6-25-09 RUNYAN RETURNS TO FORMULA FORD VICTORY LANE AT MAZDA RACEWAY LAGUNA SECA
 

Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver scored the win in two of the three
races at the famed Northern California road course

MONTEREY, CALIF. (June 23, 2009) – Bobby Runyan returned to victory lane
this past weekend (June 20-21), scoring two San Francisco Region SCCA
Formula Ford wins at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Ron Sutton’s
Winner’s Circle driver was the one to watch throughout the weekend,
earning three pole positions in the tripleheader in addition to the
double victories.

Runyan’s pursuit of the San Francisco Region SCCA Formula Ford title at
the famed Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca commenced on Friday with a morning
practice session. Quickly getting up to speed behind the wheel of his
No. 2 Porter Racing/Raging Bull Motorsports Swift DB6 Formula Ford, the
talented young driver ended the session second quickest, setting the
stage for a strong afternoon qualifying session. Runyan promptly met
those expectations, turning the fastest lap by nearly a second, earning
his second pole position of the season.

Returning to cool and damp track one day later, Runyan did not get the
launch he desired when the green flag waved, falling as far back as
fourth on the opening lap. The 16 year-old however quickly refocused,
advancing back into the top-three. Showing good speed, Runyan was soon
challenging for second place. It appeared he would make the pass for
position on lap two, but the duo collided, briefly sending his race car
airborne. While the car was damaged, he was able to continue. Runyan,
benefiting from a subsequent full-course caution, soon found himself
once again battling among the leaders. When the checkered flag waved,
the young race pilot had made an impressive comeback to second place.
Unfortunately, following the race Runyan was penalized three positions
for a pass under yellow, placing him fifth in the final results.

Runyan was soon back on-course in Northern California, with a second
qualifying session setting the grid for race two of the weekend. With
the damage from race one having been expertly repaired by his crew, the
teenager was again the driver to beat in the timed session, earning his
second pole position by nearly a second.

The first-year Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver lined up for the
second race of the event on Sunday morning confident he could visit the
Laguna Seca victory lane. Getting a good launch when the green flag
waved, Runyan soon had a multi-car advantage on his nearest competitor.
Just as it appeared the Californian was headed towards a comfortable
win, the yellow flags waved around the course bunching the field back
together. Runyan, in a repeat of the initial start, again got away
cleanly when the green flag waved for a second time, easily holding the
P1 position. However within a few laps the yellow flags waved for a
second time due to a car off-course. While Runyan did not get an ideal
launch on the final re-start, allowing second place to get alongside,
the young driver maintained his composure, holding on to the lead and
his third Formula Ford win of the season.

With the San Francisco Region awarding a third race to the Formula Ford
group, Runyan was back behind the wheel of his Swift DB6 on Sunday
afternoon, lining up on the pole position. Making the most of his
starting position, the former karting standout drove a picture perfect
race, leading every lap and setting the fastest time en route to a
fourth series win.

“Bobby Runyan continues to impress everyone with his speed and race
results,” stated head of driver development Ron Sutton. “He is having an
amazing first season in car racing. That’s due to his incredible talent,
a good team and solid guidance,”

Runyan resumes his 2009 San Francisco Region SCCA Formula Ford race
campaign on July 26, with Round Seven taking place at Thunderhill
Raceway Park in California.
 

6-18-09 NEAL TAKES THIRD STRAIGHT PROKART CHALLENGE NORTH VICTORY
 

SoCal driver continues to dominate S3 division with win at Jim Russell International Karting Center

SONOMA, CA (June 13, 2009) – ProKart Challenge North - the Superkarts! USA’s Northern California regional program - reached their midpoint of the season with the running of the fourth round on June 13 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center in Sonoma, California. The popular ‘reverse national’ circuit was utilized for the first time this season, and helped produce some fantastic racing around the 7/8-mile course. The theme throughout the year has been seeing Southern California stud Jacob Neal atop the podium, and Saturday was no different as he won both the S1 and S3 divisions.
 
Neal had to work for both victories as they were not easy to come by. The challenging S3 division saw Neal just miss out for the top spot in qualifying as veteran and Grand-Am Rolex star Memo Gidley returned for another outing to steal the pole position by just 13-thousandths. The two were joined by third fastest qualifier Tommy Thompson in the opening heat race. Neal led in the early goings until Thompson took his turn at the point. Neal would reassume the position and would go on to take the win in front of Thompson and Gidley. The final heat would be a near repeat of the first, with Neal and Thompson swapping the lead before returning to the same finishing positions. Neal, however, threw down the gauntlet in the feature to pull ahead by more than four seconds after leading all 20 laps for the victory. Teammates Thompson and Gidley shuffled the second spot in the early portion of the race until Thompson secured the position. Another pair of teammates, Steve Reasoner and New Zealander Daniel Bray, rounded out the top-five.
 
In the S1 category, Neal would only have to fight one other driver in the championship race: defending class champion Cody Hodgson. Neal won the first round as he out-qualified Hodgson by just two-tenths. In the first heat, however, Hodgson won the battle with a final lap maneuver. Neal would then be removed from the results, as his kart came off the track too wide at tech. The second heat would go to Hodgson, as well, with Neal in tow – who would be penalized one position for jumping the start. In the feature, the deciding point would be lap 12 when Hodgson retired with a seized engine, handing Neal the lead and the victory. Troy Castaneda would finish second with Hodgson placing third.
 
The largest division of the event was the TaG Senior group – with all drivers vying for the victory. Championship leader Larry Fraser began his quest to extend his point lead as he laid down the fastest lap in qualifying, just 29-thousandths quicker than Brett Buckwalter. Will Martindale and PKC Shootout winner Andrick Zeen were both within a tenth of Fraser, showing just how tight the competition was up front for the pole position. An opening lap skirmish dropped Zeen and Buckwalter outside the top-five, allowing Fraser and Martindale to pace the field. That changed on lap three when Fraser experienced an engine issue that caused him to spin, dropping him to the tail of the field and putting Martindale at the point. He went on to lead the remainder of the laps ahead of Nic LeDuc and a charging Zeen. Martindale and Zeen ran 1-2 the entire final heat race, as LeDuc fell to the tail of the field following some opening lap excitement. Round two winner Brett Felkins moved up to third with Buckwalter returning to the mix with a fourth place run after running the fastest laps of the race. Martindale led the first circuit of the 20-lap feature with Zeen and Buckwalter on his tail, but would be shuffled back to fifth the next time by the scoring loop, leaving Zeen at the point. Buckwalter changed that on lap three as he assumed the lead. From there, he managed to stretch out to a solid three-second advantage for his first victory of the season - as the rest of the group battled for second. Zeen eventually came out with the position, as Martindale ran third. JP Cadoux advanced up to fourth - with Chris Scribner returning to the seat for a fifth place performance.
 
