Fresh off scoring three SuperKarts! USA (SKUSA) championships in 2012 and starting the 2013 World Karting Association Manufacturers Cup off with multiple victories, P1 Engines would travel to Tucson, Arizona for the opening round in the SKUSA Pro Tour. Taking place at the Musselman Honda Circuit, the California based engine company would add more wins and podiums to their 2013 total.
“The SKUSA crew puts on a great program and provides the platform for some great racing action,” explained P1 Engines Jesus Vasquez. “We were at a huge disadvantage in the TaG Senior field with the layout of the track and the weight for the Rotax motors but we soldiered on and worked through it. P1 Engines is looking forward to the rest of the SKUSA Pro Tour.”
Sonny Cervelli and Davey Manthei would start Saturday off right for P1 Engines, as the duo would claim the first two positions in the morning qualifying session in the TaG Junior class. Lining up for the first of two heat races on the front row, the P1 Engines powered drivers would look to stay there through the two-heat race format that would set the grid positions for the main event.
Fellow P1 Engines powered driver Blaine Rocha would steal the show as the day’s wheel-to-wheel action continued on, driving from eighth in heat two to take the victory. In the main event, Rocha and Manthei would be the class of the field as the two P1 Engines powered drivers would draw away from their competitors to battle it out for the win. In the end, Rocha would take the victory and stand atop the podium.
Sunday proved to be another winning day for P1 Engines as TaG Junior pilot Luke Selliken would end up on top. After missing Friday’s practice day and showing up after qualifying on Saturday, Selliken drove from the tail of the field to a sixth place result. Sunday proved to be a dominating performance for the P1 Engines driver as he went on to take the pole position, a pair of heat race wins and main event victory by nearly five seconds. Manthei would add another top-five result crossing the stripe in fourth.
With drivers scattered amongst several classes, P1 Engines flexed their muscles in the TaG Cadet class with Sting Ray Robb and Jackson Logsdon. Robb would take Saturday’s heat race two victory and end the day’s main event on the third step of the podium. Logsdon would be towards the pointy end of the field on Sunday, qualifying his P1 Engines powered ride in the third position and holding station throughout the day to claim P3 in the main event.
TaG Senior pilot Mason Chelootz powered through the Pro Tour opening round as one of a few drivers who weren’t on a Rotax powerplant during the start of the weekend and did not switch to one by the end of the weekend. With a clear disadvantage, Chelootz stuck with his P1 prepared Motori 7 and showed great improvement throughout the race weekend. Qualifying outside the top ten on both days and forced to start Saturday’s main event from the tail of the field, Chelootz drove forward to claim eighth and seventh place finishes respectively.
Vasquez added, “The Tucson track provided a clear advantage to the Rotax motors but Mason drove smart and managed to work his way forward. We are pleased to say that out of the last three SKUSA events that have been won by a Rotax, P1 Engines has been the highest placing finisher on a different brand of engine.”
P1 Engines will continue to offer trackside support and engine lease options for the SKUSA Pro Kart Challenge, SKUSA Pro Tour and several other events throughout the United States. Interested parties are asked to contact P1 Engines at Champions@P1Engines.com.
For more information on P1 Engines or to book one of their national level engines for testing or event weekend use, please visit them online at www.P1Engines.com or contact P1 owner Jesus Vasquez at 951.662.3464 or via e-mail at Champions@P1Engines.com. Also, to follow up-to-date results and information on P1 Engines, become a fan of the “P1 Engines Fan Page” on Facebook.
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