Elliott Moves to Senior Ranks In Californian Karting
press release
Having just completed his final junior competition in the karting ranks, Californian Austin Elliott would move up to the ultra competitive senior categories and look to continue his string of recent success. Competing aboard a P1 Engines powered, Wesley Boswell tuned Top Kart, Elliott is turning heads in the western half of the United States as he continues to out run national level front-runners in regional competition.
Above: Austin Elliott leads the SKUSA PKC point standings in TaG Senior
pic - Race Media Group
With his final junior event taking place in Stockton, California at the NorCal Outlaw Series, Elliott garnered a strong third place result after qualifying on the front row. Excited to move up in classes, Elliott would be back on track the following weekend at the Superkarts! USA (SKUSA) ProKart Challenge North event in Reno, Nevada for round three of the program in the TaG Senior division.
This wouldn't be Elliott's first attack on the senior field but the front running Californian was able to compete in select events earlier in the 2011 season that would not jeopardize his status as a junior. Now, with a full-fledged commitment to the senior ranks, Elliott would join seventeen other hungry competitors in the hunt for the race win.
Looking to get up to speed during Friday's test sessions, Elliott would struggle slightly with the ever-changing track conditions and sorted TAG engine packages competitors were allowed to run, finishing the day nearly .700 from the quickest competitor. With wholesale changes Friday evening, Elliott was back on pace on Saturday morning claiming the fifth quickest time in his qualifying run as the top five drivers were separated by a scant tenth of a second.
Starting the first of two heat races from inside the third row, disaster would strike on the opening lap as Elliott would be involved in a first corner incident that relegated him to the tail of the field. Never giving up, Elliott would drive forward again only to be caught up in an unavoidable incident on lap six before claiming the tenth position.
Looking for redemption in heat two, Elliott would be forced to start in his first heat finishing position on the difficult outside fifth row. Looking to survive the first lap against the other aggressive senior drivers, Elliott quickly moved through the field crossing the stripe in the sixth position.
Even though it is May, racing in California can be affected by weather and the main events were shortened to fifteen laps from the scheduled twenty due to the snow that was on its way in the mountainous region. Anxious to get to the front, Elliott quickly charged forward through the field putting on a passing clinic as he continually out broke and drafted past his competition. Running the second fastest lap time of the race, the Top Kart driver moved into the second position and chased down the leader toward the win but ran out of laps when the checkered flag was flown. Finishing in the second position, Elliott will retain his overall points lead heading into the remaining three events in the Pro Kart Challenge North program.
"I had a lot of fun competing in this Pro Kart Challenge event even though the weather wasn't what we had expected. I also gained a lot of knowledge that I'll be taking to my next race," explained Austin Elliott. "I really enjoy running the Reno track because it is fun but challenging. I was happy to be able to compete against some top drivers and come out close to the front."
