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11-11-09 BRUNELLI IMPRESSIVE IN NASCAR DRIVE FOR DIVERSITY COMBINE

Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle teenager poised to earn one of 10 sponsored rides in 2010

Jessica Brunelli is poised to take yet another step towards her ultimate goal of a career in NASCAR, after the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle development driver was not only chosen to take part in the 2009 NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity Combine in Radford, Va., but wowed program officials with her speed and professionalism.

Since as long as she can remember, the 16 year-old Brunelli has wanted to race cars. Given her grandfather crewed on dragsters and her dad raced for few years when she was youngster, that is not much of a surprise. What has caught people off guard is how talented the Hayward, Calif., driver is behind the wheel at such a young age.

First getting behind the wheel at the age of 10 via local and regional karting, it was not long before Brunelli found herself making multiple trips to victory. Following two IKF Region 11 regional karting championship titles, the 13 year-old Californian made her car racing debut in fine fashion, winning Rookie of the Year honors in Skip Barber Regional competition. While Brunelli further showcased her road racing skills via some Formula BMW testing, she soon found herself focusing on the oval ranks.

Edging out over 600 other applicants, Brunelli earned a place in the renowned Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver development program. As part of the RSWC for the past two years, which is designed to train and develop drivers for career in NASCAR, Brunelli has quickly made a name for herself in the junior oval racing ranks. This past season, Brunelli became the first female and youngest driver to win the NASCAR Whelen All-American Modified Series at Roseville Speedway Rookie of the Year honors, finishing third in the championship fight with two seconds, five thirds and 12 top-sevens. Thanks in part to this performance, the California teenager was recently invited to North Carolina to take part in the 2009 edition of the prestigious NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine.

A season-ending goal for many up-and-coming drivers, the NASCAR Drive for Diversity Combine features 30 race pilots – 18 women and 12 minority men – going head-to-head for 10 sponsored rides. With the drivers evaluated not only by their on-track performances, but out of the driver’s seat as well via team skills, sponsor skills and media, the pressure was definitely on. This was particularly the case this year, as all the activities were filmed as part of an upcoming reality TV series title Changing Lanes, which scheduled to be aired on the BET Network. Brunelli, despite being a newcomer to program/selection process, not only met the challenge head-on, but excelled.

After piloting a NASCAR Late Model at the Motor Mile Speedway in Virginia, the Drive for Diversity officials narrowed the field and selected 16 drivers to continue their search for the final 10 Team drivers. One day later, 16 drivers returned to Motor Mile, showcased their driving skills this time in a NASCAR Camping World East car. The 16 year-old talent once again impressed everyone on hand with her speed and skill behind the wheel, while being equally as inspiring outside of the car. As a result Brunelli was selected as one of the final 10 drivers invited back to Charlotte, to compete for one of the four Camping World seats.

While yet to be announced or confirmed, given these performances Brunelli is now poised to take the next step in her ultimate goal of a career in NASCAR via one of the 10 fully-funded NASCAR Drive for Diveristy rides - four in NASCAR Camping World East Series rides and six in NASCAR Whelen All-American Modified Series rides – in 2010.

“A lot has happened in just the last few weeks,” stated Brunelli. “I’ve had to make a lot of decisions and sacrifices to continue my career. I know that this is a big step for me and as sad as I am to have to say good bye to my old life, I embrace the upcoming adventure that is the 2010 season and the rest of my life. I can’t wait to finally move to North Carolina and start focusing 100% on my future as a NASCAR Cup driver. I know this is the right place to be.”

“From the day she tested in the 2007 RSWC Talent Search Shoot Out … we knew Jessica was very talented,” stated Ron Sutton, head of driver development for RSWC. “She stood out as smart, driven, coachable and fast. After the first year racing with her, we knew Jessi had what it took to go all the way to a NASCAR career. We focused on developing her for NASCAR’s D4D program and this is the successful result of many people’s hard work.”

Brunelli is currently in the process of moving her base of operations from California to North Carolina, while continuing to test a variety of stock cars in preparation for the 2010 season.

The talented California teenager is fortunate enough to race thanks to support from K&N Filters, Tico Construction, Fremont Bank, Finishmaster Paint Company, PPG Paint, Grand Fund, Nascimento Motorsports and Brunelli Racing.

