After successfully closing the winter karting season, Speed Concepts Racing took no time off before competing in the start of the spring and summer programs. Taking on the United States Pro Kart Series (USPKS) at the familiar Ocala Gran Prix facility, the multi-time championship winning operation would once again show pace.
“Pretty good weekend for us in Ocala to kick off the 2019 USPKS program,” explained Mike Speed. “We welcomed new drivers to the team, as well as had some impressive results with junior rookies. Kyffin Simpson had great results in X30 Junior as did Paul Bocuse, both who are rookies in the class and have a very bright future.”
Leading the results tally for Speed Concepts Racing was junior driver Kyffin Simpson. Competing in both the IAME X30 Junior class and the KA100 Junior ranks, Simpson went on to claim a pair of top-five results in X30 Junior, including a podium result on Saturday. While the pace continued in the KA division, luck was not on his side as two more top-five results were all but not when the final checkered flag had flown. Closing the first weekend of competition, Simpson currently sits second in the overall point standings as he looks towards his long-term goal of the X30 Junior Series Champion.
With four fellow Speed Concepts Racing drivers competing in the X30 Junior class, it was Paul Bocuse who continued to impress in his very short junior career. Bocuse qualified second and finished fifth on Saturday, while Sunday saw him turn his eighth place qualifying effort into a fourth place finish in the main event. Team newcomer Jace Park took Friday’s practice day and Saturday to come accustomed to his new team, and by the time Sunday ended, he was in contention for a podium result after qualifying in third, and eventually ending his day with a sixth place finish.
Luke Lange went on to add seventh and 11th place finishes while Noah Baker, fresh out of the Mini Swift category added a pair of top-fifteen results.
Speed continued, “Ocala is a short track with only seven corners, but it is one of the toughest that we compete at all year. Jace consistently improved throughout the weekend while Luke and Noah had speed, but were just stuck in the middle of the pack. Ayden has been on a constant climb up the Mini class running order while Scott Roberts is always quick in Masters.”
Speaking of Roberts, Scott claimed one pole position, two prefinal wins and one main event podium in the X30 Masters class. Running in the top-three throughout Saturday and crossing the stripe second in the main event, Roberts claimed the pole position and prefinal win on Sunday before ending his weekend in sixth.
Canadian Ayden Ingratta was back in Florida after closing the annual Florida Winter Tour on a high. Continuing that momentum into Saturday’s USPKS competition, Ingratta muscled his way to an eighth place result in IAME Mini Swift
Next on the docket for Speed Concepts Racing will be a West Coast trip to Tooele, Utah for the Superkarts! USA Spring Nationals. Taking on the Utah Motorsports Campus, the bar will be set high as the Orlando, Florida based team will be fighting for race wins and podium results in the Beehive State.
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Photo: On Track Promotions