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Archives September 2008

9-17-08 IKF Board of Director Candidate lobbying Club Rebuilding

It's the time of year where registered IKF Members vote on the new candidates for the IKF Board of Directors. There is one candidate that is preaching to the Karting community regarding what will help the growth of Karting and its ability to withstand the struggling Economy. Business Owner Mike Tetreault is reaching out to the Clubs of Karting. "Support your Clubs" Mike said. "Its what Karting is built from!"

Mike Tetreault is owner of Grand Products, distributor for Bridgestone tires, DID Chains, NGK Spark Plugs, Comer racing Engines, and Top Kart products. Mike became Co-Owner of Grand Products in 2003 after working alongside Charlie Pistorio, previous owner of Grand Products. Charlie is a Long time Karter being involved in the Sport of Kart Racing for Many years. Charlie Pistorio was the first Distributor of an Italian Manufactured Race Kart, launching the Importerships of other Italian Manufactured Race Karts.

Mike Tetreault learned much of the Business fundamentals of Karting from Charlie Prestorio, which he accredits most of his knowledge from. 15 years under Prestorio before earning his Co-Ownership, and soon his complete Ownership. Tetreault has expressed a Deep Love for the Sport through many years of Karting accredibility. Working closely with the major Karting Associations such as WKA, TAG USA, and Stars of Karting, Mike believes that all Karting Organizations should work together to support what has truly grown Karting to the popularity which it currently holds, Strong Club Racing Networks.

Mike Plans to make decisions that are responsive to the needs of racers and their clubs that race under IKF Sanction, including the reduced cost of Karting. He believes in working together with local clubs to ensure that decisions made help make clubs stronger and more effective in running their race programs while promoting the support to bring in new families and participants. His beliefs to grow Karting are those that built the industry in the beginning, and to get back to basics to "build the sport to the level it once was!"

Mike Tetreault is asking for the Norcal Karters vote. When voting for the new candidates for 2009, Vote for what will truly help grow Karting, the clubs! Vote for Mike Tetreault.

9-29-08 Jim Russell Sunday Series Race #6

A sunshiny warm day greeted the largest field of the year at the Jim Russell Sunday Series here at Infineon Raceway. 51 drivers turned out to run the Reverse National track layout. The high turnout was due to a special running of the TaG Grand Masters/Masters class. This group of drivers has not been on the Sunday series card this year but was added as a reunion race to get the ‘old’ drivers out for some fun. This class will run again on Oct 26 for Race #7.

HPV2 - Puma

The HPV2 field was the largest of the year with 13 drivers plus one lone Puma. Joseph Keaton put his loaner kart on pole over points leader Kathryn Cornell, Conner Ford, Dylan Lupton and Bobby Tifft. Kathryn showed why she is the points leader by taking control at the start of the Pre-Main and went on to her first race win of the year, but just barely over Keaton edging him out by just .052 seconds. Lupton got by Ford to take the 3^rd, Ford 4^th and Tifft 5^th. On the start of the 15 lap Main, the outside row of Keaton and Ford got in front of the inside row of Cornell and Lupton and this is how they ran for the whole race. Keaton pulled away slightly at the end to take a 1 second victory with Ford just 2 tenths of a second in front of Cornell. Lupton took the 4^th less than a second in front of Tifft and 6^th place finisher Daniel Langon. Shantae Barudoni took the Puma win.

Comer

5 Comers took the track with new comer Jay Dennis taking the pole ahead of Doug Braddock Jr and Michael Avansino. In the Pre-Main, Braddock took the lead from the off-pole and led the entire way until the dash for the checkered flag. Dennis looked like he was going to settle for second when he made a outside pass down the straight away to take a one tenth of a second win over points leader Braddock. Avansino was 3^rd, Austin Makeev 4^th and Trevor Mathis 5^th. In the Main, Jay made a strong start to avoid being beat to turn one. And once in the lead, Jay Dennis went on to a dominating 8 second win. But Jay was not the only one to get a good start. On the start Avansino stuck to Jay’s rear bumper and was able to squeeze past Braddock to take second. The veteran Braddock had his hands full trying to set up a pass on the much improving Avansino. Braddock almost had a pass made when the two toughed in the turn and Braddock had to fall back. Doug caught back up to Michael but time ran out for him to make another pass attempt. Thus, Jay Dennis the winner, Michael Avansino 2^nd, Doug Braddock Jr 3^rd, Austin Makeev 4^th and Trevor Mathis 5^th.

Gazelle and HPV1

The Gazelles and HPV1 karts ran combined for the first time in 2008. The speeds of the 2 different class of karts were very close, thus it made for some interesting racing. In the Qualify, the HPV1 karts of Austin Thomas and Doug Braddock Jr were on the front row with the next 4 karts being Gazelle’s lead by points leader Maxx Marian followed by Ben Barudoni, Noah Hermansen and Robbie Rodrigues. In the Pre-Main, these 6 karts all ran nose to tail for the entire race, which was very nerve racking. Braddock took the lead at the green and held it all the way to take a 3 tenths of a second win over Thomas. Barudoni got in front of Marian on the start and ran right on Thomas’ rear bumper to make sure Marian could not get by. Rodrigues got by Noah to take the 5^th overall and 3^rd in Gazelle. For the Main, the to top HPV1 karts were started about 50 yards in front of the Gazelles so that both classes could have clear track and this split worked well. Braddock took the lead at the green and was never headed in the HPV1 battle. Thomas hung close to Braddock until he made a small error late in the race and fell back a couple of seconds. In the Gazelle battle, the lead went back and forth between Barudoni and Marian with Hermansen and Rodrigues having their own battle for 3^rd. In the end, Barudoni took the Gazelle win by a slim 1 tenth of a second margin. Hermansen also edged out Rodrigues by a similar 1 tenth of a second margin to take the 3^rd in class with Robbie 4^th and Tommie McCarthy in 5^th.

