3-5-10 Scribner MotorSports partners with Heritage Hotel Group 
Source: RaceMediaGroup.com

Loomis,Ca: Scribner MotorSports announced this week the partnership with heritage Hotel Group for the 2010 NASCAR Whelan All American Series Racing Season. Heritage Hotel Group is a Chain of Hotels offering both Luxury and Economical Hotels in California. The Heritage Chain expands from Southern California in San Diego up North as far as Chico with several Hotels located in Yuba City, Grass Valley, Roseville, and Bay Area surroundings and incorporates an impressive 22 Hotels.

With the Partnership of Scribner MotorSports, Heritage is looking to become more involved with the California Racing Scene and provide Hotel room accommodations for the Racers at a reasonable rate. "The Heritage Partnership with Scribner MotorSports is a special one that lends itself to providing a necessity to the MotorSports Industry. I feel we can promote Heritage Hotels on a High level within the Northern California region expanding their market and customer base throughout several types of Racing,” stated Chris Scribner. Chris will be competing in the Whelen All American Series this season in the NASCAR Late Model Division and several one-off races in other types of racing divisions. 

To show their support for the California Racing Scene, Heritage Hotel Group is extending a discounted Hotel room rate to all Racing Enthusiast of 25% off the standard Hotel Rate through the 2010 Season. The discounted rate can be utilized simply by contacting the desired Heritage Hotel and using the Promotional discount code of “SM51”. For more information on Heritage Hotel Group and Hotel locations please visit HeritageHotelGroup.com  

All American Speedway 2010 Racing Schedule:  

April 3^rd
April 10^th
April 24th 
May 1^st
May 8^th
May 22nd 
June 5^th
June 12^th
June 19th 
July 3^rd
July 10^th
July 17^th
July 24^th
July 31^st
August 14^th
August 28th 
September 4^th
September 11th 

Additional information on Scribner MotorSports and the 2010 season can be obtained from scribnermotorsports.com. The Team will contest the 2010 All American Speedway NASCAR Late Model 27 race series with Team Partners Heritage Hotel Group, Zamp Helmets, Scribner Plastics, Powertrain Technology, Impact Racing, MSD Ignition, Flowmaster, AD3 Graphics, RMG Race Media Group and KRC Power Steering.

3-31-10 Extreme Motorsports Four Drivers, Four Podiums!

      Extreme Motorsports would once again find themselves battling for top honors at round one of the Nor-Cal Crossover series.  Hot off two wins at the last Pro Kart North race, Junior 2 hot shoe Kathryn Cornell, again drove her Extreme Motorsports tuned/supported Intrepid to another dominating performance.  In the senior Yamaha Sportsman division, Matt Chase and teammate Brian Gallagher would both put in impressive performances.  Extreme Motorsports is also proud to announce the newest addition to its Junior squad, Ryan Sizemore.  Sizemore competes in the Junior Sportsman division.

     After carburetion issues at her last trip to Dixon, Kathryn Cornell was determined to win in the Junior HPV-2 class.  Qualifying would see Extreme’s Cornell on top of the charts with a 30.936, and the only driver to turn a sub-31 lap time.  The start of the heat did not go well for her, however, as she found herself falling from the pole position to third by the time they took the green.  Cornell pressed back into second spot; then setting her sights on running down the race leader, turned the fastest laps of the race.  Cornell finished the heat race in second position.  Together with EMS tuner Bryan Eady, she made the proper changes for the main and went on to dominate and win the feature race.

     With eighteen karts in the field, Senior Super Sportsman was sure to be an event to watch.  Extreme Motorsports’ Brian Gallagher and Matt Chase, each running separate weight classes in the same race, secured row two of the heat with third and fourth place qualifying efforts.  Gallagher led Chase in the heat race until an ignition failure forced him to retire.  Chase went on to a fourth place finish.  The start of the main event saw Chase jump quickly into third position where he found himself battling for second.  Extreme’s Brian Gallagher was on the move from the eighteenth starting spot, and navigated his way up to third in his class by the end of the main event.  Up front, Chase remained comfortably in second until two to go when a lapped kart spun directly in front of him.  Chase lost a position due to the incident and continued on to finish a strong third in his class.

     Joining the Extreme Motorsports squad in the Junior Super Sportsman division was Ryan Sizemore.  In this, his first trip to Dixon, Sizemore impressed many with quick lap times and competitive results.  With less than a month of seat time in his first kart, Sizemore led the first four laps of the main event until contact sent him spinning off the track.  Sizemore drove hard and his efforts paid off as he went on to finish second for the day.  Keep an eye on this young driver, as Extreme Motorsports’ Bryan Eady stated, “I can’t wait to work more with him; he’s got a lot of natural talent!” 

     Extreme Motorsports would like to say thank you to the Kinsmen Kart Club for all its hard work and effort in putting on yet another great weekend of racing.  We’d also like to thank our customers for a fun-filled weekend of success.  To find out how you can become a part of the Extreme Motorsports team feel free to contact us today via e-mail at extreme30y@yahoo.com or info@extremegokarts.com, or by phone at (530)262-2962 or (530)949-8975.  You can also visit our on-line store today for all your karting needs at www.extremegokarts.com.    

3-30-10 Gatorz championships wrapped up Sunday in Sonoma

It was an exciting Sunday as the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas finished its third season at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Although two of the championships had been mathematically clinched on Saturday, the remaining four classes would prove to have exciting finales.

Making things more interesting was the prize of a school in the Jim Russell Racing School’s Formula 3 car, which would be awarded to a deserving driver in the CKI Senior Rotax championship.

Minimax
Parker Thompson entered the day with a small points lead over Blaine Rocha and Davey Manthai, but after a rough qualifying session and pre-main, Thompson lined up fourth for the main. The front row, however, was Rocha and Manthai. Rocha came out of turn one the leader, but Manthai fell to fifth and Thompson was even further back after getting bounced around. Manthai was able to work forward to third place in a couple of laps, while Adam Iavelli was putting a ton of pressure on Rocha for the lead. It wouldn’t last, however, as Iavelli pulled his kart of the track with a mechanical problem. Thompson was pushing his way forward, but with Rocha and Manthai running first and second, his title hopes were all but gone. Rocha crossed the line first with Manthai in second, and Grey just beat Thompson to the line after the two battled side-by-side over the final lap. After the race, however, Grey was placed behind Thompson as a result of blocking, but third wouldn’t be enough for Thompson. With his win, Rocha took the Apollo Motorsports Minimax championship and earned a trip to the Rotax Grand Nationals.

Junior Rotax
With Louie Pagano clinching the class championship, and a trip to the Rotax Grand Finals at La Conca in Muro Lecesse, Italy, the Sunday Junior Rotax race would be the last chance for the Junior Rotax class drivers to earn a bit of glory in the 2010 Gatorz Challenge of the Americas. Kiel Spaulding, winner on Saturday, led the field to the green flag with Pagano starting second. Pagano, however, would fall back several spots as Raquel Martinez leapt up to second place. Spaulding built a gap right away but Parker McKean was on a mission, passing Martinez for second and catching Spaulding a few laps later. McKean dove under Spaulding in turn one and became the new leader, but his lead would last less than a lap as he dropped a wheel exiting turn 10 and Spaulding was back through. Behind them, Martinez, Pagano, Nicholas Silva and Jake Craig battled for the final podium spot. When the checkered fell, Spaulding had a comfortable lead and handily took his second win of the weekend, with McKean second and a charging Pagano capping his championship season with a third.

Rotax Senior
Phil Gelinas entered the day as the points leader, needing to finish ahead of Stepanova Nekeel and Mason Marotta to secure his title. Nekeel helped him out by spinning at the beginning of the pre-main, and having to start the main well back in the order. Gelinas would start the main in second. Polesitter Justin Coplen led the field into and out of turn one, while Gelinas lost two spots to Marotta and Wimsett. He took third back from Marotta right away and, a lap later, took second back from Wimsett. Marotta then made a forceful pass on Wimsett into turn one, and the two entered Tic Tac Toe side-by-side with Marotta getting through to third and Wimsett going airborne. Their battle allowed Nor-Cal driver Jordan Jadallah to catch them, work his way past, and set off after Gelinas. With only two laps remaining, Jadallah passed Gelinas without incident in turn nine in second place. At the checkered, Coplen took a win and a bit of redemption after his race ended spectacularly in turn one with a brake failure. Jadallah took second, and Gelinas came home third which was good enough to clinch the CKI Senior Rotax championship and a trip to the Grand Finals. Coplen didn’t go home empty handed. His driving throughout the season earned him a school at the Jim Russell Racing School’s Formula 3 car, for which he was selected by a committee of Gatorz Karting staff who took note of his talent throughout the six-race championship.

Rotax Masters
After five races, the championship in Rotax Masters came down to a duel between Paul Bonilla and Mike Daniel. It was simple; in order to secure the championship, Bonilla would have to win the main and set fast lap which was worth another five points. Bonilla held his lead into turn one while Daniel fell under attack from Nor-Cal driver Andre Ericksen. This allowed Bonilla to instantly build a lead and, just as quickly, set the race’s fastest lap. He continued to build a gap over Daniel, but Daniel responded a few laps later by setting the fast lap and swinging the championship back in his favor. Only a couple of laps later, however, Bonilla went faster and took fast lap back. Meanwhile, Ericksen, David Busby, Scott Falcone and Bruce McKean were having an entertaining scrap for third place. With Bonilla in the lead and holding fast lap, the championship appeared to be in Bonilla’s grasp as he took the white flag. However, as Daniel crossed the start/finish line to start his final lap, his name went purple on the timing screen as he set fast lap! Bonilla could go no faster on his final lap, and although he took the win, Daniel’s second place and fast lap secured his Rotax Masters championship and a trip to the US Rotax Grand Nationals – where he will defend his title from 2009. Ericksen survived the battle to finish third.

Micromax
Nicky Hays led the final from start to finish, while behind him Conner Robustelli and Annie Breidinger battled for the class championship. Annie ran in second place in the early stages, while Robustelli made a pass in turn one but couldn’t make it stick, allowing Annie back through into second. Robustelli, however, made a pass stick around the outside of turn one, and Annie was unable to counter. Hays took the win, but he was disqualified afterwards for non-compliance, promoting Robustelli to first place, which was enough to clinch the championship and earn an invitation to the Rotax Grand Nationals. Annie Breidinger finished second, with Toni Breidinger third.

DD-2
Championship winner Troy Castaneda started from pole position but Matt Ostiguy was going to make him work for another victory, as Ostiguy passed him under braking going into Tic Tac Toe on the opening lap. Castaneda retook the lead in turn 10, and was able to build a small gap as Ostiguy came under attack from Derek Wang and Noel Dowler. The three karts traded positions multiple times, until Dowler got ahead of both karts and Wang was ahead of Ostiguy. Wang then spun in turn 12, allowing Ostiguy back up to third position.

And that is how they ran to the end, with Castaneda taking his fifth win of the season, Dowler getting his best result with a second, and Ostiguy in third.

3-30-10 Pagano and Castaneda lock up Gatorz titles on Saturday in Sonoma

The Sonoma valley greeted the competitors of the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas, many of whom traveled from across the continent, with sunny blue skies and warm weather for Saturday’s round five of the 2010 Gatorz Challenge of the Americas season. By the end of the day, two of the series’ six championships would be decided, with two drivers earning trips to the Rotax Grand Finals, which are to be held at the La Conca track in Muro Leccese, Italy in November.