The HPV 2 Junior class has been a solid addition to the PKC North program, and continues to provide exciting racing for the future stars of karting. Defending class champion and championship leader Kiel Spaulding showed the way in qualifying, as he edged rival Luis Tyrrell by just 86-thousandths for the pole position. Tyrrell would have the advantage come race time, taking the opening heat race win after swapping the top spot with Spaulding in the eight lap event. Tyrrell went unchallenged in the final heat after Spaulding fell to eighth in the opening lap. That advanced Kyle Kaiser to second and Dylan Lupton up to third. Kaiser would be pushed out on the first lap, which opened up things for Spaulding. After starting fifth he was first, as they came to the stripe for the first time. Tyrrell held ground on Spaulding’s bumper for 13 straight laps - until he made his move on lap 14. From there, Tyrrell pulled out to a 1.359-second victory, as Spaulding fought and held onto second ahead of Joseph Keaton after Lupton retired on lap 13.
 
The TaG Masters class had much excitement on track, with the largest turnout of the season thus far. Jim Zootis led the way in qualifying, ahead of defending champion Rob Soares. Zootis led all eight laps of the first heat race, with Jeff Deehan sliding in for second ahead of Soares. With Soares falling back, Zootis and Deehan began a short battle for the lead in the second heat. Deehan held the spot early before Zootis took his turn. On the final lap, Deehan stole the position and the win - with championship leader Steve Elo moving up into third. The feature would be decided on the final lap after the two swapped the lead for the first 19 laps. Zootis held the lead on the final lap until contact between the two sent him off track. Deehan continued on and crossed the line first but was penalized and placed behind Zootis in the final order. That gave Elo the victory over Paul Hohlbein and Helmar Beregszaszy. Zootis was fourth with Deehan positioned fifth.
 
The TaG Junior field looked just as promising, until two lead drivers blew their motors in qualifying. However, that did not take away from the performance put in by Dylan Lupton. After qualifying on pole and winning the opening heat, Lupton retired early in the final heat race to put him at the back of the field to start the feature. He quickly advanced himself up the order and took over the lead by lap two. From there, he pulled out to a 13-second margin of victory for his first win of the season. Adrian Starrantino was second with Niki Luna finishing third.
 
S4 championship leader Jamie Wilson extended his point lead with a victory Saturday in the feature. Jared Woolf was the early favorite, after posting the fastest lap in qualifying; but Alex Keith took the opening heat win. Wilson got into the mix in the final heat by scoring the win, leading to a flag-to-flag victory in the 20-lap feature. Woolf retired on lap three with mechanical issues, allowing Keith to run second to the line with Peter Workum completing the podium.
 
Jim Kidd and Ron Tamba went back and forth throughout the day in the G1 category. Kidd had the advantage in qualifying, while Tamba won the first heat. Kidd bounced back to win the second to set up for a killer main event. Kidd led all but the final lap, as his engine let go as he was headed toward the checkered flag. Tamba was able to slide by to steal the victory in his first PKC outing of the season. Ethan Wilson went by as well for second, as Kidd pushed his kart across the line for third.
 
A special PKC thanks goes out to Shawn Thomas Automotive for again bringing out a priceless classic race car from the Tom Price private collection to share with the weekend’s competitors. The winners from both Junior classes, Dylan Lupton and Luis Tyrrell, were treated to a few laps around the kart track in a 1957 Maserati on Saturday afternoon, driven by Memo Gidley. More of these race cars will be featured in future ProKart races.
 
The ProKart Challenge North program returns to Sonoma on July 11 for the fifth round of the seven race championship. The South program, however, is slated to hit the Santa Maria Kart Track on June 27, with a number of South and North drivers expected to attend. For more information on the Superkarts! USA’s ProKart Challenge itself, head to www.prokartchallenge.com or call 951-491-0808.
 
 

6-17-09 Stars of Karting Heads in New Direction

The following is a statement released by the Stars of Karting organization regarding their future plans
 
The Stars of Karting Series has announced that all remaining 2009 Stars events will be held at the new Pacific Grand Prix at Pacific Raceways circuit just outside of Seattle, Washington.

Additionally, Stars of Karting will be introducing new Rotax and Supermoto Series, as well as a special Winter Series, to be conducted at the facility.

Following an aborted sale of the Series, the advent of the new CKI karting series, which duplicates the Stars of Karting Series’ current class structure, rules and regulations, and event format - as well as employing key Stars operating officials and several Stars dates and venues - forced an unexpected reevaluation of the Series’ direction and future.

The new Northwest focus for the Stars of Karting Series dovetails with the Grand Opening of the Pacific Grand Prix circuit on June 20th and brings Series President Paul Zalud full circle to his roots as a promoter in the region.

"When I was approached to sell the series in February of this year, I was prepared to step back from the national spotlight and concentrate on the Northwest and the new track we recently completed,” stated Zalud. "My return here to our own track feels like coming home to where it all started for me in 1994."

The Stars of Karting Series will continue to support all of the 2009 classes utilizing existing rules and regulations with no changes. The Series will honor the results of the first two races completed in the National Schedule and any competitors that may choose to continue to compete in the Series will be competing for a championship that encompasses all six 2009 National-class events and awards will be distributed accordingly.

In addition, from this next race forward, a new Stars championship will start to be tallied and awards will also be awarded accordingly. Additional classes and elements will be added to the series based on Spec Honda and an age and weight class for shifters. If no entries for the Stars of Karting National classes show up to the scheduled events, those classes will be dropped from the series.

