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Archives August 2009

9-2-09 Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle Shootout Deadline September 30th 2009

Attention
Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle Driver Development Program is NOW accepting Nor Cal Rotax Driver resumes. The cut off deadline for resumes to be submitted for consideration is September 30th, 2009.

But ... the earlier they receive the resumes, the sooner they act on them and set up interviews. We encourage Nor Cal Rotax young Drivers and their Parents to apply NOW for our 2010 program.


SACRAMENTO, California - The national talent search for the driver development program conducted by Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle launches today. Supporting sponsors, K&N Filters and Sunoco Racing Fuels will be awarding four free spots in the 2009 Talent Search Shoot-Out to young, talented drivers from various forms of motorsports, with several going to Kart racers.

Many successful car racers today, honed their driving skills driving Karts. K&N Filters and Sunoco Racing Fuels have stepped up to award a position in the Shoot-Out to one young racer from the 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge Kart racing series. The Shoot-Out application process is open to all drivers 11 to 19 years of age, with race winning backgrounds. You must apply to be considered.


For all the information on how to apply follow this link:
Driver Career Development Application Process

RSWC has developed many young Kart racers to successfully make the transition from Kart racing to winning races in SCCA Formula Car series and Pavement Oval series in USAC and NASCAR, including Jessica Brunelli, Beau DeBard, Bobby Grewohl, Mike Hill, Ian Miille, Benny Moon, Jimmy Moon, Brennan Newberry, Thomas Merrill, Bobby Runyan, Viktor Sinzig and more.

Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle (RSWC) is an established talent scout and development program, providing long term, comprehensive racing and career development for up and coming drivers focused on NASCAR careers. RSWC drivers are raced, coached, groomed, trained and molded, within a professional racing environment, into what top teams look for when hiring drivers.

The Shoot-Out process is designed to identify talented, young, up and coming drivers from across the United States and Canada with the talent, potential and commitment to achieve a driving career in NASCAR. RSWC is currently accepting resumes through September 30th, 2009. RSWC expects to receive over 700 resumes, as they have in the past, and narrow it down to approximately 40 drivers to test. The Shoot-Out is conducted in early October, in three types of race cars, on a California paved short oval track.

Sutton has said, "We're not looking for a number. We are looking for young talent that has real potential to go all the way to NASCAR Sprint Cup." Day one of the Shoot-Out includes a seminar for parents and drivers, "The Real World Good, Bad & Ugly of Driver Career Development" and a training course for drivers on driving strategies, expectations and terminology. Three separate tests for the young drivers include body fat fitness, a written problem solving test and psychological analysis.

Days two and three are on track, with drivers getting five 20-lap sessions on track, with coaching, to show their talent. Judges evaluate the drivers on 45 points, with the key areas being coachability, accurate feedback, focus, motivation, training retention, communication skills, personality, aggressiveness, learning rate, confidence and lap times.

The talented drivers selected for the RSWC development program through the Shoot-Out will have a training program designed specifically for their age, experience and development stage, then be placed with a top team in the racing series that fits best, including various classes in SCCA, USAC and NASCAR series.

The career development program consists of 12 veteran driver coaches, 24 classroom topics and eight organizations fielding 24 race teams, all dedicated to develop drivers in the RSWC program. The teams are a balance of Open Wheel and Stock Car oval track race teams, with Road Racing added, to develop highly versatile and accomplished winning drivers.

Young winning drivers ages 11 to 19, and their parents, are encouraged to get all the information and answers to common questions from the web-site, then submit their resume in time to be considered. The web-site is www.Winners-Circle-Racing.com.

Organization: Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle
Contact: Ron Sutton
E-mail: Ron@Winners-Circle-Racing.com

 

8-28-09 Norcal Gold Rush Atwater Race Report

 

At the beginning of 2009 a few clubs set out to do something out of the ordinary for the racers. With the current success of the Crossover series, it was decided to expand on what was working by surrounding valley clubs. This brought the Gold Rush Series. The Gold Rush was setup for four clubs in the Northern Ca. valley to hold a special series for the Club racers that make up competitive affordable Karting. The second race within the series was held at Atwater Kart Club.

 

First Class to take to the track was the Kid Karts. Carter Herrera grabbed pole with a lap of 45.741. In the Heat race MMI’s Courtney Batterton took the early lead but Kartworld’s Zach Corbitt took to the point late to start pole in the final. On the opening lap of the Main Event Corbitt grabbed the top spot early to pace the field. As the race progressed fast qualifier Herrera became faster and grabbed the Lead from Corbitt. Herrera would go on to win after Corbitt would encounter trouble. Batterton would come home second, Halie Beadles, Jarrett Gilmer and Jack Von Quilich would finish the top five.

 

Jr Comer was up next and Blaine Rocha took fast time with a lap of 49.888. On the start of the Heat race Rocha took to the point but it was short lived as Kartworld’s Hunter Corbitt took over the top spot. A few laps to go saw trouble for Corbitt which allowed Rocha to get the win for the Final Pole position. The Main Event saw an epic battle between Corbitt, Rocha, and Kartel’s Joseph LaRosa as the three swapped the lead several times. When the Checkered flew it was Rocha leading the pack for the win. Hunter Corbitt would come home second, MMI’s Curt Paul, Michael Avansino, and Tyler Burk would round out the top five.

 

Sr Superbox was on track and Cody Moss from Bakersfield making one of his few appearances in a kart grabbed fast time with a 34.629. In the Heat Moss looked strong but contact with another kart took him out of the race. Leading Edge’s Bryan Eady would get the win and pole for the Final. On the start of the Main Event Emmcik Cobra’s Jesse Gwin got the jump to lead the field on lap one. The lead would swap positions many times as multiple drivers battled in the lead pack. With a few laps to go contact between second and third would give Gwin the advantage to open up the lead gap he needed to get the win. Cody Moss made a great run from the back to come home second. Anthony Snow was third, Leading Edge’s Brian Gallagher and Chris Gomez were the top five.

 

Scott Gruikz won the Yamaha F200 division while Karl Cleaton won the five kart field of the Clone division. Leading Edges Jared Woolf won the three kart field of 125 Stock Moto on his home turf.  In the Shifter 80 Sr. division, Kartel’s Adam Booker went wire to wire in dominate fashion winning both the heat and the main and qualifying pole by nearly three tenths.

 

Tag Sr was on track and Ryan Garcia go the pole by .324 with a 32.001. No doubt Garcia was quick. Garcia walked away to an easy victory in the heat. On the start of the Final MMI’s Tyler Bradstock grabbed the lead to pace the field early. Garcia was clearly faster waiting for his kart to come in. Once the opportunity presented itself, Garcia grabbed the lead from Bradstock winning by nearly a second. Bradstock came home second, Bordogna’s Troy Buckman was third, MMI’s Kevin Knight fourth and Amber Friedberg finishing the top five.

 

HPV-1 took to the track for battle and Jarred Campbell was clearly the kid to beat. Campbell grabbed pole by almost a half second with a fast lap of 34.459. Jarred would go wire-to-wire winning both the heat and the Final. Sonny Cervelle would come home second; Michael Avansino, Alieja White, and Michael Michoff would finish the top five.

 

HPV-2 would take to the track and Leading Edges Kathryn Cornell snagged pole with a 32.995. Cornell would have trouble in the heat race and MMI’s David Vasquez would get the win. On the opening laps of the Final, Kartel’s Austin Elliott would give Vasquez a run for the lead, but Elliott would never pull the trigger and Vasquez would win. Elliottt was second, TJ Fisher, Deven Sanchez, and Bordogna’s Justin Cole would round out the top five.

 

Briggs Animal was on track and Dennis Goodson would get the pole with a lap of 35.647. In the heat race however, the veteran Chip Mooneyham would get the win for the pole in the Main. Through the laps of the Final Mooneyham and Bobby Runyan would put on a show. The two would swap the lead sometimes twice a lap. Last lap Mooneyham made the pass going into the sweeper with Runyan coming back in the hairpin. From there the two would battle hard through the esses. Runyan would get pushed through the dirt only to dive bomb Mooneyham coming onto the final staright. Runyan would go down low to block his uncle, but the veteran stayed high and outdragged Runyan to the line to capture the win by less then an inch.

