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| July 29, 2010 News |
| North American Drivers Set to Tackle WSK World Series |
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Over the last few seasons, the WSK Promotions group has established a strong program promoting karting events throughout Europe. In 2009, their WSK International Series was among the highly contested programs in the world with a number of karting manufacturers in support. Their transition into 2010 introduced a new program - the WSK World Series, a three-race international series to compete in Europe, North America and Africa. Following the opening round in July in Portimao, Portugal, the series now travels to the United States.
Aside from a number of events in North America allowing the opportunity for some of the top international stars to compete on this side of the Atlantic, this weekend’s program will be the first ‘world’ event hosted on United States soil since the Formula C World Karting Championship held during the North American Karting Championships in 1998 inside the then-named Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Three drivers who competed in that event will be in New Jersey this weekend competing once again - Sauro Cesetti (Super KF), Davide Fore (Super KF) and Alessandro Piccini (KZ2).
Some future motorsports stars who competed at the 1998 event (listed below) give a precursor to just who may emerge from WSK World Series program as stars:
Vitantonio Liuzzi (Formula Super A) - Formula One
Ryan Briscoe (Formula A) - IndyCar Series
Phil Giebler (Formula A) - IndyCar Series
Patrick Long (Formula A) - ALMS, Grand-Am
Nico Rosberg (Junior Intercontinental A) - Formula One
Michael McDowell (Junior Intercontinental A) - NASCAR, Grand-Am
Regan Smith (Junior Intercontinental A) - NASCAR
The New Jersey Motorsports Park will host the second round of the WSK World Series at F1 New Jersey karting complex inside the Millville, New Jersey facility. The 1.7km course will host nearly 100 competitors from around the world, including a total of 19 from North America.
 | Phillip Orcic will be the lone Canadian competing this weekend, contesting the Super KF category
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
The lone Canadian at the event will be the only North American in the headline Super KF category. Phillip Orcic is contesting his first season at the Senior level and is up against the best in the world. After running with the Keijzer Racing outfit from the Netherlands, Orcic has been invited to join the CRG Racing Team. The 15-year old from Vancouver, B.C. is currently 14th in the driver championship heading into New Jersey.
Of the 16 drivers competing in the KZ2 shifter category, 25% of the entry list hails from the United States. Leading the charge will be Californian Gary Carlton. The three-time national champion entered his name into the world championship as he put his CRG entry on the pole position at the opening round in Portugal. Making only his second start in a KZ2 package on the season, Carlton ended up third in the main event after leading the majority of the race. Now on his home soil, the CRG Racing Team driver is poised to earn his first international victory of his career this weekend in New Jersey.
A driver who has found success in international competition previously is another former national champion - Ron White. Coming from the other side of the pit fence, the NorCal native is returning to the seat to compete against the best in the world. White is one of only a few Americas to win in international competition, scoring a victory at the European Championships in Sarno, Italy back in 2004. White will be teaming with US-based SSC East/CRG operation for the event, coming off victory in last weekend’s WSK North American Series round at New Jersey.
Challenging White last weekend was 20-year old Alex Manglass. The driver from Tomkins Cove, New York will run under the SSC East/CRG banner as well, having competed regionally in karting for roughly five seasons. Last season, Manglass ran third to Carlton at the CKI New Jersey event and ran second to White last weekend at the same circuit. The fourth driver will be New York’s Mark Abrahams, who made his national series debut last weekend in New Jersey. He will join White and Manglass under the SSC East/CRG tent.
 | American Gary Carlton will look for his first international victory in the KZ2 division
(Photo: Chris Walker - kartpix.net) |
The 25 driver roster for the competitive KF2 category includes five young studs looking stand out on the international stage this weekend. Two Americans who contested the first round in Portugal return back home, looking for podium hardware Sunday afternoon - Phil DeLaO and Gustavo Menezes. DeLaO, a 17-year old from Glendale, Arizona, was the highest finisher of the two at the opening round. DeLaO progressed on the weekend to end up 10th in the main event. Last weekend in New Jersey, DeLaO had the KF2 field covered in the WSK North American Series event until a rare mechanical issue dashed his chances of a second victory on the season. Coming into the weekend 13th in the championship standings, the team Comer/Top Kart driver has the chance to move up the ranks.
Menezes has been competing over in Europe going on four years now but is contesting his first season in the Senior category. The 15-year old Californian has produced solid results in the States and is progressing forward at his international starts. Menezes was a top-10 contender throughout the opening round in Portugal until engine failure in the main event put him on the sidelines. The Tony Kart Racing Team driver prepared for this weekend, scoring the overall event victory last weekend in New Jersey, posting fast laps throughout the weekend. Menezes enters the weekend 19th in the championship, sure to jump into the top-10 with a solid performance this weekend.
