A beautiful Sonoma County Sunday on March 29th welcomed the inaugural race of the newly renamed Sanzaru Games Karting Championship. Nearly 100 entries with 64 Rotax powered karts took to the grid seaking to win the first race of the 2015 season. With $100 cash on the line for the each of the five Rotax class race winners, the on-track battles were absolutely fierce!

Senior Rotax – GoPro Featured Class

Phillippe Denes (Photo: dromophotos.com)

Three 2014 top Junior drivers climbed the ladder up to the Senior Rotax Class this year, proving the Rotax platforms’ capability to grow with a driver’s talents. Qualifying saw veteran Nic LeDuc taking the poll position ahead of 2014 class champ, Zach Pettinicchi and 2014 Junior champ, Michael Avansino. Nic and Zach ran mostly nose to tail during the entire first heat exchanging the lead a few times. In the end, Zach took the win, Nic 2nd, Jarad Higham a strong 3rd and Phillippe Denes in 4th. In the second heat race, LeDuc controlled the race with Denes and Zach close behind taking the 2nd and 3rd and Avansino edging out Higham for 4th. In the Main, LeDuc took the early lead with strong pressure from Zach and Denes. The leaders opened up a small gap over the rest of the field until LeDuc hit a Tic-Tac Toe curb too hard and lost his chain, ending a promising day for him. Denes took over the lead and held on to take a well deserved win with Zach coming home 2nd, a class podium debut for Higham in 3rd, Avansino 4th and Enzo Prevost 5th. For his featured race victory, Denes took home $200 in Sanzaru Cash along with the GoPro Hero4 camera. Zach received $50 of Sanzaru Bucks with Higham receiving $25. Sanzaru Bucks can be used toward future Sanzaru Games Karting Championship race and practice fees.

Micro Max

Garrette Randolph Jr. (Photo: dromophotos.com)

Micro Max feautres the youngest drivers in the paddock with seven entries new to the series. Sebastiaan Mulder took the pole ahead of Owen McAllister and the 2014 class champ, Garrette Randolph Jr. Only two tenths of a second seperated the top three qualifiers during the first heat with Garrette taking the lead at the end of the 8 lap race to edge Owen for the win. Sebastiaan came home 3rd with Southern California series newcomer, Skyler Geczi taking 4th. In the second heat, Garrette and Sebastiaan battled at the front with Garrette taking the win less by less than a second. Owen came in 3rd with Skyler again in 4th. In the Main, Garrette showed why he was is the defending Champion by taking the early lead from the poll, opening up a small gap over the field, and taking the win virtually unchallenged. Owen stayed close to take 2nd, his best race in the series to date. Sebastiaan and Skyler fell back a bit and gave up the final podium step to a steady Gino Sandoval. Ultimately Skyler would finish 4th with Sebastiaan in 5th. The top three drivers took home $100 Cash, $50 and $25 in Sanzaru Bucks.

Zero Motorsports EVO Electric Karts

Matt Cresci (Photo: dromophotos.com)

The electric kart class added one more kart to the field over 2014 as the class continues to grow. Matt Cresci took the pole ahead of Marcos Ramirez and last year’s class champion, Richard Hilleman. Cresci took the initial lead in the first heat and held on to take a five second win ahead of Hilleman, Charles Stimmler, and Christopher Hilleman. Cresci again took the initial lead in the second heat as well, but was pressured by Ramirez the entire way. Cresci took the win, but just barely. Ramirez finished 2nd, Richard Hilleman 3rd, and Stimmler 4th, setting the stage for the main event.

The 12 lap main event saw Cresci taking the initial lead, but Richard Hilleman and Marcos Ramirez soon over took him for their turns at the front of the electric powered pack. Little did they know that Cresci was saving his electrons for one last final push, regaining the lead near the end to take the win by three seconds! Hilleman and Ramirez rounded out the podium with Stimmler taking 4th in his first electric race.

Junior Rotax

Mason Cohen (Photo: dromophotos.com)

With a strong entry of 15 drivers, Junior Rotax took co-honors as the largest class for day. Three 2014 Mini-Max drivers moved into the junior class this year along with three all-new drivers to the series. In Qualifying, Matt Keyes took the poll, his first of the series, followed by Carter Herrera, and class champ Michael Michoff 3rd. Michoff sneaked under the two front row drivers in the first heat as they went into the first turn. Herrera followed with Keyes sliding back a few spots. Michoff and Herrera battled the entire way, with Mason Cohen and Annie Breidinger having a good go for the 3rd spot. In the end, it was Michoff, Herrera, Cohen, and Annie Breidinger across the line. Keyes and Michoff separated from the field in the second heat and battled for the lead with Michoff taking the win ahead of Keyes 2nd, Cohen 3rd and Herrera 4th.

Michoff took the early lead in the main with five karts close behind. About mid race, Michoff lost the rear end in turn one with a lazy spin, putting him all the way back to 7th. Herrera, Keyes, and Cohen were now battling up front exchanging positions several times with Steve Pugsly Jr and Annie Breidinger closing in behind. Going into the last lap, Herrera and Keyes were battling for the lead coming out of the last infield hairpin. With the checkered flag waiving in the air, Herrera held the outside line as the two went into the last sweeper wheel to wheel. Headind into “The Maker”, the fast final turn leading onto the long straight, the two determined Juniors made contact as they tried to outbrake each, sending Herrera off into the grass! Keyes lost all momentum allowing Cohen to drive under him to take the win! At the line, it was Cohen, Keyes 2nd, Pugsly Jr with a well deserved 3rd, Breidinger 4th, Michoff recovering to take 5th, and Herrera falling back to 6th. The top three drivers took home the $100 Sanzaru Cash, $50 and $25 in Sanzaru Bucks.