Stars of Karting 2009 Northwest Karting Series (National Classes) at Pacific Grand Prix:

July 11-12
August 8-9
September 19-20
October 3-4

The Stars of Karting Series is also very excited to announce the additional of a new Northwest Rotax Series at Pacific Grand Prix, these dates and specific details will be coming shortly.

The Stars of Karting Series is also pleased to announce the expansion of their promotions to include a new 2009 Supermoto Series at Pacific Grand Prix:

June 27-28
August 1-2
September 12-13
October 17-18

Additionally, the Stars of Karting Series will run a 5-race Stars Winter Series at Pacific Grand Prix:

October 31 - November 1
December 5-6
January 9-10, 2010
February 6-7, 2010
March 6-7, 2010

The Stars Winter Series will combine Supermoto, Rotax and Stars classes all in one weekend.

There are many other exciting elements that the crew at Pacific Grand Prix is working on that will make the Pacific Northwest one of the most successful regions in the country for karting and Supermoto action.

Comments from Paul Zalud, President of Stars of Karting:
“In November of 2002, I was a successful regional director for the Northwest SKUSA series and had an opportunity to become directly involved with Stars as an owner. In 3 short weeks, 278 entries were able to race in a nationally-televised event at the Sloan, NV kart track. The Stars of Karting Series never looked back and has been the cornerstone of professional karting in all of North America for over 7 years now.

“I am very proud of our accomplishments through all these years on behalf of the sport. The Stars of Karting Series distributed well over one million dollars in cash and prizes, produced numerous nationally-televised broadcasts, graduated a number of today's bright young talent that is now in mainstream motorsports, and constantly delivered professional events culminating in the now-marquee PRI All-Stars Karting Classic event each year in Orlando. Perhaps most importantly, we provided our manufacturers, importers, shops, engine builders, mechanics, tuners, and the media a national platform that generated millions of dollars in revenue on their behalf. Much of this was done by shifting the financial burden from the karting industry to sponsorships from outside the sport.

“Despite constant criticism and pressure from all sides to elevate one special interest over another, we always remained professional and equitable in our approach and delivery and conduct. We were extremely fortunate at Stars to share common goals and a deep camaraderie which helped us to make sense out of the organized chaos that was a Stars National weekend. Everyone was willing to take an equal share of our struggles and successes with no favoritism. That each National event truly was a total team effort is a constant source of pride for all of us.

“Unfortunately, recent events have made things difficult for our competitors, for the sport, and for me personally. The last thing our industry needs are two National prog rams promoting exactly the same thing. The long-term health and prosperity of our industry is paramount and our new direction addresses this.

“Regardless, I am truly grateful for all the friends we have met through the years, the families we shared time with, the history, the success, and the many, many tales we all will share.”

6-15-09 Racing for Research - Zero Breast Cancer - only a few spots left

Only a few spots left - an opportunity to support a great cause and experience karting.
 
Event details: Racing for Research, Infineon Raceway, Sunday, June 28, 2009.

A full day of racing on Infineon Raceway's lightning quick karting track with professional driving
instruction courtesy of Jim Russell Racing Schools.

In addition to instruction, you will have the use of a kart, a driving suit and helmet, lunch and the possibility of
being one of 10 finalists who will compete in a timed lapping at the end of the day.
 
To reserve a slot or for further questions, contact Sharon Doyle at the Zero Breast Cancer office at
415-507-1949 or send an email to: sharond@zerobreastcancer.org.

 
Registration Fee: $275 each
 

6-15-09 Hotel Group Rates End Quickly for the IKF 2 Cycle Nationals

Next week The Grand Sierra Resort Will be closing out the group blocks Bev Ban has held for the event. The Hotel is sold out other than the additional group blocks held for the IKF Event.  Please call and reserve your rooms before the dead line next week. If you have any questions please call:

Grand Sierra Resort- Rate 89.oo---800-648-5080 or Bev Ban916-601-9638
 
 
The Rate code is: IKF Grand national Go kart
 
Don't forget about the Nightly activities held specially for the IKF National Participants.
 
Monday- Movie night;
Tuesday-- night At the Grand Sierra we are having fun kart races on their track ( go karts provided) the mechanic challenge will be here......only 10.oo entry fee and you can win some great prizes as well as bragging rights!  *regular go kart rentals, 5.oo per session
 
Weds.- Movie night- & fun quest zone events.
Thursday- Bowling night
 
Friday night- GSR club
  
Nugget- rate is 65.oo
 

6-15-09 JACOBSEN IS THE NEW VRA JUNIOR FORD FOCUS MIDGET SERIES POINTS LEADER



Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver finished a season-best second at
Ventura Raceway

VENTURA, CALIF. (June 15, 2009) – Alex Jacobsen is the new championship
points leader of the VRA Junior Ford Focus Midgets Series. The 14
year-old Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle development driver took over the
position following a superb second place finish in the most recent round
at Ventura Raceway in California.

Featuring drivers aged 13-16, the grid for the opening VRA Junior Ford
Focus Midgets Series Heat race of the night was determined via a random
draw. For first-year Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver Jacobsen, this
resulted in a fifth place starting position.

Getting behind the wheel of his No. 24 Cory Kruseman Racing Junior Ford
Focus Midget, Jacobsen enjoyed a great launch when the green flag waved,
advancing up to second by the back straight. Unfortunately before the
lap was completed, the yellow lights flashed around the course. As a
result, the field was re-set to their original starting positions for
the restart.

When the green flag waved for a second time, the former multiple junior
karting champion did not get the start he desired. Jacobsen initially
lost one position, but quickly regrouped, working his way back into the
top-five before the checkered flag fell. The result became more
impressive immediately following the race, when the Cory Kruseman Racing
crew determined that Jacobsen had a water leak and was losing power due
to overheating.

Earning a second place starting position for the Main, thanks to the
Heat winner randomly selecting the top-six be inverted, Jacobsen was
soon back behind the wheel. Immediately upon rolling on-course, it
became apparent the water leak had returned, as his engine temperature
rose. Putting the mechanical setback behind him, the San Jose, Calif.,
native set about driving a good race. While Jacobsen fell back when the
green flag waved, a result of his outside lane starting position, he
quickly joined the lead pack. Avoiding a spin by the race leader, the
teenager utilized a good mid-race restart to battle for second place.
Jacobsen proceeded to execute a nice late-race pass for the position,
crossing the stripe in second place when the checkered flag waved, his
best result to date.