Minimax
The three championship protagonists lined up first, second, and third for the day’s final with Blaine Rocha on pole ahead of Davey Manthai, Jr. and Parker Thompson. At the drop of the green, Thompson got under Manthai to jump to second, but it only lasted a lap as Manthai retook the spot with a pass in turn 1. Only a lap later, however, Manthai was out of the race with a mechanical failure on his kart. Then, not long after, Rocha’s kart broke an axle under braking for turn six, sending him into a spin and putting him out of the race.
Suddenly, Thompson was in control with Nick Ramirez second, Alec Bergstrom third, Royal McKee fourth and Adam Iavelli fifth. Iavelli was the first one to fall off as he spun to avoid McKee and Ramirez when they made contact in turn one. Ramirez fell off the back as Bergstrom and McKee ran second and third, right on Thompson’s bumper. The three ran that way to the finish, with Thompson winning, Bergstrom second, and McKee third.
With one race left, and with no drops factored in, Thompson is the new championship leader as he sits 14 points clear of Rocha and 21 ahead of Manthai, Jr.

Junior Rotax
Kiel Spaulding jumped out to the lead of the main with Parker McKean, Louie Pagano, and Jake Craig right behind. Pagano needed a few laps to pass McKean and began to put pressure on Spaulding, as the two began to ease away from McKean and Craig. Halfway through, Pagano made a pass for the lead into turn one. The pass, however, seemed to invigorate Spaulding as he found some speed and, according to series announcer Tim ‘Chappy’ Chapman, Spaulding began to push Pagano around the track like a shopping cart at Wal-Mart.
Three laps later, Spaulding put a pass on Pagano in turn one to take the lead back. Behind him, Craig passed McKean for third. Pagano shadowed Spaulding until he had an opportunity to take the lead back, which didn’t come until the final lap. Spaudling ran a defensive line into turn nine, and Pagano was able to draw alongside on the exit, but couldn’t get the pass done. Spaulding took the victory, Pagano was second, and Craig third. The result for Pagano mathematically clinched the Junior Rotax class championship for him, and a trip to Italy for this year’s Rotax Grand Finals.

Rotax Senior
Joey Wimsett led Mason Marotta, Justin Coplen and Stepanova Nekeel away from the start while Dylan Albaini was tapped into a spin that took out several karts. Later in the lap, Matthew Weiss and Bobby Wallace got together exiting turn ten, but the big news was when championship leader Phil Gelinas was hit entering turn one and fell well down the order.
Wimsett then went backwards as Marotta passed him in turn one, and them Coplen passed him in turn one. The two then checked out, until Coplen passed Marotta into turn nine. Behind them, Nekeel and Nor-Cal driver Carlos Calderon were locked in a battle for fourth, with Calderon getting the battle started with a pass in turn six. Then, things got really exciting when Coplen had a brake component failure going into turn 1, clouting the back of Marotta. Marotta continued having lost a few spots, Coplen was out, and Wimsett now had a comfortable lead.
With Wimsett far out in front, the focus was on the battle for second as Nekeel now headed Calderon. With the laps winding down, Marotta caught the battling duo and pulled of the pass of the day as he outbraked both of them into turn one to move back to second. Wimsett ran unchallenged to the checkered, Marotta was second, and Nekeel just held off Calderon for third.
After five races and with no drops factored in, Gelinas has a 32 point lead over Marotta, and forty points over third-placed Nekeel.

Rotax Masters
The first start attempt of the Rotax Masters main resulted in a huge crash that collected most of the field, necessitating a full restart. On that restart, Mike Daniel led David Busby and Bruce McKean out of turn one while Andy Seesemann was hit by Andre Erickson and sent into a spin.
Daniel and Busby checked out from the field but the race behind them was wild from start to finish. Steve Dzurilla passed McKean for third, while Hayashigawa, Bonilla, Ericksen, Seesemann, Ken Maxfield and Paul Hohlbein all ran right behind. Hayashigawa spun in the esses, sending Bonilla off the track. Ericksen moved into fifth with Bonilla right behind, but that didn’t last long as Bonilla got into the back of Ericksen coming on the front straightaway, sending Ericksen back to ninth. Bonilla then caught McKean, and on the last lap, McKean got tripped up by lapped traffic in turn one and Bonilla was through to fourth.
Daniel ran completely uncontested to take the win, with Busby second and Dzurilla taking third. Bonilla’s charge to fourth was reversed with a four-position penalty for avoidable contact with Ericksen. With one race left and with no drops factored in, Daniel is now the points leader with Bonilla seventeen points behind. Ken Maxfield is still third.

Micromax
Nicky Hays led the Micromax final from start to finish, while behind him, Conner Robustelli fought the whole race to keep Toni Breidinger behind him for second place after Annie Breidinger fell off the track while running second. Robustelli leads Annie Breidinger by 29 points with no drops factored in with only one race day remaining.

DD-2
Drama started early in the DD-2 final as Matt Ostiguy jumped ahead of pole sitter Troy Castaneda before Castaneda suffered a mechanical problem that sent him to the back of the field. He was able to fix the problem – his fuel line had become detached – and set off on a charge to the front. It took a few laps before he came through the field, but he worked up to third, sitting right behind second-placed Noel Dowler, who was right behind Ostiguy.
Castaneda made quick work of Dowler and then took the lead from Ostiguy in turn one, but Ostiguy had plenty of fight in him as he took the spot right back into Tic-Tac-Toe. The next lap, the two repeated the same thing, and Ostiguy remained in the lead. However, Castaneda finally made the pass for Ostiguy stick in turn nine, and it wasn’t long after that Dowler also moved past Ostiguy in turn six, as Ostiguy had used up the Mojo tires on the front of his kart.
Dowler was able to get close and put pressure on Castaneda, but he would be unable to do anything about it, as Castaneda took his fourth win of the season, with Dowler scoring his best result of the season in second, and Ostiguy coming home in third. The win clinched the DD-2 championship for Castaneda, who will be representing the Gatorz Challenge of the America’s at this year’s Grand Finals in Italy.
 

3-24-10 Red Line Oil Karting Championship Race #1 - Race Report

The first race of the new Red Line Oil Karting Championship at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway went off with a strong field of karts and some exciting racing. The day dawned in cool weather but finished in sunshine. Even though this was the first race under new promoter Cameron Karting, the event ran smoothly similar to the Jim Russell events of the past eight years. The race was run on the most common National track configuration. The Red Line Oil Karting Championship is the host series for the Northern California Rotax Challenge series, which will also run twice at the Kinsmen Kart Club track in Dixon this year.

This was the first race of the new Italian Motors IAME TaG class. Due to the inability to communicate this class to the karting community until three weeks ago, there was only one IAME entry. But four other potential IAME racers were at the track checking out the series. Expect to see articles on this class hitting the websites within the next week.

The Rotax classes were again solid in their numbers and there was no lack of competition in most of the classes.

The 80 shifter field was ten karts strong with eight Masters and one each of Formula 80 and 80 Heavy karts. For 2010, the Red Line Oil Karting Championship series will offer all three of these 80 shifter classes, all running in the same race group.

Rotax Mini Max
The largest ever Mini Max field of eight karts took to the Infineon Raceway kart track. In Qualifying, Gatorz veteran driver Blaine Rocha took the pole ahead of Justin Yanez and Michael Michoff. Less than four-tenths of a second separated the top five karts. In the Pre-Main, Rocha took the lead from the green flag and was never challenged. Behind Rocha there was no lack of excitement with Yanez and Michoff first battling for second, then attacks coming from Michael Avansino and Cole Davis. After some of the bumping and grinding settled down, Avansino found himself in 2nd just two seconds back followed by Yanez and Davis. The best battle was for 3rd in which Davis had a strong drive but had to hold off Gino Gigliotti and Michoff. In the Main, the top five drivers had eyes on the three podium positions. Again, Rocha took the lead at the green with Yanez and Avansino battling for second until Avansino spun. Yanez then focused on chasing down Rocha, but could only get within one second of the lead by race end. Davis came home in the 3rd spot followed by Michoff and Gigliotti. Five drivers turned in best laps all within one-tenth of each other making this the tightest race group of the day.

Rotax Junior
Only four drivers showed up for the class but what was lacking in class numbers was made up for in tight competition. 2009 class champion Brody Zink took the pole ahead of veteran Jim Russell Arrive and Drive karter Sean McDonald with Bobby Tifft in 3rd. In the Pre-Main, Zink controlled the race taking a two second win over McDonald with Josh Feiber taking 3rd. In the Main, McDonald made some improvements to his kart and took the lead early on in the race. Now it was Zink chasing McDonald. These two battled nose to tail for the entire race with Feiber and Tifft inching ever so close by the race end. At the end of the eighteen lap Main, less than one second separated 1st and 4th place with McDonald driving to his first feature win followed by Zink, Feiber and Tifft.

Rotax Masters and Masters Light
Four Masters and nine Masters Lights took the green for Race #1. The regional Masters Light class (365#) continues to be a popular class in the Nor Cal region. In Qualifying, Dave Higaki (Light) took the pole followed by Andre Eriksen (Masters), Jerry Pretti (Light) and Mary Beth Wilson (Light). In the Pre-Main, Higaki controlled the pace with the best action happening right behind him. The heavier Eriksen had to battle the Light karts of Pretti, Wilson and Mert Solis, but in the end he took the second spot and Masters class win just seven-tenths back of Higaki. Wilson came home ahead of husband Pretti with Solis in 5th. In the Main, Higaki lead out of turn one but spun in turn two and was several seconds back once he rejoined the race. Eriksen took advantage of Higaki's mistake to move into the lead and started putting down some consistent laps to open up a lead that he would never give up. The best battle was for 2nd through 4th and the class lead in Light between Wilson, Pretti and Solis. In the end, Eriksen cruised home three seconds ahead of Wilson for the overall win and the Masters crown. Wilson took the Light crown followed by Solis and Pretti with Leo Montero (Light) coming home 5th overall. Cameron Evans came home in 7th overall and 2nd in the Masters class.

80 Shifters
The 80 Shifter race group has expanded to include three classes for 2010. Eight Masters karts entered with a lone entry each in the Formula 80 and 80 Heavy classes. In Qualifying, Tom Nelson (Masters) started out the defense of his 2009 class crown by taking the pole over Marc Stanley (Masters) and a returning Bob Lesnett (Masters). In the Pre-Main, Nelson and Stanley exchanged spots a couple of times with Nelson coming out on top by less than a second in the end, Stanley 2nd, Lesnett 3rd and Ahmiel Freed (Masters) 4th. The start of the Main got crazy in turn one with Freed and Nelson tangling and Stanley taking over the lead. Freed had to pit with damage and Nelson now chasing the field from behind. Stanley controlled the pace and went on to an uneventful five second win over Lesnett. Nelson came back to take 3rd overall followed by Roger Cornwall (Masters) and Geoff Provo (Masters). Greg Richter came home 6th overall, first in the 80 Heavy class, with Justin Gald taking the Formula 80 class win.

Rotax DD2
Six of the two-speed Rotax DD2 karts took to the track. Glen Poy-Wing took the pole ahead of Bronson Eggert and January Grove. In the Pre-Main, Poy-Wing chose to start in the back and practice some passing in preparation for the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas event, thus Bronson and Grove dueled for the lead out of turn one. Grove had kart problems and had to come in after five laps which turned over second to Poy-Wing who had made his way through the field. David Palic came home third. In the Main, Poy-Wing had to miss the race thus allowing Palic to start on the front row. Dave Moody had a strong start, made a challenge for the lead out of turn one, and held onto 2nd during the early parts of the race. But Eggert was just too quick and started opening up a comfortable lead. Grove made her way through the pack to take over second. The lady driver continued to push the pace but could not get Eggert's lead to less than 2 seconds by the end of the race. Palic dropped out on lap ten with a mechanical problem and this allowed Moody to come home 3rd.