80 Grand Masters/Masters

The 80 shifter class had 6 entries. Ron Tamba, the lone Masters driver took the pole ahead of Marc Stanley, Ahmiel Freed and Tom Nelson. In the Pre-Main, Stanley took the lead off the green and Tamba fell back. Ron made an attempt to pass early on and spun so he had to restart and thus finished 6^th. Stanley drove on to the win, but just a half second over Tom Nelson who just nipped Freed at the line by 1 hundredth of a second. Points leader Michael John took 4^th. In the Main, Tom Nelson was on a mission to take his first win of the year and put the pressure on Stanley. But shifting problems slowed Tom and he had to settle for 6^th overall. Ron Tamba then drove up through the field and was up to second when he spun and had to settle for 5^th. The surprise of the Main was Michael John. He qualified over 2 ½ seconds off the pace, but he got his kart working right in the Main and came through to put pressure on the lead. Stanley was in the lead for the entire race, but the action behind was fun to watch. In the end, Marc took a 3 second win, Michael John in 2^nd, Freed 3^rd just ½ second back and Steve Petersen 4^th.

TaG Grand Masters and Masters

14 Grand Masters (over 45) and 4 Masters (over 35) lined up to have a fun race. For most of the field, this was the first time back to Infineon in 2008 since the Grand Masters class was not offered this year. The large turn out did not go un-noticed to the Jim Russell team. The class was run to the 2007 rules which run on YHC tires, allow National Cup Parilla motors and the weight was 390 pounds. In Qualify, Ken Western dusted off his kart and put it on pole ahead of Randy Wetmore, Masters driver Larry Fraser (who was on a Chinese kart), Jim Zootis and Ray Zanotto. It was strange to see the traditional starting start again at Infineon, yes a standing start. With the slower speed of the standing start, all the drivers made it though turn one in good order and the 10 lap Pre-Main was on. Wetmore used his veteran smarts and took the lead at the green and held it to take a ½ second win over Western. Fraser was another second back in 3^rd, the veteran ProKart driver Zootis in 4^th with Bill McCallister working his way up to 5^th. In 6^th was Mat Kattanek who had to start 18^th due to motor problems in the morning practice. A spare engine was brought over from the Dixon race for Mat to use. In the Main, all eyes were on the front row to watch the Randy and Ken show. Prior to the green, Fraser’s engine quit, so he was out. The start was another safe start and all drivers got through turn one without an incident. Wetmore took the point like in the Pre-Main, followed by Western. But picking off the opposition one by one was the IKF veteran Kattanek. Mat used superior braking to make his passes and by mid race, he went by Wetmore and into the lead. Mat then just continued to pull away to take a convincing 4 second win, Wetmore coming home 2^nd followed by Western, Zootis and Ray Zanotto in 5^th. Ray took 1^st in the Masters class. One other driver of note, Peter Toft, father of Jason Toft, came home in 13^th place. This was Peter’s first ever kart race. After wrenching so many years on Jason’s kart, it was fun to watch the roles reversed and Jason working the wrenches for his dad.

One more race in the 2008 season, that will be October 26. The TaG Grand Masters/Master will return in October as well as an ALL Comers 80 shifter race for Senior 80, 80 Masters and 80 Grand Masters.

9-25-08 Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge Race #8 Recap

It is fall at the Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. A comfortable day with overcast skies in the morning gave way to warm sunny weather for the Main events in the afternoon. 45 Rotax entries continue the strong turn out for the Norcal Rotax Challenge. This was the second time in 2008 that the racers had to challenge the fast Reverse National layout.

Junior Rotax

12 drivers took the green for some tough and tight racing all day. After Qualify, it was Jordan Jadallah taking the pole ahead of Donavon Wheeler, Bryce Hylbert, Bobby Tifft and Jordan Miller. In the Pre-Main, Jadallah took the lead at the green with Wheeler right behind. Jadallah slowly pulled away in the middle part of the 12 lap race to take a 3 second win. Wheeler was in a comfortable second ahead of Hylbert, Brody Zink and Bobby Tifft. At the start of the Main, a turn one tangle caused a red flag and the field had to come to a stop. The karts of Bobby Tifft and Austin Kimberly were not able to continue. For the restart, Wheeler got the jump at the green flag and took the early lead. On lap three, Jadallah made the pass for the lead going into turn one, but unlike the Pre-Main, Donavon stayed on Jordan’s rear bumper for the remainder of the 18 lap race. Wheeler would fall back a couple of kart lengths then get back to the rear bumper of the leader, but he was never able to make a run for the lead. Jadallah took a slim .158 second win. But the best racing was right behind. Jordan Miller was challenging Hylbert for the third spot. As the two charged into turn one late in the race, they came together and spun collecting Brody Zink with them. Hylbert recovered and went on to finish 3^rd, Zink and Miller also recovered but had to settled for 7^th and 9^th respectfully. Andrew Wolocatiuk took advantage of the spin and came home a well deserved 4^th with Austin Root coming home 5^th. Jadallah continues to lead the class in points with Wheeler a close second.

Senior Rotax

Series points leader and 6 time winner Gregory Liefooghe was sitting out this race with very sore ribs, thus the 12 kart field was going to see a new race winner in Senior Rotax this day. And the field was strong, with 2008 Gatorz Winter series champ Wes Phillips joining in on the fun. In Qualify, Nikola Radosavljevich took pole over Phillips, Joe Karrett, Andrew Novich and Matthew Powers. At the start of the Pre-Main, Powers had to drop out with a bad clutch. Nikola took the lead into turn one and stayed ahead of Phillips for most of the race. Phillips took the lead late but Nikola got by Wes on the dash to the finish line. Karrett was third, Novich was a strong 4^th with Raymond Bustamante Jr taking the 5^th. At the start of the Main, Nikola and Novich touched going into turn one and they and a couple of other karts spun. All got going again except Nikola who had to drive to the pits and retire, a sad end to Nikola’s best drive of the year. The incident at the start allowed Phillips to get a 3 second lead, which he held for the remainder of the race. Karrett, the 2007 Senior Rotax champ and running his first Senior race of the year, took a convincing 2^nd 3 seconds up on Bustamante who came home 3^rd. David Arnstein, who also doubles in the DD2 class, drove to his best finish of the year in 4^th with Matthew Powers coming from 12^th to finish 5^th, a great come back.

