2012 SPORT KART GRAND NATIONALS PREVIEW PART 2 of 3: MASTERS AND TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS
[June 19, 2012] In part two of our Sport Kart Grand Nationals preview, we take a look at what is sure to be a hotly contested fight for the Master’s Title, as well as set the stage for what could be an equally as exciting fight for the overall Team Championship.
The Teams…
While the Sport Kart Grand Nationals are an individual-based championship, one of the two sub-categories also up for grabs is the Team Championship. Teams of three drivers will have their points compiled after each round, with the best 7 of 8 rounds counting towards the championship. At the end of the event, the top team will take with them prizes from K1 Race Gear and Gatorz Eyewear, along with some pretty nice hardware.
At the time of this writing, nine different teams have been confirmed, but with the deadline to submit team entries not till Friday morning after the Driver’s Meeting, we could see a few more confirmed entries enter the fray before the green flag flies. Looking at the rosters confirmed so far, below is a look at the biggest lineups, and strongest contenders for the Team Championship:
SPV HJC – Miles Calvin | Patrick Britain | Darren Mercer
If you just look at 2012 Super Series stats alone, then this will be the team to beat, as Miles Calvin is the overall point leader, and both Britain and Mercer have amassed four A-Main wins in the six rounds so far. Mercer kicked off the year with his first career A-Main win, and will carry plenty of momentum into the Grands, after winning his second two weeks ago. Britain has been in this game a while, and this could be his best chance at putting together a winning run. As the winning-est driver in the Super Series (tied at 6 A-Mains with J.Kimbrell), Britain has never looked better. Then there is Miles Calvin: for this writer, there is no other driver at CalSpeed that puts in the kind of performances this driver does. While he may be the point leader right now, Calvin has had to claw for the points, and has put in some of the best drives I have ever seen to do it.
SPV AVMetrics – Jon Kimbrell | Logan Calvin | Diego Morales
If their sister team is the team to beat statistically, it isn’t by much, as this squad is very close #2. Diego Morales is a regular front runner, and a strong chance for the Masters title, Logan Calvin has lead the points nearly all season, and Jon Kimbrell… well, he’s Jon Kimbrell. The 3-time national indoor karting champ and reigning 2-time Super Series champ certainly has the credentials to be the team lead here, and will no doubt back them up this weekend. Calvin has shown maturity, and smarts this season that has been built off a 6th place at the USIKC last fall, and will score some very solid points for the squad. In Morales you have the experience of someone who has won numerous endurance races, and should be the go-to for strategy once the longer runs start.
Team TBD – Adam Kellerman | Fred Ogrim | Ennis Bragg
An impromptu team put together among three lone drivers from three different regions of the states, this team may end up as one of the strongest. For the last few years, two names have always been mentioned when discussing the best talent in Sport Karting: Adam Kellerman and Fred Ogrim. ‘Kelly’ is known as one of, if not the best driver from the Pacific Northwest, and has lead the USIKC on more than one occasion, finishing 4th overall last fall. As the lone driver from the Victory Lane Karting camp, Ogrim comes to the Grands carrying the same reputation, having finished second at the USIKC last year. Teaming up with these two is relative newcomer to the national scene, Grand Prix New York driver Ennis Bragg. In his first big race, Bragg put up strong numbers, making the final and scoring a top 20 result. Although not a traditional team entry, these three will be strong contenders for the overall Team Championship.
T4 Autosport: Tanto – Taylor Hays | Matt Widner | Dave Messimer
Team Principal Taylor Hays is the brainchild behind T4 Autosport, and he has put together a pair of strong entries for the 2012 Grands. For the ‘Tanto’ entry, Hays retains the same lineup he has employed for the Super Series, including himself, Matt Widner and Dave Messimer. All originating from K1, all three drivers found success in the electric venues before moving outdoors, and all three are regulars at the front at CalSpeed. Hays has been on the overall podium multiple times this season, coming off a stellar 18th to 3rd run in the A-Main just a couple weeks ago. For his part, Messimer currently sits 2nd in the Super Series Masters standings and has scored several top 3 finishes including a few race wins this season. Matt Widner is one of the ‘new’ kids at CalSpeed, debuting last year with a bang, immediately matching pace with eventual champ Kimbrell. Still driving beyond his experience level, Widner completes a very strong lineup that is marked as one of the top three teams at CalSpeed.
