Team Koene USA closed the first quarter of the 2015 karting season on a high note. With drivers competing at both the Rotax Challenge of the Americas and the Cold Stone Florida Winter Tour, the Indiana based squad managed to secure one series point championship, two vice-championships and multiple race wins and podiums along the way, solidifying their threat as one of North America’s top karting teams.

Payton Durrant would be the lone Team Koene USA driver at the Rotax Challenge of the Americas as he battled a stout field of Rotax Mini Max drivers. Leading the points entering the final day of competition, the championship would come down to the last main event of the series as Durrant would fall victim to first corner incident. Needing to finish in the top-five to secure the title, contact in the first corner ended the Tony Kart driver’s chances before he even completed a lap. As the only driver in the series to score more than one victory in the Mini Max division, Durrant claimed Vice-Championship honors on the strength of consistent top-five finishes all season long.

Back to the east coast of the United States, Ugo Ugochukwu stole the show in the Rotax Micro Max category. Needing a strong race at the championship finale in Ocala to secure the points championship, Ugochukwu went three for three in the heat races on Saturday to claim Championship Sunday’s pole position. Trouble in the prefinal would see the Team Koene USA driver classified in the fifth position but a valiant effort in the main event would advance the future motorsports star up into the second position. Showing speed in each and every race weekend in both dry and wet weather competition, Ugochukwu secured the championship by a mere 13 markers adding to his ROK Cup USA and Rotax Micro Max Pan American championships from 2014.

Nicholas d’Orlando would score a pair of podium championship results for Team Koene USA, as he would stand on the box in both Vortex Mini ROK and Rotax Mini Max classes. With multiple victories along the way, d’Orlando would claim the Vice-Championship status in Vortex Mini ROK division in a heated battle that would go down the very final lap of the main event. In the Rotax Mini Max ranks, d’Orlando would have to overcome a disappointing 13th place qualifying effort on Friday afternoon with strong results in the three heat races on Saturday. When the final checkered flag had flown on Sunday, the New York resident would secure a third place podium result in the main event, and match that effort in the overall championship battle.

“It was a great start to the season,” explained Koene USA Team Manager Mike Maurini. “We are looking forward to the rest of the year and have our goals set high. I would personally like to thank all Team Koene USA drivers, mechanics and families for their hard work and support throughout the winter months. A special thank you to Andy Seesemann of the Rotax Challenge of the Americas and MAXSpeed Entertainment for a pair of great karting programs.“

Please check out the Team Koene USA page at www.TeamKoeneUSA.com.

For more information on Koene USA and their online store, please visit www.KoeneUSA.com or contact company representatives at 317.270.8723 or via e-mail to Info@KoeneUSA.com. Team Koene USA is also very active in social media and can be found on Twitter at @KoeneUSA or on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/KoeneUSA.

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