With the runner-up finish, Jacobsen now leads the VRA Junior Ford Focus
Midget Series championship fight.

“Alex is proving to be a real talented young driver,” said Head of RSWC
Driver Development Ron Sutton. “This is his first season racing ovals,
first season racing on dirt, and first season with us. Obviously leading
the championship shows he is doing great and we are looking forward to
continuing our development of his talent and racing career.”

 

6-15-09 Motoring Memories images now available for the 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge Race #3 June 6, 2009
 

The 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge is very pleased to announce that series sponsor Motoring Memories, specializing in hand rendered digital paintings, has posted images taken at race #3 June 6, 2009.
 
All Nor Cal Rotax drivers are able to receive a 10% discount off any purchase of a painting using a discount code of MKarting.
 
All images shot will be posted at a new website SHSstudios. The photos can be ordered on anything from a mouse pad to a mug.

At the end of the year artist Stephen Harris-Smith will provide a grand prize of an 18"X24" canvas painting to be randomly drawn from amongst the seven Rotax class winners at the end of the season. Each of the remaining six Rotax class winners will receive a 50% discount coupon.
 
 "We are extremely grateful for generous support from such a talented artist." said Adrian Szwarcburg, Northern California Rotax Series organizer. "One very lucky Rotax class champion will receive one of Stephens hand crafted images.  Any Rotax racer can order Stephens paintings by supplying their own photo as well."
 
Contact Stephen at (415) 823-3505 or info@motoringmemories.net.
The Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge is the fastest growing kart racing series in Northern California.  For more information about the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge Series, go to the Nor Cal Rotax website at www.norcalrotax.com.


 

6-10-09 Finale at Prairie City for the Cross-over Crowns the Champions
Story by Bev. Ban

Tag Senior: Jon Ban wanted this one really bad in memory of Friend Brian Terrill The Cross-over has been a memorial race dedicated to Brian’s memory as a Great Karter, sportsman, friend, son, Brother.
Ban P1 took off with Brandon Phillips P3 in hot pursuit followed by the rest of the field, Phillips in his 2^nd year of karting also under Swedetech power was hanging with the Veteran Ban until lap 3 when it seemed Ban flipped the switch and checked out leaving the field to battle it out. Espinosa tried to sneak under Phillips in turn 1 both pushed up and Rasberry snuck under them both, turn 5 contact sent Phillips into the barriers and Espinosa stung by a black flag to end both of their days. Ban 1^st, Rasberry 2^nd
Jon Ban Crowned X-over Champion, Brandon Phillips 2^nd
 
80 Ltd: Win went to Tony Mangini with Colton Fillkill picking up the x-over championship, It was a fun class to watch as always with the new blood of Kemp, Espinosa, Lopez. Booker T even made an appearance to come hang with the boyz and have a bit of fun out there. Colton blew his motor on the practice and had to scramble to make the mains to pick up his Championship….way to bring it home Colton and Mark!
1^st Tony Mangini,2^nd Jereme Abshire, 3^rd Jarred Woolf, 4^th Colton Fillkill, 5^th Tyler Espinosa
 
KK- Donavan Bixler had the determination to not only seal the deal on his x-over championship but he wanted the win pretty badly for the weekend too. Leaving the rest of the field to chase him down.
2^nd A.J. Okazaki, 3^rd Max Bachmann
 
Jr. 1-2 cycle- always always a race to watch with these young guns out there ready to battle every single time they hit the track. There is never a free ride out there with these kids and Nitro Nick battled his heart out to pick up the Win, which broke the tie with Rocha also giving him the x-over Championship
2^nd Jarred “ the Hitman” Campbell, 3^rd Blaine Rocha,4^th Justin Yanez, 5^th Nic Stein
 
Hpv1- rookie-
Johannes Bachmann, 2^nd Blake Milton, 3^rd Christian Peterson--( I wasn’t able to watch this class)
 
80 master class- Tony Rodrigues set sails and left the boyz to battle it out behind him, Steve “hang loose” Nagai l had his petal stick on the heat race and had no choice but to “ park it” in turn 1 hay bales and had to make a come back from the rear in the main finishing 2^nd what a run !! Josh Cole also had a crazy and wild run losing it in turn 1 and coming back to finish 3^rd. Rodrigues x-over champion and winner
 
Hpv2- Shelby Sander has been running hard all year, last race she and another karter tangled in turn one hurting her points a bit but she made it known on the start that she wasn’t going there and picked off another win and the xover championship. 2^nd Justin Cole, 3^rd T.J. Fisher, 4^th Deven Sanchez
# 10 Eric Nooteboom took a nasty hit in the barriers right next to me after contact with Jonny Norris, thankfully he was okay.
 
SS Lite- biggest class of the day and biggest class of the x-over series; The championship went to Hollywood Jesse Gwin and Brian Gallagher picked up the 1^st place after a heated battle all day with Jesse Gwin, it is fun to watch these guys battle because you just never know what will happen next. . 2^nd Jesse Gwin, 3^rd David Bixler, 4^th Gerry Remeiro jr, 5^th Chris Gomez
 
Hpv3- Curt “Heel kicker” Sander, checked out and looked like the seasoned pro making it look easy. Kyle Kerthoff tried to sneak up on Sander at the line while Sander was doing his now famous heel kick victory but wasn’t close enough to catch him at the line……maybe next time 3^rd Nick Phillips
 
Jr Super sportsman: Christian Brioso picked up the win and the Championship Matt Chase came in second and gave him a good run for his money. Coming up a little short.
 
Super Sportsman heavy: Roger Edberg picked up the win with Jim Waltz picking up the championship
 
Hpv1- another battle Royal coming from the kids camp with Jarred “ The Hitman” Campbell picking up the win and the championship and Nitro Nick coming up 2^nd.
 
Tag- Masters- Paul Hohlbein picked up the win for the day and Crazy Ray Zarick picked up the xover championship. It was heart breaking to watch John Chander running on of his best races ever and leading the pack when his air box came off and he finished the last 2 laps with it sitting in his lap. That DQ hurt worse than anything because it cost him the championship also. Also # 11 Steve Brown put on quite a show for the stands when his kart was up on 2 wheels It made for nice pictures, thanks !
 