 

IKF Night at the Races

 

  Saturday Night September 19th following the IKF Fall Board of Directors meeting in Ontario Ca IKF will be hosting IKF Night at the Races at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale. This is a special Event for the IKF members to receive a IKF member discount while enjoying NASCAR Racing at The Irwindale Speedway.
 

This is a great opportunity for the IKF members to support their fellow racers who race at Irwindale in other divisions. Said Rick Scribner, IKF Vice President. Currently many past and present IKF Kart Racers race in the lower divisions of NASCAR Racing at Irwindale Speedway. This special event is expected to bring more IKF Members to the Annual IKF Meeting as well as create a fun Racing Family Atmosphere.
 

IKF Members can show their IKF Membership card and receive a discounted ticket into the racetrack for $10. For $6 members can get a discounted meal ticket. IKF Members can simply present their membership card at the Will Call office and receive the discounted event ticket to get into the IKF Night at the Races
 

Carpools will be available from the Sheraton Hotel where the IKF Fall Meeting will be held. Gates to the track open at 4pm with Racing Starting at 7pm. For more information IKF Members are encouraged to call the IKF office at 909-923-4999 or the organizer of the Event Rick Scribner at 916-638-1515.

 

8-27-09 Jon Robert Quinn Enterprises special award this weekend at the 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge



The Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge is pleased to announce that Jon Robert Quinn Enterprises (JRQ) will award a $100 helmet gift certificate this weekend to a lucky Rotax racer.  This is in addition to JRQ's generous support of the series with two Zamp helmets at the end of the year.
 
"I am excited to have Jon at the track this weekend.  His support for the Nor Cal Rotax Challenge furthers extends his passion for motorsports." commented Adrian Szwarcburg, series organizer.
 
Who is Jon Robert Quinn? Over the past several years, Jon Robert Quinn has put on many hats as an investor, entrepreneur and musician.  Jon Robert Quinn has built a name in the motorsports industry providing top-name motorcycle accessories as well as parts and accessories for Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati and Porsche.
 
In 2004-2005, JRQ toured the U.S. West Coast playing over 400 shows in that time, appearing on television, radio, and fairs & festivals. Now after 10 CD Releases since 2001, JRQ has built a nice music collection for guitar lovers all over the world. The latest release "One Day at a Time", available in February 2009 features some of the most beautiful guitar recorded by Jon Robert Quinn. If you haven't already, hear it.

The Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge is the fastest growing kart racing series in Northern California.  For more information about the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge go to the Nor Cal Rotax website at www.norcalrotax.com
 

8-22-09 First ever Nor Cal Rotax night race on Labor Day weekend at Dixon kart track
 
In conjunction and with the generous support of the Kinsmen Kart Club, the 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge is excited to offer racers the opportunity to compete under lights for the first time in Nor Cal Rotax history.  The kart track at Dixon is a challenging track during the day so night racing will no doubt add some exciting and challenging elements.
 
"I am excited to be able to include a night race as part of the Northern California Rotax Challenge.  Kinsmen Kart Club has always been very supportive and I can't thank them enough for including us as part of this weekend.  They added the lights for a second night just to accommodate our Rotax series."  commented Adrian Szwarcburg, owner and organizer of the Northern California Rotax Challenge.
 
Details of the event are as follows:
 
SATURDAY 9/5/09 Classes are:

Rotax Micro Max
Rotax Mini Max
Rotax Masters
Rotax Master Lite
 
SUNDAY 9/6/09 Classes are:

JR. Rotax
Sr. Rotax
Rotax DD2
 
The Rotax classes have been split over two nights to fit in with the Kinsmen Club classes.  There will be a total of 10 classes per night.
 
Class order may change depending on schedule on the day.

The track will be open on Friday morning to Kinsmen members (and their guests) only.
 
Friday night practice will be availble 4pm - 10pm under the lights. Cost is $15.00 with pre-race registration. If you do not register for the race the cost is $30.00. No exceptions! Kinsmen Club members practice for free.
 
There is NO open testing on Saturday or Sunday morning.
 
You may arrive to set up in the paddock Saturday morning.
 
The race event officially starts at 4pm each day.
 
Expect the evening to conclude at 10 or 11pm.
 
Rotax membership not required.
 
Kinsmen Kart Club membership not required to compete in Rotax classes.
 
Rotax classes run under Rotax Max Challenge rules.  
 
Nor Cal Rotax fuel and oil specifications apply.
 
Race entry fee is $75.00 for first entry and $45 for a second class (same driver)
 
Race entry fees payable to Kinsmen Kart Club.
 
Race registration starts at 12 Noon each day.
 
Track opens at 2:00pm for practice on Sat & Sun. *PRACTICE WILL BE CONTROLLED*
 
Drivers meeting at 4pm, qualifying at 4:30pm each day . Short break after qualifying. ... then off to a night of great racing!
 
**ALL PERSONS ON THE PREMISE MUST HAVE A PIT PASS**
 
*WRIST BANDS WILL BE A TECH ITEM*
 
PIT PASS COST $10.00 .. Under 6 yrs $6.00
 
Additional details will be published as they become available.  We look forward to two nights of great racing.
 

For more information, schedule, results, news, rules and sponsors information for the 2009 Northern California Rotax Challenge go to www.norcalrotax.com.  

8-22-09 JIM RUSSELL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES NON-CHAMPIONSHIP RACE AT INDY GRAND PRIX OF SONOMA

August 2009 - The Jim Russell Championship Series will host a non-points paying race during the Indy Grand Prix of

Sonoma at Infineon Raceway on Sunday, August 23, 2009. Drivers will compete in front of more than 40,000 Indy race fans.

Sunday’s race is available to qualified individuals who are eligible to drive the FJR-50 in race conditions.

Eligible drivers will participate in:

·        20-minute qualifying practice session on Friday

·       20-minute race on Sunday

·       Post qualifying and post-race press conferences for the top three finisher

Jim Russell features a complete driver training program that includes instruction from some of the finest coaches in the world, technical instruction from industry leaders and educational seminars on how to be a complete race car driver. The Jim Russell Racing Drivers School program has a progressive ladder program where talent and achievement on the race track are rewarded with opportunities to rise onto the next level of the motorsports ladder. The program’s focus is on the continuous improvement of on-track performance through analysis of driving style and associated skills. 

Championship participants race in the Jim Russell FJR-50, which is one of the most advanced racing cars available. The FJR-50 is purpose-built to be the ideal learning platform for drivers, providing a modern, relevant link between the existing levels of motorsport

About The Jim Russell Championship Series

The Jim Russell Championship Series (JRCS) is the official racing series of the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School. The series is designed to foster and identify talent from the pool of graduates and competitors. As a competitive racing school, Jim Russell offers a complete driver training program that includes instruction from some of the finest coaches in the world, technical instruction from industry leaders, and educational seminars on being a complete racing driver. Seminars and additional educational opportunities are conducted during the course of each race weekend. Many drivers use the Jim Russell Championship Series as a launch pad for their careers in professional

open wheel and sports car racing throughout the world. http://www.jimrussellusa.com/

 

8-22-09 Attention Young Northern California Rotax Challenge Drivers - Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle 2009 Shoot Out Spot will be Awarded But You Must Apply


SACRAMENTO, California - The national talent search for the driver development program conducted by Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle launches today.  Supporting sponsors, K&N Filters and Sunoco Racing Fuels will be awarding four free spots in the 2009 Talent Search Shoot-Out to young, talented drivers from various forms of motorsports, with several going to Kart racers.
 
Many successful car racers today, honed their driving skills driving Karts. K&N Filters and Sunoco Racing Fuels have stepped up to award a position in the Shoot-Out to one young racer from the 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge Kart racing series. The Shoot-Out application process is open to all drivers 11 to 19 years of age, with race winning backgrounds.  You must apply to be considered.
 
The cut off deadline for resumes to be submitted for consideration is September 30th, 2009. But ... the earlier we receive the resumes, the sooner we act on them and set up interviews. We encourage young Drivers and their Parents to apply NOW for our 2010 program.

