CKI’s Grand Championship Delivers at a Fantastic Season Finale in Oklahoma

Alex Speed Championship Karting International wrapped up its inaugural season with a dramatic weekend of race action at the CKI Grand Championship.  While cool weather made for a tricky track surface at the renowned Oklahoma Motorsports Complex, the competition was hot as national champions were crowned, some past champions returned to the winner’s circle and a few new faces found the podium.

Highlights included Championship-clinching performances from Arie Ouimet (CRG) in KF2; Michael Hogg (Top Kart) in IAME Senior; Tristan DeGrand (Kosmic) in KF3; Taylor Miinch (Top Kart) in IAME Junior and Josh Saurino (Top Kart) in Cadet.  Great competition led to victories from seasoned drivers David Jurca (Italkart) in IAMIE Senior and Alex Speed (Tony Kart) in KF2.  In IAME Junior, Alessandra Madrigal (Kosmic) won the final in dramatic fashion, to become the first female winner in CKI history.

“It’s been a fitting finale to a great year of competition for CKI.  Heading into the weekend, the points race to crown national champions promised to be thrilling and the on-track action lived up to the hype,” states CKI Director of Operations Kevin Williams.  “We enjoyed gutsy driving, crafty strategy and some fantastic finishes.  It’s what CKI is all about – bringing the best competition at some of the best tracks, to the best field of racing talent.  I want to thank all our teams, drivers and, of course, our sponsors for making CKI’s inaugural season a great success.”

Arie Ouimet - KF2 National Champion KF2
With $7,000 up for grabs in KF2, the competition was fast and furious.  Arie Ouimet (CRG) proved to be the top pilot.  After top 3 finishes in the heat races, Ouimet he won the pre-final and cruised to the national title with 2nd place in the main event.

In the pre-final, after early contact mixed up the field, Gregory Leifooghe (Intrepid) took an early lead.  Working on a cold track, Brett Felkins (Intrepid) held 2nd; Ouimet from the pole position landed in 3rd with Gustavo Menezes (Tony Kart), Chris Wehrheim (Top Kart) and Alex Speed (Tony Kart) rounding out a top group of six.  Ouimet worked his way to the front position by the 3rd lap and began stretching the lead; pulling away by the half-way point.  Speed impressively worked his way into 2nd place with Felkins, Leifooghe and Wehrheim locked in battle for 3rd.  At the finish Ouimet, cruised to victory by 1.75 seconds, Speed holding in 2nd and Felkins winning the fight
for 3rd.

In the 26-lap final, Ouimet had his hands full with Speed, Will Martindale (Tony Kart), Leifooghe, Felkins and Wehrheim all at the front of the field and running fast.  Ouimet got off to a great start – going up by 0.5 seconds after a few laps.  By lap 7, Speed was getting progressively faster and gaining on Ouimet, while Martindale held in position three with Leifooghe and Wehrheim fighting for 4th.  Speed would catch Ouimet by mid-race and after taking several shots at the leader in the turns, he would overtake him and begin pulling away after 17 laps.  At the checkered flag, Speed would claim the $3,000 winner’s check, with Ouimet cruising to 2nd place ($2,000), Martindale impressive in 3rd ($1,000), Liefooghe 4th ($750) and Wehrheim holding off Menezes to take 5th($250).  The 2nd place finish was plenty for Ouimet to lock up the National Crown, and he was rewarded with a complimentary Race Weekend at the Bob Bondurant Championship Race Series; Wehrheim’s top 5 earned him 2nd in the Series.

David Jurca IAME Senior
The IAME Sr. pre-final pole sitter Kyle Wiegand (Top Kart) would grab the lead at the start.  A tangle in turn 7 of the first lap dropped Neil McCoy (Top Kart) and Neil Alberico (Top Kart) to the back of the field.  The first half of the race saw Wiegand maintain a lead with Kyle Shriver (Tony Kart) fighting off David Jurca (Italkart) for 2nd and Michael Hogg (Top Kart) and Remo Ruscitti (Italkart) working for spots in front.  By mid-way Wiegand would have a strong hold on the lead; Hogg overtaking 2nd, from Jurca; while Shriver and Ruscitti joined by Ryan Kinnear (Intrepid) rounded out the top pack.  When the white flag flew, the front three had distanced themselves from the pack; a drag race by the next three unfolded.  At the checkered flag Wiegand would take the win, Hogg 2nd, Jurca 3rd, Ruscitti winning the fight for 4th and Kinnear beating Alberico for the 5th spot.