F200- David “ Captain Morgan” Gwin had it all the way, he not only picked off another win but easily picked up the Championship and gave us his famous Captain pose on the podium.
These guys are really a kick to watch, I have to say I never watched them much in the past but they really have to stay smooth in these 4 cycle karts to keep their momentum up. Great drivers!
2^nd Paul Viacrucis, 3^rd Scott Smith
 
World Formula- Brad Wunder picked up the win again and the championship, they run these all together and it is a lot of fun to take pictures of them out there mixing it up. 2^nd John Vance ( I think)
 
4 Cycle Clone class- this is a new class that is showing up more and more to tracks around you,
I believe the drivers were all related in this class; Dufloth’s Family; John, Mike, Duffy
 
125 Stock Moto- Jarred Woolf picked up the win, he had some heat from Justin Casey who is normally a road racer and new comer to 125 Rick Gutzke, Swedetech’s Jason Berry was out there and Chris Yettito pulled out a Stock Moto to run also running the 80 ltd. And the Stock motto class.
Jarred treated the stands to some turn one donuts after his win. Leaving marks on the track and I didn’t even see Gary out there with a big stick chasing him off……LOL
2^nd Justin Casey, 3^rd Rick Gutzke 4^th Chris yettito 5^th Matt Weiss ( watch out for the 80 ltd. Drivers moving up) they are going to be drivers to watch

 

6-10-09 IKF ROAD RACE GRAND NATIONALS INVADES EAGLES CANYON RACEWAY
 

SWRA to host first ever Grand Nationals at Northern Texas facility

DECATUR, TX (June 9, 2009) - Since securing the race back in October 2008, the Southwest Roadrace Association (SWRA) has been hard at work preparing for this week’s action at the Eagles Canyon Raceway for the 2009 edition of the International Kart Federation (IKF) Road Race Grand Nationals. Thirty-three classes will be competing over the four day event on the Decatur, Texas facility for the prestigious Duffy trophy that awaits each winner.
 
The Eagles Canyon Raceway was completed in 2007. The track features a 2.55-mile circuit with 15 turns and four straights over 1,300 feet long. Though you may think the track being in Texas would not have much elevation, it actually has 70 feet of elevation changes with some challenging corners. SWRA has host two karting events at the facility, one in 2008 and another in March 2009.
 
A change from previous Road Race Grand Nationals will be the introduction of a spec tire for the majority of the classes. The Brazilian made MG Tire brand will be mandatory for 20 classes - all of them in the sprint category. MG Tires is one of the major sponsors for the event and has supported the SWRA program for the last three seasons. Other supporters of the event include Red Bull, Royal Purple Synthetic Oil, and Nichols Bobcat Equipment.
 
With IKF dropping the traditional three-punch rule, the event is bringing in a number of outside drivers along with those who are looking to make a return to road racing from the Southwest area. Already 11 states are represented in the pre-entry total which was near 200 entering the weekend prior to the event with an expected 400 entries total for the event predicted. Another deal breaker that is bringing people to Eagles Canyon -similar to last year’s ‘Thrifty Five-Fifty’ program by race host Portland Karting Association - the SWRA has instituted an ‘All You Can Run’ entry fee of $600 dollars. This will allow a competitor to enter as many classes as they desire for a flat fee. Drivers that enter the program will save money if they compete in four or more classes during the event while increasing their chances at earning a Duffy.
 
For those not accustom to the SWRA racing format, 13 classes will have two heat races on their race day to decide the winner. Each heat race is 20 minutes and points from each race will be combined to determine who takes home the Duffy. The remaining classes will run either 30 minutes or 45 minutes - depending on the style of karts competing.
 
Competitors will move into the Eagles Canyon facility starting on Tuesday at 3pm with registration and pre-tech opening at 5pm. Action starts Wednesday with open practice from 8am to 3pm before the opening ceremonies kick start the racing action as the first three races of the event will be contested that afternoon. After a long day of racing on Thursday, SWRA and MG Tires will be hosting a ‘Louisiana Hog Roast’ dinner for drivers and a guest. Following Friday’s action, Red Bull will be providing special events and entertainment track side. Completing each day’s racing will be the official awards ceremonies where the top-five drivers from each class will be honored for their achievements and the winners award the coveted Duffy trophy.
 
For more information about the event, visit the SWRA website @ www.swra.org

6-10-09 Beautiful Weather, Big Turnout and Fantastic Racing for Round #3 of the 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge

 
Dry weather returned to Northern California just in time for round three of the 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge.  The racers responded with 62 entries making it the second largest race day in series history. 
 

The atmosphere in the pit area was great and with the full line up of Rotax classes now being run, racers from ages eight to sixty-plus came out to enjoy some strong, competitive racing on the popular Reverse National track layout at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway.
 
Rotax Masters and Masters Light

Seventeen karts took to the track for the first race of the day.  Pole went to two time class winner Andrea Delfanti (Lights) with Jack Arluck (Masters) off pole.  The winners of the two previous Masters class races filled the second row with Donald Durbin 3rd and David Harwin 4th.  The third row consisted of the two women drivers in the field, Mary Beth Wilson (Lights) in 5th and newcomer Dolores Mosqueda (Lights) in 6th. 
 
In the Pre-Main, Delfanti took the early lead and lead the entire twelve laps to take a 12 second win, but there was plenty of action was right behind.  Arluck, Harwin and Durbin began the battle for the Masters class lead.  Early on, Durbin overshot the turn two sweeper and had to take to the cut off road to avoid a collision.  Arluck then had problems and dropped out on lap 10 leaving Harwin to cruise to a comfortable 2nd.  Wilson and Mosqueda started their battle right from the green flag until Mosqueda spun in turn three.  She would eventually rejoin the race one lap down.  Wilson went on to finish a solid 3rd followed by Jerry Pretti (Masters) in 4th and Andre Eriksen (Masters) in 5th. 