 
For all the information on how to apply follow this link:
Driver Career Development Application Process

RSWC has developed many young Kart racers to successfully make the transition from Kart racing to winning races in SCCA Formula Car series and Pavement Oval series in USAC and NASCAR, including Jessica Brunelli, Beau DeBard, Bobby Grewohl, Mike Hill, Ian Miille, Benny Moon, Jimmy Moon, Brennan Newberry, Thomas Merrill, Bobby Runyan, Viktor Sinzig and more.
 
Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle (RSWC) is an established talent scout and development program, providing long term, comprehensive racing and career development for up and coming drivers focused on NASCAR careers. RSWC drivers are raced, coached, groomed, trained and molded, within a professional racing environment, into what top teams look for when hiring drivers.
 
The Shoot-Out process is designed to identify talented, young, up and coming drivers from across the United States and Canada with the talent, potential and commitment to achieve a driving career in NASCAR.  RSWC is currently accepting resumes through September 30th, 2009.  RSWC expects to receive over 700 resumes, as they have in the past, and narrow it down to approximately 40 drivers to test.  The Shoot-Out is conducted in early October, in three types of race cars, on a California paved short oval track.
 
Sutton has said, "We're not looking for a number. We are looking for young talent that has real potential to go all the way to NASCAR Sprint Cup."   Day one of the Shoot-Out includes a seminar for parents and drivers, "The Real World Good, Bad & Ugly of Driver Career Development" and a training course for drivers on driving strategies, expectations and terminology.  Three separate tests for the young drivers include body fat fitness, a written problem solving test and psychological analysis.
 
Days two and three are on track, with drivers getting five 20-lap sessions on track, with coaching, to show their talent.  Judges evaluate the drivers on 45 points, with the key areas being coachability, accurate feedback, focus, motivation, training retention, communication skills, personality, aggressiveness, learning rate, confidence and lap times.
 
The talented drivers selected for the RSWC development program through the Shoot-Out will have a training program designed specifically for their age, experience and development stage, then be placed with a top team in the racing series that fits best, including various classes in SCCA, USAC and NASCAR series.
 
The career development program consists of 12 veteran driver coaches, 24 classroom topics and eight organizations fielding 24 race teams, all dedicated to develop drivers in the RSWC program. The teams are a balance of Open Wheel and Stock Car oval track race teams, with Road Racing added, to develop highly versatile and accomplished winning drivers.
 
Young winning drivers ages 11 to 19, and their parents, are encouraged to get all the information and answers to common questions from the web-site, then submit their resume in time to be considered. The web-site is www.Winners-Circle-Racing.com.

Organization: Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle
Contact: Ron Sutton
E-mail:  Ron@Winners-Circle-Racing.com


About RSWC
Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle (RSWC) is an established talent scout and development program, providing long term, comprehensive racing and career development for up and coming drivers focused on NASCAR careers. RSWC drivers are raced, coached, groomed, trained and molded, within a professional racing environment, into what top pro teams look for when hiring drivers.
 
For details of the 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge visit: www.norcalrotax.com
 

8-20-09 FOUR SPOTS TO BE AWARDED IN DRIVER TALENT SEARCH
 


SACRAMENTO, California - The national talent search for the driver development program conducted by Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle launches today. Supporting sponsors, K&N Filters and Sunoco Racing Fuels will be awarding four free spots in the 2009 Talent Search Shoot-Out to young, talented drivers from various forms of motorsports, with several going to Kart racers.

Many successful car racers today, honed their driving skills driving Karts. K&N Filters and Sunoco Racing Fuels have stepped up to award positions in the Shoot-Out to young racers with successful backgrounds in any of the recognized Kart series, Including CKI, IKF, KART, SKUSA, STARS and WKA. The Shoot-Out application process is open to all drivers 11 to 19 years of age, with race winning backgrounds.

RSWC has developed many young Kart racers to successfully make the transition from Kart racing to winning races in SCCA Formula Car racing and Pavement Oval series in USAC and NASCAR, including Jessica Brunelli, Beau DeBard, Bobby Grewohl, Chris Keller, Brendan Langlois, Jace Meier, Thomas Merrill, Ian Miille, Joel Miller, Benny Moon, Jimmy Moon, Brennan Newberry, Jeff Oleen, Bobby Runyan and more.

Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle (RSWC) is an established talent scout and development program, providing long term, comprehensive racing and career development for up and coming drivers focused on NASCAR careers. RSWC drivers are raced, coached, groomed, trained and molded, within a professional racing environment, into what top teams look for when hiring drivers.

The Shoot-Out process is designed to identify talented, young, up and coming drivers from across the United States and Canada with the talent, potential and commitment to achieve a driving career in NASCAR. RSWC is currently accepting resumes through September 30th, 2009. RSWC expects to receive over 700 resumes, as they have in the past, and narrow it down to approximately 40 drivers to test. The Shoot-Out is conducted in early October, in three types of race cars, on a California paved short oval track.

Sutton has said, �We�re not looking for a number. We are looking for young talent that has real potential to go all the way to NASCAR Sprint Cup.� Day one of the Shoot-Out includes a seminar for parents and drivers, "The Real World Good, Bad & Ugly of Driver Career Development" and a training course for drivers on driving strategies, expectations and terminology. Three separate tests for the young drivers include body fat fitness, a written problem solving test and psychological analysis.

Days two and three are on track, with drivers getting five 20-lap sessions on track, with coaching, to show their talent. Judges evaluate the drivers on 45 points, with the key areas being coachability, accurate feedback, focus, motivation, training retention, communication skills, personality, aggressiveness, learning rate, confidence and lap times.

The talented drivers selected for the RSWC development program through the Shoot-Out will have a training program designed specifically for their age, experience and development stage, then be placed with a top team in the racing series that fits best, including various classes in SCCA, USAC and NASCAR series.

The career development program consists of 12 veteran driver coaches, 24 classroom topics and eight organizations fielding 24 race teams, all dedicated to develop drivers in the RSWC program. The teams are a balance of Open Wheel and Stock Car oval track race teams, with Road Racing added, to develop highly versatile and accomplished winning drivers.

Young winning drivers ages 11 to 19, and their parents, are encouraged to get all the information and answers to common questions from the web-site, then submit their resume in time to be considered. The web-site is www.Winners-Circle-Racing.com
 

Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix

Presented by Lancaster Honda and the City of Lancaster

Lancaster, California | October 11-12, 2009

Lancaster Welcomes Exciting Kart Racing Action to the Antelope Valley!

Downtown Lancaster will roar to life October 10 and 11 with the first-ever Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix. Professional go-kart drivers will race at breakneck speeds of up to 100 miles per hour through the streets of downtown. The Grand Prix is being combined with the Celebrate Downtown Lancaster street fair and festival, which will offer a car show, live music, and a variety of food and specialty vendors. Also featured will be special events at Downtown businesses, including the annual Oktoberfest at Lemon Leaf Restaurant. This fantastic weekend of fun and thrills will draw to a close with a Sunday night Loggins and Messina concert at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center. Admission to all events except the concert is free; Loggins and Messina tickets can be purchased at www.lpac.org.

For Event, lodging and race info, log onto  www.streetsoflancastergrandprix.com

Entry Form

The Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix is a signature weekend event in downtown Lancaster, Ca. The City of Lancaster is pleased to join with Lancaster Honda, Tri C Karting Club, the AV Chambers of Commerce and the Blvd Association in hosting this racing-in-the-streets Extravaganza which will kick off Saturday morning, Oct 10 with racing practice and qualifying. Racing will continue on Sunday Oct 11th with Heat races and the Main events. There will be racing classes for drivers from 8 to 88 years old.

