Champions Crowned at Challenge of the Americas Finale


press release 13 April 2016

Seven title winners decided following last two rounds of 2016 championship at Simraceway Performance Karting Center

The 2016 Challenge of the Americas program came to a close over the April 1-3 weekend at the Simraceway Performance Karting Center. Nearly 100 competitors traveled to the Sonoma, California facility, taking to the 3/4-mile course situated above the famous Infineon Raceway circuit, looking out at the Sonoma Valley.

The 2016 Challenge of the Americas Champions - (rear) Nick Brueckner, Christian Brooks, Jake French - (front) Ashton Torgerson, Austin Torgerson (missing) Mike Jones, Ryan Kinnear
Above: The 2016 Challenge of the Americas Champions - (rear) Nick Brueckner, Christian Brooks, Jake French - (front) Ashton Torgerson, Austin Torgerson (missing) Mike Jones, Ryan Kinnear
pic - SeanBuur.com

The championships in the seven categories were up for grabs in the final two rounds of the six-round title chase. For the Senior Max, Junior Max, and Masters Max title winners, it was a chance to claim a ticket to be part of the 2016 Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in Italy this October.

Four points was all that separated Christian Brooks from a championship in the 2015 Challenge season. This year, Brooks made sure there was no question who the title winner was with two victories on the weekend in the Nash Motorsportz Senior Max division. Brooks opened up the weekend with a victory on Saturday after running second through qualifying and the Prefinal. A heated battle took place during the first few laps of the Final until Brooks secured the lead on lap eight. He drove away to a 4.2-second victory over championship contenders Kellen Ritter and Nathan Adds. The start to Round Six began with a setback, as Brooks was late reporting to the grid and not allowed to take a single lap in qualifying. This put him 15th on the grid for the Prefinal. The 17-lap performance was championship-esque, posting fast laps of the race to finish second. Needing only to finish, Brooks had the title in hand but wanted more. He was shuffled back early but eventually reeled in leader Adds with three laps remaining. Brooks held on to record his fourth victory of the season, putting an exclamation point on his championship season. It was a photo finish for second with Adds scoring the runner-up position over Canadian Coltin McCaughan. Ritter and Jim McKinney completed the championship podium.

Christian Brooks secured the Rotax Grand Finals ticket in Senior Max with two victories in Sonoma
Above: Christian Brooks secured the Rotax Grand Finals ticket in Senior Max with two victories in Sonoma
pic - SeanBuur.com

The perfect record was broken, but the championship was locked up after a fifth straight victory by Nick Brueckner in the Rolison Performance Group Junior Max division. Brueckner missed the fast time in Round Five qualifying, coming just over a tenth slower than Hannah Greenemeier and placing fourth in the session. Brueckner responded with a 1.6-second advantage in the Prefinal before holding off a late charge by Greenemeier in the Final for his fifth straight main event victory to clinch the championship. Canadian Matthew Taskinen finished third for his fifth straight podium result. Greenemeier came back Sunday as the driver to beat, again qualifying quickest before losing out to Brueckner in the Prefinal. The newly-crowned champion sat out the main event, putting Greenemeier to the point. She led the first half of the race until Taskinen put up a challenge. They swapped the lead lap after lap, allowing Riley Dickinson and Carter Herrera to close in. On the final lap, the top two went side-by-side entering the double lefts, both drifting wide and allowed Herrera to slip past. He held the lead to the checkered flag, earning his first series victory. Greenemeier settled for second, along with vice-champion with Dickinson into third to drop Taskinen to fourth, third in the championship chase.

Five straight victories helped Nick Brueckner earn his first Rotax Grand Finals ticket with the Junior Max championship
Above: Five straight victories helped Nick Brueckner earn his first Rotax Grand Finals ticket with the Junior Max championship
pic - SeanBuur.com

Two different winners highlighted the weekend in the Cambrian Go-Karts Masters Max category. Carlos Calderon was the quickest driver all weekend, only able to win Sunday’s main event with Billy Cleavelin landing on top of the podium Saturday. Calderon was the top qualifier for Round Five, and led the majority of the Prefinal until a broken axle sidelined him, handing the race win to Roman Alekseenkov. Cleavelin started the main event third, and was into the lead early, driving away to a four-second victory. Calderon closed in the closing laps, only to lose his chain attempting to pass Cleavelin. Point leader Mike Jones secured the second position, and the championship with his finish as Alekseenkov completed the race podium. Calderon returned Sunday with fast lap in qualifying, but contact with Jones racing for the Prefinal lead cost him a chance at the win, which went to Cleavelin. The Round Five winner led the majority of the Final until a charging Calderon closed in and took over the lead. Calderon went on to score his first series victory by 2.3 seconds over Cleavelin with David Pergande in third for his second podium of the season. Pergande finished the year vice-champion with Perry Needham in third.

