SKUSA: PKC-CS: Series Springfield Mid-State summary

OSTROM DOUBLES UP AT CENTRAL STATES CHALLENGE
Junior driver scores TaG Junior and IAME Challenge victories at Mid-State Kart Club event

SPRINGFIELD, IL (June 7, 2009) -- Completing a busy six week run, the Superkarts! USA Midwest regional program - AMB i.t. Central States Challenge (SCSC) - wrapped up the third round of the 2009 schedule at the Mid-State Kart Club facility outside Springfield, Illinois over the June 6-7 weekend. The SCSC traveling series were welcomed by Mid-State Kart Club president Dan Green and the entire staff with open arms. The event went off without any issues aside from a few rain drops but the majority of the paddock kept the upbeat atmosphere going throughout the two days.

The trip to Mid-State was the first for SCSC and also marked the first double victory weekend for Junior driver Drake Ostrom. The TaG Junior category was all Ostrom as he swept the on-track action for the class. After taking top honors in qualifying Saturday, Ostrom went on to lead all the laps in the Prefinal and Final, outrunning the seven others in the event. Richy Yates earned his best finish of the season, placing in the runner-up spot ahead of rookie Colton Brooks. The victory puts Ostrom on top of the point standings as championship leader Kevin Donahue only managed to score a fifth place finish, one spot behind sister Angela Donahue. Ostrom carried the momentum over to the IAME Challenge category at the end of the weekend where Junior and Senior drivers compete against one another. There he would lead all six laps toward the victory over veteran Keith Freber and fellow Junior driver Kaylee Granberg.

The S5 category has seen a steady growth in the region and continues to produce great racing each outing. Defending class champion Kaylee Granberg led the way in qualifying while front-runner Lukas Johnson ran minus his transponder after not being able to get ontrack all day until the timed session. Though that put him at the back of the Prefinal grid, it took only four laps before Johnson put his entry into the lead. He would go on to win the race and lead all 12 laps of the feature for his second straight victory. Granberg settled for second with Joe Reed producing his best result of the season in third after starting from the tail of grid following a bad Prefinal.

Even though numbers were low in the Senior shifter categories, the racing was exciting in S1, S3, and S4. Carly Mandarino earned her first SCSC victory in S1 after holding off Kyle Gnau. Derek Crockett earned his second straight S3 feature win but not until after an intense Prefinal and Final battle with Matt Zeis. In S4, Rick Freund earned his first sweep of the season to extend his point lead, besting Kyle Donahue.

Crockett found himself battling another rival in TaG Senior as he and Justin Vancil went toe-to-toe in the Feature. Vancil showed the way for all 12 laps with Crockett unable to make a pass stick. The win was Vancil's first of the season and ended Crockett's win streak at two. TaG Masters was all Keith Freber as the round one winner repeated his performance by sweeping the class action. Championship leader Brit Phillips was a solid second with Jim Donahue joining them on the podium.

The TaG 60 category continues to be one of the largest groups for the program with eight youngsters competing in Springfield. Kaleb Allison made his SCSC debut by taking top honors in qualifying however once racing got underway it was Zach Bohmer that showed the way. Bohmer led each time by the scoring loop in both the Prefinal and Final. Allison was on his bumper in the Prefinal but retired on the opening lap to allow Bohmer to cruise to a five-second win over point leader Kyle Donahue and Kyle Potts. Zach Buecker won the Yamaha Rookie division over Logan Mitchell while Jaydon Biles won the nine driver Kid Kart feature ahead of Egan Shankleton and Grant Greisbach.

Up next will be a return trip to TNT Kartways in Quincy, MO - a legendary area for the sport of karting. In cooperation with Margay Racing Products along with PG Racing and Car-Car Motorsports, the SCSC will have an arrive and drive session at the conclusion of events on Saturday in Quincy for those who are always in the pits but never on the track. The series is asking everyone to bring a relative, friend or anyone who is interested in getting a taste of karting to join them at TNT Kartways.

To pre register for the event or to find out all the details on the 2009 season and other information you need to know to become part of the SKUSA

-credit: skusa