MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Young karting sensation James Overbeck wheeled a No. 138 PPK / Coyote Zenith to his first career GoPro Motorplex Karting Challenge win Saturday, Nov. 12.
Overbeck scored the victory in the Briggs Senior final, topping a 24-kart field.
The Cincinnati, Ohio driver had to start last in the division’s prefinal after a mechanical issue stopped him from completing a lap in qualifying. He’d advance to P5 in the prefinal before muscling his way to the front in the main event. He’d battle with class points leader Connor Yonchuk over the last several laps and hold off Yonchuk and George Wheeler to the finish stripe for his first win in the competitive club series.
Overbeck nearly stole the win in the Briggs Heavy main earlier in the day. After gaining speed in the preliminary rounds, Overbeck was battling for P1 in the late stages of the Heavy final until contact sent him off the track with a lap and a half to go.
The event marked Overbeck’s first at GoPro aboard a PPK-tuned Coyote Zenith. Overbeck had one previous start on a Coyote, coming in August at the Sunshine State Karting Challenge rounds 3 and 4 at Orlando Kart Center, where he won the Saturday Briggs Senior main.