In the Main, Delfanti controlled the front of the race unchallenged and went on to a 3 second win to make it three class wins in a row.  Harwin ran strong and fast but he knew that Durbin and Arluck were going to be coming through the field.  Durbin made the best progress through the field and eventually finished 3rd, followed by Wilson in 4th overall and 2nd in the Lights class.   This was an impressive drive by Mary Beth Wilson; maybe her best drive in the last two years.  Jack Arluck worked his way up to 5th followed by Pretti, Eriksen, Jay Brosius (Masters), Steve Weiss (Lights) and Mert Solis (Lights). 
 
Rotax Micro Max
 
The seven drivers in the Micro class had an action filled day.  In Qualifying, Wilson Skjerven cracked the minute mark to take pole followed by Michael Michoff, Nicky Hayes and Sarah Setzer. 
 
In the Pre-Main, after early battles, Nicky Hayes pulled away to take a 7 second win over Skjerven with Setzer narrowly beating out Nate Fleischli.  Michoff had kart problems and went a lap down.  
 
A great battle was in store for the Main.  Skjerven and Hayes battled at the front, with Michoff charging through the field.  Setzer pulled away from Fleischli to run a pretty uneventful race with the last three karts in the field battled all race long.  Skjerven's race came to an end with a kart problem.  Michoff then caught Hayes and they dueled for the remainder of the race.  At the checked flag, Hayes pulled out the win by just over a second over Michoff with Setzer finishing a comfortable 3rd.  The battle for 4th was a great one between Fleischli and the Breidinger sisters.  Toni and Annie went into the tight turn two hairpin side-by-side late in the race and came together for a moment and that was all Fleischli needed to get by and take 4th place followed by Toni then Annie Breidinger.
 
Rotax Mini Max
 
Even though the class was only four karts, the best battle for a win came in Mini Max on this day.  Drew Setzer took the pole over Harrison Mills, JR Raczko and new comer Camden Lile.  In the twelve lap Pre-Main, Setzer and Raczko hooked up for a race long battle with Mills just behind.  Setzer took the win by just .178 seconds.  The fast front trio went at it again in the Main, but the battle now lasted eighteen laps.  Setzer took the early lead with Raczko right behind, followed by Mills.  Raczko went from one side of Setzer's rear bumper to the other looking for a way by. 
 
In the mean time, Mills was sitting a couple seconds back waiting for a chance to take the win if Raczko and Setzer were to come together.  In the end, Setzer withstood the pressure and took an even closer .170 second win over Raczko, with Mills finishing 3rd and Lile in 4th.
 
Junior Rotax
 
After the first two races, Kiel Spaulding with two wins has been in control of the Junior Rotax class.  Was this the race when the field would catch up and be able to challenge Kiel?
 
In qualifying, Dylan Lupton gave some early indications that he had what it took by taking the pole by over a third of a second ahead Kiel who was off pole followed by Conner Ford and Brody Zink. 

 
 
At the start of the Pre-Main, Dylan took the lead at the green and Kiel lost a couple spots coming out of turn one.  Kiel made a couple of passes and got back to second, but he could never make a serious run for the lead.  Lupton took the win with Kiel just over a second back followed by Ford, Zink and Austin Root. 

 

In the Main, Spaulding got off the green well and took the race lead going into turn one.  Spaulding opened up a good lead and held it steady for the remainder of the race to take his third win in a row.  Lupton finished strong in 2nd making three 2nd place finishes in a row followed by a much improved performance from Conner Ford in 3rd.  Brody Zink took 4th, but he was pressuring Ford the whole way and finished only .037 seconds back.  Austin Root took the 5th place spot.
 
Senior Rotax
 
The Senior Rotax field was 17 strong and like the first two races, the field was very deep in talent.
 
In Qualifying, Jake Mottaz took the pole just barely over Nic LeDuc followed by Gregory Liefooghe, Nikola Radosavljevich, Troy Castenada and David Harwin. 
In the Pre-Main, the field got through turn one cleanly, but the sparks started flying at turn two.  The top six drivers were diving into corners and making passes at nearly every corner.  Mottaz first would lead, then LeDuc with the next four drivers all shuffling positions.  On lap four, Harwin went around a couple of drivers that were battling and came up the hill into the last turn side-by-side with Radosavljevich.  Unfortunately, the two karts' front wheels touched and both karts went up in the air.  Harwin got the worst of it when his kart flipped bringing out a red flag.
 
On the single file restart, minus Harwin, Mottaz took the lead and the mad dish racing continued.  Mottaz and LeDuc continued to go back and forth for the lead.  A great battle between Carlos Calderon, Matthew Powers, Jordan Jadallah and Donavon Wheeler raged on until the end of the twelve lap race.  LeDuc came home first, but was underweight and thus would start the Main from the back.  Mottaz was declared the winner followed by Radosavljevich, Castenada, Liefooghe and Calderon. 
 
For the Main, the start was good for all except Radosavljevich who got muscled off the exit of turn one and fell back several positions.  Mottaz was able to open up a lead and was never challenged.  But, right behind there was constant passing going on.  Liefooghe got by Castenada.  Castenada then got passed by Jordan Jadallah who came up from the 7th spot.  LeDuc was picking off one or two positions a lap and got by Castenada near the end of the race to come home 4th.  Castenada held onto the 5th spot with a much improving Carlos Calderon taking the 6th spot. 
 
In his real senior class debut race, Donavon Wheeler drove a strong race to take the 7th spot with Radosavljevich recovering to take 8th, followed by Harwin and Powers.  The top eight positions all finished within 10 seconds of each other showing how competitive the Nor Cal Senior Rotax field is.  With three races in the book, there have been three different winners so for in 2009.
 
Rotax DD2
 
For the past three years, the 2-speed Rotax DD2 class has been mostly a masters aged group with few, if any young drivers campaigning the series.  That all changed as four senior age drivers ran this round #3 event.  But, don't tell that to David Arnstein...Arnstein, last year's DD2 champion as well as the Jim Russell Grand Masters driver of the year, took the pole over Troy Castenada, winner of the first two races.  Castenada was 2nd followed by seventeen year old Kyle Gimple, January Grove and Tim Salveson.  
 


                                         DD2 Class ready for battle (photo:NorCal Rotax)
 
In the Pre-Main, Castenada took the lead early in the race and went on to a 3 second win over Arnstein with Gimple coming back to take 3rd after a bad start.  Grove and Salveson finished 4th and 5th. 
 
