (BJR/MDR / LN Racing Kart) won the second round of heats. Jones and Massimino repeated in round three, putting the latter on the pole position for the Superheat. Massimino was shuffled down to seventh as Dalton Hanes (Racelab / TB Kart) charged forward from 15th to claim the race win over Jones and Weinberg. This put Jones and Weinberg on the front row for the Final with Hanes and Massimino in row two. The first six laps featured a lead change until Mossman led for a few circuits and the shuffling began once again. This time, British driver Kai Hunter (RPG / Kosmic) put himself into the lead with Parker DeLong (RPM / Tony Kart) second. DeLong led for three laps before Hunter returned to the point. They ran 1-2 until the final lap when Hunter ran a defensive line. At the hairpin, DeLong tried to go around on the outside but hit the marbles and nearly went completely off the track, losing multiple positions. This allowed Hunter to drive to the checkered flag for the victory, earning a $4,000 payday. Hanes and Massimino joined him on the podium with Jones and Mossman completing the top-five and splitting up the $7,750 purse.

New names were in the mix for the 16-driver field for X30 Junior. Fion Shi (RPG / Kosmic) shocked the paddock with fast time in qualifying, laying down a 48.378 lap. Enzo Vidmontiene (Trinity / Kart Republic) won the opening heat while Chace Gassiot-Lee (Nash / EOS) double up with the final two heat wins. Starting from the pole position for the Superheat, Gassiot-Lee was shuffled down to eighth as Vidmontiene took the win over Davin Roberts (RPM / Tony Kart) and Alexander Vanchev (Sodi Racing USA). Vidmontiene and Roberts exchanged the lead multiple times over the first half of the race until Gassiot-Lee and Ty Fisher (Racelab / TB Kart) moved up to the front. By lap 16, Vanchev took over the top spot until coming to the white flag when Roberts retook the position. Through the final circuit, Roberts was able to hold on to earn the victory, holding off a late charge from Vanchev by 30 thousandths at the line. Roberts claimed the $3,000 first-place check with $1,500 going to Vanchev. Gassiot-Lee was third ahead of Max Weiland (Magik Kart USA) and Fisher.

KA100 Junior was the largest category of the event at 39 drivers. Ty Fisher emerged from qualifying with fast time posting a 49.846. It was Fisher and Max Weiland (Magik Kart USA) splitting the wins in the opening heat races. Chace Gassiot-Lee (Nash / EOS) and Payton Westcott (RPG / Kosmic) put themselves at the front in the second round of heat races. Fisher returned to the top in round three with Martin Jaramillo (URACE / Tony Kart) taking a heat race win. Combining the field together for the Superheat, Fisher and Gassiot-Lee survived from the front row to finish 1-2. In the Final, Enzo Vidmontiene (Trinity / Kart Republic) joined them at the front until lap 10. Vidmontiene and Gassiot-Lee fell down the order with John Antonino (MPG / Kart Republic) coming up from 18th to challenge Fisher. The two went back and forth until the final lap where Fisher held on to secure the victory ahead of Antonino. Max Cristea (Trinity / Kart Republic) won the fight for third ahead of Gassiot-Lee and Edgar Rodriguez.

A total of 25 drivers battled in the Mini Swift category that began with Cade Wolfe (TimmyTech / CompKart) setting fast time in qualifying with a 52.819. Clocking in the third quickest lap was Royce Vega (Team Benik), who drove to the win in the opening two heat races. Wolfe ended up holding to the top spot in the third heat to earn the pole position for the Superheat. SKUSA Pro Tour champion Ashton Woon (Supertune / Parolin) advanced from fourth to first early, driving to the race win. Woon led the first seven laps of the final before jostling for the lead began. Four different drivers led until Woon reclaimed the spot with Holden Myers (TimmyTech / CompKart) put himself into second after starting eighth. A last lap pass secured the victory for Myers as Maxwell Macha (SLA / Kart Republic) moved past Woon for second. Vega and Marco Sammut (BJR/MDR / LN Racing Kart) competed the top-five.

It was a first big victory for the driver to stand on the top step of the podium in Micro Swift, which welcomed 16 drivers. Slate Harrell (Supertune / Parolin) was the driver to put in the fast time in qualifying with a 53.491. Three different drivers won in the heat races with Marcelo Flores (SLA / Kart Republic), Dutch Westbrook (Team Benik) and Zayne Burgess (Sodi Racing USA). Burgess came out of the Superheat with the win over Santiago Orioli (MPG / Kart Republic). Burgess led the first 12 laps of the Final before Jayden Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) took over. A few laps later, Burgess returned the point with Westbrook up into the challenger role. On the final lap, Westbrook was able to claim the top spot, crossing the line first for the victory. Francisco ended up second ahead of Burgess while Isaac Carvalho and Wynn Godschalk (Team Benik) finished fourth and fifth.

The special Shootout events was highlighted by Ryan Norberg (RPG / Kosmic) taking the $5,000 payday for the win in MG Tires X30 Pro. Hayden Jones (RPG / Kosmic) took second for $2,000 while Pauly Massimino (BJR/MDR / LN Racing Kart) was third for a $1,000 check. Massimino did bank another $4,000 with victory in the CNC Performance Engineering KA100 Senior Shootout. He held off last year’s X30 winner Dalton Hanes (Racelab / TB Kart) who earned $1,500 with Steven Miller (CDR / Kart Republic) in third, taking home $750. Alexander Vanchev (Sodi Racing USA) set fast time and won the X30 Junior Shootout main event over Davin Roberts (RPM / Tony Kart) and Enzo Vidmontiene (Trinity / Kart Republic). Ty Fisher (Racelab / TB Kart) was able to sweep the weekend in KA100 Junior, also taking the win in the Shootout. Vanchev and Vidmontiene joined him on the podium. Mini Swift Shootout was won by Ashton Woon (Supertune / Parolin) over Marco Sammut (BJR/MDR / LN Racing Kart) and Royce Vega (Team Benik) while Zayne Burgess (Sodi Racing USA) took victory in Micro Swift ahead of Jayden Francisco (RPM / Nitro Kart) and Wynn Godschalk (Team Benik).

Share on Facebook

Tweet