11-11-09 10 WINS PROPEL RUNYAN TO SCCA REGIONAL FORMULA FORD TITLE

Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle rookie a dominant force in his first season of car racing

SACRAMENTO, CALIF. (November 10, 2009) – American rising talent Bobby Runyan is the 2009 San Francisco Region SCCA Regional Formula Ford Champion and Rookie of the Year following a superb first season of racing. The Ron Sutton’s Winner’s (RSWC) development driver showcased both the skill and speed of a future star in motorsports, scoring an impressive 10 wins in 15 races.

The 16 year-old Runyan, despite having never raced a car previously and only been competing in karting for a little over two years, immediately showed he was force to reckoned with. When the 2009 San Francisco Region SCCA Regional Formula Ford season got underway at Thunderhill Raceway Park in California. The two-time IKF National karting champion, having beaten out over 750 other applicants for a place on the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle program, captured the Formula Ford pole position and win in his first-ever car race. That trend continued in Round Two at the famed Infineon Raceway, when the No. 2 Porter Racing/Raging Bull Motorsports Swift DB-6 once again led the field to the checkered flag.

While it initially appeared Runyan had everything going his way, the racing gods soon showed how fickle they can be. The Denair, CA resident, was the driver to beat in two of the next three races, however engine issues prevented Runyan from making return visits to victory lane.

Runyan remained focused on continually getting better each time he got behind the wheel, and his perseverance soon paid off. The talented teenager found himself back in victory lane at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, winning two of three races at the challenging Northern California road course in June.

The RSWC driver’s FF1600 success was not limited to just the west coast this season. Thanks to the Formula Ford 40^th Anniversary event at Road America in Wisconsin, Runyan got the opportunity to match his skills behind the wheel against over 200 Formula Ford drivers, including the best from across the nation. Runyan, as expected, rose to the challenge, capturing the pole position for the 115 car SCCA Regional race, qualifying third for the 70+ car National race, and leading the majority of the Regional race, before ultimately finishing third.

Upon returning to California, Runyan further established himself as a driver worth watching in the years to come. The youngster, in true champion style, proved unbeatable in the final six races of the season. He won twice from the pole position at Infineon Raceway, converted three poles into wins at Laguna Seca, and went flag-to-flag at Thunderhill in the season-finale. Runyan in the end won an impressive 10 races, started from the pole position 10 times, and led all but two of the 15 San Francisco SCCA Region Championship Formula Ford races as a car racing rookie.

“I would like to thank everyone that made this year possible for me,” stated Runyan. “Neil Porter, my Crew Chief, was outstanding at setting up the car and making the appropriate adjustments that made us "bad fast" everywhere we went. His two mechanics, Tyler and Mark, for keeping things together and keeping me calm and focused in the cockpit lap after lap. I would also like to thank Ron Sutton, for giving me the opportunity to move from karts to cars, under his direction, and setting me on a career path that I would not have been able to attain without him. To my fans, that came from near and far to watch and who supported me financially as well - you are the best! Lastly, I would like to thank my family, for their continued dedication to my dream! I hope I have made all of you proud and I look forward to seeing you all next year.”

“Wow! What a season Bobby Runyan has had.,” declared Ron Sutton. “We knew he was going to be good. He impressed us big time in the 2008 RSWC Talent Search Shoot Out. But 10 wins and the Championship in his first year surpassed even our expectations of Bobby. He is a rising star for sure. We can’t wait to see how he is going to perform at each level of his development.”

Runyan has already been accepted back into the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle program for 2010, with the highly talented teenager scheduled to make the move to oval competition. Piloting a USAC Ford Focus Midget, Runyan will take the next step towards a career in NASCAR by racing in the USAC California Pavement Ford Focus Car Series.

Runyan would like to thank his sponsors, Raging Bull Motorsports and City Tires of Modesto for their continued support in his championship-winning season.

11-5-09 Norcal Gold Rush Season Finale Action

The inaugural season of the Gold Rush series concluded at Kinsmen Kart club. It was the Finale of a series organized by the Central Valley Kart Clubs that had built a new kind of racing series. The Gold Rush series held all the strong points any healthy series would have, great racing joined with great racers and great people. Most importantly it was fun! Lots of Fun! Fun is what the clubs had in mind when assembling the people surrounding the Gold Rush. The series was limited to four races, however that could have been possibly the strongest attribute as classes had as many as five karters all within fifty points, some of the divisions had as many as 8 drivers mathematically in contention to take home a Championship. As with any popular karting series there was the scent of drama filling the air as the karts filled the grid and the sound of engines warming up put the whole objective in perspective, these racers were focused. The Kinsmen Kart Club had the spotlight as money was being rewarded, Championships were on the line, and some of the most special trophies ever created were being handed out to those that clinched the opening season of the Gold Rush!

