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July 2008 Archives
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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 2nd 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 11th 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 2nd in the Lights class. 3rd overall was David Carlisle to take the Masters class win followed by Jay Brosius who worked over his son Bill to take 2nd in the Masters class. Bill Brosius was the 5th 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 4th lap. Jadallah went on to a 2 second win over Wheeler with Zink leading a tight pack of 4 drivers to take 3rd and Bobby Tifft 4th. 3rd through 6th 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 2nd win of the year. Wheeler was 2nd, Bobby Tifft worked his way up to 3rd, his best Rotax finish this year, followed by a solid performance from Bryce Hylbert to take 4th. 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 3rd followed by Grove and a strong 5th 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 2nd place. Gimple held off Grove for 3rd, Grove was 4th, and Chris DeBruine taking the 5th 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 2nd spot. Powers would hold this spot for the entire 10 lap race. Liefooghe took a 1 second win, Powers in 2nd, Nikola less than 1 second back with Pringle right on Nikola’s bumper. Travis Duhn came up to take a strong 5th 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 2nd 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 2nd, Powers 3rd, Nikola 4th, and Duhn 5th. In his first karting race, James Bailey drove a solid race to take the 7th 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. |
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7-22-08 Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge Race #5Another 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 Masters9 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 3rd place spot, 3 seconds back of the winner. Peter Boot (Intrepid) put in his best drive of the year to take the 5th spot. Carlisle takes over the point’s lead in the series with his win. Rotax Masters LightIn 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 3rd followed by Wilson and Lawler. Rotax DD2The 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 7th 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 Rotax11 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 3rd 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 3rd. 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 3rd, Tifft 4th and Brody Zink (Birel) in 5th. 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 2nd, Miller a strong 3rd followed by Tifft. But the best racing of the Main was a 4 driver battle for the 5th 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 5th 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 4th with Powers 5th. The next Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge race will be July 27 at the tough Dixon Kart track. |
7-22-08 NNKC Race #6 Action
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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 3rd 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 1st 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 2nd. 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 (2nd) and Barr (3rd). Wyman, Trever Listman and Garrett Dixon would finish 4th, 5th and 6th, 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 1st into turn 1-2. Botelho Jr. passed Harwin for 2nd. Curt Baker would also capitalize and pass Harwin for 3rd. 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 3rd, 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 2nd by turn 2. Nason would relinquish the lead to McKinney down the straightaway. Williams would also make a pass on Nason for 2nd 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 3rd 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 3rd 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 2nd overcoming a bent axle followed by Bob Hoekman in 3rd. 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 2nd 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 9th, the Rick Jerome Memorial Night Race!! |
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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 3rd 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. |
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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. |
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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 4th 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 4th 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. |
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7-18-08 LANDON SESTER TAMES LAGUNA SECA “SCCA F2000 Race Winner” July 15, 2008 – Ron Sutton Winners Circle driver Landon Sester scored a strong victory this past weekend in the Formula Ford Continental class held at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. Sester, who competes with Neil Porter Racing in the Formula Ford division, qualified his ride second in class at the difficult race circuit but was forced to start ten grid positions behind the class leader. Looking to improve throughout the event weekend, Sester did just that after getting a terrific race start and running consistent laps to score the win. “I knew that if I wanted to have a chance at the victory I would have to make up a lot of ground up on the opening lap,” claimed RSWC driver development pilot Landon Sester. “I had to pass a lot of the Formula Mazdas and Formula Atlantics before I could get to the class leader and was able to under braking as we entered turn two.” Sester quickly turned into the man to beat as he took over the top position and continually stretched his lead. “I was having a good race but the slower lapped traffic startled me a few times,” explained the eventual race winner. “It is tough to race with several different classes of cars on the track at the same time so I had to try and drive fast but also be patient.” "Landon Sester put a great effort together with good teamwork from Porter Racing to win today. More wins are definitely coming for this team," stated Ron Sutton from Ron Sutton Winners Circle. Landon would like to thank Neil Porter Racing and everyone else who has made the 2008 racing season possible. |
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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 2nd and Neil Joseph 3rd. 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. |
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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 4th 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. |
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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. |