The Race clases are: HPV 1, HPV 2, HPV 4 & 4 Heavy, PRD, Spec,  Sr. Rotax  & Masters, Spec Honda Shifter 3 & 4, 125 ICC Shifter

Entries will be limited to the first 30 Drivers in each class to get in their entry forms , so get those entry forms in now. For more information, contact:

Area

Contact Name

Phone Number

Email Address

Event Coordinator

Steve Gocke

(661) 723-6145

sgocke@colra.org

Sponsors

Phyllis Fregoso

(661) 965-4468

santanaads@earthlink.net

Tri-C Karting

Chris Sarris

(562) 531-8612

casarris@sbcglobal.net

Car Show

Gary Avant

(661) 945-5443

atengrave@yahoo.com

Street Festival

Patti Garibay

(661) 723-6572

pgaribay@cityoflancasterca.org

AV Chambers of Commerce

Ramon Ortega

(661) 948-4518

rortega@avchambers.com

Boulevard Association

Josh Mann

(661) 942-9581

josh@avbot.org

Tri-C Karters and the City of Lancaster will be partnering to bring kart racing action to the streets of the Antelope Valley.  Tri-C Karters will organize the kart race to be held in conjunction with the Celebrate Downtown Lancaster Street Fair and Festival.  Tri-C Karters is seeking sponsors to participate in this exciting event.

Sponsorship opportunities for the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix Race:

Class sponsorships are awarded to companies or individuals donating $1000

Benefits of class sponsorship:

  • Class sponsors are announced each time their class is on the track Saturday and Sunday.  This includes practice sessions, qualifying, heat races, and main events.
  • Class sponsors are listed in the program, and on the website.
  • The trophies for each class will bear the name of their class sponsor.
  • Class sponsor logos will be displayed on the backdrop at the trophy presentations.
  • Class sponsors will be allowed a space for vending at the street fair at no additional cost.
  • Upon confirmation and receipt of payment by a class sponsor, their commitment will be recognized in a press release.
  • Sponsors may provide banners to be displayed along the race circuit.

Event sponsorships are awarded to companies or individuals donating $1500

Each event sponsor will be assigned a class sponsorship yielding the above mentioned benefits plus the following:

  • Event sponsors may submit a paragraph highlighting their business’ offerings to be announced strategically throughout each day by the kart race announcer.
  • Event sponsors’ decals will be required to be displayed on all the competitors’ karts during the event.
  • Sales and product information provided by event sponsors will be included in all competitors’ information packets.
  • Event sponsors will be given 2 passes for entrance to the pit areas.
  • Event sponsors’ logos will be displayed on the event t-shirts.

The PRD SPEC class will have cash awards instead of trophies.  Individuals or companies may donate to this class in any amount.  Donations of $100 or more will be recognized in the program during the race, and at the trophy presentation.

This event will draw both spectators and racers and will have media exposure.  It has already been featured in the news on local channels 7 and 11.  For more information about this race visit the event website at www.streetsoflancastergrandprix.com.

Contact me at (909)793-9695 or (909)709-1642 to discuss how you can benefit from sponsorship at this event.

Sincerely,

Sharon Barros

8-20-09 Jim Russell Karting Championship Round #5 - Race Preview

 
With the end of summer in sight, Round #5 of the Jim Russell Karting Championship will take to the track August 29th at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway, Northern California's premier motorsports facility.  The end of summer only sparks a busy fall season as the Rotax Max Challenge competitors start a string of 6 races over a 10 week period.  For the first time in 2009, drivers will be faced with the tight and twisty demands of the 0.68 mile REVERSE Sprint layout.  The unique configuration presents multiple passing zones, but is a tough test of driver fitness with only a 555 foot straight to gain composure.
 
The Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge has become one of the nation's largest regional Rotax series with over 20% growth from 2008, not to mention the competition on track is some of the country's best with championship battles in every category.    
 
Micro Max rookies have started to accelerate their learning curves as they've begun to catch up to the more veteran, if you could consider 10 years old veteran, drivers of Michael Michoff and Nicky Hays. Looking for continued growth in the class, Comer and Gazelle-powered cadets have been welcomed to join the Micro Max race group. 
 
Three drivers have been trading the lead spot in Mini Max through the first four races.  JR Raczko, Drew Setzer and Harrison Mills are expected to again put on a great show in round #5 as they dice things up in the evenly powered machines. Moving up an age group, expect the Junior Rotax battle to tighten as drivers return to take on last month's winner Brody Zink.
 
One should expect another tough battle in the Masters class between David Harwin and Donald Durbin, who have been trading out wins this year among a solid group of competitors.  In Masters Light, Andrea Delfanti has set the pace, but Mary Beth Wilson and Dolores Mosqueda are two strong women drivers poised to claim a victory at any point.  The largest DD2 field in the country saw the points close up last month with a win by Kyle Gimple over David Arnstein, both charging after three-time winner Troy Castenada.
 
If that isn't enough competition for you, the biggest battle of the weekend will be in Senior Rotax that has seen four different winners in as many races.  Nic LeDuc, Wes Philips and Jake Mottaz are all back for Race #5 to challenge last month's winner Jordan Jadallah.  Averaging 18 entries, Senior Rotax has provided non-stop fireworks and there are no signs of letting up.
 
Finding a new home on the schedule, the 80 Shifters joined the Rotax Challenge Saturday program last month.  Still seeking his first win among the Grand Masters, points leader Tom Nelson will set his sights on the top spot for round #5.  He won't have it easy as strong competition from previous race winners Ahmiel Fried, Mark Stanley and Mark Nason are sure to bring their "A" game.  The field will be tough as Masters and Senior 80 competitors will also be on the combined grid for Race #5.  Time is starting to run out as the 80 Shifters only have 3 more events to stake their championship claim in the 2009 season.
 
Registration starts at 7:15 Saturday morning with pre-registration and practice happening on Friday.  Two sessions of practice kicks off at 8:15 on Saturday morning, qualify at 11:00 and the afternoon of racing will start at 12:45. 
 
Race day schedule and entry forms available at  www.norcalrotax.com
 
For more information on the Jim Russell Karting Championship, contact race director Ric Shaw at racedirector-ric@hotmail.com.
 
Great food is available at the track from J&D Snack Shack. 
 
For more information, schedule, results, news, rules and sponsors information for the 2009 Northern Californian Rotax Challenge go to www.norcalrotax.com.
 

8-19-09 SMRZ EXTENDS JIM RUSSELL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES WIN STREAK TO FOUR

 

Defending series champion won both races of the doubleheader from the pole position at Infineon Raceway

SONOMA, CALIF. (August 19, 2009) – American Brett Smrz continued his dazzling return to the Jim Russell Championship Series this past weekend (August 15-16), winning Rounds Nine and Ten from the pole position. The up-and-coming racing talent has now won all four races he has contested since rejoining the series.

A month after making a return to the Jim Russell Championship Series, Smrz was back behind the wheel of the Formula 3 equivalent FJR-50 car at Infineon Raceway in Northern California. The defending champion, despite missing Friday testing/practice, was immediately up to speed in qualifying on Saturday morning. Working on posting a fast lap on cold tires, Smrz turned the quickest lap of the session early on, eventually earning the pole position by seventh tenths of a second

When the green flag waved for Round Nine of the 16-race series later in the day, Smrz proved to be a dominating force. The Idaho-based driver led every lap, routinely posting the fastest race laps, upwards of 1.5 seconds quicker than his nearest rival, en route to a comfortable eight second win.

Returning to the well liked undulating road course north of San Francisco on Sunday, day two commenced in the same fashion as day one, with Smrz at the top of the timecharts. The In Touch Physical Therapy/Jim Russell Championship backed driver turned the fastest time in morning practice, before securing his second pole position of the weekend by a full second.

In what would be the lone blemish on a perfect weekend, Smrz relinquished the lead when the green flag flew for Round 10 after the lunch break. The 18 year-old was not to be denied however, as by lap three he was back in the lead and building an advantage on second place. When the checkered flag waved, Smrz had secured his fourth Jim Russell Championship Series win in a row by eight seconds.

“It was a good weekend for me in the Jim Russell Championship Series,” stated Smrz. “Sweeping the weekend added to my win streak, which gives me four wins in a row. I will attempt to beat Patrick Barrett's Jim Russell win streak record of five wins in a row at the next race weekend. Jim Russell is doing a fantastic job coaching all of the other drivers. The drivers times are drastically dropping each weekend. Keep an eye out for me at the IRL race this weekend at the Infineon Raceway circuit, where I will be racing the Jim Russell car on Sunday.”

