9-24-10 Red Line Oil Karting Championship Race #8 Action

With the threat of rain, the Red Line Oil Karting Championship's Northern California Rotax Challenge's second visit this year to the storied Kinsmen Kart Club track in Dixon saw some great racing by the end of the day. Rain interrupted the morning practice for about an hour, but once the track dried out the rain stayed away and the race day even ended with some great sunshine. Thirty-one Nor Cal Rotax Challenge karts joined the Kinsmen Kart Club and provided the race fans to some exciting racing.

Rotax Masters / Masters Lights
The combined Masters and Masters Light classes produced the largest Rotax race group of the day with eleven karts. In Qualifying, Andre Eriksen (Masters) took the pole over Mert Solis (Light), Steve Weiss (Light), Francis Thomas (Masters), and Peter Breidinger (Masters). In the ten lap Pre-Main, Eriksen took the lead into turn oine with Solis right on his tail. Four karts right behind tangled which put Light points leader Mary Beth Wilson on the sidelines along with Weiss. Eriksen drove an errorless race and Solis was not able to mount any sort of challenge on his way to the second place finish and the Light win. Peter Breidinger came home third followed by Jerry Pretti (Light) and Corey Mitchell (Light). In the fifteen lap Main, again Eriksen took the lead into turn one with Breidinger right on his tail and Solis having to give up one position. Breidinger was improving as the day went on, but he was also not able to mount a challenge on the leading Masters points leader. Solis was close behind in third and was not challenged for the Light class lead as Jerry Pretti came home fourth overall some five seconds back. Mitchell pressured Pretti the whole way and took fifth overall, third in Light. Coming home sixth overall and third in the Masters class was Francis Thomas in his first ever kart race, great job Francis. With the win, Eriksen has wrapped up the class championship in the Masters class. Masters Light points leader Mary Beth Wilson came home fourth in class with Solis gaining some valuable points to help keep his championship hopes alive.

Rotax Mini Max
Another strong field of nine karts took to the track with points leader Michael Avansino taking the pole over second place points driver Michael Michoff. In their third Mini Max race, Annie and Toni Breidinger took the next two spots on the grid with Gino Gigliotti in fifth. In the Pre-Main, Avansino and Michoff diced back and forth the entire ten laps with Avansino taking the win less than a tenth of a second ahead of Michoff. Annie Breidinger stayed close to come home third less than a second behind the two front runners with Gigliotti, Justin Yanez and Scott Huffaker battling for the fourth through sixth positions. The start of the Main was a repeat of the Pre-Main with Avansino taking the lead closely followed by Michoff and Annie Breidinger close behind. As in the Pre-Main, these three karts pulled away from the rest of the field. With less than five laps to go, Michoff made an outstanding pass just after the hairpin and took over the lead. On lap thirteen, the lead pack came up to lap the ninth place kart with Michoff passing on the left and Avansino trying to make the pass on the right as they went into turn two. As Michoff made his pass, the ninth place kart moved over to the right a bit and Avansino had to swerve to avoid contact and spun, eventually re-entering the race in sixth place. Michoff was able to cruise home for the win with Annie Breidinger one second behind, Gigliotti third, followed by Yanez and Huffaker. In post-race tech, a disqualification and subsequent protest has put the race results in the hands of Race Director Ric Shaw. The results of this class are unofficial until the protest is handled.

Senior Rotax, Cambrian Go Karts Junior Rotax & DD2
With ten total karts between the three classes, this race group had a split start with the two DD2 karts starting some 100 yards in front of the Senior/Junior group. In Qualifying, Andre Eriksen took the DD2 pole ahead of January Grove. In the Senior/Junior group, Wes Phillips, making a rare visit back to the Nor Cal series, took the pole ahead of Carlos Calderon with junior Brody Zink third, followed by Raymund Bustamante, Jr. and Amber Friedberg. In the Pre-Main, Eriksen lead the entire distance to take a two second win over Grove in the DD2 class. Phillips lead the Senior field at the start and went on to a controlled three second win. But the real battle was right behind Phillips with six karts all running in a pack and all finishing within one second of each other. Calderon was hounded the entire way by Bustamante with series newcomer Andrew Colombini working his way up the third. Colombini then took over second and was right on the bumper of Calderon. Colombini tired a pass going into the last turn and a lot of bumping and grinding resulted with Calderon coming out ahead to take second in the Senior class followed by the Junior Brody Zink, Bustamante, Colombini and Sean McDonald.

In the Main, Eriksen and Grove battled the entire race in DD2 with Grove taking the lead at one point. Then Eriksen made a pass to retake the lead and race home to take a three tenths of a second win over Grove. In the Senior/Junior race, Calderon took the lead going into turn one with Phillips and Bustamante right behind. The class points leader lead the race for a few laps but by mid-race, Phillips made a pass coming out of the hairpin to take a lead he would never give up. Bustamante took advantage of Phillip's pass to squeeze by and take over second place with Calderon falling back to third. At the checkered flag, Phillips took the win, Bustamante took second as Calderon could not mount a challenge and had to settle for third followed by McDonald, Zink (first in Junior) and Colombini. In only his third race in the Rotax series, Colombini has shown very well and is now tasting the potential of a class win in the near future.

The results of this race can be found on the Race #8 MyLaps Times Link page at www.norcalrotax.com or at www.mylaps.comunder the heading "Kinsmen Club Race". Please note the results of the Mini Max Main are unofficial until further notice.

The next Red Line Oil Karting Championship Northern California Rotax Challenge race is Sunday, September 26th when the series returns to the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway. For more information about the Northern California Rotax Challenge, go to www.norcalrotax.com
 

8-26-10 NASCAR Focused Driver Talent Search Launches

The national NASCAR focused driver talent search conducted by Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle launches today. Top young drivers will be selected to participate in driver try outs at the 2010 Shoot-Out in October. Winning drivers joining the development program will be raced, groomed, coached, tested, trained and molded into what NASCAR Cup teams want in their drivers.

The Shoot-Out application process is open to all drivers 11 to 20 years of age, with race winning backgrounds in race cars and/or youth racing series, specifically Kart racing.

Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle (RSWC) is known in racing circles as the largest, most comprehensive, most established and best connected NASCAR focused Talent Scout and Driver Career Development Program.

In the last year, RSWC has coordinated a Talent Combine in North Carolina with four top RSWC drivers testing with NASCAR Cup Teams, an individual RSWC driver test with a NASCAR Cup Development Team and guided a female RSWC driver successfully into the fully funded NASCAR Drive for Diversity program. In addition, two RSWC Drivers secured career building sponsors to sign with top NASCAR teams for 2011.

RSWC has developed many young racers to successfully make the transition from Karting and Formula Car Racing to winning races in USAC and NASCAR Oval Track series, including Jessica Brunelli, Joey Licata Jr, Beau DeBard, Bobby Grewohl, Benny Moon, Jimmy Moon, Jeff Oleen, Bobby Runyan, Nik Romano, Viktor Sinzig and Eli Schrock.

The Shoot-Out process is designed to identify talented, young, up and coming drivers from across the United States and Canada with the potential and commitment to achieve a driving career in NASCAR. RSWC is currently accepting resumes through September 20th, 2010. 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 October, in three types of race cars, on a California paved short oval track.

Sutton said, As always ? were looking for talent. Not money, not a set number of drivers ? just 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 to succeed in the Shoot-Out and crew 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. Drivers get five 20-lap sessions, with coaching, in one of three types of race cars to show their talent. A dozen 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 NASCAR career focused 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 USAC and NASCAR series.

The career development program consists of 12 veteran driver coaches, 26 classroom training topics, well known trainers and eight organizations fielding 24 race teams, all dedicated to develop talented drivers to a NASCAR career. The teams are a balance of Open Wheel, Stock Car and Road Racing to develop highly versatile and accomplished winning drivers.

Young winning drivers ages 11 to 20, and their families, 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

 

8-11-10 Central Valley Championship Race August 29, 2010 Fresno Fairgrounds

In 2005 Kerman Kart Club (KKC) brought the Central Valley Championship (CVC) Race back to life.  KKC planned the event as a Junior Only event, not knowing that the race would be the last race at Kerman Kartways .  Under wet conditions Alieja White won Kid Kart. In  Jr 1 Comer Kellen and Kolby Araki put on the best show of the weekend with Kolby taking the win.  David Vasquez got his first win in Junior Superbox at the 2005 CVC Race. 

2006 and 2007 the Tom Dash Memorial Speedway (in Atwater) played host track for the CVC Race.  Hunter Corbitt won Kid Kart in 2006 and 2007.  Kellen Araki redeemed himself by winning Junior 1 Comer in 2006. In 2007 Johnny Norris won both Junior 1 Comer and HPV1- during one of his Victory Laps he dropped the checkered flag, running it over and putting a hole in it.  At the end of the day all Cadet drivers signed the ripped checkered flag and gave it to Johnny during the awards.  This started the tradition of winning and taking home the checkered flag. Bradley Genseal, Scott Andresen, Thomas Merrill, and Joshua Veloz all became CVC Champions in Atwater. 

The CVC Race moved to Buttonwillow in 2008 and names like Justin Mankin, Jacob Drew, Jason Hannegan, Jake Craig, Cody Moss, Raquel Martinez, Tony Gammel, Donny Clark, and Jimmy McNeil all became CVC Champions at Buttonwillow Raceway. 