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7-14-08 Really Basic Clothing sponsors Northern California Rotax Series. A newly formed bay area clothing company, Really Basic Clothing, will give away some of unique and very cool t-shirts and part of the 2008 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Series. Entrepreneur, Palmer Sanderson has designed some great t-shirts for both men and women with more designs appearing regularly. The new web site at www.reallybasicclothing.com shows off all the designs and you can purchase the clothing from the site as well. “We are very pleased to receive some cool t-shirts to give away to Rotax members from Really Basic Clothing”, commented Adrian Szwarcburg, Norcal Rotax organizer, “It is great to see a young entrepreneur putting out such a quality product. Be sure to think of Really Basic Clothing when looking for cool clothing for the whole family”. |
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7-7-08 Series News, July, 2008: Motoring Memories for two class champions in the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge. The 2008 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge is very pleased to announce that Motoring Memories, specializing in hand rendered digital paintings will sponsor the 2008 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge. Artist Stephen Harris-Smith has offered two 13"X21" paintings that will be randomly drawn from amongst the five Rotax class winners with the remaining three Rotax classes receiving a 50% discount coupon. “I wanted to support the local kart racing scene.” said Stephen Harris-Smith, “With my passion for spec racing series, Rotax is the perfect TaG formula with a national and international racing program at a low cost. I look forward to painting these photos for the Norcal Rotax class champions.” “We are extremely grateful for generous support from such a talented artist.” said Adrian Szwarcburg, Norcal Rotax Series organizer. “Two very lucky Rotax class champions will receive one of Stephens hand crafted images. Any Rotax racer can order Stephens paintings by supplying their own photo at any time." Stephens art creation process: All of the fine art paintings start with a photograph. This image can come from the client as a digital file or hard copy for scanning. The digital file is processed on the computer where any adjustments needed to optimize the image are made. From here the image is used as a reference for Stephen to paint the artwork using a digital stylus and tablet. No short cuts or PhotoShop filters are used. Depending on the amount of detail and size of the image, the painting can take over five hours. Once we are satisfied with the quality of the image it is printed on museum grade canvas using archival grade inks. A final treatment is hand applied by brush to the canvas picture that both seals the image and give the surface a three-dimensional depth equal to an oil painting. This process requires several applications using smaller and smaller brushes to enhance the details. Even under close inspection it is hard to tell this image was not painted directly on the canvas. Which raises the question: why not just paint the picture in the first place? The digital painting method allows for a totally new style of image. The blending of colors could only be attained with this method. Your painting truly becomes a family heirloom to be shared and enjoyed for generations. About Motoring Memories: Motoring Memories is the culmination of two passions: Auto-sports and photography. Not long ago, after years of driving “average” cars, I purchased a Mazda Miata. I have always enjoyed driving but this car took the experience to a whole new level. I then discovered track days and in short order I worked my way through the ranks and started driving with the advanced group. It was there I discovered open passing and realized this was one step away from racing. Well I took that step last year and earned my SCCA license. Nothing matches the thrill of wheel-to-wheel racing. There is no looking back. At the same time I was working as a commercial photographer in the San Francisco Bay area and started shooting local races on the weekends with a focus on vintage cars. What better way to pay for my racing than with my camera at the track? I saw photographers of all levels shooting at these events and realized I needed to do something different to stand out from that crowd. My on track experience led me to places other than “the corner” to get “the shot”. My aim is to capture all the dynamic energy in a photo that I can exploit in my paintings. This requires dynamic framing and unique angles. What I look for and capture I call the “High Performance Portrait”. |
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7-7-08SKUSA SUPERNATIONALS XII RETURNS TO RIO CASINO HOTEL IN LAS VEGAS Annual event heads back to ‘The Strip’ for November weekend LAS VEGAS, NV (July 7, 2008) – They said it couldn’t be done. They were wrong. The SKUSA SuperNationals XII will return to the Rio Casino Hotel in Las Vegas on November 20-23, 2008. If one were to point to a single race in North American karting as the race of the year, it would be difficult for anyone to overlook the SKUSA SuperNationals in deserving such distinction. For 11 consecutive years, the marquee race of the Superkarts! USA organization has been the pinnacle event of the karting season, drawing a worldwide contingent of the best racers on the planet. The SKUSA SuperNationals has always been an event that has commanded tremendous competitor interest and media attention year after year, but even SKUSA owner Tom Kutscher would be the first to concede there’s always room to improve. “It can be very tempting to rest on your laurels in this sport,” explains Kutscher. “You have people coming up to congratulate you throughout each event, telling you that ‘this has been the best race ever.’ That can make it hard to be self critical.” And despite the tremendous success that SuperNats XI enjoyed, it wasn’t long before Tom Kutscher knew – even with the positive feedback – improvements were essential. “I began hearing the buzz circulating; yet what people didn’t realize is that, internally, I had my own staff compiling lists of ideas. We assembled a pretty lengthy document when it was all said and done – and I knew I had my work cut out for me this year.” Anyone who’s raced with SKUSA long enough will likely tell you, “The SuperNationals events held at the Rio Hotel were among some of the best ever.” The location has always been highly touted, though not without its share of complexities. “It’s no secret,” remarks Kutscher. “Casino hotels in Vegas make their revenue from gambling. Approaching the Rio about putting on another SuperNationals was not an easy sell.” Months of negotiations and proposals were passed back and forth between the two companies, and as time passed it looked increasingly unlikely the deal would come together. However, through exhausting deliberations, phone calls, and hotel visits, the deal finally materialized. “Vegas is a city built on gambling,” adds the SKUSA president, who was a competitor at the last Rio-hosted SuperNationals. “It’s fair to say the Rio is taking another gamble on karting. My bet is that it will be HUGE!” The event will take place November 20-23, 2008, and is slated to be the one of the biggest SuperNationals ever. SKUSA has been diligent about addressing many of the most common competitor concerns, and is proud to announce: • The event will be shorter in duration, addressing issues with time off of work and school. On track days will be limited to Thursday, Nov. 20 through Sunday, Nov. 23, making for a more consolidated event structure. • The