T4 Autosport: Trickle – Robby Stanovich | Tyler Bryant | Bryan Armbrust
T4’s second entry is an interesting mix of drivers, as not a single full-time T4 driver is on the roster. Instead, they picked up KartSport SP driver Robby Stanovich, SPV development driver Tyler Bryant, and Las Vegas native Bryan Armbrust to complete their lineup. In terms of experience at CalSpeed, Tyler Bryant sees himself as team lead, having won the Super Series rookie of the year title last year. Robby Stanovich is the de facto #2, racking up almost identical stats as Bryant this season, and is coming off a spirited round that saw him score a season high finish. The odd man out is Armbrust, who because of active duty in the airforce has been forced out of the seat as of late. That said, he has plenty of experience, having won several endurance races, including the Machismo event in 2010, and has also done some racing over in Europe.
Team Deathproof – Tony Rolfson | Chaz Baca Jr | Kyler Repella
Team Deathproof arguably has the strongest talent coming out of the Octane Raceway facility, with former USIKC champ Tony Rolfson, 7 time league champ Chaz Baca Jr, and regular front runner and outdoor karter Kyler Repella. Right now, Chaz Baca Jr is the best driver at Octane raceway, and will certainly be the baton carrier for this team as well. Having made one previous run earlier in the year, he narrowly missed the A-Main, but for for the B-Main win all the way to the end. Tony Rolfson is the 2007 USIKC champion, and while he hasn’t raced out here, he did come out and run some strong practice laps a couple months back. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to the outdoor pack racing, but the skill is still there. Kyler Repella is one of the youngest drivers in the field, but he showed pretty well at last years USIKC, and could score some more strong points this weekend.
2012 Sport Kart Grand Nationals | Team Championship Sub-Category | Official Entry List
SPV HJC – Miles Calvin | Patrick Britain | Darren Mercer
SPV AVMetrics – Jon Kimbrell | Logan Calvin | Diego Morales
T4 Autosport: Tanto – Taylor Hays | Matt Widner | Dave Messimer
T4 Autosport: Trickle – Robby Stanovich | Tyler Bryant | Bryan Armbrust
Team TBD – Adam Kellerman | Fred Ogrim | Ennis Bragg
Team Deathproof – Tony Rolfson | Chaz Baca Jr | Kyler Repella
Team Titanium – Steve Lattanzi | Keith Sears | Tony Severson
Team Need 2 Speed – Gregg Hall | Jeff Hall
Team Night Shift – Jay Schreiber | Sergio Bravo
The Masters…
Like the Team Championship, the Masters title is also going on in conjunction with the overall championship, but unlike it, is another purely individual based class. With nearly twenty drivers making up the 40 plus-age category, this group sees an incredibly deep talent pool, and will see them fight for race wins in addition to just a class win. With some of the best Masters talent in the world entered in this year’s event, it is anyone’s guess who will be standing on the top step come Sunday. Below we take a look at the Masters class entry list, and highlight some of the protagonists in this year’s Masters Championship chase:
Martin Hanhardt – Daytona Kartbahn | Essen, Germany
Looking at the list of drivers in the category, one would have to argue that Martin could be the favorite heading into this event, as he enters this championship as the reigning Indoor Karting Masters World Champion. Experienced not only indoor, he has also turned laps outdoors in both arrive and drive type karts, and competition style karts, and will be a sure front runner in the category. Expect Hanhardt to take the fight to the front, and stamp his authority early in the event.
Diego Morales – CalSpeed Karting | Brea, California
Last year Morales took the Master’s title at the United States Indoor Karting Championship, and finished second behind Hanhardt in the 2011 IKWC Master’s division. Locally, he finished 5th in the CalSpeed GP Series, which was highest among masters drivers. Expect to see the Hanhardt vs Morales fight pick up where it left off in Europe last summer, this time in latter’s home court.
