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PRE-ENTRY OPENS IN MID JULY |
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California ProKart Challenge
Neal and Zeen Score in ProKart Challenge West Coast Shootout |
Tuesday, 19 May 2009 17:37 |
![]() Neal faced some serious challengers in the S3 category, qualifying third behind polesitter Jimmy McNeil (CRG) and Tommy Thompson (Trackmagic). McNeil was two tenths clear of the field to throw his name in the hat for the win, until he lost his airbox and had to pull off. Neal took over from there, winning both heat races to start on the pole for the main event. The 20-lap race took place on a very greasy track, made even more challenging by the high heat, as Select Shifter pilot Clinton Schoombee (CRG) grabbed the holeshot to lead the first half of the event. Neal would battle back from a tough start, getting past a pair of Team Aluminos drivers in Daniel Bray (GP) and Tom Dyer (GP) as they battled each other, eventually arriving on the rear bumper of Schoombee. The leader fought valiantly, but Neal would not be denied as he eventually slipped through to take the point. The win did not appear locked, however, as Utah’s Patrick Cushenberry (Arrow) was coming on strong. ‘Cush’ laid down the fastest lap of the race as he reeled in the lead duo, leading many to believe that he was on his way to victory. Cushenberry came up just short, as he was not able to find a safe way by Schoombee, allowing Neal to inch away for the win, his fifth PKC triumph of the year. Schoombee and Cushenberry completed the podium, while Bray and Dyer capped the top-five. ![]() Two-time eKartingNews.com Driver of the Year and former SuperNationals winner Gary Carlton (CRG) was back behind the wheel in Buttonwillow, turning up the heat in the S1 class. In qualifying, Carlton battled an issue that restricted him to just one timed lap, which was good enough for fourth in the order. Kartel Motorsports’ Brendan Phinny continues to improve during his rookie campaign and turned up the wick in qualifying, putting his Top Kart on the pole with a lap of 47.251. Neal was doing double-duty and was second in the S1 order, just ahead of Peter Abba (GP). Carlton would not be denied in the heat races as he got out front and stayed there, securing the pole position for the 20-lap Shootout main event. After getting the holeshot, Carlton simply walked away from the field to score a 6.357-second victory over Neal and Abba. The HPV2 Jr. pilots raced well all day, led in morning qualifying by Joey Teves (Tony Kart), as the top six drivers timed in within less than two tenths of a second. After exciting heat races, the main event came down to a battle between David Vasquez (Tony Kart), Kiel Spaulding (Trackmagic) and Jason Hannegan (Intrepid), who was making his first PKC start. All three led at one time and it looked like Hannegan would eventually score the win after catching and passing the lead duo, but Vasquez rebounded to be first to the flag, edging Spaulding and Hannegan for the victory. In the TaG Junior class, Adrian Starrantino (CRG) was the driver to beat, qualifying on the pole and then walking away to a 4.024-second win in the main after pacing the second heat as well. Rookie driver Dylan Lupton (Birel) turned it on in the final, chasing down and passing Louie Pagano (Birel) to record an impressive runner-up finish. This freshman driver has shown tremendous natural talent since arriving on the scene late last year. Capping off the day’s action, Team Aluminos’ Fernando Diaz (GP) scored the win in the G1 class, defending an early lead from a charging PP Mastro. The arrival of Mastro on Diaz’ rear bumper awakened the leader, who stepped up his game to score his first win of the year. Mastro just couldn’t find a way by in the waning laps and needed to settle for second, as Roy Montgomery (GP) completed the podium. In TaG Masters, the Emmick name was up front again as Paul Hohlbein swept the proceedings en route to a 1.218-second win over Steve Wiener (Trackmagic). Jeff Bobbitt (Tony Kart) emerged as the fastest driver in the class by the end of the day, but mechanical difficulties prevented him from getting all the way to the flag in both the second heat and the main event. Jim Zootis capped the podium in the TaG Masters group. When it was all said and done, the South topped the North in the overall Regional Shootout, which took each region’s best three finishes in the six cross-over classes. Race wins by Fernando Diaz and Andrick Zeen gave the South top points, but it was the sweep of the top-three in the S3 category that made the difference. In the end calculations, the South had amassed 134 points to the North’s 114 markers. This will certainly become an annual battle for bragging rights in California. With the annual SuperNationals set as the Superkarts! USA season finale – it’s date and location to be announced later this week – the ProKart Challenge racers will be looking forward to the next events on their respective schedules. The North competitors will be back in action on June 13 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center, while the South pilots head to Santa Maria on June 27. For more information on the Superkarts! USA’s ProKart Challenge, head to http://www.prokartchallenge.com |