August 5, 2023

Saturday, August 5th 2023 was a scorcher of a day for racing action at AMP! Temps were hovering in the mid-90’s, and the humidity made you feel like you personally had been strapped into the seat laying down laps. Steve Newbold back again covering all of the pod to pod action from Atlanta Motorsports Park. There is a lot to unpack in this action-packed race day, so let’s dive on in.

We start off race day by mentioning the wonderful event staff. This amazing crew hosted the largest race day in AMP Kart Racing history – 163 competitors between 12 highly competitive divisions. Below we have added some candid shots of just a few of the event staff we saw out and about covering all of the racing action. From all of the spectators, competitors, and the staff here at Liberty Racing Review, thank you!

The sweet smell of race fuel filled the air early, as the TAG Masters took to the course. Twelve competitors battled through the intense heat for the podium. The Pre-Final was filled with all sorts of excitement that would spill over into the final. In the Pre-Final, Danny May (9), Eugene Panenko (7), and Brandt Estes (000) crossed the line three-wide in a photo finish. “Iron Man” Danny May would lead the field to green followed by AMP’s newest karting instructor, Eugene Panenko. Estes would take the lead over Panenko on lap 4, and would continue his dominance all the way to the podium. The podium from TAG Masters; P1 Brandt Estes (000), P2 Eugene Panenko (7), and P3 Danny May (9).

Rumbling to life in the pits were the LO206 Cadets. Lincoln Massey (70) continued his season dominance on the field of seven. He would lead the field to green for the Final and never look back. Some would say he was not even racing the other competitors, but instead he was racing the track trying his best to break the track record. The battle for 2nd position was like watching Dale Earnhardt rattle Terry Labonte’s cage at Bristol. Camillia Canache (126), Ryan Hall (19), and Axel Robards (44) left it all out on the track. Pod to pod, Canache and Hall crossed the line in one of the closest finishes for P2 I have ever seen. Final from LO206 Cadets; P1 Lincoln Massey (70), P2 Camillia Canache (126), and P3 Ryan Hall (19).

Next on track were the TAG SR’s. These lightweight karts reach speeds of up to 85 mph on Atlanta Motorsports Park’s kart track. Mateo Rubio-Luengo (6) absolutely dominated this race with a solid 20-30 kart lead. The race for the final podium was hot and heavy all the way to the checkers. Leonardo Olivera (340), Matheus Prates (120), Joseph Ostholthoff (7) and Harrison Browning battled to the stripe. Olivera held P2 followed by Prates edging ever so slightly over Ostholothoff. The final from TAG SR’s; P1 Mateo Rubio-Luengo (6), P2 Leo Olivera (340), and P3 Joe Ostholthoff (7).

We pause to reset the track for the next division, the strong and mighty Kid Karts! These very young drivers are the next faces of motorsports and show no fear as they tear up the “Jelly Bean” circuit at AMP. LRR got to catch up with Riggins Barnicle (9), one of the youngest competitors at AMP. He was pretty excited to do his first racing media interview. He said he would like to thank his parents and sponsors for putting together a really fast kart for the race. The final from Kid Kart P1; Riggins Barnicle (9), P2 Carter Morard, and P3 Tyson Burkett. If you want to get your child into racing, please reach out to our friends at AMP.

That is not a rock show you are hearing from the pits, it’s the rough and rowdy LO206 Masters. The first lap started as rowdy as the LO206 engines sound. Within the second turn, we already had a six-wide pass. A train of 7 karts drafting made the AMP kart track look like the Daytona Superstrech for multiple laps. Danny May (9) would maintain a sizeable lead over Arron Cox (28) and Tyson Swann (16). At the end of the day, it was “Iron Man” Danny May in P1, Arron Cox in P2, and P3 was Tyson Swann.

TAG Cadets put on a show for such a small division. The battle for 1st was intense, as Callen Berghoefer (126) and Gabriel Lopez Velarde (108) battled to the stripe. Lopez Velarde slammed the door on Berghoefer on lap 10. This did not deter Berghoefer, as he went pod to pod with Lopez Velarde into the S’s on the final lap. Berghoefer challenged him again in turn 16, entering late and pushing Lopez Velarde ever so slightly, but it was not enough. The final from TAG Cadets; P1 Gabriel Lopez Velarde, P2 Callen Berghoefer, and P3 Ryan Peres (12).

