Difficult week-end for Thomas Nepveu with 14th et 24th finishes in rounds 1 & 2 of the skusa winter series 2021

"... we tried everything we knew this past weekend without success, to correct our handling problem. We'll get our own back when we return to this track for rounds 3 and 4 of the SKUSA Winter Series. Tomorrow morning, we will all concentrate 100% on the ROK event next weekend!"

January 9^th and 10^th 2021 - AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex (Florida)

Oka (Quebec, Canada) - January 11, 2021. Thomas Nepveu launched his 2021 kart season this weekend in the first two rounds of the legendary SKUSA Winter Series (Super Kart USA) on the 0.7-mile (11 turns) Florida circuit at AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex (Florida).

The hard work of Thomas Nepveu and his team over the three days of the event, coupled with his aggressive and intelligent driving, did not allow them to turn around a weekend that started badly during Friday practice. Such difficult weekends contribute to a solid base of experience for a driver on his way to a professional career. The lack of traction on corner exits could not be corrected and Thomas Nepveu crossed the finish line 14^th in Saturday's final, after losing three positions from a 3-second penalty while driving in the lead pack. He finished 24^th in Sunday's Final race.

Thomas Nepveu enjoys the full support of PSL Karting and that of his technical manager Coy Arbour, when competing in the X30 S (Senior) class, the quickest classic 2-Stroke karts in the SKUSA series. The battles in this class are always tight, with 40 drivers registered for the weekend.

Action Highlights According to Thomas Nepveu (extracts)

Friday (January 8): "After six practice sessions over the day, we are 0.4 sec slower than the quickest times, despite working hard in between session. We will work some more to make up our deficit in time for the Saturday morning qualifying session."

Saturday (January 9): "I qualified 20^th in the 40-kart field, then finished 11^th in the short Pre-Final race, but a 3-second penalty was added to my time for an overenthusiastic push on the guy in front of me, dropping me down to 14^th place in the official results. We are still fighting the low traction issue on the hot track surface, but the 20-lap Final race will give me more time to catch and pass people, especially if we can solve our problem by then.

I got a great start in the Final, jumping from 14^th to 6^th on the first lap by passing people on the outside going into corners. On lap 10, I was working out my next passes when I tangled with someone else and lost 12 seconds, dropping me to 14^th place, where I finished the race. I was somewhat frustrated but also happy after turning in a fast lap only 0,1 sec slower than the race winner. Good news for Sunday's racing!"

Sunday (January 10): "Qualifying was not as great as I wanted but still better than yesterday's times. I got it right on the last lap and ended up 10^th for the start of the Pre-Final, where I fought my way up to 6^th before dropping to 7^th, where I finished.

In the Final, I moved up to 6^th before the traction issue returned and I gradually dropped back as the car would not let me fight and I ended up 24^th at the finish. We will now concentrate on our vengeance in rounds 3 and 4 of this series, on February 12 to 14."

The X30 S (Senior) Kart

The Birel Art X30 S machine used by Thomas Nepveu in the quickest 2-stroke-engined class, uses a 125cc engine that delivers its 35hp directly to the rear axle via a chain (called "Direct Drive"). It features a single brake disc on the rear axle. Thomas Nepveu's track record over the years demonstrates that he masters these machines completely and is in for a podium finish every time out, always with shot at a victory.

These X30 S look simple at first glance with their lack of conventional suspension, but they are in fact very complicated to set up properly. The key to a winning machine is to achieve the ideal combination of flexibility and rigidity by adjusting multiple variables: the chassis crossbar at the front, the correct tightening of the chassis bolts, the thickness and width of the rear axle, the bucket seats and brackets of different stiffness, the variable wheelbase, the tire pressures, the ground clearance, the rigidity of the hubs, the carburetion and ignition, the gear ratio of the transmission chain, etc.

Thomas Nepveu has been riding such classic go-karts for years and has won many victories and podiums in Canada and around the world on them. In 2020, Thomas Nepveu finished fourth and podium (3^rd) respectively in Rounds 1 and 2 of the SKUSA "Winter Series.

Next events

Thomas Nepveu and his team will be back on track January 15-17 for the opening round of the ROK Florida Winter Tour at the Isle Casino Circuit in Pompano Beach (Florida). The two other rounds of the SKUSA Winter Series will then follow at the AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex circuit (Florida) from February 12 to 14.

Thomas Nepveu 2021 Karting Schedule and Results

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/VjxA6Un
Photo credit: Trever Blue

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.

Driving Instructor

Thomas Nepveu's personality and technical knowledge also make him an ideal driving instructor, capable of transmitting his knowledge while making the student and the family comfortable during these important and often emotionally charged moments. Thomas Nepveu began working with novices in the spring of 2019, when he was only 14 years old, and continues to do so for the BCR (Ben Cooper Racing) race team. Last winter, with he even helped some drivers from PSL Karting (PSL Karting) at a track in addition to taking care of his own machine (track walks, debrief meetings after each track session).

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)
• 6^th in Championship
• 1 pole out of 3 races in ROK Cup USA Florida Winter Tour (ROK Senior class)
• 6^th and 1 podium (3^rd) out of 4 races SKUSA Winter Series
• 8^th 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
• 3^rd in the ROK Cup USA Florida Winter Tour series
• 4^th in the Max Challenge class at the Rotax Grand Final (Brazil)
• 15^th in the CIK-FIA World Championship OKJ (Sweden)
• 5^th in the ROK the Rio (Las Vegas)

2017

• Transition year to the Junior class (12 to 16)
• 1^st in the Florida Winter Tour (2^nd round)
• 2^nd 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
• 4^th in Eastern Canada Championship
• 3^rd in Canadian Championship

2014

• Quebec Cup champion
• Eastern Canada champion
• 3^rd in Canadian Championship
• 3^rd 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
• 6^th 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
• 5^th 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