SKUSA: PKC-N: Sonoma round six preview

PROKART CHALLENGE NORTH NEARS END OF SEASON WITH UPCOMING SIXTH ROUND
Championship chases take shape while others come out for SuperNationals practice

TEMECULA, CA (August 6, 2009) -- The sixth round of the Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge North program is just around the corner, scheduled for August 15 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center in Sonoma, California. The series has been off for roughly a month, with a number of competitors looking to get back to action in hopes of building on their championship chases. As is the case with the Superkarts! USA program, the PKC North staff will throw another 'curve ball' at the competition -- as the event will utilize the 0.68-mile 'Reverse Sprint' circuit for the first time in the program's history.

The TaG Senior and TaG Master classes are providing high excitement, when looking at the standings heading into the sixth round as the tightest fights at the top. The top four in the TaG Senior category are separated by just 137 points, which can easily change in one weekend. Will Martindale currently holds the top spot over Brett Felkins by 57 points, with Larry Fraser and defending two-time feature winner Brett Buckwalter charging closer to Felkins' point total. The TaG Masters' fight is closer at the top between the front two drivers Steve Elo and Jim Zootis. Elo leads by just 53 markers over Zootis, who has yet to score a feature win this season. Dylan Lupton extended his championship lead in the TaG Junior category after scoring his second straight feature win back in July, holding a 148 point margin over Austin Elliott.

The story of the year, however, has been that of Jacob Neal. The 18-year old has been the dominant force in both the S1 and S3 divisions. Neal went on a three-straight S3 feature streak until last month, when veteran Tom Dyer came in to ruin his party. Despite the small set back, Neal still holds a sizable lead over Tommy Thompson in the standings -- along with a near identical advantage over Cody Hodgson in the S1 division. The two have swapped feature wins all season, with Hodgson missing one round. With the single race drop factored in, the championship may not be decided until the final lap. Also going head to head all year has been Jim Kidd and Ethan Wilson in the G1 category. Kidd had the advantage last month, and now leads Wilson by 115 markers heading into round six.

Three wins on the year has Jamie Wilson in control of the S4 championship chase and seems hard to beat. Wilson has two straight feature victories, including an event sweep last month, which earned him the 320 maximum points. Peter Workum and Jared Woolf are giving chase; however, they will need to stop Wilson's run if they have any hopes of earning the title. Kiel Spaulding is in a good position to defend his HPV-2 Junior title he earned last year, currently sitting 252 markers out front in the standings. Dylan Lupton and Luis Tyrrell are still mathematically in the hunt; however, both will need some extra help August 15 in order to stay close to Spaulding's point total.

Pre-entry cutoff for the event is set for midnight on Wednesday, August 12, where competitors can save $35 by entering early either online, through the phone or fax. PKC will also be accepting KF2 entries for this event, for those looking for some extra track time prior to Supernats XIII. Anyone interested in competing in KF2 is encouraged to contact the PKC office to sign-up, as this class is not offered in the online entry. Those looking for lodging information can contact the EconoLodge in Novato (415-883-2406), the official host hotel for the ProKart Challenge North program.

Action begins Friday, August 14 with a full day of practice on the new configuration from 9am to 5pm, with a complimentary barbeque dinner afterwards for those who are in attendance, thanks to an anonymous donation and PKC supporter Scott Jeffrey who will serve up the feast. Supporting the PKC North program once again, Shawn Thomas is offering a victory lap in a 1961 Aston Martin DB3 Zagate -- which raced at the 24-Hour of Le Mans and is now part of the Tom Price collection -- this time for the TaG Senior and S3 victors, with Memo Gidley behind the wheel. Those not able to attend will be able to view Saturday's action via broadcasting of the scoring feed live -- www.superkartsusa.com/live <www.superkartsusa.com/live> -- including a micro-blog with updates throughout the day.

-credit: skusa