Prokart Challenge opens 2025 with double round weekend at K1 Circuit
Superkarts! USA regional program welcomes 179 entries in southern California
The first event of the 2025 ProKart Challenge program was held on the February 28-March 2 weekend at the new K1 Circuit. The Winchester, California facility welcomed the Superkarts! USA regional program for a third time since opening its doors in August 2024. Rounds One and Two of the 2025 championship program kicked off with perfect racing weather to begin the 21st season of the series.
The sold-out Formula Works KA100 Senior class welcomed 52 drivers around the 1-mile circuit. They were led by veterans Jake Drew and Oliver Calvo in the opening qualifying session on Saturday, with the two separated by only 30 thousandths. It was Drew’s 1:02.994 lap that was best in the session. Drew and Calvo were shuffled back at the start of the Prefinal, allowing Jackson Menchu to show the way. He would get overtaken by former SuperNationals winner Zachary Claman Demelo and Shea Aldrich to finish 1-2 at the end of the Prefinal and lead the field to the green flag for the Final. The two exchanged the top spot several times over the first half of the race until 2024 series champion Keagan Kaminski worked his way up into the battle. He grabbed the lead on lap 10. Kaminski continued leading over Claman Demelo and Calvo until the two challengers were involved in an incident. Claman Demelo retired while Calvo fell outside the top 10. Senior rookie Johnie Stamps became the new challenger for Kaminski as they fought to the checkered flag. At the line, it was Kaminski taking the victory ahead of Stamps and Menchu. Josh Campbell was fourth with Theo Kekati in fifth.
Round Two action on Sunday began similar to that of Saturday with Drew setting fast time in qualifying, posting a 1:02.935 lap to edge out Kaminski by three thousandths. Both Drew and Kaminski led in the Prefinal, along with Stamps, until lap eight. Drew secured the top spot, going on to the race win. It was Kaminski leading 17 of the 18 laps in the Final. Drew led coming to the white flag with Kaminski taking over the position, reaching the checkered flag first for a second victory on the weekend. Drew settled for second, with Stamps rounding out the podium. Zachary Claman Demelo advanced up to the fourth spot with Calvo completing the top five.
A total of 34 drivers battled in the SuperSpeed Bearings KA100 Junior class to open up the 2025 championship chase. Luca Popescu grabbed the fast time in qualifying to open Round One with a 1:03.750 lap, with Sebastian Hauser and Bronson Koustas within 68 thousandths of his time. Popescu and Erik Doan were the leaders of the first half of the Prefinal before Hauser took over the point for the win. The lead pack in the Final was made up of five drivers with nearly all of them leading. Hauser led the first nine laps before the battle really began. It was Hauser retaking the top spot with four laps to go, leading at the white flag. On the final lap, Daniel Ramirez went from third to first, crossing the line as the provisional winner. Failing tech inspection, Ramirez was stripped of the win, handing the top step of the podium to defending champion Matthew Cagle. Hauser was classified second with Canadian Nathan Dupuis in third. Doan and Sergei Karamseili completed the top five.
Ramirez bounced back on Sunday to set fast time in qualifying for Round Two with a 1:03.436 lap. Both Diesel Biezonsky and Hauser were within 54 thousandths of his time. Ramirez and Hauser went 1-2 in the Prefinal with a sizeable advantage over the rest of the field. Four drivers made up the lead pack, with Cagle and Doan in the mix. Hauser jumped to the lead on the opening circuit and never relinquished the top spot, leading all 18 laps for the victory. Ramirez was shuffled back to fourth at one point but worked back up to second and nearly got Hauser at the checkered flag, missing out by 69 thousandths at the line. Cagle joined them on the podium, with Doan in fourth and Wes Witt in fifth.