First class to take to the track for a Championship was Kid Karts. Carter Herrera was the man everyone was competing against. Holding a slight edge coming in Herrera had no breathing room. He had to win to keep his lead and Herrera hit the track with that mindset during qualifying by grabbing the pole with a time of 40.414. Herrera showed his strength early in the heat race by grabbing an early lead. Herrera raced to a win and the pole in the Main. The Final had the same tune to it and Herrera once again grabbed the lead on the start and cruised to a 2.8 second advantage to a victory and the Kid Kart Championship. MMI’s Courtney Batterton finished second in the race with John-Paul Maxwell finished third.

NorcalKarters.com sponsored the Sr Superbox light class and it made sense that this class would have the most drama of any other class. Extreme Motorsports Bryan Eady grabbed pole running a scorching lap of 32.058. Eady cruised to an easy victory in the Heat but the focus was on the point’s battle of Emmick Cobra’s Jesse Gwin and Leading Edge’s Brian Gallagher. On the start of the Final, Eady again got the whole shot with Gallagher following through as Gwin who started on the front alongside Eady snuck his way into the inside line behind Gallagher. Turn one saw Eady get in hot and Gallagher sneaking by. Gwin followed Gallagher to gain the extra position. Gwin and Eady made contact and this sent Eady spinning. As Eady made his way back on the track and into the race, the two made contact again with Gwin spinning off the track the second go around. This called for a red flag from the race director and sent Eady to the sidelines. The race continued with a single file restart and Gallagher leading the field to the flag with Gwin running second. As the race began to progress the front pack led by Gallagher with Gwin and Anthony Snow gapped the field. Around halfway Gwin made a pass into turn one. The two went side by side through the turn with a bit of tire smoke from rubbing. Gwin went to the point and this allowed Snow to engage in the battle for second. Gwin was leading by six points coming into the race and sealed the Championship with his fist pumping. Anthony Snow made his way to second with Gallagher settling for third.

Taking to the track was Shifter 80 Masters and MMI’s Chuck Hastings grabbed the pole with a 30.114 only .026 over second place qualifier Roger Cornwall. Cornwall grabbed the hole shot on the start of the Heat race and cruised to victory. In the Final he had a bit more pressure. Putting pressure on the leader was Emmick Cobra’s Tony Rodriguez. Rodriguez held a 70 point lead for the Championship coming in and drove as if we were protecting that lead. Roger Cornwall got the victory with Rodriguez a close second. Mat Kattanek came home third.

The 4-cycle group was up next and 9 clones were on track. The Engines used in the Close division is the fastest growing engine currently in North America. $99 at Harbor freight it supplies very close racing on the track. Jereme Abshire grabbed pole with a lap of 36.495. In the heat race Karl Cleaton got the lead on the start and cruised to victory. The start of the Final saw Neil Wakabayashi get the lead in the opening laps. Abshire looked strong early, as the leaders caught lapped traffic and Cleaton was sly to get the lead and drove to victory. Wakabayashi was second with John Defloth third. Anthon Barth won the Yamaha YF200 category with Leo Reps Larry capturing the World Formula division.

Coming into the weekend Jared Woolf had the Championship wrapped up in 125 Stock Moto. Woolf, unbeatable the first three races into the series, was going for four in row. Emmick Cobra’s Cory Gwin got fast time in Qualifying with a quick lap of 29.239. Gwin was strong right out of the box on the start of the Final. As the race progressed Gwin held his lead but Cambrian Kart’s Jamie Wilson started to run him down. Gwin pulled the fastest lap to victory as Wilson ran out of time. Rick Gutzke had a strong run to third.

Coming into the final Gold Rush series event the top four in HPV-1 were separated by 50 points. Emmick Cobra’s Sonny Cervelli was the Championship leader with Jarred Campbell, Cambrian’s Michael Avansino, and Hunter Corbitt all in chase. Cervelli came out swinging for his Championship with a fast time of 31.935. Sonny was the driver to beat as he cruised to an easy victory in the heat and won the Final by .763 of a second and captured the Championship. Corbitt was second with Cambrian’s Justin Yanez third.

TAG Masters was on track and MMI’s Kevin Knight won the Championship just by showing up. Steve Stein got fast time running a 30.336. Stein looked tough in the heat race winning by an easy advantage, however he had company in the Main as Kevin Knight had nothing to lose. Stein led from the start as Knight began to pressure him for the top spot. Knight was unable to find a way by and Stein drove to the checkers. Knight settled for second with Emmick Cobra’s David Gwin coming home third.

