Wickens: “Nothing Compares to Racing in Las Vegas!”

The Prime Powerteam is aiming for the jackpot over the next few weeks as the Hamilton, Ontario based team will settle in Las Vegas, Nevada for two of the biggest events of the year, both held at the RIO All Suites Hotel and Casino.

First up, the BirelART team will support seven drivers taking on the temporary circuit set up by Rok Cup USA for Rok the Rio. After a season of competing with the Vortex Rok powerplants in Ontario, it will be a chance for Prime drivers to cap off their season in style, competing against some of the best Rok Cup racers from around the world.

The drivers are split among four categories. CRFKC champion Ryan MacDermid will do battle in Rok Senior, while Mackenzie Clark and Marcello Paniccia will take on the Junior Rok category, which is slated to have the largest number of entries. Pfaff Kartsport Cup champion Frankie Esposito and Cooper Simpson will close out their season in Mini Rok, while Cole Newton is competing against the Micro Rok racers. Finally, Xingran Tang is the lone Prime driver in the Rok Shifter category.

The Rio Hotel and Casino, host of both the Rok the Rio and the SKUSA SuperNationals (Photo by: Cody Schindel / CKN)

For team manager Trevor Wickens, Las Vegas is a special opportunity each season to attend a completely unique race in a very unique city. The challenge of a temporary circuit in the city that never sleeps creates a vibe unlike anywhere else in the world, which is why the two events are so well attended.

“Every season we race eleven months of the year all over North America and even into Europe, but nothing compares to racing in Las Vegas! The excitement and atmosphere are second to none!”

For the SKUSA SuperNationals, which takes place two weeks after Rok the Rio on a completely different temporary configuration, four drivers are confirmed for the event that draws more than 400 entries spread over a dozen categories. MacDermid, Clark and Tang will return to the Rio with IAME powered engines while the team welcomes Filip Urgan from Romania, who will take on the best KZ2 shifter drivers in the world.

With a roster of great drivers for both events, Wickens is excited to arrive in Las Vegas and support his drivers take on some of the best competition of the year.

“It is a great accomplishment for the team to bring some of North America best karts along with some of Canada’s up and coming talents to such great races. We look forward to fighting for the best results for each driver.”

Rok the Rio takes place from October 31 to November 3 while SuperNationals 22 hits the track on November 14 through to the 18. Be sure to support the Prime Powerteam on their social media channels, Facebook and Instagram.

Following the Las Vegas events, preparations will begin for the annual winter trip to Florida for the SKUSA Winter Series and the Rok Cup Florida Winter Tour. Drivers interested in taking part are requested to confirm their spot on the Prime Powerteam early by contacting trevor@primepowerteam.com.