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February 07, 2013 News EKN Trackside: Rotax Challenge of the Americas - PKRA Preview   The 2013 Rotax Challenge of the Americas is at the halfway point of its sixth season, as the international Rotax Max Challenge travels to Glendale, Ariz., on February 8-10. The Phoenix Kart Racing Association facility will host the premier winter karting series on the left coast with over 110 drivers from the United States and Canada contesting rounds three and four of the six-race championship series. The opening weekend in Tucson, Ariz., at the Musselman Honda Circuit shaped up the seven championship chases, with the three days of competition in Phoenix to single out the contenders from the pretenders, as four tickets to the Rotax Grand Finals are on the line in DD2, Senior, DD2 Masters and Junior, with Grand Nationals spots up for Masters, Mini Max and Micro Max. PKRA Formula K Raceway has a vast history in the sport of karting, hosting a Challenge weekend for the fifth straight year. The 3/4-mile, 12-turn ‘Full Course’ provides a great challenge for the competitors, featuring technical corners and one long straight that will test driver and machine. Friday will host a full day of practice, with two independent rounds on Saturday and Sunday featuring qualifying, prefinal and final runs. Each on track session will be important toward the series championship, with five points going toward top qualifier, up to 10 points in the prefinal, another five for fast lap in the main event, and 100 points for the victory. Senior may go down to the wire, much like most title chases do at The Challenge, as four drivers enter the Phoenix round separated by just 10 points. Round 1 winner Parker McKean (Rolison Performance Group/Kosmic) leads by just one point over Round 2 winner Phillip Arscott (Rolison Performance Group/Kosmic) and former Junior Max champ Louie Pagano (Birel). Both McKean and Arscott finished outside the top-five in their other feature races, while Pagano was podium finisher in both main events. Pagano has more experience at the PKRA circuit, standing on the podium a year ago, but former US Grand Nationals champion Arscott can adapt to nearly any circuit he visits. McKean won at the series finale last year, and will carry a two win streak into Phoenix this weekend. Will Owen (Full Throttle Karting/Arrow) was impressive in Tucson, driving his way to second behind Arscott on Sunday and is just 10 points back of McKean. Two Canadians will be part of the mix in Senior, with Adam Dowler and Bradley rolling on-course. Dowler (Buddy Rice Karting/Energy) enjoyed a solid out in race with a 15th place finish, but will be looking to put race 2's early retirement behind him this time out. Dezall (Overdrive Motorsports/Tony Kart) is seeking his first points after an early retirement in race 1 and and unrepresentative 26th in race 2. Last year’s event was dominated by Aussie David Sera, as he visited the series for a one-weekend tour. The 2012 Challenge of the Americas champion Phil DeLaO elected to not defend his crown this year, but is rumored to compete this weekend in Phoenix for a one-off event. Defending DD2 champ Fritz Leesmann (PSL Atlantic/CRG) was perfect in 2012, and began 2013 in similar fashion. A perfect score in Tucson puts him out front in the title chase with series rookies Andrew Evans (Rolison Performance Group/Kosmic) and Sean Owens (Dallas Karting Complex/Sodi Kart) giving chase this year. Veteran Alan Rudolph (Team WRS/CRG) made his first Challenge start last month in Tucson, winning the Round 2 feature race to lead the DD2 Masters championship standings. Round 1 winner Mike Jones (Dallas Karting Complex/Sodi Kart) sits second, back by 20 points with defending champion John Crow (Billet Performance/Arrow) back in third. The class provided one of the most exciting races of the weekend in their Sunday Prefinal ( http://youtu.be/2o9O4uHihH8 ). Daryle Redlin (True-North Zanardi) is lone 'Canuck' in the class. Redlin will be seeking to build on sixth and fifth place runs in the Tucson doubleheader. Junior sees last year’s vice champion Luke Selliken (Rolison Performance Group/Kosmic) leading the way in the points standings after the first two rounds. Selliken won the opening round in Tucson and finished second to Blaine Rocha (Rolison Performance Group/Kosmic) on Sunday. Rocha currently is second in the chase, 17 points behind his new teammate. Aside from Selliken, youngster