As the 2015 karting season reaches the halfway point, Team Koene USA expects to carry their momentum into the second half of the season. With big events on the horizon and an already expanded resume from the first six months of the 2015 calendar, the Indiana-based squad will continue to be a force on the United States karting scene.
Starting off with the popular winter series, the Cold Stone Florida Winter Tour (FWT) and the Rotax Challenge of the Americas (COA), Team Koene USA walked away with one championship, two vice-championships and another podium result in the end-of-the-series title chase along with multiple victories. Ugo Ugochukwu, at the young age of eight, would secure the Rotax Micro Max title during the final round of the FWT in Ocala.
Nicholas d’Orlando would be a double championship podium victor as he continues to build his karting CV. Taking home three victories in the Vortex Mini ROK division at the annual FWT, d’Orlando would secure a solid vice-championship at the end of the season. Adding to that, the youngest d’Orlando claimed the final step of the championship podium in the Rotax Mini Max class.
Utah’s Payton Durrant and Team Koene USA’s sole driver competing at the Rotax Challenge of the Americas claimed a pair of victories in a stout field of Rotax Mini Max competitors. Unlucky during the final event day of the series, Durant narrowly missed the championship but secured another vice-championship position for the team.
Continuing onwards in 2015, Team Koene USA competitors would see action at the World Karting Association (WKA) Manufacturers Cup, Superkarts! USA (SKUSA) Fikse Wheels Pro Tour, United States Pro Kart Series (USPKS) and the inaugural US Open. Ugochukwu and d’Orlando continued their winning ways on the east coast as they secured race wins in WKA and USPKS competition. Team Koene USA’s Roman DeAngelis also added a podium result in USPKS competition and more recently, stood on the blocks during the opening weekend of the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship program at Goodwood Kartways near Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Elliot Finlayson flew the Koene USA colors in SKUSA competition as he made the trek to Phoenix Arizona to compete in the TaG Senior division. Showing speed on Saturday but having some bad racing luck, the Team Koene USA driver turned it all around on Sunday to score a second place finish.
A triple race winning weekend would follow in early May as Ugochukwu and Durrant would return to the top step of the podium, along with Team Koene USA newcomer Trenton Estep in the new US Open series. Ugochukwu would dominate the Rotax Micro Max class claiming all four heat race wins and main event victory in both wet and dry weather competition. Durrant would play his cards right Sunday’s Rotax Mini Max event and take advantage of other drivers’ miscues to take the top step of the podium and his third major win of the season. Rotax Junior competitor Trenton Estep also had a breakout weekend as he drove very smart and calculated all weekend to claim a heat race win and main event victory in only his third race since joining Team Koene USA. Nicholas d’Orlando added a podium result in Rotax Mini Max while Rinus Van Kalmthout claimed a heat race win and fourth place result in a talent-filled Rotax Senior field. Also showing strength throughout the weekend was Michael d’Orlando in Junior as well as Suleiman and Sofia Zanfari in Mini and Micro Max as they secured a pair of top ten results.
Ryan Rackley turned heads this past weekend as he continues to show development and gain experience. Running the ROK Cup USA event at the Homestead Karting facility, Rackley showed speed to run inside the top-five throughout the weekend.
“We have claimed race wins in the Challenge of the Americas, Florida Winter Tour, ROK CUP USA, WKA, USPKS and US Open programs so far in 2015,” explained Team Manager Mike Maurini. “We are pushing hard for future events and are already planning our 2016 program.”
Next on the docket for Team Koene USA is the third and fourth rounds of the United States Pro Kart Series at US Air Motorsports over the June 19th – 21st weekend before traveling to Grand Junction Motor Speedway in Grand Junction, Colorado for the second round of the US Open program June 24th to the 28th.
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.
For information on press releases or other media services offered by Race Tech Development, please contact Mike Maurini via e-mail at Info@RaceTechDevelopment.com or 317.270.8723. Race Tech Development can also be found on Twitter at @RaceTechDvlp as well as Facebook at their Race Tech Development Fan Page.
