After a year of qualifying and intense weekends of city and state championships, the World Championship drivers have been reduced to 12 from 70 and will be competing this weekend for the $15,000 grand prize and title of champion in the world’s very first indoor electric go karting championship – the K1 Speed E-World Championship!
Before the World Championship Finals on Saturday, they’ve got to determine who will represent the United States.
The US Championship will be held at K1 Speed Irvine on Friday, March 22, at 5pm with the following 12 racers from across the country:
- Charles Eichlin (California)
- Brendan Radzely (New York)
- Sanjaya Vatuk (Massachusetts)
- Kenny McCoy (Washington)
- Spencer Stillwell (North Carolina)
- Jeff Panelley (Utah)
- Nicolas Ryan (Illinois)
- Curtis Cantrell (Georgia)
- Demetrius Hines (Hawaii)
- Shane Lambert (Colorado)
- Thomas Lyons (Arizona)
- Peyton Phillips (Texas)
These are among the fastest and most experienced racers at K1 Speed and should prove to be a competitive bunch as they go for the single spot open in the World Championship Finals.
The driver that comes out on top will be the US Champion and will compete in the Finals the following morning with racers from K1 Speed’s international locations:
- Antonio Arias (Puerto Rico)
- Daniel Demaras (Canada)
- Terry Gao (China)
- Luis Enrique Peña (Mexico)
The five elite racers will set out the morning of Saturday, March 23 on a tournament of three different K1 Speed locations: Ontario, Anaheim, and Irvine. At each location, a Challenge GP-style race will be held: one practice session, two qualifying sessions, and a final race. The Challenge GP points system will be utilized, and the racer with the highest points from the three races will become the inaugural World Champion and will win the $15,000 cash prize! Second place will still walk away with a cool $7,500, while third place will score $3,500.
Those wanting to spectate at the World Finals should use this tentative schedule as a guide of when to arrive:
- 10:30am to 11:30am: Ontario Race
- 1:30pm to 2:30pm: Anaheim Race
- 3:30pm to 4:30pm: Irvine Final Race
- 4:30pm to 5:30pm: Prize Ceremony/Begin Celebrations