Rotax Masters Light

Only 4 drivers showed up for this regional class, but all 4 drivers are the top four in points, thus a good race was excepted. In Qualify, points leader Marc Pingol took pole followed by Mike Lawler, Mary Beth Wilson and Mert Solis. In the Pre-Main, Pingol and Lawler battled for the lead throughout the race but near the end the came together and slowed just enough to allow Wilson to dash by and drive home the winner followed by Pingol, Lawler and Solis. In the Main, Wilson took the early lead, but Lawler soon took over the lead and was never headed after that. But Wilson put in her best drive of the year and finished just 1.3 seconds back of Lawler with Pingol taking 3^rd and Solis 4^th.

Rotax Masters

7 Masters drivers took to the track for this race. 2007 class champ David Carlisle continued his dominance by taking pole ahead of Jerry Pretti, Chris Debruine and Jay Brosius. In the Pre-Main, Carlisle controlled the race and took the win by 7 seconds. But Debruine took the second spot on the start and was able to hold off the pressure from Pretti to take the second place spot. In the Main, Carlisle took the lead from the green flag with Pretti also getting by Debruine on the start. Carlisle cruised to a 6 second victory with Pretti 2^nd some 7 seconds clear of the much improved Debruine who took 3^rd with Brosius coming home 4^thand Peter Boot 5^th.

Rotax DD2

Another good turn out of the direct drive 2 speed class with 10 drivers. In the Qualify, Glen Poy-Wing took the pole nearly 3 tenths ahead of Kyle Gimple who just edged out David Arnstein with January Grove and first time DD2 entry Bill McCallister taking the 4^th and 5^th spots. In the Pre-Main, Poy-Wing took early control of the race, with Arnstein and Gimple close behind. But Glen pressed too hard and spun on one of the infield corners and had to settle for a third. Arnstein took the Pre-Main followed closely by Gimple with McCallister taking the 4^th ahead of January Grove. In the Main, young Gimple took the lead at the start and opened up a bit of lead on Arnstein. Poy-Wing then took over the 2^nd spot and took aim on the young Minden, NV driver. At first, it looked like Kyle was going to start pulling away, but Glen put down some fast laps that took him into the lead. Gimple stayed close to finish 2^nd just 3 tenths of a second back. This was Kyle best finish since he joined the DD2 class back in June. David Arnstein put in a second great drive on this day to take the 3^rd (David finished 4^th in the Senior Rotax race), less than a second back of the winner. In 4^th, less than 2 seconds back of the winner was January Grove with Bill McCallister taking the 5^th spot.

With just 2 more races in the 2008 season, there are several close points battles that will be played out in October. The 9^th race in the Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge will be October 12 at the Dixon kart track. This race will be run as part of the Oct 12 Dixon Kart Club race. The last race of the year will be at the Jim Russell Kart Track at Infineon Raceway on Oct 25

9-23-08 Pu’u Returns home for double wins at mAUI KART CHALLENGE

Maui’s own returns back from school to earn TaG and S3 feature wins

KAHULUI, HAWAII (September 13, 2008) – The fourth round of the Maui Kart Challenge took place on September 13 under the lights at the Maui Motorsports Park Puunene Kart as the Superkarts! USA Hawaii Region pilots took to the 3/4-mile circuit for a night that saw new names battling for the class wins.

TaG Senior had 10 entries with two in the TaG Masters category. Josh Pu’u grew up driving with the Maui Kart Club and was home from college on this weekend, striking a one-race deal with Gumpfer Motorsports. Pu’u set fast time in qualifying with a 36.078-second lap time, running nearly four-tenths faster than Andres Frate and Troy Goldberg. The trio ran in that order in the two heat races with Pu’u continuing to put down a fast pace. The 18-lap main event saw Josh continue on to lead the entire race to earn an eight-second victory over Frate, while Ryan Gouveia edged Goldberg for the final spot on the podium. In TaG Masters, Denis Valente swept the day, outrunning David Moran in each session.

Three shifter categories ran together in one race group, the line-up including the S3, S3, and K1 80cc Shifter divisions. Alec Gumpfer led the way in Qualifying in his S5 entry with a 35.261-second lap to edge S3 top qualifier Tom Zacagnini. In the opening heat race, Zacagnini had a great start and paced all 14 laps. Gumpfer - the lone S5 driver - fell back to third overall, but managed to climb back to second and finished right behind Zacagnini at the checker. S3 drivers Steve Eggers and Jed Bahouth were third and fourth overall. Heat two saw another great start by Zacagnini, but Gumpfer got by on lap two and went on for the overall win. Zacagnini was second while Jed Bahouth moved up to third as Eggers was not able to make a lap.

The feature race saw Gumpfer rocket to the lead at the drop of the green, putting down a blistering pace over the opening laps that allowed him to pull a slight cushion over his competition. The aggressive opening lap attack would slow him during the second half of the race as his tires would begin to tail off considerably. Double-duty driver Josh Pu’u took advantage of this to take over the lead, running away to the eventual victory. Gumpfer held on for second ahead of Zacagnini and Bahouth.

"What a great night,” stated double winner Josh Pu’u. “My TaG ride was unbelievably consistent and fast while the shifter came in at the perfect time to score the win. I can’t thank Maui Kart Challenge and Gumpfer Motorsports enough.”

Jessie Nielson edged Tim Eback for the K1 pole position and the two split heat wins before Nielson went unchallenged in the feature for the victory.

The next round for the Maui Kart Challenge will take place October 11, once again taking to the asphalt at the Maui Motorsports Park Puunene Kart.

9-22-08 Driver Joey Hand and wife Natalie give birth to baby girl

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Sept. 19, 2008) ? Driver Joey Hand and his wife Natalie gave birth to daughter Kaylee Amber Hand at 9:17 p.m. Monday, Sept. 8 at Kaiser South Sacramento Hospital. Born a month early, she weighed 6 lbs. 4 oz. and was 18.5 inches long.