In the Main, Troy once again took an early lead with Arnstein very close behind.  Arnstein then made a pass and took the lead for much of the middle portion of the race.  Meanwhile, behind the leading duo, Gimple had another slow start and had to work his way back through the field.  Grove and Salveson were dueling back and forth until Salveson's kart started losing its brakes.  Newcomer Bronson Eggert took over challenging for the 3rd and 4th positions.  Late in the race, Castenada took back the race lead, but Arnstein was not going to give the race away too easily.  Arnstein stayed close for the last few laps and came up .225 seconds behind Castenada at the checkered flag.  Again, Gimple had to come from 6th and by race end had taken over 3rd, 8 seconds back of the winner.  Grove came home 4th followed by the young Eggert in 5th and Bruce Weir in 6th.
 
_____________________________________________________________________________
 
 
The Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Series will now take a six week break, returning to Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway on Saturday, July 18th, when the drivers will run the Sprint track layout again.
 

Full race results including MyLaps data posted on series website at http://results.norcalrotax.com.
 
Some snaps of the days events have been posted at http://www.norcalrotax.com/multimedia/.
 
2009 National points tables can be found at www.usrmaxnrd.com.

For more information about the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge, contact race director Ric Shaw at racedirector-ric@hotmail.com or go to the Nor Cal Rotax website at www.norcalrotax.com.
 
Thank you to all our series sponsors.  Please give your business to these businesses that support you.
 

6-5-09 Leading Edge Motorsports Has Stellar Weekend At Prairie City Crossover 

6-5-09 Track Warrior Report for the Cross- Over Series Championship 2009

What a great series, a Special thank you goes to the clubs, their members and their staff without them we wouldn't have had the great Series. so much time and effort went into this series from each and everyone of them. a Special Thank you to the Luther's Jesse and Rick really stepped into big shoes to help out when things became Rocky at Davis Event and kept the show on the road... so please join me in thanking the clubs that put the event on:
Kinsman Kart Club, ( Dixon) RaceCraft ( Prairie City), Blue Max ( Davis)
all of your hard work is really appreciate and welcomed for great series like this locally to help the budget racers to get the feel of what it is like at the big events such as Nationals.
The total driver entries were 221, keep in mind some of our Track Warriors raced in 2 or more classes.

The 2009 Cross- over Champions are:

6-4-09 PROKART CHALLENGE NORTH SERIES RETURNS TO SONOMA
 

Fourth round of program takes competitors back to Jim Russell International Karting Center

TEMECULA, CA (June 4, 2009) – Following the inaugural ProKart Challenge West Coast Shootout, the PKC North program readies for the fourth round of the seven -vent championship on June 13, returning to the home circuit of the series – the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. The event will mark the first time this year that the series will utilize the popular ‘reverse national’ layout on the 7/8-mile circuit, which is expected to bring extra, intrigued drivers to the race.
 
“We introduced the reverse layout last year, which was a big hit with our regulars – and brought in a number of new competitors to the PKC North program,” said Superkarts! USA owner and PKC promoter Tom Kutscher. “Though we call the Sonoma track home in that region, the facility allows us to switch it up for the competitors each month to keep it fresh and exciting for those behind the wheel – and those along the fence.”
 
The championship battles are beginning to take shape as the program reaches the midpoint of the season. Two drivers currently hold the top spot in the standings in two divisions each – Jacob Neal and Kiel Spaulding. Neal has finished no worse than second in both the S1 and S3 categories, where he currently has a comfortable advantage over Cody Hodgson and Tommy Thompson respectively. The 18-year-old also has a five-race win streak dating back to February in the S3 division, including three in the South and the big victory at the PKC West Coast Shootout. Spaulding has a similar look in the Junior classes, as the HPV2 Junior defending champion leads over Dylan Lupton and Luis Tyrrell – while on top in the TaG Junior standings over Louie Pagano and Adrian Starrantino.
 
The TaG Senior, TaG Master, G1, and S4 categories have all had three different feature winners in the opening three rounds. The G1 division, however, has the closest points battle to date, as Shootout winner Fernando Diaz is just five points ahead of round two winner Jim Kidd – with Ethan Wilson within reach. Ten points separate Steve Elo and Shootout winner Paul Hohlbein in the TaG Master championship, with Jim Zootis just 35 points out of first. Larry Fraser has a 20-point advantage over Brett Felkins in TaG Senior, with round one winner Will Martindale lurking not far off. Jamie Wilson, Jared Woolf and Peter Workum hold the top three spots in the S4 rankings, with Workum looking to join Wilson and Woolf as feature winners next weekend.
 
Pre-registration will be open until midnight on June 10, with competitors able to save $35 by entering early. After that, at-track registration will be open early both days (Friday and Saturday). Practice day will be Friday, June 12. Gates open at 7am with open practice 9am to 5pm, followed by a complimentary BBQ – sponsored by G-Force Motorsports – for all who have paid for practice or a pit pass for the day (bring your own drinks). Again, longtime PKC friend and supporter Scott Jeffery will be serving up the feast to those who attend. Trailer parking and overnight camping on site will be available Friday night only. Those wishing to park early or stay extra must contact the facility. Pit spots are on a first come, first serve basis – with the exception of the front row spots that may be reserved. The host hotel for the event will be the Econo Lodge in Novato (call 415-883-2406 and mention ProKart Challenge for a special 10% off rate). For more information on the event or the Superkarts! USA’s ProKart Challenge itself, head to www.prokartchallenge.com  or call 951-491-0808.
 
 

6-2-09 Jim Russell Sunday Series Preview Juniors, 80 Shifters and TaG Grand Masters

Race #3 of the Jim Russell International Karting Sunday Series will take to the track this coming Sunday, June 7. The track layout for this month is the new but very popular Reverse National track of the Jim Russell Karting track at Infineon Raceway. Practice starts at 9:00 with at least 45 minutes of practice for each race group during the morning.

The Jim Russell Sunday Series is a truly laid back type of club series where one can get lots of practice in on the morning, a 5 lap qualify session, 12 lap (about 10 minutes) Pre-Main and 18 lap (about 15 minutes) Main and be on the way home by 4:30. The Junior classes are the HPV1, Junior 1-Comer and Junior 1- Gazelle. Three 80 shifter classes will run, Senior 80 (360#), 80 Masters/Heavy Driver (375#) and 80 Grand Masters (385#). Also running on the program is the popular TaG Grand Masters (390#) for drivers over 45 years old. All classes run to Norcal IKF rules, use Bridgestone YHC tires and use VP 98 fuel and Burris or Motul oil.