Rio has extended an unprecedented room rate to SuperNats participants and guests, even less expensive than when the race was held there in 2003! Rates will be $99 Sunday through Thursday, with Friday and Saturday nights just $129. However, the room block will be limited to 300 rooms, so competitors are encouraged to book early, starting July 10, when the special pricing kicks in. The special code word to get this pricing will be announced soon! • The final track layout is still in process, but you’d better believe SKUSA will design a track “badder” than ever – plus one that will meet CIK certification, in order for the European karting contingent to participate in the event. • Confirmed classes in the line-up include these marquee race groups: SuperPro, TaG Senior and Masters, G1, S1, and Spec Honda classes S3, S4 and S5 Jr.. SKUSA is also considering new class additions to the fold – such as HPV-2 Junior – ensuring densely contested race groups. Ah -- but what about the prizes? The SuperNationals has always been by its nature one of the richest races in North American karting. At the previous SuperNationals XI last November, SKUSA – together with event sponsors – paid out more than $50,000 in cash and prizes. This year will surely be no different, despite the economic downturn in North America. “Everyone recognizes that prizes are great,” comments Kutscher. “And they will be for this race. But, then again, at the end of the day what karting really needs… what drivers really want, is to also feel like they’re part of an historical event. Of course, we’re going to have an amazing prize package – but the emphasis this year is really to make SuperNationals 12 the biggest event it can be. Did I mention -- the sponsors we already have lined up are amazing!” Furthermore, SuperNats competitors from previous days at the Rio will admit that there was room for improvement from a promotional standpoint. “From the moment the competitor checks in, until the time they leave – our goal is to make them feel that they’re a part of something big,” says an elated Kutscher. Rio has granted SKUSA the opportunity to promote the race comprehensively throughout the facility, including signage, displays, and exciting cross promotions. “Everyone talks about bringing karting to the public, and if we execute the game plan accordingly, not only will Rio patrons know about the SuperNationals, but the entire city of Las Vegas will, as well.” Extensive details about the event format will be forthcoming in the next few weeks. However, starting July 10, 2008, competitors will be afforded the opportunity to begin reserving rooms at the Rio and are encouraged to do so immediately. “Getting this many rooms at such a killer price was indeed a challenge,” urges Kutscher. “Once they’re gone, they are gone and the price goes up to their standard rates – which could be double or more.” Competitors are encouraged to reserve early to secure necessary accommodations. Race entry process will begin shortly thereafter, with online entry for the event going live on midnight August 1, 2008. “The mood is one of excitement in the SKUSA offices, more so than in a long time. I think we’re all just excited again,” echoes a jubilant Kutscher. “I know these aren’t the best times financially for all of us, but we’ve managed to get a very desirable location, at a great price for the competitor, with a more conducive event schedule than ever. It’s definitely a huge step in the right direction.” In a sport begging for assertion and leadership, SKUSA is committed to the future of building the awareness of karting. The Rio Hotel Resort and Casino has taken another chance on the sport, and SKUSA aims to prove it’s not in vain. “We know what the racers bring onto the track, that much is a given,” added Kutscher. “A big goal going forward, however, is to show others how SKUSA competitors bring considerable value wherever they go. We’re going to announce some exciting promotions going forward that encourage our contingent to stay and play – at the Rio – ensuring that it’s mutually beneficial for everyone.” With this exclusive deal in place, the SKUSA SuperNationals XII will truly be the trifecta of the karting world in 2008. With a great event, great location, and great promotions all combining, Superkarts! USA is poised to deliver what should be the biggest and best SuperNationals ever. |
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Round #4 of
the 6-race ProKart Challenge Nor Cal kart
racing series will be held at the Jim Russell Int'l
Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA
this coming Saturday, July 12th -- and will be run
in the National Configuration REVERSE (backwards)
again, due to its popularity at the June race.
The
PKC practice day will be held on Friday, July 11th
and will be run in this same reverse configuration
-- from 9am to 5pm -- with a complimentary BBQ
directly following, sponsored by the PanaVise Team.
Complete details are available at
www.prokartchallenge.com, including
an online store where you can pre-enter the event as
well as purchase your Friday practice, SKUSA
membership, spec tires, spec fuel/oil, transponder
rentals, etc.
Event Entry:
Pre-entry cutoff for this event is midnight this
Wednesday, July 9th. Enter before the cutoff and
save $26 on your entry fees -- PLUS save yourself
from standing in long registration lines at the
track! Enter the event and purchase the other race
products that you will need through
the online shopping kart or call
951-491-0808. You can also download, fill
out and fax your entry/order to
951-491-0809. CLICK
here for that form. If you do not receive an
email confirmation of your entry within 24 hours,
please call the office: 951-491-0808. Drivers
who wish to practice on Friday only can also
pre-purchase it, or sign up at the track on Friday
morning starting at 7am.
Class Line-Up: The following
classes are being run at this race: S1, G1, S3
(Light), S4 (Heavy), HPV-2 Jr, TaG Senior, TaG
Master, and TaG Master Light. See the PKC website
under CLASSES for additional details and
requirements:
www.prokartchallenge.com.
Other Important Race Event Info
·
Practice Day:
Gates and Registration open on Friday, July 11th at
7:00am. Fuel and tire desks will be open starting at
7:30am. Track is open from 9:00am to 5:00pm for OPEN
practice. Practice fees are $50. SKUSA membership is not
required to practice on Friday.
·
Friday Night Dinner:
A Complimentary BBQ at 5:30pm at the track will be
offered to registered drivers and guests who have paid
for Friday practice or a pit pass for the day. Bring
your own drinks.
·
Race Day:
Gates and Registration open on Saturday, July 12th at
6:30am. Tire & fuel desks will be open 7am-Noon. Track
is open from 8:00am to 5:00pm, with podium awards and
raffle prizes following the final tech inspection. See
the PKC website for a full race day schedule. Any
changes will be announced and/or distributed on site.
·
Track Layout: The track
configuration to be run at this event is the National
configuration REVERSE (backwards).
· Overnight
Camping & Trailer Parking:
Trailer parking for this event will be available on
Thursday 2pm-6pm, Friday starting at 6:30am and Saturday
starting at 7am. Overnight camping for this event will
be available Friday night only, at no charge.