For the first time in years racing returned to Fresno in 2009 and the CVC Race was held at the Fresno Fairgrounds.  Saturday we ran an event with NorCal vs. SoCal, with NorCal taking home the Victory.  If you talk to anyone at the event they will tell you Saturday nights fireworks show was a great one.  Check out the 2010 CVC flier and see all the 2009 winners at www.kermankartclub.com .

Over the years we have had good racing, and 2010 CVC at the Fresno Fairgrounds will be no different.    New track (no home field advantage), new challenges, see ya soon!

Ron Perry
Kerman Kart Club

8-29-10 Prokart Challenge north to Wrap up 2010 Over Labor Day Weekend in Sonoma

Series championships to be decided with round six at Jim Russell International Karting Center

Coming off the very successful 2010 edition of the ProKart Challenge West Coast Shootout, the ProKart Challenge North regional program will wrap up its 6-race season over the Labor Day weekend (September 3-4) at the Jim Russell International Karting Center in Sonoma, California. The event at the Infineon Raceway facility is sure to be a solid one, with it tapped as the final Superkarts! USA west coast regional race prior to the SKUSA SuperNationals in November. Above all, championships for all nine regional categories will be decided with the final laps around the National circuit of the JRIKC complex.

The headline S1 Pro Stock Moto category has been largely the domain of Fritz Leesmann since the opening round in February. The former ICC national contender made the move to the Stock Moto program this season and has not lost a beat. While he has not won since the first round, Leesmann has stood second on the podium in the last three events including the PKC West Coast Shootout. Barring any issues during the final round, Leesmann should clinch the title though he will have Brett The Jet Buckwalter lurking nearly. Moving from TaG Senior back to the shifter ranks, Buckwalter has had an impressive 2010 season thus far, with three podiums in five events.

Similar to Leesmann, Matt Alcorn has been head of the class in the S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto division. Alcorn has accumulated three podium finishes, including two main event victories, in five races. Though he struggled at the PKC Shootout, Alcorn will look to bounce back with a victory to clinch the class championship. Neil Joseph and Cameron Pringle have been strong as of late, both recording two podium finishes in the last three events. Each have a victory on the season, as well, but only Joseph is close enough to pressure Alcorn for the title at the finale.

The fight in the TaG Senior championship is now a two-dog fight between Bobby Kelley and Larry Fraser. Starting the season with a victory, Fraser was the driver to beat early on; however, Kelleys four straight podiums after the opener including the victory at the PKC Shootout have propelled him to the top of the standings. Both will need to be on their game in Sonoma for the finale, with a host of others looking to challenge them for just the race win itself.

The tightest point battle heading into the finale is in the TaG Master class, with Jeff Deehan and Ethan Wilson looking to end their season-long fight. Wilsons absence at round four cost him the point lead, as he now sits just 25 points behind Deehan. Head-to-head virtually all year, Wilson who has won three features this season including the PKC Shootout has bested Deehan four times. Unless Deehan steps up at the finale it could become five, thus giving the championship to Wilson.

One title that has already been clinched is the S4 Master Stock Moto with Jeff Smith taking the honors. His five straight feature wins, including a big victory at the PKC Shootout, has Smith as the favorite heading into the SKUSA SuperNationals. The championship race for the runner-up spot continues with the fight between Alex Keith, Jim Inglebright, and Jack Arluck still raging on. The S3 Novice Stock Moto title has also been clinched, with Chris Yettito taking the honors prior to the finale in Sonoma.

The Junior competition has been stout in 2010 for the PKC North program, with the TaG Junior and HPV-2 Junior title chases expected to come down to the final laps. In TaG Junior, Deven Sanchez currently holds the point lead over Kathryn Cornell, who led the way until a disqualification in round four cost her valuable points in the championship. The gap is 190 markers, with anything possible at the finale. Cornell leads the HPV-2 Junior standings, thanks to her three victories on the year. She comes into round six with a 186-point advantage over Daniel Langon. No matter what happens in that division, Langon will leave Infineon with a championship in hand, as he will be crowned the first S5 Junior Stock Moto champ in series history.

The sixth and final round of the PKC North championship will begin on September 3 with a practice day, as on-track activities will take place from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Tentatively scheduled will be a Friday night complimentary BBQ dinner at the track (PKC is looking for a sponsor). Race pre-registrations are currently being accepted, with racers able to save $35 on their entry fees by submitting an entry prior to midnight on Wednesday, September 1. SKUSA memberships will be mandatory for the event, and forms are available on the SKUSA/ProKart Challenge website. Trailer parking is available starting Thursday afternoon. Camping on site will be permitted Friday and Saturday night at no charge. A tentative event schedule is posted on the website, as well with racers needing to understand that just one round of practice will be given on Saturday due to the addition of the Jim Russell Arrive and Drive racers to the event schedule. Additional details on this event, including host hotel info, can be found at the PKC event page: http://www.superkartsusa.com/regional/pkc-north/round-6-2010.html

The PKC North finale will have live timing and blogging provided for those not able to attend the race first-hand. Those looking to follow the action are asked to watch www.superkartsusa.com/live. For more information on anything related to SKUSA and the ProKart Challenge, visit the redesigned and updated www.superkartsusa.com website or call the SKUSA head office at 951-491-0808.

 

8-26-10 RLOKC Race #7 Preview

The hot summer weather has finally arrived in Northern California, but thankfully, the forecast for this weekend's Round #7 of the Red Line Oil Karting Championship is for slightly cooler, comfortable temperatures. The Northern California Rotax Challenge classes are returning to the confines of the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway after a weekend of racing at the Kinsmen Kart Club in Dixon and will team up once again with the Italian Motors USA IAME TaG, 80 Shifter and 125 Stock Moto Masters classes for some great racing on the National track configuration.

The GoPro featured class for race #7 will be the combined 125 Stock Moto Masters/DD2 classes with the fastest kart taking home a GoPro Hero Camera.

With only four more races left in the championship (three more races remain for the TaG, 80 Shifter and 125 Stock Moto Masters classes), each remaining race becomes more important in the chase for the class championships.

With a win for Raymund Bustemante, Jr. in Senior Rotax at Dixon last weekend, the points battle tightens up with Carlos Calderon still in the lead but, Bustamante and Amber Friedberg are close behind.

Michael Michoff and Michael Avansino look to be pulling ahead in the Sanzaru Games Rotax Mini Max class after strong second and third place finishes respectively at Dixon.

With his win in the Rotax Masters Light class at Dixon, Steve Weiss is moving up in contention for a top finish in the class, but Mary Beth Wilson's second place finish in class at Dixon puts her in a hard position to be overtaken for the top spot.

Tom Nelson has a strong lead in the 80 Shifter class, but Roger Cornwall is on a roll with a win last month at the RLOKC Race #5 and his most recent win at Dixon this past weekend.

Racers will have the option to use VP MS93 or VP 98L for all classes except 80 Shifter who will use VP 110. Starting in September the spec fuel for all classes except 80 Shifters will be VP98L ONLY. The spec oil remains Red Line 2 Cycle Kart Oil.

Weekend Schedule:

Saturday
12:00 PM to 6:00 PM Open practice and Pre-Registration. Track fee is $40

Sunday
8:30 AM Practice
9:30 AM Qualifying
10:45 AM Heat Races
2:30 PM Main Races
Race Entry Fee: $100
Transponder Rental: $10
Pit Passes: 12 & Over: $10, Under 12: $5

Click to download the race day Schedule and Registration Form

Sunday morning registration for drivers and spectators without wrist bands is at the old Jim Russell building located outside the Infineon Raceway Main Gate on the right side of the entrance. Please look for the RLOKC sign.

For more information about the Red Line Oil Karting Championship and Northern California Rotax Challenge, go to www.cameronkarting.com  or www.norcalrotax.com

The Red Line Oil Karting Championship is supported with over $20,000 of prizes and awards from the sponsors below.
 

8-26-10 NNKC Rick Jerome Memorial Night Race August 21, 2010

Kid Karts were in full force as they started out the day with blistering times.  Nolan Wyman, Turbo Sombatsiri and Gavin Van Cott tore up the track and 2 of them even made it up to the podium at 1:15am.  The club thanks these kids for enduring the long day and we also are hoping to get a few more kids in karts by the end of the year.

Jr 1-2 Cycle again saw Jeremy Kay and Garrett Dixon battling for P1 all night with each winning a heat.  But in the main it was Kay finding his way through traffic and Dixon having to settle for 2nd.  These kids have fought hard all year and it will come down to the last 2 races.  Isaac Wyett, who has been getitng faster each race, would have a great night as well coming home in 3rd.  Dean Andrews, making his second race of the season would take home 4th.  Turbo Sombatsiri would have a great night as well, bringing his kart home in 5th.  Connor Van Cott would have some good battles as well on the track and take home 6th.  New comer to the class Buddy Browning finished in 7th. 

