Mixed Fortunes For Hamilton On US Return
| press release | 5 May 2015 |
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There were mixed fortunes over the weekend for Kiwi kart ace Matt Hamilton on his return to SuperKarts USA's Fikse Wheels 2015 Pro Tour in Arizona.
After finishing third in the S4 Masters class in his full SKUSA series debut last year the multi-time New Zealand champion from Christchurch stepped up to the premier S1 Stock Moto class this year with the Northern California-based Aluminos team.
Above: Christchurch driver Matthew Hamilton was quick but unlucky at the first two rounds of this year's Fikse Wheels SuperKarts USA Pro Tour series in Arizona over the weekend
pic -
Fast Company/Todd McCall
Hamilton showed impressive speed in qualifying - fourth overall at the first round of the 2015 series on Saturday and second overall at the second of the two double-header rounds on Sunday - but struggled to find passing spots on Saturday and had to work his way forward in both the second heat and Final on Sunday after copping a technical DQ in the first heat with a broken rear bumper.
He still came away with a decent points haul - after a 4-6-8 run on Saturday and a dnf-5-5 card on Sunday - but didn’t get the chance to turn his single lap qualifying pace into podiums.
"The bottom line," Hamilton said from California this morning, "was that it was a tough track to pass on. We weren't in bad shape on Saturday, qualifying fourth, but had bad heat races to start sixth for the main. Then we got driven over at the first corner and had to drive with damage the rest of the race.
"Sunday was similar in that after qualifying second the rear bumper broke in the first heat so we spent all day recovering from last.
"We were fast in the Sunday main, starting seventh but working up to fifth in the group that was fighting for second so the speed is there."
The driver who dominated the S1 Stock Moto class was European professional Rick Dreezen, who poled both rounds and won all six races.
The Belgian Birel driver didn't have it all his own way, losing out at the start to the likes of two-time S1 class champion Fritz Leesmann and Bill Musgrave, but always managed to be in front when the chequered flag was about to drop.
Hamilton will be back in the US for the Fikse Wheels Pro Tour rounds 3 & 4 double-header in Indianapolis in July, then the annual SuperNationals meeting in Las Vegas in November.
Fikse Wheels 2015 SuperKarts USA Pro Tour SpringNationals Phoenix Kart Racing Association Glendale Arizona USA May 01-03 2015
Rnd 1 Saturday
Qualifying
1. Rick Dreezen 44.288
2. Billy Musgrave 44.563
3. Fritz Leesmann 44.726
4. Matt Hamilton 44.737
5. Kolton Griffin 44.751
6. Patrik Hajek 44.762
Heat 1
1. Rick Dreezen
2. Billy Musgrave
3. Fritz Leesmann
4. Matt Hamilton
5. Patrik Hajek
6. Ron White
Heat 2
1. Rick Dreezen
2. Fritz Leesmann
3. Patrik Hajek
4. Billy Musgrave
5. Jarred Campbell
6. Matt Hamilton
Main Event
1. Rick Dreezen
2. Fritz Leesmann
3. Billy Musgrave
4. Kolton Griffin
5. Patrik Hajek
6. Ron White
7. Jonathan Kotyk
8. Matt Hamilton
Round 2 Sunday
Qualifying
1. Rick Dreezen 43.943
2. Matt Hamilton 44.224
3. Billy Musgrave 44.374
4. Kolton Griffin 44.424
5. Fritz Leesmann 44.489
6. Patrik Hajek 44.517
Heat 1
1. Rick Dreezen
2. Billy Musgrave
3. Fritz Leesmann
4. Patrik Hajek
5. Kolton Griffin
6. Jarred Campbell
also
DQ. Matt Hamilton
Heat 2
1. Rick Dreezen
2. Billy Musgrave
3. Fritz Leesmann
4. Patrik Hajek
5. Kolton Griffin
6. Jarred Campbell
7. Matt Hamilton
Main Event
1. Rick Dreezen
2. Fritz Leesmann
3. Patrik Hajek
4. Billy Musgrave
5. Matt Hamilton
6. Kolton Griffin
Fikse Wheels 2015 SuperKarts USA Pro Tour
Event Schedule
Rounds 1&2 - May 1-3 - SpringNationals – Phoenix Kart Racing Association – Glendale, AZ
Rounds 3&4 - July 24-26 - SummerNationals – New Castle Motorsports Park – New Castle, IN
Round 5 - Nov 18-22 - SuperNationals - Las Vegas Convention Center – Las Vegas, NV