Entry fee is $105 and this includes the transponder. All crew family and friends are FREE. So bring everyone along and have a good time at Northern Californiaʼs premier kart track. For more race or series information, contact Race Director Ric Shaw at racedirector-ric@hotmail.com

6-2-09 Rotax Racer's ready for Race #3 at Infineon in the 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge
 

On Saturday, June 6, the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge will take to the Jim Russell International Karting track at Infineon Raceway for round #3 of the 10 race long 2009 season.  And to add to the excitement of the first race of the summer season, the track configuration will be the Reverse National track layout.  This will be the first time in 2009, and only the third time in Infineon history  The popular Reverse National track layout will give the racer's an exciting challenge.
 
The 2009 Norcal Rotax Series has started off the year with record turnouts and another record turnout is expected for Race #3.  The turnout surprises so far for 2009 have been the size and strength of competition of the Senior Rotax fields.  With 20 entries per race, the Senior Rotax class has had strong racing throughout the field with the first two wins going to veteran Nic LeDuc and 2005 Rotax National Champ Wes Philips.  The other surprise has been the strong turnout for the two new classes for 2009, Micro-Max and Mini-Max.  Micro-Max (ages 8-10) has had 7 karts in each of the first two races with the Mini-Max class (ages 10-12) having had entries of 5 and 4 respectively for the first two races.  
 
In Junior Rotax, Kiel Spaulding is looking to make it three in a row after strong wins in the first two races.  David Harwin has also had great early season success with a first and second in Rotax Masters class as well as a strong 3rd place finish in Senior Rotax in Race #2.  But after a great tactical win for Donald Durbin in Race #2, The Masters class will have a strong battle to see who will be the strongest Masters driver. 
 
Nic LeDuc is hoping for a comeback in the Senior Rotax class and get back to the form that allowed him to dominate Race #1.  Wilson Skjerven, Nicky Hayes and Michael Mitchoff will resume their battle for the win in the Micro Max class with the similar battling expected coming between four drivers, JR Raczko, Cole Davis, Drew Setzer and Harrison Mills in the Mini-Max class. 
 
Troy Castaneda has dominated the first 2 races in Rotax DD2, but expect the likes of David Arnstein and Kyle Gimple to bring much improved drives into Race #3.  Even though he is new to karting in the US, Italian Andrea Delfanti will be looking to make it make it 3 in a row in the regional Masters Light class. 
 
Practice and Pre-registration for the event will be available from 2:00 to 6:00 on Friday, June 5.  Registration starts on Saturday at 7:30 with firs practice at 8:20.  The First Pre-Main starts at 1:00.  Entry fee is $105 and this includes use of a transponder.  Pit passes for crew, family and friends are all free, so bring everyone out to the Infineon track for a great day of racing. 
 
Great food is available at the track from J&D Snack Shack.  For more information, schedule, results, news, rules and sponsors information for the Jim Russell Northern Californian Rotax Challenge go to www.norcalrotax.com

6-1-09 Trapeze Arts sponsors the 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge

 
 
The 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge is very pleased to announce that Trapeze Arts in Oakland, CA will give away free flying trapeze lessons (you heard it right, flying trapeze!!) throughout the race season to a lucky Rotax racers in 2009.
 
Have you ever wanted to run away and join the circus? Or maybe you've dreamt of flying through the air or swinging by your knees! Well, Trapeze Arts is the place for you, plus it will provide great physical conditioning for your kart racing.

"Kit, Kris and I attended a class and it was a fantastic experience", said Adrian Szwarcburg, Nor Cal Rotax Challenge organizer. "I highly recommend it and thank Trapeze Arts for supporting the Rotax racers with this great sponsorship."  Check out video of Kit on the trapeze at Trapeze Arts after a 1 hour lesson: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEz2lcSLMhw.

Since 1994, Trapeze Arts, Inc. has been teaching flying trapeze and other circus arts to adults and children of all ages and is one of only a handful of full time Circus Schools in the United States.  Classes are unique and exciting and while most of our students are taking classes for fun, we can and do train those who aspire to a professional career. We currently have students performing for Cirque du Soleil, Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey, on various cruise ships and in other professional entertainment venues. Trapeze Arts has shared the art of the Flying Trapeze with many corporate groups including Microsoft, Google, Mozilla, Clif Bar, Pixar, Wells Fargo, KMPG, YMCA, American Express, and Trefethen Winery. Trapeze Arts has been featured on television shows including the Ellen DeGeneres Show, Mythbusters, Switched, Bay Area Backroads, CBS Morning Show, Evening Magazine, MSNBC and Univision.  Students range in age from 2-82!

Their mission is to provide an opportunity for any individual to experience and learn aerial and other circus arts in a supportive, non-competitive environment. The goal of this experience is to enrich, enhance and promote personal growth in a safe, fun and friendly atmosphere.
 
About Trapeze Arts:
 
In October 2000, they opened their doors to a full time, year round indoor Oakland facility. They have approximately 10,000 sq.ft. of space, filled with a flying trapeze, trampolines, trapezes, hoops, tissues, ropes, a tightwire, tumbletrack trampoline, unicycles and all kinds of juggling equipment. They have a well padded floor which makes tumbling safer to learn.
Classes are offered to adults and children of all ages, no experience is necessary. Classes are taught days, evenings and weekends. During the summer months, we add Circus Day Camp to our schedule, for kids ages 7-14.

In addition to our regular classes, Trapeze Arts is a very popular place to have a party or Corporate event. They host birthday parties for adults (a very popular 50th birthday activity!), and children, they host Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, church groups, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, bachelor, bachelorette and wedding parties, or for no occasion at all other than to just have fun!! Our events are unique and exciting and can be catered to any age or group size.
 
About the the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge
The Jim Russell Northen California Rotax Challenge is the fastest growing kart racing series in Northern California.  For more information about the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge, go to the Nor Cal Rotax website at www.norcalrotax.com