Smrz returns to the cockpit of the Jim Russell Championship Series car this coming Sunday (August 23) at Infineon Raceway, taking part in an exhibition race as part of the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma event. Official series competition resumes on September 12-13, with Rounds 11 and 12. Between events, the talented American race pilot will continue his search for sponsorship and funding to resume his BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National and Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup race campaigns.

8-19-09 2009 4th Annual Rick Jerome Memorial Night Race

 

Reno, NV – Saturday August 15th the lights came on and the stars shined as NNKC hosted the 4th Annual Rick Jerome Memorial Night Race at Desert Park Raceway.  It was a low turnout but the racers that did come to support the club had a fast track and free food all night compliments of NNKC.

The first class up was the Jr 1-2 Cycle class.  This has been a battle all year long between these kids.  Tyler Burk out qualified Jeremy Kay by 6 tenths of a second to give him pole for the 1st heat.  But in the first heat, Burk and JR Raczko would make contact with each other and Garrett Dixon and Kay would get by for a 1-2 finishing order, respectively.  The 2nd heat would provide some great racing from all the kids.  Newcomers Dean Andrews and Isaac Wyett would learn the course for the first time in a race at DPR.  But it was Raczko and Burk coming in 1-2 to end that heat.  That set up the main event with Dixon on pole.  However, Burk and Raczko would fight it out for 1st and 2nd with passes being made every other lap on one another.  On the last lap, Burk made an inside move on Raczko who was using the blocking line.  The 2 karts touched and Raczko spun around in turn 1 ending his race.  Burk would go on to win with Dixon coming in a close 2nd and Raczko picking up the 3rd place finish.

Next up on the order was Formula 125 in honor of the late Rick Jerome.  3 karts came out to play in this high speed race.  Grabbing pole was long time friend of Jerome’s, Mitch Kennedy over Mark Nason by over a second!  However, in the 1st heat you would see Nason and Kennedy go to battle.  Kennedy would have to retire for a mechanical failure.  That allowed Chris McCabe to pass Nason and the 2 would go on to finish in that order, 1-2.  2nd heat saw Nason get a good start and get a commanding lead.  Kennedy would have to retire early again with mechanical problems.  That would set up the main event with Nason taking the lead from the get go and never looking back.  Kennedy would come in 2nd place followed by Chris McCabe.  We would like to make the 125’s a regular class next year.  C’mon guys, bring em out!

Out the gate and running hard was the Formula 80 Masters gang.  2 of the regular contributors didn’t make the race so this was again a 3 kart race.  Mike Roes would beat out Mike McMullen for pole by almost 2 seconds.  The 1st heat would see Roes take a commanding win by 12 seconds over McMullen.  The second heat would see points leader Darrel Dean finally get his kart working and take a close win over Roes by ˝ second.  That set up the main event as Roes would take the lead from the start.  Dean would be close behind for 14 laps trying to press Roes into a mistake.  But Roes would not make that mistake and would eventually win the race over Dean by 1.1 seconds.  McMullen would follow in 3rd.

TaG Masters came unleashed as 8 karts showed up for the Night race.  Dan Harris would start things out with a fast lap good enough to snatch the pole from Nick Wadlow by 3 tenths.  The 1st heat saw Harris get out and fly away from the pack.  Brian Rivera would come out to play for the first time in a year and make an outside pass down the straightaway on Chris McCabe to finish in the 2nd position.  The second heat proved to be another great race with McCabe grabbing the early lead on the invert.  Rivera would have to pass McCabe again this time setting up the crossover in turn 1-2.  Rivera made it stick and eventually took the heat victory with McCabe in 2nd.  The main event was up next and Rivera and Harris occupied the front row.  The green dropped and Rivera grabbed P1.  Harris would have a bad start and go back to 4th.  Wadlow jumped in the P2 and latched on the back of Rivera for 14 laps.  Harris finally broke free from the pack and starting reeling in the leaders.  With 3 laps to go, the leaders would catch traffic kart Marty McNew at the corkscrew.  Rivera would use his momentum to carry him around McNew before reaching turn 6.  Wadlow and Harris would have to wait till the straightaway to eventually get by McNew.  By that time, Rivera had a 3 second lead and eventually took the checkered flags, followed by Wadlow and Harris in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

TaG Senior came up next and 3 karts came out for this one.  Ray Andrews would put his Tony Kart on pole by just 3 tenths over Curt Baker.  The first heat would prove to be a shootout between Andrews and Baker.  They stuck together like glue for 8 laps finishing in that order.  The second heat would see the same race between the two drivers only this time Baker got the win by less than a tenth of a second.  That brought out the final race in which Andrews would start on pole.  Again, the main was a mirror image of the earlier racing.  These two drivers were almost identical all day long.  They stayed latched on to one another and eventually walked away from Lionel Fayet.  The checkers waived to see Andrews take his first NNKC TaG Senior win followed by current champ Baker 3 tenths behind in 2nd.  Fayet would take 3rd.

The last race on the night was the $800 80 shifter money race.  Formula 80 Seniors took to the track in torrid fashion as Tony Mangini snatched pole from Jereme Abshire by 1 tenth of a second.  The entire field of 9 drivers would all qualify within less than 1 second from each other.  Unbelievable!! The 1st heat saw Reno’s Mark Nason get an incredible start going from 5th to 1st by the first corner.  Local Cody McKinney also would benefit from others mistakes to jump into the 2nd position.  The heat would end with Nason taking the win followed by McKinney.  The 2nd heat saw pretty much the same hard clean racing.  But Nason who qualified 5th would benefit on this top 6 invert heat to start on the outside of the 1st row.  He would take advantage and win again another heat by 1.5 seconds over Mangini.  The main event had cold hard cash waiting for the eventual winner.  The green flag dropped and Nason would get the point followed by Abshire and Mangini.  The top 6 would stay together like a freight train the entire race.  McKinney tried unsuccessfully to pass Mangini for the 3rd position throughout the race.  But Mangini would not budge.  Adam Booker would get by Ben Fisher on the 5th lap to take over the 5th spot.  But the order stayed the same the entire race with Nason bringing home the victory and the $800 purse with it.  Abshire would hold on to 2nd, followed by Mangini in 3rd and McKinney in 4th

A lot of great racing for those that attended.  Our turnout was much lower than we expected.  But it has been a long and prosperous year for the club and we are thankful for those that did come out to race.  We’ll see ya’ll Sunday August 30 for our 7th race of the year.  Don’t forget, we have a track clean up day the Saturday before, August 29th.  See ya then!!

Brian Rivera

President - NNKC  

 

8-19-09 BUCKWALTER ADDS TO STREAK AND TAKES CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH ANOTHER PROKART CHALLENGE North VICTORY

 

 

First time winners add to the excitement as title chasers continue fight to the end

 

SONOMA, CA (August 15, 2009) � The championship chases are shaping up the contenders � and the pretenders � with the running of the sixth round of the Superkarts! USA�s ProKart Challenge North series on August 15 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center. After a month off from competition, the program got back to business contesting the 0.68-mile �Reverse Sprint� circuit at the Sonoma, California facility for the first time in PKC�s history. The second season of the Northern California series has truly brought a strong regional program to the area for those interested in shifter kart and TaG racing � along with a solid unity among those competing. The racing has also improved each outing, with more and more drivers entering into the battles for the lead, mixing up the championship fights.

 

One driver, however, has been the focal point in the past few months. Brett Buckwalter added to his win streak � now at three � following the TaG Senior feature race Saturday afternoon, and has positioned himself as the #1 driver heading into the series finale in September. Buckwalter led the qualifying session with Larry Fraser and championship leader Will Martindale all within two-tenths of each others� fastest lap. Martindale and Fraser, however, began the racing on a sour note as the two made contact through the tic-tac-toe section, allowing Buckwalter to pull out to a solid win in the opening heat race ahead of Nic LeDuc � with Brett Felkins sliding up from seventh to third. In the next session, Felkins had the better opening lap on the cold MG Tires, and was able to lead the first time by the stripe to begin the second heat race. From there, he led all eight laps for the win, with Buckwalter pacing himself on Felkins rear bumper � as Andrick Zeen worked by LeDuc for third.

