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Johnson & McNeil Extend Lead With Victories In California

press release

Championship leaders in TaG Senior and S1 Pro Stock Moto score feature wins

The California ProKart Challenge hosted the penultimate round of the 2012 series championship at the popular Santa Maria Karting Association facility in Santa Maria last weekend. A rare facility – located on the grounds of an airport – offered a challenging course and comfortable weather conditions for racing. The fight on-track witnessed the championship leaders in the headline categories – TaG Senior and S1 Pro Stock Moto – extend their advantage in the standings with feature wins Saturday, August 18. Matt Johnson and Jimmy McNeil each scored their third victory of the year in convincing fashion.

Above: Matt Johnson ripped off his third feature win in TaG Senior this season
pic - dromophotos.com

Johnson had to battle his way to the front in the Leading Edge Motorsports-sponsored TaG Senior category after qualifying seventh. Top honors went to young pilots Enzo Mestre and Jake Craig. The field was tight as the top six drivers in the session were all within a tenth of Mestre’s time. In the opening heat race, Johnson found his pace and worked his way to the point. By lap seven, Johnson secured the lead and went on to score the win. Mestre and Johnson went back and forth in the second heat race. At the checkered flag, Johnson crossed the line first with Mestre on his bumper. The main event was all Johnson. Jumping out to the lead, championship rival Travis Lowe advanced his way into the second position. The two drivers ran 1-2 the entire time. Johnson drove to his third victory of the season with Lowe, earning fast lap honors, placing second for the third time on the year. Mestre was a close third to round out the podium, with Devin Lindsey and Bobby Kelley completing the top-five.

McNeil was strong in S1 Pro Stock Moto, sponsored by Extreme Karting/Vemme Kart. He qualified on the pole position with a 46.754-second lap to outpace Ryon Beachner. They ran 1-2 in the opening heat race with McNeil able to extend out to a three-second lead after 10 laps. In heat two, McNeil was leading but received the meatball flag for losing his side pod, thus retiring on lap eight. Beachner would take the win, with Peter Abba in second. McNeil, starting at the tail of the field, steadily worked his way back to the point. Once in the lead, McNeil drove on to his third victory of the season. Beachner was just over two seconds back in second with Abba completing the podium.

Above: Jimmy McNeil stood on top of the podium in S1 for a third time
pic - dromophotos.com

S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto championship leader Matias Podboj returned to his winning ways during the trip to Santa Maria, earning his third feature win of the season in the Phil Giebler Racing-sponsored category. Podboj began the event with the pole position in qualifying, edging out championship rival Michael Leib by just 18 thousandths of a second. Both were up-ended by Augie Lerch in heat one. Making just his second start of the year, the Arizona driver fought his way to the lead and the win. The championship leaders struck back in heat two, dropping Lerch to third, with Leib coming through with the win over Podboj. At the start of the 20-lap main event, Podboj grabbed the holeshot to secure the lead, with Leib and Lerch slotting in behind. They would run that way to the checkered flag, with Podboj scoring the victory. Leib finished second, but gained the 10 bonus points for fast lap in the race, edging out Lerch.

The Pure Karting-sponsored S4 Master Stock Moto battle on the weekend was a nail-biter – mostly between three veteran drivers – Arie Luyendyk Jr., Trevor McAlister, and Robert Marks. McAlister, coming off a win at the SKUSA SummerNationals, secured the pole position in qualifying with a 47.878-second lap. Just half a tenth of a second behind was Luyendyk, returning to the driver’s seat for the first time since participating in the ‘Bachelorette’ reality show. McAlister grabbed the holeshot to begin heat one, with Luyendyk slotting into second until he made a slight error, spinning around and stalling his kart, thus retiring early. That moved Marks up to second as McAlister drove on to the win. Marks held the advantage in heat two. Taking over the lead on the opening lap, Marks drove to the win with McAlister in second. Luyendyk started shotgun on the field, advancing to sixth in 10 laps. McAlister took back the point as they began the 20-lap main event. Marks slotted into second, challenged in the early laps by Luyendyk, up to third by the completion of lap two. By lap five, Luyendyk took the second position away from Marks, setting his sights on McAlister. Lap 16 is when Arie pulled the trigger, working around McAlister for the lead. Luyendyk led the remaining laps to score the feature win. McAlister placed second – his third straight podium finish in the series – with Marks scoring another third place finish. Nick Firestone was fourth, with championship leader PP Mastro crossing in fifth. Mastro would be removed from the results, however, for being too wide in the rear width measurement, moving Ken Hromada to fifth and changing the complexion of the championship chase.

