Thomas Nepveu launches 2021 kart season over the next two weekends
January 8 to 10, 2021 - Rounds 1 and 2 - SKUSA "Winter Series" - Homestead (Florida)
January 14 to 17, 2021 - Round 1 - ROK Cup USA series "Florida Winter Tour" - Pompano Beach (Florida)
Oka, (Quebec, Canada) - January 7, 2021. After nine years of competition to climb through the levels of kart racing around the world, Thomas Nepveu is looking forward to continuing his career over the 2021 season in this specialty at the professional level. The young and experienced driver will take part in several kart championships during the season, adding eleven (11) race weekends to an already busy program in the USF2000 series (8 race weekends). The two most important kart championships will launch their activities over the next two weekends: the SuperKarts! USA "Winter Series" in the Senior X30 class (January 8 to 10, two rounds - SKUSA) and the ROK Cup USA "Florida Winter Tour" in the Shifter ROK class (January 14 to 17 - ROK).
"I'm super excited to get back to racing so early in the year. The technical challenges before me are significant, such as racing a classic direct-drive kart at the SKUSA event next weekend in Homestead and then a shifter kart the following weekend in the parking-lot track of the Isle Casino Hotel in Pompano Beach. I'm certainly going to push as hard as I can and hope to be in the lead group in all the series I'm competing in this season," said the young hopeful ready to attack the season.
Thomas Nepveu will take part in two very distinct racing machines: the SKUSA X30 Senior class 125cc machine with Direct Drive, 35 hp, and a single brake disc at the rear. The ROK (Shifter ROK class) is a more powerful machines (43hp) equipped with a six-speed gearbox and front brakes. According to Thomas Nepveu, the two types of karts are so different to drive at the absolute limit from start to finish of a race to justify calling the two separate types of cars. Adding his rookie season in the USF2000 series means that the young driver will be racing in three different vehicles in 2021.
Weekend schedules
1. SuperKarts! USA "Winter Series" - Senior X30 class (January 8 to 10, two rounds - SKUSA)
January 8: Practice 9:10 AM - 10:30 AM - 11:50 AM - 13:50 PM - 15:10 PM - 16:30 PMJanuary 9: Qualifying 10:15 AM | Pre-Final 12:10 PM | Final #1 3:55 PM
January 10: Qualifying 10:15 AM | Pre-Final 12:10 PM | Final #2 3:55 PM
Live timing: app SKUSA ou RaceHero | superkartsusa.com/live.html
2. ROK Cup USA "Florida Winter Tour" - Shifter ROK class (January 15 to 17 - ROK)
January 15: Practice 9:30 AM - 11:10 AM: Qualifying heats 14:14 PM - 16h33 AMJanuary 16: Qualifying heats 11:16 AM- 2:29 PM | Pre-Final 5:26 PM
January 17: Final #1 10:35 AM | Final #2 3:00 PM
Live timing: app ROK Cup USA
Karting Championships
Participating in several championships represents a total of 21 professional events over two to four days throughout the season. Each weekend consists of practice and qualifying sessions, and final races. The significant time spent on the track, in addition to the time spent on the simulator, will accelerate Thomas Nepveu's learning process and the accumulation of high-level experience.
Thomas Nepveu's 2020 Season
In 2020, Thomas Nepveu finished fourth and third on the podium in finals 1 and 2 respectively of the SKUSA "Winter Series" (X30 Senior) event. In a Florida Winter Tour ROK event, Thomas won all four qualifying heats in the Senior ROK class, before encountering some engine problems before the Final race. After repairs, he started last in the 35-car field and finished 15th after an epic drive through the strong field.
Driver Coaching
Thomas Nepveu's easy personality, technical knowledge and dedicated approach make him an ideal driving instructor, passing on his knowledge while making the student and his family comfortable during these important and often emotionally charged moments. Thomas began working with novices in the spring of 2019, at the age of 14, and continues to do so for the BCR (Ben Cooper Racing) team. Last winter, with PSL Karting, he even helped some drivers at the track on race weekends in addition to taking care of his own machine, by walking the track with the first timers there, and participating in debriefing meetings after each track session.