TaG Novice has 12 karts come out and again it was the Koerners taking control of the front rows.  Matt would win eventually win his 5th race in a row leaving his father Tom to think of a way to beat his son.  New drivers Raul Rodriquez and Bruce Garafalo would have a great time racing with this big class.  Dave Yochum would have to leave his sons (Chris, who races TaG Novice also) wedding and barely make it out to the track to race.  Dave said there was no way he was missing this event and he held true to his words coming home in 6th.  But it was 1st time driver Warrenn Linnell coming up big and taking 3rd place in his first race behind the Koerners.  Good job to all these drivers for racing a clean race.  TaG racing is back in full force at DPR!

F-125 drivers Mitch Kennedy, Mark Nason and John Morgan all had a epic battle in these speed machines.  At the end it was Kennedy holding off Nason at the line with Morgan following behind.  Morgan also races TaG Masters.  For a first year driver taking on the toughest competition in the club, Morgan seems to be handling it just fine.  Nason also raced in both 80 shifter classes so this F-125 main event was his 3rd on the night!  Good job!  The club would love to get a few more of these 125's on the track for next year.

Formula 80 Senior driver Mike Botelho Jr decided he had enough and took full control of the points lead in the Senior division.  When this guy (Botelho) has his equipment set up, he is very tough to beat on the track.  The rest of the class already knows this.  During the day, Cody McKinney would give him (Botelho) good pressure but just didn't have enough to get by him in the main.  Gerry Williams would hang on to 3rd with a very impressive showing, staying consistent as he has done all year.  Mark Nason would holeshot the main and lead two laps until Botelho made the pass inside turn 1 and Nason would spin (no contact).  He would recover and hunt down Dow for 4th but could get no further.  Dow would take 5th.

TaG Masters saw NNKC Race Director and IKF Expert driver Glenn McKinnon take pole.  McKinnon would win heat 1 over Dan Harris by a couple seconds.  The second heat saw a mixture of passes for the lead.  With the 2 leading karts getting tangled heading up to turn 7, Brian Rivera would squeeze by and check out from the pack winning the second heat.  The main event saw McKinnon and Rivera on the front row.  Rivera would grab the holeshot only to be passed by McKinnon a few laps later.  McKinnon would break giving the lead to Rivera.  Terry West, in his TaG debut, brought his #48 kart up to the front and would dice with Rivera for the lead.  At the end, Rivera would hold off West in 2nd followed by Harris in 3rd, who posted fast time of the main at 51.0.  Kerry Matthews, who traveled from over the hill from Sacramento, would have a very good showing coming in 8th place out of 14 karts, finally figuring out the nuances of DPR.  Austin DeMent, practicing for his upcoming National races, would have a great day (TaG Junior) and have a lot of fun mixing it up with the Master guys, going from rear of the field to 1st place every heat within a few laps.  Good job to him and he has shown the old guys that he can run with them anytime!

Jr 2 Box Stock Clone saw what we have seen all year.  Logan Wyman being dominant on the track.  He was mixing it up with Sr driver Terry West all night long.  L. Wyman would go on to win Jr Clone in convincing fashion.  His sister, Shannon Wyman (in her first race) would take home 2nd place followed by Nola Vella in 3rd.  The club hopes to have more Jr 2 Clone drivers next year.  Rumors are there should be at least 8 of them for next year!!

Sr Box Stock Clone had 17 entries yet again.  The speedster in this class no doubt is Terry West.  Drivers Dave Schilt and Travis Look try to keep up with him but find it very difficult to do.  Terry would go on to win the main event followed by Dave Schilt.  Ray Andrews, who has missed the last couple races, found out that a lot of these drivers have gained some speed since he's been gone.  He would finish the main in 3rd.  Becky Knapp, driving the florescent pink kart would finish the race in 4th with a great showing.  Christian Cerceau and Jamie West would finish 5th and 6th, respectively.  We're still trying to field 20+ Seniors in this class.  We're hoping we can do that the last couple races since we were misisng about 3-5 drivers for this race.

Formula 80 Masters had 10 karts trying to finish ahead of one another.  But it was the same old show, Mark "Big Head" Nason taking pole, winning all heats and the main event over Cody McKinney.  McKinney would have a pretty successful day racking up some big, much needed points.  Steve Dow would finish in 3rd with another solid finish for the veteran.  Former NNKC President Jeff Wamre would bring out his shifter and have a little fun with this pack as well.  He would finish a respectable 5th.

The NNKC would like to thank all the volunteers who made this race possible with the pick up of lights on Friday, the practice held on Friday Night, tearing down the lights on Sunday morning and staging them on the paddock, and the delivery of the lights back to their companies on Monday.  The BBQ put on by Emily Fernandez and Family and Becky Knapp was outstanding.  Give them a round of applause for making that happen in some windy conditions.  The Race Directing by Chris Scribner was excellent and the flagging by Dave Brant is always second to none!  Our registration girls and scoring lady were top notch as always.  It was a long weekend but a great one.  78 entries were recorded.  The club is hot right now and no other track in NorCal has better membership or participating numbers than the NNKC.  Let's keep the train moving in the right direction.  It's because of all the drivers and volunteers, why we are so successful.  Good Job to all.  See everybody September 5th, for Championship Points Race #6!!!!  For the event Photos visit http://scribnerracingpromotions.zenfolio.com/

8-25-10 RLOKC Race #6 Report

Red Line Oil Karting Championship's Northern California Rotax Challenge made its first visit of 2010 to the tight confines of the Kinsmen Kart Club at Dixon this past weekend with the largest Rotax turnout at Dixon ever. The weather was perfect on Sunday for some great racing. The host, Kinsmen Kart Club put on a great BBQ for the racers along with root beer floats in the afternoon and two piñatas for the kids to beat on and collect all the candy. All class winners were given a driving suit cleaning kit provided by Molecule. The Senior Rotax winner also took home a GoPro Hero Camera.

Senior Rotax & Cambrian Go-Karts Junior Rotax
With seven seniors and three junior entries, these two classes were combined to make for the most exciting race of the day. Senior points leader Carlos Calderon took the pole ahead of new junior graduate Sean McDonald and Amber Friedberg. Bobby Tifft was the top Junior in sixth with Brody Zink in seventh. In the heat race, Calderon and McDonald did some rubbing as they drove into turn one with Calderon leading into the turn. McDonald held his position to come home in second with Raymund Bustamante, Jr. overtaking Friedberg to take third. In the Junior class, Tifft held the Junior class point for most of the race with Zink falling back at the start. Brody worked his way past a few senior class karts and got by Tifft to take sixth overall and first in the Junior heat race.

At the green flag for the Main, Calderon went to the front with Friedberg getting a good start moving into second. Tifft also got a great start and moved into fifth, leading the junior class. Calderon and Friedberg went nose to tail for the first fifteen laps with Bustamante close behind and Tifft moving up to fourth overall right on Bustamante's bumper. With three laps to go, the two leaders battled so hard that they moved high on the track going into the last corner and left the door open for both Bustamante and Tifft to slip by. With too few laps left, Bustamante went on to the win and took both the Senior Class win as well as winning the GoPro Hero Camera. Tifft took second overall and first in the Junior class with his best drive ever, a fantastic run for the veteran junior driver. Calderon came home third (second in Senior), Friedberg fourth (third in Senior), Jarrett Lile fifth (fourth in Senior) and Joshua Feiber sixth (second in Junior).

Rotax Mini Max
The MiniMax class continues to grow with ten karts making up the Dixon field, the largest field in series history. Michael Michoff took the pole ahead of Blaine Rocha, Michael Avansino and Scott Huffaker. In the heat race, Michoff lead the entire race but was being chased by three drivers who have all won features this year. Rocha held his second place with Avansino in third, Gino Gigliotti in fourth and Justin Yanez in fifth. In the Main, Michoff took the early lead but Rocha found a way by and took over the race lead by mid-race. After two straight wins at Infineon, Avansino could not come up with the speed to overtake Michoff and had to settle for a well deserved third. Gigliotti came home in fourth with Colin Daley putting in his best drive of the year to come home fifth and take the last trophy spot. For his win, Blaine won the Sanzaru $50 cash first place prize as well as the Molecule driving suit cleaning kit.

Rotax Masters & Masters Light
With thirteen entries between the two classes, this race group was the largest race group of the day. The pole was won by Andrea Delfanti (Light), followed by Jerry Pretti (Light), Andre Eriksen (Masters), Mary Beth Wilson (Light) and Mert Solis (Light). In the heat race, Delfanti lead the front rows through the first turn, but some bumping would cause Steve Weiss to drop out with a bent axle. No one could match Andrea's speed as he lead the race flag to flag. But behind Andrea, a good battle was raging with Wilson leading Eriksen much of the race. Late in the race, Eriksen took advantage of a lapped traffic situation to get by and take second overall (first in Masters), followed by Wilson, Pretti and Corey Mitchell.

In the Main, Delfanti took the lead at the drop of the green and checked out again leaving the rest of the field battling for second. Eriksen charged into turn one right behind Delfanti and took over the second spot. But mid-race, mechanical problems hit Delfanti which ended his race. Now Eriksen was in the lead and the heavier Masters class driver pushed his kart to try and stay in front of three or four fast Light karts. While the leaders were battling, Steve Weiss came from his last place starting position and made one pass after another and by mid-race was lapping much faster than the leaders. As the laps counted down, Weiss passed the four top Light karts to take the class lead and was zeroing in on Eriksen for the race lead when the checkered came out. Overall win went to Eriksen as well as the Masters class win. Second overall and first in Light went to Steve Weiss, his first feature class win ever. Third was Light points leader Mary Beth Wilson with her best Dixon effort. Fourth went to Luca Delfanti (Light) and Fifth to Cory Mitchell (Light). Peter Breidinger finished sixth overall and second in the Masters class.