Sergio Bravo – CalSpeed Karting | Hermosa Beach, California
While he hasn’t raced abroad or entered the national indoor championship, when it comes to the Master’s that race at CalSpeed, Bravo is in full control. The reigning Super Series Masters Champ, he currently leads the standings again, and is on pace to make it two in a row. Not lacking for pace, Bravo is the record holder for fastest race laps at CalSpeed, besting some of the best in the business on regular basis in sheer speed.
Dave Messimer – CalSpeed Karting | Lake Forest, California
Running a truncated schedule in 2011 prevented Messimer from fighting for the Super Series Master’s championship, but this year he sits second in points and in striking distance. Coming off a strong performance in the past round, look for ‘Messi’ to take the fight to not only the other Masters, but challenge for the front in every single race. A regular at the front at CalSpeed, he wont be one to back down to the younger drivers in the field…
Jay Schreiber – CalSpeed Karting | Yorba Linda, California
Having a regular quick pace is what keeps Schreiber towards the sharp end, but it is his mind for strategy and his consistency that shows him as the point leader in the CalSpeed IronMan Series. If Schreiber enters ‘Super Sunday’ with a strong haul of points, then he is going to be a strong threat for the championship once the pit stops start coming into play in the Semi’s and the Finale.
David Kelmenson – CalSpeed Karting | Pacific Palisades, California
A champion and regular front runner from the indoor K1 Speed ranks in Southern California, Kelmenson has made the move to the outdoor gas powered venue of CalSpeed with ease. A regular finisher inside the top ten, his strong qualifying ability is will play a big part in taking the fight to the more experience driver’s in these type of events.
Mike Kinney – Pacific Grand Prix | Olympia, Washington
Rising to the top of the ranks at his home indoor track before it closed down, Mike Kinney made the move to the outdoor course at Pacific Grand Prix and immediately had pace. This pace was also seen at the regional level, where he fought for race wins both indoors and outdoors. Also a road racer in spec racer fords, expect Kinney to learn the course quickly and find pace early.
Dennis Kimbrell – CalSpeed Karting | San Clemente, California
While his biggest claim to fame may be being the proud father of Jon Kimbrell, the Senior Kimbrell has been making a name for himself lately. Dennis has had several runs inside the top 5 lately in the CalSpeed Super Series, and carries a bit of momentum in to the Grands this week. Coupling a strong qualifying effort with his race pace will be the key to see him at the sharp end this weekend.
2012 Sport Kart Grand Nationals | Masters Sub-Category | Official Entry List
Chris Carter – CalSpeed Karting | Culver City, California
Dave Messimer – CalSpeed Karting | Lake Forest, California
David Kelmenson – CalSpeed Karting | Pacific Palisades, California
Deigo Morales – CalSpeed Karting | Brea, California
Dennis Kimbrell – CalSpeed Karting | San Clemente, California
Greg Reinhardt – CalSpeed Karting | Rancho Palos Verdes
Gregg Hall – Need 2 Speed Indoor | Redding, California
Jay Schreiber – CalSpeed Karting | Yorba Linda, California
Jeff Hall – Need 2 Speed Indoor | Redding, California
Jose da Silva – CalSpeed Karting | Sao Paulo, Brazil
Keith Sears – Octane Raceway | Phoenix, Arizona
Marcelo Bravo – AllSports GP – Gainsville, Virginia
Martin Hanhardt – Daytona Kartbahn | Essen, Germany
Mike Kinney – Pacific Grand Prix | Olympia, Washington
Richard Wood – Willow Springs Raceway | Lancaster, California
Rodney Bryant – SB Raceway | Highland, California
Sergio Bravo – CalSpeed Karting | Hermosa Beach, California
Steve Jasinski – CalSpeed Karting | Torrance, California
Steve Lattanzi – Octane Raceway | Phoenix, Arizona
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