The 26 kart field of HPV-2 was on track and it was MMI’s David Vasquez with fast time running a 30.284. Vasquez was solid all day with a commanding win in the Heat race. In the Final David drove to a quick lead and held it. The story was the championship points. Austin Elliott and Bordogna’s Justin Cole were tied in points while both Kathryn Cornell and Devin Sanchez were tied for third just twenty points back of the lead. Austin Elliott started second with Justin Cole behind him. Elliott went lean early and had to tune his engine in. This allowed Cole to get by Elliott as he set his sights on Vasquez. Elliott was quick at the end but Cole ran fast time of the race. With Vasquez getting the win Justin Cole ran second to get the championship with Elliott finishing third in the race and second in the championship points.

Sr shifter 80 took to the track and one driver in the Gold Rush series was perfect coming in. Emmick Cobra’s Adam Booker had been at the top of the charts starting at Prairie City and had led every lap and had every fast time since. His string was broken in Qualifying when Chris Ouimet ran fast time with a 29.891. Ouimet was the man to beat on track in the Heat race with an easy victory. Booker was going for the only driver to fully sweep the Series with a Main Event victory. Jared Woolf didn’t make the grid for the race and got a DNS. Ouimet jumped to the lead on the start. Booker had a kart to win and put the pressure on Ouimet to make a mistake but was flawless. Booker played it safe and Ouimet got the win. Booker finished second and got the Division Championship, Jereme Abshire finished third.

Tag Sr was up next and Leading Edge’s Timmy Bachman made the trip from down south for the Series finale at Dixon. Bachman came out swinging with a fast time in qualifying with a time of 29.803. Bachman held the advantage in the heat over Jordan Jadallah who put the pressure on and looked to have something for Bachman in the Final. On the start MMI’s Tyler Bradstock snuck by Jadallah for the second position. Jadallah went to work on Bradstock but the two swapped positions several times allowing Bachman to drive away to an easy victory. Jadallah got second and Bradstock Third. Bordogna’s Troy Buckman won the championship handily.

Jr Comer was last on the day and Cambrian’s Hunter Corbitt grabbed fast time with a 33.009. Corbitt was the driver to beat as jumped to a big lead early in the heat and got an easy win. All were chasing Corbitt. In the Final Cambrian’s Justin Yanez looked to have some power for Corbitt but was never able to mount a successful challenge. Corbitt got the win and the Championship with Yanez second. Blaine Rocha made a strong run to third.

This concluded the first season of a very successful Gold Rush series. Many drivers or teams have already committed to racing the series in 2010 as well as some interest from Southern California to run a Series down there as well. Stay tuned to NorcalKarters.com through the winter for the 2010 announcements.

11-9-09 Michael Schumacher Confirmed for SKUSA SuperNationals XIII
Courtesy of: E Karting News

Formula 1 champion Michael Schumacher will compete at the 13th annual SKUSA SuperNationals at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas

Simply put, the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals has just stepped to the next level. SKUSA CEO Tom Kutscher is thrilled to confirm to the North American karting community that seven-time Formula 1 World Champion Michael Schumacher has officially entered the upcoming SuperNationals at the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The former Ferrari F1 driver will compete in the SuperPro category against the top 125cc drivers from North America and the world, running with the factory Tony Kart team aboard a Vortex-powered Racer EVR. Schumacher’s participation will certainly explode the global interest in the annual event, which was already closing in on selling out the paddock.

“Having Michael on the grid for his year’s SuperNationals is such an exciting addition for everyone on the SKUSA staff,” offered Kutscher. “The simple fact that that he contacted us to be part of the race is huge! We’ve had the opportunity to watch some big name drivers run with us in the past, but there is no comparison with Michael. He’s widely considered the finest driver in the history of the sport and it will be an honor to have him take the green in Las Vegas. This is going to fire this year’s race up to a whole new level!”

Just like a vast majority of the top professional race car drivers in the world, Schumacher cut his teeth racing karts, beginning at his parent’s track in Kerpin, Germany. Before going on to win seven World Championship in Formula 1, Michael won the German Junior Kart Championship in 1983 and 1984, and then the Senior title in 1986. He also scored the European 100cc Championship in 1986. Car racing beckoned in 1988, and the rest his history. The superstar never strayed too far from the sport in which is got his start and since retiring from F1 in 2006, Schumacher has continued to use karting as a way to keep sharp and has made occasional returns to official competition, winning the Formula A event at the Monaco Karting Cup in 1996. He also jumped back into the deep end of the pool in 2001 when he ran in the Formula Super A class at the World Championships, finishing 21st overall.

eKarting News will begin its previewing the November 18-22 event starting Tuesday with a look at the S5 and TaG Junior field set to compete. Each day following will examine another class, leading up to the SuperPro division and the overall event preview. The EKN Trackside Live coverage will begin Wednesday, November 18 when the karts hit the track for the first time with a full day of practice.