Rotax Micro Max
Six karts took the green with 2009 champion Nicky Hays returning to defend his crown. In Qualifying, Hays took the pole a half second ahead of Toni Breidinger with Annie Breidinger taking third. In the twelve lap Pre-Main, Hays took a comfortable win over T. Briedinger and A. Breidinger. In the Main, Hays duplicated his domination of the field by taking a nine second win over T. Briedinger and A. Breidinger again with a strong drive from Mark Bermen taking a well deserved 4th place followed by Nate Fleischli and Wilson Skjervan.

Rotax Senior & IAME TaG
The lone IAME TaG driver joined nine Senior Rotax drivers to take the green. In Qualifying, last years class champion and Senior Driver of the Year, Jordan Jadallah took the pole ahead of Raymond Bustamante Jr. and Carlos Calderon. In the Pre-Main, Jadallah took the lead out of turn one and was never challenged again. Bustamante and Calderon had the driver battle of the weekend with their duel for 2nd. This battle would intensify in the Main. Jarrett Lile, up from the Junior Rotax class, came home a solid 4th. In the Main, Bustamante took the lead out of turn one followed by Calderon and Jadallah slipping to third. But by lap three, the veteran Jadallah over took both drivers to take the lead he would never give up again. As Jadallah was cruising to a six second win, Bustamante and Calderon took up the battle for second swapping positions several times during the eighteen lap race. In the end, Bustamante took the runner up spot with Calderon in 3rd. Lile came home a solid 4th and Matthew Weiss out dueled Amber Freidberg for 5th. In his first karting race, Casey Monahan came home with the IAME TaG win.

The next round of the Red Line Oil Karting Championship will take place on Sunday, April 11th at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway. The track configuration will be the Sprint track layout. For more information about the Red Line Oil Karting Championship series contact race director Ric Shaw at racedirector-ric@hotmail.com  or go to www.norcalrotax.com  or www.cameronkarting.com .

 

3-26-10 Bobby Runyan Takes Home Second Place Finish at Havasu

2009 Formula Ford Regional Champion Bobby Runyan, Jr. had a strong showing in his first race of the season for Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle in the USAC Ford Focus Midgets, finishing second in the 40 lap feature at Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu, AZ.

Runyan, who also has experience as a two-time champion in IKF karting, will be competing for both rookie and championship honors in the ambitious USAC Western Pavement Ford Focus Midget Series in 2010.

Runyan began the afternoon by qualifying ninth from a field of 16. Runyan followed up qualifying by claiming the win in his heat race.

In the 40 lap feature that included drivers running for the points in the Western Pavement, SoCal Pavement, and Utah regional series, Runyan quickly moved forward.

With five laps to go, Runyan closed in on his RSWC teammate Eli Schrock. Runyan made a move to the inside on Schrock to set up a four lap side-by-side duel. The two battled it out to the finish on the quarter-mile asphalt oval, with Schrock taking the victory, giving Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle a 1-2 finish.

“Bobby Runyan is the real deal,” driver coach Ron Sutton said. “We are confident he has the talent to go all the way.”

Runyan’s second place finish also gives him second place in the points as the Western series moves on to I-10 Speedway in Blythe, Calif. next Saturday.

Bobby Runyan Racing and Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle thank partners: Raging Bull Motorsports, Inventory Sales Company, Sparco, K&N Filters, Scribner Plastics, Allstar Performance, Sunoco Race Fuels and Star Racing Supply.

 

3-26-10 American Chaves Impresses in Italian F3 Testing

Reigning Formula BMW Americas champion among leaders in two-day run at Autodromo di Vallelunga

Young American Gabby Chaves made a strong first impression in the Italian Formula 3 Championship this week (March 22-23) with a standout performance in testing at the Autodromo di Vallelunga, located just outside Rome. The Eurointernational rookie was among the leaders in both days of action, posting times on par with series veterans despite having never previously seen the track or having run the new Mygale M-10 chassis in race trim.

In preparation for his inaugural season European junior formula car competition, Chaves and the Eurointernational team traveled to the Autodromo di Vallelunga to take part in a collective private test, which featured the leading teams in the Italian Formula 3 Championship. The highly-rated American teenager, going head-to-head against drivers with a great deal more experience, immediately made his presence felt. Chaves quickly came to grips with his Euointernational prepared Mygale M-10 chassis and the spec Kumho racing slicks, which were being utilized by all the teams for the first time during the two-day test. Chaves impressive first run in full race trim resulted in the second fastest time of the day (1:30.315), less than four tenths of a second off the quickest time.

Returning to the 2.538-mile road course one day later – the track which will host Rounds 11 and 12 of the series, Chaves continued his impressive run of form. Despite being a single-car effort, the reigning Formula BMW Americas champion was regularly able to match or better those racers with previous series experience driving for leading multi-car squads. Showcasing his intentions to challenge for not only race wins in his rookie season, but also the championship title, Chaves ended the morning session P1 and finished the afternoon session with the fifth best overall time, only five tenths behind the leader.

“I am feeling more and more comfortable with the car and the developing of this new Mygale- M10,” stated Chaves. “Everything is going great so far. I have adjusted to these new tracks well and we will keep improving.”

Chaves and the Eurointernational now returns to its San Pietro Mosezzo base of operations – just outside of Milan – to continue preparations for the 2010 Italian Formula 3 Championship. The American standout is scheduled to take part in official series testing at the Misano World Circuit on April 13-14, prior to the season getting underway at the same facility on April 24-25.
 

3-22-10 Kathryn Cornell wins Two, in round 2, at Pro Kart North
Story & Photo By Race Media Group

Kathryn Cornell made a strong surge in late 2009 picking up wins while setting fast times. The momentum from last season has carried over into 2010. After early success at the Pro Kart North opener with solid strong runs, Cornell was determined to capture wins early in the new season, and her recent results at the Pro Kart Challenge North series displayed Kathryn’s tough Focus in ultimate success….WINS!

Friday Practice consisted of a wet track and rain fall providing different track conditions forcing the teams to prepare for quick Chassis changes in the Saturday Morning Practice sessions. Cornell was running two Karts for the day, providing twice the work, twice the panic, and twice the focus to align the chassis changes and handling characteristics to the fast changing track conditions as the competitors laid down new rubber on the rained on green track surface.

The quick changes made through practice with the help of Extreme Motorsports placed Kathryn at the top of the charts in HPV-2. Cornell carried that speed into Qualifying with fast lap to start pole in the first heat race and four tenths on the field. In the first Heat race Kathryn Cornell made a statement proving she was the driver to beat in HPV-2 with a solid Win, however in Heat two Problems for Cornell put her second at the finish, yet still with the fastest lap of the race. In the early laps of the final, it was clear the problems she experienced earlier in the day were repaired, and Cornell drove to victory in the HPV-2 category once again with the fastest lap.

Cornell’s work wasn’t finished, as she had one more category to capture a win, TAG Jr, and it ended up challenging all of her skills as a driver. In the first practice Cornell recorded the third fastest lap and backed it up in qualifying with a 3^rd place starting position and a third place finish in the first heat.  In the second heat Cornell found the setup in the Tag kart leading much of the race, unfortunate mechanical problems caught up to her Extreme Machine and put her on the sidelines of the second heat with a DNF, more unfortunate of the last starting spot in the field for Final and some tough work ahead for the young Norcal Pilot. As the race progressed Kathryn made quick work of the slower karts and had caught the leader by halfway. A battle of the leaders ensued with several lead changes. The two young pilots put on a display of close racing without giving each an inch more then what was needed. Racing to the checkered, it was a drag race to the line with Cornell getting the victory for the second of the day.

Cornell rolled into Pro Kart North Round 2 looking to capture two victories, and the hard work in preparation paid off. Next for Kathryn is the North American Pro Tour where she will compete with the top West Coast drivers at Infineon raceway. Kathryn Cornell Motorsports is in partnership with Extreme Motorsports, Leading Edge Motorsports, and Race Media Group. Track support and Tuning Provided by Extreme Motorsports, Engine Power and Intrepid Chassis development provided by Leading Edge Motorsports, and Media development and racing Promotions Provided by RaceMediaGroup.com

3-22-10 Extreme Motorsports Wins at ProKart North Challenge

Extreme Motorsports again made a strong showing at round two of the SKUSA ProKart North Challenge event, in Sonoma, CA.  Tuned, coached, and supported by Extreme Motorsports, driver Kathryn Cornell, would once again be the junior driver to beat.  The Extreme Motorsports racing team was also proud to announce the addition of S4 driver, Andy Mewhirter. 

     Once again, wind and rain would prohibit Friday practice, calling for quick set-up and teamwork Saturday morning.  Kathryn Cornell and Extreme Motorsports tuner/coach, Bryan Eady, exhibited their ability to quickly adapt to conditions as Cornell qualified on pole in HPV-2.  Cornell went on to dominate heat number one in HPV, while separated fuel caused carburetion issues in heat two where she finished second.  To finish it off, the main event would be all Cornell, as she jumped out to the early lead and slowly pull away, going on to a dominating win.

     The always exciting Tag Junior class once again provided some of the best racing throughout the day.  Cornell qualified third and went on to finish third in heat number one.  After having taken over the lead on lap two in heat number two, Cornell would be forced to pull her Intrepid down pit lane as a detached air box forced her to retire.  Due to the air box situation in the final heat Cornell had to start the main event from last position.  Cornell was on a mission to the front, catching race leader Niki Luna just after the halfway mark.  Cornell and Luna would go on to put on what most considered the best race of the day, as they swapped the lead at least seven or eight times.  Having made the final pass with two to go, Cornell pressed on to a .037 second victory over Luna, scoring her second win of the day.

     Joining the Extreme team in the growing S4 class, Andy Mewhirter would make an impressive appearance in what was his first 125 race.  Having no laps on the track before Saturday morning, Mewhirter quickly adapted to the challenges of a 125 shifter.   Restricted by Friday’s rain, Mewhirter used qualifying and the two heat races as his practice sessions.  The main event would see Mewhirter up to the 2^nd spot in the S4 division and fourth over-all, before a loose floor pan forced him to retire on the white flag lap.

     Extreme Motorsports would like to thank S.K.U.S.A. and their staff for putting on another great day of racing!  We’d also like to say thank you to our customers who made for another fun day of racing.  To find out how you can become a part of the Extreme Motorsports team, contact us at www.extremegokarts.com.  Call (530)949-8975, or e-mail Steve at info@extremegokarts.com or Bryan at extreme30y@yahoo.com.  We look forward to seeing everyone at ProKart North Round three!

3-18-10 Italian Motors USA to sponsor IAME TaG class in the Red Line Oil Karting Championship

A new class has been added to the Red Line Oil Karting Championship line up this year.  The class is IAME TaG.  Unlike the past TaG classes that have run at the Jim Russell International Karting track at Infineon Raceway; this new class will focus on lowering the costs of running the popular Parilla Leopard engine.  Race #1 of the 2010 season is this coming Sunday, March 21.

To help support the racers, Italian Motors USA has stepped up to sponsor this class in 2010.  Italian Motors owner Claudio Valiante has contributed a new 2009 spec Parilla Leopard engine to be given away to a driver in the series.  Determination of how to present the engine prize has not yet been finalized but expect an announcement soon.  In addition, Italian Motors certificates for IAME parts will be given out at each race in the following amounts: 1st place, $50; 2nd place, $25; and 3rd place $15.

