The best points race in the 2016 So Cal Oval Karters club just got better as rivals Joe Gibb and Chris Southern came out of last Saturday’s race at Victorville’s Wheel2Wheel Raceway in a virtual deadlock for the top spot with only three races remaining on the schedule.

To say that Gibb, who lives in Lakeside, and Southern, who resides in Hesperia, are deadlocked would normally mean one of them won in the class last Saturday.  After all, up until August they had won every single race of the year (Southern had four wins and Gibb had two).  However, that was not the case.   Instead, it was Southern’s son Thomas who took home the first place trophy for the main event.  It was only appropriate that Southern would post the win as the only other driver in the class to win this year besides his dad and Gibb was Gibb’s father, Joe, at the last race in the Grand Arena at Industry Hills on August 6^th.

In addition to winning the 16-lap main event over Oxnard’s Rob Marion and Joe Gibb, the younger Southern won one of the heat races.  Marion won the other.  The elder Southern finished fourth in the main.

If the deadlocked points race is not enough, Marion, who is looking for his first victory of the campaign, is ready to pounce if the two leaders stumble as he is only 55-point out of the top spot.

While Joe Gibb only notched third at Wheel2Wheel on Saturday in the KT100’s, he kept up his season long domination in the Open Class when he posted his seventh win in eight races in 2016.  Gibb led all the way and won by nearly a full straightaway over Cathedral City karter Dillon Hoffman.  Chris Southern was third.  The victory gives Gibb a 105-point lead over new second place driver Hoffman in the championship standings.

Banning’s Scott Gaynor scored his second straight win in the F200 class when he beat the Lake Elsinore duo of Troy McIntosh and Jason Voss to the checkered flag.  Point leader Steve Juillerat of Whittier, who has won four of the first eight races of the year, sawed an engine in half and placed last in the main event.  Heading into the final three races of the year, Gaynor has closed to within a mere 15-points of Juillerat.  Riverside’s Justin Garcia, who missed the High Desert race, is third in the standings.

Menifee’s Don Holdsworth has been the master of the Senior 4 Cycle class in 2016 winning five of the first seven races of the season.  After winning both of the heat races and thus earning the pole position for the main event, one would have been a fool to bet against him on Saturday.  However, if a fool did against him, they would have been a wealthy fool as Holdsworth broke a chain while leading late in the main event and handed the win to Bryan Dawley.  Tony de Almedia of Chino Hills and Banning’s Desiree Gaynor placed second and third.  Holdsworth has an 84-point lead over Gaynor heading into the final three races.

In addition to the adults, Junior/Junior racers Tristan Juillerat and Kailana Franklin were on hand to get in their laps.

The next race for the SCOK will be only road race in 2016.  The date is October 22^nd and the road course will be cut into the infield at Perris Auto Speedway.

The So Cal Oval Karters would like to thank the following sponsors for helping make the 2016 championship series possible.  Burris Racing, Cory Kruseman Sprint Car Driving School, Hubcapmike.com, Perris Auto Speedway, R&J Motorsports, THC Home Medical Services, T-MAC Racing and Yamaha of America Racing Engines.  If you or your business would like to become a partner of the So Cal Oval Karters 2016 season, please call or E-mail Mike Nigh at (805) 857-2595 or mailto:scokart@gmail.com.

Point Standings

KT100
1. Chris Southern – Hesperia – 1195
1. Joe Gibb – Long Beach – 1195
3. Rob Marion – Oxnard – 1140
4. Thomas Southern – Hesperia – 1124 *
5. Randy Truax – San Diego –  934

Open Class
1. Joe Gibb – Long Beach – 1260
2. Dillon Hoffman – Cathedral City – 1155
3. Scott Bohle – Fountain Valley – 1150
4. Norm Reynolds – San Marcos – 940
5. Chris Southern – Hesperia – 840

Senior 4 Cycles
1. Don Holdsworth – Menifee – 1230
2. Desiree Gaynor – Banning – 1146
3. Tony de Almeida – Chino Hills – 821
4. John Leonhart – Norwalk – 782
5. Ryan Sherman – Lake Elsinore – 680

F200
1. Steve Juillerat – Whittier – 1205
2. Scott Gaynor – Banning – 1190
3. Justin Garcia – Riverside – 825
4. Troy McIntosh – Lake Elsinore – 520
5. Jason Voss – Lake Elsinore – 485

KT100 Main Event Winners
3-12 Wheel2Wheel – Chris Southern
4-23 Wheel2Wheel – Chris Southern
5-14 Wheel2Wheel – Chris Southern
6-4   Wheel2Wheel – Chris Southern
6-18 Perris Auto Speedway – Joe Gibb
7-23 Wheel2Wheel – Joe Gibb
8-6 Grand Arena at Industry Hills – Chris Gibb
9-17 Wheel2Wheel – Thomas Southern

F200 Main Event Winners
3-12 Wheel2Wheel – Jason Morheiser
4-23 Wheel2Wheel – Steve Juillerat
5-14 Wheel2Wheel – Troy McIntosh
6-4   Wheel2Wheel – Steve Juillerat
6-18 Perris Auto Speedway – Steve Juillerat
7-23 Wheel2Wheel – Steve Juillerat
8-6 Grand Arena at Industry Hills – Scott Gaynor
9-17 Wheel2Wheel – Scott Gaynor

SR 4 Cycle Main Event Winners
3-12 Wheel2Wheel – Jason Morheiser
4-23 Wheel2Wheel – Don Holdsworth
5-14 Wheel2Wheel – Don Holdsworth
6-4   Wheel2Wheel –  Don Holdsworth
6-18 Perris Auto Speedway – Don Holdsworth
7-23 Wheel2Wheel – Don Holdsworth
8-6 Grand Arena at Industry Hills – Ryan Sherman
9-17 Wheel2Wheel – Bryan Dawley

Open Class Main Event Winners
3-12 Wheel2Wheel – Joe Gibb
4-23 Wheel2Wheel – Joe Gibb
5-14 Wheel2Wheel – Joe Gibb
6-4   Wheel2Wheel – Chris Southern
6-25 Perris Auto Speedway – Joe Gibb
7-23 Wheel2Wheel – Joe Gibb
8-6 Grand Arena at Industry Hills – Joe Gibb
9-17 Wheel2Wheel – Joe Gibb

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