Archives - Norcal Karters

12-16-09 BORDOGNA'S 2009 AND HOLIDAY SPECIALS

Bordogna Racing Engines, continued winning races and championships in
multiple classes for 2009, "this was a good year for us, our engines got many titles drivers through 2009" Daniel Bordogna said: "I want to say thanks to all my customers , and congratulations to the new champions who trust on my engines"

This season Bordogna engines won (3) I.K.F championships with Joey Teves in HPV2 & HPV4jr, and Cole Davis in Comer, also his engines won the Gold Rush series in HPV2 w/ Justin Cole, and Tag Sr. w/Troy Buckman, Alex Perales won the HPV1 Championship in Stockton, Shelby Sander in HPV2 & Nitro "Nick" Somers won (2) championships at Prairie city in HPV1 and Comer, where the Bordogna comers was dominating since last 6 years winning the championships in 2004,2005,2006,2007,2008 & 2009 in his local
track, and 2005,2006,2007,2009 in IKF Series, with different drivers and
different chassis brand.

Bordogna Engines keep investing money in his shop for more power's
development, installing an expensive upgrades for his dyno, making it automatizaded for more precision quality engine tests.- We are inviting to the people who don't know us , to get prepared for the next season, offering them a 35% off in engine refresh ,and 40% off for a engine's blue print, this offer is valid to January 10.- If you are ready to win races in 2010, join to Bordogna Racing Engines and get the maximum power and the best track support ever
feel free to contact Daniel Bordogna to: (916)853-1110, danielbordogna@hotmail.com or visit : http://www.bordogna.us

12-30-09 2009 Norcal Karters Sr Driver Rankings

Every Year NorcalKarters.com compiles all the stats from Club Races and Regional programs from the Norcal and western Reno Kart tracks and uses a mathematical process to find the Areas top ranked Drivers. This year the equation was changed a little in the fact it now offers a drop for drivers. Every six races counted now includes one drop. The points are determined on the number of Karts in the class, for example: in a 10 kart field the winner would receive ten points; the driver finishing last would receive 1 point. For Gold Rush, IKF Region 11, and Pro Kart races the drivers will receive double points for the higher level of competition, for example: if there are 10 karts in the class, the winner would receive 20 points, while the driver finishing last would receive 2 points. In order to qualify for the top ten, drivers must have competed in 8 or more races before the drop. The points from each race would be compiled together minus the dropped races for low finishes, then the total would get divided by the number of races run, finding the average points score for the driver. This particular method rewards the driver scoring good finishes against tough fields with high kart counts.

The senior category for 2009 had the biggest impact from Pro Kart Challenge as that’s where the bigger fields were for the Senior division. In the 10^th ranking this year was Cambrians Jamie Wilson. Jamie had 7 races counted on the year for a total of 90 points. Wilson scored 3 wins on the year to go with 4 top 5’s. He earned an average point score of 12.9 per race.

Chris Gomez captured the 9^th ranking with 8 races to his credit and 110 total points on the year. Gomez had no wins but good finishes in big fields with 5 top 5’s. Gomez earned 13.8 points per event.

Bordogna’s Troy Buckman earned the 8^th ranking in his rookie Sr season with 10 races counted and a total point’s tally of 146 points. Troy had 9 top 5’s and solid races in both IKF and Gold Rush. He earned an average of 14.6 points per outing.

Jim Russell standout Nic Leduc made the top ten in 2009 at the 7^th ranking with 10 races being counted and 150 total points. Nic had 3 wins on the season and 5 top 5’s. Leduc scored an average of 15.0 points per event.

Scoring in the 6^th position was Fastech Racing’s Chris Ouimet. Chris had 8 races scored on the season with a total point tally of 144. His good finishes at IKF and Gold Rush got him an 18.0 average point’s score per race.

Travis Duhn is ranked 5^th in Sr with 10 races counted for a total points score of 182. Duhn had 5 wins on the season with 5 top 5’s. Duhn on average scored 18.2 points per event.

Scoring in the 4^th ranking was Larry Fraser. Fraser had 7 races counted on the year all coming from Infineon. Fraser had 1 win on the year to go with 5 top 5’s. Fraser’s ranking comes from only competing against high kart counts which resulted in a 21.3 average points score per event.

12-30-09 2009 Norcal Karters Masters Driver Rankings

The Masters division was a dog fight this year with new winners at every turn of the head. In the 10^th ranking this year was Bob Hurst. Hurst scored 2 wins on the year to go along with 7 top 5’s and a total point score of 58 on 9 races counted. He scored an average finish of 6.4.

Scoring in the 9^th ranking was Emmcik Cobra’s Steve Nagai. Nagai had 3 wins on the year and 5 top 5’s. He had 7 races counted for total point’s tally of 51. Nagai earned a 7.3 average point’s score per race on a limited schedule.

David Harwin out of Reno made the 8^th position on the rankings with 10 races being counted and 69 total points scored. Harwin had 5 wins on the year with 5 top 5’s. He scored 6.9 points on average per race.

MMI’s Kevin Knight was ranked 7^th on the season with 10 races counted for a total of 81 points. Knight had 7 wins on the year and 4 top 5’s. Knight was fast at the bigger kart count races, however he had 7 races with lower kart counts. He scored an average of 8.1 points per race.

Emmick Cobra’s Paul Holbein was ranked 6^th with 10 races counted and a total of 84 points. Paul scored one win on the season with 9 top 5’s. Holbein scored an average of 8.4 points per race.

Ben Fisher earned the 5^th ranking in 2009 with 9 races counted and a total point tally of 92 on the year. Ben had one win on the season to go with 7 top 5’s. His average point score per event was 10.2.

John Espinor earned the 4^th ranking on the season with 10 races counted with a total point tally of 105. John scored 6 wins to go along with 4 top five’s. Espinor earned an average point score per race of 10.5.

