12-19-08 Northern California Rotax Challenge Junior driver finishes 3^rd at the California State Championships 2008.

Last month, Brody Zink competed in the 45th running of the California State Championships November 28-30 at Grangé Motor Circuit in Southern California. Brody is a regular participant in the Northern California Rotax Challenge where he finished in 3^rd place overall in the championship.

16 Junior Rotax karts entered the annual CalState event. In qualifying, Brody qualified a solid third with Louie Pagano on pole and Dakota Dickerson in 2nd. In the heat race, Brody popped out of the first turn in second place, but with a slightly loose kart and the local boys putting the squeeze on him, Zink slipped back to finish 5th place.

Stars of Karting driving ace Corey Pollock was wrenching on Brody's Rotax this weekend, and after making some minor adjustments gave Brody a fast kart for the Main. Starting the main in 5th place, Brody once again had a great start and worked his way to second place behind Pagano, Dickerson and Graves would not give up the battle. Grave's and Zink would swap positions at nearly every corner while Pagano edged away to the win. Zink was right on Grave's bumper out of the last turn and it was an exciting drag race to the finish line with Brody missing out on the 2nd place spot by half a kart length. Pagano was the Calstate champ with Grave's in second, Zink third and Dickerson fourth.

Other Norcal drivers Connor Ford and Bobby Tiftt finished 3rd and 4th in HPV 4 class.

Brody is a regular participant in the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge where he finished in 3^rd place overall in the championship.

For more information about the 2009 Northern California Rotax Challenge visit www.norcalrotax.com.

Marin Karting offers CRG karts, engines and parts for all karts, engine service, driver coaching and trackside support to Northern California karters. Marin Karting is also proud to organize and support the Northern California Rotax Challenge. For more information contact Marin Karting at (415) 898-0999 or at sales@marinkarting.com, www.marinkarting.com.

12-19-08 Nor Cal Rotax Racers Shine Once Again

Infineon Raceway, Sonoma

Two of the outstanding drivers from the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge took another big step in advancing their racing skills this week at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma California.

Gregory Liefooghe (2008 Snr. Nor Cal Rotax champion and the Jim Russell 2008 Karter of the Year) and Matt Powers (3^rd place 2008 Nor Cal Snr. Rotax) both won scholarship awards as part of the prize package in the 2008 Northern California Rotax Challenge. This included a three day Advanced Racing Course in the all new Formula Mazda race cars at the Jim Russell Racing School.

The weather wasn’t the best but taking the informative course at the same time gave these guys a good benchmark for charting their progress. The first two days only yielded one dry session but the third day, albeit cold by California standards, was a sunny day for racing. The third and final day was the mock race day and after qualifying, Greg had the pole position for the race and Matt was starting third. It was great to see these guys battle all year in the Rotax Challenge and then have the chance to watch them duke it out in the absolute best school environment in the country and one of my favorite tracks.

The Formula cars that Russell uses are the finest and most advanced school fleet available anywhere in the U.S. and I was very impressed to see how well Gregory and Matt preformed. One comment they both made to me was they were amazed how much they could feel the down force and how aware they had to be of the aerodynamics even in the braking zones. These cars are definitely the real McCoy and I was most impressed with Gregory and Matt’s smoothness and consistency. These guys have been battling all year for the top karting honors and as always, there was a lot of pride on the line so needless to say they were pushing at 110% all the time

In the first race Greg took the advantage and a stretched it out to a good lead until he had a small bobble in turn seven that allowed Matt to close the gap. Greg held on for the win but it was apparent that Matt had found something and by the end of the race they were running at about the same pace. In the final session of the day Gregory and Matt fell back to second and third on the start but after one lap Greg had the lead and Matt was charging. Matt had caught back up and it was very interesting to watch the strengths of each driver as they made their way around the historic Sears Point Raceway. Unfortunately, Gregory’s’ car had a mechanic failure and the race between these two was cut short just as Matt had caught up and was looking for a pass. I would have loved to have seen more dicing between these two one more time and who knows maybe we will someday.

