Campeau Takes Home State National Win in Grand Products Nationals
CONCORD, NC - For the better part of the season on the Bridgestone Manufacturers Cup Series, Madison Campeau has been on the 2nd step of the podium, standing as close to the winner on the podium as she was to the eventual winner at the stripe in 2 of 3 national series events this season, mere inches. After just missing out at both GoPro Motorplex to Robert Noaker III, and to Garrett Adams at New Castle Motorsports Park, Campeau never lifted when it came to her determination and willingness to take the next step.
This past weekend, the Gibsonia, Pennsylvania driver did just that, topping Garrett Adams in the Allison Racing Engines Yamaha Sportsman main event Saturday, claiming the home state win, not to mention her first career national event win in the Grand Products Nationals at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in Wampum, Pennsylvania.
Campeau’s success was just one part of a great weekend of action which witnessed Jacob Donald, Jeremy Fletcher, and Luca Mars take dual wins in race #4 of the 5 race national series, the finale coming next month, September 23-25 at New Castle Motorsports Park in Indiana for the Top Kart USA Grand Nationals.
Other winners included Tristan Young and Indy Ragan in Kid Kart competition, Garrett Adams in the Sunday version of the Yamaha Sportsman main, Myles Rowe and Lance Fenderson in Pro IAME Junior, Braden Eves and Dakota Pesek in Yamaha Senior action, and Tyler Ferris in Yamaha Junior. The other Yamaha Junior win went to JP Southern, competing in double duty, as the Pittsburgh big track played host to the Lucas Oil School of Racing, providing a challenging weekend of action for the Ohio driver.
The weekend of action began with Queen Creek, Arizona driver Tristan Young checking in for the Saturday win in the Water for a Cause Kid Kart class, topping Indy Ragan, Aubrey Adams, Austin Olds, and Dusty Larson. Ragan, the Eagle Lake, Minnesota driver, would get a little redemption, taking the Sunday main, with Olds improving to second, CJ Bowman checking in for third, while Aubrey Adams and Karsyn Walters completed the top 5. Young took the Comet Kart Sales Fast Time honors both days, while Ragan’s consistency netted the Minnesota driver the Overall Weekend Champion honors, sponsored by Checkered Motorsports.
Madison Campeau then took center stage for her lone win of the weekend in the Allison Racing Engines Yamaha Sportsman class, topping New Castle winner Garrett Adams, with brother Logan Adams, Caleb Bacon, and Thomas Schrage completing the top 5. In Sundays action, Garrett found his way back to victory lane, swapping positions with Campeau, with Logan Adams again claiming third, followed by Kaden Wharff and Bacon. With the front 3 very tight all weekend long, Campeau was able to snare the Checkered Motorsports Overall weekend top honors, while Logan Adams and Josh Warren claimed the respective Comet Kart Sales Fast Time Awards.
The trek to win the $1,000 top prize in the KartSport North America Pro IAME Senior class began with Jeannette, Pennsylvania’s Jacob Donalds win on Saturday, the first of 2 on the weekend. Donald edged out Brandon Jarsocrak, while Brandon Lemke, Braden Eves, and Alexander Kardashian made up the top 5. Donald returned on Sunday to make it a clean sweep of the $1,000 top prize, topping Kardashian, Jarsocrak, Eves, and Lemke. Eves and Lemke took the Comet Kart Sales Fast Time Awards, while Donald, in addition to the $1,000 top prize, also claimed the Checkered Motorsports Overall Champions Trophy.
Not to be outdone, Sewickley, PA’s Luca Mars laid claim to a pair of wins in the IAME USA East Pro Swift Sportsman class, topping Madison Campeau on Saturday, as Connor Ferris, Brent Crews, and Logan Adams made up the top 5. On Day 2, Mars paved the way for his $500 payday, topping Ferris, Crews, Gunner Bischoff, and Adams for a sweep of the weekends action, including the Comet Kart Sales Fast Time Award on Sunday, as well as the Checkered Motorsports Overall Weekend Champions Award. Connor Ferris snared the Comet Kart Sales Fast Time Award on Saturday.
As mentioned earlier, the weekend for Westlake, Ohio’s JP Southern was busier than usual, also competing in the Lucas Oil Racing School on the big circuit of the Pittsburgh International Race Complex. The dual schedule did not prevent Southern from again placing his kart in victory lane in the FranklinKart.com Yamaha Junior class, taking the win over Tyler Ferris on Saturday, with Pauly Massimino, David Kalb Jr, and Arie Venberg making up the top 5. Ferris swapped spots with Southern on Sunday, laying claim to a win for the New Jersey driver, with Southern, Massimino, Brody Warren, and Marina Walters completing the top 5. Ferris also claimed the Checkered Motorsports Overall Weekend Champion top honors while Massimino and Vaughan Glace were the Comet Kart Sales top dogs.
The last of the double event winners came in the form of St. Cloud, Florida’s Jeremy Fletcher, sweeping the CRPRACING.com Mini Swift competition. On Saturday, Fletcher topped Eli Trull, Alex Powell, Danny Dyszelski, and Caleb Gafrarar, with Gafrarar nabbing the Comet Kart Sales Fast Time award. Fletcher roared back to take the Sunday main, with Gafrarar on his bumper this time, while Comet Kart Sales Fast Time winner Eli Trull came home third, followed by Frankie Iadevaia, and Dyszelski. For his efforts, Fletcher was also the Checkered Motorsports Overall Weekend Champion.
The Woltjer Racing Engines Pro IAME Junior class found a pair of winners in the form of Myles Rowe and Lance Fenderson, with Rowe taking down the Saturday win over Pauly Massimino, Max Peichel, Fenderson, and Gage Rodgers, with Fenderson claiming the Comet Kart Sales Fast Time Award. Fenderson broke out of the gate quickest Sunday, taking the win over Rodgers, Massimino, Peichel, and Dalton Peak, while Rowe claimed the Comet Kart Sales Fast Time Award. Fenderson’s 1st and 4th also netted him the $500 top prize for the weekend, as well as the Checkered Motorsports Award as the Overall Weekend Champion.
Not to be left out, especially after a stellar performance at New Castle Motorsports Park in July, Gahanna, Ohio competitor Braden Eves came to life in the Fullerton Karts USA Yamaha Senior Class, taking the Saturday win over Brandon Lemke, Alexander Kardashian, Nick Landi, and Derek Hughes, while Centreville, Ohio’s Dakota Pesek claimed the Sunday win, topping Eves, Lemke, Kardashian, and Hughes. Eves stole the Comet Kart Sales top qualifying honors both days, as well as the Checkered Motorsports Award as the weekends Overall Champion.
While the most wins tallied on the weekend equalled 2, Luca Mars broke the tie at the podium Sunday, winning the drawing for the Tillotson Portable Generator, making it a complete weekend for the Pennsylvania driver.
The series now shifts its attention to the run for the famed Grand National Eagle, as well as the ultimate national points titles, heading back to New Castle Motorsports Park September 23-25 for the Top Kart USA Grand Nationals.
Entry Information for the event will be out this week.