Pit spots are first come, first serve, although some up
front spots may be reserved for kart shops, large teams
and PKC sponsors by calling 951-491-0808.
·
Membership:
ProKart Challenge requires each racer to have a current
SKUSA membership by their 2nd race with
us in 2008. Purchase or renew your membership thru the
PKC online store or sign up at registration on Friday or
Saturday. Memberships are $75/year, offer many great
benefits, and are good for 12 months from the date of
purchase. See the PKC website for more details:
www.prokartchallenge.com.
· Rules:
See the PKC/SKUSA rulebook, as well as rules
specific to this event/venue, on the PKC website under
the RULES section and in the INFO SHEET that will be
included in your driver registration packet.
·
Spec Tires:
All classes (except HPV-2) must run PKC's MG Yellow
tires, type "MZ". Race tires must be purchased from PKC
and have the special PKC '08 stamp. Practice tires are
open spec.
·
Spec Fuel/Oil:
All classes (except HPV-2) must run the PKC spec
fuel/oil during all competition sessions: Motul Kart
Grand Prix 2T oil + either VP MS98 or VP C12 (built
motos only). Practice fuel/oil is open spec. Your
fuel/oil can be purchased with your race entry or
separately. See the website for details.
·
Air Boxes and Mufflers:
Air boxes are required for all moto engines -- up to 4
29mm tubes. All moto motors must have a 14-inch RLV or
M4 muffler.
·
Weather:
The 10-day weather forecast predicts sunshine and temps
in the low-90's, so be sure to bring your sunscreen and
cold water!
·
Press Coverage:
Media releases will be distributed to the major karting
publications and websites, giving everyone a chance to
become a local hero to their family and friends.
·
Series Prizes:
See the PKC website for details about the 2008
championship series prizes -- including the
unprecedented prize package offered by the Jim Russell
Racing Drivers School totalling more than $50,000! NOTE:
The Championship points system is based on your best 5
of the 6 races for this season (except for HPV-2).
Additional prizes, including those to be offered to the
champ of HPV-2 for these next 3 races, will be announced
shortly.l
·
Podium Prizes:
Post-podium raffle prizes include tires, fuel, free
entries, car care products, suit cleaning products, and
more! All drivers in attendance are eligible.
Hotel:
If you are in need of a hotel room for this
event, we have made arrangements with the
EconoLodge in Novato, just 11 minutes from the
track. Mention ProKart Challenge for
10% off their standard rates:
Here are the
dates and track layouts for the last 2 rounds of the PKC
North 2008 series:
Round #5 --
August 8th-9th -- National Configuration
Round #6 --
September 12th-13th -- National Confirguration Reverse
Hope to see you
at the track!
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7-4-08 ProKart Challenge North hits the halfway mark of inaugural season New Superkarts! USA Northern California region building momentum for second half of ‘08 SONOMA, CA (July 4, 2008) – Since it was announced at the beginning of the calendar year, the Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge North program has come very far in a short time. Three events are now in the books, and the series is currently preparing for the final three rounds at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway. The debut of the Northern California karting series has enjoyed consistent growth and the development of a loyal following that speaks volumes of how well the series will build into the future. Heading back to the Jim Russell International Karting Center in just over a week, the Sonoma, California facility is fresh off hosting the largest PKC North race of the year with an event that utilized the 3/4-mile national configuration in the reverse direction. Because of that success, SKUSA President Tom Kutscher has decided to run two of the final three events in the reverse direction to keep things interesting. The upcoming event on July 12 will run reverse again (counter-clockwise), as will the season finale on September 13. Round #5, set for August 9, will run in the standard clockwise direction. Another recent addition to the program was the introduction of the HPV-2 Junior division as part of the SKUSA ProKart Challenge North class line-up. With the success of the class at Round #3, PKC North officials have added the category to the regular program for the remainder of the year. Kutscher is also making final plans to include it as a class at this year’s SuperNationals XII. "It's no secret that the major kart factories scout talent for next season’s teams at the SuperNationals. Adding an HPV-2 Jr class is the next logical step in developing these young drivers in their professional careers. More info to come on these plans shortly.” At the halfway mark for PKC North, the top contenders for the class championships are now clearly identified. The TaG Senior division has boasted the highest entry counts of the year, and has the closest battle at the top as well. Just 54 points separate Jason Toft and Will Martindale as two of the top drivers in the NorCal area will continue their fight in Round #4, joined by Cameron Pringle and feature winners Alex Speed and Brett Buckwalter in the lead pack. Toft is also in a heated battle with Marc Elliott for the top spot in S3, as the two are separated by just 50 points. Cody Hodgson has a more comfortable 100-point gap over SoCal’s Jacob Neal in S1, but the duo ran 1-2 at the recent PKC South event at CalSpeed with Neal taking the win, opening the door for a continued struggle When former TaG Masters point leader Rob Soares was forced to sit out Round #3 with a broken hand, Steve Elo assumed the top position over Jim Ferguson, with Soares now tied for third with Helmar Beregszaszy. Craig Corwin (G1), Matt Alcorn (S4), and Herman Ip (TaG Masters Light) have been perfect in the first three events in their respective classes, and will look to continue the streak in Round #4. However, the championships are still anyone’s to take, as the final points standings in each class will be based on the best five of six events for each driver. The