Gregory and Matt are on two different paths however, Greg is moving back to his home country of Switzerland and will be continuing to further his racing career in Europe. Matt will be flying out to Florida this weekend to compete in the famous Skip Barber run-offs in Sebring and has the chance of a lifetime to compete for a car ride in 2009. These customers represent some of the great talent coming up thru the Norcal karting ranks and especially from the Rotax series.

The Infineon karting center is the primary home to the Northern California Rotax Challenge and with the generous support of Jim Russell Racing Schools, drivers are able to live the dream of going from karting to race cars.

As reported by Kris Shaw. Photos: Kris Shaw

sales@marinkarting.com

For more information about the 2009 Northern California Rotax Challenge visit www.norcalrotax.com.

12-17-08 Three Northern California Rotax Challenge Drivers are Rotax National Points Champions in 2008.

Marin Karting is very pleased to announce three Northern California Rotax racers are Rotax National Points Champions for 2008: Gregory Liefooghe in Senior Rotax, Glen Poy-Wing in Rotax DD2 and David Carlisle in Rotax Masters. The top three drivers in each of six Rotax classes will receive a prize from National Rotax.

Gregory Liefooghe David Carlisle Glen Poy-Wing

Other notable Nor Cal mentions are: Donavon Wheeler, 3^rd in Junior Rotax, David Arnstein, 4^th in Rotax DD2 and Cameron Pringle, 5^th in Senior Rotax.

The Rotax National Points Standings was developed and implemented this year to recognize all registered RMax Challenge drivers in the US, and rank them against others in their class across the nation. The standings are based on finishes from five local series races using a weighted points system. Marin Karitng submitted six race reports which were reviewed by the National Race Director, Marshall Martin, who used the best five finishes to determine national points standings.

“This is a fantastic result for our talented Northern California Rotax racers. Three Nor Cal drivers won top honors in 3 of the 6 national Rotax classes and we only ran 4 Rotax classes in Nor Cal this year.” stated Adrian Szwarcburg, owner of Marin Karting, “It is a fantastic way to cap a great race season. The Nor Cal Rotax Challenge had the largest growth out of any Rotax series in the US. We have announced Mini Max and Micro Max classes have been added to the Challenge for 2009. I would not be surprised if we have National Points Champions in these classes next year.”

This National Points Championship was implemented to give recognition to drivers who did well in their respective regional series. The Northern California regional series is the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge. Marin Karting provides series administration. With great sponsorship support from the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School and many other fine companies, over $20,000 in prizes were awarded to top drivers in the Northern California Rotax Challenge in 2008.

To see all the official National Rotax Points tables go to: http://www.usrmaxnrd.com/index.htm

For more information about the 2009 Northern California Rotax Challenge visit www.norcalrotax.com.

12-14-08 Marin Karting attends the Olympics of karting – the 2008 Rotax Grand Finals in Italy.

Following a very successful 2008 Northern California Rotax Challenge, Owners of Marin Karting had the privilege attending what is widely known as the Olympics of karting - the 2008 Rotax Grand Finals.

The 9th Rotax Grand Finals were held at the very impressive track of La Conca in Muro Leccese, southern Italy, from November 25th to November 30^th. This was a great choice of track and it is a fantastic facility. To me, it was like a mini Formula 1 track. Fantastic groomed grounds, lots of runoff, covered seating, a full service restaurant, a large snack shop, pro shop and mini soccer fields. Rotax did a great job of adding to the look with banners everywhere, Rotax gear shop, tent with flat screen TVs, VIP room, travel office and wifi access in most places. In addition the chassis suppliers CRG, Maranello and Zanardi had their large rigs set up in the paddock.

216 drivers from 57 nations attended. Drivers qualified for the race via national as well as international race Rotax series. This rivalry was definitely a battle some of the best drivers in the world. America fielded a 13 driver team with two local Norcal drivers, Wes Phillips and Clayton Snow on the team. All karts and motors where supplied to the drivers via a raffle system so no one had an advantage.

