Andrick Zeen at Mariembourg GPO in KF2.
Flying the flag for G-Phactory and Sodi Racing USA at the IKF Region 7 race at the Willow Springs Kart Track in Rosamond, Calif. was Andrick Zeen and Lloyd Mack. Zeen had has work cut out for him as he entered two of the series’ most competitive classes; the ever-growing Spec PRD, as well as TaG Senior, which competed on both Saturday and Sunday, giving Zeen three chances for success. Mack, however, was concentrating solely on the Spec PRD class.
Competing in Spec PRD for the first time, Zeen needed some time to adjust to the new engine package and qualified a respectable sixth on the grid, just ahead of Mack in seventh. Zeen, fresh from the second round of the GPO Karting Series held in Marienburg, Belgium made good progress in the heat race to get up to second, while Mack was hit at the start and fell to last, eventually working his way back to twelfth. Zeen fell to third at the start of the race while Mack was on a tear, working his way up to fifth after one lap. However, Mack’s charge to the front would be interrupted as he was taken out by the kart of Bobby Kelley, leading Mack to retire. Zeen ran at the front but could do nothing with the leader, and finished in second.
The Saturday TaG Senior proceedings began with Zeen grabbing pole on his Sodi ST-32 with a D-Power Rok TT. In the heat race, Zeen was shuffled out of the way at the start and fell to third. He was able to make up one spot to finish the heat race in second. With races that start on the short but wide straightaway between turns three and four at the Willow Springs kart track, the outside row is usually a disadvantage and proved to be again as Zeen would fall to third at the start of the main as he was pushed aside by the third-starting kart. Zeen and the other driver would swap positions throughout the main but Zeen would ultimately finish in third.
Sunday’s TaG Senior battle kicked off with Zeen putting his Sodi Kart off pole, but after two laps made a pass for the lead stick and crossed the line in first. The start of the main saw Zeen fall to second as the kart off-pole got a big push from behind to take the advantage into the first corner. Zeen pushed the whole way but was unable to make an impression, and crossed the checkered flag right behind the winner.
“Any weekend where you come home with three podiums is a great weekend,” said team owner Phil Giebler. “Our karts and D-Power engines ran great all weekend, and if our luck had been slightly different, we would have come home with three victories. The Sodi Karts showed again they can run at the front in a variety of classes.”
Next for the G-Phactory squad will be the ProKart Challenge North vs. South shootout, to be held at Buttonwillow Raceway Park.
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