Above: Arie Luyendyk Jr. returned to the seat, scoring the feature win in S4
pic - dromophotos.com

Billy Cleavelin continues to prepare for a possible third SKUSA SuperNationals victory in the TaG Master class in fine fashion. The championship leader in the Buddy Rice Karting-sponsored category drove to his fourth feature win of the season, and his second event sweep of the year. Cleavelin qualified with a 48.927-second lap to secure the pole position. He went wire-to-wire in both heat races and the feature, driving away to a 14-second victory. The weekend also welcomed the return of Ethan Wilson. Injured at the SKUSA SpringNationals event, Wilson returned to the seat for the first time since, and capped it off with a second place performance. He edged out Paul Grey for the position.

Above: Billy Cleavelin extended his championship lead in TaG Master with victory number four
pic - dromophotos.com

Two-time TaG Cadet Champion Colton Herta earned his first TaG Junior victory in California PKC competition. Herta began the Santa Maria event leading the way in qualifying, posting a 48.727-second lap. Herta led the field in heat one until he was shuffled back on lap two after contact with Scott Huffaker. That put Noah Grey to the point, and he would go on to win over Christian Brooks and Garrett Dixon as Herta placed sixth. Grey led the majority of the second heat race until a charging Herta was able to run him down. On the final lap, Herta stole the lead from Grey on the final circuit and scored the win. Grey finished second, but was removed in tech for an airbox issue. That put Brooks back to second and Carter Williams into third. Back at the front, Herta went green to checkered, leading all 20 laps for the main event victory, with Brooks on his bumper. Huffaker was able to steal third away from Williams for his first podium finish of the season, while Dixon completed the top five.

Above: Santa Maria was the site of Colton Herta’s first TaG Junior win in California PKC competition
pic - dromophotos.com

Hunter Kelly put himself back at the top of the championship standings in the Sunshine Daydream Creations-sponsored TaG Cadet category with his first feature victory of the season. Kelly did so by sweeping the entire event from qualifying to the final checkered flag. Kelly led the way in qualifying with a 53.044-second lap. Hunter went wire-to-wire in the two heat races, along with leading all 15 laps in the main event. Fellow championship rival Anthony Sawyer placed second, with Trenton Sparks making his first series start with a third place podium finish. Hayden Wagner and former point leader Jack von Quilich rounded out the top five. Carter Williams earned his third victory in the S5 Junior Stock Moto division, outrunning Curtis Paul. Jack Freese made the switch from TaG into S3 Novice Stock Moto – sponsored by Select Shifter/DR Racing Kart – and earned the feature win over championship leader Steve Ryckebosch and Chalee Siengthai. Luke Bianco earned his third victory in the S4 Magnum category ahead of Ken Manning.

Above: Hunter Kelly put himself in the championship lead with victory in TaG Cadet
pic - dromophotos.com

The 2012 California ProKart Challenge championship will come to a close on September 14-16 at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix in Lancaster, California. The three-day city festival and two-day street race will welcome a number of top drivers and teams from the west coast, as well as serve as a warm-up event for the famed SKUSA SuperNationals in November. Event details, including lodging, camping, schedule and other information, will be posted shortly at the PKC Event Page (http://www.superkartsusa.com/regional/california-pkc/event-calendar/round-6-2012.html).