Rotax DD2
Five karts took the green with Michael Ostrowski returning after a 2 year absence to take the pole ahead of Andre Eriksen who was running his first DD2 race with points leader January Grove in third. In the heat race, Ostrowski took the lead at the green followed by Eriksen, Dave Moody and Grove. Eriksen hounded the young Ostrowski for the entire twelve laps and when the two were getting around a lapped driver, Eriksen took the best line and slipped by Michael to take the lead and the heat race win followed by Grove and Moody. At the start of the Main, Eriksen lead at the green followed by Ostrowski and Grove and the three went nose to tail for the first fifteen laps. Eriksen was not giving Ostrowski much of a look for making a pass so Michael used his experience to try a pass where few would ever go and he slipped by with two laps to go to take the win ahead of Eriksen and Grove, a great return race for Ostrowski.

The race day was a great day for the visiting Rotax racers, having fun with the challenge of the Dixon track as well as enjoying the hospitality of the host Kinsmen Kart Club. RLOKC's Northern California Rotax Challenge will return to Dixon on Sunday, September 19th. Next up for the Red Line Oil Karting Championship is a return to Infineon Raceway this Sunday, August 29th to race on the National track configuration. Results for the Dixon race will be posted at www.norcalrotax.com. For more information about the RLOKC's Northern California Rotax Challenge, go to www.norcalrotax.com.
 

8-25-10 Stock Moto Master Class Tops 60 For SKUSA Super Nationals XIV

Age and treachery along with youth and enthusiasm to shine in Vegas as S4s flock in huge numbers while TaG Cadet motor program extended

It would be hard to argue the fact that this has been a tough year for the sport of karting. The economic issues that are facing the country have affected kartings participation numbers all over the nation, which makes the current excitement surrounding the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals a potentially positive cap to the 2010 season. SKUSA is thrilled to announce that the continuing growth of the S4 Stock Moto Master category has demanded its expansion to a pair of race groups for this years SuperNationals, which will be held on the grounds of the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 17-21. After confirming that the S4 class had reached its 40-entry capacity back on August 10, SKUSA stated that it would begin adding new potential entrants to a waiting list. The response was rapid, as this list topped more than 20 drivers within a week. SKUSA will now be capping the S4 class at a maximum of 80 entries, and the current entry total in S4 is now over 60 entries (as wait listers were notified first). Furthermore, based on the fact that both TaG Senior and TaG Junior are expected to reach their capacity limits next, there will likely be no other class caps extended for this event, due to race day time constraints.

Its hard to express how great it is to see that so many veteran drivers are excited about SKUSA and the S4 program, admits Tom Kutscher, SKUSA president. The moto shifter class was where I started with Superkarts! USA when I was racing, and Im thrilled to see a full field for the SuperNationals. The big numbers are simply proving the quality and attraction of the Stock Moto program. I think this is also a little preview of what were going to see on the SKUSA Pro Tour circuit in 2011. The Tour is going to be big next year and the S4 grid is going to be packed!

Due to the limitations of the daily schedule, only two SuperNats categories can be extended past the 40-entry max, and with the race less than three months away, two additional classes are flirting with reaching their capacity. The TaG Senior class is expected to easily meet its 80-kart grid limit as it did last year, and TaG Junior will this year be limited to a 40-kart count. This may disappoint a few drivers who do not get registered in time, especially since TaG Junior hit 66 karts last year. TaG Senior has already reached the halfway point for its field with close to 50 drivers having secured their places at the SuperNats, while the Juniors are closing in on the magic 40 that would begin the waiting list for them as well.

The TaG community has certainly embraced the Superkarts! USA program and the SuperNationals, in particular and during the off-season the organization identified the need to extend their TaG program to the sports younger pilots. SKUSAs continuing focus on building its program from the bottom up has provided for the growth and development of the new TaG Cadet category, which is based on the 60cc Vortex Mini Rok powerplant and racers 9-12 years old. In a partnership program with Vortex, the class drew a total of 12 competitors to the SKUSA Pro Tour this year, and they are planned to be part of the SKUSA regional programs in 2011. An expanded field of close to 20 drivers has already entered for the SuperNationals, and excitement is building as this is the first time in five years that a Cadet level class has been offered at the annual event. In an effort to continue the support of the program, Vortex has decided to extend its offer to supply a maximum of 10 Mini Rok engines to drivers who would be interested in running at the SuperNationals but do not already have an engine package with which to race. Vortex will also provide with trackside support. (Note: the SKUSA claiming rule will apply for this event.)

I cant thank Vortex enough for the support that theyve given to our TaG Cadet program, Kutscher commented, enthused by this years debut of the newest SKUSA category. We clearly have our ladder program set in the Stock Moto classes, and the addition of TaG Cadet extends the road for our single-speed racers as well. Through the continuing engine offer from Vortex, we have the opportunity to provide more drivers the chance to run this great engine. The racing in TaG Cadet has been so fun to watch, and I cant wait to watch them go at it in Vegas this November. With the extension of the motor program, we may very well end up with a full field of 40. That would be awesome!

The Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino is once again ready to open the doors to the karting community, but the discounted room block is quickly shrinking, so those who have not yet booked their rooms for this falls SuperNationals should do so as soon as possible. SKUSA has negotiated special discounted rates for the weekday and weekend stays, with the rate average coming in at $81 per night. The group discount code when booking a room is SRNATS0, but the easiest way to get set up is through the www.superkartsusa.com website. Simply head to the SuperNationals section of the site and select the Hotel and Accommodations option in the Menu.


 

8-19-10 RLOKC Rotax Race #6 Preview

Sunday, August 22nd will be the first of two races where the Red Line Oil Karting Championship (RLOKC) Rotax classes will visit the tough and challenging Kinsmen Kart Club track in Dixon, California. This will be the fourth year the Northern California Rotax Challenge (NCRC) will run as part of one of the Kinsmen Kart Club's normal events. The NCRC added two races per year at the Dixon track to give the Rotax drivers a taste of the uniqueness of one of Northern California's storied tracks and provide a change of pace from the Jim Russell International Karting Center track at Infineon Raceway. The track direction for the race this weekend will be the Reverse direction.

All six national Rotax classes will be on the schedule as well as the Northern California regional Rotax class, Masters Light. Since this will be NCRC's first time at the Dixon this year, Saturday practice should be a busy day for all the drivers. Sunday will be a fast paced race day with one round of practice, two lap Qualifying, one heat race and the Main events Sunday afternoon.

Three classes will feature a great deal of drama as well as strong fields.

Mini Max (ages 9-12 years old) should have a field of ten plus karts. With four different winners in the first five races of the year, Mini Max has proven to be a very competitive class. Points leader Cole Davis as well as Gino Gigliotti, Michael Michoff and Justin Yanez are all experienced Dixon pilots, but the winner of the last two Infineon races, Michael Avansino wants to continue his streak this weekend by besting the Dixon veterans.

The regional Rotax Masters Light class should have lots of great competition and drama this weekend. The Light class has had the largest class entries this year in the series. Nor Cal Masters drivers are liking the lighter weight of this class and new drivers have been coming out to each race this year. Points leader Mary Beth Wilson is having a breakout year with three wins to date, but the Dixon track has not been her best track over the last two years and she is focusing on making this weekend one in which the field is chasing her.

The Senior Rotax field will be a quality fast field with several drivers challenging for the win. Points leader Carlos Calderon will be looking for his first feature win, but will be challenged by the most recent winner Amber Friedberg as well as Raymund Bustamante, Jr., Matthew Weiss and Jarrett Lile who could all put their karts on top at Dixon.

Entry for this event is $75, payable to Kinsmen Kart Club. Saturday Practice is available 9 AM to 5 PM, costing $25 for non-Kinsmen Kart Club members. Drivers have a fuel option of VP MS93 or VP 98L for this race and the next race on August 29th when RLOKC returns to the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway.

For more information about Red Line Oil Karting Championship's Northern California Rotax Challenge, go to www.norcalrotax.com.


The Red Line Oil Karting Championship is supported by the sponsors below with over $20,000 in prizes available to the racers. For information about the sponsors, please click the sponsor block below.



 

8-18-10 Speed and Kelley Claim First PKC West Coast Shootout Victories

South tops North in second annual event that draws 120 entries to Santa Maria

After the success of the inaugural Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge West Coast Shootout in 2009, the concept of bringing together the best drivers from the North and South regional programs again proved worthy with an even bigger driver roster and fiercer competition this year. The Santa Maria Karting Association Kart Track played host to the second annual North vs. South title fight set as the final round of the six-race South championship chase while counting toward round five for the North. With 120 drivers from all over the west, the beautiful coastal weather greeted a packed paddock that was buzzing with excitement as drivers went head-to-head against their regional counterparts. In the end, the South would prevail over the North in the final tally, thanks to performances like Bobby Kelley in TaG Senior and despite the efforts of those like NorCal star and former national champion Alex Speed claiming the S1 Pro Stock Moto victory.

