California ProKart Challenge, Round 2
Tweetpress release
Nearly 100 racers converged on the Willow Springs Kart Track in Rosamond, California last weekend for the second stop of the 2012 California ProKart Challenge, a Superkarts! USA regional program. On March 23-24, the flagship program for the organization hosted its second round of the six-race championship on the fast and challenging 6/10-mile course. Now with 1/3 of the title chase in the books, the contenders and pretenders have been sorted out, with two drivers standing out above the rest in the headline categories -- Matt Johnson in TaG Senior and Jimmy McNeil in S1 Pro Stock Moto.
Above: Matt Johnson, TaG Senior
pic - dromophotos.com
Carrying the #3 SKUSA plate for 2012, Johnson is on a mission to earn the #1 plate for the 2013 season. Beginning the California PKC season with a solid performance at Buttonwillow, Johnson backed it up with an event sweep this past weekend. Johnson topped the charts for the Leading Edge Motorsports-sponsored category, posting a 43.860-lap. Dakota Dickerson, the #2 plate holder for 2012, ended the session in second, with Canadian Lorenzo Mandarino making his first start of the season with a third place effort in qualifying. Johnson was able to lead flag-to-flag in both 12-lap heat races to secure the pole position for the main event, with Mandarino running second in each moto. In the feature race, Johnson drove away from the battle for second, securing the victory by 3.5 seconds and adding the bonus points to his total for fast lap of the race. 2011 PKC champ Travis Lowe was able to secure the second spot, with Lloyd Mack stealing third from Mandarino on the final circuit. Kevin Hernandez -- a new SKUSA racer from Mexico -- was fifth in his first start of the season.
McNeil is no stranger to the S1 category -- sponsored by Extreme Karting -- having contested the class back in 2010. After dominating in the S4 division in 2011, McNeil made the move back to S1 with a solid start in Buttonwillow. After leading the way through to the main event, contact of his own fault took him out of contention. Looking for redemption, he once again had to battle with former series champ Clinton Schoombee at Willow. The South African native was quickest in qualifying -- 42.631 seconds -- to edge out McNeil by 0.053 seconds. Schoombee held the lead through the opening heat race until lap five when he pulled off with a mechanical problem. This gave the lead and the win to McNeil, as Ryon Beachner finished second. McNeil led all 12 laps of heat two, though the driver to watch was Schoombee -- driving from the back of the S1-S2 combined field to end up second overall, about four seconds back of McNeil while recording the fast lap of the race. As the lights went out to start the feature with McNeil and Schoombee on the front row, McNeil got the jump and controlled the lead. From there, he drove the fast laps of the race to secure the victory by 2.686 seconds. 2011 S2 PKC champion Nicky Freytag earned his first S1 podium of his career, standing on the third step, while Beachner and round one winner Brad Dunford capped off the top five.
Above: Jimmy McNeil scored his first S1 Pro Stock Moto victory of the season
pic - dromophotos.com
Matias Podboj set the tone at round one for the Phil Giebler Racing S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto division, sweeping the action in Buttonwillow. While it was not a complete sweep, Podboj extended his point lead once again with another strong performance in round two. Qualifying at the top of the order as the only S2 driver under the 43-second mark, his pace was evenly matched by Hawaiian Alex Gumpfer. Making his first start of the season, Gumpfer trailed close in the opening heat race. In the second moto, Gumpfer got the better start and led the entire 12 laps to end Podboj’s perfect streak. Matias, however, would strike back in the final. Trailing Gumpfer for the first half of the race, he retook the lead on lap 11 and drove away to a 2.659-second victory. Former series regular Bobby Legate returned for his first start of 2012 with a trip to the podium in third place. Slava Prikhodko, also a returning PKC contender, and Jamie Wilson finished the feature in fourth and fifth.