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	Johnson & McNeil Extend Lead With Victories In California Tweet press release Championship leaders in TaG Senior and S1 Pro Stock Moto score feature wins The California ProKart Challenge hosted the penultimate round of the 2012 series championship at the popular Santa Maria Karting Association facility in Santa Maria last weekend. A rare facility – located on the grounds of an airport – offered a challenging course and comfortable weather conditions for racing. The fight on-track witnessed the championship leaders in the headline categories – TaG Senior and S1 Pro Stock Moto – extend their advantage in the standings with feature wins Saturday, August 18. Matt Johnson and Jimmy McNeil each scored their third victory of the year in convincing fashion. Above: Matt Johnson ripped off his third feature win in TaG Senior this season pic - dromophotos.com Johnson had to battle his way to the front in the Leading Edge Motorsports-sponsored TaG Senior category after qualifying seventh. Top honors went to young pilots Enzo Mestre and Jake Craig. The field was tight as the top six drivers in the session were all within a tenth of Mestre’s time. In the opening heat race, Johnson found his pace and worked his way to the point. By lap seven, Johnson secured the lead and went on to score the win. Mestre and Johnson went back and forth in the second heat race. At the checkered flag, Johnson crossed the line first with Mestre on his bumper. The main event was all Johnson. Jumping out to the lead, championship rival Travis Lowe advanced his way into the second position. The two drivers ran 1-2 the entire time. Johnson drove to his third victory of the season with Lowe, earning fast lap honors, placing second for the third time on the year. Mestre was a close third to round out the podium, with Devin Lindsey and Bobby Kelley completing the top-five. McNeil was strong in S1 Pro Stock Moto, sponsored by Extreme Karting/Vemme Kart. He qualified on the pole position with a 46.754-second lap to outpace Ryon Beachner. They ran 1-2 in the opening heat race with McNeil able to extend out to a three-second lead after 10 laps. In heat two, McNeil was leading but received the meatball flag for losing his side pod, thus retiring on lap eight. Beachner would take the win, with Peter Abba in second. McNeil, starting at the tail of the field, steadily worked his way back to the point. Once in the lead, McNeil drove on to his third victory of the season. Beachner was just over two seconds back in second with Abba completing the podium. Above: Jimmy McNeil stood on top of the podium in S1 for a third time pic - dromophotos.com S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto championship leader Matias Podboj returned to his winning ways during the trip to Santa Maria, earning his third feature win of the season in the Phil Giebler Racing-sponsored category. Podboj began the event with the pole position in qualifying, edging out championship rival Michael Leib by just 18 thousandths of a second. Both were up-ended by Augie Lerch in heat one. Making just his second start of the year, the Arizona driver fought his way to the lead and the win. The championship leaders struck back in heat two, dropping Lerch to third, with Leib coming through with the win over Podboj. At the start of the 20-lap main event, Podboj grabbed the holeshot to secure the lead, with Leib and Lerch slotting in behind. They would run that way to the checkered flag, with Podboj scoring the victory. Leib finished second, but gained the 10 bonus points for fast lap in the race, edging out Lerch. The Pure Karting-sponsored S4 Master Stock Moto battle on the weekend was a nail-biter – mostly between three veteran drivers – Arie Luyendyk Jr., Trevor McAlister, and Robert Marks. McAlister, coming off a win at the SKUSA SummerNationals, secured the pole position in qualifying with a 47.878-second lap. Just half a tenth of a second behind was Luyendyk, returning to the driver’s seat for the first time since participating in the ‘Bachelorette’ reality show. McAlister grabbed the holeshot to begin heat one, with Luyendyk slotting into second until he made a slight error, spinning around and stalling his kart, thus retiring early. That moved Marks up to second as McAlister drove on to the win. Marks held the advantage in heat two. Taking over the lead on the opening lap, Marks drove to the win with McAlister in second. Luyendyk started shotgun on the field, advancing to sixth in 10 laps. McAlister took back the point