"We are very excited to have a healthy baby girl come into our life last Monday evening,? Hand said. ?My wife, Natalie, had a long day of difficult contractions that seemed would never end yet she powered through to bring us our beautiful baby girl. She was four weeks early, so we were thrilled she was 6 lbs. 4 oz. Her big brother Chase celebrated his second birthday two weeks ago. He is very excited to have his baby sister home and is very helpful in caring for her. He is already helping to feed her and is very gentle with her. He always wants to hold her and seems to be on his way to being a great big brother."

Hand returns to the racetrack this weekend for the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series season finale at Miller Motorsports Park. Hand and co-driver Bill Auberlen look to give the Ruby Tuesday Championship Racing Team its first Daytona Prototype victory of the season. The duo is coming off a third-place finish at the newly-built New Jersey Motorsports Park nearly three weeks ago.

Hand knows how to get around the 24-turn, 4.486-mile Miller Motorsports Park track quickly. In fact, he won the Grand-Am Koni Challenge race last year with co-driver Matt Alhadeff in the No. 97 Turner Motorsports BMW M3.

9-18-08 Spots to be Awarded to Kart Racers in Driver Talent Search

SACRAMENTO, California - The national talent search for the driver development program conducted by Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle launches today. Supporting sponsors, K&N Filters, Lucas Oil & Sunoco Racing Fuels will be awarding six spots in the 2008 Shoot-Out to young, talented drivers from various forms of motorsports, with three spots going to kart racers.

Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle (RSWC) is an established talent scout and development program, providing long term, comprehensive racing and career development for up and coming drivers focused on NASCAR careers. RSWC drivers are raced, coached, groomed, trained and molded, within a professional racing environment, into what top pro teams look for when hiring drivers.

K&N Filters, Lucas Oil & Sunoco Racing Fuels have stepped up to award positions in the Shoot-Out to one participant from each of the following three kart series: IKF International Karting Federation, Snap-on Stars of Karting presented by IndyCar Series and Superkarts! USA. The Shoot-Out application process is open to all drivers 11 to 19 years of age, with race winning backgrounds in IKF, Stars or SKUSA Kart racing.

RSWC has seen great drivers come from the karting ranks including champions Brendan Langlois, Chris Keller, Benny Moon and others. They are all active winners in NASCAR, SCCA and USAC racing today with RSWC. With RSWC Chris Keller has won four Formula Ford national events in 2008 and is shooting for the Formula Ford National Championship title.

Benny Moon had great successes in kart racing and formula car racing winning the annual Skip Barber Shoot-Out award and four races on the national circuit. With development from RSWC, Moon won poles, trophy dashes and races in USAC Ford Focus Midgets then NASCAR Late Model Stock Cars.

Stars of Karting and SKUSA standout Brendan Langlois, from Canada, is winning poles, trophy dashes and main events with RSWC in the USAC Ford Focus Midget series. Closing in on the end of the ’08 season, Langlois has a shot at both the California and National USAC Championships. He is building a solid resume of winning car races to help his pursuit of a career in NASCAR.

2003 Rotax Max Challenge Regional Champion, Jace Meier won multiple poles, trophy dashes & races in USAC Focus Midgets and NASCAR Late Model Stock Cars in the RSWC program.

After claiming the 2006 Jim Russell Karting Series TaG championship, Viktor Sinzig won a spot with RSWC and went on to win poles, races and the 2007 SCCA Formula Ford Championship. For 2008 Sinzig has already scored a pole position and several top-five results in USAC Midgets.

The Shoot-Out process is designed to identify talented, young, up and coming drivers from across the United States and Canada with the talent, potential and commitment to achieve a driving career in NASCAR. RSWC is currently accepting resumes through October 15th, 2008. RSWC expects to receive over 600 resumes, as they have in the past, and narrow it down to approximately 30 to 40 drivers to test. The Shoot-Out is conducted over two 3-day weekends in early November, in identical race cars, on an asphalt oval track in Northern California.

Sutton has said, “We’re not looking for a number … We are looking for young talent that has real potential to go all the way to NASCAR Sprint Cup.” Day one of the Shoot-Out includes a seminar for parents and drivers, "The Real World Good, Bad & Ugly of Driver Career Development" and a training course for drivers on driving strategies, expectations and terminology. Three separate tests for the young drivers include body fat fitness, a written problem solving test and psychological analysis.

Days two and three are on track, with drivers getting five 20-lap sessions on track, with coaching, to show their talent. Judges evaluate the drivers on 45 points, with the key areas being coachability, accurate feedback, focus, motivation, training retention, communication skills, personality, aggressiveness, learning rate, confidence and lap times.

The talented drivers selected for the RSWC development program through the Shoot-Out will have a training program designed specifically for their age, experience and development stage, then be placed with a top team in the racing series that fits best.

The career development program consists of 12 veteran driver coaches, over 20 classroom topics and eight organizations fielding 24 race teams, all dedicated to develop drivers in the RSWC program. The teams are a balance of Open Wheel and Stock Car oval track race teams ... with Road Racing added … to develop highly versatile and accomplished winning drivers.

In the USAC series, RSWC races drivers as young as 12 years old in Junior Ford Focus Midgets with 125 hp. At 180 hp, the Ford Focus Midgets are a great training series for ages 14 and up. “Full” Midgets with 380 hp and 800 hp Sprint Cars are for drivers 16 plus. Skip Barber Race Series or SCCA Formula Fords and F2000 cars are used to develop young drivers’ road racing skills early, at ages from 12 to 17. NASCAR Late Model Stock Cars and Grand National Stock Cars are the final stepping stones in the RSWC program, with only the star level talented Drivers being introduced to top NASCAR Cup Teams.

Young winning drivers ages 11 to 19, and their parents, are encouraged to get all the information and answers to common questions from the web-site, then submit their resume in time to be considered.

www.winners-circle-racing.com

9-18-08 Prairie City Race # 10
Congratulations to Gary and Vicki for having the race on their 26th Anniversary weekend, and putting on a great show.

