Thomas Nepveu back in SKUSA at New Castle Motorsports Park. From August 13th to 15th, 2021 - Rounds 5 & 6 - SKUSA SUMMERNATIONALS

After a pause in karting since the end of May, Thomas Nepveu returns this weekend to the SuperKarts! USA SummerNationals series (X30 Senior class) on the fast one-mile New Castle Motorsports Park located in New Castle (Indiana, USA). Thomas Nepveu is familiar with this high-speed layout which features a long straightaway of 950 ft. (290 meters), after having raced there in 2019 during a concentrated six-race programme in which he achieved good results.

This return to the track will also be marked by a major change for the team as Thomas Nepveu will be driving a new brand of machine made by "Kart Republic". Thomas and his sporting manager, Coy Arbour, will be participating in the event as an independent team. Founded in Italy by the renowned Dino Chiesa in 2017, the brand has taken several drivers to the highest levels of motorsport such as Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Lance Stroll to name a few. 

"I am expecting a very good weekend as I feel we have the equipment we need to succeed. I've been racing against Kart Republic karts since their inception in 2017. Everything is in place for us to reach the podiums and play for wins. I like this type of track at New Castle, fast and with some places where we can overtake. We are ready for a big weekend, especially when we add the knowledge that we have developed since the beginning of the season in USF2000," explains Thomas Nepveu.

2021 Season So Far

Thomas Nepveu has had a busy 2021 season since his first race in January.

In karting, the young driver from Oka has participated in 11 finals, accumulated one podium, two top-5s and five top-10 finishes, moving up closer and closer to the leaders as the season progresses.

Nepveu is also competing in his first season in a Cooper Tires USF2000 single seater, in the "Road To Indy" development program, developed by the promoters of the series. In 12 races (11 road courses and one oval), the Oka native has collected one win, three top-5 and eight top-10 finishes. He is currently second in the Rookie of the Year contest, just one point behind the leader and with five races to go this season. 

Weekend Schedule (EDT) - SKUSA SUMMERNATIONALS - X30 Senior Class

• Friday, August 13^th: Practice (7 min) 9:10 am - 10:30 am - 11:50 am | Practice (12 min) 2:45 pm - 4:45 pm
• Saturday, August 14^th (Round 5): Warm-up (5 min) 8:56 am | Qualifying (7 min) 10:15 am | Pre-Final (10 laps) 12:10 pm | Final (16 laps) 3:55 pm
• Sunday, August 15^th (Round 6): Warm-up (5 min) 8:56 am | Qualifying (7 min) 10:15 am | Pre-Final (10 laps) 12:10 pm Final (16 laps) 3:55 pm

Follow the action live: SKUSA application

Karting Championships & USF2000 for 2021

Participating in three championships over the summer adds up to 23 professional events over the season (13 in karts and 10 in USF2000 cars). Each weekend is composed of multiple practice/qualifying sessions, Pre-Final and Final races depending on each series' rules. The considerable amount of racing time, plus the hours spent on simulators, will certainly accelerate Thomas Nepveu's learning process given the high level of competition in every series.

Driving Instructor

Thomas Nepveu's personality and technical knowledge also make him an ideal driving instructor, capable of transmitting his knowledge while making the student and the family comfortable during these important and often emotionally charged moments. Thomas Nepveu began working with novices in the spring of 2019, when he was only 14 years old, and continues to do so for the BCR (Ben Cooper Racing) race team. Last winter, with he even helped some PSL Karting drivers at a track in addition to taking care of his own machine (track walks, debrief meetings after each track session).

Kart Republic

Founded in 2017 by Dino Chiesa, this Italian manufacturer has dominated kart racing at the international level since its inception. It quickly moved to American competition, taking its first win at the most competitive North American event, the Las Vegas SKUSA SuperNationals (1st - X30 Senior class - Nov. 2018). The brand has recorded a multitude of wins since then and solidified its position at the top of the kart racing world.

2021 Thomas Nepveu Karting Schedule

Photo Credit: Raphaël Fortin - Hexarts 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Thomas Nepveu Career Path and Results

Born in Oka (Quebec), Thomas Nepveu has always shown a great interest in extreme sports, starting with small motorcycles on dirt tracks. He quickly moved on to karts first in the Montreal area, then on to provincial and national series in Canada, on to the United States, Europe and other continents. 

2020

• Single seater debut in the Mexican F4 series at the Autodromo de Querétaro, Mexico
• 1 victory and 2 podiums out of 3 F4 races
• Victory in the ROK Fest East series - Charlotte (NC) (ROK Senior class)
• 6^th out of 52 entries, one pole from 3 races in ROK Cup Florida Winter Tour
• 6^th and 1 podium (3^rd) out of 4 races in the SKUSA Winter Series
• 8^th and 2 poles out of 6 races in the SKUSA Pro Tour

2019

• Transition to Rotax Senior class
• Canadian Karting Champion
• Canadian Shifter Open Champion
• Two top-5 finishes in the SKUSA Pro Tour (Senior class)
• Qualified for the Final in the WSK Euro Series (Sarno, Italy)

2018

• US Open Champion
• 3^rd in the ROK Cup USA Florida Winter Tour series
• 4^th in the Max Challenge class at the Rotax Grand Final (Brazil)
• 15^th in the CIK-FIA World Championship OKJ (Sweden)
• 5^th in the ROK the Rio (Las Vegas)

2017

• Transition year to the Junior class (12 to 16)
• 1st in the Florida Winter Tour (2^nd round)
• 2^nd in the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship  

2016

• Debut with PSL Karting
• Youngest driver (11) on the Canadian Karting Team
• Champion in the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship with 7 victories in 7 races, a first in this event
• Champion at the Mini Swift Super Nationals
• Runner-up in the Mini Max world championship
• Team Canada finishes first of 54 countries in the Rotax World Championships with Thomas Nepveu the top Canadian finisher in the Mini-Max class

2015

• Transition year (11 to 13 age group)
• Quebec Cup runner-up
• 4^th in the Eastern Canada Championship
• 3^rd in the Canadian Championship

2014

• Quebec Cup champion
• Eastern Canada champion
• 3^rd in the Canadian Championship
• 3^rd in the Florida Winter Series (first podium for Thomas Nepveu in the United States)

2013

• Wins all Canadian championships in the 9-year-old class
• Quebec Cup champion
• Western Canada champion
• Eastern Canada champion
• 6^th in the Micro Max class at the Rotax Grand Finals in New Orleans, Louisiana

2012

• First year in racing, in the Micro Max class, in Quebec and Ontario
• 5^th in the Quebec Cup