Challenging Weekend for Thomas Nepveu in USPKS at Orlando Kart Center
Thomas Nepveu concluded the first round of the United States Pro Kart Series (USPKS) last weekend at the Orlando Kart Center. It was a challenging event for the young Oka native, as he had to settle for a Top 6 and a Top 5 in the finals.
However, Thomas dominated in the pre-finals, claiming 2nd place on Saturday, and clinching the win on Sunday. The finals proved to be more difficult for the 17 years old driver.
"I had a good start in Saturday's final race," said Thomas. "However, I fell back to 4th place. I battled with my competitors and was able to move up to 3rd for a lap or two, but all in all, it was a tough race. I didn't have enough pace to hope for more than 6th place. I did the best I could as there were drivers behind me who were catching up."
He goes on to note that "Trinity Karting Group worked very hard to make adjustments before Sunday's events." His goal was to finish in the Top 3, something he could not accomplish.
"It was a challenging weekend for me," said Thomas after his second race. "Finishing 5th out of 60 entries is not bad, but we lacked pace in the 20 laps final, as opposed to pre-final where we dominated during the 12 laps. We will have to make sure we work on the kart's pace during the longer stints before the next race to fight for wins. All in all, I can say it's been an event punctuated by ups and downs."
Event results:
Saturday, March 5:
Prefinal - 2nd
Final - 6th
Sunday, March 6:
Prefinal - 1st
Final - 5th
Thomas' next event will be in USF2000 with DEForce Racing. He will compete in the second event of the season at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama, from April 29 to May 1st. He will also travel to the Southern track on March 21 for testing.