Noah Grey (Phil Giebler Racing/FA Kart) was the only other driver to podium both days and enters the Phoenix weekend third with Utah driver Austin Versteeg (CRG-USA/CRG) fourth. Selliken won both feature races a year ago, and you can watch Sunday’s run at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs6Dd2K97kU , while Versteeg stood on the podium both days behind Selliken. Local driver Jim McKinney (Overdrive Motorsports/KGB) was quick in Tucson and could be a wild card in Phoenix. Canada will be well represented in Junior, with six drivers getting behind the wheel. Jordan Redlin (True-North Zanardi) is poised to lead the contingent after a strong top-10 run in race 2 last time out and a 12th place result in race 1. Ryan Martin (Ryan Perry Motorsports/Tony Kart) and Jeff Fulham (LH Kart) will be looking to build on their Tucson results, having run in tandem most of the weekend, and ended each with a pair of results inside the top-20. Coltin McCaughan (CRG West) likewise will be seeking to better his lone top-20 finish in race 1. Vincent Combret's (CRG West) goal will again to be gain valuable experience in his first Challenge of the Americas campaign, while Jessica Dezall (PCR) is making her 2013 debut during this weekend's doubleheader. Diego Pelosi (FA Kart) was only the second driver to score two feature wins in Tucson, as he doubled up in the Masters Max category. He leads the title chase by 36 points over Donald Durbin Jr. (Cambrian Go Karts/Birel) with Utah’s Justin Peck (Rolison Performance Group/Tony Kart). Sting Ray Robb and Horatio Fitz-Simon are the top two drivers in the Mini Max division, separated by seven points. Each won in Tucson, Fitz-Simon (CRG) from last to first in Saturday’s main event with Robb (Rolison Performance Group/Tony Kart) edging out the competition on Sunday. Canadian's Griffin Dowler (Energy) and Christina Dezall (PCR) will be on-track as well in Mini Max. Dowler will be seeking to emulate or improve on his race 1 result of eight. Dezall will be contesting her first Challenge races of the season this time out. Phoenix last year saw two wild days of racing in Mini Max, and the same is expected this time around. Micro Max was just that in Tucson, as there was no predicting what would happen, lap after lap. Liam Letzsch (KGB) left the weekend with the point lead as the only driver on the podium, including a win in Round 1, and leads the championship by 33 points over Round 2 winner Payton Durrant (Birel). Filip Niemkiewicz (Buddy Rice Karting/Energy) and Anthony Willis (DR Kart) are third and fourth, less than 50 points out. Marco Kacic and Christian Newland are slated to be part of the second Arizona doubleheader. Kacic (CRG West) is part of the fight for series top honors, currently sitting fifth in the points chase via a third place in race 1 and eighth place run in race 2. Newland (Overdrive Motorsports/Italkart) is seeking to build on his strong 10th place finish in race 2. Complete coverage can be found in the EKN Event Page, updates posted throughout the weekend on the EKN.com Official Discussion Thread and EKN.ca Official Discussion Thread with live coverage set for Saturday and Sunday at http://www.ekartingnews.com/live Rotax Challenge of the Americas Phoenix Pre-Entry List Senior No. Driver Team Chassis City State/Prov. 300 Joe Criscione Black Flag Racing Energy West Linn OR 302 Augie Lerch Pure Karting Tony Kart Tucson AZ 305 Parker McKean Rolison Performance Group Kosmic Gig Harbor WA 313 Bailey Murphy AZ Kart Werx CRG Phoenix AZ 314 Hailey Groff Rolison Performance Group Kosmic Richland WA 315 Andrew Wiener ART GP America ART GP Spring Valley CA 316 Sean Conyers Intrepid Phoenix AZ 321 Andrew Palmer J3 Competition Kosmic Chicago IL 323 Will Owen Full Throttle Karting Arrow Castle Rock CO 324 Bradley Dezall Overdrive Motorsports Tony Kart Okotoks AB 325 Louie Pagano Birel Santa Rosa Valley CA 326 Alejandro Fernandez Buddy Rice Karting Energy San Bernadino CA 331 Artie Carpenter Tony Kart Oregon City OR 332 Michael Ilavia Dallas Karting Complex Sodi Kart Houston TX 333 Carlos Calderon Aluminos CRG San Jose CA 341 Nick Rivellini Team WRS CRG Great Falls VA 345 Tyler Edwards Billet Performance Arrow Littleton CO 347 Mike Herda Energy Las Vegas NV 352 Jacob Maxfield Arrow Bluffdale UT 353 Adam Dowler Buddy Rice Karting Energy Sherwood Park AB 354 Mason Marotta Ryan Perry Motorsports FA Bakersfield CA 355 Ben Schermerhorn Schermerhorn Motorsports Arrow Highlands Ranch CO 357 