The drivers were making sure the Ambulance crew received a proper work out for their pay when they had to fish drivers out of barriers and hay bales. Ryan Raspberry took a bad hit that crushed his side pod into his seat and his ribs, this guy is one tough Racer. You could tell he was in pain looking at his points and knowing he had to get back into the kart. Then Nick Phillips went into the turn 1 hay bales. He was shaken but not stirred. Next was birthday girl Jamie Sander in a heated battle for second place in HPV-3 taking a hit that made your teeth rattle. Bordogna’s Sander suffered another blow later on in Tag Senior while sitting on pole her kart refused to fire and sent her to the back in the main event. Another was Kartel's Ashlie Couch got sidelined into turn 1 Barriers which put her out for the day with her arm in a split.

The Challenger Class is picking up new drivers welcoming Michaela Laspine and Jesse Althoff. These kids are quite the racers, next time you see them shake their hands and go watch them on the fence. Cody " Fireman" Stillwell took the lead on lap 2 from bordogna’s Joshua Wooten and never looked back. Cody was on fire out there and couldn't be touched by the field leaving the rest to battle it out. Jay Teel protected his 2nd position until lap 11 when Wooten slipped in and got the spot, Caitlynn Eckhart finished 4th. Great job everyone! Challenger Hpv1- bordogna’s Joshua Wooten is leading with Cody "fireman" Stillwell giving the chase only 30 points behind

Hpv1 winner went to Kartworlds Cole Davis with Kartel's Jarred Campbell in 2nd followed by Taylor Jacobs and Tucker Dunbar. This race is always exciting to watch and most of the time you will find these drivers glued to each other. Bordogna’s Cole Davis is leading by 19 points over Jarred " I'm coming for you" Campbell and JR Raczko back 90 points from Campbell.

Super Sportsman took to the track and Emmick’s Curt Lopez is the big dog on track and still can't be touched as he checked out leaving 2nd to Andrew Kemp to battle it out with bordogna’s Gallagher and Krug in 4th. Points leader Curt "See ya later" Lopez with 175 point lead over the class, followed by Gallagher with a 25 point lead over Kemp and Geoff Nickless down 91 from Kemp.

In 80 Ltd, Kartel's Adam Booker was top gun out there and really made a showing giving a nice little dance in his kart on his white flag lap. Tony Mangini 2nd and Jon Woznick 3rd. Points leader Mangini over Guting by 137 and 3rd place Wozniak - 428

Tag Masters took to the track and Emmick's Crazy Ray Zarick pulled his points lead back under his leather jacket for safe keeping from Briel's Mike Hays who brought home 4th today. the field finished with Zarick, Poynter, John Hill and Mike Hays, this is going to be a tight points race clear to the end with these guys. Don’t miss their next 2 races. Points leader Crazy Ray Zarick 35 points over Mike Hays, this battle has gone back and forth a few times and the next two races will be needed to sort this one out.

In Hpv-3 birthday girl bordogna’s Jamie Sander picked up a win after taking a beating on the heat race that left her bruised. Kyle Kerkhoff 2nd and Neil Woodford 3rd. current leader bordogna’s Jamie Sander is holding off Woodford by 56 points so this could continue to heat up after this weekend.

Jr 1 -2, had bordogna’s Cole Davis, Jr Raczko, Jay Dennis and bordogna’s Nitro Nick Sommers! You can't bet on who will win this race because these guys are always tough drivers and lined up nose to tail every run. This has been a great class to watch all year, your leader bordogna’s Cole Davis over Jr Raczcho by 127 followed by bordogna’s Nitro Nick -170

Kid karts had 8 in the class, top 3 were Matt Creech, Hunter Kelly, Blake Miltor, PC should have a kart stand race with the dads. These guys are such good sports and friends on and off the track all the drivers could learn from them.

Kartel had a new driver Cody Kay in HPV-2. Kay getting used to his new kart by taking the win with Kartel's Shelby Sander and Bordogna’s Troy Buckman, Bordogna’s Jonny Norris having to settle in and race. This was a great race, the start was amazing, Ashlie Couch went off in Turn 1 stopping the action until she was treated but the heated battles picked back up on the track when the green flag dropped again. Points leader Bordogna’s Troy Buckman over Shelby Sander by 32 points and Scott Anderson 262 back

Kartels Chris Scribner and Team Mate Jon Ban did battle in the Tag Senior Class. Ban with the heat win by 2.993 Over Scribner and 3rd place Kemp back 8.684. you could feel the energy in the air as they pulled their karts together in formation ready for the next battle between Scribner and Ban sitting on pole. Scribner got the lead in a daring move from the outside and ran with Jon bumping at his rear wanting a victory over Scribner. the finish was Scribner by 0.176 over Ban, 3rd Kemp back 9.998 and 4th Brown back 14.272. Your points leader Jon Ban with a lead of 176 over Kevin Brown 9 point lead over Jamie Sander next is Andrew Kemp down 32 points from Brandon Phillips down 44 points.

Hpv 4-Bordogna’s Troy Buckman again sits on the top by 55 points with new track record for modified perimeter layout over Ryan Rasberry who ended his day early yesterday with a front bumper to the ribs, Ryan will be back and the battle will continue to the last race between this group

80 ltd. masters:
Rich Gutzke leads the shifter boys by 103, with Bolen giving him a good fight each race weekend along with Montes down 168 and the battle yesterday was a nail biter to the flag

9-18-08 SPEED WINS TWO FEATURES, ONE CHAMPIONSHIP AT PROKART CHALLENGE NORTH FINALE

New SKUSA regional completes season on high note with largest turnout of the season--

SONOMA, CA (September 13, 2008) – The inaugural season of the Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge North program came to a close on September 13 as the sixth and final round of the series was put into the books at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. With SKUSA issuing the new MG Tire FZ compound for the series finale – the same tire that will be used for the upcoming SuperNationals XII in Las Vegas in November – many new teams and drivers made the journey to Northern California for some testing. With it being the final round, seven class championships were also up for grabs, with many of the chases coming down to the final lap.

Two drivers were searching for double championships on the weekend. However, both Alex Speed and Jason Toft walked away with just one each. Speed earned two victories on the day, one that clinched the TaG Senior title and another that came up just short in the S1 championship. Toft battled Speed in the TaG division, but would earn his crown in the S3 category.

