Multiple sweeps at round two for California ProKart Challenge
Repeat and first time winners highlight second stop at Buttonwillow Raceway Park
TEMECULA, CA – The second event of the 2024 California ProKart Challenge was contested on the April 20-21 weekend with the series returning to the Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Running the Buttonwillow, California circuit in the reverse direction from the opening round event in March, the Superkarts! USA regional program hosted Round Two of the six-round championship program for the eight categories competing. This time around featured a handful of repeat winners while others stood on the podium for the first time in 2024.
The KA100 Senior by P1 Engines class, featuring 28 drivers, saw Ethan Lampe complete the sweep in Round Two. In a last-to-first performance at the series opener, Lampe helped his push to defend his 2023 class championship with maximum points on the weekend. Lampe cleared the field by over a tenth in qualifying before leading all 12 laps of the Prefinal. He fell to third at the start of the Final with Jackson Menchu and Aiden Kempf jumping ahead. Lampe moved to second at the halfway point and assumed the lead on lap 13. Leading the remaining 10 laps, Lampe scored a second straight victory, crossing the line by over one-second ahead of Menchu and Kempf. Ayden Aquino and 2023 KA100 Junior champion Keagan Kaminski completed the top five.
Riding off her career first win last month, Payton Westcott returned to the top of the podium in KA100 Junior by SuperSpeed Bearings. Westcott began by setting fast time in Qualifying, edging out three others by 75 thousandths of a second. She led all 12 laps of the Prefinal over the 17-driver field to retain the pole position for the Final. Dean Pedersen was the lone challenger to Westcott in the 22-lap Final. Despite the pressure, Westcott was able to lead wire-to-wire, holding off Pedersen at the line by a mere 26 thousandths. Matthew Cagle drove to third over Alex Rantala and Johnie Stamps.
Another repeat winner on the season was JohnJohn McLellan in Mini Swift by Formula Works class. McLellan carried the momentum over from the opening round victory to record a sweep at Round Two. After clearing the field in qualifying by over three-tenths, McLellan led every lap of the Prefinal. Defending class champion Troy Ferguson – who missed the opening round – jumped out to the lead at the start of the 20-lap Final. He led the first 15 laps before McLellan returned to the point. McLellan claimed his second victory of the season, this time over Ferguson. Nathan Ramirez joined them on the podium in third while Sebastian Hauser and Braydon Wagner completed the top five.
Among the first-time winners on the weekend was Byron Borneman, claiming the win in Micro Swift by Sanner Racing. Borneman began the second round posting the second quickest lap in qualifying with Asher Biezonsky setting the fast time by 79 thousandths. Bornemann took over the lead on lap three of the Prefinal, driving away to the race win. He and Hudson Hidalgo exchanged the top spot multiple times in the 20-lap Final before Borneman secured the position on lap 10. Hidalgo kept it close, but at the checkered flag, Borneman claimed his first California ProKart Challenge victory by just over a tenth of a second. Round One winner Aidan Go was third with Biezonski fourth and Dante Rodrigues in fifth.
Alan Sciuto was able to improve his performance in Pro Shifter by HRT Driver Development with a full sweep of Round Two at Buttonwillow. Sciuto set the fast time in qualifying and went on to go wire-to-wire in both Prefinal and Final for maximum points on the weekend. The podium was completed with Lucas Weisenberg and Liam Jones standing on the second and third steps. Dane Idelson finished fourth with Michael Guasch completing the top five.
Master Shifter by Mike Manning Karting welcomed a first-time winner in DJ Jenkins. It was Jenkins who cleared the field in qualifying by over four-tenths of a second. He fell to third at the start of the Prefinal but fought back to the lead and eventually won. Slipping to fourth to begin the Final, it was another drive forward to the front for Jenkins. Returning to the lead by lap six, Jenkins drove to a seven-second advantage in his first series victory. David de la Torre was second in his 2024 series debut, with Round One runner-up Scott Carvalho finishing third. Rod Streed and Alan Carvalho completed the top five. David Jimenez ran uncontested in the Open Master Shifter division.
Tony Rossetti claimed his first win of the 2024 season in the X30 Master by Nash Motorsportz class. It was a sweep by Rossetti as he led from qualifying through the Prefinal and all 22 laps of the Final. Round One runner-up Scott Nealon backed up that performance with a second-place finish to Rossetti.
The third event of the 2024 California ProKart Challenge is scheduled for the Santa Maria Kart Track in Santa Maria, California on the May 18-19 weekend. Race Pre-Entry is now open at the online registration link with a deadline of Tuesday, May 14 at 11:59 pm PST.
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