racers in this championship chase are competing for more than $70,000 in prizes, thanks to Superkarts! USA and the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School. The package includes an array of prizes, including introductory courses in the JRRDS car program, performance tires, helmets and more. Also awarded will be three free race entries to the 2008 SKUSA SuperNationals in November, as well as a golden ticket to the event that includes entry, tires, and fuel. A new GP chassis courtesy of KLS Racing will also be given away, as well as one driver selected to run at the 2008 Granja Viana 500 in Sao Paulo, Brazil in November. Friday night following the full day of practice on the reverse course for Round #4, ProKart Challenge officials will be providing a complimentary BBQ, sponsored by PanaVise, open to all racers who have participated in the practice and anyone who have purchased a pit pass. Scott Jeffery of MAACO-Santa Rosa will be on-hand as the BBQ chef. |
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7-2-08 Rotax power proves to be a very reliable and formidable combination in ProKart Challenge North Tag Senior Division For the first time this year, Rotax powered karts entered the TaG Senior division at the ProKart Challenge North. Experienced racers Tom Dyer and Wes Phillips showed drivers and spectators the strength of their MK Rotax packages with Dyer taking pole in the pre-final. Dyer was the only driver to break the 50-second mark running in the reverse direction with a 49.950-second lap time. Only the talented Alex Speed was able to top these two drivers in the final. Brett Buckwalter and Cameron Pringle finished 4th and 5th on their CRG/Parilla powered karts. |
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7-2-08 Race #4 of the Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge The fourth round of the Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge dawned with great mild weather in the Jim Russell Karting Center at Infineon Raceway. The anticipation of the first time running of the Reverse National track filled the air. Also a visit from Rotax National Distributor SSC Racing also gave the day a ‘special occasion’ atmosphere. Add another record turn out (52 entries) for the Norcal Rotax Challenge and the scene was set for a good day of racing. Senior Rotax This was largest class of the day (16 karts) as well as the most competitive field this year. Half dozen drivers had their eyes set on breaking the 3 race win streak of point’s leader Gregory Liefooghe. But in the Qualify, it was business as unusual as Liefooghe (CRG) took pole with Cameron Pringle (CRG) off pole followed by Jake Mottaz (Birel), Matthew Powers (Birel) and Nikola Radosavljevich (Birel). The much anticipated battle evaporated within 2 turns after the green flag of the start of the Pre-Main. First Pringle got spun off going into the first turn and had to make a charge through the field. Going into turn 2, Liefooghe sensed something wrong with the kart and pulled off. The battle with Liefooghe is over. Jake Mottaz took control of the race and went on to a much deserved 3 second win over Powers and Nikola. Pringle eventually finished 8th. In the Main, all eyes were on Liefooghe, did be have time to work his way through the field in 18 laps. Or was this the day that the young Mottaz would take his first feature. At the start, Mottaz took the lead followed by Powers and Nikola with Pringle moving up quickly to 4th. Pringle was the driver on the move, working through the 3 Birel drivers to take the lead and then started pulling away. But on lap eight disaster for Pringle, his chain came off. Powers took over the lead, but Liefooghe had been smoothly working through the field and now was in contention. On lap 9, Liefooghe made the pass for the lead and never looked back. Powers and Nikola battled for 2nd with Mottaz falling back a bit with a slow leak in one of his front tires. Nikola then made the pass to take over 2nd only to drop a wheel on the last lap to give back the position to Powers. At the end, Liefooghe took a 4 second win to make it 4 Mains in a row. Powers was second with his best finish of the year and Nikola a close 3rd and Mottaz 4th. In 5th was David Arnstein (CRG), yes the same driver who took second in the DD2 race. David is the oldest driver in the Senior field, but he still drives faster than most of the kids. Liefooghe now has a comfortable lead in the Senior points chase with Nikola taking over 2nd from Mottaz who falls to 3rd. Raymond Bustamante Jr is in 4th and Kierstin Gee 5th in the points chase. Junior Rotax 2007 Junior Rotax Champ Jordan Jadallah made only his second Norcal race this weekend due to a very busy schedule running Stars and Norcal IKF races. Jordan (CRG) started right where he left off in his last race by taking the pole ahead Bryce Hylbert (Birel), Brody Zink (Birel) and 2 time winner Donavon Wheeler (Birel). In the Pre-Main, Jordan led for most of the opening laps, while Wheeler continued to pick off karts. Wheeler then made the pass near the end of the race. Jordan then made a pass attempt at the turn 3 hairpin. All looked good then the karts touched while side by side and Jordan’s kart jumped over the front wheel of Wheeler. The next 2 karts of Hylbert and Jordan Miller (Birel) then got tangled with the two leaders and Brody Zink rolled under all of them to take the win. Jadallah recovered to take 2nd, Hylbert 3rd, Bobby Tifft (CRG) in 4th and Nick Camusi (Italkart) in 5th. Miller finished 6th and Wheeler DNF’d with a broken front end. In the 18 lap Main, Jadallah opened up a comfortable cushion and drove on to a 6 second win. But the real racing was for 2nd. Zink and Hylbert went at it for all 18 laps, both putting in their best efforts of the year. In the end Zink took the 2nd, Hylbert 3rd , Wheeler 4th 2 seconds back and Bobby Tifft taking 5th. In the points, Donavon Wheeler has a comfortable lead over Brody Zink, Mikee Mejia 3rd followed by Hylbert. Rotax Masters Light The Lights class is a Norcal region only Rotax class. But it has become popular for the lighter driver over 32 years old. In Qualify, Mike Lawler (CRG) took the pole by a half second over Mary Beth Wilson (CRG) and Marc Pingol (Swiss Hutless). In the Pre-Main, Mike took the early lead and pulled away for a convincing 7 second win over Wilson with Pingol another 8 seconds back. 4th went to Mert Solis (Austerick). In the Main, Lawler again took a quick lead and stretched it out to take another 7 second lead. Being in the lead was new for Lawler, in all his other races this year he has had to start in the back due to mechanical problems and work his way up for two 2nd place finishes. But there were no such problems today. Pingol got by Wilson at the start but could not hold off the fast improving Wilson. Mary Beth made the pass and then held onto to take a much deserved 2nd just a second in front of Pingol. Mert Solis was 4th and new comer Leo Montero (Intrepid) was 5th. In the points chase, Pingol still holds onto 1st, followed by Wilson, Lawler and Solis. Rotax Masters The heavier brother to the Masters Light class is the official National Masters class at 405 pounds. Craig Corwin came over from the ProKart G1 Masters shifter class to run a Rotax kart for fun and fun he had. Craig (MBA) took the poll ahead of veteran David Carlisle (CRG) and Jerry Pretti (CRG). In the 12 lap Pre-Main, Corwin took an early lead and looked like he would stretch it out. Then his engine got a miss in it and Carlisle started reeling Craig in. On the last lap, David made his move and went on to the win, Corwin 2nd and a much improved Chris DeBruine (CRG) took 3rd with Pretti 4th. In the Main, Carlisle took the early lead with Corwin doing all he could do to stay close. Eventually Craig felt something was amiss and did not want to sacrifice the engine and pulled off after 14 laps. Carlisle then cruised to the win 13 seconds in front of DeBruine with Pretti 3rd with Race #1 winner Jay Brosius (CRG) 4th and Michael Guevara (Tonykart) in 5th. In the points chase, Pretti holds a 5 point lead over Carlisle followed by Brosius and DeBruine. Rotax DD2 SSC Racing brought up 3 DD2 karts to rent to drivers and they were snatched up quickly. This made the DD2 field 10 karts. Norcal continues to have the largest turnouts of DD2 class karts in the country. And with the exception in this race of 16 year Kyle Gimple, the class is all Masters age drivers and boy do these drivers love these karts. In Qualify, David Arnstein (CRG) took pole more than 8 tenths faster than January Grove (CRG) and Glen Poy-Wing (Swiss Hutless). In the Pre-Main, Arnstein took the lead but was under pressure from Poy-Wing the whole way and took the win less than a second ahead of Glen. In 3rd, some 3 seconds back was Grove and Kimple (CRG) took the 4th after a poor start put him at the tail of the field. At the start of the Main, Arnstein and Poy-Wing got tangled up in turn one (maybe with some help from some friends) and both spun off course. Arnstein turned around and started his charge from the tail of the field but Poy-Wing was out with a broken kart. Grove took the lead with David Palic (CRG) in 2nd but Arnstein was moving quickly through the field. Grove’s lead was shrinking fast, but time ran out on Arnstein who came up short by less than one second and had to settle for the second. Palic was 3rd, Gimple 4th and Chris DeBruine (CRG) 5th. In the points chase, Arnstein remains out front with Grove in 2nd and Poy-Wing 3rd. Next race, Race #5, will be again at Infineon on July 19 on the tough Reverse Sprint track layout, then off to Dixon for Race #6 on July 27. |
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7-1-08 VIKTOR SINZIG SCORES POLE POSITION AT ALTAMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK “Sinzig and DMS Racing look strong” July 1, 2008 – Californian Viktor Sinzig along with DMS Racing scored a strong pole position this past weekend in the United States Auto Club (USAC) Western Midget Series held at Altamont Motorsports Park in Tracy, California. Sinzig, who is a member of the Ron Sutton Winners Circle Driver Development Program (RSWC), turned a solid 17.019 second lap to claim the pole position. Using his pavement racing skills and abilities, Sinzig put down an impressive mistake free lap in a high pressure situation to walk away with the top qualifier award at the tricky Altamont Motorsports Park facility. Racing with the RSWC alliance partner team, DMS Racing, Sinzig looked to turn his pole position run into victory but fell short as he was involved in a scary mid-race incident that saw his car end upside down on the race track. “Viktor has made huge improvements all year long,” explained DMS Racing’s Team Owner and former USAC champion Marc Debeaumont. “We had some motor issues in the heat race which we fixed come feature time but the racing luck got the best of us. Viktor just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and there was nothing he could do.” "Viktor jumped past the USAC Focus Midgets into the 370hp Midgets right out of winning the Formula Ford Championship, so his first two races were challenging,” explained Ron Sutton. “He responded this weekend by winning the pole in just his third midget race ever. He definitely has talent." “I am so proud of the team,” explained Sinzig after the event. “The team worked hard all weekend long and the car felt great. I really think we had a winning car and it’s unfortunate that the main event had to end the way it did. I am confident that we will have great results at the next event.” Viktor would like to thank everyone who has made the 2008 racing season possible: DMS Racing, DMS Race Products, Palo Alto German Cars and Lemans Karting. Ron Sutton’s Winners Circle Driver Development and DMS Racing’s Viktor Sinzig will be back at Altamont Motorsports Park on July 19th for the next round of the USAC Western Midget Series. |
IKF Round #5 Day 2 Atwater
| Day 2 started off
with the HPV-1 class and Kartel's Jarred Campbell got his
first IKF pole laying down a fast lap of 34.032 over a
stellar field of heavy hitters. Kartel's Luis Tyrrell wasted
no time in the heat race taking the lead and win for the
pole position for the final. In the main it was MMS Racing
Engines Austin DeMent and Tyrrell battling back and forth