 

The drive of the day, however, came in the feature � when Buckwalter was shuffled back to the eighth spot on the first lap. Jumping into the top-five the next time by, Buckwalter worked to join the lead group of Felkins, Zeen, and PKC newcomer Matthew Powers. Felkins was leading when his fuel line broke loose, causing him to slow down and wreak havoc behind him -- as drivers shuffled to avoid making contact with the retiring Felkins. This gave Buckwalter the chance he needed to sling-shot by the rest of the lead pack, and from there Buckwalter showed the way to the checkered flag for his third straight victory. Zeen crossed the line roughly three seconds back, with LeDuc completing the podium. Martindale would earn the hard charger award, coming from last on the grid to fifth, just behind JP Cadoux.

 

The S3 division continues to impress week in and week out with another great show on track. The top five in qualifying were separated by less than two-tenths of a second, led by point leader Jacob Neal. Just 69-thousandths behind was New Zealand transplant Daniel Bray, with returning class champion Jason Toft getting some extra seat time during his Skip Barber National schedule break. Neal was slow to get off the line to begin heat one, while Bray broke a chain in the opening lap � which allowed Toft to show the way ahead of Steve Reasoner and Tommy Thompson. Reasoner would have the advantage off the line to begin heat two, as he led all eight laps to the win. Behind him, Toft fought off Thompson and Bray for the second spot � as Neal spun on lap six while battling for the position and fell to sixth in the order.

 

The 20-lap feature was an eventful one, with Reasoner showing the way in the opening lap � until both Thompson and Bray were able to work by for the top two spots. Toft would move up to third by lap seven, with Neal working to fifth by lap eight as Thompson continued to show the way. Bray made his move for the lead on lap 12, assuming the top spot from Thompson who now had to deal with Toft. Two laps later, Toft took over the second spot and set his sights on Bray. Methodically working on Bray, Toft was unable to make a move as he came up 0.176-seconds short at the line with Bray taking his first win of the season. Thompson and Reasoner held on to third and fourth, with Neal unable to advance past the fifth position.

 

S4 witnessed the PKC debut of Casey Scherer -- and he was able to outgun the championship contenders in the sixth round of the season. Alex Keith showed the way early on, edging standings leader Jamie Wilson by just 25-hundredths of a second for the pole award, with Peter Workum just one-tenth back. Once racing got underway, Keith controlled both heat races, with Workum getting by Wilson in the first heat for the second spot, and Wilson taking the third spot ahead of Scott Cooper.

 

The main event early run-down was a familiar Keith-Workum-Wilson show, as Cooper fell out of the front pack in the opening lap. Things changed near the halfway point, when Scherer began his charge forward. Having retired on lap six of the second heat from a spin, Scherer worked to come from the tail of the field up to Wilson�s bumper. From there, he took one position at a time, first by Wilson, then by Workum, setting up for Keith. It would be the final lap where Scherer would seal the deal, getting to the line first for the victory by 0.681-seconds. Workum took the third and final step on the podium as he and Keith each gained points on fourth place finisher Wilson.

 

Craig Corwin has many victories with the PKC North program. However, this past weekend he earned his first in the TaG Master category. The defending G1 champion made the switch to the TaG category � and swept the action. Corwin led all the laps, including both heat races, with the exception of the opening lap of the feature. Round five �sweeper� Jeff Deehan was able to get the jump at the green to pace the field on the opening lap before Corwin assumed the position to take the victory. Deehan was a solid second ahead of Jim Zootis, with point leader Steve Elo having a tough feature race, finishing just off the podium.

 

A rare sweep happened in the HPV 2 Junior division, as Dylan Lupton was on top of his game Saturday. Like Corwin, Lupton paced the field in the two heat races, running ahead of Luis Tyrrell and point leader Kiel Spaulding, who swapped the second spot. In the feature race, however, Tyrrell and Spaulding stepped up and challenged Lupton early on. Tyrrell took his turn at the point before Spaulding paced the field in the middle portion. Once all the jockeying for position calmed down, Lupton escaped with the lead and went on to earn the checkered by just 0.224-seconds over Tyrrell � with Spaulding crossing in third. Lupton nearly swept the Junior divisions, as he showed the way in the TaG Junior category throughout the day � until lap 19 of the feature with a mechanical issue. That gave the win to Austin Elliott, with Maxx Marian placing second. Lupton would still be classified third with only three drivers competing.

 

Fresh off his Jim Russell Racing Drivers School session for his 2008 PKC North S1 championship, Cody Hodgson positioned himself to repeat with his third S1 feature win of the year. Battling rival Jacob Neal all day, Hodgson took the feature win by 0.961-seconds after the 20-lap battle. On track at the same time, Jim Kidd extended his points lead in the G1 class with his third feature victory, edging Ethan Wilson. The PKC North finale promises more competition for these top two contenders, as more and more drivers come out to prepare for SuperNats XIII.

 

The series will wrap up the 2009 season with the seventh and final round set for September 12 at the same Sonoma circuit � with the configuration to be the Reverse National layout. For more information on the Superkarts! USA�s ProKart Challenge itself, head to www.prokartchallenge.com or call 951-491-0808.

 

8-17-09 CENTRAL STATES CHALLENGE FINALE MOVES LOCATIONS

 

Facility issues force series final round to relocate to I-55 Raceway

 

ST. LOUIS, MO (August 17, 2009) � Due to unforeseen circumstances, the Superkarts! USA AMB i.t. Central States Challenge (SCSC) will move its season finale - set for August 29-30 - to the I-55 Raceway in Pevely, MO. The original location of the Kansas Speedway with the BP Motorsports Group encountered unforeseen issues that have caused the program to transfer the location of the sixth and final round of the 2009 championship to the nearly 6/10-mile course south of the metropolitan St. Louis area.

 

�I must apologize to all of the Central States Challenge competitors for the late announcement regarding the series finale,� expressed series coordinator Pam Freund. �We had all intentions of making a return trip to the Kansas City area however situations out of our control arose in the last few days that have forced us to move the event to a new facility. With our close relationship with the I-55 Raceway, we were able to keep our original date for final round. I would like to thank all of the competitors for their understanding during this ordeal and hope each enjoy the 2009 closer.�

 

The sixth round of the series will decide the champions for the 2009 season with the best four races of the year counted toward the standings. With his win at the last round in Delmar, Richy Yates has made the chase for the TaG Junior championship intriguing. Trailing leader Drake Ostrom by 45 points when considering the drop races, Yates� second half charge has put him in contention and another win could help him towards his title hopes. Ostrom, with two feature wins already to his credit, will look for a third to clinch the championship. Lukas Johnson however has clinched the S5 Junior title with his fourth straight feature win at the 61 Kartway event. The fight will be for the runner-up spot with Kaylee Granberg, Kevin Donahue and Joe Reed battling it out for the standings position.

 

Counting the two drops already, Matt Zeis and Derek Crockett are separated by just 25 points heading into Pevely. Zeis has three feature wins to Crockett�s two but a weekend sweep could land the challenger with enough points to steal the title from the current point leader. Crockett also trails in the S1 category when factoring the drop races with Carly Mandarino jumping to P1 from P3 with current point leader Kyle Gnau falling to third. Separated by just 80 points, the top three will sort things out at the final round with the weekend winner projected as the champion.

 

Crockett however does lead the TaG Senior with a solid lead over Kyle Gnau, needing to record just enough points over the final weekend to secure the title. Forty points is all that separates Brit Phillips and Jim Donahue in the TaG Masters scrap. Donahue may have some home track advantage at Pevely but things won�t be settled until the final checkered flag. Rick Freund has all but wrapped up the S4 championship with Kyle Donahue still mathematically in the hunt. Kyle Donahue is looking in good shape in the TaG Cadet division with three feature wins to his credit and a solid lead in the standings over Zach Bohmer and Cole Hannah. Same goes for Jacob Winslow in the Kid Kart division, leading Grant Greisbach and Owen Leatherberry.