As soon as the field took to the track for a 22-lap final, several drivers came together in the first corner, mixing up the second half of the field.  Pole sitter Wiegand got through cleanly for the early lead, Jurca in 2nd – Hogg and McCoy battling for 3rd.  By mid-race Jurca had a strong-hold on the lead; McCoy would get by Hogg for the 2nd spot – charging all the way up from the 11th position.  Kinnear, another casualty from the first lap tangle, had the fast kart and worked his way into the top 5, along with Ruscitti.  Jurca kept getting faster lap by lap as the race wound down, with McCoy and Hogg solidly in 2nd and 3rd respectively, while Kinnear and Riscitti battled the pack.  At the finish Jurca took the checkered flag and the $2,500 winner’s purse and McCoy would land in 2nd for ($1,500).  Hogg ran a smart race which, not only landed him on the podium with the 3rd place $1,000 prize, but also the National Championship.  Kinnear (4th and $750) would outrun Ruscitti, who earned $250 for the 5th spot.

Tristan DeGrand - KF3 National Champion KF3
Early contact jump-started the action in the KF3 pre-final.  Tristan DeGrand (Kosmic) and Phil DeLaO (CRG) grabbed the lead spots off the start, before DeGrand got spun in turn one – opening the door for Alessandra Mandrigal (Kosmic) to take the lap one lead.  DeLaO lost ground after getting tangled with Evan Komar (Maranello) and Broc Yocom (Intrepid).  As the field shaped up, the top group had Madrigal, Phillip Orcic (Kosmic), Taylor Miinch (Top Kart), Kiel Spaulding (Top Kart) and DeLaO turning in fast laps, made it back into the mix.  As the race played out, Orcic would pressure Madrigal, but couldn’t solve her – she would win by a slim 0.102 seconds, Orcic holding onto second; DeGrand in 3rd and DeLaO, rebounding from the bad luck start to grab 4th; with Miinch taking the 5th spot.

A tough start in the 21-lap KF3 final had several drivers off track in the first turn – DeLaO got spun, collecting Shawn Sharkey (Merlin), Komar, Yocom and Orcic.  Spaulding from the 6th starting position grabbed the lead, with Miinch, DeGrand, Madrigal and Sharkey also surviving and working in the top group.  In lap 3, DeGrand laid down the fastest lap so far; taking the lead and pulling away by 5 lengths over Miinch.  However, Miinch would shortly DQ with a loose bumper – a result of the 1st lap mix-up.  At the half-way point, DeGrand would enjoy a big lead, Madragil in a comfortable 2nd positon, with Madeline Komar (Maranello), RC Andersen, Sharkey and Evan Komar surviving a war of attrition.  At the checkered flag, DeGrand would win the race and grab the National Championship; Madrigal placing 2nd, Madeline Komar 3rd, Anderson 4th and Spaulding wrapping up the top 5.

Start of IAME Jr. Final IAME Junior
In IAME Jr. pre-final, the first corner would once again play havoc on the start of a race.  Tristan DeGrand (Kosmic) spun in the first corner after contact, as did Saber Cook.  Alessandra Madrigal (Kosmic), Taylor Miinch (Top Kart), and Camden Geise (CRG) would lead the field after the first lap.  These top three would make runs at each other throughout the race, with Geise overtaking points leader Miinch and then getting by Mandrigal, but not for long.  With Miinch right on their tails, Madrigal would re-gain the lead; Raquel Martinez and local racer Blake Berryhill (Intrepid) battling to stay in the lead group.  It would finish that way:  Madrigal winning by 0.146 in ferocious battle with Geise; Miinch tight to them in 3rd; Martinez 4th, and Berryhill 5th.

Another wild start opened the IAME Jr. final when Madrigal and Geise came together with Geise going off the race surface and landing at the back of the pack.  Berryhill would grab an early lead with Miinch chasing him; Madrigal surviving the turn one incident opened in 3rd on the eventful first lap.  Things wouldn’t stay that way as Miinch quickly overtook the lead and Madrigal would also get by Berryhill, Hans Suarino (Top Kart) and Mason Chelootz rounding out the top five.  Great race action would see Madrigal overtake Miinch, who needed a top 9 finish to win the championship.  DeGrand, who bounced to the back on bad luck in the pre-final, showed great skill in moving up into the top 5.