Cooper Tires USF2000 Series
Thomas Nepveu's plans for the 2021 season calls for him to participate for the first time in the eight (8) weekends of the USF2000 series, the first of the four steps of the Road to Indy program on the way to a career in the IndyCar class, the most prestigious and fast single-seater series in North America.
High resolution photos: https://cutt.ly/wjgB9cz
Photo credit: On track pictures - Cody Schnidel | Thomas Nepveu - Hexarts
Additional information
Thomas Nepveu Career Path and Results
Born in Oka (Quebec), Thomas Nepveu has always shown a great interest in extreme sports, starting with small motorcycles on dirt tracks. He quickly moved on to karts first in the Montreal area, then on to provincial and national series, and to the United States and on other continents.
2020
- Single seater debut in the Mexican F4 series at the Autodromo de Querétaro, Mexico
- 1 victory and 2 podiums out of 3 races
- Victory in the ROK Fest East series - Charlotte (NC) (ROK Senior class)
- 6th in Championship
- 1 pole out of 3 races in ROK Cup USA Florida Winter Tour (ROK Senior class)
- 6th and 1 podium (3rd) out of 4 races SKUSA Winter Series
- 8th and 2 poles out of 6 races in the SKUSA Pro Tour
2019
- Transition to Senior class
- Canadian Karting Champion
- Canadian Shifter Open Champion
- Two top-5 finishes in the SKUSA Pro Tour (Senior class)
- Qualified for the Final in the WSK Euro Series (Sarno, Italy)
2018
- US Open Champion
- 3rd in the ROK Cup USA Florida Winter Tour series
- 4th in the Max Challenge class at the Rotax Grand Final (Brazil)
- 15th in the CIK-FIA World Championship OKJ (Sweden)
- 5th in the ROK the Rio (Las Vegas)
2017
- Transition year to the Junior class (12 to 16)
- 1st in the Florida Winter Tour (2nd round)
- 2nd in Eastern Canadian Karting Championship
2016
- Debut with PSL Karting
- Youngest driver (11) on the Canadian Karting Team
- Champion in the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship with 7 victories in 7 races, a first in this event
- Champion at the Mini Swift Super Nationals
- Runner-up in the Mini Max world championship
- Team Canada finishes first of 54 countries in the (Rotax) World Championships with Thomas Nepveu the top Canadian finisher in the Mini-Max class
2015
- Transition year (11 to 13 class)
- Quebec Cup runner-up
- 4th in Eastern Canada Championship
- 3rd in Canadian Championship
2014
- Quebec Cup champion
- Eastern Canada champion
- 3rd in Canadian Championship
- 3rd in Florida Winter Series (first podium in the United States)
2013
- Wins all Canadian championships in the 9 year-old class
- Quebec Cup champion
- Western Canada champion
- Eastern Canada champion
- 6th in the Micro Max class at the Rotax Grand Finals in New Orleans, Louisiana
2012
- First year in racing, in the Micro Max class, in Quebec and Ontario
- 5th in the Quebec Cup
PSL Karting
PSL Karting is the North American importer and official race team of Birel ART. The nationally ranked team focuses on young driver development and the promotion of Birel ART products.
Established in 1999, PSL has grown into a powerhouse in their industry, with one of the strongest kart-focused distribution systems in North America, selling chassis, accessories, components and driver equipment for kart and single seater racing. Over the years, the team has grown from a small shop to a large warehouse/workshop with a full-time staff of professionals. In addition to its distribution side.
PSL drivers have earned multiple Nationals and Regional karting championships by offering professional-level support and trackside services that have helped produce some of the best drivers in the world. In 2015, PSL partnered with Birel ART and All Road Management, a group responsible for the success of Formula 1 drivers such a Felipe Massa, Daniel Ricciardo, Pastor Maladonado and the late Jules Bianchi.
As for the future, PSL will continue to focus on the growth of Birel ART and the newly launched Ricciardo Kart line in North America by creating a solid brand presence for clients at all levels of karting & motorsport.
CONTACT
Jessica Ménard, Les Equipes Caissie-Menard inc.
Business consultant - Thomas Nepveu Motorsport
Cell.: 819.448.6514 - E-mail: jmenard@caissiemenard.com