The weekend in Precision Works Racing Engines Pro Shifter was swept by Kyle Wick. The winner at the 2024 series finale continued the streak by winning both main events at the 2025 season opener. Wick led the nine drivers in qualifying for Round One with a 56.975, edging out five-time SuperNationals winner Billy Musgrave by four thousandths. Musgrave fought early in the Prefinal, but Wick came away with the win. The two went back and forth all 18 laps of the Final with Wick securing the top spot on the final lap, taking the victory by over two tenths at the line over Musgrave. Micah Hendricks was third, with Ethan Booher and Hunter Pickett completing the top five.
Wick was a bit slower in qualifying for Round Two, but kept the sweep intact as he cleared the field by just over one tenth of a second ahead of Pickett and Musgrave. A holeshot win in the Prefinal for Wick kept him on the pole position for the Final. Wick led all 18 laps in the Final to complete the sweep on the weekend. The show was watching Musgrave knife through the field as he started ninth due to an engine change. He was up to second by lap four, posting fast lap of the race to finish just 1.2 seconds back of Wick. Pickett joined them on the podium, with Keawn Tandon and Ethan Booher finishing fourth and fifth.
The HRT Driver Development Mini Swift class also saw a driver pick up two wins to open up the 2025 season. Luis Martinez was able to sweep the Saturday action for his first series victory. Only three thousandths separated Martinez and Nathan Ramirez in qualifying for Round One. Martinez was able to get away in the Prefinal for the race win while Ramirez slipped down the order. Ramirez started the Final in 11th, but fought his way forward up to second by lap three. Martinez and Ramirez battled for the top spot over the final 11 laps after breaking away from the field. At the line, Martinez scored the victory by 68 thousandths over Ramirez. Asher Biezonsky joined them on the podium in third, with Koa Saito and Andrew Janus completing the top five.
Ramirez was able to break up the perfect weekend for Martinez on Sunday, setting fast time in qualifying by only eight thousandths. They ran 1-2 in the Prefinal, with Ramirez reaching the line first. The 16-lap Final was a back and forth fight between the two. Ramirez secured the top spot on lap 12, going on to reach the checkered flag first for the provisional win. Officials issued a three-second penalty for blocking, promoting Martinez to the top step of the podium. Ramirez was classified second with Hudson Hidalgo in third. Lucas Tarango was fourth with Saito placing fifth.
The action in Sanner Racing Micro Swift was controlled by two drivers over the weekend. Matthew Paciulli opened the event with the fast time in qualifying, edging out Mason Brody and Aidan Go by 23 thousandths. It was Paciulli and Go fighting for the top spot in the Prefinal, with Aidan earning the race win in a photo finish. The two fought once again in the Final, this time with Go leading the second half of the race and earning the victory at the line by 44 thousandths over Paciulli. Lyon McPhail drove up to third, with Brody fourth and Tre Sanders in fifth.
Paciulli came back on Sunday to complete the Round Two sweep. He cleared the field in qualifying before leading every lap in the Prefinal. In the Final, Paciulli fought off McPhail and Go during the first half of the race. He then led the second half of the race, driving away to a five-second advantage for the victory. Go settled for second, with Brody placing third. Chase Riddering and McPhail completed the top five.
It was a near sweep in the opening round for the Mike Manning Karting KA100 Master class. Tim Meyer set fast time in qualifying and won the Prefinal in a wire-to-wire win. After leading the first eight laps of the Final, Logan Manus began to challenge for the top spot. He led for three circuits before Meyer took back the position. On the final lap, Manus was able to reach the checkered flag first by 43 thousandths over Meyer. Joshua Daley completed the podium, with Myan Spaccarelli fourth and Damon Duckworth fifth.
Sunday’s action began with Daley finding speed overnight to set fast time in qualifying for Round Two ahead of Duckworth and Meyer. Qualifying fourth, Spaccarelli advanced forward to the lead and the win in the Prefinal while Meyer retired on lap five. Spaccarelli led the opening six laps of the Final until the charging Meyer came up to take over the top spot. From there, Meyer led the rest of the distance for the victory. Spaccarelli came up 31 thousandths short at the line, finishing second, with Manus on the podium in third. Duckworth and Daley completed the top five.