 

The I-55 karting circuit will be open for practice the Friday before the event (August 28 - times to be announced) with free camping available for the weekend. The host hotel will be the Comfort Inn in Festus with $75 room rates with the Central States Challenge discount - call 636-939-2888. Action begins Saturday with official practice, leading into qualifying with the Prefinal and Finals taking place Sunday. The entry fee for the event will be $75 - which included the driver pit pass. To pre register for the event or to become part of the SKUSA Central States Challenge, visit www.centralstateschallenge.com   The series would like to thank the following sponsors for their support in 2009; AMB i.t., MG Tires, Car-Car Motorsports, Crockett�s Mobile Car Wash, Digatron, Nado Alley Printing, PG Racing, Russell Karting, and Unique Heating and Cooling.

 

Dear Karters,

Seems like the last race was just over and it's already time for the next one.  Club Race #8 is this Sunday, August 16th.  The Fast Track and Race Flyer are loaded on the website www.pckartclub.com, as are the points through last race.  We've got three club races left for the season and the next two will give us a little longer break in between.  We will be running the Modified Perimeter track 'cuz the weather is supposed to cooperate and not be too hot.  Either way, with this being a regular club race, we should be finished before the heat of the day arrives.

Just want to share a few thoughts on the Gold Rush race.  First off, we're hoping that some of you had a good time racing in the large classes.  From our side of the fence, we rank it as the second worst race at P.C. in the last eight years, out-ranked only by a previous IKF race.  With the amount of rough driving going on, not even the swiveling head of Linda Blair of "The Exorcist" fame could have kept track of all the action.  Just as an example, in the Yamaha class, 23 drivers started the main and nine -- 40 percent -- received some kind of penalty all the way up to a DQ.  Probably would have been more if the radio battery hadn't died and required changing in the middle of the heat.  

Let's just leave it said that we are very happy to have it behind us. Knowing that the rest of the season are regular club races, where people race to have fun and respect their fellow drivers, has us excited to finish out the season.  We have another e-mail out to Scotty Anderson to get an update on how his knee is feeling and are hoping he will be able to come out Sunday so that everyone can give him their best wishes personally. 

See you at the track,

Gary and Vic

8-10-09 PROKART CHALLENGE NORTH NEARS END OF SEASON WITH UPCOMING SIXTH ROUND
 



Championship chases take shape while others come out for SuperNationals practice

TEMECULA, CA (August 6, 2009) – The sixth round of the Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge North program is just around the corner, scheduled for August 15 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center in Sonoma, California. The series has been off for roughly a month, with a number of competitors looking to get back to action in hopes of building on their championship chases. As is the case with the Superkarts! USA program, the PKC North staff will throw another ‘curve ball’ at the competition – as the event will utilize the 0.68-mile ‘Reverse Sprint’ circuit for the first time in the program’s history.
 
The TaG Senior and TaG Master classes are providing high excitement, when looking at the standings heading into the sixth round as the tightest fights at the top. The top four in the TaG Senior category are separated by just 137 points, which can easily change in one weekend. Will Martindale currently holds the top spot over Brett Felkins by 57 points, with Larry Fraser and defending two-time feature winner Brett Buckwalter charging closer to Felkins’ point total. The TaG Masters’ fight is closer at the top between the front two drivers Steve Elo and Jim Zootis. Elo leads by just 53 markers over Zootis, who has yet to score a feature win this season. Dylan Lupton extended his championship lead in the TaG Junior category after scoring his second straight feature win back in July, holding a 148 point margin over Austin Elliott.
 
The story of the year, however, has been that of Jacob Neal. The 18-year old has been the dominant force in both the S1 and S3 divisions. Neal went on a three-straight S3 feature streak until last month, when veteran Tom Dyer came in to ruin his party. Despite the small set back, Neal still holds a sizable lead over Tommy Thompson in the standings – along with a near identical advantage over Cody Hodgson in the S1 division. The two have swapped feature wins all season, with Hodgson missing one round. With the single race drop factored in, the championship may not be decided until the final lap. Also going head to head all year has been Jim Kidd and Ethan Wilson in the G1 category. Kidd had the advantage last month, and now leads Wilson by 115 markers heading into round six.
 
Three wins on the year has Jamie Wilson in control of the S4 championship chase and seems hard to beat. Wilson has two straight feature victories, including an event sweep last month, which earned him the 320 maximum points. Peter Workum and Jared Woolf are giving chase; however, they will need to stop Wilson’s run if they have any hopes of earning the title. Kiel Spaulding is in a good position to defend his HPV-2 Junior title he earned last year, currently sitting 252 markers out front in the standings. Dylan Lupton and Luis Tyrrell are still mathematically in the hunt; however, both will need some extra help August 15 in order to stay close to Spaulding’s point total.
 
Pre-entry cutoff for the event is set for midnight on Wednesday, August 12, where competitors can save $35 by entering early either online, through the phone or fax. PKC will also be accepting KF2 entries for this event, for those looking for some extra track time prior to Supernats XIII. Anyone interested in competing in KF2 is encouraged to contact the PKC office to sign-up, as this class is not offered in the online entry. Those looking for lodging information can contact the EconoLodge in Novato (415-883-2406), the official host hotel for the ProKart Challenge North program.
 
Action begins Friday, August 14 with a full day of practice on the new configuration from 9am to 5pm, with a complimentary barbeque dinner afterwards for those who are in attendance, thanks to an anonymous donation and PKC supporter Scott Jeffrey who will serve up the feast. Supporting the PKC North program once again, Shawn Thomas is offering a victory lap in a 1961 Aston Martin DB3 Zagate – which raced at the 24-Hour of Le Mans and is now part of the Tom Price collection – this time for the TaG Senior and S3 victors, with Memo Gidley behind the wheel. Those not able to attend will be able to view Saturday’s action via broadcasting of the scoring feed live – www.superkartsusa.com/live

8-6-09 Leading Edge Motorsports Strikes Gold at First Round of Gold Rush Series

 

            Leading Edge Motorsports made there presence known, Sunday, at round one of the Gold Rush series at Prairie City Raceway.  With just six drivers entered under the Leading Edge Intrepid banner, the team would come away with three wins, and three other podium finishes.  Team owner Greg Bell, would set up camp for two HPV-2 Junior drivers, two Senior Sportsman drivers, two entries in the shifter divisions, and an entry in both Junior 1 divisions.  With nearly a hundred and fifty entrees total round one was sure to hold a lot competitive racing.

            In the competitive HPV-2 Junior class, it was Kathryn Cornell and Rachel Jean flying the Leading Edge Intrepid colors.  In qualifying, Rachel would battle engine trouble on the grid, and would only make it out for one lap, forcing her to start last in the pre-final.  However, Leading Edge�s Kathryn Cornell would find herself and her Leading Edge Motorsports powered Intrepid; sitting on the pole for the pre-final, as she set fast time by just over two tenths of a second.  Turn one of the pre-final would see Kathryn Cornell jump out to the early lead while Rachel Jean would find herself moving forward six spots with an aggressive turn one move.  While Cornell would go on to a .7 second victory over second place, Rachel would find herself just outside the top ten at the end of the ten lap pre-final.  Lap one of the main would see Kathryn Cornell again lead the twenty kart pack into turn one were she would come away with the lead.  Rachel, however would find her self involved in a turn one incident and would be forced to drive a bent kart for the twelve lap final.  Furthermore, Cornell would go on to lead all twelve laps and go on to score the victory.

            Senior Super Sportsman was the largest class of the weekend with twenty-seven entrees.  Qualifying would see Brian Gallagher�s Leading Edge powered Intrepid top the charts with a 46.5 second lap time, which was good enough for the pole by seven tenths of a second.  Joining Gallagher in the competitive Senior Sportsman class was Leading Edge�s Bryan Eady.  Eady would go on to qualify third, only completing one lap of qualifying, do to brake failure.  The start of the pre-final would see the pole sitter with his hands in the air, only to find out the green flag had still been thrown.  Once through the first three turns it would be Eady out front with Gallagher following close behind in second.  Gallagher would eventually go on to win the pre-final with Eady making a desperate move on the last lap to find himself third on the grid for the final.  The start of the main would see Gwin get the shove down the front straight and lead into turn one with the LEM teammates right behind.  However, Gallagher would waste no time and would make his move for the lead on lap three.  With Gallagher out front Eady would make a late braking pass headed into turn six to take second spot.  Gallagher and Eady would go on to a one, two finish by two seconds over third place.