The driver lineup in the S1 category mirrored the roster of the SKUSA Pro Tour, with all three series leaders on hand. While Clinton Schoombee and Fritz Leesmann were looking to help control their fate in the regional championships, Alex Speed had nothing to lose as he continues to prepare for the upcoming SKUSA SuperNationals. The qualifying session for the headline category was ended after just one-minute on the clock, due to oil on the track. It would be one minute too late, as it collected championship contenders Jason Toft and Tommy Thompson, ending their session with kart damage into the barriers. After the clean-up, the remaining drivers were allowed a second qualifying session, and jostled the pole position back and forth until Speed claimed the spot with a 46.669. Leesmann was a close second, as Brad Dunford slid into third ahead of Schoombee. The top four were separated by just eight-hundredths.

Leesmann scored the opening 8-lap heat race win, as Speed had to fight Schoombee for second. Leesmann led early in the second moto, until Speed worked by with two laps to go, scoring the win. Schoombee, however, retired on the final lap due to a shattered front right brake rotor, costing him valuable points in the chase and moving NorCal driver Brett Buckwalter up to the third position. The main event was another thriller this time for 15 laps with Leesmann at the point early on. Leading the first five laps, Speed hounded the PKC North point leader until lap six, when he overtook the position. Leesmann looked to retake the lead, but would come up short as Speed picked up the pace in the late going, posting the fast laps en route to his first PKC West Coast Shootout victory. Dunford held the third spot for the majority of the race, staying with the top two until lap 12, when he spun in turn one trying to get around Leesmann. Buckwalter assumed the position and crossed the line behind Leesmann to complete the podium. Thompson recovered from his qualifying misfortunes to end up fourth in the final with Schoombee on his bumper up to fifth.

Victory at the PKC West Coast Shootout in TaG Senior not only has put Bobby Kelleys name into the forefront for the SKUSA SuperNationals pre-race banter, but it has also positioned him as the championship leader in the PKC North program heading into next months finale. The event began with Kelley ending up second in qualifying to his teammate Nick Johnston, who posted a 47.749 lap time. PKC South championship leader Phil Giebler had transponder issues during the session, forcing him to pit early but was able to clock in the third quickest time. Johnston showed the way in the opening heat race, until Kelley made his move coming to the white flag and going on to the win. Senior rookie Louie Pagano made his move at the same time, pushing Giebler back to fourth. Kelley was able to break away to score the win in the second heat, as Johnston fought with Giebler for the runner-up spot, eventually losing out and holding off Pagano for third.

It was a mad shuffle to begin the 15-lap feature, as Giebler came away with the point over Johnston and Kelley fell back to third. Once by Johnston on lap four, Kelley set his sights on the former Indy 500 Rookie of the Year. Four laps later, Kelley pulled the trigger and regained the lead. From there, the top two were evenly match, with Giebler unable to advance by Kelley. In the end, Kelley would score the victory by one second over Giebler, while Johnston earned the final podium position over two Senior rookies Adrian Starrantino and Pagano.

The largest class of the weekend was the S4 Master Stock Moto division with 22 primed, veteran drivers taking part which coincidentally is the first class to reach the 40-driver mark for pre-entries at the SKUSA SuperNationals. Qualifying was paced by the South contingent, with the first six spots held by drivers from SoCal entering their final round of the season with the championship chase up in the air. Leading the way in the timed session was Doug Hayashi, point leader Jeff Littrell and Phil Conte, as the top three would only be separated by seven-hundredths with Hayashis 48.070 lap time best of the run. The surprise of the session would be the position of PKC North point leader Jeff Smith, as the SKUSA SpringNationals winner was only 13th in the final tally. Conte went from third to first in the opening lap of the first heat, going on to the win over Hayashi and Littrell as Jason Campbell joined the fight from P9 grid position. Campbell continued his progression forward, leading all but the opening lap to score the win in heat two over Hayashi and Conte. Littrell would lose valuable championship points, getting shuffled back to 20th after attempting a pass for position and spinning around in what appeared to be fluid on track. Meanwhile, Smith continued to overcome his poor qualifying effort, placing sixth in the first heat and ended up fourth in the second moto, matching the pace of the leaders.

Campbell grabbed the holeshot to begin the main event, with Smith able to work by both Hayashi and Conte in the opening lap. Smith took only three laps to size up Campbell, making his move on lap four to take the lead. From there, Smith would post the fast laps of the race to score the victory, his seventh straight on the season including SKUSA Pro Tour and regional action. Campbell stayed with Smith for the remainder of the race, crossing the line second to complete a solid performance, while Conte ran on his bumper to complete the podium. Littrell drove forward to end up eighth. Luke Bianco swept the day in S4 Magnum, outrunning Marc Lewis and Larry Metter to clinch his second straight PKC South title.

Needing to gain maximum amount of points to have a chance at the PKC South S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto title, Ryon Beachner did just that as he swept the days action to score nearly a perfect score for the event missing out only on the 10 bonus points for fast lap in the main event. Beachner posted a fast lap of 47.323 in the qualifying session to top the charts, with the top four split with North and South drivers. Fellow South driver Vivek Tandon was third, while North drivers Neil Joseph and Matt Alcorn were second and fourth. Joseph grabbed the holeshot in heat one, and led the first two laps before Beachner reclaimed the top spot. Joseph then fell back to third and Tandon advanced up to second with Alcorn, the North championship leader, holding fourth. Positions remained unchanged after the start in heat two, with Beachner taking the holeshot over Tandon while Alcorn jumped in front of Joseph. Battling to stay in the top-five, Joseph eventually made contact with Bryce Miller, who spun out in front of him while battling for position, finishing 10th.

Tandon began the 15-lap feature as the leader, while Beachner had to settle into second place with Alcorn on his bumper. The top three ran nose to tail until lap seven, when Beachner took over the top spot from Tandon. From there, Beachner would go on to take the victory by just over a second, as Tandon crossed the line in second. Alcorn was pressured late in the race by Cameron Pringle, and on lap 14 Alcorn was shuffled out and fell back to fifth in the order as Pringle took the final podium position over Nicky Freytag who posted fast lap of the race after starting 15th.

The S3 Novice Stock Moto category was also swept on the day, as South driver Jason Attwood paced the field throughout the event, claiming the class title in the process. Sure to be a great addition to the S2 division in 2011, Attwood drove away each session with PKC newcomer Austin Countryman placing second over Jessica Sollberger. S5 Junior Stock Moto ran on track at the same time, and looked to be a sweep as well heading into the final. SKUSA Pro Tour winner Daniel Langon led the way through the day until the first turn of the Final, when an S3 driver spun in front of him. With nowhere to go, Langon was collected - along with S5 driver Matias Podboj. However, all three were able to get restarted after the field drove by. This allowed Augie Lerch to take the point and score the big victory in only his third PKC start in the S5 category. Scott Phillips ended up second with Micah Hendricks completing the podium.

TaG Master was paced by the PKC North contingent with point leader Ethan Wilson coming away with the victory. After topping the charts in qualifying, Wilson was edged out for the first heat win by Peter Workum. Coming back to win the second heat, Wilson went on to cruise to the victory in the main event after Workum retired on lap three with mechanical issues. Jeff Deehan advanced to finish second to put the North 1-2 on the podium with South championship leader Ron Rossetti in third.

TaG Junior was anything but a breeze for the young rising stars, as they battled it out hard at the front of the field. Jake Craig made his first PKC start of the season, beginning the event as the top qualifier over another first-time PKC driver Carter Williams while PKC North driver Kathryn Cornell sat third. Cornell got the jump on the two newbies, as she came around leading the first lap, going on to score the win ahead of Craig and Williams. Cornell led things early in heat two, until Craig took the spot and went on to win with Kathryn falling to fourth behind Austin Dement and Williams. Craig and Williams went at it tooth-and-nail for 13 of the 15 laps in the main event, swapping the lead numerous times until the two made contact, taking them out of the race. This put Dement to the point, as he scored the victory over Cornell with Emmanuel Mestre completing the podium.

Craig nearly had a victory locked in the PKC North HPV2-Junior category, as well. Showing the way the entire day heading into the final, Craig was sidelined on lap two after dropping a wheel off track and then hade his chain pop off. This allowed Christian Rochester who was making his first PKC start to take the point, as he cruised to a 12-second victory over Daniel Langon and Jack Freese.

From the PKC South program, the G1 category completed its season in Santa Maria with a familiar driver out front. SKUSA Pro Tour championship leader Fernando Diaz swept the days action, earning the checkered flag by over four seconds ahead of Nick Firestone and Troy Butts. Diaz performance earned him the credit as the only driver to repeat his 2009 victory at the West Coast Shootout.

The new TaG Cadet category which debuted in the SKUSA Pro Tour made a one-off appearance at the West Coast Shootout, as drivers looking to warm-up for the SuperNats in November asked for inclusion at the event. Colton Brooks swept the days action with Colton Herta and Noah Grey completing the podium.

In the final tally, the South once again topped the North in the overall Regional Shootout, which took each regions best three finishes in the eight cross-over classes. Despite the fact that race wins were split between the two programs four each the South was able to capitalize with podium sweeps in TaG Senior, S3 and S5. The calculations show the South with 183 points to the Norths 123 markers, earning the title for the second straight season and gaining bragging rights for another year.

