We’re heading back to the AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex this weekend for the conclusion of the 2020 SuperKarts! USA Winter Series where a pair of Canadian drivers have a shot of taking home the very coveted X30 Senior title.
In round one last month, Patrick Woods-Toth (Prime-PSL/BirelART) scored an impressive race win on Saturday, overtaking for the lead in the final corner to beat 4-time SKUSA Pro Tour champion Ryan Norberg to victory. On Sunday, Thomas Nepveu (PSL/BirelART) scored his first podium appearance as a Senior, finishing third, one position better than his Saturday finish, and scoring enough points to put himself in the running for the title.
Woods-Toth trails Norberg by one point heading into the weekend, which will feature two complete race days on the reverse direction of the AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex circuit. Sitting in third, Nepveu is only 28 markers behind Norberg.
Homestead is a circuit where Woods-Toth has never finished lower than sixth in X30 Senior competition, so we asked him what about the circuit has helped him scored such a great record and what it would mean to him to win the title this weekend.
“For whatever reason, I really connect well with Homestead. I’ve always had good success racing here. The big difference for me at the start of this year has been the full package coming together with the BirelART chassis prepared by Prime Powerteam and GFR engines with Alexis Araujo’s technical assistance. The outstanding package I’ve been provided along with our perfect team chemistry has made us a real contender for the championship.
Winning the SKUSA Winter Series in X30 Senior would be amazing. Since my partnership with Prime Powerteam and Trevor Wickens started last year we have been working extremely hard to get to that top step of the podium. In Canada we had great success winning many national races, however winning a SKUSA championship with the level of competition being so high would definitely be the cherry on the cake. Last year I finished second place in the championship with a difficult first round, ending the series with three podium finishes in a row. This year we are looking to close the deal and lock the championship up.”
-Patrick Woods-Toth
With anything possible in the category that attracted 52 entrants for round one, this championship race is far from over.
Other Headlines
- Ayden Ingratta will make his Junior debut this weekend stepping up to X30 Junior in the Winter Series. He had a rough go in Mini Swift at round one and as the young gun continues to grow, it only made sense to step up. While no stranger to intense competition in Mini, his Junior debut will be a handful amongst the unpredictable excitement that the Juniors are known for.
- The Margay Ignite program had a very successful debut in round one last month, where nearly 30 Briggs 206 racers took to the track to compete alongside the SKUSA regulars. While there wasn’t a Canadian entered last month, Quyon’s Charlotte Lalonde will make her first start of the season this weekend, flying the Maple Leaf. She’s been a winner before in the Ignite program and we’re hoping to see her atop the podium again this weekend.
- Following his podium appearance in round one, Jackson Pearsall sit fifth overall in the Micro Swift standings. Another good weekend could vault him on to the championship podium.
- It will be interesting to see how the track limits will be used this weekend. For round one, the AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex introduced some new rubber curbs on the exterior parts of certain corners to deter drivers from simply just running wide on exit. For the most part, it worked, but the limits of the reverse layout at Homestead was abused last year, so we shall see how the track managers handle it.
- As with every visit to Homestead in the winter, unpredictable weather is always a concern. Looking at the forecast, Friday and Saturday could feature some sporadic showers, adding just another challenge to all of the racers.
