SKUSA SuperNationals XXI: Canadian Friday Heat Race Report

It was a very busy Friday at the SKUSA SuperNationals in Las Vegas as each category complete two full rounds of heat races on the temporary circuit across the road from the Westgate Hotel and Casino. A few hiccups and crashes slowed up the day, but for the most part, the event ran smoothly and on time.

Here is how the Canadians fared on Friday.

Be sure to check out our Photo Gallery from Las Vegas here!

X30 Junior

Heat A vs D
After having a rough qualifying result Alberta’s Griffin Dowler (TonyKart) drove from thirty-fourth to eighteenth making him the hard charger for the first heat. Mackenzie Clark (BirelART) started the heat from thirty-seventh and ended up coming home twenty-eighth as he managed to stay out of trouble. Brazilian driver, Diego Ramos (Kosmic) was the heat winner.

Heat B vs C
Thomas Nepveu (BirelART) showed promising pace in his first heat race where he was running the majority of the race in the top-ten. However, with three laps remaining, Nepveu would make contact with the barriers while battling for position, sending him far down the running order to finish outside the top-20 in thirty-fifth. The heat win went on to Jak Crawford (FA Kart).

Griffin Dowler (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

Heat A vs C
Nepveu had a good second heat finishing in the ninth position. It appeared as though he would be able to fight for a top-five finish, however, the constant battling in the category made tough to maintain a top-five result. Clark was involved in an opening lap collision in turn one but still came out with a thirtieth position after being last at the end of lap one. Crawford managed to hold off pole sitter Matheus Morgatto (Parolin) to take the win.

Heat B vs D
Dowler was once again on fire in his second heat driving up to the twenty-third position. With another good result in tomorrow’s heats, he could find himself making the Final. Zane Maloney (TonyKart) was the heat winner.

Mini Swift

Heat B vs C
Justin Arseneau (BirelART) is the sole Canadian competing in the Mini Swift category and finished seventh in the first heat after being in the battle for second for the whole race. Diego Laroque (Gillard) drove away with the heat win.

Heat B vs D
Arseneau dropped back at the start of his second heat but still managed to pull off an eighth-place finish. Mini Rok World champion Connor Zilish (Energy Kart) was the eventual heat winner.

Justin Arseneau (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

S2 Stock Moto

Heat 1
After keeping clean in the first heat Justin Luik (BirelART) managed to drive to thirty-second while continuously improving his pace.

Heat 2
Luik had another good race in heat two to finish thirty-third after starting in the back of the field.

X30 Senior

Heat A vs D
Samuel Lupien (Kosmic) slotted into second at the start of his first heat. With the category being extremely competitive Lupien would drop down to sixth at the end of the run. Zachary Claman Demelo (Intrepid) was able to gain a couple positions in the heat to finish eleventh. Finally, Logan Cusson (Kosmic) had a great drive from the thirteenth to finish seventeenth in the heat which could help his chances to make the final. Ben Barnicout (Fullerton Kart) battled through to win the heat

Heat B vs C
Ryan MacDermid (FA Kart) had a stellar run in the B vs C heat where he managed to leave the cluster of karts battling behind to finish third. Cedrik Lupien (Kosmic) was involved in quite the battle in the mid-pack and dropped down quite a bit in the start to come back and finish eighteenth, after being outside the top-25. Kellen Ritter (Kosmic) and Matthew Taskinen (Kosmic) were both involved in an turn one collision, forcing both drivers to retire. Lorenzo Travisanutto (Kart Republic) drove away with the win after a dominating performance.

Samuel Lupien (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

Heat A vs C
MacDermid slotted into seventh at the start but contact took him out of the top-ten early, however, he managed to come back to finish tenth. Cedrik Lupien picked up two positions from his starting position to finish twelfth after a late race battle under the lights with MacDermid. ZCD was running in the eighth position for much of the race but ended up finishing fourteenth. Taskinen rebounded from his DNF to finish twentieth. Joshua Carr (Comp Kart) was the heat winner.

Heat B vs D

Samuel Lupien was in the mix in heat B vs D battle for second. Lupien was looking good early but decided to maintain position in order to have a good starting position in the final. Ritter rebounded from his crash in heat one to finish sixteenth while his RPG teammate Cusson suffered a turn one accident and did not finish the heat. Travisanutto walked away from the field to get his second heat win.

KZ2 Shifter

Heat 1
Robert Wickens (BirelART) was the highest finishing Canadian driver in heat one, finishing tenth after going to eighth on the start. Canadian Champion Antonio Serravalle (CRG) was eighteenth in the class with after falling back from his eleventh place starting position. The rest of the Canadians in the category finished as followed: Kristian Jeffery 24th, Evan White 26th, Gianfranco Mazzaferro 28th, and Isaac Marritt 31st. Ninth place qualifier, Ethan Simioni (BirelART), bogged on the start and fell down the running order. As he started to work his way back up the field he was involved in a collision dashing any hopes of a top-20 finish. Jeremy Iglesias (Formula K) drove to a flag to flag win in the heat.

Heat 2
Wickens led the charge again for the Canadians in the second heat finishing in the seventh position. Serravalle has a good run to improve his heat one result to finish ninth. Mazzaferro finished 18th, Marritt 23rd, White 24th while Jeffrey was classified 33rd after receiving a jump start penalty. Ethan Simioni had another tough heat race crashing on the formation lap. Iglesias won the second heat race but was under pressure the whole race by the Sodi Kart duo of Abbasse and Lammers.

Antonio Serravalle (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)