The opening ceremony was in the restaurant and large meeting room area at the track. Hearing all the different accents and languages being spoken really made us feel part of the world wide Rotax program. Rotax officials gave a short opening address to kick of the event. The fancy looking trophies were also on display so drivers could see what they would be racing for.

The pit area for the drivers was made up of rows of tents with the driver’s name and countries flag posted in front of each pit spot. Flags were also flown around the last corner of the last corner of the track. An impressive sight.

Racing

Three Rotax classes are run at the world level, Junior, Senior and DD2 with 72 drivers in each class. The classes are run to the exact regulations as we run in the Northern California Rotax Challenge with the only exception being in the DD2 class where the new Mojo D3 tire was used.

Each class was split into 4 groups and then a series of qualifying and race heats held to determine the positions for the final day. Only 36 drivers in each class got to race on the final day with the rest of the drivers eliminated.

The racing was really fantastic. The track allowed for lots of passing and many races were one by barely a kart length. Rain on one day made turn 1 particularly interesting and many drivers skidded off the track. This was Rotax racing at its finest. The trackside commentary in Italian and English added to the excitement as the grand stand areas were packed. American drivers drove very well but some were struck by bad luck. With large fields in each race, it was not too hard to get caught up in something that you could not avoid. Once you had to start near the back of the pack, it was almost an impossible task to make it into real contention.

Overall it was the best Grand Finals for Team America with outstanding performance from podium finishers Curtis Cooksey and Stuart Marsell.

The winners of the 2008 Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Final are

125 MAX DD2 category:	1^st place: Leeroy Poulter, South Africa 2^nd place: Pier-Luc Ouellette, Canada 3^rd place: Stuart Marsell, USA
125 MAX DD2 Masters category:	1^st place: Dennis Kroes, Netherlands 2^nd place: Curtis Cooksey, USA 3^rd place: Maurits Knopjes, UAE
125 MAX category:	1^st place: Ben Cooper, United Kingdom 2^nd place: Chris Lock, United Kingdom 3^rd place: Martin Pierce, Ireland
125 MAX Master category:	1^st place: Martin Pierce, Ireland 2^nd place: Jerome Bourquard, France 3^rd place: Colin Davis, UK
125 JUNIOR MAX category:	1^st place: Facundo Chapur, Argentinia 2^nd place: Kevin Korjus, Estonia 3^rd place: Paul Fourquemin, France
NATIONS CUP:	1^st place: UK 2^nd place: Netherlands 3^rd place: Hungary

Go to the Rotax Grand Finals

It is hard to describe in words what it was like to be at the Grand Finals. I would recommend to anyone involved in motorsport that, if they get the chance, go to a Rotax Grand Final. There may be bigger racing events, but the spec nature of the Rotax program, the driver’s pride in representing their country and the great racing, make this the best motor racing event we have attended. For our local Rotax drivers, keep working at it and you too could be one of the lucky ones to make it to the Rotax World finals one day.

Our special thanks to SSC and the National Rotax program for inviting and hosting us.

To view a few of our photos follow this link: http://picasaweb.google.com/marinkarting/2008RotaxWorldFinalsLaConcaItaly#

12-9-08 Leading Edge Motorsports Team Report Michael Clark Memorial Race

This past weekend, Leading Edge Motorsports�, Bryan Eady, Timmy Bachman, and Mason Marotta attended the Michael Clark memorial race at Buttonwillow Raceway, near Bakersfield, California, hosted by BKC. Michael Clark was a young teenage man who was a huge part of Bakersfield Kart Club over the years. After his death Bakersfield Kart Club chose to remember Michael by putting on an event he could only smile at while he watches from above. Again this year, even with the financial woes of today's economy, and the nasty weather conditions the MCMPR was as strong as ever. With many of the past competitors and several new, the Senior Super Box Pro Race was a tough one.

