12-year-old Shootout rookie Giovanni Bromante rewrote the history books with his championship run in the K1 Speed Young Lions division, rising from third to first to capture the title on a tiebreaker with season-long rival Eddie Fatscher at the end of their 20-lap main event.
Bromante led every lap of the caution-free run and pulled away to a half-straightaway victory over Brody Pope, while Fatscher finished third and could only watch as his six-point lead evaporated into a dead heat.
The title was decided on the basis of wins, with Bromante’s four getting the nod over Fatscher’s trio of scores.
“It doesn’t even seem real right now, it’s just a miracle,” Bromante said. “God was with me the whole time. The car was unbelievable.”
“I thought this ending was impossible, really. We haven’t been that fast the last few races, but this time, Dennis Lambert came through with an awesome setup and a race car that was perfect tonight. Wow. I don’t know what to say. This is amazing.”
Ashton Higgins finished fourth and fell to third in the final standings, with Garrett Manes rounding out the top five.
Matthew Davey ended a four-year run of disappointment in the Bandolero Outlaws class in notching his first-ever Summer Shootout crown, finishing third to seal the title by seven markers over Tommy Good while his teammate Matt Emery won the final feature.
Emery wired the field despite Good’s run up the outside on the last lap that resulted in a photo finish, scoring his second win of the summer.
For Davey, who moved from Arizona to Charlotte to chase his racing dreams, the championship was an emotional moment 40 races in the making.
“This feels so good, to finally be the top of the top,” Davey said. “I’m so proud of it. For sacrificing everything they have to get me here, it’s amazing. It’s been a long, hard road, but for my teammate to win the race and to finally have this trophy that we’ve given everything to win … I couldn’t be more blessed or grateful.”
Tristan Lesik and Roy Hayes rounded out the top five finishers.
