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| April 30, 2012 |
| Team News: SKUSA SpringNationals Sees PSL Karting Pilots on the Podium |
 | Fritz Leesmann continued on his tear in 2012 by taking the S1 win in Phoenix
(Photo: Cody Schindel - Autosports Media Group) |
TROIS-RIVIERES, QUE. (April 30, 2012) - Battling blazing hot temperatures in the Phoenix sun, Team PSL Karting drivers Fritz Leesmann and Austin Versteeg recently took on the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour SpringNationals at the Phoenix Kart Racing Association Formula K Raceway. The PSL duo scored some solid results, with Leesmann adding another victory to his 2012 tally and Versteeg earning a podium finish in his TaG Junior SKUSA Pro Tour debut. With Leesmann pulling double duty coaching Troy and Cody Diede, the two brothers took on the S2 class under the guidance of the shifter kart champ.
Using the Friday practice sessions to come to grips with the scorching temperatures, Leesmann quickly established himself as one of the drivers to beat at the 2012 SpringNationals in the S1 Pro Stock Moto category. On a hot streak so far in 2012, as the California native racked up wins at both the Florida Winter Tour and Gatorz Challenge of the Americas in the Rotax divisions, Leesmann kept the trend alive in Phoenix. Getting started with official qualifying on Saturday, Leesmann put his PSL/CRG off pole in the stacked S1 field, just missing the point by a scant 0.084 seconds. Putting his shifter kart experience to work during the two heat race flight format, Leesmann went on to score both wins in the 10-lap races. Losing the lead at the drop of the green for the day’s feature race, Leesmann managed to match the leader’s lap times and soon began to pressure the pace setter. A bold passing attempt was unsuccessful for the 2010 Pro Tour champion, with Leesmann crossing the stripe two-tenths back to finish with a second place podium result.
Sunday started much the same for Leesmann, as the 2012 Gatorz DD2 champion again just missed the pole position by 0.085 and then went on to score both heat race wins. With the pole position secured for the day’s main event, Leesmann cruised to victory, leading every lap to take the win by nearly four and a half seconds. The near sweep, combined with Saturday’s second place podium finish, propelled Leesmann into the S1 point lead, with three rounds remaining in the five round Pro Tour.
Junior rookie Versteeg was back on track in Phoenix also after completing a successful winter season. Taking on the TaG Junior class, Versteeg was also quick during Friday’s practice sessions, posting times in the top-two and putting his PSL/CRG chassis on the top of the sheets during the fifth session. With his kart dialed in, Versteeg posted the fourth quick time, only 0.095 off pole time, for Saturday’s qualifying session in a tight field of junior competitors. A superb run by the Sandy, Utah, resident in the first heat saw Versteeg take the win, further establishing himself as a top junior driver. A fourth place run in the second heat preceded another fourth place run in the day's feature, a fine finish for his Pro Tour debut.
 | Austin Versteeg made his TaG Junior SKUSA Pro Tour debut and earned a podium finish in the process
(Photo: Cody Schindel - Autosports Media Group) |
Back on track Sunday, Versteeg started his day with a sixth place run in the morning qualifying session. Falling back one position for the first heat to finish seventh, Versteeg improved in the second heat to finish fifth at the stripe. Ending his debut weekend on a high note, Versteeg emerged as the third place finisher in the feature race, earning his first Pro Tour podium. Due for a breakout win in the junior ranks at any time, Versteeg will look to capture that elusive victory when the tour resumes in his home state in July at the Miller Motorsports Park.
Pulling double duty in Phoenix, Leesmann also acted as driver coach, guiding the Diede brothers in the S2 category. Cody Diede posted the better qualifying time on Saturday, clocking fourth quick in the morning session, while Troy Diede was still in the mix, posting a sixth place effort. Both brothers posted top-10 finishes in the heats, with Cody Diede earning fourth and eighth place results, with Troy Diede coming home ninth and 10th. Troy Diede got the edge in the 20-lap main event, earning a 10th place finish, with Cody in 11th. Sunday was met with challenges, as both were down the running order after qualifying, with Cody Diede in 11th and Troy Diede in 15th. The first heat saw Cody Diede cross the stripe in 19th, while Troy Diede bettered his result to finish 12th, which was followed by DNFs by both in the second heat. With Troy Diede posted another DNF in the feature, as he fell out of the running order on the first lap. Cody Diede mustered up a 15th place result to finish the Phoenix campaign.
The Pro Tour will resume on July 20-22, at the Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, for the SKUSA SummerNationals, with the third edition of the tour wrapping at the famed SuperNationals in Las Vegas this November.
Team PSL Karting is now gearing up for the start of the Canadian karting season, which kicks off with the first round of the Coupe du Quebec in mid-May, followed by the Western Canadian Championships Chilliwack, B.C., one weekend later with the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship season-opener set for the end of May at Goodwood Kartways.
Team PSL Karting will be trackside in 2012 at the Florida Winter Tour, Pan American Rotax Max Challenge, Eastern Canadian Karting Championship, Coupe du Quebec, Le Monaco de Trois-Rivieres, United States Grand Nationals, ASN Canada FIA Canadian National Karting Championships, and SKUSA SuperNationals. Team PSL Karting is associated with CRG, Maxter Kart Engines, Rotax, Tillett Racing Seats, Sniper, Unipro, Douglas Wheels, Vega, MG Tires, Arai, Bell, ULV, Mir, Freem, Elf Fuels, Alfano, MaxJet Software, D.I.D. Racing Chains, KC and Power Mist.
To learn more about the World's No. 1 CRG distributor, sales & service, arrive & drive opportunities, PSL racing engines or dealer opportunities, please visit http://www.pslkarting.com or http://www.pslkartingusa.com |
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