Above: Matias Podboj stood on top of the S2 podium once again
pic - dromophotos.com
In 2011, the S4 Master Stock Moto category -- this year supported by Pure Karting -- saw only two different drivers stand on the top of the podium. McNeil was the champion, scoring four of the six wins, with the other two races conquered by Robert Marks, round one winner to start the 2012 season. After the event in Willow Springs, a new name has been added to the list -- Rob Logan. Making his first PKC start since the end of the 2010 season, Logan shook off the dust quickly as he jumped to the top of the qualifying order with a 43.471-lap, edging out Roy Montgomery, Marks and PP Mastro. Montgomery grabbed the holeshot to begin heat one, with Logan reassuming the lead on lap 10 en route to the win -- as Mastro worked by Marks for third. Montgomery once again had the quicker reaction time as the lights went out for heat two, taking the lead and showing the way. This time, Logan made his move on lap 11, working around for the lead and earning the win. Marks and Mastro had issues at the start, falling outside the top-10, with Marks eventually retiring. This moved former SKUSA ProMoto Tour standout Trevor McAlister into the mix. For a third time on the day, Montgomery and Logan paced the field, with Mastro up to third from outside the top-five by the end of lap one. They ran that way until lap seven when Logan retook the lead for a final time, driving to a two-second victory. Montgomery finished second to move him up in the championship standings, with Mastro taking over the top spot in the chase with a third place performance. Marks was unable to recover from his DNF in heat two, completing just one lap in the main event. McAlister crossed the line fourth but was removed from the results after coming in too wide on the rear width, moving Todd Scholta and Doug Hayashi up in the top-five.
Above: In his 2012 debut, Rob Logan swept the S4 Master category
pic - dromophotos.com
The Buddy Rice Karting-sponsored TaG Master division witnessed another increase in participation, with 15 drivers lined up in Willow Springs. They all chased track regular and two-time SKUSA SuperNationals winner Billy Cleavelin. Normally seen in the TaG Senior division during regional weekends, Cleavelin returned to the Master class to sweep the event -- earning a perfect score for the day with top qualifier, two heat wins, feature victory and fast lap honors. The battle on track was for second between Paul Bonilla and round one winner Ethan Wilson. In the end, Bonilla ended the fight in the second position with Wilson third. Paul Grey was fourth after the feature with Paul Hohlbein in fifth.
Above: Two-time SKUSA SuperNationals winner Billy Cleavelin stomped on the TaG Master field at his home track
pic - dromophotos.com
The growing S3 Novice Stock Moto division -- sponsored by Select Shifter/DR Racing -- saw a great two-driver battle for the victory in Willow Springs. Round one winner Steve Ryckebosch came away with the feature victory over newcomer Chalee Siengthai. Ryckebosch took top honors in qualifying before Siengthai won the opening heat race. Steve came back to win heat two and edged out Chalee by just four-tenths after 20 laps in the main event. Al James completed the podium. Luke Bianco swept the action in S4 Magnum Master Stock Moto over Ken Manning.
Carter Williams was a double winner on the weekend. Running unchallenged in the S5 Junior Stock Moto division, he also swept the action in the Russell Karting Specialties-sponsored TaG Junior class. The defending series champ led from qualifying, chased by last year’s TaG Cadet title winner Colton Herta. The two battled for the lead in heat one, with Herta leading most of the race before Williams secured the top spot with four laps to go. The war raged on in heat two, this time with Williams leading the majority of laps. Herta snuck by to lead three laps in the middle portion of the race, before Williams retook the spot and drove to the win. Carter stepped up the pace in the main event, securing the lead at the start and never looking back. Herta kept on the pressure, crossing the line just four-tenths back of Williams and stealing the 10 points for fast lap of the race. Brenden Baker was third for much of the day before Noah Grey came through in the feature, trailing the top two in the third position. Christian Brooks capped off the top-five.
Above: Carter Williams won the TaG Junior final, as well as the S5 Junior Stock Moto division
pic - dromophotos.com
The Sunshine Daydream Creations-sponsored TaG Cadet category provided some great racing once again with Anthony Sawyer coming out on top. Round one winner Jake Drew led things in qualifying until Sawyer scored the win in heat one. Drew came back in heat two to cross the line first over Sawyer. Lined up on the front row together for the main event, the battled continued, with Drew holding the lead early. Sawyer took the spot briefly until Hunter Kelly joined the fight. Advancing to the lead on lap 10, Kelly’s time at the front was short-lived, as Drew aggressively reassumed the spot followed by Sawyer sliding by to take over the lead for the final time. He would cross the line first for the victory ahead of Drew by just four-tenths. After the race had completed, a post-race penalty and then further incident cost Drew the runner-up position as he was ultimately given a disqualification. That moved Jack von Quilich to second and Kelly to third.
Above: Anthony Sawyer earned his first PKC win in TaG Cadet
pic - dromophotos.com
