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The weather may not have been on their side, but Leading Edge Motorsports persevered and posted a banner weekend at the 17th annual Superkarts! USA SuperNationals. Greg Bell and his team of talented drivers and Super Tuners Inc. mechanics battled the wet, the wind and the cold for three days in Las Vegas at the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino before the sun came out on SuperSunday. Despite the poor conditions, LEM drivers enjoyed the spoils of their hard work Sunday evening as the team took home two podium finishes thanks to the work of TaG Senior driver Jess Peterson and S4 Master Stock Moto standout Trevor McAllister.

Peterson came into the SuperNationals among the more experienced in what has become the category for the young stars on the rise. With nearly two decades behind the wheel of a kart, Peterson used his know-how in the wet conditions, qualifying sixth overall in the 83-driver field. Thankfully, Peterson avoided any trouble during the three heat races to finish inside the top-10 of each heat race, earning a eighth place starting position for the main event on SuperSunday. The Nevada driver avoided the major wreck at the start of the feature, but was dropped down to 15th. Into the 12th spot before a full course caution came out for track repair, Peterson began his charge forward once the race restarted. By the halfway point Jess was fighting for a position inside the top-five. He would secure the fourth spot in the closing laps of the race, earning his first podium finish in the TaG Senior category.

Trevor McAllister and Greg Bell have been a winning combination, and continued their success with a second straight podium at the SuperNationals. McAllister braved the wet and cold conditions with the rest of his S4 competitors for a slippery qualifying session in which he laid down the 19th best lap time. McAllister adjusted very well to the continuing wet conditions in Vegas throughout the heat races where he posted back-to-back second place finishes after a tough opening moto, earning him a 12th place starting spot on SuperSunday. The main event was a wild one and McAllister put his excellent race craft and the speed of the Praga chassis on display throughout the 20 lapper. By lap five, T-Mac had advanced from 12th on the grid and into the top five. McAllister would hold the fourth position, running down the top three drivers but ran out of time at the end. His fourth-place finish would be his second straight at the SuperNationals.

After securing a regional championship in the S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto class at the Texas ProKart Challenge, Ryan Kinnear hit the track in Vegas with only one goal on his mind, victory. Kinnear showed speed in practice aboard his LEM Intrepid, which he brought with him into qualifying. After the checkers flew Kinnear was the 15th quickest of 62 drivers. In the heat races, Kinnear was on the wheel and all over the competition. Finishing fifth, second and sixth set Kinnear up well for the main event as he rolled off in fifth position. Kinnear’s feature race was off to a great start as he easily jumped into the lead on lap three and four corners later, pulled out to a sizable advantage. It was not meant to be for Kinnear as he slowed on the course before coasting to a stop between turns six and seven with a broken needle clip in the carburetor. Bell commented that he had only seen this happen three time previously in his 15 years of shifterkart racing. The result would cost him the Pro Tour championship, ending up third in the standings to receive the SKUSA #3 plate. “I’m disappointed in the main event result and wished it would have not happened, but I’m happy to show the speed again,” stated Kinnear. “We did show how well the team works together. I wish I could have walked out of there with the win and the championship for myself, along with Leading Edge Motorsports and my Tuners. We showed the combination is among the best.”

Mariana Ramirez and Jack Freese contested the S2 class at the 17th annual SuperNats this November alongside their teammate Kinnear. Ramirez worked her way up a sizeable hill from the start after qualifying 46th quickest.  An eighth place in her first race was the boost Ramirez needed. Ramirez would start SuperSunday in the 27th spot on the S2 grid. Unfortunately for Ramirez her main event ended nearly as quickly as it began, as she was involved in a lap one incident closing her weekend early. Freese raced his way to the main event after a solid third place finish in the Last Chance Qualifier, which was the young LEM driver’s ultimate goal. Steadily moving his way up the field, Freese’s weekend would also end early after contact despite moving up into the top-20 of the leader board. Showing speed similar to that of the leaders, it could have been a possible top-10 finish for Freese, but now he will have to take that pace into next year’s season with LEM.

Carrying the LEM banner in a very deep and talented TaG Senior field alongside Peterson was Singapore pilot Julien Fong. Fong qualified about mid-pack in the 80+ deep field, but was unable to improve his position during the heat races and was forced to run the LCQ. A wild race under the lights, Fong would come up just short of earning one of the top-six positions to move on to SuperSunday, chalking up this year’s SuperNationals as a learning experience moving forward.

Leading Edge Motorsports and Super Tuners Inc is ready to take on the 2014 season, supporting all major events throughout North America. To learn how you can be a part of the growing operation that is Leading Edge Motorsports and working with veteran Greg Bell under the Super Tuner Inc name, contact Bell directly at 209.369.0921 or e-mail leadingedgeguy@sbcglobal.net and be sure to visit www.leadingedgemotorsports.com