12-30-09 2009 Norcal Karters Jr 2 Driver Rankings

The Jr 2 category had a lot of good drivers not making the top ten, then was jumbled due to some drivers racing low kart counts and then some drivers receiving drops on good point scores. Ranking 10^th in 2009 was TJ Fischer. Fischer had 5 wins on the season to go with 11 top 5’s. Out of the 15 races counted for Fischer, 9 were low kart counts at club races. He scored a total of 175 points and an average point score of 11.70 per event.

Bordogna’s Joey Teves ranks in the ninth position with 5 wins on the year. Teves had 8 top 5’s with 12 races scored for a total point score of 150. His average point score per event was 12.5.

Austin Elliott ranks in the 8^th position with 14 races being scored for a total of 199 points. He had 2 wins on the season to go with 13 top 5’s. Austin had some great runs in 2009 however he also suffered some mechanical failures in large fields hurting his ranking. Austin scored a 14.2 average point score.

Austin Keller ranks in the 7^th position with 10 races being scored and a total point score of 151. He had 5 wins on the season with 9 top 5’s. Keller earned a 15.1 average point score.

Bordogna’s Johnny Norris got the 6^th ranking with 9 races being counted and a total point score 138. Norris only ran IKF and Gold Rush earning 1 win on the year and 6 top 5’s. Norris compiled a 15.3 average point score.

Ranking in the 5^th position was Deven Sanchez. Sanchez had 12 races counted with a total of 194 points scored on the season. He earned 2 wins with 10 top 5’s. Deven had a 16.2 average point score per race.

Cambrian’s Dylan Lupton earned the fourth ranking in 2009 with 16 races counted and 278 points total on the year. Dylan did most his work at the Pro Kart Challenge series scoring 6 wins and 12 top 5’s. He scored an average of 17.4 points per event.

12-29-09 2009 Norcal Karters Jr 1 Driver Rankings

This year in the Jr 1 division the results were very close. Some drivers received a low ranking due to competition in lower kart count fields. Ranking tenth in Jr 1 was Stockton Driver Danny Rubino. Rubino didn’t score any wins in 2009, however out of the ten races counted Danny scored 5 top 10’s and scored a total of 127 points giving him an average point score of 12.7 per race.

Bordogna’s Nitro Nick Sommers ranks in the ninth position of Jr 1 bringing home 3 wins on the year. In addition Nitro Nick scored 7 top 5’ and had a total of 192 points and an average point score of 12.8 in 15 races.

JR Raczko ranks in the 8^th position. JR’s ranking was hurt from many races in small fields. He did manage to capture 6 wins on the year and 15 top 5’s. He scored 299 out of his 23 races counted and had an average point score of 13.0 points.

Joseph LaRosa is listed in the 7^th position with 17 races compiled. LaRosa had 5 wins on the season and 9 top 5’s. He scored a total of 241 points and earned an average point’s score of 14.2.

Scoring 6^th in the rankings was MMI’s Curt Paul. Paul had a breakout year with 10 races being counted. Paul had no wins on the season but had 8 top 5’s at the big races which helped his ranking. He scored a total of 144 points with and average points score of 14.4 per event.

Scoring fifth in 2009 was Jarred Campbell. Campbell had a very impressive year earning 11 wins. Jarred Campbell drove anything he could get into in 2009, however it hurt his ranking due to many races having a lower kart count. Campbell had 21 races counted and a total of 328 points. Jarred had an average points score of 15.6 per race.

Cole Davis is ranked fourth for 2009 with 12 races counted. He scored 3 wins on the year and had 9 top 5’s. Out of the 12 races counted 10 were IKF events helping propel his ranking. Cole had a total of 196 points on the season giving him an average point score 16.3 points per race.

12-23-09 Norcal IKF Series 2010 Update

Happy Holiday Season to all!

With the racing season just around the corner we would like to take the time and let the racers know what Changes are in store for the 2010 Norcal Super Series Race season.

**1ST IKF RACE -Bluemax kart Club (Davis)- Feb 7th. If it rains a lot then they have been given the option for the next weekend Feb 14th.

2010 *Norcal* Super Series (IKF) will be a one day event held on Sunday. Practice will be Saturday. There will be no practice the week of the event on the track hosting the event. Any person participating in said event caught on the track that week will be disqualified from that event. No exception.
Each track will post when they will allow trailer parking for there event
.
**This year we are hoping to have all of our races in the Go racing magazine. Nothing better than to see our racers in print!

One of the biggest changes will be to the Sr. & Jr Super Sportsman class. With IKF changing this class to a pipe class. It was felt that it was best to change now then to wait. With that being said, RLV with NCTA have come up with a way to help the racer. This is a one time deal. The cost for the pipe,header,flex will be $150.00 .This is only for the racer and limited to one per racer only through NCTA. they are in stock now both Sr &Jr.. This is offered to the club racers also.
THE STOCK IS LIMITED TO ONLY SO MANY UNITS, PLEASE CALL ASAP IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.
~*Rick Luther -925-798-4360
~*Les Hand -916-383-5278

The Gold Rush series will be with the pipe set up also.

**The tires for the Sr.class will be the large 7.10 rears, Bridgestone YKC. The Jr. class will stay on the smaller tire 6.0. Bridgestone YKC
**Class weights will stay the same. Sr super sportsman light -340 lbs, heavy 360 lbs. Jr class will be at 300 lbs or until we are notified by IKF of a weight change. (this could happen)

We are working with ERC to be the gas for the 2010 *Norcal* Super Series (IKF). ERC will be on site for this series.

Right now for Race Director and tech person we have few persons interested. If you know anyone interested please e-mail us with the names.
Rick- RMracing95@aol.com
Les- les@kartelmotorsports.com
Cindy- tctracing02@yahoo.com

There is more info to come. We will post it when it comes available.

