Barnes To Start Winter Series Title Defence
[Written by Stephen Wright]
Scott Barnes begins the defence of his Shifter Masters title in the Skusa Winter Series at the AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex in Florida this weekend.
The island’s top karting driver dominated all four rounds last year, winning three of the four heats and three of the four finals to seal the title.
Barnes will be racing for Ohio-based Magik Kart USA, one of the strongest teams in the United States, and is confident of making a flying start to the first two rounds, which run from Friday to Sunday.
The championship concludes with rounds three and four at the same venue from February 10 to 12.
“I’m feeling confident, I know the track, and have better equipment than previous years, as I’m racing for a new team,” Barnes told Bernews.
“I’m looking to start the series strongly. You’re allowed to drop your worst finish, so there’s not too much margin for error. It’s always easier to maintain a points lead going into rounds three and four rather than chasing.
“I know the competition will be stiff. For some of the guys, this [the AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex] is their home track, which is an advantage.
“This is my third time competing in the series [he finished runner-up in his first year in 2021], so it’s starting to feel like home.”
“Being the defending champion doesn’t change my mindset. I’ll look to execute on the track.”
The 38-year-old will look to build on his strong displays of last year. He claimed four podiums at the Daytona KartWeek in Florida last month, two podium finishes at the Skusa SuperNationals in Las Vegas in November, and two wins at the Xtream Rock Island Grand Prix in September.
He also helped the Bermuda Triangle team, including David Barbosa, David Selley, Marc Tucker, and American Alex Mayer, win the Masters title at the SimCraft 24 Hours of Nola in New Orleans in March.
“I’m looking for new sponsors this year to help me compete internationally,” said Barnes, who is sponsored by Butterfield & Vallis. “If I can get off to a strong start this year, that should help me.”
