Brandon Jarsocrak enters Shawano leading both Pro championship chases, earning a victory in each at GoPro Motorplex (Photo: Kathy Churchill - Energy Racing)

The third season of the United States Pro Kart Series is set to enter the second stage of the championship chase, traveling up north to Shawano, Wisconsin for the third and fourth round of 2015. The US Air Motorsports Raceway is site of the June 19-21 event, presented by Praga North America. A record number of entries opened up the season at the GoPro Motorplex in North Carolina, with a large number of driver looking to make their first trek to the rolling hills of northern Wisconsin.

The multi-configuration facility is among the most technical circuits in North America. It features a number of elevation changes, off-camber and undulating corners, and very fast downhill sections. Originally named ‘USA International Raceway’, the course was built in 2004 off the design by former WKA officer Kenny Venberg. The course layout for the United States Pro Kart Series weekend measures at 1.1 miles, with 16 distinct corners that drivers must negotiate.

eKartingNews.com is scheduled to be in Shawano all weekend long, providing the EKN Trackside Live broadcast. Family, friends and race fans can tune into ekartingnews.com/live all weekend to hear live audio from trackside, along with viewing live timing courtesy of Race-Monitor.com. Daily race reports will be published daily on the site’s home page, updates posted to the Official Discussion Thread, along with breaking news, photos and other links on the EKN Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts.

With the series championship in the three TaG divisions and four Yamaha categories counting every round and every session, each time drivers hit the track is very crucial to the eight race, no-drop championship chase. The first of our three part preview for the event looked at the title chase contenders in the younger categories on Tuesday. Junior divisions were in the spotlight Wednesday. Today we review the contenders in the Pro categories.

Franklin Motorsports Leopard Pro

Brandon Jarsocrak and Jacob Donald each earned their first USPKS Leopard Pro victories back in April at the season opener (Photo: EKN)

The Mooresville opener for the USPKS program welcomed a record number of 40 drivers in the Leopard Pro division that saw a number of drivers in contention for the two round victories. At the end, Brandon Jarsocrak and Jacob Donald emerged as the two best drivers, collecting the top-two positions both days. Donald mastered the wet conditions on Saturday to earn his first ever USPKS victory with Jarsocrak (Tony Kart) placing runner-up. The two remained at the front Sunday when things dried out. Jarsocrak won the second heat race again, and came back after getting shuffled down the order to win in the closing laps. Donald was runner-up in his Praga debut with KartSport North America, and the two enter the championship chase separated by just 10 points.

Third in the order is defending series champion AJ Myers, however, the Florida driver is currently in Italy with the factory PCR squad, competing at a number of European events. That moves Praga North America driver Andrick Zeen into the lead position in challenging the two race winners. Zeen was among the front runners at the Route 66 Sprint Series and is one of a few racers competing on the weekend to race at the Shawano facility during its early years. Behind him is PCR driver Andrew Bujdoso. His Saturday performance was among his best of the year, but was hampered by a DNF in Sunday’s main event. The young driver will look to bounce back this weekend, putting himself in the title chase. Dustin Stross is fifth in the standings now, and after an up-and-down weekend in Mooresville aboard a Top Kart, the Florida driver is returning back to a Tony Kart machine.

The top two rookies of the opening weekend were PCR drivers Ryan Norberg and Phillippe Denes. Norberg is sixth in the championship chase going into Shawano after the Florida driver earned a fourth place in Sunday’s main event. Denes made the trek out from California to run in the lead pack all weekend, with a best finish of fifth on Saturday.

NASCAR’s AJ Allmendinger will make his USPKS debut this weekend (Photo: EKN)

A couple big names are going to be making their USPKS debuts this weekend. NASCAR’s AJ Allmendinger enjoys going to the kart track during his off days, and his work schedule was clear this weekend for the California native to compete. ‘Dinger’ is familiar with the circuit, racing here in 2010, and is ready to pilot a Deadly Kart under the KartSport North America stable. USPKS is getting more international with the addition of Alessandro Bressan. The Italian native who now resides in Las Vegas is a former factory driver in Europe, and is set to make his USPKS debut with J3 Competition aboard the CompKart.

Last weekend’s Route 66 Sprint Series saw Michigan’s Derek Dignan score the victory in Saturday’s wet weather round aboard a KartSport North America FA Kart. Dignan was among the top contenders in 2014, suffering a tough opening weekend in Mooresville. Others to watch out include Wisconsin driver Tommy Andersen and Patrick Olsen. The Innovative Performance Tony Kart drivers know the track very well, with Olsen landing just outside the top-five in the opening round feature.

Provisional Leopard Pro Entry List

Comet Racing Engines Yamaha Pro

Brandon Jarsocrak and Dakota Pesek are the top two drivers in the Yamaha Pro championship chase (Photo: EKN)

As we saw throughout 2014, Brandon Jarsocrak remains the driver to beat in the Yamaha Pro division. The Pennsylvania pilot left all four weekends last season with the $1,000 check for most points, leading to the series championship. Cashing in the money once again, Jarsocrak won the opening round in Mooresville, placing fourth in a hard-fought feature Sunday to leave as the point leader. Brandon earned a fifth straight $1,000 pay day, dating back to last year’s opener at GoPro Motorplex. This weekend in Shawano will be different, as Jarsocrak is switching out the aged Haase kart for a Tony Kart this weekend.

The lead challengers are Round Two winner Dakota Pesek and Nick Landi. Each are 80 points back of Jarsocrak entering Shawano. Landi (FA Kart) was more consistent, landing a runner-up on Saturday, and sixth on Sunday. Pesek (Top Kart) retired in Sunday’s feature, but swept the action on Sunday to help his championship chase efforts. Mike McAndrews (BirelART) is the top rookie, earning a hard fought runner-up finish in Sunday’s main event. He challenged for victory this past weekend at the Route 66 Sprint Series, which saw TJ Koyen return to the top of the podium in Yamaha competition. Koyen was third in Saturday’s main event back in Mooresville, but slipped back in Sunday’s round. He enters the Shawano weekend fifth in the points, looking to make up ground with a good weekend in his home state.

Others to watch who were quick in Mooresville include last year’s vice-champion Tony Jump (Arrow) and Jake McWhirter (Tony Kart). Steven Arens (Arrow) made his return to Yamaha racing at the opening event, placing fifth in the opening round. Arens was among a talented group of JICA drivers back in 2005 when the Stars of Karting held the first major karting event at the Shawano facility. Kevin Nelson (Tony Kart) muscled his way into the third spot in Sunday feature back in April, and the veteran is among those with many laps at the US Air Motorsports Raceway facility.

This weekend also marks the return of USPKS Leopard Pro inaugural champion Kyle Kalish. Since moving up to the Senior ranks, the Franklin Motorsports / Merlin driver has yet to compete in the Yamaha division. This season, focused on shifterkart racing, Kalish is making a return to the Yamaha ranks and the USPKS this weekend in Shawano.

Provisional Yamaha Pro Entry List

Rok Cup Senior / Junior

Announced in May, the United States Pro Kart Series has entered into a long-term agreement with Rok Cup USA to provide a Rok Senior and Rok Junior category for the remaining events on the 2015 schedule. The two classes will run in one race group, and have a format of qualifying, three heat races, a Prefinal, and Final carried out on Friday and Saturday. Seven drivers total are entered, with more anticipated to register at the track. The champion in the Junior and Senior categories, along with the Mini Rok Cadet champion, will win a trip to Italy for the Rok Cup International Finals, set for October in Sarno, Italy.

Provisional Rok Senior / Junior Entry List

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