            Leading Edge�s Jared Woolf, would pull double duty racing in both the 80cc and 125cc shifter divisions.  With only three drivers entered in the 125cc division Woolf would start the Gold Rush Series off with a clean sweep for the weekend.  However, in the competitive 80cc division Woolf would find himself battling for a third place finish.  Qualifying fifth Woolf would find himself up to the fourth spot after the pre-final.  With a good launch off the line in the final, Woolf would find himself in the third spot.  With the top five karts turning the same lap times, it made for close racing but the running order did not change.  Look for Jared to be up front at round two in Atwater where he will try to defend his I.K.F. victory.

            With two extremely competitive Junior 1 classes racing Leading Edge�s Blaine Roacha would be holding up the LEM banner.  Roacha would struggle in the Comer class but would find him self knocking on a podium finish all day in the highly competitive Junior HPV division.  With a solid qualifying effort and a solid finish in the pre-final Blaine would set him self up for a good finish in the main.  With a solid fifth place finish heading into round two look for this young hot shoe to find him self at the top of the podium before the year is finished.       

            Tag Senior would see Kyle Vallareno as the only LEM Intrepid driver in the field.  Vallareno would go on to post a seventeenth place qualifying effort followed with a twelfth place pre-fianal run.  However, in the main, consistent driving would place Vallareno eighth in the final standings for the event. 

            Leading Edge Motorsports would like to take the time to thank everyone and all the clubs involved in putting on the Gold Rush Series.  With the biggest numbers we�ve seen in Northern California so far this year, Leading Edge Motorsports is looking forward to expanding there customer support program for round two at Atwater.  To find out how you can find yourself pitted under the Leading Edge Motorsports Intrepid banner at the next Gold Rush Series event, feel free to contact Greg Bell or Bryan Eady at 209-369-0921, or visit our website at www.leadingedgemotorsports.com    

 

8-4-09 MMS Karting News Report

Season Results for IKF Region 11 Series and IKF 2 Cycle Grand Nationals

With the 2009 season coming to a close soon, we would like to report on the accomplishments of MMS Karting/Racing Engines driver’s performance. Having just finished the IKF 2 Cycle Grand Nationals in July, MMS Karting/Racing Engines is very pleased with how our drivers and motor packages placed and performed. At the IKF Grand Nationals, there were over 400 entries. Amongst those entries were some great Junior and Senior drivers using MMS Karting/Racing Engines’ services, products and motor packages. MMS Karting/Racing Engines garnered 11 podium finishes in 10 different classes and some finishes just one off of the podium. In the HPV 1 class, Noah Hermansen brought home the Screamin’ Eagle and then finished 6th in the main event. In Super Sportsman Light, Mike Botelho Jr finished 2nd. TaG Masters had Dave Harwin finishing 4th. Jr 1 - 2 Cycle Heavy saw Noah Hermansen bring home the 5th place award. Mike Botelho Jr had another great finish in the Senior Sportsman class bringing home the Screamin’ Eagle award and 2nd place in the main event. HPV 2 had a great race with Austin DeMent finishing in the 5th place position. TaG Cadet (Gazelle), had the most podium finishes in any one class for MMS Karting/Racing Engines drivers, with Davey Manthei Jr bringing home the Duffy and the Screamin’ Eagle. Finishing behind Manthei Jr was Jeremy Kay, 2nd place and Flinn Lazier finishing in the 5th place position. In Super Sportsman Heavy there was drama from start to finish. Mike Botelho Jr, due to some engine issues in qualifying and the pre-final was relegated to starting dead last in the main event.

Mike Botelho Jr was not to be denied. From the start of the race Botelho began picking off competitors one at a time each lap until on the “white flag” lap Botelho was in third place. Coming down the hill from turn seven the two front runners touched going into the chicane leading onto the straightaway and Botelho won the “drag race” to the finish line for the Duffy. Jr TaG had some good racing also, with Austin Self finishing 3rd and Chelsi Wagner just missing a podium finish in 6th at her first IKF Grand Nationals event. Finally, in IAME Cup, Mike Botelho Jr had another great finish taking 4th place with Zach Dericco right behind in 5th place. The highlight of the IKF Grand Nationals event for Mike Botelho Jr was to be awarded the “Lake Speed Grand Nationals Sprint Award”, which is the award given for “Achievement of Excellence In Karting”. Congratulations Mike!!!

In other racing news, with the IKF Region 11 Championship Series ended for 2009, the TaG Junior Class Championship was won by Austin DeMent with his MMS Karting/Racing Engines teammate Chelsi Wagner finishing 2nd. This is DeMent’s first year in TaG Junior  and Wagner’s last year in the class. Not a bad way to pass the torch for MMS Karting/Racing Engines teammates. MMS Karting/Racing Engines would like to thank all of those racers that depend on and WIN with MMS Karting/Racing Engines’ services, products and motor packages. We are proud to let everyone know who our drivers are and how well they perform.

JOB WELL DONE!!!
Thank you from everyone at MMS Karting/Racing Engines

 

8-4-09 SUPERKARTS! USA SUPERNATIONALS XIII CLASSES FILLING UP FAST


 
Reserved entry spots and hotel rooms going quickly as annual November event nears

TEMECULA, CA (July 31, 2009) – Only a month has passed since Superkarts! USA leader Tom Kutscher opened the doors on registration for this year’s SuperNationals, but the grids for the Las Vegas event are already filling up fast.  Set for the week of November 18-22, this year’s karting festival will be packed wall-to-wall as has been confirmed by the number of entries already received at the SKUSA offices and the number of rooms reserved at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.
 
“The numbers we have seen pile in over the last few weeks is simple amazing – we had over 100 entries the very first day!” stated SKUSA owner and president Kutscher. “Between the entry totals we are seeing already and the number of rooms booked at the Rio, there is no doubt this event will be huge. With last year’s event as a measuring stick, we are already past last year’s hotel books by over 40% and that says a lot about our program, our staff and the whole package that we present for our customers and karting friends. This year’s event will truly be one you don’t want to miss.”
 
To keep the on-track schedule rolling, all but one of the categories will be capped at 40 with the exception of the TaG Senior category, which will be open to 80 drivers. Those classes already in jeopardy of reaching the maximum limit are the S3, S4 and TaG Junior divisions, which may be filled up within the next week. The TaG Senior group is also growing rapidly, and is sure to reach the maximum capacity with some of the biggest names in the sport already registered. Both the G1 and TaG Masters are nearing the halfway mark, and entries for the headline SuperPro division continue to make their way in – from around the world – with a number of drivers from the ’08 edition slated to make their return to the Rio. The new KF2 category is expected to also max out long before the pre-registration cutoff date of October 31st, and will see more drivers commit as the weeks progress. Last, but not least, the S5 Junior Stock Moto class is projected to double last year’s numbers.
 
Also in jeopardy are the number of rooms left for reservation at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino at the unprecedented rate of $79/night. A staggering 700 rooms have been reserved for the SuperNationals event to date, and SKUSA has worked with the establishment to keep the special room rate opportunity open for a bit longer to accommodate those still looking to make their plans to go to Vegas in November.
 
Returning to the event for 2009 will be the ‘Machismo 500’ endurance event that will be held over the Saturday night of the SuperNationals. The 500-lap team endurance race will begin on Saturday evening, and will run through the early morning hours of Sunday – on the same SuperNationals circuit that will be tackled by the paddock throughout the day. The inaugural 2008 edition featured such famous motorsports names as Alex Tagliani, Boris Said, and Joey Hand mixing it up with some of the best among indoor and endurance karting. With one year in the books, the race promises to be even more exciting this time around, with both Pro and Amateur classes offered. For more information on this event, go to www.calspeedkarting.com or call 951-506-9363.
 
Competitors may find out more information about the SuperNationals, register for the event online, as well as secure their Rio rooms for $79 per night, through the website at www.skusasupernats.com. The complete event schedule is in the final stages of production and will be released in the near future, along with more announcements in the works at the SKUSA headquarters.

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