for the lead. In the end it was DeMent hanging tough for the
victory. Tyrrell was second and Kartel's Ashlie Couch was
third. IAME Cup Masters took the track next and Mat Kattanek got fast time with a 32.282. In the heat Mat got an easy win for the Final pole position. In the Main Bordogna's Wayne Lorenz brought the fight to Mat. Taking the lead over around halfway MMI's Kevin Knight and Kattanek began to battle for the second position. Swapping the position a few times while Lorenz cruised to the win. Kattanek won the battle for second and Knight was third. Jr TAG took to the track and Ryan Garcia got fast time with a 31.237. Garcia got the easy win in the Heat race. In the main MMI's Kelsey Nilsson decided to make the start. It wasn't long before Nilsson began to battle with Garcia. The two got together and this ended Garcia's race and allowed Nilsson to cruise to an uncontested victory. MMS Christian Scholz was second and MMS Chelsi Wagner third. Shifter 80 Masters was up next and Fastech's Dave Mendez got fast time with a 32.918. In the heat MMS Racing Engines Darrell Dean got the victory for the pole in the main. The final saw Mendez and Ben Fisher racing for the win, Mendez was the winner with Fisher second, and Emmick's Chuck Hastings third. IAME Cup was on track and MMI's Cody Hodgson got a fast lap of 30.044 for the pole. The heat saw Kartel teamates Neil Alberico and Chris Scribner battle for the victory. Neil would start pole and Scribner second for a Top Kart front row backed with Tony Karts in the second row for the Final. The first start saw Hodgson and Scribner getting together ending Scribner's day. The restart had Alberico out front early, but five laps in Hodgson was out front getting the second win of the weekend. Alberio was second and Leading Edge Tad Funikushi third. Last up on the day was HPV-2 Jr. Kartel's Brendan Phinny got fast time with a 32.179. Phinny Led early in the heat with pressure from Cambrian's David Vasquez. Phinny would start pole for the final. It wouldn't take long before Vasqez and Phinny would pull away for the race for the win. Swapping positions several times. Phinny would get the win with Vasquez second. MMI's Kelsey Nilsson would come home third. Next race will be at Kinsmen Kart club in Dixon Ca for round 6 August 30-31. |
IKF Round #5 Day 1 Atwater
| The IKF Region 11 series made
their way through the town of Atwater for Round 5 of the
nine race series at Tom Dash Memorial Speedway. The weather
was predicted to be HOT as series point contenders were
looking focused on the championship. 139 entries made the
trip to Atwater as many of them were not racing the series
but just came to compete.
Kid Karts were first to take to the track and Tornado's Chloe St George had a 4 race winning streak on the line to protect. MMI's Jarrett Gilmer got fast time with 45.310. In the Heat race Noah Garza showed some strength laying down some fast laps to get the Heat race win and pole position for the final. Noah was the kart to beat in the main but no driver could. Garza was your winner with Jarret Gilmer second and MMI's Vincent Duggan made a strong run from the back to finish third. Next up was Jr Comer and MMS Racing Engine's Austin DeMent got fast time with a 35.525. The battle in the heat was intense with DeMent securing the pole position for the main. The battle in the Final was awesome with JR Raczko leading most of the laps until Kartel's Luis Tyrrell took it over with a few to go. Last lap DeMent got it back. As they came onto the straightaway Tyrrell went to the inside and the two got together allowing JR Raczko to slide by to secure his first IKF Regional win. DeMent got second, Bordogna's Kyle Kaiser was third and Tyrrell fell back to fifth. IKF TAG took to the track and hometown boy Dylan Albiani got pole with a 31.520. Bryan Stephenson got the heat race win to start pole in the Final, but it was MMI's Cody Hodgson who had the setup for the main as he cruised to a 3.175 victory. Albiani was second and Bryan Stephenson third. Sr. 80 Shifter was up next and Emmick's Colton Filkill got fast time with a 32.210. In the heat Fastech's Robert Towne got the win for the pole position in the Final. Filkill got the holeshot. Towne put the pressure on Filkill as the two swapped the lead a few times, but Filkill held tough for the win. Towne finished second and MMI's Merrick Miller third. HPV-4 Jr was up next and Kartel's Brendan Phinny set fast time with a 32.149. In the heat race Cambrian's David Vasquez and Phinny had an epic battle for the top Spot. The Final was much of the same as Vasquez and Phinny swapped the lead multiple times. Phinny came out on top with Vasquez second, and MMI's Kelsey Nilsson third. MMIs Curt Paul had a clean sweep of the Gazelle class getting the win. Tom Agan won World Formula Heavy, Ryan Garcia won Jr 2 Animal, and Tyler Agan won Animal Super Sportsman Gas as these drivers get ready for the 4-cycle Nationals in portland. HPV-3 Sr saw a first time winner in Bordogna's Melissa Cole ending Kartel's Neil Alberico's winning streak |
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7-1-08 BRENDAN LANGLOIS VICTORIOUS AT ALTAMONT MOTORSPORTS PARK “Langlois wins a wild affair” July 1, 2008 – Canadian Brendan Langlois scored a solid win in the United States Auto Club (USAC) California Pavement Series this past weekend at the Altamont Motorsports Park in Tracy, California. Leading the final three laps, Langlois took the checkers and advanced to fourth in the overall series point standings. Langlois, who is a member of the Ron Sutton Winners Circle Driver Development Program (RSWC), qualified his midget machine in the third position with a 13.297 lap time missing the pole by a mere .071. The talented rookie improved in the heat race by taking home the second position which setup a fifth place starting spot for the feature event at the challenging Altamont Motorsports Park facility. As the green flag flew, Langlois looked to be a driver on the move as he progressed forward and was running third by lap 26. Running with the lead trio, Langlois showed the patience of a seasoned veteran as