With the PKC South program wrapped up, the final championship points are still being tallied and the class champions will be announced shortly. The PKC North program will commence its final event over Labor Day weekend September 3-4 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center in Sonoma, California. Once that weekend is complete, the SKUSA staff and competitors will focus its full attention on the SKUSA Pro Tour finale, the SKUSA SuperNationals XIV, at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas on November 17-21. For more information on anything related to SKUSA or the ProKart Challenge, visit the www.superkartsusa.com website or call the SKUSA head office at 951-491-0808.

8-18-10 Sean Rayhall Wins Legends Summer Shootout Championship

“Rayhall wins Young Lions in first year of Legends racing”

 At the ripe young age of 15 years old, Sean Rayhall from Winston, GA has been making a name for himself in the oval racing scene and made an even bigger step last Tuesday by winning the hotly contested Legends Summer Shootout Championship in the Young Lions division.  He did so by taking home yet another feature win.  Currently Sean is second in the National standings and hopes to take over the top spot by the end of the year.

On July 15, 2010 the largest Legends race in the world was held at Charlotte Motor Speedway.  One million dollars was up for grabs for the Pro division winner, so the who’s who of Legends racing gathered for an entry list boasting over 300 entries, including NASCAR star David Ragan.  Sean would compete in the Semi Pro/Young Lions division along with the Legends Million Pro division.  With a rain soaked track Sean dominated the Semi Pro race lapping up to fourth position and taking home the win.  More impressively Sean won his heat race in the Legends Million giving him a 6^th position starting spot for the Main.  After moving up to 5^th and running with the leaders, Sean started to experience some issues, which eventually forced him to retire.

Not only has Sean been having success in the Legends, he has also been dominant in the SCCA FE Pro car this season.  With four races left on the schedule Sean is leading the championship and has won the last four races in the series.  Sean has also qualified on pole for every race this season.  In one month’s time Sean will head to the SCCA Runoffs with Comprent Motorsports looking to become the National Champion in the FE division.

“I can not thank my dad and Dave Stevens enough for such an incredible season,” stated Rayhall.  “I am looking forward to what the future may bring, but right now I am focused on ending this season with more wins and championships.”

In the 54 total races he has competed in this year, including both Legens and FE, Sean has accumulated 35 wins and 36 pole positions, an amazing statistic for this young drivers career.  He also has finished in the top two eighty seven percent of the time in 2010.

For more information on Sean please visit www.seanrayhall.com.  Sean would like to thank 1^st Action Services, Doug Stevens and Advanced Technology Motorsport, Kevin Kloepher at Comprent Motorsports.

8-16-10 Important Fuel Announcement for RLOKC Rotax Classes

For the next two RLOKC races on August 22nd and August 29th, Rotax racers will be allowed to run their choice of VP MS93 or VP 98L. RLOKC is transitioning away from VP MS93 due to sales tax issues with this particular fuel. Allowing both fuels at the next two races will allow racers to use up any MS93 they already have. The spec fuel is being re-evaluated for future races.

Please note Cameron Karting will no longer stock VP MS93. VP 98L is available in five gallon pails at Cameron Karting's trackside shop location.

 

8-16-10 Raquel Martinez WKA New Castle Report
“Raquel continues busy summer”

Going on her fourth straight weekend of racing Raquel Martinez headed to New Castle Motorsports Park for the fourth round of the WKA Manufacturer’s Cup. Raquel competed in Yamaha Jr. Can Lite and Heavy along with Komet Jr. Lite and Heavy. The weekend’s events started bright and early Friday morning with practice, and Raquel was one of the fastest drivers throughout the day in both Komet and Yamaha.

First up on Saturday was Komet Jr. Heavy and Raquel qualified in third position. In Yamaha Jr. Lite the team missed the setup and Raquel ended up ninth. Starting in the third position for the final, Raquel was hit off the track in turn two and was forced to retire from the race. After an incident in the pre-final, Raquel drove a great race in the Yamaha final, avoided many wrecks, and worked her way up to fourteenth position turning lap times as fast as the leaders while passing karts every lap.

On Sunday the team hoped to rebound from the previous day. In Komet Lite Raquel qualified in sixth position in a very tight, thirty-five kart filled field. In the final Raquel got off to a good start, but lost the lead group after a hard battle for position on track. In the end she won the battle for the final podium position in fifth place. Qualifying in the twelfth position in Yamaha Heavy, Raquel knew she could move forward in the races and succeeded by finishing in the sixth position in the final.

“This was a tough weekend especially after how well practices went,” stated Martinez. “We showed our speed all weekend, but unfortunately did not come up with the result we had hoped for. The Top Kart and P1 engines were great all weekend and I cant thank everyone enough for all of their support.”

For more information please visit www.raquelmartinez.com. In one week’s time Raquel will be traveling back to Italy to compete in the opening round of the WSK Masters Series at the Circuito di Siena with Top Kart – Comer in the KF3 category. Raquel would also like to thank her sponsors King Taco, Pepsi, P1 Engines, Grand Products, Top Kart, RLV, Bridgestone, DWT, Alpinestars, MLP Imaging, Troy Lee Designs, Graphix Plus and PKS Kart Supplies.
 

8-19-10 Stockton Kart Club Update

Stockton Kart Club, race #6
Saturday, August 21st
Gates open at 7am
Registration 7:00 a.m. - 8:30 a.m.

Stockton Kart Club is now on MyLaps. The July 31st race results have been posted.

The Motorcycle Event scheduled for Sunday, August 22nd as been cancelled. The track will be open for Kart Practice.

Next Gold Rush, Stockton, September 4th and 5th. Practice Saturday September 4th and Race Sunday September 5th. . Atwater had an awesome turnout of 147 karts!!! Lets try to make Stockton bigger. Club members please come out and support this great series! Click Here for the Gold Rush Entry Form

Now to eliminate some confusion, our GOLD RUSH race is on Sunday, not Saturday. All day practice will be on Saturday with a BBQ that evening.

Thank You and I will see everyone on Saturday! Chris

Stockton Motorplex Park
 

8-12-10 Phil Giebler Racing enters seven drivers in SKUSA West Coast Shootout at Santa Maria

Former Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year Phil Giebler will stay busy in the Superkarts! USA West Coast Shootout on Friday and Saturday (Aug. 13-14) at the Santa Maria (Calif.) Kart Track.

Giebler will split his time between driving in the TaG Senior class and coaching the additional six drivers entered by Phil Giebler Racing in the event, which brings together the SKUSA Pro Kart Challenge South and North divisions. Giebler will be assisted by father Everett Giebler, who provides mechanical guidance and advice to the team.

Giebler, of Huntington Beach, Calif., has a commanding points lead going into the sixth and final round of the South championship over Billy Cleavlin, 1,354-1,185.

I want to put a stamp on the championship in this best in the West shootout, Giebler said. I m leading the points, but I will not be driving conservatively. I am aiming for another victory.

PGR, based in Orange, Calif., will race in four classes. Brothers Shawn and Chris Cricca, of Simi Valley, Calif., join Giebler in TaG Senior. Steve Wiener, of San Diego, will race in TaG Masters, Andrew Wiener, of San Diego, and Mason Daughters, of Polo, Mo., in TaG Junior and Noah Grey, of Dana Point, Calif., in TaG Cadet. Andrew Wiener is the TaG Junior points leader.

Giebler, Shawn and Chris Cricca and Steve Wiener will be driving FA Karts powered by 125cc water-cooled Vortex Racing engines built by Daniel Patino s D Power Engines of Huntington Beach, Calif., on MG tires. Andrew Wiener and Daughters use Iame Leopard engines in TaG Junior and Grey will have a 60cc Vortex engine in TaG Cadet. They will also be in FA Karts on MG Tires.

I m competing, but I ll also be focusing my efforts mentoring my team drivers, Giebler said. I use these weekends as a college of racing. I like to lead by example and have them watch me while they are off track. I also follow them on the track and then we discuss everything between sessions.

My father is very experienced in karting and he helps with the mechanical preparation of the kart to help everyone understand adjustments and gives advice throughout the weekend.

Giebler has six wins, a second and two thirds in 10 main events this season. He s also the points leader in SKUSA s Pro Tour, which concludes with the SuperNationals on Nov. 14 to 21 at the Rio Hotel in Las Vegas.

Giebler has lofty goals for his team on Santa Maria s .7-mile track, which is located at the Santa Maria Airport.

We have to show that we can win on any kind of track and against some of the best kart drivers in the country, Giebler said. I want to continue the momentum as we head towards the biggest event of the year, the SuperNationals in Las Vegas.

The West Coast Shootout has practice Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PDT, followed by practice, qualifying, two heat races and a main event on Saturday.
The main events begin at 2:20 p.m. PDT.

We re looking forward to the last event of the PKC South series, Giebler said. Santa Maria is a fun track and it should be good racing.
 