Carlos Calderon was quickest all weekend in Masters Max, scoring victory Sunday
Above: Carlos Calderon was quickest all weekend in Masters Max, scoring victory Sunday
pic - SeanBuur.com

Energy Kart USA Shifter Senior category saw a three driver battle with local star Brett Buckwalter joining championship rivals Jake French and Kolton Griffin. French came away with a perfect score on Saturday, holding off both throughout the day to clinch the championship. Buckwalter stole the second position from Griffin to end the day. Sunday was much of the same with the trio battling hard for the lead position throughout the day. French edged them out in qualifying, while Griffin stepped up the pace to win in the Prefinal. The fighting continued in the main event with French able to cross the line first. Officials however penalized the title winner for contact with Griffin, dropping him to third in the order to hand Griffin his second win of the series and move Buckwalter to second once again. French and Griffin were joined on the championship podium by Don Whittington.

Jake French secured the Shifter Senior title Saturday with his fourth victory of the series
Above: Jake French secured the Shifter Senior title Saturday with his fourth victory of the series
pic - SeanBuur.com

The Dallas Karting Complex Shifter Masters was swept on the weekend by Patrick O’Neill with Kevin Woods placing second both days. The championship was awarded to Ryan Kinnear, who was absent on the weekend.

Patrick O’Neill swept the weekend in the Shifter Masters division
Above: Patrick O’Neill swept the weekend in the Shifter Masters division
pic - SeanBuur.com

2014 Micro Max series champion Jak Crawford made his 2016 series debut in the Go Kart Hero Mini Max class, earning victory both days. Championship contender Austin Torgerson set the pace in qualifying, and the two battled for the win in the Prefinal. Each were awarded penalties for contact, thus handing the win over to Ashton Torgerson. Crawford fought his way forward to land himself second, hounding race leader Dustin Salaverria. A last lap pass stuck for Crawford, earning him his first victory of the weekend. Salaverria settled for second with Ashton Torgerson in third. Crawford swept the day on Sunday, making another late race maneuver to secure the win in the Final. Salaverria crossed the line second but was handed a two-position penalty for contact, moving both Torgerson brothers Austin and Ashton onto the podium. Austin earned the championship by 32 points over Canadian Marco Kacic with Salaverria in the third position.

Jak Crawford returned to the Challenge, stealing two victories from the Mini Max crowd
Above: Jak Crawford returned to the Challenge, stealing two victories from the Mini Max crowd
pic - SeanBuur.com

Ruthless Karting Micro Max championship leader Ashton Torgerson went winless in Sonoma, but secured the championship with a pair of top-five finishes. The race wins went to Carson Morgan and last year’s series champ Diego LaRoque. Josh Pierson, also making his series debut in 2016, set the benchmark in qualifying and the Prefinal, but the field caught him in the Final. Morgan and LaRoque hooked up at the start, pulling away early with Carson able to hold off Diego at the checkered flag by two hundredths of a second. Pierson crossed the line trailing in third. Sunday, Torgerson put himself back at the front to help secure more points toward clinching the championship. Ashton was top qualifier and drove away to the win in the Prefinal. The top-five battled the entire 14-lap main event with LaRoque leading the majority of the laps, including the most important one to land himself on top of the podium. Torgerson crossed the line in second with Morgan in third. That gave Torgerson the championship by 47 points over Morgan with Tuesday Calderwood in the third position.

Carson Morgan won his second of the season in Micro Max on Saturday
Above: Carson Morgan won his second of the season in Micro Max on Saturday
pic - SeanBuur.com

The Challenge of the Americas would like to thank all the competitors, teams and families that made the 2016 season so great. Be sure to visit rotaxchallenge.com and on Facebook this summer for information on the 10th season for the Challenge of the Americas.

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