Podium for Team Benik in Mini ROK at ROK Vegas
November 1, 2023 – With only a handful of drivers competing at this season’s annual ROK Cup USA ROK Vegas event, Team Benik showed their speed and persistence in the talent-filled Mini ROK class. Taking place at the RIO All-Suites Hotel and Casino, Team Benik earned the pole position, two heat race wins, and three top-ten results amongst three Mini ROK competitors and five top-ten finishes overall.
Leading the way at the end of the weekend was Mini ROK rookie Royce Vega. Showing his consistency by never running outside the top-five throughout the ROK Vegas event weekend, Vega rocketed his way to the second step of the podium and earned himself and Team Benik a ROK Vegas podium result. Behind him, Troy Ferguson put a pair of Team Benik drivers inside the top-five with a fifth-place effort on Sunday after earning the pole position during Thursday’s qualifying session while Marco Romero was one of the strongest drivers all weekend long winning two heat races but finishing his event in the seventh position. Unfortunately it looked to be a one – two finish for Team Benik as Ferguson crossed the line first in the main event but fell victim to a post-race bumper penalty. Maximilian De Guzman put four Team Benik drivers inside the top-15 ending his ROK Vegas event 13th on the result sheet.
“It was a good weekend for our Mini ROKKERs and it started in qualifying with a 1 – 2 – 3 effort,” explained Team Benik’s Nick Mitchell. “Throughout the week, our drivers were not only working together but battling one another for heat race wins and fastest race laps. Unfortunately, the stars did not align for the win on Sunday but to have three drivers inside the top-seven and four in the top-12 is a great effort by the entire team.”
Focusing on both the Mini and Micro ROK categories, Wynn Godschlak would be the lone Team Benik entry in the Micro division and ended his weekend with a strong P12 finish. Earning career-best ROK Vegas heat race results finishing sixth in both heats one and two, some bad luck in heats three and four relegated Godschlak down the order for the start of Sunday’s main event. Rolling off the grid from the outside of row seven, the young Team Benik driver kept his nose clean and finished 12th in another strong drive for Team Benik.
With ROK Vegas and the ROK Cup USA season now complete, Team Benik will shift their focus to the annual Superkarts! USA SuperNationals at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway over the November 8-12 weekend.
For more information on Team Benik, please visit them online by searching Team Benik on social media or their website at www.Benik-Kart.com.
