STARS OF KARTING –WESTERN DIVISION - RENO (NEVADA) – 3RD ROUND ( JUNE 4TH –5TH, 2005 )

ALEX SPEED AND BIREL DOMINATE THE ICC

The Birel star keeps shining in America. At the 3rd round of the Stars Championship run in Reno, Alex Speed held sway in both races scheduled on Saturday and Sunday. To the Birel-Tm combination, this means a further confirmation of the great competitiveness of the racing range 2005. The Icc category, in particular, has apparently become Birel’s domain on all the continents, and in view of the important late-season racing appointments more and more drivers are opting for Birel chassis. With the victory in Nevada, Alex Speed asserted himself as the driver to beat in the American top category, and he is very likely to become as successful as his elder brother, today the protagonist of the European Gp2 Championship. During the weekend in Reno, young Ryan Phinny contributed to the Birel Team’s excellent overall results, too, making it to the podium after Sunday’s race (he ended 6th on Saturday). On the podium, Speed was joined by Wilson and Carlton in Race 1, while Rodolph was second ahead of Phinny in Race 2. But the Phinny family did not celebrate only Ryan’s podium in Reno: in the Cadet category, in fact, Ryan’s younger brother Brendan won both Saturday’s and Sunday’s tests, racing with a Birel chassis, too. Among the Birel drivers of the Cadet class, Taylor Miinch did very well, too, conquering the 4th placing in Saturday’s race and the 5th on Sunday. Birel drivers were not very lucky in the ICA class, but it has to be pointed out that those tipped to win on the day before were absent for several reasons. Birel’s promotional project, the Easykart category, was included in the supplementary racing programme, instead. Both races on schedule were won by Cory Pollock.