Podium Finish in Karters Finale Earns Birth in Masters Feature Event

SunTrust Youth Racing Program driver Spencer Pigot attended the 2008 Performance Racing Industry All Stars Classic held Orlando, Florida. Joined by 29 other Karters and 25 Masters drivers on the temporary parking lot course, thousands witnessed some of the best racers in North America do battle for all-star supremacy.

Once again teamed with Jay Howard's Screaming Talent, now partnered with Palm Beach International Raceway, Pigot was aboard a new Maranello chassis. For the first practice session the team selected to go with rain tires as the surface was very slick from the earlier rain. Learning the track quickly, the team opted for slicks halfway through the practice. Keeping the dry tires for the second on track session, Spencer found himself seventh on the time charts as the checkered flag flew, giving the team confidence going into qualifying. 

With a tight track configuration making passing difficult and a very talented group of drivers, qualifying was very important. Unfortunately an engine problem cut Spencer's qualifying run to only a handful of laps causing him to settle for 15th.

spot on the grid for the pre final. All 30 karts were clocked within six tenths of a second!

Avoiding the opening corner melee for the start of the pre-final, Spencer kept his nose clean throughout the first lap. Steering clear of trouble and working his way through the field, Pigot advanced to a solid fifth place finish in the 25-lap pre-final setting the fastest lap of the race along the way.

Starting from the inside line for the Karter final, Pigot tucked in behind Joel Miller for the first flier. Keeping up with Miller as well as Gary Carlton, and Felipe Guimaraes, Spencer showed the pace to race with these highly talented drivers and battle for the win in front of professional racing drivers and thousands of racing enthusiasts. Crossing the finish line in third place after the 40-lap finale earned him a birth into the Masters Division feature event which included drivers such as Scott Speed, AJ Allmendinger, Dan Weldon, Jay Howard, Jamie McMurray and many more.

Catching his breath following his stellar run, Spencer joined Miller and Cory Pollock on the podium while his team prepared his kart for the feature event. Starting 26th in a field deep in talent, Spencer picked his way through the group in his second 40-lap race of the evening. Staying on the lead lap and passing many drivers, Pigot, the youngest driver in the race, crossed the finish line in 11th place ahead of Miller and last year's champion Michael Valiante. Of the six Karters advancing to final, Spencer was the second highest in the feature. "I had a great time tonight" commentated the Florida resident, " to race against some of my heros in front of thousands of spectators is a huge thrill and beating a few of them makes it even sweeter ! I would like to thank Paul Zalud and Stars of Karting for putting on such a fantastic event. Thanks also to SunTrust, Wayne Taylor, Jay Howard, Palm Beach International Raceway, the Maranello chassis which performed perfectly and of course my tuner Brian Fletcher."

As many drivers prepare for the 2009 season, Spencer has one more event on his 2008 schedule. December 27th through 29th, Spencer will be attending the single most important event for karters transitioning to racecars at Sebring International Raceway for the Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out.

For more information or sponsorship opportunities for Spencer Pigot please contact Barry Pigot at 407.908.1194 or visit them online at www.SpencerPigot.com

Photo Credit: Cody Schindel, Autosports Media