The TaG Senior field was a stacked line-up with Speed, Toft, championship contenders Brett Buckwalter and Will Martindale, and veteran driver Phil Giebler -- the 2007 Indianapolis 500 Rookie of the Year. Giebler was in Sonoma to support two of his team drivers, along with testing for the upcoming SuperNationals. They would all find themselves chasing a former Masters driver, Larry Fraser, who posted the fastest lap in qualifying over Buckwalter and Speed. NorCal’s Troy Diede was fourth in front of SoCal hotshoe Joey Licata Jr.. Toft would start seventh in the first heat, Martindale in ninth and Giebler tenth.

Fraser held his own against the younger rivals in the opening moto, first holding off Buckwalter at the start and then Speed for five laps before the two-time national shifter champion assumed the point and the Heat #1 win. Fraser fell back to third behind Buckwalter with Toft and Giebler advancing into the top-five. Speed paced the field in the first half of the race with Fraser giving chase before Toft and Giebler entered the fray in the second half of the 10-lapper. It was a wild one in the second heat as things heated up. Speed was leading for the majority of the race with Fraser running second – until Toft was able to get by and then pressured Speed for the top spot. Once by on lap eight, Giebler came through on the final lap to challenge Toft for the lead. The two made contact and Giebler would cross the line first ahead of Speed, Fraser, Brett Felkins – making the move from the junior ranks to the senior division -- and then Toft. Officials, however, put Giebler behind Toft for the contact, giving Speed the win and moving the rest up one spot.

Fraser got the jump on the younger pilots to lead the opening lap of the feature until his engine let go. This put Toft to the point after Speed fell back to fourth behind Felkins and Andrick Zeen. Speed eventually got to second on lap eight to initiate a battle with Toft for the win. The two went back and forth, exchanging the lead five or six times during the second half of the 20-lap race. At the checkered, Speed got the edge by 0.104 seconds over Toft – which also gave Speed the championship by 54 points over Martindale. Giebler finished third ahead of Buckwalter and Martindale while Felkins fell back to eighth with the fast lap honor, finishing behind Licata Jr. and Adam Zeen.

Speed would earn his fourth S1 feature win after sweeping all on-track action throughout the day. SoCal’s Jacob Neal and eventual champion Cody Hodgson battled for second, with Neal getting the edge after 20 laps. Hodgson would earn the title by 85 points over Speed.

Toft would secure his championship in the S3 category, but not without a fight in the final round. Many PKC South regulars made the journey north for extra seat time, and took the first and third spots in qualifying with Patrick Cushenberry and Clinton Schoombee earning the positions by posting quick laps in the timed session. S3 newcomer Tommy Thompson was second quickest, with regulars Brad Dunford, Marc Elliott and Jason Toft completing the top-six. Once the green flag waved for the opening heat, Thompson got a great jump and led all 10 laps as Toft worked his way up to second quickly, where he would cross the line ahead of PKC South S3 champion Bobby Legate.

Thompson was clean again at the drop of the green in heat two, while Toft fell back to fourth in the opening lap. Battling back again, Toft worked himself to the lead by lap four until Thompson got his with two laps to go. Toft ran second again with Colorado’s AJ Noud coming up to third. Toft and Noud battled early for the second spot to begin the 20-lap feature, allowing Thompson to get away from the pack. Thompson would go on to win by over three seconds, with Toft getting away from Noud enroute to the S3 championship.

Craig Corwin completed his fifth event sweep to lock in his G1 championship. Corwin was the class of the field all season, and continued on to the final round. He took the victory over Ethan Wilson and Jim Kidd, the same order of the championship standings. Rob Soares nearly pulled off a sweep in the TaG Masters category, leading the field in Qualifying and the two heat races. While on his way to a possible fourth feature win of the season, Soares broke on lap 12 and would have to watch from the sidelines. Lucky for him, he earned enough points on the day to clinch the championship. Helmar Beregszaszy went on to take the feature win, his second of the year and helped him move up to second in the standings. Jeff Deehan edged Steve Elo for third in the main event.

David Oroshnik and Jim Zootis went back and forth to pace the TaG Masters Light division throughout the day. Oroshnik led the way in qualifying while the two split heat wins. In the feature, Zootis pulled out to a two-second victory over Oroshnik while Herman Ip bounced back from a disqualification in heat two to place third – and clinch the class championship. Zootis ended up second in the standings, followed by Oroshnik.

With Matt Alcorn already clinching the S4 title, he moved up to the S3 division for the finale and allowed a new driver to step up on the day. That driver would be Brian Keck, making his first PKC event of the season. After running second to Sergio Machado in Qualifying, Keck would pick up the pace and take both heat wins and the main event victory by 10 seconds. Machado finished second to put him third in the championship, while Alex Keith ran third to clinch second in the standings to wrap up a solid season.

Making their third appearance with PKC, the HPV 2 Junior division put in a professional and clean day of racing on and off the track. The only issue during the day happened in qualifying when Donavon Wheeler was disqualified for bumping Kiel Spaulding, who eventually had the exhaust pipe break loose, causing Spaulding to be placed at the tail of the field as well. David Vasquez took the pole position with Kelsey Nilsson and Joseph Keaton. With his pole position, Vasquez was given a ride-along in a special Drifting demonstration by the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School in a Ford Mustang in the center of the kart track during the lunch break. By the smile on his face, you could tell he enjoyed it.

Vasquez got back to business in the opening heat as he and Nilsson went 1-2, while Wheeler and Spaulding advanced to third and fourth in the 10-lap race. They continued their drive forward as Spaulding and Wheeler went 1-2 in the second heat with Vasquez and Nilsson finishing third and fourth. Spaulding would go on to lead all 20 laps to take feature win number two, with Vasquez running second ahead of Wheeler and Nilsson.

The ProKart North class champs will be awarded an unprecedented championship prize package totaling more than $50,000 – thanks to Jim Russell Racing Drivers School and PKC – at the season end awards banquet at the Audi Center at Infineon on October 25.

9-12-08 September 2008, Marin Karting sponsors DD2 class at 2008 Rotax Nationals.