SPEC GEAR FORMULA ADDED AS SAVING MEASURE:

"The objective is to help make this TaG Parilla class less costly than in the past but yet have a competitive class that will bring back the fun of TaG racing" says series promoter Steve Cameron.  One of the ways is to use a spec gear/weight ratios that will help lower the RPMs the Parilla engine turns. The desired maximum RPM goal is 16,500 RPMs.  This has been used with good success at other series in the US and will be applied at the Red Line Oil Series for 2010.  After each race the spec gear formula will be evaluated to determine if improvements can be made to help achieve the lower RPM objective as well as to assure competitive racing.

The spec gear to be used for Race #1 will be as follows:

Kart/driver weight of 370#, spec gear to be 10-75 or 11-82

Kart/driver weight of 385#, spec gear to be 10-76 or 11-83

Kart/driver weight of 400#, spec gear to be 10-77 or 11-85

The sliding scale of the weights and gear allow drivers of various weights to compete with each other.  If the number of karts over 400# approaches 10 entries per race, a separate heavy class will be considered.

The IAME TaG class is open to Parilla Leopard engines only.  Older National Cup spec engines will be allowed to run as well as the more current stock spec 08 and 09 engines.  Tires will be Bridgestone YKC, fuel VP98 and oil to be Red Line Two Cycle Kart Oil.  Burris Hi-Rev Castor oil and YHC tires will be allowed for Race #1.

For more information on the IAME TaG class, contact race director Ric Shaw at racedirector-ric@hotmail.com

3-17-10 Top Kart Introduces the Flash Lightning Model & New 2010 Topkart Cadet!

Grand Products and Top Kart are excited to announce the launch of the 2010 Top Kart Flash Lightning model & New redesigned Cadet Chassis (Named Topkart Eagle the same chassis Zane Smith used to win the WKA Manufactures cup race in Comer 80 in Daytona).  The lightning model is Top Kart’s new kart along with the redesigned cadet that will be available in North America in late March or early April.

What makes the Flash Lightning model different than some karts is that the chassis is the exact same premier Flash frame that won the 2009 SuperNats in TaG Sr. and TaG Jr.  Also the same frame that won the 2009 CKI Tag Sr. Championship.   There is zero difference in the bends, tubing size, or material.  It comes with a 50mm axle, 2010 caster/camber pills, OEM Topkart Wheels, 2008 bodywork, and a factory decal kit.  The main differences are 20mm chrome spindles from 25mm, front and rear aluminum hubs, metal real bumper, non-quarter padded seat, and the 2008 brake system.

As a bonus, anyone purchasing the Flash Lightning or Topkart Eagle Cadet model will have the ability to purchase at a cost of $175.00 the New 2010 Topkart Team suit at a special price. (Normal cost of the suit is $250.00)

The Flash Lightning kart will retail at $3350.00 as described above or $3495.00 with the same options but with a plastic rear Righetti Ridolphi rear bumper.  The chassis will suit the KPV, Yamaha, Rotax, PRD, Tag & KF markets in club, regional & National level applications.

“Karting has become very expensive and it is not getting any cheaper, With that we are very excited to introduce the Flash Lightning into the North American market and believe in making our premier kart available to the masses at a cost that is affordable is a direction we should be going, Topkart in Italy understands this and has been very cooperative in making this available to us to support our market in North America with price and the ability to still use our premier line of equipment”

To find the nearest Top Kart dealer in your area, please visit www.grandproducts.com.  Look for Team Top Kart USA drivers using the Flash Lightning & Eagle Cadet Chassis in the coming months.

3-16-10 LeDuc and Giebler Impress in Exciting Prokart Challenge North Battles
Photos by Tony Leone

Perfect weather on race day changes outlook after raining practice

After rain and wind kept the drivers of the ProKart Challenge North series in their trailers during the Fridays available practice day, they emerged ready for battle when Saturday dawned sunny and cool at the Jim Russell International Karting Center. As the temperature rose through the day, so did the excitement on the racetrack, as the Infineon Raceway facility provided the perfect venue for some close racing including two of the races which were decided by less than four hundredths of a second. In the closest race of the day, Phil Giebler won over a strong TaG Senior class when he nipped Bobby Kelley by a scant 0.008 seconds in a drag race to the line. In the S1 Pro Stock Moto class, Nic LeDuc scored his first PKC gearbox win by holding off a charging Brett Buckwalter at the end of the 20-lap run.

LeDucs emergence in the PKC North program will put his name in the hat for the race win at the upcoming SKUSA SpringNationals, the opening round of the new Pro Tour. STA Racings LeDuc wasnt the primary contender for the win this past weekend, however, as Fritz Leesmann was certainly the man to beat. The Aluminos driver qualified on the pole ahead of Buckwalter by three tenths, and proceeded to score wins in both heat races to remain on the front row for the main. After getting off the line slowly and dropping to fourth, Leesmann worked his way back to the lead. It was not to last, however, as a broken shift arm put him on the sidelines, opening the door to the remainder of the field. Cameron Kartings Buckwalter would assume the point, but LeDuc had worked into the challenge position and eventually took over the top spot before stretching a small advantage. Buckwalter would pick up the pace over the final laps, but came up just short, taking second to LeDuc. Tommy Thompson came out of a hard-fought battle for third with the final podium position, finishing ahead of Jason Toft and Brad Dunford.

In S2, Matt Alcorn was following Leesmanns lead, sweeping qualifying and both heat races as he ran just behind all seven S1 drivers who were in the same race group. The tone of Alcorns day would match Leesmanns, as an errant airbox brought out the meatball flag, taking him out of the lead and eliminating what would have been a sure victory. This advanced the thrilling battle for second into a fight for the win, as Jared Woolf and Cameron Pringle were running nose-to-tail. Pringle would eventually come out on top to score his first PKC win, finishing ahead of Woolf and Cambrians Jamie Wilson . Rocky Mountain Kartworks drivers Cole MacEwen and Christian Bird rounded out the top-five. In the S5 Stock Moto Junior class, Daniel Langon was awarded the win after Christian Schureman was docked a position for jumping the start.

The S4 Stock Moto Master category attracted 12 drivers to Infineon, and Jeff Smith was the class of the field, sweeping the days events. In the main, however, Alex Keith showed that he had dialed in his chassis, matching Smiths pace through the 20-lap event. Keith stuck with Smith throughout the race but could never challenge, eventually crossing the stripe in second. Jim Inglebright would finish third, ahead of Andrew Mewhirter and Mike McDonough, who had trekked in from Colorado for the race.

The TaG Senior race was one of the best of the day, as Giebler was magnificent in coming from the tail of the field after a heat two DNF. The day began with Dave Harwin and JP Cadoux leading the way in qualifying. Jess Peterson would join the party in the first heat as he and Harwin scrapped for the win, but the rematch would not happen in second moto as Harwin was out on the warm-up lap with a mechanical issue. Attrition claimed Giebler, Cadoux and Fraser as well, putting fast drivers at both ends of the main event grid with Peterson starting on pole thanks to his heat two victory. Position Ones Bobby Kelley and Devin Lindsey were also in the front two rows, joined by Jordan Jadallah. As the final got started, a turn one incident put Fraser and Cadoux to the back and also advanced Giebler into the top 10. Over the next 20 laps, Giebler reeled in the lead group, expertly working his way forward to Kelley, who had assumed control of the race. As each driver turned great laps, Giebler proved to have the edge as he inched closer. The veteran would take over the lead heading into turn one on lap 17, but Kelley took it right back in the right-hander after the Tic-Tac-Toe section of the track, making a big statement in the process. Giebler would make one last-ditch effort heading to the checkered flag, nipping his young rival by just 0.008 seconds at the line. Jadallah would take third ahead of Lindsey and Harwin, while Fraser was able to recover to sixth. Petersons solid day came to a close on lap eight, when he retired with a mechanical issue.

The TaG Junior race was thrilling as well. Kathryn Cornell and Niki Luna were the first to battle to a photo finish, finishing up what was an incredible main event dice that featured multiple overtaking maneuvers each lap. Luna topped qualifying with a 53.415-second lap to sit at the top of the chart over Deven Sanchez, and he would then go on to sweep the heat races to start on the pole for the main. The race quickly became a two-kart battle, and both Luna and Cornell would take several turns up front. On the final lap, Luna sat in second and timed a run coming out of the final corner, pulling to the outside of Cornell at the stripe. The CRG would come up just short, as Cornell won by 0.037 seconds. Jack Freese would complete the podium in third, ahead of Austin Keller and Austin Thomas .

TaG Master was all Craig Corwin on this day, as he qualified on pole and won all three races. Ethan Wilson tried to match Corwin with some strong starts, but he would need to settle for second on this outing. In the main, Jeff Deehan finished up in third, but not after being chased by Peter Workum, who turned the fastest lap of the race in his pursuit of a podium finish. Paul Hohlbein rounded out the top-five.

The final class of the day was HPV2 Junior, where Kathryn Cornell scored her second win of the weekend topping Jack Freese and Jonny Norris for the top step of the podium.

Throughout the day, the buzz around the paddock centered on the upcoming SKUSA Pro Tour, which will invade Infineon Raceway on the April 16-18 weekend. SKUSA received entry confirmation from a majority of the drivers in the paddock, and they are now expecting 20+ competitors in a majority of the nine classes on the dance card. The PKC North series will take the month of April off to support the SpringNationals, but they will return on April 30 May 1, heading back to the Jim Russell International Karting Center for round three. The SKUSA crew will first head to the Grange Motor Circuit for the third round of the ProKart Challenge South on March 26-27.

3-26-10 Pole in Young Guns and Top Ten in Socal Focus Midgets For Clark

16 year-old Jessica Clark had a wild weekend competing at Havasu 95 Speedway in Lake Havasu, AZ, claiming a pole position in the USAC Ford Focus Young Guns and earning an eighth place finish in the USAC SoCal Pavement Ford Focus Midgets.

Clark, driving for both Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle and Jessica Clark Racing, is running full-time in the USAC SoCal Pavement Ford Focus Midget series. She opened up that campaign Saturday by qualifying fourth out of 16 cars around the quarter-mile asphalt oval.

A serious accident for Jessica in the JCR #44 in the heat race forced her to take the controls of the RSWC #8 car for the feature. Clark navigated a busy race track over the 40 lap feature to come home eighth and recover for a solid points day.

Clark’s biggest accomplishment of the weekend was her qualifying effort in the RSWC #8 car for the Young Guns series. Clark showed her growth in her second year driving for Ron Sutton, by taking the pole at over two tenths of a second faster than her nearest competitor.

“Jessica has come a long way in only four races,” said Driver Coach Ron Sutton. “Last year we only ran her in three races, but she learned super quick and was running up front by the end of the season. She will one to watch for wins this season.”

The Westlake High School student will hope to take a repaired #44 entry into I-10 Speedway in Blythe, Calif. for this weekend’s races. The races are again a combination between the SoCal, Western, and Utah regional points series and should have another full-field in action.

Jessica Clark and Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle want to thank sponsors K&N Filters, Scribner Plastics, Allstar Performance, Inventory Sales Company, Sunoco Race Fuels and Star Racing Supply.

 

3-15-10 Welcome to the 2010 Red Line Oil Karting Championship

It has been a crazy winter of discussions, but I am excited with the changes in the Rotax/80 Shifter/TaG program for 2010 and very happy to have Steve Cameron stepping in, taking over the reins and promoting the series for the next few years. Steve is looking forward to meeting with all the racers at the March 21st Drivers Meeting and throughout the race day.

Click the links for the Race Day Schedule and Registration Form for the March 21st Race #1.

Due to the very recent changes in the promoter structure, there are a lot of changes that I need to communicate to all of you to help you through some of the changes. The change in the promoter role is much more than just a new name. Steve has been working non-stop on a number of critical issues such as securing event insurance, lining up Red Line Oil to be the series sponsor, working with Rotax on transition issues in the Rotax Administrator role, searching for new awards vendors, writing up specs for the new IAME TaG class and of course learning all that goes into putting on a race event. But Steve's and my commitment is to make the 2010 season not only just as enjoyable and competitive as the past years, but to work to make things even better as we go through the year.

