Henry Morse wins, Drew, Giebler complete podium sweep for PGR in prestigious IKF Grand Nationals at Santa Maria

Henry Morse of Redondo Beach, Calif., led a podium sweep for Phil Giebler Racing with a victory in the premier Senior LO206 Heavy class Sunday (July 2) at the 60th International Karting Federation Grand Nationals at the .7-mile Santa Maria Kart Track.

Jake Drew of Fullerton, Calif., finished second and team owner Phil Giebler of Huntington Beach, Calif., was third for a top-three sweep in the PGR-prepared Ricciardo Karts.

“Drew and Morse passed back-and-forth for the lead for many laps before Drew made a nice outide pass and was able to make it stick and go on to victory,” Giebler said. “The 20-lap final was a very tight race for the whole top ten. I started sixth and managed to get up to fourth on the start. I eventually got up to second. The race was heating up front between Drew and Morse and I slipped back to third. The other drivers started mixing it up with me and I was able to hold off a charging Lloyd Mack (who finished fourth) and Tyler Agan (fifth).

“It was a great feeling to stand as a team and celebrate on the podium.”

Morse’s triumph earned him the coveted Duffy trophy, named for karting icon Duffy Livingston. It’s considered the highest honor in American karting.“Being fast and winning doesn’t happen without the focus of winners like these people (PGR) and with a 1-2-3 finish at the national level, it’s clear PGR is the mark of how good a karting team can be,” wrote Ben Morse, Henry’s father, on Facebook.

PGR’s Nicky Hays of Huntington Beach, Calif., finished 10th in Senior LO206 Heavy in his first event driving in the Briggs and Stratton engine class.

Drew qualified in second position, Morse was third, Giebler sixth and Hays seventh. Drew took the heat race with Morse second, Giebler sixth and Hays seventh.

PGR also took two of the podium spots in Saturday’s Masters LO206 final. Bryan Bender of Seal Beach, Calif., was second and Tim Doyon of Eagle, Idaho, was third.

“Bryan and Tim had strong performances,” Giebler said.

Grant Palmer of St. Louis, Mo., was fifth in Sunday’s X30 Senior feature.

Drew finished third and Morse fifth in Saturday’s Senior LO206 final. PGR’s Jared Caylor of San Pedro, Calif., as sixth and Palmer was eighth.

Morse has three victories this season in LO206 and leads the Los Angeles Karting Club points. He’s also leading the 24-driver EXR Sprint Series.

Drew drove with a cast on his hand at Santa Maria. He broke it in an LAKC, where he was two wins in X30 and LO206, a month ago.

“It was impresssive that Drew took second and third driving almost one handed,” Giebler said.

Phil Giebler Racing is based in Anaheim, Calif., and competes nationally at the highest level of karting in the United States. Giebler is a resident of Huntington Beach, Calif. The team is the Western distributor of the Daniel Ricciardo Kart, BirelART chassis and Freeline Kart Parts.

For more information, go to www.philgieblerracing.com.

Phil Giebler Racing results, 60th International Karting Federation Grand Nationals, July 1-2, Santa Maria (Calif.) Kart Track: July 1—Senior L206, 3. Jake Drew, Fullerton, Calif., 5. Henry Morse, Redondo Beach, Calif., 6. Jared Caylor, San Pedro, Calif., 8. Grant Palmer, St. Louis, Mo.; Masters LO206, 2. Bryan Bender, Seal Beach, Calif., 3. Tim Doyon, Eagle, Idaho; July 2—Senior LO206 Heavy, 1. Morse, 2. Drew 3. Phil Giebler, Huntington Beach, Calif., 10. Nicky Hays, Huntington Beach, Ca.; X30 Senior, 5. Palmer.