With rainy conditions for qualifying the Leading Edge Pilots would all qualify in the top ten. With Timmy Bachman setting a blistering fast time in the wet conditions he drove his Leading Edge Tuned, Fleming powered Intrepid to P1. Eady would qualify P8, and Marotta P10. At the start of the heat race Bachman got shuffled back to third spot while Eady had worked his way up to fourth by the end of the first lap. Working together the two Leading Edge drivers would find themselves making a move at the halfway mark for the second position. However, in doing so, there was incidental contact between Eady and Bachman which brought both drivers to a dead stop. After the contact Eady would find himself eighth while Bachman fell to eleventh. Marotta would find himself tenth at the end of the heat. Knowing they all had fast karts in the dry conditions the Leading Edge trio would plan to work together to work themselves through the pack in the final.

The opening lap of the final would find Eady going from P8 to P4 and Bachman from P11 to P5 with Marotta following. With the trio running nose to tail they worked themselves up to P3, P4, and P5 by the halfway mark. Instead of getting the halfway signal the BKC officials through a competition red which brought the pack to a stop on the front straight. With kart stands and tools ready crew members and drivers were given five minutes to make changes to there karts and have them ready to go for the second half of the main. At the end of the five minutes a card was drawn to see how many drivers in the top six would be inverted. Luckily enough for Eady they picked the number three card. Eady would find himself leading the field down for the restart single file.

For the first seven or eight laps Eady would find himself pulling away from the pack. Backman would have contact a few laps in and would find himself deep in the field. Marotta however found himself sitting fith were he would finish the race. Back up front fighting a no fuel cap issue, Eady was being soaked by fuel and would find himself with no brakes with five to go. Nick Johnston would catch Eady with four to go and make the pass for the lead which also allowed Kuntze by for second. On the final lap in the last corner Eady would drive his Leading Edge Fleming powered Intrepid back to second under braking. Eady would go on to finish P2, Marotta P5, and Bachman P11.

Leading Edge Motorsports would like to thank Bakersfield Kart Club and all who attended the MCMPR at Buttonwillow. It was an awesome event and we look forward to attending again next year. LEM would also like to thank Doug Fleming and Fleming racing engines for the power that was needed to run up front in a class that they have never ran.

Leading Edge Motorsports would like to thank all the drivers that carried the LEM banner at the Michael Clark Memorial Pro Race , for all there hard work and effort. We look forward to a strong 2009 season in Region 7 as we look to expand our I.K.F. program. For more information about Leading Edge Motorsports, our team schedule, and arrive and drive programs available visit our website at www.LeadingEdgeMotorsports.com or feel free to contact Greg Bell at 209-369-0921.

12-3-08 Kartel Expands Operations

Official Press Release issued by Kartel Motorsports

Directly after the Super Nationals, Kartel did not stop. Kartel has expanded their operations, moving to a new facility in Elk Grove, Ca. The shop will help house more inventory and make ease of kart preperations and sales. Kartel offers services to all types of karts, and is always available for set up advice. Kartel will continue to sell all their products to the public, as well as continue to do schools.

About kartel:

Kartel Motorsports was put together by Joey Hand and Erik Bartolero in 2006. Joey’s Father, Les Hand, joined the two in 2007. The three have been around karting for many years and have many years of experience in karting. In 2008, Kartel Motorsports was named official Top-Kart/Comer USA race team. Erik and Joey offer private Coaching on any brand Chassis, and private test days which can be arranged.

Kartel is a dealer for brands that include: Top-Kart, Comer, Bridgestone, MIR Raceware, IAME, High-Rev, Sparco, Gatorz Eyewear, Douglas Wheel, MyChron, Cyto Sport and Kovers.

More Information can be found at www.kartelmotorsports.com

Kartel Motorsports

9911 Kent St #4
Elk Grove, Ca 95624
916-714-7258
Shop Hours
Dec-Jan M-F 9-5
Feb - Nov Call

12-3-08 Kartel Motorsports Super Nationals Report

Official press release issued by Kartel Motorsports

After a big weekend at the STARS final in Las Vegas, Kartel drivers looked to end the Nor Cal Region 11 IKF on a positive note, and prepare for the SKUSA Super Nationals. As the 2008 season came to an end for most, the Kartel staff was still in full assault mode. Kartel drivers were at the track testing every weekend and every chance they can get. All the time had paid off in big ways.

