SKUSA Team News - Giebler Racing’s Brian McHattie Wins Twice At SpringNationals

TUCSON, May 4, 2011: Phil Giebler Racing's Brian McHattie won the TaG Master feature events Saturday and Sunday in the Honda Racing/HPD SpringNationals, the opening event of the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour, at the Musselman Honda Circuit.

McHattie, of Yorktown, Ohio, passed Larry Fraser for the lead in late in both features, on the 19th of 20 laps Saturday and the 18th of 20 on Sunday. McHattie was driving in his first event for PGR.

"Brian had a great weekend for us," team owner Giebler said.

Mason Daughters, of Polo, Mo., finished ninth on Saturday and 10th Sunday in the TaG Junior features.

"Mason is developing very well," Giebler said. "He is up against very tough competition and is showing lots of potential with his very limited experience.”

Noah Grey, of Dana Point, Calif., finished ninth in both features in TaG Cadet.

Emily Maddison, of Alberta, Canada, finished 10th on Sunday and 14th Saturday in the features of TaG Senior, a class that was sponsored by Phil Giebler Racing. There were 32 starters in Saturday’s feature.

“Emily did some good racing to take 10th,” Giebler said. “She battled for sixth at one point. She is gaining more confidence every race.”

PGR had three more drivers in TaG Senior. In feature races, Jess Peterson, of Sparks, Nev., finished 11th on Saturday and 16th on Sunday, Andrew Wiener, of Chula Vista, Calif., was 13th on Saturday and 19th on Sunday, Giebler was 15th on Saturday and 16th on Sunday, Shawn Cricca, of Simi Valley, Calif., was 18th on Saturday and had a tough-luck DNF on Sunday.

Giebler, of Huntington Beach, Calif., was forced to start at the back in the 32-car field on Saturday after an engine failure in a heat race in which he was running third. Giebler was fifth in the other heat race.

“It was reminiscent of last year’s SpringNationals opener where I won from last place,” Giebler said. “I was determined to repeat. I made it up to 10th, but was involved in another accident in front of me and I fell back again.”

Cricca qualified in 14th position on Saturday and 10th on Sunday, but kept running into trouble.

“I was eighth in the first heat Saturday and was running fifth in the second heat and got taken out by a kart flying on top of me,” Cricca said. “I had to start 31st in the main and was up to 10th halfway through and someone spun right in front of me and left me no choice but to run off the track.

“I was 10th in the first heat Sunday and seventh in the second. I was up to fifth and running down the top four with seven laps to go and I got two right side flat tires. We were pretty quick all weekend and just seemed to have some bad luck. But, overall, it was a pretty good weekend.”

Vatche Tatikian, of North Hollywood, Calif., had DNFs Saturday and Sunday in the S4 features.

“Vatche had his hands full moving into the S4 class from the novice class of S3 in only his fourth kart race ever,” Giebler said. “He is learning every time he hits the track.”

PGR’s Steve Wiener, of Chula Vista, Calif., failed to finish in both TaG Master features.

“We had an up-and-down weekend as a group,” Giebler said. “The conditions were difficult with hot, windy and very dusty weather. The track was a bit different for us as well, lots of flowing corners and lots of grip. We had more than our fair share of bad luck.”

Phil Giebler Racing, based in Orange, Calif., uses FA Karts powered by 125cc water-cooled Vortex Racing engines in TaG Senior, TaG Junior, TaG Master and S4. Grey also has a FA Kart and is powered by a 60cc Vortex MiniRok engine. The entire PGR team races on MG Tires.