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EKN Trackside: 2015 Superkarts! USA Fikse Wheels Pro Tour – SpringNationals Sunday Report
Sunday, 03 May 2015 00:00

In a controversial Final, Oliver Askew was awarded the victory Sunday (Photo: EKN)

SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNats 2015 logoThe capper of the Superkarts! USA SpringNationals doubleheader in Phoenix featured heightened intensity and a long list of the best drivers in the country. The second round of the Fikse Wheels Pro Tour offered the paddock a chance at either redemption, or a continuation of success, depending on each driver’s Saturday results. The mercury eased up a little, thankfully, offering temps in the low-90s, but the pressure was on for those who may not have excelled in the opening day of competition. Five drivers maintained their dominance, include Rick Dreezen (S1), Carter Williams (S2), Darren Elliott (S5), Callum Smith (S5) and Nick Tucker (TaG Master), while others broke through for their first wins on the circuit. Oliver Askew was the benefactor of a controversial call in TaG Senior, Brandon Lemke asserted his position as one of the top Junior drivers in the country, and Jason Welage found his top-three result elevated to P1 status following post-race penalties. The big winner on the day was the sport, as the competition was incredible, the racing exciting, and all of it was captured for prime time coverage on CBS Sports Network in late-May.


Nash Motorsportz TaG Senior

Showing the way all day on Saturday, Sunday began in the same fashion with Louie Pagano (Tony Kart) opening up Round Two as the driver to beat. A 45.779-second lap was quickest of the 39-drivers, edging out Italian driver Matteo Vigano (Top Kart) by 44 thousandths of a second. Oliver Askew (BirelART) improved his pace from qualifying on Saturday, placing third. KartSport North America / Arrow drivers Roger Ralston Jr. and Ben Stewart capped off the fast five.

Pagano used the pole position to his advantage, getting away in the opening corners and holding the lead the entire eight lap race. Vigano slotted into second until he began to fall off pace during the second part of the race. Both Askew and Ralston worked past for position, moving Vigano to fourth as defending champion Jake Craig (Formula K) advanced from ninth to fifth, bringing Austin McCusker (Deadly Kart) with him.

The top five broke away to begin the second heat race, with Pagano showing the way. The order changed on lap two with contact, sending Vigano off into the tires at the end of the straight and Ralston back to the tail of the field. That put Craig into the second spot with Elliott Finlayson (Tony Kart) improving to third, pushing Askew back to fourth and Mason Marotta (Tony Kart) into fifth.

The start of the TaG Senior final began with some controversy. The original start was waved off after the field got through the opening corner. During that time, Craig made incidental contact with Pagano, with the exhaust separating the Tony Kart of the pole sitter. As he made his way around the course, he tried to hammer back the pipe with his hand before the green flag waved. When the lights went out to begin the race, Pagano fought strong to hold the top spot but slowed with the exhaust breaking loose in the right hand corners. That gave Craig the lead with Pagano slowing to slam the exhaust back together down the back straight with his hand. Rejoining just inside the top-15, Pagano was shuffled back to 20th after contact, and eventually drove back up to 13th at the checkered flag. Up front, Craig led the entire way and crossed the line as the provisional winner. That was until officials penalized him for the contact in the false start. That gave the battle for second the victory, with PSL Karting’s Askew moving into the second spot as they took the white flag, and holding on to the finish, promoted to the top step of the podium. Finlayson looked to have the position in hand, but was rewarded with the second place trophy. Marotta finished third with Austin Osborne (Tony Kart) fighting back after flipping on Saturday to end up fourth and Brandon Jarsocrak piloting the American-made iKart chassis to fifth.

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