Next division on track was the KA100 SR’s. The action was all over the place, and in all honesty, watching this race would make you think it was a LO206 division race. Challenges for position stemmed through the entire field. Spencer Mast (41) and Mateo Rubio-Luengo (6) had the biggest battle of the race. The action came to a climax on lap 5 in turn 16, when the top 4 drivers battling for position tangled and created a road block. In total, 8 karts were involved and multiple drivers’ days were ended. Will “Big Rig” Rigdon gave his best Dale Jr impression with the call, and we have added the clip below for context. The conclusion to our battle; P1 Mateo Rubio-Luengo (6), P2 Kellan Spears (89), and P3 Martin Simeonov (26).

Next up were the TAG Rookies. This field of six young drivers always puts on an amazing show. The field was led to green by Issac Carvalho (21). Straight off the jump, P3-P5 made contact resulting in a shake up in the field. Camila Canache (26) took advantage of all of the commotion and pulled out to an early lead. The battle for the final podium position was intense. Francisco Puerta (77), Isaac Carvalho (21), and Liam Sutton (724) battled until the final seconds of the race. Carvalho edged Sutton in the final few corners to claim the last podium spot. The final from TAG Rookies; P1 Camila Canache (26), P2 Francisco Puerta (77), and P3 Issac Carvalho (21).

Now what I would call the main event, LO2O6 Seniors. 36 drivers would take the green in one of the best battles of racing that AMP has ever seen! Nicholas Lefferdo (00) hopped out first but he was not alone. He was followed closely by Ryan Curtin (37), Noah Rivers (222), and Collin Warren (217). Warren would take the lead on lap 3 and break up the snake by pulling the top 3 karts to a sizeable 5 kart lead. Their lead would continue to grow, and by lap 7, the top 3 would be ahead by 20 karts. Noah Rivers would try to overtake Curtin in turn 14, but he could not clear Curtin. However, this would not be his only attempt. When the white flag dropped, so did the gloves, as Curtin and Noah Rivers had a tight battle throughout the entire track. The final from LO2O6 Seniors; P1 Collin Warren (217), P2 Noah Rivers (222), and P3 Ryan “Laser Warrior Kitty” Curtin (37).

Next out on track were the LO2O6 Juniors. Scotty Arnold (42) would jump to an early lead and hold his position the entire race. Javier Soto (95) and Alyssa Vascocu (107) battled for a multitude of laps for the second position, but a surprising competitor would squash their hopes of a top 2. Out of nowhere, here came the mighty Justin Sherbert in his (85) machine. Sherbert would continue to fend off Vascocu to hold his position. The final from LO2O6 Juniors; P1 Scotty Arnold (42), P2 Sherbert (85), and P3 Alyssa Vascocu (107).

Throw your mullet back, slide on your jorts, and adjust that fanny pack. We are throwing it back old-school with the Vintage Karting Series. These vintage karts are a sight to see in action. Imagine, if you would, a modern kart with no pods. That is the body style of the vintage karts that battled it out on track. Robert Hall (30) took an early lead, followed closely by the Swann’s, Tyson (16) and Tyler (40). Tyson did not hold back on Hall, nudging Hall every opportunity that was available. Tyson slammed the door on Hall in the S’s and was on the defense the remainder of the race. The final from Vintage; P1 Tyson Swann (16), P2 Robert Hall (30), and P3 Tyler Swann (40).

The octane was still burning late in the day with the running of the KA100 Juniors. Andrew Hammil (905) had a perfect start to his race, taking an early lead and fending off Talon Laney (48), Oliver Najbrt (10), and Adam Wein (23). The battle for 4th was just as intense. Adam Wein and Aiden Austyne (800) went pod to pod entering the S’s and continued their battle all the way around the track. Within that same lap, leaders Andrew Hamill and Oliver Najbrt crossed each other back and forth with Hammill clinching the victory. P2 would fall to Oliver Najbrt (10), and P3 went to Adam Wein (23).

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. But in the case of AMP Kart racing, they save the fastest for last. I am talking about the raw speed of the Shifter division. The high power karts can exceed speeds of 95 mph and turn sub 50-second lap times. Daniel Perez (282), Owsley Cheek (77), and Chris Matthew (22) put on a display speed. Perez pulled out to a very large lead and never looked back. The final from the Shifters division; Dani Perez (282), P2 Owsley Cheek (77), and P3 Chris Matthew (22).

That wraps up LRR’s coverage of AMP action. Join us next week for coverage of the main track in round 5 of the Summer Car Series. LRR would again like to thank all of the staff and competitors at AMP. If you or someone you know has a need for speed be sure to check out AMP’s website at http://www.atlantamotorsportspark.com, along with their YouTube page AMP’D UP. We might someday see you racing beside the wonderful drivers at AMP.