Difficult weekend for Thomas Nepveu at Homestead - Speedway Digest

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.

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 (3rd) respectively in Rounds 1 and 2 of the SKUSA “Winter Series.

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.

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Adam Sinclair

NHRA, IHRA, Motocross and other forms of motorsports Staff writer
About Me: Adam has been a race fan since the first time he went through the tunnel under the Daytona International Speedway almost 30 years ago. He has had the privilege of travelling to races all across the state of Florida (as well as one race in Ohio), watching nearly everything with a motor compete for fame and glory, as well as participating in various racing schools to get the feel of what racecar drivers go through every week. Adam has spent the last three years covering motorsports for Examiner.com., where he had the opportunity to see the racing world from behind the scenes as well as the grandstands. He invites everyone to follow him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus, and looks forward to sharing his enthusiasm for all things racing with the readers of SpeedwayDigest.com.Be sure to tune in for his weekly sports talk program, Thursday Night Thunder, where he discusses the latest in motorsports news with drivers, crew members, and fans. The show takes place every Thursday at 8:00 pm EST on the Speedway Digest Radio Network.