11-5-09 IKF Region 7 Race Report- PKRA
Article by: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine Courtesy of EKarting news

I loved being back racing at Formula K Raceway for an IKF Region 7 Championship Series presented by Bridgestone. Not since 2003 have the Region 7 racers been to this fabulous facility. In our absence it has hosted other promising events like the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas, but few compare to having such a staple series like Region 7. Besides the locals, very few drivers had ever raced here, and even fewer remember the old shorter track from the late 90’s. Those of us who do, have fond memories of races from yesteryear including: Kurt Christensen’s cartwheel down the front straight in Formula Y, Joey Hand racing Formula A at a WKA Constructors Cup race, and no one can forget Darren Elliott flying off track in SuperPro at the SKUSA Pro Moto Tour race.

We had rain and mud on occasion, and heat and sun for others. This place has it all and is just one of the many reasons to come here. The other reason is the people, racers and board members alike. PKRA has almost always been a club filled with board members and volunteers that make having races here easy and no doubt they will be rewarded for next year with an earlier race date. The other aspect of the before mentioned people is the drivers. This weekend saw 25 local club guys come out and race the IKF series. Some of them are regulars in the series, but most were not. With just a tick under 200 entries for the event, the PKRA member’s support was a key element for the successful event we had. Championships are still up for grabs so every point was valuable in all the classes. Plus this weekend offered added point bonuses for attending the penultimate race of the series.

Three of the four drivers who scored multiple wins this weekend had prior racing experience around the Formula K Raceway, proving that a little bit of knowledge goes along way here in Phoenix. Bobby Kelley once again had things well in hand for the Senior classes, but a mechanical failure and a DQ left him with only two wins. Gustavo Menezes and Bryan Lemon split the Junior classes apart both days with Menezes king of the HPV2s and Lemon on top in Superbox. Parker Thompson is not a local as mentioned over and over again on the PA system, but he does come down from Canada often to race with PKRA and it showed, winning both the Rookie Sportsman and HPV 1 classes on Saturday.

Eleven drivers hit the track for PRD qualifying. Bobby Kelley landed the pole with a 52.178, but it was Kyle Shriver who finished the heat in first place. Shriver led the first few laps in the final before giving way to Kelley and that was pretty much all she wrote. Kelley gapped the pack by a few seconds and no one up front changed positions after halfway. Shriver brought it home in second with Lloyd Mack completing the top three. I have to say that Kelley has been quick all year long, but since the move to the Maddox chassis he has been really quick. Although a factor in all the Senior classes, Kelley’s other win came in Sunday’s HPV 4 class, again at the expense of Kyle Shriver. The Shriver/Kelley duo went at it up front trading the lead every couple of laps as Gus Flasser held down the final podium position. Problems for Gus late in the race combo’d with a charging Lucas Barnett saw Barnett finish in third representing the Phoenix clan. Kelley was able to hold off Shriver for the last few laps and score his second win.

Tyler Palmer earned Saturday’s HPV 2 pole by only a blink of an eye over a quartette of locals led by Cole Loftsgard, Pete Yerkovich, Bryan Lemon, and Bailey Murphy. Palmer stayed on top in the prefinal, easily gapping the field by a few seconds. Behind him the running order changed up with Lemon taking over second place and Jake Craig moving up to third. Craig was a factor early in the final too, but a broken header ended his day. Palmer seemed well in control from the drop of the green flag. Craig gave chase for the first few laps with Gustavo Menezes just a few lengths back. Once Craig was no longer a factor Menezes poured on the coals and ran down Palmer. By lap six Menezes was on his way to victory and Palmer was left with second place. Lemon, Loftsgard and Trevor Zindars fought for the final podium position, with Lemon getting the nod from the racing gods.

Menezes went at it on Sunday with a completely different approach, starting on the pole, winning the heat race, and then leading every lap of the final. Palmer was consistent and again finished in second on the day. Loftsgard improved his performance by running in third for the 16-lap race and just finishing ahead of Kolton Griffin and Lemon.

