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California ProKart Challenge
| Champions Declared for 2019 California ProKart Challenge |
| Wednesday, 16 October 2019 14:07 |
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Pro Shifter champion Billy Musgrave (Photo: DromoPhotos.com) The 2019 edition of the California ProKart Challenge came to a close at the end of September, wrapping up an astonishing 15th season for the Superkarts! USA regional program. The season was made up of five events, including six rounds of racing toward the championship program for the 17 categories. The year began in Buttonwillow and was followed up by the first double-round weekend at CalSpeed. Trips to Monterey and Santa Maria began the second half of the season before completing the year at the 11th edition of the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix. Those able to claim a championship or finish top-three in the standings will be honored at the California ProKart Challenge Awards Banquet on October 26.For the sixth time in seven years, the Croc Promotion USA/Mad Old Nut Pro Shifter category will recognize Billy Musgrave as the series champion — a win streak carried over from 2018 with six wins last season. Musgrave continued that through much of the season, winning the first five rounds before placing second in his Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix title defense. The five victories in 2019 was good enough to give Musgrave his sixth series championship. Jake French, the 2019 SOLGP victor, ended the year in second, with Cody Hodgson in third.
X30 Senior champion Ryan Norberg (Photo: DromoPhotos.com) It was nearly two championships in the same season for Musgrave, in the hunt all year in the Rolison Performance Group X30 Senior class. Three wins in five races by four-time SKUSA Pro Tour champion Ryan Norberg helped to clinch his first series championship. Norberg stamped his name on the title trophy with a sweep at Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix. Musgrave finished the season second in the standings while defending champion Joseph Daniele was third, each with one win on the year.Two drivers were able to double-up in the championship column for 2019. The first is Oregon driver Josh Pierson, who claimed the top spot in the Nash Motorsportz X30 Junior division and the Allen Berg Racing Schools KA100 Junior class. Pierson won three times on the year to earn the X30 championship. Maximilian Opalski and Blake Nash tied for the second position in the standings, with the tie-breaker going to Opalski — the winner at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix. Three wins went on the favor of Pierson in the KA100 title chase, giving him the SKUSA #1 regional plate for 2020 by a healthy margin. Ethan Lampe ended the year second in the standings, edging out Jacob Yesnick by 10 points.
X30 Junior and KA100 Junior champion Josh Pierson (Photo: DromoPhotos.com) Brett Harrelson was the second driver with two titles for the 2019 California ProKart Challenge program. Harrelson won the first five rounds in the Bell Helmets S4 Super Master Stock Moto class to claim the championship. Two wins was enough to edge out the competition in the Empire Karts X30 Master class for the title. Harrelson won both rounds at CalSpeed and finished third in the final two rounds to edge out fellow two-time winner Steve Martin by 15 points for the championship. Monterey winner Billy Cleavelin finished the season in third.The top-three in the Musgrave Racing Company Pro Shifter 2 standings accounted for five of the six victories. Claiming three of those was Emon Fazlollahi to earn the series championship. Micah Hendricks and Connor Robles each took home one. Robles won Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix, but still came up short of knocking Hendricks out of the second spot in the standings. John Crow won the opening five rounds in the Alpinestars G1 class, securing the championship. Carl Lewis won at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix, finishing the season second in the standings.
S4 Super Master Stock Moto and X30 Master champion Brett Harrelson (Photo: DromoPhotos.com) The 2019 season is a memorable one for Vicente Salas in the Honda Racing/HPD S3 Novice Stock Moto division. Salas scored four of the six victories on the season to claim the series championship. He was also awarded the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix Scholarship to go toward his SKUSA racing in 2020. Jacopo Pizzinato opened up the season with a victory, ending the year with five podium finishes and second in the standings. Luca Bortone had four podium results of his own to end up third in the championship chase. It took all season to notch a victory, but Mathias Coito won the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix to help clinch the Evinco Tires S5 Junior Stock Moto championship. A string of six podium finishes that included four runner-up results helped Coito earn the title. Four-time winner Jacob Yesnick came up short, finishing second in the standings with Kailey Meris in third.Jesus Vasquez Jr. went five-for-five in main events to claim the Ace High Designs Mini Swift championship before sitting out the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix. The fight all season was for the second spot in the standings, as Jack Schrady secured the spot ahead of Ryan Persing. Graham Trammell earned back-to-back titles in the IAME USA West Micro Swift class. Trammell finished all six main events on the podium, winning twice to secure a second straight championship. Logan Chambers beat him in the win column, scoring victory three times in five races to end up second in the standings. Alex Mercado was on the podium at four rounds to finish third in the championship chase.
Mini Swift champion Jesus Vasquez Jr. (Photo: DromoPhotos.com) The inaugural champion of the Doran Motorsports Group KA100 Senior division at the California PKC program is Oliver Calvo. Four victories, including his fourth career win at Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix, helped to lock up the title for Calvo. Nick Persing won the inaugural event for KA100 in the series, finishing second in the standings, with Christopher Martin ending the year in third. The International Kart Federation-sponsored KA100 Master championship went to Mike Smith. Five straight podium finishes, including three victories, earned Smith the inaugural title. Ricardo Arruda and Steven Jasinski completed the championship podium. Stuart Hayner claimed the title in the AiM Sports X30 Super Master category. Hayner never finished outside the top-five, grabbing the opening two victories to remain in the top position of the standings all season long. Three-time winner Jon Persing came 15 points short of the championship, finishing second, with Jeff Rice earning four podium results to end the year in third.The California ProKart Challenge will honor the champions, top finishers and series Team of the Year at the annual Awards Banquet on October 26. All racers, families, guests and California PKC supporters are welcomed to the Business Expo Center in Anaheim, California from 5pm-10pm to enjoy celebrating the 2019 season. All attendees will be eligible for raffle prizes and 2020 information to be announced during the ceremony. Head to the California ProKart Challenge Awards Banquet page to learn more. For more information on anything related to Superkarts! USA, please check this website and be sure to follow the Superkarts! USA Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts. |
