International line-up of 27 talented racers set to take on Superkarts! USA’s headline event
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA (November 12, 2018) – Industry leading race team Rolison Performance Group (RPG) has arrived in Las Vegas for the 22nd running of the biggest kart race in North America – the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals – and this year’s tent will be packed with talent. The operation is primed to wrap up an incredibly successful 2018 campaign and now SuperNationals triumphs are the final target. This year, RPG’s customer-tailored driver program will bring together 27 drivers from 10 different countries, presenting a truly international paddock. Team owner Mike Rolison is incredibly excited about the final event on this year’s schedule, and he’s ready to hit the ground running when the 12-turn, 0.8-mile temporary layout at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino opens for business on Wednesday.
“I’m really looking forward to this week’s event and it’s always an experience to be part of this amazing race – there’s just nothing like the SKUSA SuperNationals,” offered Rolison. “It’s a huge race, but truthfully, we don’t approach it any differently than any event with attend. Our staff is 100% focused on providing our drivers with perfectly-prepared equipment, and then working with them to make sure they’re getting the most out of their machines and themselves. Driver coaching and development is such a core component of what we do, and bringing our racers up to speed on a tough temporary course like the Rio is one of the things we do extremely well, drawing from all of our collective experience. With 28 drivers under our tent this week, and so much momentum for 2019, I’m very pleased but more focused on getting the most out of everyone.”
With drivers competing in a variety of classes, RPG’s in-depth data analysis and driver coaching staff will focus their talents on the specific needs of the team’s individual drivers. Rolison has put together an all-star staff that includes in-house RPG motor builder and tuner Alex Vincent, and a veteran tuning and coaching line-up that includes Mike Beeny, Bonnier Moulton, James Rooke, Aaron Neliton, Jone Teixeira, Wes Boswell, Luke Selliken, Artie Carpenter, Russell Francis, and Trevor Allen. The team is dedicated to producing unrivaled results at the largest, most exciting karting event of the year.
RPG has always had a stout gearbox program and this year will be no different. Five drivers will be fielded under the tent, including Dan Monteiro and Cam Egger in the Pro Shifter category, and Noah Milell and Axel Bengtsson campaigning in the KZ class. Egger is coming off a career best finish in the Superkarts USA! Pro Tour, taking fourth place in the S2 championship. Shifter Master will be led by three-time SuperNationals winner Bonnier Moulton and Ryan Pool, both running the MSquared colors. Bonnier has a decorated career in SKUSA competition and was also inducted into the Hall of Fame last year. Moulton’s has raced in all 21 of the past SuperNationals and his experience will be invaluable to every driver under the RPG tent.
RPG is primed and ready to take on the headline X30 Senior class and will deliver some heavy hitters from five different countries. Pro Tour vice-champion Samuel Lupien will lead the team, and the Canadian will run his #2 national number plate for the first time. Impressive Senior rookie Hannah Greenemeier will make her SuperNationals debut, and will take on a massive field of almost 80 X30 Senior drivers alongside teammates Reece Cohen, Cedric Lupien, Jacob Gulick, Miklas Born, and Rafael Villagomez. A late and exciting addition to the Rolison line-up is former Rotax Max world champion Ben Cooper, who must certainly be considered as a contender for the win on SuperSunday.
In the X30 Masters category, RPG will field seven drivers with a strong resume of results. Two-time SuperNationals winner Billy Cleavelin will return in search of his third title. The veteran will be joined by Justin Peck, John Robicheaux, Jason Burns, Sunghoon Moon, Kyungho Park, and Kay Choi.
RPG will bring four X30 Junior drivers to Las Vegas, from Brazil and the USA. Long-time Rolison Performance Group driver Josh Pierson will attempt his first SuperNationals in the X30 Junior category. Joining Josh in the RPG colors will be Pedro Aizza, Biggs Tiner and Caleb Shrader. In its first year on the SuperNationals docket, the air-cooled KA100 Senior class will make its debut and RPG will field a single driver in the category – Australian Oscar Priest. This will be Oscar’s first SuperNationals, as he hopes to make a name for himself in the United States. California ProKart Challenge Micro Swift champion Graham Trammell is the lone RPG driver in the category in Las Vegas, and the Oregon driver is making his first SuperNationals start.
SuperNationals 22 kicks off on Wednesday, November 14 with four rounds of official practice. Three more practice rounds will be offered on Thursday ahead of qualifying for all classes. Drivers will face three rounds of heat races on Friday and Saturday to earn the best starting positon possible on SuperSunday, which is reserved for main events only. RPG fans and supporters can listen to the live audio call of the events on eKartingNews.com all week (www.ekartingnews.com/live), and can then tune into the live streaming video of SuperSunday’s action on Superkarts! USA’s Facebook page. Stay up-to-date with RPG’s adventures this weekend at SKUSA SuperNationals 22 by following us on Facebook (@RolisonPerformanceGroup), Instagram (@rolisonpg), and Twitter (@rolison_pg).
Rolison Performance Group (RPG) is national-level karting team based out of Wilsonville, Oregon. RPG competes nationally at the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour, in addition to the SKUSA Winter Series, Florida Winter Tour, California ProKart Challenge and the new IKF Northwest Region. For more information about driver programs, visit www.rolisonperformancegroup.com or contact Mike Rolison at 503-260-4514.