There are going to be some required changes to help get 2010 off to a good start and insure that it can stand on it's own:

1. Entry fee will remain the same at $100, but the transponder rental fee will be set at $10 this year since the series will have to rent transponders to make them available to all the racers who do not have them.

2. With new insurance coverage in 2010, all non-racers will have to be covered by insurance, thus all non-racers will have to buy a Pit Pass this coming year. Pit Passes will cost $10 for those 12 and over and $5 for those 11 and under.

3. Race morning registration will be done different this year. It will be done at the old Russell building that is located to the right side prior to the Main Infineon gate. This means you will pull over into the large area to the right of the Main gate, get out and register with Tina, Jasmine and me, sign everyone in, get your wrist bands, then go through the Main Infineon gate and up to the karting track. You will then be greeted by someone who will help you get into a good pit spot.

4. Red Line Oil will be the sponsored oil for the series in 2010, but due to the last minute announcement some flexibility will be allowed for at least the first race. For 80 shifters and IAME TaG classes, Red Line Oil and Burris Hi-Rev Castor will be the only oil used for Race #1. For the Rotax classes, Motul and Red Line Oil will be allowed for the first race. The Red Line Oil that is speced for the series is the "Two-Cycle Kart Oil". This will be available at the track on March 20th. Expect that by Race #2, Red Line could be the only oil used for the series. For Race #1, the Red Line karting oil will be offered at Race Registration at a discount to allow everyone to try the Red Line Oil.

4. The fuel for Race #1 will be VP98 for Rotax and IAME TaG and VP110 for the 80 shifters. The Rotax racers can expect a change to VP93 early on in the 2010 season thus bringing the Nor Cal Rotax Challenge in line with the other major Rotax series in the country and the US Rotax Max Challenge (USRMC) spec.


5. Rotax membership will be required for all drivers in the six nationally recognized Rotax classes. This is a new requirement by USRMC, but is in line with most other series such as ProKart and IKF which require membership to participate. A one race grace period for new racers just trying the series will be allowed. The USRMC membership fee has been lowered in 2010 to $35, but don't expect a free t-shirt this year. It is easiest to join Rotax by going on-line to sign up. Paper membership forms will also be available at the track. To sign up for a Rotax membership, go to www.rotaxmaxchallenge.com.


6. The weights for the 80 Shifter and IAME TaG classes are as follows:
Formula 80 360#
80 Masters 375#
80 Heavy 400#
IAME TaG 370# Spec Gear/Weight
All the 80 Shifter classes will run in the same race group until the numbers get too large and make for an unsafe race situation.

The specs for the IAME TaG class are still being written, but all past Nor Cal "National Cup" spec engines as well as stock spec IKF/TaG USA engines will be allowed to run. The main objective of this class is to have a place for the many Parilla engines to run and be competitive. Stay tuned for more information on this new class.

Well, that is all for now. The start of the 2010 season is only about a week away. I am looking forward to seeing many of you again and looking forward to putting on some great races for all the Rotax, 80 Shifter and IAME TaG drivers.

Any questions, just email me at: racedirector-ric@hotmail.com

Thanks,

Ric Shaw
Race Director

 

3-11-10 Superkarts USA Announces Pro Tour Awards Program

New prize package confirmed at over $80,000 for national program debut

With the opening round of their new Pro Tour just five weeks away, Superkarts! USA officials have put the finishing touches on the prize package that they have assembled for the series. With a prize payout total worth more than $80,000, the cash segment of the program features both event purse money for all three races and a year-end championship prize fund for the top drivers in S1 and TaG Senior. SKUSA is also offering supported entry into this years SuperNationals for the mid-season point leaders in TaG Junior and TaG Master, and paid entry into the entire 2011 Pro Tour for all nine class champions. SKUSA will also bring back the popular national number plates, and will offer up a very lucrative prize in the shape of guaranteed SuperNationals main event starting positions for the top-five in points heading into the biggest race of the year. The new TaG Cadet class is also in the prize mix with new Mini Rok engines being offered up to weekend event winners, leading up to a fully supported trip to the Rok International Finale for the category champion. The chase for these exciting offerings will begin at the SpringNationals at Infineon Raceway in mid-April, and as such, SKUSA is also pleased to release the host hotel information, which will no doubt be the epicenter of off-track action during the opener.

The Pro classes on SKUSAs new national tour S1 and TaG Senior will run for a weekend total of $3,500 in prize money at all three events. Each class will be awarded $1750 to the top three drivers in the overall cumulative point standings for the weekend. SKUSA President Tom Kutscher will present $1000, in cash, to the overall point winner in each class during the Sunday afternoon podium presentations. Second and third will receive $500 and $250, respectively. A championship point fund will be accumulated from race-to-race, and cash awards will be distributed to the top-three in the point standings for both S1 and TaG Senior. A drivers accumulated points from all five Pro Tour events will determine the final standings. The champion will receive $5000, while second and third will be awarded $2000 and $1000, respectively.

All of SKUSAs nine national champions will be supported in 2011 with special sponsorship for the next Pro Tour season. This years title winners will be provided with complimentary non-transferrable entries for the 2011 Pro Tour, including the SuperNationals. To commemorate and honor their champions, SKUSA will be bringing back the prestigious National Number Plate program as well, providing special number plates to the top-three drivers in the final championship points in all nine classes.

As always, SKUSA will actively work to assemble product from series sponsors to distribute to racers following podium presentations as per ProKart Challenge standards. A list of the prizes that will be available for those attending the podium presentations will include Mothers Polish products, MG Tires and VP Fuel, as well as products from any interested future providers.

SKUSA will be including a very lucrative benefit to the top drivers in Pro Tour points heading into the SuperNationals. In any of the classes that will be opened to 80 entries for this years SuperNats, such as TaG Senior, the top-five drivers in Pro Tour points after the SummerNationals will be rewarded with guaranteed starting positions in the main event on SuperSunday. Should they not make the main following the heat races or the Last Chance Qualifier, they will start at the tail of the grid from 41st to 45th in the order of where they sit in the Pro Tour points. The SuperNats will also be the focus of a special program for TaG Junior and TaG Master drivers. For this years Pro Tour, the point leader in both classes following the first two double-race weekends (SpringNationals and SummerNationals) will receive a full support package at the SuperNats, including entry fee, two sets of race tires, fuel and oil. These drivers will need to have turned at least one lap in both the SpringNationals and SummerNationals to be eligible for the support package.

Special awards for the new season are focused on low-budget privateers and SKUSAs new category: TaG Cadet. In the new Privateer Support Program, Superkarts! USA will be developing a special support offering for privateers that travel to compete on the Pro Tour. At the SpringNationals in Sonoma, SKUSA will hand-select a driver to receive a support package for the SummerNationals in Shawano that will include a complimentary entry fee and pit spot, as well as a gas company gift card to offset travel costs. This package is worth more than $700. Thanks to a new partnership with Vortex, SKUSA and the engine manufacturer will award the overall TaG Cadet winner of each of the first two weekends a brand new Mini Rok 60 engine for their efforts. The class champion will be given a partially supported trip to the 2011 ROK Cup International Final. This support package includes the event entry fee, a complete and new (OTK) chassis with engine to use for the race, tires for the race, one set of practice tires, fuel and hotel stay for the driver (four nights). This driver will be representing SKUSA on the world stage.

With this attractive prize program now outlined, the SKUSA operations team can begin final approach on Infineon, prepped to launch the most ambitious program since Tom and Patti Kutscher took over the reigns of the company in 2005. SKUSA will be basing its SpringNationals operations at the Embassy Suites in San Rafael, CA, the events host hotel. Information can be accessed via http://www.sanrafael.embassysuites.com, and more details will be posted on the SKUSA website shortly. Race registration/check-in will be offered at the hotel throughout the day and evening on Thursday, April 15th, and the SpringNationals Welcome Party will take place in the hotels bar area during and following the Managers Reception, complete with an interactive edition of eKartingNews.coms Trackside Live show featuring interviews with assorted Pro Tour competitors. SKUSA will also present its popular AfterParty on Sunday evening at the hotel, so that the racing community can celebrate an exciting weekend of competition.

Our planning for the first-ever SpringNationals is moving very quickly and my whole staff is pumped for this race; were really going to blow it out, offers Tom Kutscher, SKUSA President. The Infineon venue is one of the most beautiful in the country and the track is stellar, and we will be running it backwards, which we believe is the best way to enjoy the layout. Our new affiliation with the Embassy Suites is going to allow us to bring so much more to the event on the whole, and Im looking forward to the Welcome Party on Thursday night so that we can show our racers how thrilled we are that they have come to race with us!

From our initial conversations with our membership and our valued race shop partners, I expect that were going to be seeing 20+ entries in a majority of the Pro Tour classes, Kutscher continued. The Stock Moto classes are particularly exciting, and were counting on a strong line-up of TaG drivers as well. Our new TaG Cadet class has already exploded, as all 10 of the complimentary motors are already spoken for, and based on the response, I think we could see over 20 entries at the first race. Thats awesome!

The SKUSA Pro Tour begins on the April 16-18 weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA. The events will all feature a three-day format with practice on Friday and complete race days on Saturday and Sunday with qualifying, heat races and a main. Any companies interested in event or class sponsorship opportunities are asked to contact the SKUSA head office at 951-491-0808.

3-23-10 Pigot Exits Sebring With Two Podiums and Skip Barber National Championship Lead

Floridian extends podium run to four races at famed Sebring 12 Hours event

 Spencer Pigot continued his early season pursuit of the BF Goodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda title this past week (March 18-19) with a pair of podium finishes in Rounds Three and Four at Sebring International Raceway. The superb runs at the famed Sebring 12 Hour event not only re-affirmed his place as a rising star in the junior formula car ranks, but they also ensured that he exited the opening races in Florida with the championship lead.

Given that the 16 year-old Pigot had previously found success at the historic Sebring road course – winning the 2009 Skip Barber Karting Shootout – many were expecting a strong run from the talented young racer. Pigot quickly lived up to those expectations, turning the quickest time in unofficial lapping sessions on Tuesday. That trend continued one-day later when the event officially got underway, as Pigot yet again posted the fastest time in the lone practice run of the event.

When Pigot returned to the cockpit of MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development/Skip Barber/Sparco USA car on Thursday morning for Round Three qualifying, he was confident that he could challenge for the pole position. Things did not go quite according to plan, however, as the combination of traffic and his car’s set-up meant that the teenager was unable to match his times from the previous two days, earning a fourth place starting position for the opening race of the doubleheader later in the day.

Pigot was well aware that a clean start would be the key to a strong run, and he got just that when the green flag waved on Thursday afternoon, slotting into the middle of the lead pack. Running fast consistent laps around the 3.7-mile road course, the Floridian never stayed more than a few car lengths from the lead, ensuring that he would be part of the expected last-lap battle for the win. Pigot made his final move exiting the last turn on the final lap and came up just short in the drag race to the checkered flag, earning his third consecutive podium finish by a mere 0.126s in second place.

Pigot promptly built on this success when the on-track action resumed on Friday morning, as the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver was among those battling for the Round Four pole position in qualifying. Unfortunately, a red flag situation arose when two cars collided in turn one, resulting in the session being shortened with Pigot ending the run in third place.