May all of our *Norcal* racers, and families have a Wonderful Holiday Season!!

12-23-09 ALEX ELLIS & GARY CARLTON LAND JIM RUSSELL’S FUTURE DRIVER

SEARCH 2010 TOP PRIZES
• Two drivers chosen for fully funded Jim Russell Championship Series “prize” drives
• Almost forty drivers from 10 countries involved in extensive four-day selection process at Racing School’s Infineon Raceway “home” in California
• Ex-Formula One & double Le Mans 24 Hour race winner Allan McNish “chairs” judging panel for inaugural Future Driver Search program

Alex Ellis, from St Catharines, Ontario, CANADA and Gary Carlton, from Marysville, California, USA have today (22 Dec) been chosen from an international field as the winners of the Jim Russell Future Driver 2010 selection.

Ellis (18) and Carlton (23) each receives a fully-funded season in the 2010 Jim Russell Championship Series (JRCS) plus coaching and testing opportunities.

Almost 40 drivers, representing 10 different countries and with an average age of 20 (the youngest being 14), participated in the four-day (19-22 Dec) selection process at the Infineon Raceway, Sonoma (CA) which features the impressive Jim Russell Racing Drivers School complex.

Twenty drivers were then selected to continue in to the final two-days with six progressing into the last day of Jim Russell’s new worldwide driver search program which was launched this year to find the best young talent from the worlds of karting and “junior” formula car racing.

Speed, precision and car control were evaluated when driving karts, Mitsubishi Evolution X sedans and the school’s purpose-built FJR-50 single-seater. They were appraised on their application of “feedback”, technical understanding of each of the vehicles while media awareness, racecraft and fitness were also observed and evaluated in the latter stages.

In addition to Ellis and Carlton, Germany’s Bastien Graber (18), James Kovacic (16), from Australia, Brazilian Felipe Polehtto (20) plus American Jeffrey Westphal (23) were involved in the final day, six driver shoot-out today.

Britain’s ex-F1 and double Le Mans 24 Hour race winner, Allan McNish, and his fellow panel members chose Ellis because he was considered the best “all-rounder” while Carlton effectively chose himself by setting the fastest lap time in the turbocharged two-liter FJR-50 on the final day. “I was pleasantly surprised by the high standard of all of the drivers,” commented McNish. “Even the ones that didn’t progress through at the halfway stage were all of a good standard. It was a very closely fought competition not made any easier by the changeable weather conditions we experienced at times – but that’s motor racing.

Alex finished 5th 2006 Sunoco Ron Fellows Karting Championship (F1K), 8th 2007 SKUSA SuperNationals (Rotax Senior), 15th 2007 BTK/Arrows Karts (Rotax Junior), 2nd 2008 F1200 Canada & “Rookie of the Year” (5 wins, 11 podiums, 15 races), 6th 2009 Formula BMW Americas (1 pole, 3 podiums, 2 fastest laps).

“Winning this means absolutely everything to me having dedicated my life, mine and my family’s money, in to succeeding in motorsport so you can understand I’m absolutely elated – it’s more than a dream coming true, it’s a massive turning point in my life.

“I know that I can excel in motorsport and am already looking forward to the opening races of the Jim Russell Championship Series. I learned more in the last four days than I have done from the past two years of racing. The Jim Russell instructors have a wealth of knowledge and are just great guys. It
was non-stop action both on and off the track and superbly organized throughout at what is a mindblowing facility.”

Allan on Alex: “For someone with such limited karting and racecar experience at a high level, he really impressed me. He bounced back from any problems and issues very quickly, and importantly, strongly. He has a positive personality. He suffered badly with the weather conditions but nevertheless performed outstandingly.”

Gary’s career to date is almost entirely in karts. He placed 2nd 2005 SKUSA SuperNationals (SuperPro), 2006 National Stars of Karting champion (ICC), 2007 National Stars of Karting champion (ICC), 2007 PRI All-Stars Karting Classic champion (Karters class), 2nd 2007 SKUSA SuperNationals
(SuperPro) and All-Stars Karting Classic (Masters class), 3rd 2008 Stars of Karting (National & West ICC) and SKUSA SuperNationals (SuperPro). He had brief tests in a Formula Mazda in 2008 and an Indy Lights car this year.

“Winning this initiative will literally change my life. I know what I’ll be doing in 2010, I can focus and prepare fully for the months ahead which are certainly going to be exciting as well as challenging.

“I’ve had a great time over the past four days and have learned a great deal in terms of on and off the track. The Jim Russell organization has been incredible. They’ve somehow made it a lot of fun despite it being an intensive and informative program with the stresses that go with a driver shootout.”

Allan on Gary: “Considering the lack of time Gary has spent in a single-seater, especially one [the FJR-50] at such a high technical level, was very impressive. He didn’t make a single mistake throughout the event and was always running towards the front. In his ‘home’ habitat of karting, he was extremely quick and very good in traffic.”

Meanwhile karting’s S3 champion Tyler Bennett (Farmington, UT) and TaG senior runner-up Gustavo Menezes (Coto de Caza, CA), who were awarded Future Driver Search scholarships following last month’s Superkarts USA! SuperNationals, both made it through to the final 20 driver phase as did
Cody Hodgson (Escalon, CA) who finished third in World Rotax championships recently.

Chip Pankow, President of the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, who was also on the judging panel, reflected: “The Future Driver 2010 Selection has exceeded our expectations on a number of fronts while the quality of drivers that have taken part has been truly impressive.”

The 16-race 2010 Jim Russell Championship Series gets underway in April and features two, 30 minute races staged on consecutive days over eight weekends utilizing a variety of configurations at the world famous Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

The outright 2010 JRCS champion gets a fully-funded prize drive in the 2011 FIA Formula Two Championship. The European-based F2 series was launched this year and features a Williams F1 developed single-seater. The F2 champion is awarded a test with the Williams Formula One team while the top-three finishers in the FIA F2 Championship qualify for an FIA Superlicence and thus are eligible to compete in F1.

Pankow concluded: “We’re now looking forward to building the Future Driver Search winners’ progress next season when they will be fighting to win themselves a place on the 2011 FIA Formula 2 Championship grid.”

For more information, please contact:
General enquiries, Jim Russell Racing Drivers School
Telephone +1 877 229 9855 or +1 707 939 2755 outside the US
Email futuredriver@jimrussellusa.com
Media enquiries, Martyn Pass Public Relations
Email jimrussellusa-pr@earthlink.net

12-21-09 Jim Russell Future Driver Search 2010 Reaches Halfway Stage

Twenty drivers will spend the next two days trying to earn themselves one of two, fully-funded seats up for grabs in the 2010 Jim Russell Championship Series as the inaugural Future Driver Search program reaches its climax. Almost 40 drivers, representing 10 different countries, have participated in the four-day selection process at the Infineon Raceway, Sonoma (CA) since Saturday (December 19).

Britain’s double Le Mans 24 Hour race winner, Allan McNish, and his fellow judging panel members, have now chosen 20 drivers who progress after two-days of detailed evaluation – today’s (December 20) phases taking place in changeable weather conditions.

The final two-day line-up is:
Bastien Graber (18), from Niddatal, GERMANY
James Kovacic (16), from Forresters Beach nr Gosford, AUSTRALIA
Brett van Blankers (22), New Westminster, British Columbia, CANADA
Xavier Coupal (19), Saint-Jean, Quebec, CANADA
Tyler Bennett (20), from Farmington, Utah, USA
Gregory Liefooghe (29), from San Francisco, California, USA
Yannick Mettler (20), from Kriens (Luzern), SWITZERLAND
Jordan Jadallah (17), from Hillsborough, California, USA
Mark Pombo (27), from Berkeley Lake, Georgia, USA
Jayson Clunie (40), from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, CANADA
Gustavo Menezes (15), from Coto de Caza, California, USA
Justin Gald (18), from Fresno, California, USA
Felipe Polehtto [nee Poletto Bastos] (20), from Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL
Logan Downing (17), from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CANADA
Nikola Radosavljevich (18), from Los Gatos, California, USA
Gary Carlton (23), from Marysville, California, USA
Alex Ellis (18), from St Catharines, Ontario, CANADA
Javier Echeverria (22), from Mexico City, MEXICO
Cody Hodgson (18), from Escalon, California, USA
Jeffrey Westphal (23), from San Carlos, California, USA

Judges will ultimately chose the best “all-rounder” on Tuesday evening while the second recipient of the 2010 JRCS seat will be the driver who has set the outright fastest lap time in a Jim Russell Racing Drivers School FJR-50 single-seater on Tuesday - a day which will see just six drivers battling for this spectacular prize after Monday’s continuing selection process.

The two prize drives could be the launch pad to a full-time career in motor racing. The 2010 JRCS champion gets a fully-funded prize drive in the 2011 FIA Formula Two Championship.

12-17-09 SwedeTech Customers – Where Are You Racing in 2010?

In an effort to better support all of our customers, we need your input.

In an effort to better serve all of our customers, SwedeTech is asking for our customers input on where you will be racing in 2010. This is NOT limited to the big events, but all events including; club level, regional level, national level, and international competition.

With many series and events planned for 2010, SwedeTech needs to know where to focus our resources to offer the best track support possible. With you helping us focus our track support resources for 2010 and the future, SwedeTech can better support you, our customer. You can email or visit our press release page listed below with your input.

Please provide your full name, current contact information, series or events you plan on racing in 2010, email address, phone number, and the SwedeTech engine package(s) that you plan on using. If you have multiple drivers, please list each driver.

Your information will not be shared with anyone or any organization. This information is solely for the use of SwedeTech. With this information, we will be able to put together a track support schedule for the 2010 season. Please keep political opinions for the forums.

Thank you for your time and past support. We look forward to serving our customers in 2010 and beyond.

Please email info@swedetechracing.com or visit our press release page at http://www.swedetechracing.com/news-events-blog/ask-the-experts/2010-season-poll/

12-8-09 SUPERKARTS! USA PRO TOUR Dates released for 2010

New national program to debut with focus on establishing stronger ties within regional tours

Coming off their biggest event yet the wildly successful SuperNationals in Las Vegas which was held in late November the Superkarts! USA staff has now refocused its efforts on finalizing the event schedule and class line-up of their new three-weekend SKUSA Pro Tour, which will debut next April. As the organization continues to grow, adding a new regional program in Colorado in 2010, the timing is now right to re-launch a national series, which will bring together the groups competitors from around the country. Answering the requests of many of their members to put on a national series with minimal travel and maximum enjoyment, the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour will be that meeting ground and will bring the SKUSA product to the karting community and the public as well.

The concept of the series is to promote and manage three large stand-alone special events that will provide the opportunity to run a five-race championship. The first two events will feature a three-day format with practice on Friday and completely separate race days on Saturday and Sunday (qualifying, heat races and a main). If a driver has a tough opening day on Saturday, theyll be able to come back on Sunday to salvage the weekend. In contrast, the SuperNationals will be a similar format as this years event, with class groupings and half days of practice, qualifying, and heat races, leading up to SuperSunday. The SpringNationals and SummerNationals will be their own separate events, and with the addition of the single final SuperNationals, SKUSA has developed a five-race series that will feature one drop. Once all the points have been tallied, SKUSA will issue their national numbers for the top 10 in all classes. These prestigious number plates will be required for competition in the 2011 SKUSA Pro Tour.

Ive been asked on countless occasions to put together a national program for SKUSA, one that was focused on a minimal number of events to keep the travel costs down, explains Tom Kutscher, Superkarts! USA President. By pairing two big-time weekends with the SuperNationals, well be able to provide our customers with a series that will crown the nations top shifter and TaG drivers on SuperSunday in Las Vegas. I am so fired up about this Pro Tour!

The opening round of the SKUSA Pro Tour will be held at the Jim Russell International Karting Center, located on the Infineon Raceway compound in Sonoma, California. Host to many national events over the years, the challenging circuit will be the site of the inaugural SKUSA SpringNationals on April 16-18. SKUSA is planning to pull out all the stops to kick-off the new series, and will be organizing special events and programs that will be part of this new level of competition. The concept is to organize and promote two additional events of the same quality as the annual SuperNationals.

The second stop on the new Pro Tour will take place on July 16-18, as the SummerNationals will be run on a temporary circuit constructed at a soon-to-be-confirmed hotel venue near St. Louis, Missouri. Of course, to bring everything back to Las Vegas, the series will come to a close with the 14th running of the SuperNationals set for November 17-21 once again at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino.

2010 SKUSA Pro Tour Schedule

April 16-18: SpringNationals - Infineon Raceway - Sonoma, CA
July 16-18: SummerNationals - TBA - St. Louis, MO
Nov. 17-21: SuperNationals - Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, NV

The creation of the new SKUSA Pro Tour will also play its part in reinforcing the organizations new class and licensing structure that will be put into effect for 2010. As it is within all of the Superkarts! USA regional series, the former S3 category will now be split into S1 and S2, presenting a new hierarchy for the organizations Stock Moto program. The new S1 class will lead the way for Expert Stock Moto drivers, while the S2 category will be the development class for amateur competitors and juniors graduating to the senior level of shifter racing. Drivers 30 years of age and older will have two choices in G1 and S4, the former providing a place for those running ICC or built moto powerplants, and the latter introducing an official Stock Moto Masters class. The final gearbox class will be for those 12-15 years of age as the S5 Junior Stock Moto category will make its national debut. TaG racing will also be front and center on the Pro Tour with Senior, Masters and Junior classes in the line-up.

2010 SKUSA Pro Tour Class Structure

S1 Expert Stock Moto 15 years of age and older 375 lbs - A License only
S2 Amateur Stock Moto 15 years of age and older 395 lbs B License only
S4 Masters Stock Moto 30 years of age and older 405 lbs A or B License
S5 Junior Stock Moto 12-15 years of age 340 lbs D License
G1 Masters ICC or Built Moto 30 years of age and older 405 lbs A or B License
TaG Senior 15 years of age and older see below - A or B License
TaG Masters 30 years of age and older see below - A or B License
TaG Junior - 12-15 years of age 320 lbs - D License

TaG Engines
Class A (Sr 375 lbs, Masters 415) Rok TT & Sonik TX 125
Class B (Sr 365 lbs, Masters 405) Motori 7 & Rotax
Class C (Sr 355 lbs, Masters 395) Leopard & PRD Fireball 2008

Any companies interested in event or class sponsorship opportunities are asked to contact the SKUSA head office at 951-491-0808

12-8-09 JUSTIN WILSON TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS IN CKI BOOTH AT PRI

“IndyCar star helps promote karting at trade show”

The Championship Karting International series has confirmed that IndyCar star Justin Wilson will do an autograph session at their booth space during the Performance Racing Industry show in Orlando, Florida. With the PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic taking place on the evening of December 10^th, Wilson will be live at the Championship Karting International booth #706 on Friday, December 11^th between the hours of 11:00am and Noon.

Born in Sheffield, England, Wilson started his racing career at a young age and currently competes in the IndyCar Series. During competition in the Champ Car World Series from 2004 to 2007, Wilson claimed four victories. In 2003, Wilson competed in the Formula One World Championship with Minardi and Jaguar and two years prior to that, won the Formula 3000 championship.

Wilson, who is currently teamed with Dale Coyne Motorsports, scored one victory and two podiums in the 2009 IndyCar Series. Taking the victory on one of the most challenging road courses, Watkins Glen, Wilson will look to get back to his roots of karting and score the win at the PRI/CKI All-Star Classic. Wilson has been a big name in the world of motorsports as he competed in the Formula One World Championship back in the early 2000’s and claimed the Greg Moore Legacy Award in both 2006 and 2007.

At the 2009 PRI show, Wilson will compete with Corsa Kart Racing America. Wilson commented, “"This is my first year in the PRI CKI race and I'm looking forward to
it as I have heard it's a great event. Im excited to be invited to
join. It always looks fun and a perfect way to work the skills in the
long off season. Its been a while since I've driven a kart but I cant
wait to get behined the wheel of my Corsa machine. Nothing can beat
the pure feeling that karting gives you."

“The fact the Justin is donating his time to help bring promotion to CKI and their booth display shows the kind of person that he really is,” expressed Championship Karting International’s Director of Operations Kevin Williams. “Justin is giving back to the sport that he loves and will be available for autographs at the series booth. We invite all races, enthusiasts and show attendees to stop by and meet the IndyCar driver.”

The 2009 PRI/CKI Karting All-Stars Classic will take place at the annual Performance Racing Industry trade show in Orlando, Florida. With the event taking place on the evening of Thursday, December 10^th, Fox will be in attendance producing an hour long broadcast bringing karting to the mainstream medium of television early in 2010.

The PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net affiliation of cable networks. Both the Karter and All-Star Divisions of the race will have their own dedicated half-hour broadcasts that will air in a minimum of 86 million households. Last year’s PRI event, with re-air dates, was viewed in more then 700,000 households helping bring karting to the mainstream media. The Karter division from the 2009 event will air on Monday, January 11^th, 2010 at 4:30pm local time while the All-Star division will be broadcast on Monday, January 18^th, 2010 at 4:30pm.

Stay tuned to www.championshipkartracing.com for up-to-date information, photos and results. The PRI show is held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from December 10^th – 12^th with the PRI/CKI Karting All-Stars Classic taking place on the evening of December 10^th. Admission to the event is free for PRI attendees and exhibitors with PRI show credentials.

12-4-09 VITANTONIO LIUZZI ADDED TO SSC EAST PRI/CKI KARTING ALL–STAR CLASSIC DRIVER LINEUP

“Formula One set to be represented at PRI”

Phoenix, AZ - December 5, 2009 – The Performance Racing Industry trade show and Championship Karting International program are excited to announce the addition of Formula One star Vitantonio Liuzzi to the PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic. Liuzzi will be aboard a CRG chassis under the SSC East tent.

Liuzzi, who drives for the Force India Formula One team, is a multi time karting champion from back in the day. Starting karting at the age of nine, he won the 1993 Italian Karting Championship and was the vice-champion in the 1995 Karting World Championship. Liuzzi would get redemption in 2001 when he was awarded the World Championship after an aspiring drive in Germany.

“Vitantonio Liuzzi is a major player in the motorsports world, and we welcome him to the PRI event,” expressed Director of Operations Kevin Williams. “Having Formula One represented at the event is something that we have worked towards this season and are excited to have Vitantonio on board. He will be a treat to watch.

With support from William Rast Racing, the racing and sport lifestyle division of the premium denim brand William Rast, Liuzzi will travel to the United States to compete. Working with Dave Davies’ SSC East squad, Liuzzi will have a strong chance at being the first Formula One driver to claim the PRI title. William Rast CEO Coin Dyne says, "We are excited that Antonio will participate in the race. As one of the great karting champions of all time, his contribution to the sport has been immeasurable. Both as a personal friend of Tonio, and as a fan of the sport, William Rast is proud to take part in this event.”

The PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net affiliation of cable networks. Both the Karter and All-Star Divisions of the race will have their own dedicated half-hour broadcasts that will air in a minimum of 86 million households. Last year’s PRI event, with re-air dates, was viewed in more than 700,000 households helping bring karting to the mainstream media. The Karter division from the 2009 event will air on Monday, January 11^th, 2010 at 4:30pm local time while the All-Star division will be broadcast on Monday, January 18^th, 2010 at 4:30pm.

The 2009 PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic will take place at the annual Performance Racing Industry trade show in Orlando, Florida. With the event taking place on the evening of Thursday, December 10^th, Fox will be in attendance producing an hour long broadcast bringing karting to the mainstream medium of television early in 2010.

Stay tuned to www.championshipkartracing.com for up-to-date information, photos and results. The PRI show is held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from December 10^th – 12^th with the PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic taking place on the evening of December 10^th. Admission to the event is free for PRI attendees and exhibitors with PRI show credentials.

12-4-09 TOP KART USA PRI/CKI KARTING ALL–STAR CLASSIC DRIVER LINEUP

“Nation’s best TaG drivers set to fight for win”

The Championship Karting International program along with Performance Racing Industry trade show are pleased to announce the Team Top Kart USA driver lineup for the PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic. Team Top Kart USA will enter the December 10^th event at the Orange County Convention center with three talented karting competitors in the Karter division as they look to fight for the PRI win.

Entering the event will be Californian Chris Scribner, World Karting Association TaG vice-champion and CKI KF2 vice-champion Chris Wehrheim and front-runner Kyle Wiegand. Between the trio of competitors, they have shared the number one ranking in the eKartingNews.com (EKN) TaG driver rankings for 75% of the 2009 season and have a host of national level wins.

“Grand Products and Team Top Kart USA were one of our biggest supporters throughout the past racing season,” explained CKI’s Kevin Williams. “Having these three talented drivers at the PRI show has sure increased the competition in the Karter division. It will be one of the toughest fields all season, and I am sure these guys will work together to be at the front of the pack.”

Located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Grand Products, Comer Engines and Kartel / Team top Kart USA entered the 2009 season as one of the biggest teams on the national tour. Claiming multiple high profile race wins and several championships, the 2008 EKN Team of the Year was back for more in the ’09 season. With a large dealer network and a host of karting related products, Grand Products and Kartel / Team Top Kart USA is one of the biggest karting operations in the North American market.

Mike Tetreault, owner of Grand Products / Team Top Kart USA stated, “The PRI show is a great way to finish off a great 2009 campaign our team and our chassis have shown they can excel in all categories. We are really poised to add PRI to another major race win for our program. With the 1-2 sweep we had in the Karter Division in 2006 with Matt Jaskol and Kyle Wiegand, and Joey Hand’s runner-up finish overall last year I am hopeful we can continue that success. We thank CKI for continuing the march forward in promotion of karting by holding this event, we are already planning our 2010 plans for our program to begin in the WSK/CKI Florida Cup in January.”

More information on Comer, Team Top Kart USA and the Top Kart line of chassis can be found at www.GrandProducts.com

The PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net affiliation of cable networks. Both the Karter and All-Star Divisions of the race will have their own dedicated half-hour broadcasts that will air in a minimum of 86 million households. Last year’s PRI event, with re-air dates, was viewed in more than 700,000 households helping bring karting to the mainstream media. The Karter division from the 2009 event will air on Monday, January 11^th, 2010 at 4:30pm local time while the All-Star division will be broadcast on Monday, January 18^th, 2010 at 4:30pm.

12-4-09 Tagliani confirmed for PRI/CKI All-Star Classic with Pserra Racing Birel

Canadian based Birel Racing Team to field two Canadian drivers in annual karting showcase event.

The Championship Karting International Series and Pserra Racing-Birel are pleased to announce their driver lineup for the fourth annual PRI/CKI Karting All-star Classic. Competing with the Stouffville, Ontario based organization will be IndyCar driver Alex Tagliani along side karting standout and 2008 Stars of Karting National Champion Michael Vincec. This will mark the first visit to the PRI/CKI Karting All-star Classic for Pserra Racing-Birel, Canada’s leading Birel dealer

“We just got back from the SuperNats in Las Vegas on the weekend and we are heading off to Orlando for the PRI All-star Race,” comments Peter Serravalle, owner of Pserra Racing-Birel. “It’s great to have Alex (Tagliani) on our team for the race. He will be awesome on the Birel chassis. This is just the finishing touch to a great year for Pserra Racing and Birel Products.”

Thirty- six year old Alex (Tag) Tagliani is an established Canadian motor-racing driver. Born in Montreal Quebec, Tag is a race winner in both open wheel and in NASCAR. From his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tagliani currently contests the IZOD IndyCar Series across which he represents a diverse group of the world’s most respected brands. Tag will compete full time in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2010 for FAZZT Race Team based out of Indianapolis, IN. 2009 will mark the second trip to the PRI All-star event for Tagliani.

Like most top-level professional racers, Tagliani cut his racing teeth in karting, beginning in 1987 and never looking back. With numerous wins, championships and national titles, Tag quickly rose up the ranks both in Canada and the US as the one to beat. For the Tagliani’s, karting has always been a family affair with father Remo nearby to masterfully tune Alex’s karts.

“Karting is a great way to stay fit and has helped many top racers around the world,” comments Tagliani from his home in Las Vegas. “You have to train and always stay in shape. And karting means you can train and still have fun.”

Tag has had a long history with the Birel line of racing karts and is a close friend of Birel owner Ronni Sala. Alex used the Birel chassis throughout much of his karting career and still has two in his personal collection along with a twin-engine shifter Birel shifter built by his father. Expect to see Tag battle the All-star Division frontrunners at the Orlando Convention Center as he looks to make good on his return to the PRI All-star event.

Joining Tag will be Canadian karting standout Michael Vincec who will hit the track aboard his Birel kart in the Karters Division. Vincec has just returned from the Superkarts USA SuperNationals where Pserra Racing prepared engines gave him the speed he needed to run with the top Europeans. Tough luck in the final would end Vincec’s trip the SuperNats early, so he will look for redemption and a transfer to the All Star Final to take on the pros.

“I am looking forward to my first trip to the PRI All-star Classic,” comments Vincec. “It’s the best showcase of karting and after racing in huge events in Europe, Canada and the US this summer, I am definitely looking forward to the show.”

The PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net affiliation of cable networks. Both the Karter and All-Star Divisions of the race will have their own dedicated half-hour broadcasts that will air in a minimum of 86 million households. Last year’s PRI event, with re-air dates, was viewed in more then 700,000 households helping bring karting to the mainstream media. The Karter division from the 2009 event will air on Monday, January 11, 2010 at 4:30pm local time while the All-Star division will be broadcast on Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 4:30pm.

Stay tuned to http://www.championshipkartracing.com for up-to-date information, photos and results. The PRI show is held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from December 10th-12th with the PRI/CKI Karting All-Stars Classic taking place on the evening of December 10th. Admission to the event is free for PRI attendees and exhibitors with PRI show credentials.

12-4-09 SwedeTech Customers take home 11 trophies from SuperNationals X111

SwedeTech customers sweep the top three in the S5 category.

Las Vegas, NV –November 24, 2009 – For a week, karters flocked to Las Vegas for the largest and most prestigious sprint kart racing around, the SKUSA SuperNationals. The Supernationals is an event that any karting fan should have on their calendar, either as a spectator or participant. With entries and factory support from all over the world, this year’s event will be hard to match.

SwedeTech Racing Engines was in full force supporting our 78 customers who chose to run SuperNationals XIII. SwedeTech customers filled the entry list in all classes; G1, S3, S4, S5, TaG Jr., TaG Sr., TaG Masters, KF2, and the headline SuperPro class. Of our 78 customers, 11 would bring home some additional shiny hardware.

Kiel Spaulding, with a big win in the S5 class and a strong 2^nd place finish in TaG Jr, would bring home two trophies. Tyler Bennett was fast all weekend in S3, but contact on the track pushed him to the mid pack. A hard drive from mid pack to third earned Bennett the Jim Russell Championship Series Future Driver Selection scholarship.

Wes Phillips entered the Tag Senior class powered by a SwedeTech Rotax Max package. After the final checkered waived in the Tag Senior division, Wes earned a hard fought fifth place podium spot. Kiel Spaulding pulled double duty for the SuperNationals weekend, running both TaG Jr and S5. In TaG Jr., Kiel was competitive all week long with his SwedeTech Leopard package. At the end of the race, Kiel would bring home a nice second place trophy.

S5 was a great showing for SwedeTech customers, as our customers where standing in the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place spots with a podium sweep. The charge was led by Keil Spaulding. Finishing second was Dylan Kwasniewski and Corey Neveau finished a strong third after a long battle with Dylan.

S3 put on another great show for the fans in the stands. Starting the main event, SwedeTech customers filled three of the top five spots during the opening laps. Memo Gidley made a strong push to challenge the eventual winner, swapping for the lead a few times. A fellow competitor squeezed his way by, which shuffled Memo to the back. Jacob Neal was strong all week long, and knew the racing would be tight going into the main event. Tyler Bennett slid under the radar until he showed some quick speed in the heat races. Mid way through the race a racing incident put Tyler towards the mid pack of the class about. Putting his head down, Tyler charged back to the front to finish in 3^rd. Keenan Schmitke kept his nose clean during the race to earn second place. Jacob Neal came home to a hard fought fifth place finish.

S4 had an exciting race as well. The Stock Honda package keeps the field tight and makes the racing exciting. Jared Woolf delivered a strong performance and drove his SwedeTech powered kart to a solid third place podium finish.

G1 is always a fun class to watch, as the more mature drivers pound side pods. Andre Martins and Robert Marks drove consistent races all week long, and when it was all said and done, Martins finished fourth and Marks finished in fifth.

SwedeTech Racing would like to thank all of our customers that have supported us throughout the years. With your support and continued business, we are able to do what we love. Keep up the hard work and enjoy the upcoming months.

12-1-09 MENEZES DOUBLES AT SKUSA SUPERNATIONALS XIII WITH TWO PODIUM FINISHES

Tony Kart driver awarded entry into Jim Russell Championship Series Future Driver shoot-out

Gustavo Menezes closed out a solid 2009 season at the 13th running of the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals, the largest karting event in the United States, which is held annually outside the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The November 18-22 event will go down in history as one of biggest races in North American karting as a number of professional drivers from around the world contested the 6/10-mile temporary circuit. Menezes was looking to secure a piece of history of his own, competing in both the new KF2 division and the TaG Senior for the first time in his career. The 15-year old fought valiantly in both, nearly securing his third SuperNats title with a great run in TaG Senior, walking away with a podium finish in both main events. The icing on the cake, however, was the Jim Russell Championship Series Future Driver Scholarship that he received for his weekend performance.

The KF2 division made its first ever appearance at the SuperNationals this year with the largest field ever seen in North America (31 entries) and Menezes was looking to become the inaugural winner. His bid for the title began in the right direction following a solid qualifying performance of second overall, just 0.051s off the fast lap. The opening heat race, however, hurt his chances at retaining the position for the main event as contact on the first lap put Menezes to the tail of the field, eventually finishing 23rd. The second 12-lap sprint saw more contact hamper Menezes chances. After running inside the top-five, contact on lap four sent him back to roughly 20th in the order before he worked back up to 16th at the checkered. Avoiding the melees in the final heat race, Menezes ran the third 12-lap heat in the lead group en route to a third place run.

His results put him 14th on the starting grid for the main event. Getting through the opening corners unharmed, Menezes was up to 10th the first time across the stripe. As the laps clicked off, Menezes Tony Kart chassis and Vortex engine continued to get quicker as he moved up the order. By the halfway signal, Menezes had worked himself into sixth and closing on the top-five. After reaching the tail end of the lead group, Menezes calculated the right maneuvers to assume the fourth position while running some of the fastest laps of the race. At the checkered, Menezes held onto the fourth spot and earned a trip to the podium.

It was a great race, stated Menezes on his first trip to the podium. Once the kart starting coming in, it was like a rocket. My goal was to try and get up through the field quickly and as clean as I could. Luckily, we had the package to do that and Im thankful to be here.

In a stacked TaG Senior field of 80 total drivers, Menezes was one of the few to run double duty throughout the five-day event. Certainly, double the track time in similar divisions helped Menezes and his Tony Kart West team find the base line set-up rather quickly, and it showed in qualifying. Posting times quicker than current IndyCar, Grand-Am and international karting stars, Menezes was second in the order following the timed session to put him on the front row for all three heats. Knowing that one major slip up could cost him a solid start in the main event or a chance at not making the final, Menezes played the first heat race safe by not making any daring maneuvers. Despite running consistent fast laps, Menezes slipped back to fifth at the end of the first heat race. In the second flight, Menezes was able to break away with the lead and cruised to the win by over half a second. The final heat was a great warm-up battle for the main as Menezes fought off one of the race favorites for a photo finish win of 0.002s at the line.

With two wins and a top-five run, Gustavo earned the outside row one spot alongside Indy 500 winner and IRL champion Dan Wheldon. The two led the 40-kart main event field to the green flag. After some opening lap jostling, Menezes held his second position as a four-kart lead pack formed together to break away from the rest of the crowd. In what was one of the best battles for the win in the entire event, the top four swapped the lead numerous times over the course of the 25-lap affair. Retaking the lead on lap 19, Menezes looked to hold on to the position. When the white flag was shown, Menezes was ensued in a battle for the lead in the first half of the track. Coming into the final corners, Menezes held the top spot until being pushed off line by his primary challenger. The result saw Menezes fall back to third in the order as they crossed the line. Following the officials debriefing, the driver who made hard contact with Menezes was penalized two positions, moving Gustavo up to the second step on the podium.

It was a great weekend, Menezes commented in his second trip to the podium. My mechanics Seth Nash and Christophe did an amazing job and I have to thank Buddy Rice along with the rest of the Tony Kart West crew for giving me the opportunity to compete with them. We had some trouble at the end of the race there and I would have enjoyed the win so much, but a second place in a field like this is great for my Senior debut at the SuperNats.

Despite not bagging his third SuperNationals victory with it so close to becoming a reality, Menezes performance earned him a Jim Russell Championship Series Future Driver Scholarship. The free entry into the shoot-out will be for a spot in the Future Driver with Allan McNish ride in the 2010 Jim Russell Championship Series.

Menezes was thrilled to learn that he was selected as one of two drivers from the SuperNats event, This so exciting. I cant wait to get into their car and see what I can do with an open wheel machine. A lot of successful drivers have come from the Jim Russell Racing School program and I hope to be one as well.

Gustavo is able to compete at this level thanks to his many sponsors, including Tony Kart USA, Red Bull, UP Racing, Safety Park Inc., K1 Speed, K1 Race Gear, Tony Kart Junior Racing Team, On Track Promotions and Oakley.