Marin Karting is pleased to announce their sponsorship of the 2008 Rotax Nationals DD2 class. The Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge has been recognized as the fastest growing race series in the west and the DD2 class has become the premier class to race.

““With the fastest growing Rotax series in the USA and one of the largest DD2 classes on any Rotax series, we decided to show our support to our local drivers and the national Rotax program by sponsoring this class.” said Adrian Szwarcburg, Owner of Marin Karting.

With local, national and world championships offered through the Rotax program it is no wonder it continues to grow. The Rotax program is easy to understand; the engine is easy to maintain and affordable. The sealed engines create an equal playing field which helps attract new karters to the sport.

9-9-08 OPENING SEASON COMES TO A CLOSE FOR PROKART CHALLENGE NORTH

New SKUSA region to wrap up first year with sixth and final round

SONOMA, CA (September 9, 2008) – The final round of the inaugural season of the Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge North series will take place on September 13 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. The sixth round will be the deciding factor in the class championships, with the series returning to the popular reverse national track configuration at the 3/4-mile facility.

It’s been a two-driver race at the top of the TaG Senior point chase, but when considering the fact that the championship will count the best five of six rounds, it brings the battle up to four competitors for this final shootout. Jason Toft was the early championship leader until Will Martindale’s win last month, which put him on top of the standings. When you drop their lowest weekend point totals, feature winners Brett Buckwalter and Alex Speed are also in the mix, all separated by less than 100 points. With a maximum of 320 points available this weekend, and each session offering a chance for extra points, the fences will be lined when TaG Senior hits the track.

Not only will Toft be looking for the edge in the final event in TaG, he will also be focused on locking up the S3 title as well. With a sizable lead over season rival Marc Elliott, Toft will not have to work as hard to earn the crown; surely, however, he will want to go out on top with a win. Toft is not the only driver doing double duty, as Alex Speed -- the recent King of the Streets winner at the Rock Island Grand Prix -- is chasing down S1 point leader Cody Hodgson and current second place driver Jess Peterson. Speed has three wins and will look to add a fourth.

Three drivers have been near perfect on the year, and have all but wrapped up their respective class championships. Craig Corwin goes into the final weekend with four feature wins in G1, leading Ethan Wilson and Jim Kidd in the standings. Already scheduled to move into the S3 division, Matt Alcorn has led the field all year. With just one on-track session out of 16 where he has not crossed the line as the fastest or top finisher, Alcorn has been unstoppable -- with Alex Keith and Sergio Machado racing for runner-up.

Herman Ip leads the TaG Masters Light division with four feature wins, leading the point standings over Jim Zootis and David Oroshnik. TaG Masters, the heavier division, has Steve Elo leading before the drop; however, three-time main event winner Rob Soares has the edge going into the final weekend with the drop counted. Soares missed one event due to a broken hand, nearly the only thing that has stopped him from winning each outing. The two will battle in the final weekend for the championship.

Added halfway through the season was the HPV-2 Junior division, a popular class in the region. Three drivers are locked at the top spot after two events with last month’s winner Kiel Spaulding, Donavon Wheeler, and Kelsey Nilsson with the same points heading into the final weekend. The drivers that have competed in all three events will have their name included in a drawing at the season-ending banquet for a free entry into the class at the SKUSA SuperNationals XII in Las Vegas.

With this event being the first for the North program to utilize the MG Tires FZ compound -- the same tire used for the SuperNats -- many teams and drivers will be coming up from southern California. FX Racing will be on hand with six drivers. Select Shifter will be bringing all of their stock Honda drivers, including two-time PKC champion Bobby Legate, their newest driver. PCH Motorsports will have a few of their best drivers on hand, as well, including Joey Licata Jr. G1 veteran PP Mastro is scheduled to run, as well.

The drivers will be competing for an unprecedented championship prize package totaling more than $50,000 thanks to Jim Russell Racing Drivers School and PKC.

9-9-08 IKF Regional Race #9

After much discussion with the IKF National Office, Blue Max Kart Club and the IKF Regional 11 board, the final IKF race of the 9 race series will carry on as originally planned. Blue Max will host the Final points race of the Region 11 2008 Season, direction of race is pending.

9-6-08 NATIONAL GUARD ANNOUNCED AS TITLE SPONSOR OF 12^TH ANNUAL SKUSA SUPERNATIONALS

Temecula, CA – September 04, 2008 – With the largest and most respected kart race in North America less than 80 days away, Superkarts! USA (SKUSA) is extremely proud to officially announce the U.S. Army National Guard as the title sponsor for the upcoming 12^th annual SuperNationals. The Las Vegas based event is poised to draw not only North America’s finest drivers, but an elite contingent of world championship competitors -- all battling for supremacy as well.

The partnership is an ideal fit for both entities, as the National Guard is no stranger to marketing initiatives through motorsports. They presently field cars in both the NASCAR Sprint Cup and the Indy Racing League with none other than Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brazilian phenom, Vitor Meira. The 12^th annual SKUSA SuperNationals marks the National Guard’s official foray into karting, and SKUSA president Tom Kutscher couldn’t be more elated.

“It’s an honor, first and foremost,” explained Kutscher. “Regardless of where you compete in the sport, what side of the fence you’re on – this is huge. It’s obviously a tremendous opportunity for the SuperNationals, but an even bigger opportunity for karting in general. To have a non-industry organization legitimately looking at karting as a marketing vehicle only underscores the progress the sport is steadily making as a whole. I couldn’t be more excited.”

The partnership will involve unprecedented levels of support from the National Guard, who have graciously pledged a large presence at this year’s race. Competitors and spectators alike can look forward to a handsome array of National Guard displays, while men and women in uniform will be present to meet and greet the crowds. With many facets to the partnership, one of the most exciting elements will arguably be a series of online videos that will be produced at the event. The eventual plan is to release downloadable media files, completely free, ensuring that race fans – here and abroad – can relive the excitement.

"The National Guard is honored to partner with SKUSA, and what we feel to be the greatest national kart racing event to be held in the US,” commented SFC John Metzler, NGB-ASM. “I believe this event will further showcase to the nation, our commitment to local communities and the development of up and coming heroes within sports."