as they began the 20-lap main event. Marks slotted into second, challenged in the early laps by Luyendyk, up to third by the completion of lap two. By lap five, Luyendyk took the second position away from Marks, setting his sights on McAlister. Lap 16 is when Arie pulled the trigger, working around McAlister for the lead. Luyendyk led the remaining laps to score the feature win. McAlister placed second – his third straight podium finish in the series – with Marks scoring another third place finish. Nick Firestone was fourth, with championship leader PP Mastro crossing in fifth. Mastro would be removed from the results, however, for being too wide in the rear width measurement, moving Ken Hromada to fifth and changing the complexion of the championship chase. Above: Arie Luyendyk Jr. returned to the seat, scoring the feature win in S4 pic - dromophotos.com Billy Cleavelin continues to prepare for a possible third SKUSA SuperNationals victory in the TaG Master class in fine fashion. The championship leader in the Buddy Rice Karting-sponsored category drove to his fourth feature win of the season, and his second event sweep of the year. Cleavelin qualified with a 48.927-second lap to secure the pole position. He went wire-to-wire in both heat races and the feature, driving away to a 14-second victory. The weekend also welcomed the return of Ethan Wilson. Injured at the SKUSA SpringNationals event, Wilson returned to the seat for the first time since, and capped it off with a second place performance. He edged out Paul Grey for the position. Above: Billy Cleavelin extended his championship lead in TaG Master with victory number four pic - dromophotos.com Two-time TaG Cadet Champion Colton Herta earned his first TaG Junior victory in California PKC competition. Herta began the Santa Maria event leading the way in qualifying, posting a 48.727-second lap. Herta led the field in heat one until he was shuffled back on lap two after contact with Scott Huffaker. That put Noah Grey to the point, and he would go on to win over Christian Brooks and Garrett Dixon as Herta placed sixth. Grey led the majority of the second heat race until a charging Herta was able to run him down. On the final lap, Herta stole the lead from Grey on the final circuit and scored the win. Grey finished second, but was removed in tech for an airbox issue. That put Brooks back to second and Carter Williams into third. Back at the front, Herta went green to checkered, leading all 20 laps for the main event victory, with Brooks on his bumper. Huffaker was able to steal third away from Williams for his first podium finish of the season, while Dixon completed the top five. Above: Santa Maria was the site of Colton Herta’s first TaG Junior win in California PKC competition pic - dromophotos.com Hunter Kelly put himself back at the top of the championship standings in the Sunshine Daydream Creations-sponsored TaG Cadet category with his first feature victory of the season. Kelly did so by sweeping the entire event from qualifying to the final checkered flag. Kelly led the way in qualifying with a 53.044-second lap. Hunter went wire-to-wire in the two heat races, along with leading all 15 laps in the main event. Fellow championship rival Anthony Sawyer placed second, with Trenton Sparks making his first series start with a third place podium finish. Hayden Wagner and former point leader Jack von Quilich rounded out the top five. Carter Williams earned his third victory in the S5 Junior Stock Moto division, outrunning Curtis Paul. Jack Freese made the switch from TaG into S3 Novice Stock Moto – sponsored by Select Shifter/DR Racing Kart – and earned the feature win over championship leader Steve Ryckebosch and Chalee Siengthai. Luke Bianco earned his third victory in the S4 Magnum category ahead of Ken Manning. Above: Hunter Kelly put himself in the championship lead with victory in TaG Cadet pic - dromophotos.com The 2012 California ProKart Challenge championship will come to a close on September 14-16 at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix in Lancaster, California. The three-day city festival and two-day street race will welcome a number of top drivers and teams from the west coast, as well as serve as a warm-up event for the famed SKUSA SuperNationals in November. Event details, including lodging, camping, schedule and other information, will be posted shortly at the PKC Event Page (http://www.superkartsusa.com/regional/california-pkc/event-calendar/round-6-2012.html). Home
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