The Mega Power Engines Master Shifter class had two different sweeps. Travis Irving controlled the action in Round One. After setting fast time in qualifying and winning the Prefinal, Irving went flag to flag for the victory ahead of Luca Bortone and Volodymyr Borodavchenko. On Sunday, Irving sat out the action, allowing Slava Prikhodko to take control. Prikhodko – who did not race on Saturday – came out with fast time in qualifying and winning the Prefinal. Slava led all 18 laps of the Final, earning the sweep of Round Two. Borodavchenko improved to second, with Michael Guasch landing on the podium on Sunday.
The weekend marked the debut of the new shifterkart engine platform at the ProKart Challenge. The new FZ engines from Factory Karts helped to spark the addition of three classes to the series. The P1 Engines FZ125 class welcomed the new engine, racing alongside the Stock Moto and ROK Shifter engines that were part of the S125 class in previous years. A total of 16 drivers made up two categories for the FZ125 – a Senior division and a Master class.
Truly Adams led both days in the Senior division. Adams set fast time in qualifying with a 59.918 lap to clear the field by nearly two tenths. In the Prefinal, Adams only made it five laps before retiring while leading, allowing Michael McCoy to take the win. He led the first six laps of the Final before Dane Idelson overtook for the position. Jonathon Bischof also led for three laps, all while Adams was moving his way up the lead pack. Adams grabbed the top spot on lap 14, igniting a battle with Idelson over the final four laps. At the checkered flag, Adams scored the victory over Idelson and McCoy. Bischof was fourth with Wes Lee in fifth.
Adams was able to put together a sweep on Sunday in Round Two action. A 59.813 lap was the quickest for Adams in qualifying before leading all nine laps in the Prefinal. Idelson grabbed the holeshot to lead the opening six laps of the Final. Adams took back the top position and showed the way to the checkered flag for a second victory on the weekend. Idelson settled for second, with Bischof improving to the podium in third. McCoy and Lee completed the top five.
In the FZ125 Master class, Jeff Krogstad earned the victory on Saturday over Wade Atteberry and John Neal. Sunday was DJ Jenkins taking the win over Larry Hernandez with Tony Rossetti in the third position.
Erik Doan was able to sweep the weekend in the new Nash Motorsportz Junior Shifter class that features the FZ85 powerplant, welcoming nine drivers. A 1:01.674 put him at the top of the timesheet in qualifying before leading all nine laps in the Prefinal. Doan went wire-to-wire in the Final, leading the 18-lap race to a 14-second advantage. Canadian Nathan Dupuis was second, with JohnJohn McLellan completing the podium. On Sunday, Doan once again qualified first and led the entire distance of the Prefinal. The Final was a repeat of Saturday with Doan going flag-to-flag for a second victory. Dupuis was runner-up, with McLellan in third.
The Precision Karting Mini Shifter class welcomed six drivers on FZ65 engines aboard the spec Factory Karts machines, with Troy Ferguson putting together a sweep of the inaugural weekend. Ferguson posted a 1:02.870 lap in qualifying for top time before leading the way in the Prefinal. He fell back to third at the start of the Final, but worked his way back up to the point. By the checkered flag, Ferguson took the victory by over five seconds ahead of Brandon Ng, with Sebastian de Moissac in third. Ferguson was once again the top qualifier on Sunday for Round Two before battling with Ng for the Prefinal win. The two continued their battle in the Final before Ferguson was able to inch away, taking the victory by seven seconds. Ng settled for second with de Moissac once again in third.
Round Three of the ProKart Challenge program is slated for April 12-13, visiting the new Spring Mountain Karting Complex in Pahrump, Nevada. Registration is set to open soon. For more information on anything related to Superkarts! USA, please visit the website – www.superkartsusa.com and be sure to follow the Superkarts! USA Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts.