7-30-08 Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge Race #6

Round #6 of the Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge Series was held at the Dixon Kart Track as part of the July Kinsmen Kart Club race. 38 Rotax entries joined some 80 plus Kinsmen Club racers for a great day of racing on this tough 4 tenths mile track. Saturday practice day was a hot one, over 100 degrees, but Sunday cooled by about 15 degrees with a constant breeze which made the Sunday race day not only bearable, but actually pleasant. In addition, the Kinsmen Kart Club and Marin Karting hosted a great BBQ on Sunday for all the drivers, crews and guests. The Rotax turnout was another record entry for the Norcal Rotax Challenge Series, surpassing the previous high of 33 entries this past March when the Rotax Series first visited the Dixon track.

Rotax Masters/Rotax Masters Light

These two classes were combined for this race. 8 Masters drivers and 3 Masters Lights drivers took the green. In Qualify, Marc Pingol (Lights) took the pole ahead of 3 Masters drivers Jay Brosius, David Carlisle and Bill Brosius. In the Pre-Main, a start line spin in the middle of the pack scattered the field but all karts got going prior to the lead pack coming around to start their 2^nd lap. Pingol took the win by 1.5 seconds over Jay Brosius, Carlisle and Jay’s son Bill Brosius. In the Main, Pingol took the early lead followed by Carlisle and Bill Brosius, but Joe Karratt came charging through the field from his 11^th starting position. By mid way through the 15 lap Main, Karratt made the pass and took the lead in the race and went on to take the Lights class win. Pingol was second in the race and 2^nd in the Lights class. 3^rd overall was David Carlisle to take the Masters class win followed by Jay Brosius who worked over his son Bill to take 2^nd in the Masters class. Bill Brosius was the 5^th overall.

Junior Rotax

6 drivers took to the track, all quick and competitive. Jordan Jadallah took the pole over point’s leader and 3 time winner Donavon Wheeler followed by Brody Zink and the lady driver Jordan Miller. In the Pre-Main, Wheeler took the lead into turn one and held the lead for the first 3 laps. Jadallah then sized by Wheeler and made the pass for the lead as they entered turn one for the 4^th lap. Jadallah went on to a 2 second win over Wheeler with Zink leading a tight pack of 4 drivers to take 3^rd and Bobby Tifft 4^th. 3^rd through 6^th all were within 1 second of each over at the end of the race. In the Main, again Wheeler lead Jadallah out of turn one and held the lead for the first 3 laps. But just like the Pre-Main, Jadallah went inside Wheeler going into turn one on lap 4 to take over the lead and he never looked back. Jadallah went on to a 3 second win and his 2^nd win of the year. Wheeler was 2^nd, Bobby Tifft worked his way up to 3^rd, his best Rotax finish this year, followed by a solid performance from Bryce Hylbert to take 4^th.

Rotax DD2

Another strong turnout of 9 drivers for the 2 speed DD2 class. Joining the series with his new kart was Kyle Gimple from Reno. In the Qualify, Glen Poy-Wing continued his fast ways from June to take pole ahead of Gimple, David Arnstein and January Grove. In the Pre-Main, Poy-Wing lead out again, but by race end, Gimple had Glens lead down to under a second but could not get closer. Arnstein was 3^rd followed by Grove and a strong 5^th from Cameron M. Craig. In the Main, again Poy-Wing was untouchable and held the lead throughout to take the win. Arnstein got by Gimple on the start and opened up a small lead over the youngster from Reno and held on to take the 2^nd place. Gimple held off Grove for 3^rd, Grove was 4^th, and Chris DeBruine taking the 5^th place spot.

Senior Rotax

12 drivers took the green flag with a strong group of drivers in the front of the field, yet the last 6 drivers in the field put on an exciting race in the Main. In the Qualify, 4 time winner Gregory Liefooghe took the pole ahead of Nikola Radosavljevich, Matthew Powers and Cameron Pringle. Less than 2 tenths of a second separated the top 4 drivers. On the start of the Pre-Main, Powers got by Nikola going into turn one and took the 2^nd spot. Powers would hold this spot for the entire 10 lap race. Liefooghe took a 1 second win, Powers in 2^nd, Nikola less than 1 second back with Pringle right on Nikola’s bumper. Travis Duhn came up to take a strong 5^th place spot. In the Main, Powers got the jump on Liefooghe who appeared to stumble a bit on the start. But by lap 3 Liefooghe passed Powers as they went into turn 1 and was never headed after that. Pringle then pressured Nikola and finally was able to squeeze by on a pass going into turn 1. Now the June winner set his sights on Powers and within 3 laps made the same move, only cleaner, to take over 2^nd place. Pringle then set his sights on Gregory, who he beat in June. But Gregory has just quick enough to hold off Pringle for a 3 tenths of a second win. Pringle 2^nd, Powers 3^rd, Nikola 4^th, and Duhn 5^th. In his first karting race, James Bailey drove a solid race to take the 7^th place spot.

What a great race day. The cooler day and welcomed breeze made race conditions just right. The Rotax drivers would like to thank the Kinsmen Kart Club for being such great hosts and for the great BBQ.

Next race of the Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge Series will return to Infineon Raceway on August 16.

7-27-08 Team Top Kart USA - Stars of Karting Shawano Report

Team Top Kart USA proved its strength in the JICA category this past weekend at the challenging USA International Raceway in Shawano, WI. Known for being a drivers and chassis' track, the team came into the weekend very confident in all categories.

Team Top Kart drivers dominated all weekend in JICA with Taylor Miinch leading the way in qualifying taking pole position closely followed by Kartel teammate Brendan Phinny. Tyler Thomas also had a strong qualifying run in eleventh. Taking two heat victories Miinch secured pole position for both finals while Phinny would start third. In Final One, Phinny was hit with a flat tire straight from the start and pulled in after six laps. Miinch on the other hand was apart of a three-kart breakaway battling for the lead. After making his bid for the win on the final lap, Miinch had to settle for second. Thomas had his best run since Ocala moving up to finish sixth. Final Two went exactly as planned with Phinny and Miinch walking away from the field. Miinch led early, but was passed by Phinny who led until there were two laps to go when Taylor look back the lead where he finished taking home his first Stars JICA win.

Sweeping the weekend in 2007, the team was looking to repeat its performance in TaG. All four drivers, Chris Wehrheim, Kyle Wiegand, Neil Alberico, and Chris Scribner qualified in the top ten with Wiegand in fourth and Wehrheim in fifth. This trend continued throughout the heats giving the drivers top ten starting positions. Unfortunately for Wehrheim, he would have to start from tenth after his airbox came off in the first heat race. In Final One Wehrheim moved up steadily through the field to finish in fifth turning some of the fastest laps at the end of the race. Wiegand in sixth, Scribner in seventh, and Alberico in ninth followed him. Final Two went much better for the team. Wiegand scored his third podium finish in just four races while Alberico rebounded to finish fourth. Wehrheim came from deep in the field after being forced off the track early in the race to finish in fifth. Chris was arguably the fastest driver on the track holding the fast lap until the penultimate lap.

Luis Tyrrell led the team in Cadet qualifying with a fourth followed by Mason Chelootz in sixth, Garett Grist in eleventh and Zane Smith in twelfth. The heats were an up and down battle for the drivers, but Tyrrell and Chelootz both took a heat race victory. In both finals Team Top Kart drivers took their turns up front, but unfortunately came up short. In Final One Tyrrell ended up fourth while in Final Two Grist finished fourth followed by Chelootz in fifth and Tyrrell in sixth.

"This was another great weekend for the team," commented team manager Chris Wehrheim. "I am very proud of Taylor winning his first career Stars JICA race. Brendan and Taylor were the class of the field all weekend and deserved the one-two finish. Now we must focus on taking home the JICA and TaG West Championships in Seattle."

7-27-08 Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge Race #5

Another great weather day at the Infineon Raceway karting track and Race #5 had the extra challenge of running on the tough Reverse Sprint track layout for the only time in 2008. This track layout is one that some drivers hate, yet others just love, it is the true equalizer track configuration.

50 entries for this round of the Norcal Challenge making it the fourth race in 2008 with 50 or more entries. 2008 is turning out to be a record year for the Norcal series with entries up some 15% over 2007.

Rotax Masters

9 drivers took the track for the Masters class. The 2008 season is shaping up to be a 3-driver race for the championship between Jerry Pretti, Jay Brosius and 2007 class champ David Carlisle. In Qualify, Jerry Pretti (CRG) continued to impress in his rookie Rotax season taking pole ahead of Brosius (CRG) and Carlisle (CRG). In the Pre-Main, Carlisle made his way to the front early to take a 2-second win over Brosius, Pretti and Chris DeBruine (CRG). In the Main, DeBruine had problems early and had to drop out, but it was Carlisle taking a 1-second win over Brosius. But the good battle was for third as Bill Brosius (Swiss Hutless) got ahead of and held off Pretti to take the 3^rd place spot, 3 seconds back of the winner. Peter Boot (Intrepid) put in his best drive of the year to take the 5^th spot. Carlisle takes over the point’s lead in the series with his win.

Rotax Masters Light

In this Norcal Regional class, 9 drivers took to the track. Non-Series regulars Joe Karratt and Glen Poy-Wing entered to drive the tough Reverse track. Karratt (Intrepid) took the pole followed by Poy-Wing (Swiss Hutless) and Mary Beth Wilson (CRG). Karratt and Poy-Wing pulled away from the field to take a 1-2 finish followed by Wilson 5 seconds back and Mike Lawler (CRG). In the Main, things were looking rather the same until the last stages of the race. Karratt was holding a slight lead over Poy-Wing, and then he had to focus on holding onto his radiator that was coming loose. One the last lap, Poy-Wing got by and until he also spun off on the last turn. But Glen did hold on for the win, just 1 tenth of second ahead of Karratt. Points leader Marc Pingol (Swiss Hutless) worked his way to 3^rd followed by Wilson and Lawler.

Rotax DD2

The 2 speed Rotax class also had 9 entries. Some drivers just love the odd rhythms of the Reverse Sprint track, especially Glen Poy-Wing. Glen (Swiss Hutless) made it a clean sweep this day taking the pole, Pre-Main and Main. In the Qualify it was Poy-Wing over David Arnstein (CRG) and new comer Kyle Gimple (CRG). Veteran January Grove (CRG) found herself in an unusual 7^th on the grid. In the Pre-Main, Glen took a 3-second win over Arnstein followed by Gimple and Grove. In the Main, the top 4 drivers from the Pre-Main held their respective positions for much of the 18 lap race with the tightest race between Gimple and Grove. As these two drivers were lapping one last driver on lap 17, Gimple had to slow down too much to make the pass and Grove was able to get by. Kyle pressed hard for the last lap, but came up short. Thus Glen finished off the hat trick for the day in DD2 and took his second class win of the day followed by Arnstein, Grove, Gimple and Chris DeBruine (CRG).

Junior Rotax

11 drivers took the track to put on another strong racing performance. In Qualify, Mikee Mejia (CRG) took the pole less than a tenth of a second ahead of Donavon Wheeler (Birel) and a strong performance from Bobby Tifft (CRG) to take the 3^rd spot. In the Pre-Main, Mejia took the early lead, only to have mechanical problems on lap three and had to pull off. Wheeler then took the lead followed by Jordan Jadallah (CRG) who worked his way past Tifft. Jordan Miller (Birel) then worked her way past Tifft to take over 3^rd. Jadallah ran right on Wheeler’s rear bumper for the last half of the race and near the end made a move to take over the lead and the win over Wheeler with Miller 3^rd, Tifft 4^th and Brody Zink (Birel) in 5^th. In the Main, Wheeler took the lead at the start with Jadallah right behind and that is how it would be for the first 17 laps. Everyone was waiting to see if Jadallah had another late race move in his bag, but the move just never came. Wheeler thus took 3 tenths of a second win to make it his third win of the year. Jadallah was 2^nd, Miller a strong 3^rd followed by Tifft. But the best racing of the Main was a 4 driver battle for the 5^th place spot between Zink, Mejia, Bryce Hylbert (Birel) and SoCal driver Austin Kimberly (Birel). Kimberly recently moved to the Central Valley and may be coming to Infineon for all future 2008 races. At race end, it was Hylbert taking the 5^th spot followed by Mejia, Kimberly and Zink.

Senior Rotax

The Senior Rotax class was again the largest class of the day, and by far the most exciting. In the Qualify, Nikola Radosavljevich (Birel) took pole over Matthew Powers (Birel) and 4-race winner Gregory Liefooghe (CRG). Gregory admitted that the Reverse Sprint track is his least favorite layout at Infineon and he was off his normal dominant form. In the Pre-Main, Liefooghe had to work the field hard, but did so to eventually take lead and the win less than a second ahead of Nikola and Cameron Pringle (CRG) with Powers 2 seconds back. In the Main, hard luck Pringle got by Nikola early in the race and then put the pressure on Liefooghe. It was nose to tail for several laps then Pringle made his move on the up hill turn after tic-tac-toe. Pringle held the pass and now had to hold off Liefooghe. Gregory looked for a way by, but Pringle was determined to make this his first Senior win. At the end, Pringle held on and took the win by less than 2 tenths of a second, with Nikola 2 seconds back. Raymond Bustamante Jr (CRG) got by Powers to take 4^th with Powers 5^th.

The next Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge race will be July 27 at the tough Dixon Kart track.

7-27-08 Jim Russell Sunday Series Race #4

Another day of great weather at the Infineon Raceway karting track. Vacation time took its toll on the turn out as 26 total entries enjoyed the short race day which features 45 minutes of morning practice and the challenging Reverse Sprint track.

Comer – HPV1

4 Comers and 1 lone HPV1 took to the track on race #4. Doug Braddock Jr (Birel) took the pole 8 tenths of a second ahead of the HPV1 of Austin Thomas (GP) followed by Trevor Mathis (Birel). At the start of the Pre-Main, Thomas got the jump on Braddock and took the lead. Thomas was able to hold off the pressure of the more experienced Braddock until Doug could determine where to make his move without taking chances. Braddock pressed Thomas hard and made a clean pass just after mid-race. Once by, Doug went on to a 1.5 second win over Thomas with Mathis in 3^rd followed by Michael Avansino (Birel). In the Main, the start was a repeat of the Pre-Main with Thomas taking the lead on the start. Braddock again looked for his opening and made the pass early in the 15 lap Main. Thomas held on for 2^nd some 4 seconds back. Mathis was in third another 4 seconds back. This was the best run from Mathis in the last 3 years. 4^th was Avansino and 5^th went to Camden Lile (CRG).

Junior 1 – Gazelle

Four Gazelle karts took the green flag. Maxx Marian (Italkart), off two wins in a row, took the pole over Ben Barudoni (Birel), Robbie Rodriguez (Tonykart) and Jason Morgan (GP). In the Pre-Main, Barudoni took the lead on the start and held the point for 7 laps. But a misunderstand on a flag shown young Ben made him think he was DQ’d so he went to the pits, an unfortunate error. Marian went on to the win over Morgan and Rodriguez. In the Main, Ben was able to line up behind Marian on the start but Morgan slipped into second after turn one. By the time Barudoni got by Morgan, he was 20 yards behind the fast Marian. Ben put his head down and slowly pulled himself up to within 3 feet of Marian. With only 3 laps to go, Ben over drove one turn, dropped a wheel and spun. He got going again in short order, but Maxx was off to his third win of the year. Ben finished 2^nd but did notch the fastest lap of the race. Robbie Rodriguez took third and Jason Morgan 4^th.

HPV2 - Puma

The HPV2-Puma race had 9 HPV2 drivers and 1 Puma kart. Two new drivers in this race, Conner Ford showed up with an HPV2 kart. This would be his first Junior race after a great Comer career. Also, fast Kelsey Nilsson came and joined in the fun after running the ProKart race the week before. Kelsey had to learn fast, she had not run the Reverse Sprint track before and had to use the practice sessions to learn the layout. In the Qualify, Ford (Birel) put his kart on pole, his first Junior pole. Following were Kathryn Cornell (Intrepid), Dain DaVirro (Intrepid), Brody Zink (Birel) and Bobby Tifft (CRG). Nilsson (Tonykart) found herself in 6^th on the grid. At the start of the Pre-Main, the 10 kart pack made a good start with Ford in front. But on turn 4 going into the infield, Nilsson spun, Ryan Sonntag (Italkart) and Shantae Barudoni spun into Kelsey and all three were dead on the track. Shantae got going again, but the other two were out. Ford went on to notch his first junior Pre-Main followed by DaVirro, Cornell, Tifft and Zink. In the Main, Ford and and DaVirro battled out front, but Nilsson started to learn the track during the 15 lap race and moved through the field. While the top 5 drivers battled each other, Kelsey picked off one at a time eventually passing the leader. By race end, Kelsey had a 2.3 second lead. Ford made a pass near the end of the race to take back 2^nd place with Bobby Tifft taking a well desired 3^rd followed by DaVirro, Cornell and Zink. Shantae Barudoni took the Puma win, still on the leaders lap. With his 4^th place finish, DaVirro takes over the class points lead, 15 points up on Cornell with Tifft another 15 points back.

80 Grand Masters and 80 Masters

The 80 class is now two classes. With this race, the 80 Grand Masters (45 and older) will be joined by the 80 Masters class (30 to 44). Thus Ron Tamba (Masters) joined some of the regular Grand Masters drivers. The 80 Masters will be run for the rest of the year. Tamba (MBA) put his kart on pole followed by Tom Nelson (MBA) and Steve Peterson (Italkart). In the Pre-Main, Tamba took a 5 second win over Peterson with Ahmiel Freed (MBA) another 4 seconds back and Michael LaGrone in 4^th. In the Main, again Tamba was in control of the race with Peterson holding down second. LaGrone, worked his way up to 3^rd until a loose muffler finally came off and jammed between his rear sprocket and rear tire causing him to spin. Freed then went onto third with Rob Mullaney taking 4^th and points leader Michael John (Energy)5^th.

The next Jim Russell Sunday Series will be August 17 when the Sprint Track layout will be used.

7-22-08 Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge Race #5

Rotax Masters

Rotax Masters Light

Rotax DD2

Junior Rotax

Senior Rotax

The next Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge race will be July 27 at the tough Dixon Kart track.

Northern Nevada Kart Club hosted Championship Race #6 at Desert Park Raceway on Sunday, July 20, 2008. The weather was beautiful for most of the day as racers got a chance to show some speed.

TaG Masters had a different outcome for the day. Brian Rivera put kart #81 on pole with a run of 47.6 followed by Kevin Listmans 49.2. Rivera won heats 1 and 2 to start the main on pole. As the main started, Listman took the early lead out of turn 2 with Barry Wellard in second. Rivera made his move on Wellard then proceeded to try to catch Listman. Going into the chicane after turn 7, Rivera’s steering wheel nut and bolt fell off as he went flying into the dirt almost going end over end (endo style) coming to a stop near turn 8. Listman proceeded to take the lead and never looked back for his first win of the year followed by Troy Berry and Barry Wellard.

Formula 80 Senior gridded up as Cody McKinney jumped on pole with a time of 46.81 followed by Gerry Williams 46.87. McKinney would go on to sweep both heats in commanding fashion. That setup the main event with McKinney on pole. He would go on to win the main event followed by Williams 1 second behind. Jay Neely would grab a hard fought 3^rd with Mark Nason in 4th.

Rotax Max came out with 6 racers for the showdown. Nick Wadlow grabbed early pole with a 48.6 run time. Dan Harris’ 48.8 was good enough for second. Heat one was won by Harris. Heat 2 was claimed by Eric Dean. That would setup the finale as these drivers would battle neck and neck for 12 laps. Wadlow broke before the start ending his day. That gave Dean an opportunity in which he took full advantage of. Dean would propel his Tony Kart on the podium’s 1^st place pedestal with a win by a mere .7 tenths of a second over last race winner Pete Morley. Lance Bruntz had a strong day finishing in the 3 spot.

Jr 1-2 Cycle circulated around the track and as usual, it was Austin DeMent snatching pole at 52.24 for a new track record. Travis Barr wasn’t far off the pace with a great run of 52.84. DeMent would go on to win heats 1 and 2. As the green dropped for the main event, it was DeMent taking the lead followed by Logan Wyman. Nicky Pritchard would make his move on Wyman for 2^nd. Travis Barr would move into the top 3 with his pass on Wyman as well. The checkers waived as DeMent would cross 9 seconds ahead of Pritchard (2^nd) and Barr (3^rd). Wyman, Trever Listman and Garrett Dixon would finish 4^th, 5^th and 6^th, respectively.

TaG Senior has boasted more racers than any other class all year. 11 came out for this one. Dave Harwin continued where he left off last race with a blistering 46.7 pole run. Brian Rivera’s 46.9 would edge out Mike Botelho Jr’s 47.0 in his new CRG chassis to complete the front row. Harwin would go on to power his Rotax to the heat 1 win. David Brant would capitalize on the second heat invert to fend off a charging Botelho Jr. for 8 straight laps. That setup the main with Harwin on pole and Brant off pole followed by Botelho Jr and Rivera. Brant got the jump and took 1^st into turn 1-2. Botelho Jr. passed Harwin for 2^nd. Curt Baker would also capitalize and pass Harwin for 3^rd. Baker had a strong day as well showing more speed as the day went on. At the front, Brant held off Botelho Jr for the victory with Baker in 3^rd, followed by Harwin and Rivera.

Formula 80 Masters was next on the grid as Gerry Williams navigated the course with a 46.7 pole time followed by Cody McKinney’s 46.9. Jay Neely would finally break out of his shell and post some good #’s and finishes on the day as well. As the second heat ended, it was Mark Nason taking the victory and setting himself up on pole for the main. In the main, Nason took the early lead with McKinney getting a great start to put him in 2^nd by turn 2. Nason would relinquish the lead to McKinney down the straightaway. Williams would also make a pass on Nason for 2^nd and set his sights on McKinney. Nothing ever materialized and McKinney was able to win his second race of the day. Williams was DQ’d for weight once again, giving Nason second followed by Neely with his second 3^{rd place} of the day.

TaG Novice took to the track as Rich Adams unloaded his Arrow kart to take pole at 49.5 followed by Billy Sewell at 51.2. This class is still growing at now 7 racers. Adams would retire from the race with motor problems soon after. Kelly Morley would win a heat with some hard driving of her own to fend off Sewell. That set up the main with Sewell on pole. He would take the green and never look back for his 3^rd victory on the year. Amy Lim would try to run down Sewell as she was matching his speeds but was unsuccessful catching him. Lim would take her hard fought 2^nd overcoming a bent axle followed by Bob Hoekman in 3^rd.

TaG Cadet would take the stage as only 2 karts came out for this event. Trever Listman grabbed pole with a 52.0 followed by Justin Hoekman at 53.0. Hoekman would win the fist 2 heats as Listman encountered mechanical problems with his motor throughout the day. The main was no different as Hoekman took to the lead and victory. Listman would stay close the entire race but was just unable to contend for the lead and take 2^nd place. The two would finish 1.5 seconds apart.

We had one Kids Kart come out to race under the overcast skies. Nicholas Persky had his first race ever and learned a lot of what it takes to go around the track and become a little racer. Good job Nicholas!! Enjoy the Trophy!

Thankx to Shari Dow for a perfect day of scoring, Sandy Diederich and Chelsi Wagner for registration, Dave Brant for flagging, Glenn McKinnon for Race Directing and the TaG Junior class for corner working. Also , Steve Chaput from the TaG Cadet class who came out to work a corner because his son was unable to race this weekend. See you next race August 9^th, the Rick Jerome Memorial Night Race!!

7-18-08 ALUMINOS ON TOP AS SOARES RETURNS WITH DOMINANT PROKART NORTH VICTORY

Broken hand no issue for team owner as NorCal-based team among front runners at round four

SONOMA, CA (July 12, 2008) – Another successful weekend of regional karting was delivered by Team Aluminos at the fourth round of the ProKart Challenge North series, which was held this past weekend at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. As the team continues to grow and gain more experience, the results keep improving. The highlight of the weekend came by way of Aluminos owner Rob Soares, who visited victory lane while the rest of his team battled hard at the front of the field all day. The addition of veteran superstar Ron White to the Aluminos engineering and coaching squad this past weekend was also a big plus that paid dividends.

Soares returned to his TaG Masters ride after breaking his hand in the second round of the PKC North program. With the arm now back together in one piece, Soares drove like he hadn’t missed a session. Aboard an Aluminos-prepped GP Kart, Soares put his entry on the pole in the TaG Masters category, nearly taking the overall top honors against the TaG Masters Light competitors as well. During racing action, however, Soares would have the advantage, taking both overall heat race wins and the feature event victory.

“It was great getting back on track, suiting up with all my guys again,” offered Soares. “I’ve very proud of how our drivers performed this past weekend and I’m extremely pleased with their commitment to the program we have in place. We’ve been enjoying a fun and successful year and I love watching our young drivers develop. With our long-term focus on the SuperNationals in November at the Rio, I love where our team is heading!”

Things looked promising for the Aluminos contingent in S3 with Marc Elliott, Brad Dunford, and Harley Owen flying the Aluminos colors, Owen making his PKC North debut. Elliott scored his first pole of the year with a killer lap to edge out his championship rival in the timed session. The two drivers battled on during the two heat races with Elliott placing second in both runs. Set to attack in the feature, his charge would end too soon as electrical problems put him on the sidelines. Dunford was primed for a podium run, qualifying third until mechanical issues in heat two put him at the tail of the starting grid for the main event. Dunford was able to work his way back up through to fourth in the 20-lap feature, an impressive performance to be certain. Owen gained more experience in his first year running shifters, placing sixth in the final

Team driver coach and engineer Tom Dyer piloted the lone TaG Senior entry for Aluminos, testing new equipment for the squad. Battling the tough competition and some initial bugs, Dyer was sixth in qualifying and held that spot through both heat races. In the feature, Dyer advanced two positions to finish fourth overall.

The team is now looking forward to the fifth round of the ProKart Challenge South series, which is set to take place at Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA on the July 25-26 weekend.

7-18-08 VORRATH AND WIMSETT SCORE PODIUMS IN SHAWANO FOR CHAMPION RACING

Intrepid drivers show well at challenging USA International Raceway during Stars of Karting Eastern finale

NEW CASTLE, IN (July 13, 2008) – The final Stars of Karting Eastern Division round proved to be a challenging weekend for the drivers of Champion Racing / Intrepid USA. Highlighted by podium finishes by ICC driver Jordy Vorrath and TaG standout Joey Wimsett, the Champion squad recorded several top-10s amidst the carnage of a myriad of on-track incidents and bad luck to leave USA International Raceway in Shawano, WI still in the hunt for national championships.

Team leader Jordy Vorrath began his weekend with a seventh in ICC qualifying, leaving him with some work to do heading into the three heat races that would set the grid for the two main events on Sunday. Starting on the inside of the fourth row for each green flag, Vorrath pulled a trio of rocket starts that put him right on the rear bumper of the driver ahead of him on the grid, getting aggressive as they powered through the left-hand turn one. Advancing a few positions in each moto is the ultimate goal and Vorrath grabbed a single spot in the opening heat to finish sixth, bettering that result in the second moto by breaking into the top-five. Vorrath matched the fifth place finish in the final heat to secure the inside of row three for both finals. In the opening main, Vorrath charged quickly up to third to begin his chase on the second place driver, but to no avail, bringing Champion a solid third place finish. A sixth in the second main completed the weekend, placing Vorrath second in the Eastern Division point standings heading to the National Finals in Las Vegas, just 35 points out of the lead.

Vorrath was joined by five other Champion drivers in the ICC category. Texan Cody Jolly began the fight with an 11^th in qualifying, which set up an impressive charge for the ICC rookie. Jolly held his position in the first heat race then advanced to eighth and ninth in the following motos, improving to eighth for the start of the mains. Jolly stepped up his game in the first Final by following Vorrath’s lead into the top-five, where he would steal a fantastic fifth place finish. The second main featured a wild battle for position where Jolly would bag his second top-10 of the weekend in ninth, advancing him to third in the Eastern points as the leading rookie. Ryan Kinnear was also on his game despite a tough qualifying run that put him 15^th ahead of a trio of heat race improvements (12-15-13) that advanced him to 14^th on the grid. Kinnear grabbed six position in Race #1 to finish eighth and then capped the weekend with an 11^th in the second final, taking ninth in the Eastern Division points.

Brandon Frank, Evan Walters and Shane Terrel also carry the Intrepid flag in ICC. Frank’s top finish was 13^th in the first final, finishing 18^th in the second, while Walters was 15^th and 16^th, respectively, in the two events. Terrel was 17^th in the opening race and finished up 19^th in the second, suffering from a mechanical issue.

In the TaG category, Champion put their #1 ranked driver Joey Wimsett on-track in his Parilla-powered Intrepid and the talented pilot responded with a second place run in qualifying to give him the off-pole starting spot for the heat races. Wimsett set his focus on closing the gap between himself and the class leader on the weekend, scoring three straight second place results in which he closed the margin of victory with each subsequent race. Again starting from P2, Wimsett raced to a pair of runner-up finishes that have kept him right in the hunt for the national championship.

Wimsett was joined by Nate Norenberg, Shane Walters and Blake Teeter in Stars TaG at Shawano and all three ran inside the top-15 at one time or another during the heat races. In the finals, Walters posted the best results with a pair of 16^th place finishes, while Norenberg was 20^th and 18^th in the two finals. Teeter looked good early on but battled a couple of issues to finish 23^rd in both races.

In Cadet, Broc Yocom was Champion’s representative and he was on form once again in qualifying, turning the third fastest time of the session. Yocom got off to a solid start with a fifth in the opening heat race, but got caught up in a tussle in the second moto that left him in 16^th. Focused on coming back in the third heat, Broc finished up in 14^th, putting him on the outside of row seven for the mains. Yocom would finish 16^th in the opening final and was hit with bad luck again in the second race when he got caught up in a first lap melee that took him out of the race. Yocom will look to shake this one off, re-aiming his efforts on the Western Division championship, where he sits fourth in overall points.

The team will now focus on the upcoming Western Division finale in Seattle, Washington on August 24-25.

7-18-08 BRENNAN NEWBERRY VICTORIOUS IN LAS VEGAS

“Talented pilot shows the experience of a veteran”

July 17, 2008 – Ron Sutton Winners Circle driver development pilot Brennan Newberry scored the victory in the United States Auto Club (USAC) Ford Focus California Pavement Series event at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring in Las Vegas, NV. The talented driver moved to the lead early in the race and never looked back

With drivers being on track for the July 3^rd testing, Newberry looked very comfortable in his Ron Sutton Winners Circle prepared car as he circuited the Bullring with a time that would put him well inside the top five.

After qualifying in the fourth position with a time of 15.546, Newberry was forced to start the heat race on the outside of the second row. Looking to get the car dialed in and ready for the final, Brennan moved forward to finish second and scored the fastest lap of the race with a 15.140.

Due to his heat race result, Newberry advanced forward one position for the start of the main and was on the ever important inside line. At the drop of the green flag, Newberry quickly moved into P2 and by the end of the second lap had moved to the point. The talented driver was on a tear before the caution flag flew to hinder his progress.

Having to overcome six re-starts, Newberry became a master at getting off the fourth corner and out into the lead. Making his fellow competitors frustrated, Newberry got a great jump on the last restart and drove off to victory.

“Brennan Newberry has the heart and talent of a winner,” exclaimed Ron Sutton. “He has been knocking on the door for some time and this win is well deserved. I expect him to win a bunch more this season."

Brennan would like to extend a thank you to the whole Ron Sutton's Winners Circle Team as well as his primary supporters: Flashco Equipment and NTS Inc. Brennan would also like to send a special thank you to the Ron Sutton Winner’s Circle team sponsors: K&N Filters, Scribner Plastics, Sunoco Race Fuels and Riolo Race Engines.

7-18-08 FRATE SWEEPS TAG SENIOR IN SECOND MAUI KART CHALLENGE ROUND

Superkarts! USA Hawaii regional series debuts S3 class to island karting

KAHULUI, HAWAII (July 12, 2008) - The Superkarts! USA Hawaii Region headed back to the Maui Motorsports Park Puunene Kart Track for the second round of the new Maui Kart Challenge and a great outing was had by all on the 1/2-mile circuit. Aside from a strong field of TaG Senior competitors, the series also offered up the island debut of the Stock Moto S3 class, which is sure to take off under the guidance of SKUSA and the Maui Kart Challenge. The event enjoyed great weather as usual and things went very smoothly through the weekend.

Just under a dozen Tag Seniors were in the paddock for Round #2 and Andres Frate led the way by qualifying on the pole, going on to win both heats and the main to sweep the day. Troy Goldberg battled problems after timing in second, missing the opening heat race before working his way back to the position in the second moto. Goldberg chased Frate throughout the 16-lap final but was forced to settle for second at the checkered flag, crossing the line just over three seconds behind the winner. Tom Zaccanini also fought problems that caused him to miss the first moto, but he scrambled his way through the day to finish third in the main. Jim Schubert and Kim Greenwell completed the top-five.

The Maui Kart Challenge debuted the S3 class to the island’s karting community and the initial response was very positive. The series put four karts on-track to kick off this new program as Steve Eggers, Jed Bahouth, Denis Valente and Tom Zaccanini have all embraced the Stock Moto concept. Zaccanini actually added the S3 program to his TaG ride, doing double-duty on the weekend. However, this led to him leaving his transponder on his TaG kart, eliminating his shot at the pole in qualifying when no times were recorded. In his absence, Bahouth took the pole with a 36.589-second lap, followed closely by Eggers and Valente. Zaccanini had to start from the back in the opening heat but that did not stop him from driving to the lead, beating out Eggers by just a half-second. In the second moto, Eggers was able to hold off his primary challenger to split the wins, earning the pole for the main. In the Final, it was all Zaccanini as he laid down a display of driving prowess unmatched by the field. It was his first shifter kart drive and he piloted the six-speed machine like a champ, winning the main while setting fast laps of the night (36.211) in the process. It was exciting to see some side-by-side S3 racing, which only served to inject even more excitement over the class into the series organizers

The Maui Kart Challenge program also had two K1 entries at the second round with Jessie Nielson qualifying on the pole, taking it all the way to the main event win. In other classes, Lauren Christensen won in the TaG Cadet class while Shane Christensen topped Blake Rizzo in Jr. Sportsman. In Sr. Sportsman, Tim Hultquist leveraged his pole position in qualifying into the main event win, while Russ Shibuya (KT100 Lite) and Kamuela Borge (Jr. Super Sportsman) also scored wins.

7-18-08 Jim Russell Karting Series has a busy July planned

The Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge Series has two races planned for July. This coming weekend, July 19, Race #5 in the series will be at Infineon running the challenging Reverse Sprint track layout. Norcal’s only Rotax series has been enjoying record entries all year and another strong turn out is expected. In the Junior Rotax class, there have been 3 different winners this year and Donavon Wheeler, Jordan Jadallah and Mikee Mejia are expected to do battle again this race. In the DD2 class, the three way battle between David Arnstein, January Grove and Glen Poy-Wing will heat up some more. Reno’s Kyle Gimple will be joining the field for the next 2 races race and hopes to improve on his 4^th place finish last month. In the Senior Rotax class, another strong field is expected with several drivers shooting to end Gregory Liefooghe’s 4 race winning streak. In the Masters class, David Carlisle seems to have got into his winning stride from 2007, but could expect challenges from point’s leader Jerry Pretti and Dan Dollosso. In Masters Light, Mike Lawler is looking to take a hold of this class after his June win, but Marc Pingol and Mary Beth Wilson look to spoiling his day.

Registration starts 7:30am and Practice begins at 8:30.

The Jim Russell Sunday Series will be held on July 20 and will also run the on the Reverse Sprint track. Entries for the Sunday Series have increased at each of the previous races this season as people find out how much track time one gets at the Sunday Series (45 minutes of practice in the morning, and another 30 minutes of race time). In the Junior 1 Comer class, Doug Braddock Jr will have his hands full with new comer Nitro Nick Sommers. With 3 entries in HPV1 last month, this new class is slowly adding entries each month. In the Junior 1 Gazelle class, Maxx Marian will be looking for three wins in a row, but expects strong challenges from Benjamin Barudoni and Noah Hermansen. The HPV2 class should be its normal strong field and exciting race. Kathryn Cornell goes into Sunday’s race as the point’s leader, but she would like most to notch her first win of the year. Likewise, Dain DaVirro would like to turn in his two poles into a win on Sunday. Also expect to see Conner Ford to make is Junior class race in the HPV2 class this weekend after a strong Junior 1 career.

With a strong field of 80 Grand Masters drivers last month, the GM drivers want to have more drivers come and have the same fun they do in racing at Infineon. So for the remainder of the year, an 80 Masters class will be added to the race day line up. This class will be run in the same race group as the 80 GM class. It will also be for drivers 30 to 44, weight will be 380 pounds (same as the 80 GM class), tires are YHCs, Norcal engine rules apply except for the muffler which must be at least the 12 inch long type mufflers.

Registration starts at 8:00am and Practice begins at 9:00am

The following week, Race #6 in the Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge Series will go to the always tough and physical Dixon track. Practice will be available on July 26 with the races on July 27. The Rotax classes will be added to the normal Dixon club race and will make for some great racing at this tough Norcal track. This race will be the 4^th and last Rotax Nationals Qualifier race. 33 Rotax drivers ran the March 31 Dixon race and an entry of 40 karts is expected for this trip to Dixon.

7-18-08 ALCORN AND cORWIN cONTINUE pROKART CHALLENGE NORTH WIN STREAK

Superkarts! Northern California region continues on to second half with an amazing event

SONOMA, CA (July 12, 2008) – It just keeps getting better and better for the Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge North program. Round #4 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway provided another spectacular event this past weekend – with great weather and a great show being put on by the staff and the drivers themselves on the Sonoma, California circuit. After a popular debut in Round #3, the 3/4-mile national track configuration was run in the reverse direction once again, producing another successful and unique event for this first-year program.

Two drivers have been on their game this season at the PKC North events: Matt Alcorn and Craig Corwin. Both had perfect records heading into Round #4, and despite a few hiccups, they prevailed – with their fourth main event wins on the year. In S4, Alcorn took the pole position and then the provisional heat one victory -- until it was removed in the tech barn. Once he remedied the situation, he bounced back from the tail of the field to the heat two win. This set him on the pole for the 20-lap main event, in which he paced the field to a seven-second victory over Jared Woolf and Alexander Keith.

Corwin was edged in qualifying for the first time on the year by Ethan Wilson, his closest rival. Wilson ripped off a lap just 0.017-seconds faster than Corwin to take the inside of the front row for the first heat race. The start would not bode well for Wilson, however, as he would not make it around for the opening lap, allowing Corwin to pace the field to the win. Corwin would remain on the winning track with a victory in the second heat race, following it up with his fourth main event triumph. Wilson battled back to third in the main, fighting with eventual second place finisher JP Cadoux.

As was the case in Round #3, the TaG Senior group again headlined the show with an exciting performance throughout the day. The field was tight in qualifying, with the entire 16-kart group within half a second of each other, led provisionally by Brett Buckwalter until he was removed in tech with a broken silencer. This gave Wes Phillips the pole for the opening heat race, with Larry Fraser starting on the outside. Round #3 winner Alex Speed got the jump on the field from the third starting position, as Fraser did not make it around for the opening lap. Phillips slotted back into second and ran that way throughout the 10-lap heat #1 race. Championship leader Jason Toft came from 12th to third, with Buckwalter following him through to fourth.

The second heat was a five-man show at the front, with Will Martindale joining the mix. Phillips took the win over Speed, Buckwalter, Martindale and Toft, all crossing the line within a second, setting up for an exciting final. The fight went down to just four competitors on lap two as Speed retired early with an expired engine. The remaining quartet put on a 20-lap exhibition with a last lap pass for Martindale to take the victory – now being heralded as one of the best drives of his career. Buckwalter crossed the line second with Toft and Phillips in tow. Phillips, however, was bounced from the results after he skipped the tech barn, moving Tom Dyer to fourth and Cameron Pringle to fifth.

Returning for their second outing with the PKC North program, the HPV 2 Junior group had 12 drivers shuffling around the Infineon circuit. David Vasquez led the field in qualifying, just 0.012-seconds quicker than Dylan Lupton. Vasquez led the field through the opening lap of heat one, as Lupton retired before crossing the line. The driver on the move was Brett Felkins, as he came up from fifth to assume the point by lap five and take the win. Felkins would lead green-to-checkered in Heat #2 – along with the 20-lap main event. However, he would have the win taken away after an illegal clutch was found during post-race tech inspection. This gave second place finisher Vasquez the win, with Lupton moving up to second. Donavon Wheeler completed the podium.

Alex Speed and Rob Soares were the only drivers to enjoy clean sweeps on the day. Speed took all the S1 honors, including a six-second main event victory over Jess Peterson and championship leader Cody Hodgson. Soares returned from a broken hand suffered in Round #2, pacing the TaG Masters field all day. Helmar Beregszaszy and Steve Elo rounded out the podium. Jason Toft was the man in S3, though he fought hard to hold off Marc Elliott and Steve Reasoner for most of the day. Misfortune struck Elliott in the main, when he was forced to retire early with electrical problems. This allowed Toft to take his third win in a row, with Reasoner finishing 2^nd and Neil Joseph 3^rd. In TaG Masters Light, Herman Ip also had his perfect streak come to an end on Saturday, with Jim Zootis getting the two heat race wins before Ip regained the point in the final to take the victory.

Weekend highlights also included a complimentary Friday night BBQ sponsored by the PanaVise team, as well as a rockin’ post-podium raffle drawing, MC’d by PKC and SKUSA owner Tom Kutscher.

Next on the docket will be Round #5 at the Infineon circuit on August 8-9, running the clockwise direction of the national configuration.

7-14-08 JACE MEIER SCORES POLE POSITION IN NASCAR LATE MODEL EVENT

“Pole Position at Firecracker 100”

July 9, 2008 – NASCAR Late Model up and comer Jace Meier scored the pole position for the NASCAR Late Model Firecracker 100 held on July 4^th at Irwindale Speedway in Irwindale, California. Meier ran strong all race long to score a solid top five finish.

Jace Meier, who is a member of the Ron Sutton Winners Circle Driver Development Program (RSWC), turned a solid 19.090 lap to claim the pole position in the competitive 28 car field. More unbelievable about this pole was that this was Meier’s first time in the car in nine months. Using his natural skills Meier would battle with the lead pack all race long while conserving his tires and equipment for a late race charge.

“Jace is ‘The Miracle Man’,” stated team owner Tim Huddletson, who’s cars have won three of the past six championships at Irwindale Speedway. “Any driver that can come out here and win the pole after nine months out of the car must have talent.”

Racing with the High Point Racing Squad, Meier was unable to hold the lead for long as he was passed by his teammate on the exit of turn two on the opening lap. Looking to stay out of trouble, Meier fell back to the sixth position while the lead quintuplet of drivers battled hard two and three wide.

“I knew at the pace they were running that they were going to burn up their tires,” stated Meier after the event. “I just waited for my spotter, Jeff Phillips, to give me the word and it came on lap 60. From that point forward I was going forward.”

Picking up the pace, Meier was able to pass his car-owner Tim Huddleston and teammate Colin Fleming to move into fourth position. By lap 90 the talented pilot was closing in on the championship points leader and NASCAR West Series driver Andrew Meyers, but was unable to catch him in time and had to settle for a fourth place finish.

"Unfortunately this sport costs a lot of money,” explained mentor Ron Sutton. “Jace Meier has been out of the seat since 2007, looking for backing. They raised just enough to run this race and Jace shook the rust off pretty quick. He showed the talent he has by setting fast time against this deep field of competition and driving to a top 5 on a loose track."

Jace would like to thank everyone who has made the 2008 racing season possible as well as a charity that he is helping promote, Make a Difference Las Vegas.

7-14-08 MAUI KART CHALLENGE SET FOR ROUND TWO

Superkarts! USA Hawaii regional series building off of successful opening round

KAHULUI, HAWAII (July 10, 2008) - The Superkarts! USA Hawaii Region will host the second round of the new Maui Kart Challenge this coming weekend at the Maui Motorsports Park Puunene Kart Track. The July 12 event is scheduled to include a full day of action with the finals to commence under the lights around the 1/2-mile circuit.

The first Superkarts! USA regional program to be run outside the continental United States debuted on June 7 as a new era of karting on the Islands begins to take shape, building the excitement through the year to set the foundation for the future. With the new partnership with SKUSA, the Maui Kart Challenge directors are hard at work to help bring the organization’s popular structure to the islands.

“We are focusing on getting the Honda Stock Moto class on the track,” stated Art Gumpfer, Maui Kart Challenge President. “With today’s dollar exchange rate, it seems logical to run the stock moto engines in the shifter classes. The announcement of the SuperNationals at the Rio has created a buzz here on the Islands and for the first time our drivers have felt and realized the feeling of belonging to something big - a sanctioning body as great as SKUSA.”

At the opening round, the TaG Senior class boasted 12 entries with Troy Goldberg taking the inaugural win. S1 was a close finish at the line as Hugh England edged Steve Eggers by just 0.1-seconds to the checkered flag. K1 - SKUSA’s 80cc shifter division - is alive and well in Hawaii and was paced by Gordon Reis as he swept the day’s action. Alec Gumpfer was the lone TaG Junior driver, although he gained important experience running with the TaG Senior group all night.

One new upgrade for the Maui Kart Challenge competitors is the use of the AMB timing system. The opening round was the first event run by the series using the system and with the bugs worked out, the series will use it for the remainder of the events and will be uploading the full results to the popular Mylaps.com site for all to view.

Classes set to do battle for Round #2 will include S1, S3, K1, TaG Senior, TaG Junior and possibly TaG Masters. The track will open at 3pm local time.