Phillip Arscott Rolison Performance Group Kosmic Portland OR 361 Alex Keyes CRG Folsom CA 371 Max Mallinen CRG Liberty Lake WA 373 Andrew Zimmer Buddy Rice Karting Energy Tigard OR 380 Dakota Dickerson Phil Giebler Racing FA San Diego CA 382 Carlee Taylor Tony Kart Yucaipa CA 386 Kol Bailey Intrepid Peoria AZ DD2/DD2 Masters No. Driver Team Chassis City State/Prov. 413 Bill Kann Zanardi Scottsdale AZ 419 Sean Owens Dallas Karting Complex Sodi Kart Arlington TX 427 Andrew Evans Rolison Performance Group Kosmic Sammamish WA 461 Fritz Leesmann PSL Atlantic CRG Elk Grove CA 504 Mike Jones Dallas Karting Complex Sodi Kart Sachse TX 520 Paul Bonilla Full Throttle Karting Arrow Cypress CA 531 John Crow Billet Performance Arrow Anaheim CA 577 Alan Rudolph Team WRS/PSL Atlantic CRG Gilbert AZ 590 Daryle Redlin True-North Zanardi Zanardi Aldergrove BC Junior No. Driver Team Chassis City State/Prov. 200 Josh Kurtz Unser Racing/Gphactory Kosmic Huntington Beach CA 202 Coltin McCaughan CRG West CRG Calgary AB 203 Luke Selliken Rolison Performance Group Kosmic Portland OR 208 Lindsey Freier Billet Performance Birel Arvada CO 209 Blaine Rocha Rolison Performance Group Kosmic Oakdale CA 210 Ryan Martin Ryan Perry Motorsports Tony Kart Edmonton AB 212 Stevie Pugsley Jr. Cambrian Karting Birel Eagle Point OR 214 Vincent Combret CRG West CRG Kaleden BC 216 Brenden Baker ART GP/D-Power ART GP Palmdale CA 218 Marco Eakins Buddy Rice Karting Energy Beaverton OR 219 Jim McKinney Overdrive Motorsports KGB Chandler AZ 221 Lindsay Brewer CRG-USA CRG Arvada CO 224 Noah Grey Phil Giebler Racing FA Dana Point CA 226 Jake Boyle CRG Anthem AZ 228 Nathan Adds Dallas Karting Complex Sodi Kart Rowlett TX 229 Vincent DePalma Pure Karting Tony Kart Glendale AZ 231 Jeff Fulham Lewis Hamilton Winnipeg MB 243 Jessica Dezall PCR Okotoks AB 251 Jake Preston Phil Giebler Racing FA Renton WA 263 McKay Snow Rolison Performance Group Kosmic Lehi UT 266 Grant Copple Kosmic Golden CO 277 Austin Kuehl Ruthless Racing KGB Cave Creek AZ 279 Austin Versteeg CRG-USA CRG Sandy UT 280 Toni Breidinger Rolison Performance Group Kosmic Hillsborough CA 288 Annie Breidinger Rolison Performance Group Kosmic Hillsborough CA 290 Jordan Redlin True-North Zanardi Zanardi Aldergrove BC 291 Sara Houston Mike Collins Racing Birel Glendale AZ 298 Phillippe Denes Buddy Rice Karting ART GP Carmel CA 299 Scott Huffaker Snow Racing Energy Menlo Park CA Masters No. Driver Team Chassis City State/Prov. 616 Randy Stover Full Throttle Karting Arrow Scottsdale AZ 617 Jacob Zamora Full Throttle Karting Arrow Chino Hills CA 618 Billy Kann Zanardi Scottsdale AZ 625 George Patton Full Throttle Karting Arrow Anaheim CA 641 Larry Hayashigawa Buddy Rice Karting Energy Downey CA 649 Justin Peck Rolison Performance Group Tony Kart Sandy UT 654 Steve Wiener ART GP America ART GP Spring Valley CA 662 Ken Maxfield Arrow Murray UT 679 Donald Durbin Jr. Cambrian Go Karts Birel Campbell CA Mini Max No. Driver Team Chassis City State/Prov. 100 Chase Farley Energy Walnut Creek CA 103 Max Fedler Unser Racing/GPhactory Sodi Kart Denver CO 106 Griffin Dowler Energy Sherwood Park AB 107 Sting Ray Robb Rolison Performance Group Tony Kart Ontario OR 117 Sophia Price Utah Contingency Kosmic Heber City UT 121 Zoey Edenholm AZ Kart Werx CRG Scottsdale AZ 124 Christina Dezall PCR Okotoks AB 128 Dante Yu Energy El Monte CA 132 David Ilavia Dallas Karting Complex Sodi Kart Houston TX 153 Jacob Blue Hudson Buddy Rice Karting Energy Keizer OR 156 Horatio Fitz-Simon Clayton Snow/Ricky Luther CRG Pleasanton CA 176 Everest Fedler Unser Racing/GPhactory Sodi Kart Denver CO 186y Roy Fulmer IV Full Throttle Karting Arrow Placerville CA Micro Max No. Driver Team Chassis City State/Prov. 3 Sebastian Davis Overdrive Motorsports KGB Phoenix AZ 5 Marco Kacic CRG West CRG West Kelowna BC 10 Filip Niemkiewicz Buddy Rice Karting Energy Breckenridge CO 14 Christian Newland Overdrive Motorsports Italkart Nanaimo BC 17 Liam Letzsch KGB Golden CO 19 Cooper Becklin Black Flag Racing Energy Medford OR 23 Ellie Anna Musgrave CRG West CRG Snohomish WA 25 Max Wright Energy Damascus OR 48 Cole Thompson Sodi Kart Conifer CO 56 Diego LaRoque AZ Kart Werx CRG Laveen AZ 73 Anthony Willis DR Peoria AZ 81 Payton Durrant Birel Lehi UT 88 Austin Torgerson Overdrive Motorsports KGB Central Point OR 91 Tanner Hudspeth Birel San Diego CA 99 Joshua Pierson NRC Tony Kart Oregon OR 78x Paden Hall AZ Kart Werx CRG 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