05-24-05
STARS OF KARTING PUTS ON A SHOW OUTSIDE OF INDY
Seattle, Washington — The Snap-on Stars of Karting presented by the IRL drivers had a show of their own in Indiana while their big brothers finished up qualifying at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The East division of the series had its season opening race at Mark Dismore’s immaculate New Castle Motorsports Park.
In the headlining ICC and ICA divisions the talent pool was deeper than ever. On Saturday, Jan Velez sat on the KLS Racing pole in his CRG while Ron White made a return to the driver’s seat and put his Top Kart on the outside of row one. In the race Velez took a dominant victory for his first pro win, while hometown boy and crowd favorite Kyle Wiegand brought his GP kart home second. Phillipe Gelinas gave Sodi Kart their first solid result in Stars series competition coming home third.
But Sunday was when the racing action really heated up in ICC. Ron White qualified fastest, taking home the KLS Racing/GP Maxxter pole money with Wesley Boswell second in his Birel. In the race, it was once again Velez who charged to the front to take the lead with a hard charging Kyle Wiegand close behind. On the last corner Wiegand drove deep into the left hander underneath Velez, but it was third placed Keith Spicer who took advantage of Wiegand and Velez both sliding wide and slipped underneath both of them to take the win in his Tony Kart.
The direct drive ICA field produced heated competition among an especially internationally contingent. In Gatorz Pole Qualifying on Saturday Michael Ryall of the UK qualified first aboard his Swiss Hutless with Californian Joel Miller second on his new Tony Kart ride. In the race the Italian Damiano Chiesa battled through a pack that included Mike Giessen (Birel), Phil Giebler (Intrepid), and Giacomo Patrono (Biese) on his Veloce to take the win. After a heated battle all race Giacomo Patrono took second with Giebler coming home third.
On Sunday Iowan Johnny Johnson took the Gatorz pole aboard his Kosmic with Italian Omar Bergo taking second on his Veloce. In the race final Michael Ryall held off Saturday winner Damiano Chiesa to give Swiss Hutless their first major victory in North American karting in years. Fast qualifier Johnny Johnson came home in third.
The PCH Motorsports JICA class boasted forty entries for the event showing the growing strength of the direct drive division. Richard Benitez took pole on Saturday in his Kosmic with Canadian Xavier Coupal outside of row one in his Tony Kart. In the race Benitez motored away to an impressive win over Colombia’s Gustavo Yacaman in his First Kart. Ricky Taylor came home third in his Sun Trust KartMini.
On Sunday Sebastien Saavedra took the Gatorz pole by the slightest of margins in his Vanspeed over fellow Columbian Gustavo Yacaman second and PCH Motorsports’ Jacob Neal third in his CRG. In the race Xavier Coupal motored away to a dominant win aboard his Tony Kart with Jacob Neal holding off Indiana’s own Eric Morrow aboard a Margay.
Levi Roberts took pole in his Top Kart for Saturday’s King Taco Junior Shifter with Canadian Lucas Smith taking second in his First Kart. Zach Schiff took the win over First Kart teammate Smith with Levi Roberts bringing his Top Kart home third.
On Sunday Schiff took pole with Levi Roberts second. In the race Schiff took home his second win over CRG pilots Michael Vincec and Kyle Marcelli.
Andre Villareal took home the Gatorz pole award in Easykart on Saturday with Paul Harraka second. In Saturday’s race Harraka held off Dominic Scheer, just home from a stint in Italian series, for the win with Villareal third.
Sunday saw Harraka take pole over Scheer. The race was a chaotic scene of rain and shine with a mid-race red flag that saw the competitors brought in to put on rain tires. Dominic Scheer then motored away to a dominant victory. Pat Ianucci and Guillermo Freille were awarded second and third place finishes after technical disqualifications were given to Arthur Lake and Andre Villareal.
As always the Grand Products Cadets produced some of the best racing action of the weekend. On Saturday Nevoso teammates Steve Nemeth and Sebastien Ordonez lined up one-two in qualifying. Ordonez pulled away in the final to take the win over Pennsylvania’s Sage Karam and Steve Nemeth.
On Sunday Ordonez put his Nevoso on pole with Florida’s Spencer Pigot second in his Nevoso ride. The race saw a dramatic battle on the backstretch that saw Cody Humphries take a tumble. Early reports had Humphries treated at the track for a collarbone injury. Karam took the win on his Birel with Ordonez and Bijon Spinazzola taking home second and third respectively.
Two exhibition races highlighted the weekend. On Saturday track owner Mark Dismore Sr. won the Cindy Wiegand Memorial TaG race. Dismore graciously donated his winnings to the American Cancer society. In the Alpinestars Dash for Cash presented by North American Race Parts Sunday’s top qualifiers from ICC, ICA, and Easykart squared off against one another. In perhaps the best race of the weekend Johnny Johnson dove to the inside of Dominic Scheer and Paul Harraka at the last corner to catapult from third to first and take home the $1000 prize from Alpinestars and North American Race Parts.
The next Snap-on Stars series event is June 3-5 at the Reno Hilton in Reno, Nevada.
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