By: Rotax Can-Am ProKart Challenge
The inaugural season of the Can-Am Karting Challenge is set to finish out third weekend in Medford, Oregon. The final two rounds are scheduled for September 20-22 at the Jackson County Sports Park facility, home of the Southern Oregon Karters. The SOK circuit is rich in history, and will add another mark in its timeline as the Rotax Max Challenge and Superkarts! USA competitors from all around the region complete rounds seven and eight to close out the 2013 season.
“The 2013 season has been a great experience for me and everyone else involved in making it happen,” stated Can-Am Karting Challenge administrator Mike Rolison. “We assembled a great crew to put on the four race weekends. The many race teams, kart shops and business that have supported us throughout the year have said nothing but positive comments with the staff we put together, and they have enjoyed the racing that all the competitors produced through the first three events. Medford should be another fun weekend with some serious racing as we are set to hand out some amazing prizes to our inaugural champions.”
Aside from race wins and bragging rights, a lot is on the line during the weekend for the Rotax Max Challenge competitors. For Rotax Senior, Junior, DD2, and DD2 Masters, tickets to the 2013 Rotax Grand Finals will be awarded to the drivers who finish the season recording the most championship points in a best six of eight system. For the youngest of the Rotaxians, two spots will be decided for the Micro & Mini Invitational, contested during the same weekend at the NOLA Motorsports Park in New Orleans this November.
It’s been a very hotly contested season in the HoleShot Drive Systems Rotax Senior division as five drivers sit within 100 points of each other heading into the series final weekend. Two-time race winner Stepanova Nekeel is at the top with 427 points, as two-time winner Joey Wimsett is just nine points out of the lead. Wimsett, a provisional champion in the Maximum Velocity Performance DD2 class, could leave Medford with two titles in hand, but will have to select which category to compete at in the Rotax Grand Finals should he finish the Senior standings on top. SoCal driver Jake Craig is third, producing five straight podium finishes, and just 27 markers back of Nekeel. Rotax Challenge of the Americas champion Phillip Arscott is fourth after missing the opening two rounds with Canadian Chris Glover still in the chase. The action in Medford will be exciting, just as the inaugural season has already been.
The same can be said in the Neilton Racing Concepts Micro Max category as six drivers remain within 70 points of each other. Only two drivers have stood on top of the podium twice this season, that includes Max Wright and Jonathon Portz. Round three and five saw Wright cross the stripe first, as he holds an 11 point advantage over Portz, who was victorious in rounds two and four. Arizona driver Diego LaRoque just clinched a ticket to the Micro & Mini Invitational at his home track, and remains third in the Can-Am standings. Canadian Marco Kacic also scored a ticket, winning at the Western Canadian Championships. Round one winner Jordan Novota is fifth, just 39 points away from the top position and still in the hunt, as is Austin Portalski should the young driver put in a solid weekend in Medford.
Luke Selliken locked up the provisional championship in the CRG West Rotax Junior category at McMinnville thanks to his sixth straight victory, while sweeping five of the rounds. The Rotax Challenge of the Americas champion Blaine Rocha is second when factoring the points, with Jake Preston in third. Also clinching the tentative title after round six was Derek Wang in the Rolison Performance Group DD2 Masters division. The former DD2 Team USA member is scheduled to make a return to the Rotax Grand Finals, making his first start at the event in the Masters category.
In the Wicked Fabrication Mini Max class, Sting Ray Robb has his ticket to the invitational event at NOLA stamped with the ink drying. Five wins in the first six rounds gives him enough points to hold the provisional championship entering Medford. Round three winner Trenton Sparks has been runner-up most of the season, and can not earn enough points to better Robb’s point total. The fight for third in the standings will continue on with Matthew Morgan, Jacob Blue Hudson and Conner Wick all with a chance. The Rotax Masters chase may come down to the wire, war continues to rage on between the top two drivers. Former US Rotax champion Mike Daniel finds himself trailing Dayna Ward by 23 points. Each on-track session between the two will make for an interesting fight to the end of the championship.
The S4 Master Stock Moto division has produced some excitement each weekend. David Whitelaw holds a 55 point advantage over Brandon Brock with Ben Johnston still in the hunt. Dalton Egger and Cameron Egger each lead the S2 Semi-Pro and S1 Pro standings respectively.
Discounted pre-entry deadline has already passed, but competitors are still able to register now at the following LINK. The host hotel for the weekend is the Ramada Medford Conference Center, with information on the discounted $78 room rate, among more information available at the Medford Event Page on the Can-Am website. Veteran photographer Sean Buur will be on location to capture all the exciting moments throughout the weekend, along with celebrations for those earning one of the inaugural Can-Am Karting Challenge titles. More information about the event and the entire series can be found at www.rotaxcanamprokartchallenge.com
About: Rotax Can-Am ProKart Challenge
The Rotax Can-Am ProKart Challenge is the newest regional racing program, focused around supporting the western coast of North America, welcoming Canadian and American teams and drivers. The four event program will be a best six of eight championship chase, offering categories of the Rotax Max Challenge and Superkarts! USA. This new program will provide a unique atmosphere, formatted like a national summer series program. Rotax racers will receive punches toward the 2013 US Rotax Grand Nationals, also with four tickets up for grabs to the 2013 Rotax Grand Finals. SKUSA racers will race for a guaranteed starting spot at the SKUSA SuperNationals XVII in Las Vegas with class championship.