8-8-10 Prokart Challenge West Coast Shootout to Host North Versus South Battle

Second annual event set for Santa Maria on August 13-14 to decide PKC South champions

The title of Best in the West will be up for grabs next weekend as the second annual ProKart Challenge West Coast Shootout will be contested at the Santa Maria Kart Track on the grounds of the pacific coast city airport in California. The August 13-14 event will pit the ProKart Challenge North series against the ProKart Challenge South program in a North versus South battle on the permanent 7/10-mile circuit. For the North, the event will count as round five of the six event program, while the South competitors will have their championships decided at the completion of the event putting even more emphasis on the weekend.

The event will see a total of 12 classes competing when combining the two programs together. S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 Junior, TaG Senior, TaG Master, and TaG Junior are classes from both regions, while G1 and S4 Magnum competitors come from PKC South and HPV2 Junior from PKC North. Rounding out the categories will be the addition of the TaG Cadet class per an overwhelming demand from racers in the area. Those in that class, along with others, will be using the Shootout to gauge their expectations for the upcoming SKUSA SuperNationals XIV later in the year, with many of the heavy hitters scheduled to be in attendance in Santa Maria.

Following last years success with the Shootout, were certain to make this an annual deal for our ProKart Challenge programs, stated Tom Kutscher of ProKart Challenge and Superkarts! USA. The ability to put both programs together at one event allows the competitors to see how they stack up against some of the best in the western half of the country. Some of the top contenders from the SuperNats can be found at this event, as well, so what better way to warm-up for Vegas than in Santa Maria. And of course, it gives the winners a year to talk some smack to their racing buddies for winning the Shootout.

At last years event, the South topped the North in the overall Shootout which took each regions best three finishes in the cross-over classes. In the end calculations, the South had amassed 134 points to the Norths 114 markers. The bragging rights for this year extend to eight categories, giving both regions some extra ground to earn the top honors at the conclusion of the main events.

Making his bid for top honors in the S1 category is Clinton Schoombee. The new number one driver for the e Karting Stock Moto Driver Rankings heads into the event leading the points in the South program over season-long challengers Tommy Thompson and Brad Dunford. With the North joining the battle, the field will look similar to a SKUSA Pro Tour event. SKUSA PT championship leader Fritz Leesmann heads into Santa Maria leading the S1 standings for PKC North as well, being chased by Brett Buckwalter and Brett Felkins. Nic LeDuc, second place in the standings, will be forced to miss the final two events due to scheduling conflicts. Joining them will be SKUSA Pro Tour winner Alex Speed as the former national champion is priming up for the SKUSA SuperNationals among several others.

S2 has been the domain of Matt Alcorn in the debut of the new class. The point leader in both the PKC North program and the SKUSA Pro Tour is set to add another bullet point to his racing resume West Coast Shootout winner. Neil Joseph and Cameron Pringle have been chasing Alcorn all season, and they will be joined by a stout field of S2 drivers from the South. Bryce Miller is currently leading the championship chase heading into Santa Maria, with Ryon Beachner and Billy Musgrave in the challenge positions.

Back to karting full-time, former Indy 500 Rookie of the Year Phil Giebler has groomed himself into the same racing form he displayed before moving up to the open wheel ranks. Giebler has a solid lead over Billy Cleavelin and Kyle Shriver heading into round six of the South program. Larry Fraser currently leads the standings in the North as his fight continues with Bobby Kelley and Jess Peterson. With a number of top-notch drivers expected to join the party in Santa Maria, there is no telling who will walk away with the Best in the West title for TaG Senior. In TaG Master, Ron Rossetti has all but wrapped up the title in the South but would like to close out the season with the West Coast Shootout title. Hell have to do battle with the North championship contenders Jeff Deehan, Paul Hohlbein and Ethan Wilson.

As the case has been all season, the S4 Master category has been one of the most competitive groups in ProKart Challenge. The South has seen five different winners compared to just one in the North. Jeff Smith has been perfect in main events this season, winning his share in PKC North action as well as the two weekend events he has contested for the SKUSA Pro Tour. Alex Keith and a host of others will do battle to break Smiths streak. The South contingent has seen point leader Jeff Littrell at the top of the podium once, and he holds a slim 4-point advantage over teammate Wayne Mello -- who has yet to score victory this season. Phil Dunford, Willy Musgrave, Jonathon Allen, and Jason Campbell are the other four drivers to score victories on the So Cal season. In S3 Novice, soon to be PKC South champion Jason Attwood will go toe-to-toe with PKC North up-and-comer Chris Yettito.

The TaG Junior fight continues on in Santa Maria. Niki Luna and Deven Sanchez from the North have gone back and forth all season, heading into their round five event separated by just 18 points. A host of others from the North will join the top driver in the South Andrew Wiener along with other So Cal (and West Coast) drivers ready for competition in what is expected to be a solid driver roster. In S5 Junior, the Souths Matias Podboj and Scott Phillips will match up with SKUSA Pro Tour winner and PKC North class leader Daniel Langon.

With the PKC South program completing its season in Santa Maria, the G1 and S4 Magnum championships will also be on the line. PP Mastro is looking to claim another G1 title in the series, looking to hold off Roy Montgomery and Robert Marks in the final outing. Luke Bianco is going for his second straight S4 Magnum crown, as he will try to outrun Marc Lewis as well as a few others at the Shootout. The HPV2 Junior category will continue its chase for the PKC North championship with Kathryn Cornell still holding the top spot over Daniel Langon and Jack Freese.

The ProKart Challenge West Coast Shootout will begin on August 13 with a practice day, as on-track activities will take place from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. This practice day is highly encouraged, with only one round of warm-up for each class scheduled on Saturday morning due to the full days schedule. Race pre-registration is currently being accepted, with racers able to save $35 on their entry fees and also guarantee their fuel and tires by submitting an entry prior to midnight on Wednesday, August 11. SKUSA memberships are mandatory for the event, and forms are available on the SKUSA website. Pit spot reservations are available for $30, and those interested are encouraged to contact the SKUSA office directly. Camping on site will be permitted, starting Thursday night, at $50. Trailer parking is also available starting Thursday evening. A tentative schedule for race day, the host hotel information along with more information on the event can be found at the PKC event page: http://www.superkartsusa.com/regional/pkc-south/round-6-2010.html

For more information on anything related to SKUSA and the ProKart Challenge, visit the redesigned and updated www.superkartsusa.com website or call the SKUSA head office at 951-491-0808.
 

8-8-10 Laguna Seca Mazda Raceway Kart Open Practice Track Day Thursday September 9, 2010

First & Only open practice track day for sprint karts at Laguna Seca Raceway in 2010.

Maximum of 30 entries and limited to drivers with at least one kart road race experience ONLY. NO drivers under age 18.

6-7 runs, 20-25 minute sessions, 3 run group: Kart, Car, Bike. Approx 2+ hrs track time!

$290 Entry fee. No other fees needed!

Standard road race open practice format, passing, common courtesy on and off track

Kart classes are limited to the following classes with strictly required spec:
-Stock Moto 125, Laguna spec silencer (RLV), airbox
-80 situp shifter, Moran spec silencer, airbox
-Tag 125, airbox
-No air cooled engines, Superkarts or laydown karts

Requirements above, plus the new RLV Laguna Spec silencer for Stock Moto is required. It has been tested and commended by Laguna track officials. This is the first time sprint karts will be running here since the 1980s and we must make a good impression for future kart racing here. Kart racing organizations will be requiring the spec silencer for future races at Laguna. Mention this newsletter and get $10 off the RLV Laguna Seca Silencer. Note it in the COMMENT box at checkout or phone in the order. BUY IT HERE

Mod moto w/ Laguna Spec silencer, ICC, & Rotax - RUN AT WILL only. (no sound testing has been done for these classes, all vehicles will not be allowed to enter the track after 3rd black flag. You would simply lose your entry fee. There will be no refunds) (Laguna dB sound booth is drivers right side, Right-side-exhaust-exit engines, although maybe noise-conservative, may trigger above db limits )

This is not an IKF, CIK, NCK, etc event. This is an open practice event organized with a private host/track renter.

Registration procedure: an email will be sent to emails on hand. Email will consist of Information, forms, and a link to Online registration form/ payment.
This is a pre-registration event. NO registration at track on trackday. Since there are only 30 maximum entries, we believe all entries will be spoken for by Sept 1st.

Please email if you want to be in this email list. lagunasecakart

8-2-10 RLOKC Race #5 Report

After an early morning overcast sky burned off, Race #5 of the Red Line Oil Karting Championship ran under sunny skies with a slight breeze to make the day perfect for racing at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway. Due to the continued large turn out of the Rotax Masters/Masters Light race group, they was split into two different races and the action in both classes made for great watching. The Trapeze Arts "Move of the Race" award went to Amber Friedberg for her multiple passes in the Senior Rotax Main and the Hard Luck award from Metal Mashers went to Steve Peterson.

GoPro / Sanzaru Game Mini Max
Mini Max was the GoPro featured class of the day with the winner taking home a GoPro Hero Camera. After taking pole and all the race wins last month, Michael Avansino continued his streak by taking the pole on the Sprint track layout ahead of Michael Michoff and Cole Davis. In both heats, Avansino took the lead at the green and was never challenged with Michoff and Davis taking second and third. In the Main, Avansino took the lead again at the green flag with Colin Daley getting into second going into turn two. Michoff worked his way past the improving Daily but was now far behind the streaking Avansino. Dailey held off Davis for several laps but eventually the veteran Davis was able to make the pass, but it was too late to catch the top two karts. In the end, Avansino took his second clean sweep in a row followed by Michoff, Davis and Dailey. In addition to the GoPro camera, Avansino won the Sanzaru Games $50 first place prize.

