Las Vegas, Nevada, October 31, 2023 - Venezuela was proudly represented by the 12-year-old prodigy, Marco Romero, at the 2023 Rok Cup Las Vegas international karting tournament, held from Wednesday through Sunday in Nevada, United States, at the Rio Hotel & Casino track.
Marco joined the official training sessions on Thursday with Team Benik, displaying remarkable speed during the two practice runs and gearing up for the qualifying rounds where he secured the second spot on the grid amongst more than 27 karts in the ROK Mini category.
Despite feeling under the weather on Friday, Marco pushed through to win the first heat and secured third place in the second. On Saturday, he clinched second in the third heat and first in the fourth, skillfully maneuvering his kart #117. His consistent point accumulation throughout the heats placed him in the pole position for the main event on Sunday.
The main event, which consisted of 18 laps, didn't unfold as expected for the Venezuelan sensation. Despite starting from the first position and contending at the front of the pack, he encountered engine troubles and dropped to the top-10. Nonetheless, he made a remarkable comeback to claim the checkered flag in the seventh position.
Marco will enjoy a brief respite from the 2023 season in the United States before gearing up for his return to Las Vegas during the weekend of November 8 to 12. Romero is set to take on the 26th annual edition of the SKUSA SuperNationals, to be held at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Marco Romero shared his thoughts on the weekend, stating, "It was a pretty good weekend; we finished seventh despite some engine issues. This week marked my final race in the ROK Cup Mini class, and we did a great job. I want to express my gratitude to my mechanic and Team Benik for all their hard work and also extend my congratulations to my fellow competitors. See you at the SuperNats!".

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