OTK USA End SKUSA Winter Series with Two Championships and Five Wins
A total of 13 podium finishes for OTK teams and drivers in Homestead
Peyton Phillips drove to two podium finishes on the weekend in KA100 Senior, securing his first series victory in his RPM Tony Kart (Photo: eKartingNews.com)
For the final weekend of the 2023 Superkarts! USA Winter Series, OTK USA drivers once again descended on the AMR Homestead Miami Motorplex, to cap off what has been an exciting two months of racing to open the new year. OTK USA drivers and teams went into the weekend in contention for wins, and championships in a weekend that kept dry throughout its entirety. In total, 13 podium finishes were gathered, including five victories and two championships.
Austin Garrison returned to the top of the podium aboard his SCR Redspeed in X30 Senior (Photo: eKartingNews.com)
X30 Senior saw multiple different OTK drivers at the sharp end of the field, one being Speed Concepts Racing driver Austin Garrison (Redspeed), who took the win on Saturday after a crazy day of racing. Garrison took pole in the morning qualifying session over Rolison Performance Group pilot Ryan Norberg (Kosmic) by less than a tenth, with the two of them continuing to run up front through to the Final. Garrison took advantage of his rivals fighting behind to pull out a 2.9 second gap at the line to take the win for round three of the championship. Norberg finished on the podium in third, and his RPG teammate Donovan Bonilla (Kosmic) came just behind in fourth.
Sunday saw a strong performance from the drivers of X30 Senior on OTK equipment, taking four of the five top spots at the end of the day. Norberg came across the line as the lead driver on OTK machinery in second just a few tenths behind first, and Garrison would also find himself on the podium for the second time during the weekend. Garrison’s Speed Concepts Racing teammates Pauly Massimino (Redspeed) and Canadian Ayden Ingratta (Redspeed) were both just a few seconds away from a podium spot in fourth and fifth respectively.
Two wins helped to secure the X30 Junior championship for RPG Kosmic driver Ernesto Rivera (Photo: eKartingNews.com)
Peyton Phillips (Ryan Perry Motorsport / Tony Kart) took top honors on Saturday, reinvigorating his championship aspirations in the KA100 Senior class. Phillips took the win in both the Prefinal and the Final on Saturday after qualifying down in sixth, making up all the places he needed to in the Prefinal. On Sunday, Phillips came home a respectable third, capping off a successful season for him. Vinnie Meskelis (Meskelis Racing Team / Tony Kart) finished the final both days in fifth, after two impressive drives in the ever-competitive KA100 Senior category.
Ernesto Rivera (Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic) continued to dominate the X30 Junior class for the second weekend in Homestead, taking both Prefinal and Final wins on the weekend, along with a pole position on Sunday. Rivera looked unstoppable all weekend long, with the gap behind him at the line for the Sunday final being over seven seconds to second place. Diego Ardiles (Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic) was the only driver to better Rivera on the weekend, posting fast lap in the Saturday qualifying session. Ardiles would go on to grab a podium on Saturday, taking third place, the same position Leonardo Escorpioni (Zanella Racing / Tony Kart) would finish on Sunday. Escorpioni also took fifth position during the Final on Saturday. Mike Doty Racing driver Cameron Brinkman (LN Racing Kart) had a weekend to be proud of, finishing in the top five both days, scoring fourth on Saturday, and fifth on Sunday.
Leonardo Escorpioni (Zanella Racing / Tony Kart) took a hard-fought win in KA100 Junior on Sunday, that saw four OTK chassis in the top five that day. Escorpioni finished second in both qualifying and the Prefinal to Rolison Performance Group driver Ernesto Rivera (Kosmic) but was able to convert his consistency into a race win, capping off his series on top of the podium. Rivera would join Escorpioni on the podium in third, with Hudson Schwartz (Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic) and Alex Mercado (Speed Concepts Racing / Redspeed) rounding out the top-five for Sunday. Sarah Bradley (Ryan Perry Motorsports / Tony Kart), after qualifying outside the top 10 in 12th on Saturday, managed to work her way up nine spots in the Prefinal to third. She fought for a podium position all race, and after crossing the line fourth was advanced to second due to post-race penalties to start of her 2023 season with a Superkarts! USA podium. Cameron Brinkman (Mike Doty Racing / LN Racing Kart) finished just off the third step of the podium in fourth.
A series first victory in KA100 Junior for Leonardo Escorpioni in his Zanella Tony Kart (Photo: eKartingNews.com)
The February weekend in Homestead was the final two rounds for the 2023 SKUSA Winter Series and many OTK USA drivers found themselves at the top end of the final points tally. Peyton Phillips (Ryan Perry Motorsport / Tony Kart) in KA100 Senior and Ernesto Rivera (Rolison Performance Group / Kosmic) in X30 Junior took home the titles in their respective categories. Also scoring top-five results in the championship chases; Vinnie Meskelis ended his season in fifth for KA100 Senior, while Leonardo Escorpioni finished fourth and Jackson Wolny in fifth in X30 Junior. Ryan Norberg came up just short of the championship title in X30 Senior, ended his season in second, with Austin Garrison behind in third. Donovan Bonilla finished an impressive fifth after an impressive season that saw him take his maiden Senior win at Round Two of the championship. Finally for KA100 Junior, Leonardo Escorpioni again had an impressive season that saw him finish in third, with OTK drivers Ernesto Rivera and Hudson Schwartz in fourth and fifth.
With the conclusion of the Superkarts! USA Winter Series, the organization will next host the opening event of the 2023 SKUSA Pro Tour. The SKUSA WinterNationals is scheduled for March 31-April 2 at the Orlando Kart Center in Orlando, Florida.
Drivers looking to compete with the most popular kart brand in the world or purchase OTK karts and components can contact their local OTK USA dealer. Head to www.otkusa.com for a complete list of dealers and details on the entire brand roster.