The Rio Hotel in Las Vegas, site of this year’s SuperNationals, is a relatively different venue for the National Guard. However small the scale, both organizations have very big plans to make the event a resounding success. “This is a huge opportunity for both SKUSA and karting to show outside organizations that we’re a sport to take notice of. We’re definitely going to make the most of it and make this year’s race the biggest ever,” added Kutscher. With classes already nearing capacity, this year’s event will definitely be a sell out and likely the biggest ever to date. With partnerships emerging and supporters like the National Guard committing to support grassroots motorsports, it’s proof again that the checkers of black and white go hand in hand with the fighting spirit of the red, white, and blue.

The National Guard is the oldest component of the Armed Forces of the United States, and one of the nation's longest enduring institutions. The National Guard operates in all 50 states, three territories (Puerto Rico, Guam, Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia). For more information, visit the National Guard website at www.1-800-GOGUARD.com.

9-3-08 IKF Dixon Racing Action

The IKF Region 11 series made their stop through Kinsmen Kart Club in Dixon Ca for round six of the 8 race series. The weekend called for hot weather and slight breeze. The points battles were heating up as all classes were close as the season is winding down. Some karter's showed in their new chassis this weekend. Joey Teves was debuting his new Tony Kart under the MMI banner as Bordogna’s very successful Jr 1 driver Jonny Norris has made the step up to Jr 2. Announced Saturday Morning was Race #9 on the schedule was cancelled at Blue Max and the series season Finale would conclude at Marina and Monterey Bay Karter's which looks to boost the club substantially.

First up on the weekend was Kid Karts and Chloe St George picked where she has been all season. Up front! Chloe qualified with a 41.299. Chloe was at the front all day with a heat race win and the final. Wilson Skjerven came home second and Zachery Corbitt third.

Next up was Jr Comer and Kartel’s Luis Tyrell qualified pole with a 32.926. Luis looked tough in the heat race with a win, but he would get the heat in the Final. JR Raczko stalked Luis for most of the race earning himself the pointed black flag. The next lap JR made the move to the top spot passing Tyrell. Luis didn’t let JR get out of his sites. Luis made the move on the last lap to make a drag race to the line. Tyrell got the win by 0.002 of a second. Raczko came home second with MMS Racing Engines Austin DeMent third.

On the track next was the IKF TAG and Kartel’s Chris Scribner got fast time with a 28.863. Scribner looked tough in the heat with a win. Scribner would show the same speed in the Final earning a 3.377 second victory over MMI’s Cody Hodgson and Kartel teammate Neil Alberico.

Formula 80 Sr was on track and Fastech Racing’s Robert Towne grabbed fast time with a 29.581 lap. 2-time champion Towne was quick all day. Towne got the heat race win by over 6 seconds. Towne extended his lead in the Final with a 7.460 victory over MMI’s Merrick Miller. Emmick’s Colton Filkill held on for the third place finish getting some much needed points.

Saturday racing was a day of big margin victories. Both TAG and 80 Shifter both had big margins and Kartel’s Brendan Phinny did the same in HPV-4 Jr. Cambrian’s David Vasquez got fast time in Qualifying with a lap of 29.406 which would have put him 5^th. In the heat Phinny got around Vasquez for the top spot to earn the victory. The Main was the same as Phinny cruised to a 3.665 second victory as Vasquez cruised to his second place finish. MMI’s Kelsey Nilsson finished third.

The Gazelle saw Alexander Perales get his first IKF victory. Trevor Agan won the World Formula Heavy class, and Tyler Agan extended his points lead over Keith Foux with a victory in Animal Super sportsman.

Saturday night was a spectacular evening as Kinsmen Kart Club treated the IKF racers with a live band and a little partying with some good BBQ food. Sunday morning the weather had cooled down and the racers got set for another day of racing.

First up for racing on Sunday was the HPV-1 Jr class. Kartel’s Luis Tyrell got fast time with a 31.115. Tyrell picked up where he left off the day before by going wire to wire. Tyrell picked up where he left the day before by going wire to wire. Tyrell won the heat race and the main in dominate fashion, MMS racing Engines Austin DeMent got second. The story of the race was Kartel’s Jarred Campbell. Campbell qualified second, ran second in the heat race, and came home third with his first ever podium finish in his first IKF season.

Next on track was IAME Cup Masters. MMI’s Kevin Knight got fast time with a 29.673. Knight was the #1 ranked driver coming into the event and showed why. Knight held off last years champion in the heat race, and then cruised to victory in the main over points leader Mat Kattanek who finished second. Bordogna’s Wayne Lorenz finished third.

Formula 80 Masters took to the track and Emmick’s Chuck Hastings got fast time with a 30.399. But the story of the race was Rick Gutzke. Gutzke had the starts down all day. Gutzke got the lead on the start of the heat, and from then on led every lap of competition. Gutzke cruised to victory. Dave Mendez held off a hard charge by Hastings for the second position, Hastings finished third.

Next up was IAME Cup and Kartel’s Neil Alberico got fast time with a 28.781. In the heat race Alberico had the lead early but Kartel’s Chris Scribner got by Alberico midway and looked to have another dominate day. Alberico however got the whole shot on the start of the Final with Scribner and MMI’s Cody Hodgson were in tow. As Scribner began to work on Alberico, Hodgson made his move on Scribner. The two made contact and lost ground on Alberico. Neil Alberico cruised to his first IKF TAG win. Hodgson was second and Scribner third.

HPV-2 Jr was on track and MMi’s and Bordogna’s Joey Teves got fast time in qualifying with a 29.497. Teves lead in the heat was short lived as Kartel’s Brendan Phinny took over for the pole position in the final. Brendan cruised to a 5.241 second victory in the Final. MMI’s Kelsey Nilsson was second, and Teves third.

Next up is Northern Neveda kart Club for round seven of the shortened 8 race series. Practice for the event is September 26^th with racing the 27^th and 28^th as the IKF Region 11 series visits the home of the 2009 IKF Sprint Grand Nationals.

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