80 Shifters
With ten karts, the 80 shifter class continues to draw a good size field. In addition to being good size, the field was one of the most competitive fields in some time with six drivers running up front in the lead group. In Qualifying, Masters points leader Tom Nelson took the pole ahead of the fast improving Geoff Provo. The only Formula 80 kart of Justin Gald was third. In the First Heat, Nelson took the initial lead and held it for a few laps, but the young Gald got by late in the race to take the win over Nelson and Greg Richter. In the second Heat, Gald again had to make the pass on Nelson to take the win followed by Nelson and Marc Stanley. In the Main, Gald was on the pole and took the lead at the drop of the green with Nelson, Provo and Stanley right behind. But while all were watching the lead drivers, Roger Cornwall started his move through the field from his sixth place position. Stanley took over third with Cornwall moving first into fifth, then fourth. Cornwall continued his march when he got by Stanley near the end of the race and then he took off to chase down Nelson for the class lead. Going into the last 180 degree turn before the checkered flag, Nelson was not aware of the presence of Cornwall whodrove down into the bottom of the turn and surprised Nelson who had to stay wide allowing the hard charging Cornwall to take second overall and the Masters class win. The overall win went to Gald and with it the Formula 80 class win. Second overall and first in Masters was Roger Cornwall followed by Nelson, Stanley and Richter.

Senior Rotax and Italian Motors IAME TaG
Amber Friedberg takes her first win of the season.
The IAME Tag karts joined the Senior Rotax karts for this race. In Qualifying, Carlos Calderon took his second pole in a row with Jarrett Lile taking the off pole position for the first time this year. In the first Heat Calderon took the lead off the green and started to motor away from the field with Raymund Bustamante, Jr. trying to keep the smooth Calderon close. Amber Friedberg then started her afternoon of charges by coming from fourth on the grid to third, then worked her way past Bustamante and right at the end of the eight lap heat race, got by Calderon to take the win. In the second Heat, Calderon again took the lead at the green and again Friedberg moved through the field to move into second with three laps to go. With two laps to go, Friedberg made a pass going into the last turn and took the lead, but on the last lap, Calderon took the lead back with a strong clean pass. Going into the last turn just before the checkered, Friedberg made a pass attempt for the lead but this time she and Calderon tangle allowing Bustamante to take the win with Lile second, Calderon third and Friedberg fourth. At the start of the Main, Bustamante took the lead at the green flag, Calderon in second and Friedberg got shuffled back to fifth. This is where Friedberg's charge started and she first picked off Lile then Matt Weiss. In the mean time, Calderon took the lead when he got by Bustamante. Friedberg then got by Bustamante and with just three laps remaining, she made the pass for the lead getting by Calderon. In the end Friedberg took her first feature win of 2010, Calderon second, and Matt Weiss coming home third.

The Italian Motors IAME Tag class ran right behind the Senior Rotax karts in this race group with Jeff Deehan taking the pole, the win in both Heats and the class win in the Main over Michael Torrano.

Rotax Masters
For the first four races of 2010, the Rotax Masters had to run in the same race group with the Rotax Masters Light karts. In most races, the Light karts would run up front and thus overshadow the good efforts of the heavier Rotax Masters class karts. With ten Masters Light and nine Masters karts, it was decided to split the two classes.

Taking the pole and leading the class down to the green flag for both Heats was Cameron Evans, his first pole this year, followed by points leader Andre Eriksen and the young driver Barry Lee who was running his first Masters class race this year. At the start, Eriksen took the lead followed by Evans and Lee. Lee and Evans swapped places by the end of the race. The second Heat was a repeat of the first race with Eriksen taking the lead early and coming home ahead of Lee and Evans. In the Main, Eriksen took the lead from the pole and looked like he was not going to be challenged. Evans had problems early on and had to retire turning over the third place spot to Jerry Pretti. With less than five laps to go, Eriksen started slowing a bit and Lee got within one second of the class leader, but time ran out before Lee could make a serious challenge for the lead.

Rotax Masters Light
This Nor Cal regional class has continued to be popular since the drivers can run a the same 365 pound weight as Senior Rotax. Points leader Mary Beth Wilson took yet another pole ahead of 2009 champ Andrea Delfanti with Mert Solis in third. In the first Heat, Wilson took the early lead and went on to a convincing win with Luca Delfanti, taking second and Mert Solis third after Andrea Delfanti had kart problems and had to retire early. In the second Heat, Andrea Delfanti took the lead at the start and went on to a two second win over Wilson with Solis in third. In the Main, Wilson was on pole with Solis right next to her. At the green flag, Solis took the lead and for thirteen laps was driving his best drive of the year just ahead of Wilson, but right near the end of the Main, Wilson found the spot to make her move and took over and held the lead to the checkered flag. Solis had to settle for a well-deserved second with Andrea Delfanti taking third but having to hold off Steve Weiss the entire fifteen laps of the Main.

Rotax Micro Max
With only two karts in this eight to ten year old class, Annie Breidinger took the clean sweep over her sister Toni Breidinger by winning the Pole and all the races during the day. Toni did challenge Annie in the Main by leading the first half of the race, but in the end, Annie took the win.

Cambrian Go-Karts Junior Rotax
The Junior Rotax drivers took the track with Brody Zink taking pole followed by Sean McDonald and Bobby Tifft. In the first Heat, Zink controlled the race with Tifft in second and McDonald having to retire after three laps. Things heated up quite a bit in the second Heat with Tifft and McDonald both picking up the pace and staying right on the rear bumper of the 2009 class champ, Zink. McDonald wanted to repeat his Race #1 win on this day to close out his Junior Rotax career with a win. McDonald will be moving up to Senior Rotax next month now that he is quickly approaching six feet tall. The three karts went into the last lap nose to tail. As they entered the last turn, Tifft drove deep to the bottom of the turn and took over the corner and thus the race lead to win the heat race. In the Main, Zink went into the lead with McDonald right behind with Tifft on McDonald's bumper. As Tifft battled with McDonald, Zink was able to pull away to take a four second win with McDonald holding off Tifft to take second.

Rotax DD2 and 125 Stock Moto Masters
After their first class race last month, the 125 stock Moto Masters had no entries this month due to one blown engine and a last minute change of plans to another competitor. The Rotax DD2 karts held up their end of the class with some very good race action. In Qualifying, January Grove took the pole over David Palic and Bob Olson. In the first Heat, The lady DD2 driver took the initial lead for the first part of the race, but Palic challenged and took the lead late in the race and went on his first race win in the DD2 class. In the second Heat, Grove pulled away at the drop of the green and charged off to take a strong nine second win over Palic with Charles Duncan taking third. In the Main, something seemed amiss with Grove's kart right at the drop of the green flag. Palic went into the lead with Grove falling back and retiring on the second lap. Palic looked to be in position for an easy win, except that Charles Duncan continued to improve his kart as the day went along running laps over two seconds faster in the Main than he ran in Qualifying. Near the end of the fifteen lap race, Duncan got within striking distance of Palic but ran out of time to make a serious challenge.

All results can be seen at www.mylaps.com. The next race for the Northern California Rotax Challenge portion of the Red Line Oil Karting Championship will be at The Kinsmen Kart Club in Dixon on Sunday, August 22nd where the Rotax classes will join the Kinsmen Kart Club for the first of two Dixon events this year. All the RLOKC classes will return to the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway on Sunday, August 29th where the race will run on the original National track layout. For more information about the Red Line Oil Karting Championship and the Northern California Rotax Challenge go to www.cameronkarting.com  or www.norcalrotax.com

The Red Line Oil Karting Championship is supported by the sponsors below with over $20,000 in prizes available to the racers. For information about the sponsors, please click the sponsor block below.

 

8-2-10 RLV - IKF Region 7 PRD Senior $1000 Bounty

“Notorious” Nick Johnston and Bobby “The Killer” Kelley have officially been put on notice by RLV Inc. for the crimes of russlin Duffy’s, the collection of trophies without a permit, and excessive tagging of trailers with IKF win stickers.

“RLV Inc. is putting a $1000 bounty on the heads of Nick Johnston and Bobby Kelley for each of the next three IKF Region 7 Races at Santa Maria, Apex, and Adams Motorsports Park,” announced RLV’s Art Verlengiere.

Any driver or drivers who finish in front of BOTH Johnston and Kelley in the official results at the next 3 races will split the reward money of $1000 equally up to five positions. If one hot shoe takes them down, all the money is his, but if it takes a posse to pull it off the reward money of $1000 will be divided among them. Johnston and Kelley have plenty of incentive to evade the challenges of those out to steal their glory. Should Kelley or Johnston win the race the $1000 bounty belongs to them alone.

RLV is driven to provide thoroughly researched, reasonably priced products for the karting industry and competitors alike. RLV understands karting is a sport, not a leisure sport but a highly contested technically advanced sport and the products that support karting should be the same.

For more information:
RLV Tuned Exhaust and Racing Products
2363-A THOMPSON WAY SANTA MARIA CA 93455
805 925-5461 FAX 805 922-3321