With a front pack as big as 9 racers, Miinch would take the top position at the half-way point followed by Madrigal, with DeGrand in 3rd - on the bumper of Madrigal – and BerryHill shuffled back.  As the laps wound down, the three at the top –Miinch, Madrigal and DeGrand – would break away, while Saurino and Berryhill would fight it out for 4th and 5th.  In the end, Madrigal and DeGrand would solve Miinch and pull away.  Madrigal would take the checked flag – the first female winner in CKI history; DeGrand finished second and Miinch in third, to take home the National Title.  Geise battled through the field to grab 4th; while local entry Berryhill, in his first ever CKI race,
took 5th.

Cadet Podium Presentation Cadets
The Cadets were as entertaining as usual.  Once again the first turn would claim racers, as Parker Thompson (Tony Kart) and Hunter Corbitt (Birel) found trouble and couldn’t continue.  Gresham Wagner (Birel) grabbed an early lead; Zane Smith (Top Kart), Josh Saurino (Top Kart), Austin Schoonmaker (Kosmic) and Cole Glasson (Top Kart) making up the top group.  With the top three breaking away, Glasson would move around Schoonmaker and Austin Osborne (Birel) joined the mix.  With 3 laps to go, the top trio of Wagner, Smith and Saurino were clearly the fastest and continued testing each other for the lead; Glasson and Osbourne – who moved up from 11th at the start – put on a great show for 4th and 5th.  At the finish, Smith would prevail in a tight showdown; Saurino taking 2nd; Wagner 3rd and Osbourne winning the battle with Glasson for 4th.

The Cadet final came through with another great contest.  Smith and Saurino opened in 1st and 2nd on a clean start and first lap.  Wagner and Osborne would join the top draft, with Schoonmaker and Ashley Rogero (Kosmic) closing as well.  As the 15-lap main event unfolded, the top four would be too much for the second pack – with Schoonmaker and Rogero trying to fight into the top group and just not able to keep the pace.  Smith and Saurino would pull away in the 1st and 2nd spots; with Wagner charging at the top 2.  Eventually Saurino would overtake the lead, with Wagner taking over 2nd and Smith getting shuffled back to 3rd.  The lead group would go into the last lap nose to tail – the order remaining Saurino, Wagner, Smith.  Going 3-wide into the final corner, Wagner would overtake Saurino for a dramatic win by a mere 0.09 seconds; Smith holding onto 3rd; Thompson working impressively for the last spot in the field would land 4th and Osbourne earning the 5th spot.  Despite settling for 2nd in the final, Saurino ran a smart race and earned the Cadet Series Championship by finishing on the podium.

Nick Lucido Stock Moto
The local option Stock Moto pre-final got underway with an impressive cold lap competition as Brett Felkins (Intrepid) and Nick Lucido (CRG) fought for the top spot; Mike Jones (Zanardi) and Jason Lee (Top Kartt) pitted their own battle behind the leaders.  Felkins and Lucido traded fast laps back and forth – with Lucido catching the leader in the straight-away, only to see Felkin regain the advantage in the corners.  Felkins would stay in control to win, with Lucido holding 2nd; Jones 3rd; and Lee 4th.

In the final, Felkins would take the lead position, with Lucido on his bumper.  This time Lucido would take turns in the lead position, as once again he had the speed on the straights.  He and Felkins would battle for 1st and 2nd spots – whichever having the best set-up for the 22-lap distance would be the victor.  After great back and forth racing, Lucido opened up a 1.5 second lead, until Felkins caught him on the final lap.  However, an equipment issue would DQ Felkins, moving Lucido into the winner’s spot and the $1,000 prize, Jones in 2nd ($750) and Lee completing the podium ($500).

Next up for CKI in 2009 is the annual PRI Trade Show for the PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic.  Stay tuned to http://www.championshipkartracing.com for up-to-date information, photos and results.  The PRI show is held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from December 10 – 12th with the PRI – CKI Karting All-Stars Classic taking place on the evening of December 10th.  Admission to the event is free for PRI attendees and exhibitors with PRI show credentials.