Again Junior Superbox disappointed with entries, but impressed with race craft. Tyler Palmer scored the pole both days but Cole Loftsgard and Jake Craig split the wins in the heat races. Saturday’s final was the Palmer and Bryan Lemon show as they gained ground on the rest of the field. With a half dozen or so lead changed the race was pretty exciting to watch. Lemon made a late race move to score his first win on the weekend. Sunday’s final was even better as Bailey Murphy and Loftsgard went after Lemon, as Palmer had to move up through the field. In the end all three had led at least one lap, but again Lemon’s late race pass was the winning move. Loftsgard finished in second and Palmer snuck by Murphy for third place.

Things looked bad in the Cadet classes on Saturday for everyone other than Parker Thompson. Thompson scored the pole in Rookie Sportsman, and qualified second to Nicholas Ramirez in HPV 1. He then went on to win both prefinals in what looked like a smooth ride. The finals belonged to Thompson too as he led every lap in both finals. It wasn’t as easy as the results show, with a handful of drivers actually posting better lap times. Thompson was able to keep the challengers at bay, finishing just ahead of Riley Reyes, Slater Stowell and Ramirez in HPV 1. Zane Smith capped off the top five but he was seven seconds behind the leaders. In Rookie Sportsman, Michael Womack, Tommy Yerkovich, Smith, Reyes, and Beau Brieske were the main rivals, but none were able to make anything stick. Reyes came from pretty far back, running as high as second, but Womack fought hard and regained the runner’s up position with only two laps to go. Reyes came home in third, followed by Yerkovich, Smith and Brieske.

Things evened out a bit on Sunday as the Cadet pilots learned the track more and the gaps in track experience got smaller and smaller. Michael Womack landed the Junior 1 pole over Saturday’s big winner Thompson. The heat race saw Womack finish first in a train of five filled with Smith, Thompson, Carter Williams, and Brenden Baker. Womack had things under control from the drop of the green and he led every lap of the final. Of course he was chased by as many as nine guys in the beginning, but it was whittled down to only six in the closing laps. Womack took the win, but chapeau to Riley Reyes and Slater Stowell for their drives up onto the podium. Last laps passes by both drivers on Thompson landed them next to Womack in the winner’s circle.

Zane Smith jumped to the top of the charts in HPV 1 qualifying just besting Saturday’s pole sitter Ramirez by 0.010. Smith held on for the prefinal win, but Reyes was up from his fifth starting position to finish in second, the only one beside Beau Brieske who was even near the pace of Smith. Reyes got a great start and led the final for the first few laps before giving way to Smith. Michael Womack also had a great start and he jockeyed for position with Brieske, running in third and fourth. By the end of the 16-lap final only these four were in contention for the win. Reyes was comfortable waiting out the laps following Smith around the circuit. He pounced with two laps to go and though Smith countered, it was not enough to keep Reyes from seeing the checkered flag first. Smith finished in second, Womack was third, and Brieske was fourth. Brennen Mankin did a great job gaining tons of ground to lead the pack to the line for fifth place.

World Formula ran with Junior Superbox on track and it didn’t take long before everyone was intertwined. Matias Podboj was the only Junior World Formula so he won his class. Gabby Robles looked like she was going to easily clean house on the field of Senior drivers but Jonathan Miller hit the afterburners, running her down to make a race of it. Last lap, last turn, racing contact, gotta love it, Gabby takes it home. Miller, a little dustier than before still managed to finish in second place with Terry Nash ending his day in third.

Kid Kart action was once again fierce as we saw two different winners on the weekend. It is always great to see a first time winner step up onto the top step of the podium and this weekend we saw Hayden Wagner do just that. Wagner scored his first class win on Saturday beating two of the region’s best Kid Kart drivers, Jerett Tachovsky and Ethan Barrett. Anthony Sawyer was fourth and local driver Anthony Willis was fifth. Sunday we saw two drivers dip below the 1:05 mark in the final, Sawyer and Barrett. They pulled away leaving Wagner, Luis Ortiz IV and Tachovsky in their desert dust. Sawyer and Barrett traded the lead a couple of times, but it was Sawyer inching out Barrett at the line for the win.

A couple of racing adages come to mind when thinking about Saturday’s HPV 4 race and both TaG events. First off the Richard Petty quote of “I’d rather be lucky than good”, and then the other of “to finish first, first you have to finish.” I might throw in a few more colorful ones too, but hey it’s a family sport. I will leave it at “a win is a win” and “you win some and you lose some,” then we can move on to the DQ’s and mechanical failures.

