The J3 Competition Race Department kicked off the start of the SuperKarts USA! Pro Tour this past weekend in Glendale, Arizona at the twisty and challenging PKRA facility. Situated in the desert climate of Arizona, the normally predictable dry and hot weather played some tricks on the entries as rain and wind entered the forecast for the opening round. Fully prepared for all situations COMPKART drivers were seen in several categories including X30 Sr, X 30 Jr, Mini Swift, and Micro Swift.
After two days of official testing X30 Jr. pilots Dante Yu and Max Hewitt were looking strong heading into Saturday’s first day of action. With an unclear track, Yu was able to qualify in 5th place where Hewitt was not as fortunate missing the ultimate lap ending up down the order. Hewitt worked his way through the field in the two heat races to start the final in 11th where Yu was taken off in the second heat while in second place. Both drivers recovered in a drastically shortened final with Yu in 7th and Hewitt in 9th, valuable points toward the championship.
With predictable weather on Sunday the pace of Yu and his COMPKART was immediately seen at the fore. With a solid qualifying effort in 5th, Yu and his team made the correct chassis decision and methodically moved to a challenging position in the final with an outside front row starting position. After gaining the lead at the green flag, Yu battled with the top two drivers before securing the lead just past midway where he drove to an impressive win along with fastest lap of the race! Hewitt managed a solid qualifying effort on Sunday along with a positive heat one result only to be sidelined with two on track incidents ending his chances for another top ten result.
In a stacked X30 Sr. field, driver David Ilavia was absent after having to depart after the final practice day leading Trackside Karting Services driver Lane Vacala to handle the sole duties in X30 Sr. Having missed the marked on Saturday with good speed, Vacala redeemed himself on Sunday finding good pace and finishing the final in 13th, a solid effort for the young driver as he continues to develop.
The COMPKART Ranger drivers, Caleb Bacon and Luca Mars found themselves on the wrong end of luck in several of the two days of heat races. Bacon bested his efforts with an 8th place result in Saturday’s final with top level pace while Mars battled through the day ending in 13th place. On Sunday the duo found on track carnage limiting their maximum potential as Bacon finished in 13th while Mars ended outside the top twenty.
For the first time ever, SKUSA added a category for the drivers in the Micro age category, which yielded over twenty five solid drivers! Saturday’s event was impacted by a rain storm forcing the grid to change to wet tires for the young drivers where Miles Hewitt and Davis Cunningham (Trackside) finished in the top twenty. On Sunday both drivers improved and showed well with Hewitt stepping his game up to finish 12th with top five pace, where Cunningham wouldn’t be as fortunate with an on track incident relegating the young Texan to a 18th place finish.
Event Management Quote
“The conditions were definitely not what we are used in Phoenix, however our adaptability allowed our team and drivers to stay at the fighting end of the field. The impressive win on Sunday by Dante Yu was important to the entire team and chassis as we were able to pull away from a very stout field of drivers, setting a good mark for the COMPKART brand. as we continue our push into the remainder of 2016.”
About J3 Competition
J3 Competition Inc. is an undisputed leader in Race Services since 2004, providing the necessary tooling and management to take drivers to the next level. Starting in 2015 through its COMPKART ™ brand, J3 Competition will provide a full line of high-quality chassis and products designed and engineered for the Karting industry alongside it potent Race Department. J3 Competition will aim to deliver the COMPKART ™ chassis line to the North American market as well as customers globally in 2016 and beyond with unprecedented performance and service. Please visit http://www.j3competition.com along with all its social media outlets to stay up to date on the latest releases and happenings regarding the COMPKART brand.
