Championships decided in wild weather conditions at Amarillo Kart Complex
The fifth and final round of the 2024 Texas Sprint Racing Series presented by DeFacto Racing was met with challenging weather conditions at the Amarillo Kart Complex. Perfect weather greeted the 144 entries for the Friday practice day at the Panhandle, Texas facility before severe weather rolled through on Saturday. Officials were forced to shuffle the schedule, hosting only two rounds of heat races in between delays for lightning and closing out before sunset. Temperatures dropped on Sunday, however, the wet weather stayed away with 10 categories completing the championship chase.
KA100 Senior presented by CRG Nordam once again was the DeFacto Investments Cash Prize category of the weekend featuring 32 drivers racing for a $500 purse, including $250 to the race winner. Championship contender Aden Rudolph gained 10 bonus points with fast time in qualifying, posting a 1:07.228. The wet weather for rolled in for the opening heat race as former SKUSA Pro Tour champion Jake French drove up from sixth to win while championship contender Jesus Vasquez Jr. advanced three spots in the second heat to help his title chances. Rudolph, who started the Final from the third position after results of second and seventh in the heat races, jumped up to the lead on the opening lap. Vasquez started second and slotted in behind. The two ran 1-2 as Rudolph was able to score his second victory of the season with Vasquez recording his fifth straight podium result with the runner-up result. French started on the pole position and fell to third while former series champion Peyton Phillips drove up 31 positions to fourth, beating out Justin Music.
The KA100 Junior class presented by P1 Engines also celebrated a driver to win at the series opener and the series closure. Carson Barry put in his best qualifying effort of the season, setting the fast time of 1:08.383 to clear the 17-driver field by 11 thousandths of a second. Round Four winner Nathan Golseth and Matthew Dukette battled through the heat races for the wins with Golseth starting from the pole position. He was joined at the front of the field in the 16-lap Final by Tyrone Kemper Jr. – who started fifth. Each took a turn at the point several times in the second half of the race with the victory going down to the wire. Kemper was able to come through the final few corners with the lead, earning a second victory on the season. Golseth settled for second with Easton Cox advancing five spots to earn his first podium finish of the season in third. Santiago Duran was the hard charger of the race, up nine positions to fourth while Tyler Roberts completed the top five.
David Pergande became the only two-time winner on the season in the KA100 Master by Hi-5 Performance class. Kyle Walther opened up the event with his first fast time in qualifying, edging out former series champion Miguel Mier by 82 thousandths. Walther led the 19 driver field at the end of the opening heat race while Brent Harper battled forward from seventh to win the second heat. Starting fourth, Morgan LeBaron jumped to the lead to start the 16-lap Final. He led the majority of the race until Miguel Mier took over the position on lap 13, bringing Pergande with him. LeBaron retired on lap 15, allowing Mier to go on to cross the line for the provisional victory. A penalty for contact took the win away, placing Pergande at the top of the podium for a second straight event. Mier ended up second after the penalty with Tyson Knight placing third, earning hard charger award by advancing 15 spots. Harper finished fourth with Walther in fifth.
Truly Adams gained his second victory of the season in the 206 Senior presented by Slipstream Racing class. Round Four winner Bryce Frank edged out Adams for fast time in qualifying by a mere 45 thousandths of a second. Round Two winner Ragan Saville and Frank each took a win in the heat races – with Saville earning the pole position for the Final. Four drivers made up the lead pack, including Saville, Frank, Adams, and Kelvin Xing. It was Saville and Frank that held the lead through 12 laps. On lap 13, Adams took over the top spot, holding on through the final lap for the victory. Frank was second at the line ahead of Xing and Saville, who recorded the fast lap, with Jenson Harrell in fifth.
For a second straight event, Maui Angell claimed the top step of the podium in 206 Junior presented by Saville Electric class. Angell was fourth in qualifying as Chris Tracey put in the quickest lap of qualifying. Round Two winner Robert Arana was second in the session and navigated the wet weather the best by winning both heat races. Arana led the first 11 laps of the Final before Angell took control. Leading the final three laps, Arana claimed the victory. Arana ended up second with Shelby Ramirez in third. Brandon Greene and Mia Johnson completed the top five.
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A third win on the season came for Madison Knox in 206 Heavy presented by TB Kart division. RJ Guajardo led the 10-driver field in qualifying with Knox in second. They each won a heat race, heading into the 14-lap main event, however, Guajardo recorded a DNF in the second heat, putting him toward the back of the grid. This allowed Knox to drive away in the Final, taking the victory by just under two seconds. Guajardo drove up to second from ninth with Nick Miller joining them on the podium. Christopher White was fourth with David Roddy in fifth.
The 206 Cadet presented by Rimrock Raceway class welcomed a third different winner on the season. Three-time race winner Tanner Barsch was able to secure the fast time in qualifying, edging out Tyler Morawiec by three thousandths. Dean Gerrior and Simon Kline came out of the heat races with the wins over the 14-driver field. Round Three winner Aston Wyatt emerged as the lead when the 14-lap Final began. He led seven laps until he was shuffled back. Morawiec took control before Dutch Westbrook led for two circuits. On the final lap, Morawiec grabbed back the top spot to claim his first series victory. Westbrook was penalized 10 seconds for contact, dropping him to fourth in the order, promoting Theodore Mitchell to second and Gerrior to third as Marshall Steves placed fifth.
Alex Chandler celebrated his third win on the season in the Alan Rudolph Racing Academy Mini Swift class. Simon Kline earned his first fast time in qualifying on the season before Pasha Ali and Chandler split the wins in the heat races. It was Nicolas Orbezo that jumped out to the lead in the Final. He led the first 14 laps before Chandler retook the lead on the final circuit. Chandler held on to claim the victory as Aston Wyatt moved to second ahead of Orbezo. Oskar Guss-Wunderle was fourth with Kline in fifth.
It was a near sweep for Dutch Westbrook in the Kart Racing Solutions Micro Swift class. Round Four winner set fast time in qualifying and won the opening heat race. Westbrook was the provisional winner in Heat #2 before a penalty took the top spot away, handing it to Dusty Strayer. Tyler Blackwood led the field through the opening lap of the Final before Westbrook reclaimed the top spot. He would go on to lead the rest of the distance, taking the victory by over six seconds. Three-time winner Kimo Ahmad came up from seventh to win the battle for second ahead of Brody Stoffle. Blackwood and Kasen Sanders made up the top five.
Five different drivers claimed victory over the five rounds for the Honda Kid Kart presented by Gallery Furniture category. Wiley Lee nearly pulled off a sweep of Round Five. Lee set fast time in qualifying but was beat out in the opening heat by Round Two winner Bodhi Beyer. Lee returned to the front of the field in the second heat race before leading all 12 laps of the Final for his first victory. Beyer finished second with Caiden Tuter rounding out the podium. Raif Ali and Round One winner Holden Henson finished fourth and fifth.
The Texas Sprint Racing Series presented by DeFacto Racing has already confirmed the 2025 schedule, beginning on February 21-23.
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