Kyle Shriver and Devin Lindsey were the cream of the HPV 4 crop Saturday with Shriver earning the pole. Lindsey matched Shriver lap for lap in the prefinal and they were the clear favorites for the final. By the end of the 18 laps the lead duo’s advantage was more than eight seconds over Joey Barros and local driver Lucas Barnett. Shriver gained the lead to start the final and Lindsey dropped in on his rear bumper. They stayed that way to the drop of the checkered flag. Problem was that Shriver came up light at the scales handing the win to Lindsey. Barros, not in the points kindly withdrew from tech moving Barnett up to second and Jonathan Miller up into third.

Bobby Kelley was the man in TaG both days. Saturday’s pole belonged to Kelley by three-tenths and he upped that margin on Sunday to half a second. The prefinals were no match for the mighty #24 as he easily bested Alex Akers, Kyle Shriver, Justin Miller and Scott Sanders Saturday, and did the same to Andrick Zeen, Sanders Travis Lowe and Miller on Sunday. Kelley was well on his way to victory Saturday when just past halfway he started to slow. Miller had gained a mild advantage on the start and ran solidly in second place chasing Kelley. Once he smelled blood there was no keeping Miller from taking advantage of the ailing Kelley. Miller had nearly a three second advantage over Sanders and brought it home for a great win. Arizona State TaG Champion Michael England finished his day in third with his second trip to the podium in only his third IKF race. Zeen and Barnett capped off the first podium.

Shriver got one back on Sunday, proving that the racing gods can givith and takith away in the same fashion. Kelley was once again in control of TaG and barring another unforeseen mechanical breakdown he clearly was going to win Sunday’s final. He did, but tech got the better of him. When you took Kelley out of the equation the final was quite entertaining as Shriver, Travis Lowe and Zeen all scrapped for second place. Lowe and Shriver went to the finish side by side with Shriver having just a two tenth advantage at the line. That gap was good enough for the eventual win. Lowe was moved up into second place and Zeen was then scored in third. Sanders and Miller finished things off in fourth and fifth.

I do want to thank the Arizona Department of Transportation for having all the threshold braking drills lined up along Interstate 10 for us to practice going from 95mph down to 75mph in 300 feet. Thanks for the warning signs, 300 feet, really? Not much of a challenge. The final race of the 2009 IKF Region 7 Championship Series presented by Bridgestone has been moved from Irwindale Raceway to the Santa Maria Kart Track. The December 4-6 dates remain the same, only the venue has changed. Hopefully we will see everyone there for tri-tip and championships.

11-4-09 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge Season Finale at Dixon this weekend

The most successful Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge ever will run its last race of the season at the Kinsmen Kart Club in Dixon on Sunday, November 8th. This will be the tenth and final race of the 2009 season and will be the first time the series will finish its season at a track other than the Jim Russell International Karting Center track at Infineon Raceway. Even though several class championships have been locked up, there are still two classes with championships too close to call and several other classes where 2nd or 3rd place finishes in the championship are still to be determined.

The class with the closest championship battle is Senior Rotax. This class has been the hardest fought class in the series with seven different race winners in the first nine races. 2008 Class Champion Gregory Liefooghe holds a slim twenty point lead over 2008 Junior Rotax Class Champion Jordan Jadallah. The first year senior driver Jadallah won the last race at Infineon on October 26th to force a shoot out with Liefooghe at Dixon. Both drivers have driven the Dixon track well in the past and thus are expected to battle hard for the win in this last race. There is a four driver battle for 3rd place in the Senior class championship with Nikola Radosavljevich holding a slim lead over Nic LeDuc, Jake Mottaz and Matthew Powers.

The Rotax Masters class has a three way battle for the class championship with Donald Durbin holding the lead over David Harwin and Jack Arluck. Harwin has been the speed of the series this year, but has run into bad luck on three different occasions which opened the door for Durbin to take a run at the championship. Harwin must win the pre-main and main and hope for some bad luck to impact Durbin in order to emerge class champion. Arluck also has a mathematical chance to win the class if both Durbin and Harwin have very bad days.

All other classes have champions all but crowned, but there are still some race battles to determine other class positions. The 3rd place class position in Micro Max has Sarah Setzer holding a slim lead over a surging Toni Breidinger. The Rotax DD2 runner up position has David Arnstein trying to displace current second place points driver Kyle Gimple.

This will be the Nor Cal Rotax Challenge's third visit to the Dixon track this year where the Rotax classes run as part of the normal Kinsmen Kart Club race program. 2009 Rotax turnouts have been the strongest in history for the Dixon events, and the racing has been very action packed.

