SuperNats XXVII

230DAYS

2025 Winter Series

2025 TBA

2024 Pro Tour

78DAYS

SKUSA Mexico

15DAYS

2024 PKC

23DAYS

2024 TSRS

36DAYS

Next ProKart Challenge Event


PRE-REG OPENS TODAY at 7 PM
Will close April 16 at 11:59 PM PDT
 

Round 2 - Buttonwillow (Reverse) April 20-21, 2024
Buttonwillow Raceway Park
24551 Lerdo Highway
Buttonwillow, CA 93206
(661) 764-5333
buttonwillowraceway.com
Google Maps
Please contact the facility for Kart Track hours.  No Friday practice.

California ProKart Challenge

Legate Sweeps in San Diego at Round 5 of ProKart Challenge SoCal
Wednesday, 30 July 2008 20:38
The Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge South program traveled further south to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, California for Round #5 over the July 25-26 weekend. The 1.1-mile temporary circuit laid out in the San Diego Chargers’ home stadium parking lot provided the teams and drivers with a unique and exciting event as the season nears the end. On-track, Bobby Legate swept the S3 Light category to extend his point championship lead, while the TaG Senior drivers put on a great show for the paddock.

It was a solid weekend for the S3 Light point leader, as Legate was quick right out of the trailer on his new Arrow chassis. Posting the top time in qualifying, Legate began heat one from the pole. After an early challenge from championship rival Patrick Cushenberry, Legate would take the win by over a second. In heat two, he would stretch out to a two-second victory over Cushenberry. The final would see Legate take the green and pace the field for the full 20-lap event as the only driver to run under the 59-second bracket for his third win of the season. Cushenberry was a solid second all day, with Clinton Schoombee running third. Schoombee was also on a new Arrow chassis, making the Arrows a clean sweep for S3 Light. Harley Owen edged his teammate Kyle Hathcox in the final for fourth.

TaG Senior saw a close battle all day long, beginning with the Zeen brothers scoring the front row in qualifying, Adam edging Andrick by just 0.060-second – with the rest of the top five within three-tenths. Both Zeens took their turn at the point in heat one but it was Zach Dericco with a last lap pass to win the race in a photo finish ahead of Andrick and John Zartarian - who was eighth at the end of lap one of the 10-lap race. Heat two saw Joey Collins get into the mix and lead seven of the 10-lap race. However, Zartarian got the top spot on the final lap for the win. Collins finished second but was removed from the results after advancing his position before the green flag, giving Dericco second and Andrick Zeen third.

Unfortunate for Zartarian, he was unable to get his kart off the pre-grid and would have to watch from the main event sidelines. This gave Dericco, Zeen and Nicola Galloni the chance to fight it out. After swapping the top spot, they would be joined in the second half of the race by Adam Zeen, who worked his way up from the back of the field after a heat two DNF. As the four mixed it up, Galloni took his turn up front with Adam on his bumper. Contact between the two put Zeen off track while Galloni continued on, taking the checkered flag. Officials however penalized Galloni for rough driving, placing him second behind Andrick Zeen – his first win of the season. Ryon Beachner crossed the line for third ahead of Dericco.

TaG Masters championship leader Billy Cleavelin had an up and down day. After he topped the charts in the qualifying, Cleavelin was battling championship rival Matt Kimball in heat one until he lost a chain. This allowed Kimball to continue on to the win. Cleavelin charged from the tail of the field to the front to take the second heat win and the pole for the main event. While leading in the final, the chain on Cleavelin’s kart would again come off the driveline, ending his chance at the win. However, with Kimball out on the opening lap, this gave Allan Svela his first victory of the year. Jared Booher ran second as the last finishing kart in an attrition-filled event, where Cleavelin was classified third.

In both S4 divisions, two drivers paced the field throughout the day – as Willy Musgrave and Ken Schilling swept the Light and Heavy categories respectively. Willy Musgrave edged out son Billy Musgrave by just 0.074-seconds for the pole in qualifying. The Musgraves went on to run 1-2 during both heat races and the 20-lap final, with Willy leading each session. The win was his fourth of the season – and it also awarded him the 18v Drill and Impact Gun Prize from PKC Sponsor Makita. Bryce Miller ran to third to complete the S4 Light podium. Schilling went unchallenged in heat one in S4 Heavy. However, Alex King steeped up in heat two, leading for the majority of the race, until Schilling got around on the last lap for the win. King would challenge again in the 20-lap final, until contact put King into the tires, ending his race at lap 4. This allowed Schilling to cruise to his third victory of the season. Bill Cox ran to second with Greg Nelson finishing third.

Imran Husain was on his way to the best run of his S1 season after winning the second heat and leading the final early on. After dropping back to third behind Peter Abba and top qualifier Jimmy McNeil, Husain retired on lap 12 with a broken chain. Abba – who consistently improves each time out this year – continued on to lead the remainder of the 20-laps and held off McNeil’s late charge to earn his first win of the year. Vivek Tandon finished behind McNeil for third. G1 saw PP Mastro return to the PKC South program and the top step of the podium. Troy Butts was the man to beat early on, dropping the quickest lap in qualifying and taking the win in heat one. While leading heat two, Butts went too deep into a corner and spun out. This gave Mastro the top spot and win. Mastro would go unchallenged in the final to a five-second victory over Butts, who drove from the tail of the field to second ahead of Wally Wright.

Marty Henderson seamed to have the S3 Heavy field covered until Phil Conte picked up the pace in the final to overtake the spot and take the win, his second on the year. Rob Whitley also was able to get around Marty Henderson for second in the closing stages of the race. Steve Donia recorded the other sweep on the day, picking up the victory in the G2 category – as well as the K&N Air Filter Sponsor Prize. Blair Chang won the battle for second over Roy Montgomery.

The series will complete the 2008 season at the challenging Santa Maria Kart Track in Santa Maria, California on August 30.