the two leaders got together leaving a small opening for Langlois to sneak by into the lead. The talented Canadian led the final three circuits to claim his second victory of the season. “I was lucky to get the win today,” explained Langlois after the race. “I was able to put myself in the position to win and capitalize on other driver’s mistakes. I am happy for the team as they worked hard and deserve this win more then anyone.” Langlois was fortunate to last the race as he and a fellow competitor made contact earlier in the event. With an aggressive overtaking maneuver attempted by another driver, Langlois had to get on the brakes and lost all his momentum, causing cars to stack up behind him - one which launched over his left rear wheel. With no suspension or drive train damage, Langlois was able to continue on and eventually score the victory. After his driver’s win, Ron Sutton went on to say, "Brendan continues to prove he is the real deal in race cars. He went from Stars of Karting Champion to two time USAC race winner, plus winning a trophy dash and fast qualifier in this highly competitive series very quickly. The team and I are super impressed." With his recent results, Brendan Langlois currently sits fourth in the overall series points standings even after missing the first event. The Canadian pilot will now travel to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring for an event on July 3rd. Brendan would like to extend a thank you to the whole Ron Sutton's Winners Circle Team, and Brendan's crew chief Jeff. Brendan would also like to thank sponsor Alpinestars, Excel Personnel, Kamloops Realty, Fraser Financial, Visual Signs and Awards, Oronge Board Shop and Surfer Enterprises for their continued support. Brendan 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. |
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ProKart Challenge North to Run Sonoma Circuit Backwards
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Superkarts! USA has a long
history of new and innovative events over the more than
10-year history of the karting organization. Under a new era
for the past few years, this philosophy has remained as the
SKUSA staff will be the first program in the Jim Russell
Karting Center at Infineon Raceway history to run the
national track configuration in the reverse direction, which
it will for the upcoming third round of the ProKart
Challenge North on June 13-14. “With the series set to run all year long at the Infineon circuit, we needed to find a way to shake things up for the competitors,” stated SKUSA President Tom Kutscher. “With this new regional program, we need to keep the excitement building as we have done in the first two rounds, and what better way than to make history at this popular track.” Another surprise for the upcoming ProKart Challenge race is the debut of a new class. While the S5 Jr. category has yet to flourish as a viable class in the NorCal area, Kutscher has been approached about adding HPV2 Junior as a possible new class in the upcoming Supernationals XII in November. As a test, Kutscher is inviting the HPV2 Junior drivers in the NorCal area to run with the regular class lineup next weekend – without becoming a SKUSA member for this first race. The normal International Karting Federation (IKF) rules will apply to this group. Dan Chase, father of a new up-and-coming HPV2 Junior driver, was the one who approached Kutscher, and had this to say about the invitation, “Once Tom agreed to allow this class to run at ProKart, some of the best drivers in the area have committed to coming -- including the 2007 NorCal Junior II Driver of the Year David Vasquez, the 2007 Jim Russell Junior 1 Driver of the Year and 2006/2007 Infineon J1 Champion Joe Keaton, and even the current HPV2 points leader in the Jim Russell series Katherine Cornell. All of the drivers are especially excited to be running with some of the best racers that ProKart and SKUSA have to offer. Our motor package offers considerable parity, putting the results squarely on driver talent and setup.” Race director Steve Buckner added, “I have been very impressed with the skill and safety aspects of the driving with our NorCal group of racers. SKUSA is always interested in growing the sport with new classes of interest. If there are enough drivers to support a class, we will pursue it. This weekend’s race will surely be some great racing.” The Jim Russell International Karting Center is one of the premier karting venues in North America. The 16-turn, 3/4-mile course has been host to many of the top programs across the country, including the SKUSA organization. The famous ‘Tic-Tac-Toe’ section is well-known, as curb-jumping is the norm and the tight passing section is a dream for any hardcore driver or karting photographer. Looking at the early ProKart North championship standings, Cody Hodgson holds a slight advantage over Jess Peterson in the S1 category. Craig Corwin and Matt Alcorn have been unstoppable in G1 and S4, each logging two weekend sweeps to hold a large point lead in their respective classes heading into round three. Jason Toft currently sits on top of both the competitive S3 and TaG Senior divisions, a tough feat that will be interesting to watch as the season progresses. Herman Ip has a stranglehold on the TaG Masters Light division, while TaG Masters championship leader Rob Soares is questionable for round three. In a heat race at round two, Soares flipped his kart and ran the rest of the weekend with a soar hand, finding out later that it was indeed broken. With the arm still in a cast, Soares may try to ironman the event, or he may elect to sit it out. In addition to making history, the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School will be sponsoring a Friday night BBQ for all the competitors, crew, and families to continue the PKC commitment of making each and every event unique, competitive and fun for all. For more information about this event and to check out the line-up of year-end prizes available to ProKart Challenge competitors, go to http://www.prokartchallenge.com |
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