Saturday, November 7th, will be available for practice for a cost of $30 with the Rotax class entry fee for Sunday at $75. Rotax national membership is not required for this race. Saturday practice is 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Sunday practice starts at 9:00 am with the pre-mains starting about Noon.

For more information, schedule, results, news, rules and sponsor information for the 2009 Northern California Rotax Challenge go to www.norcalrotax.com

11-2-09 RON SUTTON’S WINNER’S CIRCLE STANDOUT DRIVERS TEST IN FRONT OF NASCAR AND ARCA LEADERS

Brunelli, Grewohl, Meier and Moon impressive in NASCAR Driver Talent Combine at Caraway Speedway

Charlotte, North Carolina (October 29, 2009) – Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle further established itself as the leading driver development program for those seeking to make it to NASCAR, with four of its top drivers showcasing their talent in a NASCAR Driver Talent Combine on October 21^st at Caraway Speedway in North Carolina.

With the 2009 race season rapidly coming to a close, Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle Development drivers Jessica Brunelli, Bobby Grewohl, Jace Meier and Benny Moon recently got the rare opportunity to meet, interview and test a full day in front of leading NASCAR Sprint Cup and ARCA teams.

As part of a Driver Talent Combine, the foursome each got behind the wheel of a 650 horsepower, 3300 pound USAR Pro Cup Car (formerly called Hooters Pro Cup cars) owned and operated by NASCAR Nationwide & USAR Pro Cup squad Mac Hill Motorsports. The drivers tested in front of top NASCAR and ARCA teams at the famed 0.455-mile Caraway Speedway oval in North Carolina.

Under the watchful eye of Ron Sutton, NASCAR and ARCA team representatives, Brunelli, Grewohl, Meier and Moon each took to the track four times for 16-lap runs. Working with the crews to tune the cars - which are similar to a top tier NASCAR car with a truck arm suspension. The RSWC standouts not only impressed those on hand with their outright speed, but their consistency, communication skills and professionalism. At the end of the day’s activities, three of the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle drivers topped the timesheets of drivers participating.

“Each of our Drivers represented themselves well here today,” commented Ron Sutton. “This is what these drivers have been working towards … getting their shot to show their talent and skills in front of top NASCAR Cup and ARCA teams. The teams spent 6-7 hours with the drivers today … evaluating their talent and their character … and were impressed with what they saw.”

The 16 year-old Brunelli, the youngest and only female in this combine, entered the evaluation test following a successful season in NASCAR Grand American Modified competition driving for Nascimento Motorsports. The Hayward, California native, who is in her second year with the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle program, was a front runner in USAC Ford Focus Midget competition last year, having previously earned the 2007 Rookie of the Year award in Skip Barber Regional competition and been a two-time IKF Region 11 Regional Karting champion.

Grewohl, of Hollister, California, returned to the driver’s seat, having contested selected USAC Midget and NASCAR Modified races this past season with Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle race teams. The 23 year-old, won three consecutive USAC Midget Wins and scored a big NASCAR Open Late Model win in 2008, captured three NASCAR Late Model wins in 2007, earned two USAC Western States Midget Series wins in 2006, won the 2005 SCCA Western States Championship Formula Continental race, started on pole in his inaugural USAC Ford Focus Midget race in 2004, and captured both the SCCA Western States Formula Ford regional title with six wins and the Jim Russell 125cc Shifter Series kart title in 2003.

The 20 year-old Meier traveled to Caraway Speedway after racing select races in NASCAR Modifieds in 2009. The fourth year Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle development driver from Las Vegas, Nevada captured the pole position in his only NASCAR Late Model start of 2008, was the 2007 Auto Club Late Model Series runner-up and Rookie of the Year at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, earned the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway NASCAR Late Model Rookie of the Year award in 2006, won three USAC Ford Focus Midget races 2005-2006, earned the 2004 Rookie of the Year award in the Legends Semi-Pro division at the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and was a multiple Rotax Junior Champion in 2003.

Moon, of Sacramento, California got behind the wheel of the USAR Pro Cup car following a season of selected races in NASCAR Modifieds in 2009. The 24 year-old, who has been part of the RSWC program for the past four years, scored a NASCAR Late Model pole position in 2008, won two NASCAR Late Model races in 2007, secured two NASCAR Late Model pole positions in 2006, captured three USAC Ford Focus Midget wins in 2005, including Turkey Night, won four times in the 2004 Skip Barber Formula Dodge championship, captured one Skip Barber Formula Dodge victory in 2003, and was a SKUSA Pro Moto race winner in 2002.

For direct contact, please email Ron Sutton at ron@winners-circle-racing.com