The Saturday races had effectively locked up the championship in two classes – Dave’s Performance Rotax Masters, as well as the King Taco MiniMax class. Curtis Cooksey had already settled the Precision Works DD2 class in his favor after Friday’s make-up final, which left two classes that needed their scores settled. MSquared Rotax International and Performance Racing Industry Junior Rotax also happened to be two classes where trips to the Grand Finals would be awarded to the winners.

Dave’s Performance Rotax Masters

He could very well have taken it easy but Erik von Zeipel, the Swede with the Speed, put himself back on pole after qualifying and won the heat race – though not without some controversy, as early leader Paul Bonilla was knocked back to nearly last after a bump from von Zeipel.

In any event, von Zeipel would be unable to roll off of the pre-grid on time for the main, as a broken electrical connector left him stranded. The field took the green with von Zeipel still catching up to the field, but out of contention.

Mike Mautner took the lead, ahead of Maverick Bartlett, Ian Thomas, Gary Pesner, and Tyler Brooks, all racing in unison. Bartlett took the point from Mautner after two laps, while Brooks picked off Pesner and Thomas, but was unable to make an impression on Bartlett.

The five karts separated themselves from the field and stayed in order until four laps remaining, when Mautner drafted passed Bartlett heading into turn two. That same lap, Thomas made a move to get passed Brooks for third. Mautner was able to build a small lead while the group behind him battled for the remaining podium spots, although the only position change afterwards was Pesner sneaking by Brooks for fourth on the final lap.

Mautner took the win by a little more than a second over Bartlett and Thomas, while von Zeipel showed that despite his problems he had lost none of his aggression and took the race’s fast lap.

Performance Racing Industry Junior Rotax

The championship battle brewing between Phillip Orcic and Cameron Jocelyn swung Orcic’s way in qualifying, when he put himself fourth with Jocelyn in seventh. Taylor Miinch took pole, ahead of Justin Coplen and Jordan Jadallah.

Coplen was sent off track in the first lap shuffle of the pre main, letting Miinch run up front with pressure coming from Jadallah and Orcic. Jadallah briefly took the lead but with one lap remaining was knocked back to fifth. Jocelyn had made good progress through the field and applied heavy pressure to Miinch for the win, but Miinch held on. Orcic crossed the line in third.

Which set up one very exciting main. Orcic swooped around Miinch at the start, while Jocelyn demoted Miinch one more position on the next lap. Miinch continued to slip back when Adrian Starrantino passed him and began to push Jocelyn – who was pushing Orcic. While the three began to build a small lead over the battle between Miinch and Jadallah, Justin Coplen was charging from the back. It took him thirteen laps to catch the leading group and move past Miinch for third.

With five laps remaining, Jocelyn drafted past Orcic and Coplen followed. Two laps later, Coplen made the same move happen on Jocelyn into turn two. Jocelyn looked for a way past, but after his big crash with Coplen the day before, was probably happy just to take the checkered flag in second and with it, the class championship – and the trip to the Worlds. Phillip Orcic, still battling, crossed the line in third.

However, Jocelyn’s Rotax engine did not pass tech, resulting in his disqualification. This promoted Orcic to second – and meant he was the class champion, and will be headed to the Grand Finals. Taylor Miinch took third.

MSquared Rotax International

It would be tough to top the Junior class for excitement – but the MSquared Rotax International guys found a way. Joey Collins had taken the pre-main win, but with championship rival Wes Phillips starting directly behind him in third, and the two drivers separated by a scant few points, the trip to the World really hinged on this race.

It all became unhinged heading into turn two at the start, as Phillips, Collins, and front-row starter Cory Pollock came together, causing a huge pile up as half the field piled into the now-stationary karts of the first two rows. The kart of Efrain Olivares went over, while Taylor Castle was hit hard enough to need a trip to the local hospital. Castle was later released, but the race was red-flagged, allowing most drivers to fix their karts. Collins kart was badly damaged, and it took a Herculean effort to get it ready to do battle again.

When the race finally was started, Pollock fell through the field like an anchor, leaving a three-way battle at the front between Phillips, Collins, and Michael Self. Self took the point on the seventh lap, while Las Vegas native Zach Woodsford made his presence known at the front, passing Collins and his damaged kart for third on the fifteenth lap. Nick Johnston and Matt Ostiguy hung off the back of the leading group.

On the sixteenth lap, the race had its second red flag when Johnston’s kart had an apparent component failure, spearing him backwards onto the track’s start/finish straightaway and hard through a tire wall. Johnston was shook up and loaded into the ambulance, but was unhurt.

On the race’s single-file restart, Phillips timed it to perfection and snuck past Self on the front straightaway. However, Self was not going to be denied on this day, and took the lead back on the next lap. With his championship all but assured if he beat Collins, and with Collins attempting to make his way past Woodsford for third, Phillips was content to sit in second and let Self take the win. Collins did make his way past Woodsford on the last lap, but it was too late; third would not send him to the Grand Finals.

Woodsford was fourth, Mike Herda made big progress through the field to finish fifth after starting thirteenth, and Ostiguy was sixth.

Precision Works DD2

Curtis Cooksey no doubt enjoyed what basically amounted to a Sunday drive for him on his home track, easily taking the win ahead of Gary Delcoure, Ken Hurdle and MSquared owner Scott Clark.

King Taco MiniMax

Saturday saw Royal McKee snap Michael Davis’ winning streak, but Davis had been able to lock up this championship. With the pressure of that gone, would Davis be able to step up the pressure?

McKee was determined to begin a streak of his own and took pole position, and the heat race, from Davis, a resurgent Breanna Miscione, and Riley Reyes. The main would be more of the same, with the only action coming from the battle between Miscione and Reyes. Reyes worked past Miscione at the start, but Miscione returned the favor six laps later. Reyes waiting until the last lap to make the pass, making it stick heading into turn two, and held on to the final podium spot.

Photos from the X-Plex

Wes Phillips (c) is going to the Grand Finals, while championship runner-up Joey Collins (r) is headed back to the Grand Nationals.