Written by:
SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com
David Harwin (161) took his first Dave's Performance Rotax Masters win on Saturday. (Go Racing Magazine)
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It was a mix of new and familiar faces on the podium as the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas contested rounds three and four at the Calspeed Karting Center in Fontana, California located at the Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California which just one week earlier had hosted the second race of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Much as in Phoenix, the weather was perfect for the racers who had traveled far and wide to compete for a chance to compete in the Rotax Grand Finals and Grand Nationals.
A venue change for the final round of the series was announced, as X-Plex will be unable to host a kart race in one month’s time and the final weekend will now be at Willow Springs International Raceway. The series also unveiled a new Trackside page on the series website, which featured a live video feed and live blog that chronicled some of the best racing the series has seen to date. Reversing the trend of most other series, the CotA increased its total number of entries from last month’s round in Phoenix to this event.
SATURDAY
De La O Motorsports DD2
Scott Campbell (Intrepid) picked up where he left off by taking pole and waltzing off with the premain win ahead of Troy Castaneda (CRG) and local driver Erik ‘Action’ Jackson (Arrow). Notable by his absence was Curtis Cooksey.
Campbell then pretty much had things his own way as he drove away from Castaneda, Jackson, and DD2 new guy Matt Ostiguy (CRG) in the main.
Dave’s Performance Rotax Masters
David Harwin (CRG) was a man on a mission this weekend, and stated his intentions by grabbing pole position from local driver Paul Bonilla (birel). First and second in the championship, John Crow (birel) and Tyler Brooks (Kosmic), fell in third and fourth. The gap from Harwin to Crow was a mere 0.023 of a second.
Harwin led the field through the first lap, but almost instantly Brooks was off the pace and retired with a torn valve stem on his kart. Ian Thomas (birel) and Greg Smith (Tony Kart) jumped to fourth and fifth. Crow made his way past Bonilla and put heavy pressure on Harwin, but could not get by before the checkered flew.
But there was major drama at the start of the main, as Paul Bonilla went up and over the back of Crow in the first corner, triggering a big pile-up and a red flag. Crow would be checked out by the EMT’s and was fine, but would be unable to take the restart. This was a gift to Brooks, who would be able to make up some lost ground in the championship after his premain DNF.
Harwin led at the restart from Bonilla and both began to put some distance on Ian Thomas, Greg Smith, and Mike Daniel (CRG). The next moment of excitement came when Daniel passed Smith going into turn one, overshot the mark a bit, and Thomas swerved and spun to avoid contact. Thomas fell down the order, while Brooks was doing the opposite and running up to sixth. He caught fifth-placed Steve Dzurilla (birel) but was tripped up in traffic and was unable to make a move.
Harwin won the race with a healthy gap over Bonilla, with Daniel third and Smith fourth. The top four were well spread out at the end.
Gobirel.com Rotax Senior
Another deeply talented field was out in force for this one. Some local drivers joined the fray, and on a track that is notoriously tough to tune for, practice produced some new names at the front. However, after an exciting practice session, Wes Phillips (birel) took pole ahead of Joey Licata, Jr. (CRG), Joey Collins (Top Kart), Stepanova Nekeel (CRG) and Garrison Masters (Maranello). Collins entered the weekend with a healthy point advantage over Phillips in second and Wimsett in third.
Licata took the lead early in the premain but Phillips was back by a lap later. Phillips stretched a gap but soon Licata, with Collins in tow, was closing the gap. There was great racing throughout the field with several multi-kart battles going on. At the checkered, Phillips held a narrow lead over Licata and Collins, while Nekeel and Michael Self (Tony Kart) worked past Masters at the end.
Phillips held his lead at the start of the main, with Collins, Nekeel, Self and Licata dropping into line. Phillips was able to get away while Licata, Collins, and Nekeel battled for second, but after a few laps Licata was closing the distance to Phillips, who was struggling with a stuck throttle cable. Licata pounced in turn one and passed Phillips, while Collins snuck through into two and Nekeel followed, demoting Phillips to fourth. Collins then dove under Licata in the left hander off the back straightaway, and instantly began to pull away. Phillips got past Nekeel and then Licata, and began to close the gap to Collins again. He got close on the final lap, but not close enough to make the move. Collins took the win just ahead of championship rival Phillips, with Licata out-battling Nekeel for third.