With friends and family cheering him on, it immediately became apparent that the multiple karting champion would be part of the battle for the win once again when the green flag waved for Round Four after the lunch break. As the order within the top-five rotated lap after lap, it once again came down to strategy and positioning to determine who would emerge with the victory. Pigot’s chances at the win vanished on the final lap, however, as a heated battle for second contested by six drivers allowed the race leader to break the draft and pull away to the win. Pigot was able to emerge from the fight for position near the front, crossing the stripe in third place, extending his podium run to four. More importantly, the result ensured Pigot exited his home state continuing to lead championship standings.

“We were hoping for at least one win this weekend but unfortunately it was not to be,” stated Pigot. “We made a set up change before the start of the second race, but the track conditions changed and ended up with major oversteer. However, I am happy to come away from Sebring with second and third positions and a seven point lead in the championship going into VIR. As always thanks to my driver coach, Jonatan Jorge, MazdaSpeed, Skip Barber,Sparco USA and my personal sponsors Parathyroid.com, California Scents, Lott-O-Lawyer.Com and Silver Knight Racing.”

Pigot now has a break of just over a month before the BF Goodrich/Skip Barber National Presented by Mazda season continues at Virginia International Raceway on April 24-25. Entering Rounds Five and Six, the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver leads the championship fight by seven points (128-121).

3-10-10 Region 11 Super Series turns Kinsmen into the ultimate Battle Field
Story & Photos By: RaceMediaGroup.com

The IKF Region 11 Super Series passed through Kinsmen Kart club in Dixon Ca. for Round two of the six race series. After kicking off the season opener with an eye opening performance by the newly formed NCTA board of directors leading the Norcal Karters at Blue Max Kart club, the major question surrounding the series was whether the series was on its way back to hosting the high Kart count with tough competition like years past, or if it was just another opening round crowded kart race that would soon dwindle to only Championship point contenders later in the season.

The questions were answered Sunday morning when the number of entries came in and Kinsmen Kart Club and NCTA had not only lived up to the hype from the first race, but they raised the bar with raising the kart count from the opening round by nearly 30 entries and changed the attitude of the competitors by hosting a popular BBQ the night before. The feeling in the air Sunday morning was excitement; as the clear blue sky and sunshine combined with crowded pits brought back the feeling of the good old days of fierce competition and fun while competing for Bragging rights. If there is one Region in the country filled with more talent and side-by-side driving, Its Northern California!

First up on the track was Kid Karts and Zach Corbitt picked up where he left off at Blue Max and grabbed fast time in qualifying with a lap of 42.626. Corbitt would absorb some trouble in the heat race on lap two and Emmick Cobra's Stephen Daniel would get the win to start pole for the big race. Daniel would jump to the lead on the start of the final with Corbitt flanked on the last row. Corbitt got the start he needed to pick off the others early, and with a stellar drive on the first few laps Zach Corbitt grabbed the lead on the second lap. Corbitt walked away with it winning by 21.104 seconds. Daniel was second, Tomas Mejia third.

The 21 kart field of Jr Comer took to the track and Hunter Corbitt laid down a flying lap of 33.209 to grab fast time. The heat race had Cambrian Go Karts Danny Rubino flexing his muscles to grab the lead several times after being challenged by any one of the top seven karts in the lead pack. Two laps to go Davey Manthei Jr took the lead for good to start pole in the Main. Rubino went to the point on the start of the Final looking as if he was the man to beat. Halfway through the race Rubino and Cambrian Go karts Justin Yanez got together ending the race for an unhappy Yanez. Blaine Rocha coming from the eighth starting position to run down Rubino and take the lead. Rocha would power away to the win. Rubino would get set back behind Yanez moving up Tyler Burk and Joseph LaRosa to complete the top three.

Jr 2 Yamaha Super-pipe was on track and Luis Tyrrell took pole with a 31.157. Tyrrell looked tough early driving to a big lead but late in the heat JR Raczko's Kart came in as he ran down Luis to the finish on his rear bumper. Raczko would jump to the lead on the start of the final with Tyrrell lurking. Late in the race Tyrrell pulled the trigger for the winning pass on JR, however the two made contact sending Tyrrell seep into the infield and Raczko limping his kart to the finish with bent everything. Emmick Cobra's Harrison Mills got his first IKF win with Raczko second and Zach Maclean third.

In the 80 Shifter Divisions MMI's Chuck Hastings made the sweep in the Masters division for the win with Mat Kattanek second and John Espinor third, while Davey mead made his return to a Kart after a year long break. His rust showed with the a stall on the start of the heat sending him to the tail end of the field. Leading Edge's Jared Woolf took advantage of winning the final by a 4 second gap.

Sr Yamaha Superipe was up next and Emmick Cobra's Clayton Snow qualified fast time with a 31.416. Snow rolled to victory in the heat, however Leading Edge's Brett Felkins was on the move from the back due to a Technical DQ in qualifying. On the start of the Final Felkins went to the point with Snow in tow. As the race progressed Felkins began to gap Snow while things began to heat up further back. Felkins got the win with Snow in second, Fastech's Taylor Young got moved up to third after Leading Edge's Bryan Gallagher was removed from Post Race Tech.

The 21 Kart Field of HPV-1 was next to do battle and Cambrian Go kart's Danny Rubino grabbed fast time with a 32.404. Rubino looked to be the man to beat in the heat cruising to the win. On the start of the Final Rubino pulled out front to the lead only to relinquish it a few laps later to Tyler Burk. Burk pulled out to a lead and held it through the race for the win. Cambrian Go Kart's Justin Yanez pulled a pass on Rubino late to move into second leaving Rubino for third.

Tag Sr was on track and the premier Sr division laid down some quick laps. Leading Edge's Troy Diede qualified pole with a time of 29.804. Diede looked strong in the heat showing his power. On the start of the Final Neil Alberico jumped to the point to lead Diede around the Dixon. As the race progressed it was evident that Diede’s power plant gave him the advantage as Troy would pace Alberico lifting to half throttle down the straight. With about five laps to go Deide made his move making the pass down into turn one. Alberico would drive everything he had but didn’t have enough for Diede. Troy Diede earned his first IKF win! Alberico was second with Cambrian Go Kart's Brandon Eggert third.

The 125 Stock Moto Class continues to grow resulting in some of the best racing in the series. Leading Edge's Code Diede grabbed pole with a lap of 28.946. Adam Booker would jump to the lead on the start of the heat driving to an easy victory. On the start of the main Adam Booker again got the hole shot and ran to an easy five second victory. Cambrian Go Kart's Jamie Wilson came home second with Cambrian Go Kart's Jereme Abshire getting the third.

Last on the day was HPV-2 and Bordogna's Ian Fryer grabbed fast time with a quick lap of 30.805. Austin Elliott got the lead from off pole on the start. Elliott looked to be the man to beat on the day driving to a 2.5 second victory in the heat. On the start of the final it was Fryer with the hole shot with Elliott falling to second. Right away Leading Edge's Jarred Campbell looked to be strong as he made quick work of Fryer and went to the point. Campbell would pull to a one second lead and hold it til the checkered flew to get the win. Fryer was second with Elliot third.

The next stop for the IKF Region 11 Super Series is April 11th at the Stockton Motorplex for Round 3 of the six race series. The series has caught the eye of many out of state Racers and is expecting a big turnout from Drivers from Southern Ca as well as many from Oregon and Washington. For more Information on the Region 11 IKF Super Series visit the Official Series website www.NorcalKarters.com photos are posted on scribnerracingpromotions.zenfolio.com

 

3-23-10 De Phillippi Earns Valuable Points and Experience in Star Mazda Debut

MAZADSPEED Motorsports Development driver finished seventh in his first race with defending series champions

American Connor De Phillippi officially commenced his Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear campaign this past week (March 19) at the opening round of the series, which was held at Sebring International Raceway as part of the famed Sebring 12-Hour event. The highly regarded junior formula car racer enjoyed his series debut and exited the Florida season-opener with valuable points and experience thanks to a solid seventh place result.

A little over a month after an impressive debut with JDC MotorSports during official pre-season testing, De Phillippi was back behind the wheel at the historic Sebring International Raceway for the Star Mazda Championship season-opener. The Californian immediately displayed his intentions to challenge for top honors in pre-event testing, turning a fast time under the current lap record en route to fourth overall in the session. Focusing on finding the ideal race setup for the fast and bumpy road course, the afternoon session saw De Phillippi continuing to post quick times, although he was not able to better his morning effort.

Returning to the cockpit of his No. 11 MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development/Justice Brothers/Sparco/Rock View Farms/Oakley/Power Balance/Redline Athletics/Red Line Oil JDC MotorSports entry one day later, both practice sessions proved frustrating for the talented teenager. Battling handling issues throughout the day, De Phillippi was unable to match the increased pace of the front-runners, falling outside the top-10 for the first time. This trend unfortunately continued on Thursday in the lone qualifying session. Battling to get the most from his JDC MotorSports entry throughout the 45-minute session, De Phillippi ended with the 10th quickest time, earning a fifth-row start position for his series debut.

Although he was not able to lay down the qualifying effort that he was looking for, De Phillippi entered Round One confident that he could make his mark. The 17 year-old Californian got a good launch from his first-ever Star Mazda standing start and the MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development driver immediately began working his way forward. Making the most of every opportunity around the 3.7-mile road course, De Phillippi found himself involved in a heated multi-car dice for fifth through eighth place. He battled for position throughout the 21-lap affair, displaying a great mix of patience and aggression. In the end, De Phillippi crossed the stripe in seventh, gaining both valuable points and experience in his Star Mazda Championship debut.

“Overall, it was a big learning week for both myself and the team,” said De Phillippi. “At times it seemed to be a bit of an uphill battle, but in the end we produced the best result we could with what we had for the race. I'm really looking forward to St. Pete, and building on everything we learned at Sebring.”

The 2010 Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear resumes for De Phillippi and JDC MotorSports this coming weekend (March 27-28), with Round Two taking place on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla., in conjunction with the IndyCar Series. The talented Californian enters the event third in the chase for Rookie of the Year honors and seventh overall in the championship fight.

 

3-16-10 JDC Motorsports Fires Up title defence at Sebring

Four-car effort features two veterans and two junior formula car champions
JDC MotorSports will commence its title defense of the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear late this week (March 18), when the opening round of the series takes place at Sebring International Raceway as part of the famed 12 Hours of Sebring event. The Minnesota-based race team enters the season well positioned to win a third series title, with series veterans Caio Lara and Gerry Kraut being joined throughout the 2010 race season by highly rated rookies Connor De Phillippi and Chris Miller. A little over a month after a strong showing in the lone official Star Mazda Championship pre-season test at Sebring, the quartet of JDC MotorSports drivers will return to the historic road course to begin their pursuit of a championship title.

For Lara, the 2010 campaign marks the second year of a successful partnership with JDC MotorSports. The Brazilian will once again pilot the No. 19 MLD/ATW/Molecule/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry. Lara was a front-runner throughout the season one year ago, finishing inside the top-10 in all but two races en route to eighth in the final series standings. Given that Lara narrowly missed the podium in his inaugural race with the team one year ago at Sebring, many are expecting big things from the JDC driver in both the season-opener and throughout the 14-race campaign.

Kraut returns to JDC this season not only as a team co-owner, but also as one of the early favorites for the Masters Series title (for drivers 45 years of age and older). Driving the No. 55 Dougherty & Co./Dougherty Funding LLC/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports, Kraut has won numerous Masters Series races over the past few years, finishing as the class runner-up last year. The Minnesota native led the class in pre-season testing and enters Round One confident that he can better his runner-up Masters Series finish in last year’s edition of the traditional season-opener.