The National Guard chose Kartel Motorsports to field their IRL driver, Dan Wheldon. Dan entered the Tag Sr. class with Neil Alberico, and Chris Scribner. Wheldon was fast right out of the box, setting the pace early on. In the final, a de-beaded tire ended this stars day. Scribner was also up front in all his heats, and ended the final in 10^th. Alberico had a tough go, with two strong heats; a DNF (flipped) in the third heat would have him starting the final in a dangerous 38^th. Neil flipped in the final to end his hard weekend. Kyle Wiegand was racing with Kartel and once again was at the front all weekend. Former ICC star showed the tag group what’s up. He finished the final in 7^th. Chris Wehrheim always a contender was strong all weekend, lady luck was not on his side either. He ended up 8^th.

Kartel is happy to welcome two proven drivers who will become permanent fixtures at the front of National events, and continue to dominate the local scene. Cody Kay and Kelsey Nilsson were both entered in the HPV 2 as well as Tag Jr. Nilsson ended final practice P4 in Jr. Tag and looked strong in HPV. Though she ran well in the heats in both classes, she unfortunately was involved in a crash in both HPV and Tag finals. Kay had better luck, running with the lead pack in HPV and dicing for the lead, ended his weekend with a well deserved podium finish. Okalahoma Tyler Thomas was under the Kartel banner, also running in HPV and Jr. Tag. HPV was not as good to Thomas as Tag, where he finished up in Second, with a rough field in tow.

The loan Jr. 125 driver, Devon Maulk from Texas, was fast and showed he can race too. He was in the top part of the charts all weekend, and when it all counted he showed he can get it done. Maulk won the main event and pot the Top- Kart on the top step again in Jr.125. Brendan Phinny won the class last year, in its first year at the Super Nationals.

Brendan Phinny, S3 Senior 125, set the pace right out of the trailer. With all the testing, Kartel put the set-up on that would last. Qualifying P2 was a nice start to a long weekend. With his consistent driving at cautious race craft, Phinny had a strong starting position for the final. Brendan worked his way threw the top five and found himself dicing with NASCAR Star Jamie McMurry. On the white flag lap Brendan dove to the inside and got the lead, and kept it for the win.

Kartel would like to thank all who helped make 2008 another great year.

Top-Kart/Comer, Grand Products, Bridgestone, High-Rev Engineering, Kovers, Cyto Sport, SKUSA and the National Guard.

12-1-08 Norcal Karters Test Racing at the Next Level

It started the same for all the drivers, They had each picked up the latest issue of GoRacing magazine which featured an ad for the Pacific F2000 series inviting drivers ages 14 years and up to apply for a Test in a Formula 2000 Zetec race car. Hundred's of drivers applied for the chance to drive the Buttonwillow Raceway park near Bakersfield, Ca. The selection process went through the drivers and 12 were selected to Drive cars owned by PR1 Motorsports, owner Bobby Oergel, and DFR Racing, Dave Freitas.

Drivers came from as far away as:

Michael Hogg 17 yrs. from North Vancouver B.C. The Canadian kart star drives in ICC for Stars of Karting

Lucas Barrett, 15 yrs. from Phoenix Az. IKF Region 7 driver in Tag/ Formula Mazda

Ayad Alakhdar, 37yrs old, formally from Lebanon, now calling San Diego home, F2000 Canada series

Travis Lowe- 20 years old, Pasadena, ca. IKF region #7 running Hpv 3-4/ World Formula, Tag

Kyle Kuntze- 19 years old, San Diego, IKF region #7, HPV-3/4

Connor De Phillippi- 15 yrs old, San Clemente, Skip Barber,

Austin Kimberly- 14yrs old, San Diego IKF #7, Rotax

NorCal drivers:

Jimmy Casey 19 years old, from Region 11 Road Race series and Dixon kart club home track.

Justin Casey 15 yrs. from Region 11 Road Race series and Dixon kart club home track.

Caleb Kenney- 23yrs old, Berkley - Formula Russell series.

Jon Ban: 17yrs old, Wilton, Ca. IKF 11, Prairie City and Stockton.

