Series return to Dallas Karting Complex hosts penultimate round of championship season
The penultimate round of the 2024 Texas Sprint Racing Series presented by DeFacto Racing took the series back to the Dallas Karting Complex for the first time since 2018. The Caddo Mills, Texas facility underwent an expansion and revision of its karting circuit, with the Superkarts! USA and International Kart Federation regional program taking to the new 3/4-mile ‘South’ course for Round Four of the championship series.
The largest category of the event was KA100 Senior presented by CRG Nordam, welcoming 32 drivers to compete for the DeFacto Investments Cash Prizes on the weekend with a $500 purse awarded, including $250 to the race winner. Former SKUSA Pro Tour shifterkart champion Jake French set the pace in qualifying with a 50.075, edging out Round One winner Aden Rudolph by 36 thousandths. French was shuffled down the order as Rudolph claimed the opening heat win. Round Two winner Jesus Vasquez Jr. came up from fourth grid spot in Heat #2 to earn the win. Vasquez continued the momentum into Sunday, taking the win in Heat #3 to claim the pole position for the Final. A great 19 lap resulted in Vasquez holding off Rudolph to claim a second victory of the season, tightening up the championship chase. Peyton Phillips made it an all-race winner podium with a third-place result. Luke Lange and Landon Skinner competed the top-five.
The KA100 Junior class presented by P1 Engines welcomed its fourth different winner on the season. Sebastian Garzon, making his first series start on the year, set fast time in qualifying – a 50.827 lap – to edge out Tyler Roberts by 34 thousandths. The two led the way through the heat races as Garzon took the win in the first and third motos while Roberts claimed the top spot in the second heat. Garzon and Roberts both led over the first 12 laps of the 19-lap main event. That was until Nathan Golseth took over the top spot. Golseth would lead the final seven circuits to claim his first series victory. Garzon was second until getting shuffled back to sixth on the final circuit as Roberts finished second ahead of Santiago Duran, Round Three winner David Ybarra and opening event victor Tyrone Kemper Jr.
The battle in the KA100 Master by Hi-5 Performance class was a two driver fight for much of the event. Martin Stone set fast time in qualifying in his first start of the 2024 season, going on to win Heat #1 and Heat #3. Round Three winner Pierce Baldus broke up the ongoing sweep with the top spot in the second moto. The two showed the way for a lead group that included six drivers for the first 14 laps. Baldus and Stone were fighting for the lead on lap 15 when the two made contact. They pushed wide, collecting the other four in a wild incident that allowed David Pergande to slip past for the lead. He led the remainder of the race to claim his first victory of the season. Doug Stupay and Kyle Walther joined him on the podium with Baldus able to recover for fourth with Miguel Mier claiming fifth.
It was a near sweep in the 206 Senior presented by Slipstream Racing by Bryce Frank. The only session to not finish P1 was in qualifying where Kelvin Xing edged him out for fast time by a mere three thousandths of a second. Frank was able to come away with the win in all three heat races to earn the pole position for the Final. Camryn Reed came up from third to lead a few circuit before Frank took back the position. At the line, Frank held off Xing for his first win of the season to take over the championship lead. Reed ended up third ahead of Carter Kilgo and Jenson Harrell.
Another new winner on the season came in the 206 Junior presented by Saville Electric class. Nathan Golseth had a sweep in process on the weekend after setting fast time in qualifying and winning all three heat races. Golseth was shuffled back at the start of the Final before reclaiming the lead. As the race progressed, Maui Angell worked up to the second position behind Golseth. Prior to the white flag, Angell took over the lead, but on the final circuit Golseth came away with the position to cross the line first. Officials handed Golseth a five second penalty for contact, which dropped him to the fourth spot. This promote Angell to the top of the podium for a career first victory. Round Two winner Robert Arana was promoted to second with Thomas Smith up to third. Shelby Ramirez completed the top-five.
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Five-time SKUSA Pro Tour champion Jordon Musser made his return to competition on the weekend, sweeping the action in the Shifter class presented by Houston Freightliner Western Star. Musser set a time of 46.281 to claim the fast time in qualifying before going on to win all three heat races. Musser fell back to third at the start of the 21 lap Final as three-time race winner Vincent Cossard led the first 14 laps. Musser reclaimed the top spot and led the final circuits to earn the victory. Cossard settled for second with Noah Zarsk joining them on the podium in third. IMSA driver Nicholas Boulle was fourth with Luis Mendez completing the top-five.
The Alan Rudolph Racing Academy Mini Swift class welcomed another two-time winer on the season with Alex Chandler emerging from Dallas with the victory. It was Chandler who claimed the top spot in the qualifying session ahead of the 14 other drivers in the field. Two-time winner Royce Vega advanced up from third in all three heat races to claim the pole position for the Final. Vega slipped down to fourth at the start of the Final as Kade Kaspar and Nicolas Orbezo led the first half. By the halfway point, Vega was back up to the point, however, it was a battle from that point on with a lead change every lap. On the final circuit, Chandler was able to grab the top position, leading only the final time across the line to take the checkered flag for a second time on the season. Orbezo crossed the line second Kaspar in third. Kaspar and Vega who was fourth were handed penalties for contact, promoting Ali up to third, Oskar Guss-Wunderle to fourth and Simone Kline into the fifth spot.
Dutch Westbrook was able to sweep the action in the Kart Racing Solutions Micro Swift class for his first victory of the season. Westbrook beat out the eight-driver field in qualifying and won comfortably in the three heat races. The main event was all Westbrook, driving away to a eight-second advantage after 18 laps for the victory. Victor Guss-Wunderle won the battle for second over Tyler Blackwood. Brody Brown was fourth with three-time winner Kimo Ahmad in fifth.
A third victory on the season came for Tanner Barsch in the 206 Cadet presented by Rimrock Raceway class. Barsch was second to Royce Vega in qualifying, short of fast time by four thousandths of a second. It was Vega that won the opening two heat races before Dutch Westbrook took the win in the third moto. Vega and Barsch emerged as the top contenders in the Final until they were joined in the end by Tyler Morawiec, who started seventh. The final four laps saw the three drivers exchange position multiple times with Barsch reaching the checkered flag first ahead of Morawiec and Vega. Westbrook was fourth as Marshall Steves completed the top-five.
Madison Knox took her second victory of the season in 206 Heavy presented by TB Kart division. Knox swept the action all weekend, earning maximum points to claim the victory. Christopher White and Nick Miller completed the podium.
Dusty Strayer became the fourth different winner on the season in the Honda Kid Kart presented by Gallery Furniture category. Strayer nearly swept the action in Dallas, however, a DNF in Heat #3 cost him perfect points. He was able to lead all 15 laps of the Final for a career first victory. Wiley Lee was second with Shepp Sullivan in third. Caiden Tuter and Raif Ali rounded out the top-five.
The Texas Sprint Racing Series presented by DeFacto Racing is set to conclude the 2024 season with Round Five heading to the Amarillo Kart Complex in Panhandle, Texas, scheduled for September 20-22.
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