Thanks in large part to backing from Mazda via its MAZASPEED Motorsports Development program, De Phillippi is expected to be a key component in JDC’s pursuit of back-to-back Star Mazda Championship titles. The Californian will get behind the wheel of No. 11 MAZDASPEED Motorsports Development/Justice Brothers/Sparco/Rock View Farms/Oakley/Power Balance/Reline Athletics Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry, as the reigning Skip Barber National series champion following a record setting seven-win season. Given his added success as a member of the Team USA program – winning the 2009 Walter Hayes Trophy Formula Ford race in England – and the fact he’s won the prestigious Superkarts USA! SuperNationals a record four times, many expect De Phillippi to not only challenge for Rookie of the Year honors, but also the championship title this year.

Miller makes it two reigning junior formula car champions under the JDC awning at Sebring. Piloting the No. 85 Miller Milling/Red Line Oil/JDC MotorSports entry, Miller takes to the central Florida race track for Round One as the reigning F2000 Championship Series champion following a series-high four-win campaign with JDC. Big things are expected of the Edina, MN, driver following his Star Mazda Champion debut in the final two races last year, and his continued progress in pre-season testing.

The on-track action for JDC MotorSports at Sebring International Raceway gets underway on March 16th, with a pair 40-minute practice sessions. Two additional practice sessions will be conducted one day later, followed by the lone qualifying session on Thursday morning (March 18). Round One of the Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear is scheduled to commence with the cars launching from a standing start at 12:45 p.m. local time on Friday (March 19).

3-8-10 Second Round of Prokart Challenge North Returns to Sonoma

March event to set the stage for regional championships and upcoming Superkarts! USA Pro Tour event at Infineon Raceway

 Looking to build upon the momentum of the 2010 opener, the ProKart Challenge North returns this month for the second event of the season at the Jim Russell International Karting Center. Located on the grounds of Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA the Superkarts! USA Northern California regional series will attack the 7/10-mile national circuit on March 12-13. With the organizations debut of the new SKUSA Pro Tour just around the corner April 16-18 this regional event will see a host of national contenders from outside the area looking to educate themselves on the facility and the MG Tires utilized in all Superkarts! USA events.

Included in the cast of guests for the second round of the ProKart Challenge North program is veteran karting announcer Rob Howden. The owner/publisher of eKartingNews.com was the official voice of SKUSA during its ProMoto Tour days, and now with the debut of the new Pro Tour, Howden will be in California to warm-up his voice for the April weekend.

The opening round for the PKC North program was good, but we expect round two to be even better, stated ProKart Challenge promoter and Superkarts! USA CEO Tom Kutscher. With our first SKUSA Pro Tour event scheduled for this facility next month, we have a number of outside competitors looking to grab some extra seat time before the April 16-18 weekend. SoCal, Colorado and the Midwest they are all coming here and I couldnt be more excited.

While some will be focused on preparing for the SKUSA Pro Tour event, a number of drivers will continue on as they have put their names in the bid for the season championship. The new S1 division for the Pro Stock Moto drivers is certainly going to see a number of hot contenders throughout the year. Fritz Leesmann was the man in round one as he outran Tommy Thompson an S3 frontrunner last year, as well as Brett Buckwalter the defending TaG Senior champion. A number of others are expected to battle it out in round two.

Everyone in S2 will be gunning for Matt Alcorn, who swept the action back in February. Alcorn will see challenges in the championship from former S4 driver Jared Woolf, as well as from a host of others. The TaG Senior division was the largest at the season opener, with veteran Larry Fraser scoring the feature win to lead the early championship chase. Dylan Lupton was Frasers closest challenge, with David Harwin getting into the mix as well. Jeff Smith and Deven Sanchez were the only other drivers to score maximum points at round one like Alcorn by sweeping their respective class proceedings. Smith, the PKC South S4 defending champion, shined in his 2010 debut while Deven Sanchez was perfect in his ProKart Challenge North debut in the TaG Junior category.

Ethan Wilson has converted from the G1 category to TaG Masters with ease, as he led the division throughout the opener to score the feature win. Peter Workum and defending champion Jeff Deehan will look to battle back at round two. Kathryn Cornell made the most of the first round as she recorded her best weekend in the HPV-2 Junior category, scoring the feature win after showing the way for most of the day. The S3 and S5 divisions made their series debut with Chris Yettito and Daniel Langon scoring the feature wins in their respective classes, with entries projected to grow in both categories as the season progresses.

The second round of the six-race PKC North championship will begin on March 12 with a practice day, with the track hot from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. A complimentary BBQ dinner will be offered directly following the on-track action. Race pre-registrations are currently being accepted, with racers able to save $35 on their entry fee by submitting an entry prior to midnight on March 10. SKUSA memberships will be mandatory for the event, and the downloadable forms or online registration are available on the new www.superkartsusa.com website. No reserved pit spots are required for this event. Camping and overnight parking of trailers on site will be permitted, starting Friday night at no charge. The EconoLodge in Novato (415.883.2406) is offering special pricing on rooms when mentioning ProKart Challenge at booking.

A live scoring feed as well as blogging will be available Saturday during the racing action. For more information on the round two including the tentative race day schedule or anything related to SKUSA and the ProKart Challenge, visit www.superkartsusa.com or call the SKUSA head office at 951-491-0808.

3-8-10 ProKart Challenge Nor Cal 2010 Championship Series Round 2 -- March 12-13 Jim Russell Int'l Karting Center/Infineon

Round 2 of the ProKart Challenge Nor Cal 6-event kart racing series will be held NEXT Saturday, Mar. 13th, at the Jim Russell Int'l Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA. A practice day will be held on Friday, Mar. 12th, from 9am to 5pm, with a complimentary BBQ dinner directly following. THIS RACE WILL BE A GREAT PRE-CURSOR TO THE PROTOUR SPRING NATIONALS NEXT MONTH! Complete details are available at our NEW WEBSITE www.superkartsusa.com, including an online store where you can pre-enter the event as well as purchase/renew your SKUSA membership, apply for your new racing license, purchase spec tires/fuel/oil, rent a transponder, order spectator pit passes, and more!

Event Entry: Pre-Entry Cut-off for this event is midnight this Wednesday, Mar. 10th. Enter before the cutoff and save $35 on your entry fees -- PLUS save yourself from standing in long lines at registration when you could be prepping your kart! Enter the event and purchase everything else you need thru the online shopping kart with a credit card or call 951-491-0808. You can also download, fill out and fax your entry/order to 951-491-0809, or mail it in with a check. NOTE: If you do not receive an email confirmation of your entry within 24 hours of submitting it, please call the PKC office: 951-491-0808.

PKC Classes to be run at this event, including our restructured Stock Honda program, are: S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, HVP-2 Jr, TaG Junior, TaG Senior, and TaG Master. Click here for the full 2010 class descriptions, and here for details on our new licensing program.

Other important Race Event Info:

Practice Day: Gates and Registration open on Friday, March 12th, at 7:00am. Fuel and tire desks will be open starting at 7:30am. Track is open from 9am - 5pm for OPEN practice ($60/driver -- No SKUSA membership required to practice). Friday night dinner: We are offering a complimentary BBQ dinner at the track directly following practice (for all who have paid for practice or a pit pass for the day). Bring your own drinks!

Race Day: Gates and Registration open on Saturday, March 13th at 6:30am, with tire and fuel desks open 7am - noon. Track is hot 8am 'til approx. 4:30pm, with podium awards and a raffle drawing immediately following the final tech inspection. Click here for a tentative event schedule. The final race day schedule will be given out at the track on Friday evening and Saturday morning.

Track Configuration: The practice and race day for this event will be run in the National track layout.

Championship Points: This year's PKC Nor Cal championship is based on 6 races, including a North vs. South Shootout, with NO drops! Click here for the full season's schedule of dates and track locations, here for the PKC/SKUSA points system, and here for the current points standings after Round 1.

Rules: See the PKC/SKUSA rulebook, as well as rules specific to this event, on the website.

Air Boxes & Mufflers: Air boxes are required for all moto engines -- up to three (3) 29mm +- 1 mm tubes. All moto motors must also have a 14-inch RLV or M4 muffler.

SKUSA Membership: ProKart Challenge requires all racers to have a current SKUSA membership with their first race of the season. SKUSA also has new license levels that all drivers must register for. Purchase or renew your SKUSA membership thru the PKC online store, download and fax in your form, or sign up at the Registration desk on Friday or Saturday morning. Cost is $75/year, offers many great benefits, and is good for a full 12 months from date of purchase.

Race Numbers and Colored Number Panels: With your SKUSA membership, you will be assigned a race number (with a letter designating your region) that must appear on all 4 sides of your kart for all competition sessions -- for the season. PKC is also mandating specific number plate color combinations by class, starting with your first race of the season. Click here for more info. Call PKC at 951-491-0808 to reserve or check availability of your desired race number.

Overnight Camping & Trailer Parking: Is available at no charge, but will be available Friday night only, unless you have made special arrangements with the track (i.e., staying Saturday night for Sunday practice). Pit spots will be assigned by the Paddock Marshal. Some up front spots may be reserved for large teams, kart shops or sponsors by calling PKC at 951-491-0808 prior to Wednesday, March 10th.

Host Hotel: If you are in need of a hotel room for this event, PKC has again made room block and special pricing arrangements with the EconoLodge in Novato, just 11 minutes from the track. Call them today and mention ProKart Challenge for 10% off their already low room rates: 415-883-2406.

10-Day Weather Forecast: It's looking decent next weekend, but if that changes, don't forget about our Tough Guy Rain Bonus points -- it could make the difference in the championship! Click here for those details.

Live & Post-Race Event Coverage: Rob Howden from EKN will be on site for this event, announcing the live on-track action over the PA system. We will also be broadcasting the MyLaps Monitor AND micro-blogging the sessions as racers come off the track. After the event, a media release with this event's highlights will be distributed to the major karting publications, giving everyone the chance to become a local hero to their family and friends.

The next PKC So Cal race is at Grange Motor Circuit in Apple Valley on March 26-27. Details can be found here.

The Pro Tour SpringNationals will be April 16-18 at Infineon. The online shopping kart opens this Sunday, March 7th at Midnight! Click here for more details.

Feel free to call ProKart Challenge for more information, assistance with your entry, or to check your race number availability for your SKUSA membership: 951-491-0808. The website also has up-to-the-minute race event info and special rules that apply to this event only. See www.superkartsusa.com.

 

3-5-10 Announcing the Redline Oil Karting Championship at Infineon Raceway’s Jim Russell International Karting Center

Featuring:

Rotax Max Challenge, 80 Shifters, IAME Parilla to roll off March 21

The Redline Oil Karting Championship at the Jim Russell International Karting Center is set to start the 2010 season March 21.  This season has several exciting changes that will make the kart racing at the premier Northern California track better than ever.

The first change is a change in the series promoter.  In a very recent development, Cameron Karting will be the Series promoter with the decision of Jim Russell Racing Driver Schools choosing to focus their expertise on the race car and karting school business.  Cameron Karting president Steve Cameron will bring his racing experience and enthusiasm for karting to the series.  “This is an exciting opportunity, we hope to grow from the strength of the 2009 season which was based around the Rotax classes, 80 Shifters. Adding the IAME Parilla class will give local club racers another great venue.”  The series name and promoter may be new, but most of the 2009 season will return.  Ric Shaw will be returning for his 9^th year of coordinating and race directing the series. 

The second big change is the series will be sponsored by Redline Oil for 2010.  This will mean that the oil for the series will now be exclusively Redline Oil Two-Cycle Kart Oil for all classes including the Rotax classes.  Regional Rotax series do have the option to change to a different oil.  “Redline has stepped up with a substantial support package that will benefit the competitors, it is great to have them on board”, says Steve Cameron. www.redlineoil.com

One other big change will be moving the series to a Sunday race day schedule.  “We will be able to expand the classes and track time for all the racers by making the move to Sunday” says race director Ric Shaw.  The Saturday prior to the race day will be a full day at the Infineon track with the Jim Russell Arrive and Drive program in the morning and a 4-hour practice session available to all karters in the afternoon.  The racers will no longer have to take time off work or take the kids out of school to run the Friday practice days of the past.