Cody Hodgson: 16 yrs, Escalon, Ca, IKF Region 11 & Prokart North

It was a fun test day giving the drivers their first taste of strapping into the seats of a F2000 race car. There was only one driver who had been in a F2000 car, and only a few who had ever been in a race car of any kind. Bobby Oergel's view on that was, " I like testing young talented kart drivers who don't have bad habits yet", Mr. Oergel went on to say, " he likes working with younger drivers looking for their next step in race cars" Team Owner Dave Freitas said he also " enjoyed working with talented drivers wanting to figure out where they wanted to go next"

The day was amazing to say the least.

The day started off with everyone signing in the office and a full fresh cooked breakfast and hot coffee, juices and muffins for all to enjoy. then they did a photo shoot with all the Drivers as they measured them for the best fit into a car. Jon Ban and one of the Casey brothers were teamed up in Bobby Oergel's car #22 as the two drivers were pretty close in size to fit in the car without having to make major changes between drivers.
Cody Hodgson, was in another one of PR1's cars, Connor DePhillipi and Caleb Kenney were also part of the PR1 lineup. The rest of the drivers went into cars of DFR Racing Dave Freitas's cars. Both teams had amazing crews including; driver coaches, car engineers who explained to the drivers what the cars were doing and why, from their in car data acquisition analysis. They had one crew member who was assigned to put each driver into the cars and strap them in with the 5 point safety harnesses and demonstrating how to put on the steering wheels and all the other items the cars needed including fuel and tires had another crew member to do the job quickly. it was such a professional experience watching all of these guys in motion to get the job done for the drivers.

After the drivers strap into the car they moved to the high speed car test track # 1 of Buttonwillow for a once in a lifetime exp. well, for most it won't be the last time they get into a race car because judging by the big grins on all the drivers faces at the full lunch offered during the break they all planned on carrying on their future need for speed in one car or another. I know they enjoyed the brownies and cookies along with all the great sandwiches and salads but I think their minds were all on the track even as they ate I saw nothing but hand motions about the track and the cars from the drivers and their parents who sat licking their lips wishing they were out there having some fun too.

After each session on the track the drivers would come into the garage area, the Engineer and coach assigned to each driver took them into the large Full size Haulers to look at the test data and go over any changes they needed; to pick up more track speed or correct any problems they were having on the track. As a parent, just knowing your kids were in such good hands while driving these race cars at over 120 mph on the track for the first time was not a scary experience in the least but all smiles and proud moments for the parents who spent their time on the cement walls hanging out with each other and taking pictures of their drivers out there having the time of their lives. Nor- Cal Drivers Jon Ban and Cody Hodgson were heard saying, " The biggest thrill for them was going down the straight at over a 120 mph and getting to the hair pin and having to slow down to aprox.35 miles an hour to make the turn then going back through the gears in the in field heading back to the high speeds again and again.

Nothing slowed these young drivers down in their F2000 car tests, Not even the late afternoon high winds and a large dust storm that made it hard to see the cars or the grins you knew were still there as they drove just as hard around the track trusting their equipment and coaches until the end when they had to say good bye to their cars and teams who helped them for the Test day.

It was great getting to know each of these drivers and parents as well as talking with all the great team members, what a great time for all.
I know we will see each other at a track sometime soon, and I know all those drivers will be looking for their next chance to hop into a fast car and drive because the need for speed was firmly planted in these drivers hearts for years to come. A giant thank you goes out to the whole Pacific F2000 series , Les Phillips, PR1 race team members, Bobby Oergel Team Owner, The DFR Racing team members, Dave Freitas Team Owner,
you gave these drivers a chance of a lifetime.
Story and photos by : Bev. Ban Race day shots
www.zenfolio.com/speedwaynut

12-19-08 Northern California Rotax Challenge Junior driver finishes 3rd at the California State Championships 2008.

12-19-08 Nor Cal Rotax Racers Shine Once Again

12-17-08 Three Northern California Rotax Challenge Drivers are Rotax National Points Champions in 2008.

12-19-08 Northern California Rotax Challenge Junior driver finishes 3^rd at the California State Championships 2008.