80 Masters

Tom Nelson (Photo: dromophotos.com)

Defending class champ, Charles Hastings, took the poll ahead of Tom Nelson, and Roger Cornwall. The first heat race ran as predicted with Hastings getting a good start and taking the win just barely ahead of a determined Nelson, with Cornwall 3rd and Geoff Provo 4th. Cornwall got the jump at the start in the second heat and took the early lead with Nelson close behind. Hastings fell off the pace and came to a stop on track on the last lap. Cornwall held off Nelson until he missed a shift allowing Nelson to get by and drive on to his second win, with Cornwall 2nd, Rob Mullaney 3rd and Geoff Provo 4th. Nelson started the main on pole with Cornwall alongside and Hastings behind. Hastings was able to get by Cornwall, but he just could not find the opening he needed to make a clean pass. Nelson drove perfectly, taking the win with less than one second in front of Hastings, Cornwall, Mullaney, and Tim Booth in fifth.

Mini Max

Dustin Salaverria (Photo: dromophotos.com)

This was the first race of the new Mini Max class with the revised chassis rules and the field did not show any problems adjusting to the new specifications. Oliver Reed took the pole ahead of Aiden O’Neill and new comer Bianca Bustamante. Oliver, Bianca, and Aiden fought at the front in the first heat with Dustin Salaverria coming into the battle early into the race. Aiden fell back and made contact in a pass attempt on Bryson Lew which eliminated both drivers. Dustin worked his way past Oliver and dueled Bianca right down to the wire, getting her at the checkered flag by just 0.089 of a second. Oliver took 3rd with Matteo Sandoval in 4th. In the second heat, Oliver took the early lead followed closely by Bianca and Dustin. The top three opened up a small gap on the rest of the field and exchanged positions cleanly several times. In the end, Oliver took a second win over Dustin who just edged out Bianca with Aiden coming home 4th. Oliver, Dustin and Bianca set out to open up a gap on the rest of the field in the main event and had an exciting three-way battle for the lead. Aiden fell back at the start and then had a contact incident with two other karts, eventually finishing in 7th. Dustin just edged out Oliver by 2 tenths of a second to take the win. Oliver took 2nd with Bianca 3rd just 3 tenths behind, a great result for her first start in Mini-Max. Bryson Lew took the 4th spot with Ryan Tate coming home 5th. The top three drivers were awarded the $100 Sanzaru Cash, $50 and $25 Sanzaru Bucks.

Pro Stock Honda – Stock Honda Masters – Junior 125 Shifter

Fritz Leesmann (Photo: dromophotos.com)

All 125 shifter kart entries were combined to form a 17 kart field. In Qualifying, four Pro Stock drivers took the top spots with Fritz Leesmann taking the pole ahead of Hunter Pickett and newcomer Pablo Carballedo. In the Masters group, 2014 class champ Rene Martinelli took the pole ahead of Patrick O’Neill and Justin Bennett. In the first heat, the top three Pro Stock drivers lead the way off the start followed by the pack of Masters led by David Arnstein, who got a strong start off the line. At the end, Leesmann took the checked followed by Pickett and Carballedo in Pro Stock with Arnstein taking the win in Masters ahead of O’Neill, Bennett, and Eric Molinatti. Pickett got by Leesmann at the start of the second heat race and held off the pole winner to take the overall win followed by Leesmann, Pablo and Troy Diede. In the Masters class, neither pole sitter Martinelli or Bennett completed a lap, thus the Masters race came down to a repeat duel between Arnstein and O’Neill. Arnstein held on for the win, O’Neill second, and Nick Galante coming home 3rd.

With a great turnout of 15 drivers including several drivers new to the series, the Rotax Masters class put on a great race. Kelly Heil took the pole ahead of series newcomer Roman Alexseenkov and Billy Scott. In the first heat, Kelly took the early lead with Roman right behind trailed by Scott, Stephan Gaudreau, and Bob Olson. Roman was able to get by to take the lead near the end of the 8 lap heat race and took the win less than a half second in front of Kelly, followed by Scott and Gaudreau at the checkered flag. In the second heat, Kelly took the early lead and held it to take the win over Roman, followed by veteran Scott Ripslinger and Xander Mahony. Kelly took the early lead again in the main with Roman right on his rear bumper. The two continued their private duel the entire race with Roman getting by near the end to take the win with Kelly a half second back. Gaudreau came home 3rd, David Palic 4th and Ripslinger 5th. For their efforts, the top three took home $100 Sanzaru Cash, $50 and $25 in Sanzaru bucks.

Rotax Masters

Roman Alekseenkov (Photo: dromophotos.com)

With a great turnout of 15 drivers including several drivers new to the series, the Rotax Masters class put on a great race. Kelly Heil took the pole ahead of series newcomer Roman Alexseenkov and Billy Scott. In the first heat, Kelly took the early lead with Roman right behind trailed by Scott, Stephan Gaudreau and Bob Olson. Roman was able to get by to take the lead near the end of the 8 lap heat race and took the win less than a half second in front of Kelly followed by Scott and Gaudreau at the checkered flag. In the second heat, Kelly took the early lead and held it to take the win over Roman followed by Scott Ripslinger and Xander Mahony. In the Main, Kelly took the early lead again with Roman right on his rear bumper. The two of them continued their private duel the entire race with Roman getting by near the end to take the win, Kelly a half second back with Gaudreau 3rd, David Palic 4th and Ripslinger 5th. For their efforts, the top three took home $100, $50 and $25 in Sanzaru bucks.

The next race of the Sanzaru Games Karting Championship will be held on April 26 on the Sprint Track track configuration. The GoPro Feature class will be the 80 Masters.

Race Results and Championship Standings are available on the Schedule & Results page on our web site. Follow us on Twitter @NorCalRotax for news and announcements.

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