For 2010, the series will have 8 races at Infineon’s Jim Russell International Karting Center.  For the 80 Shifters and IAME TaG classes, the series championship will be a best 7 of the 8 races.  For the Rotax classes, 8 of the 10 planned races of the Northern California Rotax Challenge Series will be at Infineon with 2 races to run at the Dixon kart track.  For the Rotax Challenge series, the championship will be determined on the best 8 of the 10 races.

The class line up should bring some exciting racing to the Jim Russell Internal Karting Center track.

The complete line up of National Rotax classes will run again in 2010.  Micro Max and Mini Max classes for the Junior 1 driver, Junior Rotax, Senior Rotax, Rotax Masters and the 2 speed Rotax DD2 class.  In addition, the regional Rotax Masters Light class will run again in 2010.  Marin Karting and Cameron Karting will partner in the administration of the Northern California Rotax Challenge Series, one of the largest regional Rotax series in the country.

Three 80 shifters classes will run this year with a special focus in 2010 to build the 80 Shifter numbers back to the Infineon track.  Formula 80, 80 Masters and 80 Heavy will give enough classes for all 80 driver situations.  The rules and tires will follow those used throughout Norcal.  At the beginning of the year, all three classes will run together in the same race group, but if the numbers get to large, splitting the race group up will be considered.

The new class for 2010 will be IAME Parilla.  The class will allow both Norcal modified 08 spec engines as will as Stock prepared 08 and 09 engines.  Significant prize support from Italian Motors USA will be announced shortly.  “The focus on the rules for this class will be to try and help keep the costs down for the club racers and allow close competition, we will institute a spec gear/weight rule to help achieve this”, says Steve Cameron.

The season starts March 21, so get your kart ready to roll!!   For more additional information, contact Race Director Ric Shaw at racedirector-ric@hotmail.com or go to www.NorCalRotax.com

2010 Race Dates
March 21 – Infineon Raceway
April 11 – Infineon Raceway
May 23 – Infineon Raceway
June 27 – Infineon Raceway
July 25 – Infineon Raceway
August 22 – Dixon Track (Rotax Classes)
August 29 – Infineon Raceway
September 19 – Dixon Track (Rotax Classes)
September 26 – Infineon Raceway
October 24 – Infineon Raceway

3-5-10 Cameron Karting and Marin Karting form the only full service kart shop in Bay Area

It is with great excitement that two of the longest standing Bay Area kart shops, Cameron Karting and Marin Karting have merged to offer Northern California karters a complete, full service kart shop. The new entity will operate under the Cameron Karting name at their current trackside location at Infineon Raceway. Combined, the new Cameron Karting will comprehensive services including:

kart sales: Italkart and CRG Dealers
kart part sales
engine sales: Rotax, IAME, Honda, TM
trackside kart storage
authorized service and repair for all types of motors including Rotax, TaG and Moto
kart service for all makes and models
trackside support
driver coaching
kart scaling
and much, much more...

With 40 years of combined racing and motor building experience, two of Northern California's most knowledgeable karting experts, Brett Buckwalter and Kris Shaw will combine forces to provide customers with premiere motor work, driver coaching and racing knowledge. Buckwalter is currently racing in the ProKart Challenge (PKC) North S1 Moto class and was the 2009 PKC Tag Pro Champion. He is also a former national champion in 80cc shifter,125cc shifter and TaG. Shaw is a former SKUSA Pro Moto Tour national champion and has recently raced Rotax at the highest level, the 2007 Rotax Grand Final held in Dubai.

The Northern California Rotax Challenge previously administered by Marin Karting will also be folded into the merger. The first of a ten race season opens at the Jim Russell International Karting Center (JRIKC) at Infineon Raceway on Sunday, March 21st. Additional information about the series will be released shortly.

"I am very pleased Marin Karting and Cameron Karting are merging. Both businesses have been looking for ways to offer a wider range of services." commented Adrian Szwarcburg, owner of Marin Karting. "The combined businesses, along with the ideal trackside location will provide the best customer experience possible, a one-stop shop."

"I am extremely excited about this merger. Without a doubt, having both Brett and Kris here at the shop we can offer kart racers the most experienced team of chassis tuners, engine builders and driver coaches in the industry." added Steve Cameron. "We can now also offer our customers the highest quality lineup of chassis and engines available with Italkart, CRG, Rotax, IAME, Honda and TM."

About Cameron Karting: Established in 1994 at Infineon Raceway, Cameron Karting is one of the longest standing kart shops in Northern California. Principle Steve Cameron has a long history in both kart racing and car racing as a driver, driver coach and team owner. His accomplishments include multiple Daytona 24hr race wins, Atlantic Championships and other professional race series. Co-owner Brett Buckwalter is an accomplished kart champion and has won multiple regional and national races including a IKF national championship. He is a SKUSA SuperNationals winner, two time STARS of Karting winner in ICC and TaG, and recently the 2009 Tag Pro champion in the ProKart Challenge North series. Engine builder and chassis tuner, Brett has numerous professional and National kart titles to his name. For more information, visit: http://www.cameronkarting.com/

About Marin Karting: Established in 2002, Marin Karting sells kart chassis, engines, parts, apparel and accessories and offers service for all types of kart motors and chassis. Marin Karting is the sole authorized CRG dealer in Northern California and the oldest Rotax Dealer and Service Center in Northern California. For more information, visit: http://www.marinkarting.com

About the Northern California Rotax Challenge: Established in 2004, the NCRC is one of the largest regional Rotax Challenge series in the United States. Each race season consists of ten races; eight races at the JRIKC at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA and two races at the Kinsmen Kart Club in Dixon, CA. NCRC racers have consistently qualified to race at the Rotax Grand Final, held in a different location around the world each year. For more information, visit: http://norcalrotax.com

 

3-5-10 Superkarts USA Expands National Program to cadet level

New TaG Mini ROK Cadet class added to class structure for Pro Tour and SuperNationals

Hot on the heels of the confirmation of the 2010 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour schedule, the organization is now focusing its attention on the opening round of the series the inaugural SpringNationals which will kick things off on the April 16-18 weekend at the Jim Russell International Karting Center in Sonoma, CA. The newest piece of the puzzle has now been confirmed as SKUSA officials are excited to announce the expansion of their class structure, with the positioning of a new TaG Mini ROK class for drivers between the ages of 9-12. This class will be run as part of the Pro Tour this season, thanks to a support program that has been put together by SKUSA and Vortex, the engines manufacturer. This effort will be backed by a fleet of complimentary engines for the first two rounds of the series, motor packages offered for overall weekend race winners and a supported trip to the ROK World Cup for the Pro Tour champion.

The new announcement of the TaG Mini ROK program is big for SKUSA and comes following an extensive research effort by the organizations technical team, which saw the crew test several different powerplants over a period of several months. In an effort to open the door to all karters, SKUSA went on a search for the correct racing package for the Cadet-aged drivers, eventually deciding on the 60cc Mini ROK which will be debuted on the national level in 2010 with its inclusion in the Pro Tour and the SuperNationals. It will also be available as a local option with SKUSAs regional programs, should the support warrant a class on the schedule. In 2011, the TaG Mini ROK will be introduced as an official Superkarts! USA category, both nationally and regionally. This engine has been in production for seven years and has a very tight spec, aggressively limiting the work that can be done. The specs will also be locked in for at least three years. Full information on the motor can be found here:

http://www.vortex-rok.com/uk/motori/mini_rok.asp

SKUSA has put together a program with Vortex to get the engine into the hands of interested drivers, with 10 units available for complimentary usage during the first two rounds of the Pro Tour (SpringNationals in Sonoma, CA and SummerNationals in Shawano, WI). The engine retails for $2300 USD, and SKUSA will be mandating a $3000 claim rule to keep the costs in check. In addition, the overall winner of each of the first two weekends will be awarded a brand new engine for their efforts.

Lastly, and possibly most exciting, is the confirmation that the Pro Tour champion in the TaG Mini ROK class will be given a supported trip to the 2011 ROK Cup International Final. This package includes the event entry fee, a complete and new (OTK) chassis with engine to use for the race, tires for the race, one set of practice tires, fuel and hotel stay for the driver (four nights). This driver will be representing SKUSA on the world stage.

This new program finally allows us to provide a platform for the youngest drivers in the sport, allowing them to become part of the SKUSA family from the get-go, Kutscher explained. In the past, weve had racers parents tell us that they wanted to come race with us after hearing good things from one of our drivers, but they had to wait until their kids were 12 years old because of our limited class structure. We believe that the Mini ROK program is perfect for us, as its a super package, reliable and inexpensive to race. This was certainly one of our primary concerns when selecting a new platform for the youngest SKUSA members. Im also thrilled that well be able to work more closely with Vortex and the importers, which will head up the rollout of this new program.

We are very happy and excited that SKUSA will use our engine for the young drivers in their prestigious race events. This is a nice addition to our Mini ROK program globally, said Mr. Corona, president of Vortex factory.

This injection of additional manufacturer support is important to SKUSA, providing a playing field in the Junior ranks for Vortex to develop a working relationship with the organization, just as IAME has with the Leopard-only TaG Junior class. SKUSA remains focused on keeping the TaG Senior and TaG Master classes open to multiple engine manufacturers, ensuring the ability to support a wider spectrum of manufacturers and area racing shops.

The SKUSA Pro Tour begins on the April 16-18 weekend at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA. The Spring and Summer events will each feature a three-day format with practice on Friday and complete race days on Saturday and Sunday with qualifying, heat races and a main. Any companies interested in the event or class sponsorship opportunities are asked to contact the SKUSA head office at 951-491-0808.
 

3-2-10 Kartel continues Dominant Start to Season

Kartel Motorsports continued its domination of the Cadet and Jr. classes with Magnum power at the Fontana Gatorz Challenge race.  Kartel entered drivers in four classes and won two out of four in Sunday’s finals. 

Luis Tyrrell won Junior Max going away with fast time of the race and a straightaway lead.  Blaine Rocha won Mini Max for his second win of the Gatorz season with Davey Manthei in 3^rd.  Connor Robustelli was winning Micro Max by nearly ¾ of a lap when he thought he saw the checkered flag.  In fact, it was just a second white flag; he was only passed while completing celebratory donuts!  It was a shame, but he was winning by almost a lap and that’s impressive.  Neil Alberico also turned in a stellar run from the rear of the field after an incident in the pre-final.  Showing his veteran karting skills he moved through the field methodically and quickly to secure a 2^nd place finish; that’s two first places and two-second place finishes for team Kartel.  This all comes only two weeks after the Nor-Cal Super Series race at Davis where Kartel pilots won six classes. 

While the Wild Kart chassis are working well, they are being powered to the front by Magnum Racing Engines.  Magnum engines are built and developed by Buck Sorensen who works closely with Erik, Les and Joey to give Magnum customers the best power and opportunity to win.  In three events to start the season, Kartel has entered 15 classes with their Wild Kart pilots powered by Magnum and have won nine, had seven pole positions, two podium sweeps and that makes for 13 top 2’s; that is domination! 

Kartel and Magnum Racing Engines are always testing and developing to make their packages stronger.  The team is always looking to bring new winners into the program, so feel free to call or see the boys at Kartel to see what they can do for you.  To get extra assistance please call Erik on his cell phone after hours at 916-217-2181.  He is most helpful after 8pm any day.