A driver capable of running near the front is Oregon’s Joey Wimsett. A rising star over the past few seasons, Wimsett has made the transition to the KF2 category after a solid Rotax program in 2009 that sent him to the Rotax Grand Finals as the US Grand Nationals runner-up. In Egypt, Wimsett was fourth in the main event, one spot away from the coveted podium. This season in KF2 in the WSK North American Series, Wimsett has four second-place finishes along with two third-place results last weekend in New Jersey in his first visit to the facility. Under the SSC East/CRG tent, Wimsett will set his sights for podium against the world.
From Bridgewater, MA, Mark Pellegrini is another young star looking to break through in New Jersey. The SSC East/CRG driver has development strong over the past two seasons, completing his Junior career and moving up to the Senior level. Pellegrini earned his first national podium at the same New Jersey circuit last year. More recently, Pellegrini was in contention at the US Rotax Grand Nationals until contact took him out of the running. The 16-year old will now take his talents into the KF2 category this weekend.
 | American Phil DeLaO will look to move up the championship standings of KF2 with a solid performance in New Jersey
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Completing the American roster in KF2 is Alexander Mayer. From nearby Harleysville, PA, the young driver is in his first year of Senior level karting. A regular in the World Karting Association Manufacturer’s Cup Series and the Florida Karting Championship Series, Mayer is registered to compete aboard a Gillard chassis with Parilla power. In three races in the FKCS KF2 category, Mayer is coming off two straight victories.
The category with the most Americans at the second round of the WSK World Series event is the KF3 category with nine drivers flying the red, white and blue. Like KF2, two drivers from the states ran the opening round in Portugal - Tristan DeGrand and Raquel Martinez.
DeGrand is competing in his first full season of international competition as the 14-year old got a taste of it last season. Racing with Tony Kart satellite team - Ward Racing - DeGrand’s opening weekend in Portugal was not as successful as hoped. Last season, DeGrand scored the KF3 national championship in just his first year in the category and is looking to get rid of the sophomore blues this weekend.
Martinez made her European debut in Portugal and found out first-hand how stout the competition is internationally. After signing up for another event in Italy with the Comer/Top Kart squad earlier this month, Martinez came back to take over the championship lead in the WSK North American Series following last weekend’s results in New Jersey. Now with more confidence, Martinez is certain to be a challenger this weekend at the World Series event.
Joining those two are the top two in the Leopard Junior category of the WSK North American Series - Kiel Spaulding and Camden Geise. Spaulding is a rising star from Northern California. The 14-year old earned his first national title, scoring the S5 Junior Stock Moto crown at the SKUSA SuperNationals and was runner-up in TaG Junior last November. This season, Spaulding leads the Leopard Junior standings after three weekends with four straight feature wins. While this weekend will not be his first piloting a KF3 powerplant, Spaulding is new to the international stage under the Comer/Top Kart tent.
 | Raquel Martinez is one of two American females competing in KF3
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Geise is currently second to Spaulding in the Leopard Junior standings following his two win performance in the opening weekend of the series back in April. The SSC East/CRG driver has since only visited the podium once in four feature races, leaving work to be done following his one-off in the WSK World Series. The Californian ran KF3 during the CKI Florida Cup, placing third in the series standings.
Joining Geise under the SSC East/CRG banner will be New Jersey’s own Trent Hindman and California’s Niki Luna. Hindman is coming back to karting after running in open wheel cars for most of the 2010 season. His return last weekend during the WSK North American Series event produced two podium finishes and with his home-track knowledge, he could be a factor this weekend. Luna is an apprentice of fellow CRG driver Gary Carlton. The NorCal pilot is advancing up the karting ranks and will be making his first start in KF3.
A trio of talented drivers will be competing on the weekend out of the J3 Competition stable - Andrew Palmer, Alessandra Madrigal, and Dore Chaponick Jr. Palmer is riding high off his recent victory at the US Rotax Grand Nationals in an impressive performance. Madrigal was second in the same event, putting both drivers on Team USA to the Rotax Grand Finals at La Conca, Italy in November. Palmer ran one day last weekend due to personal conflicts, but showed strong pace by running second. Madrigal however sat out last weekend after a rib injury slowed her pace. Heeled up as much as she could, both will look to pilot their Kosmic machines to the front. Chaponick will drive a FA Kart, joining the squad for a one-off appearance. A contender at the US Rotax Grand Nationals until contact put him on the sideline, Chaponick is in the mix for the Leopard Junior title in the WSK North American Series. This will be his first international start, as will be the case for both Palmer and Madrigal.
Thursday and Friday will host two full days of practice with a total of 10 sessions over the two days given to the competitors. Saturday will begin the action with Qualifying and the three rounds of heat races. Sunday will see the Prefinal and Finals to decide the winners in the four categories. A complete schedule of the event can be view at the series website - wskarting.it You can follow the action all weekend live with the series scoring feed: http://www.wskarting.it/livetime.asp
To follow updates or discuss the event, visit the Official Discussion Thread in the eKartingNews.com Forums. |
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