9-2-09 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge Set for Dixon Night Race this Weekend

One of the biggest kart races of 2009 will be this weekend's Kinsmen Kart Club night race held over two nights.

Joining in on this exciting weekend are the seven Rotax classes as a full points race in the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge series.

For the past three years, the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge has run two or three races in conjunction with the Kinsmen Kart Club races to add variety and challenge racers on the tough 0.4 mile long Dixon track. Thirty to forty Rotax racers are looking forward to the added challenge and excitement of running under the lights for the first time in Nor Cal.
Four Rotax classes will run on Saturday night with the other three classes running on Sunday night. On Saturday, the Micro Max, Mini Max, Rotax Masters and Rotax Masters Light classes will be competing. On Sunday, Junior Rotax, Senior Rotax and the two speed Rotax DD2 classes will run.

This weekend's Dixon race will be the sixth race of the season for the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge. The Nor Cal Rotax Challenge consists of seven races at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway and three races running as part of selected Kinsmen Kart Club races. The next races at Dixon will be October 12th and November 8th.

Full details and schedule for this weekend are available at Night Race Details.

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

·        20-minute qualifying practice session on Friday

·       20-minute race on Sunday

8-20-09 FOUR SPOTS TO BE AWARDED 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 and Sunoco Racing Fuels will be awarding four free spots in the 2009 Talent Search Shoot-Out to young, talented drivers from various forms of motorsports, with several going to Kart racers.

Many successful car racers today, honed their driving skills driving Karts. K&N Filters and Sunoco Racing Fuels have stepped up to award positions in the Shoot-Out to young racers with successful backgrounds in any of the recognized Kart series, Including CKI, IKF, KART, SKUSA, STARS and WKA. The Shoot-Out application process is open to all drivers 11 to 19 years of age, with race winning backgrounds.

RSWC has developed many young Kart racers to successfully make the transition from Kart racing to winning races in SCCA Formula Car racing and Pavement Oval series in USAC and NASCAR, including Jessica Brunelli, Beau DeBard, Bobby Grewohl, Chris Keller, Brendan Langlois, Jace Meier, Thomas Merrill, Ian Miille, Joel Miller, Benny Moon, Jimmy Moon, Brennan Newberry, Jeff Oleen, Bobby Runyan and more.

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 teams look for when hiring drivers.

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 September 30th, 2009. RSWC expects to receive over 700 resumes, as they have in the past, and narrow it down to approximately 40 drivers to test. The Shoot-Out is conducted in early October, in three types of race cars, on a California paved short oval track.

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, including various classes in SCCA, USAC and NASCAR series.

The career development program consists of 12 veteran driver coaches, 24 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.

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. The web-site is www.Winners-Circle-Racing.com
 

Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix

Presented by Lancaster Honda and the City of Lancaster

Lancaster, California | October 11-12, 2009

Lancaster Welcomes Exciting Kart Racing Action to the Antelope Valley!

Downtown Lancaster will roar to life October 10 and 11 with the first-ever Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix. Professional go-kart drivers will race at breakneck speeds of up to 100 miles per hour through the streets of downtown. The Grand Prix is being combined with the Celebrate Downtown Lancaster street fair and festival, which will offer a car show, live music, and a variety of food and specialty vendors. Also featured will be special events at Downtown businesses, including the annual Oktoberfest at Lemon Leaf Restaurant. This fantastic weekend of fun and thrills will draw to a close with a Sunday night Loggins and Messina concert at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center. Admission to all events except the concert is free; Loggins and Messina tickets can be purchased at www.lpac.org.

For Event, lodging and race info, log onto  www.streetsoflancastergrandprix.com

Entry Form

The Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix is a signature weekend event in downtown Lancaster, Ca. The City of Lancaster is pleased to join with Lancaster Honda, Tri C Karting Club, the AV Chambers of Commerce and the Blvd Association in hosting this racing-in-the-streets Extravaganza which will kick off Saturday morning, Oct 10 with racing practice and qualifying. Racing will continue on Sunday Oct 11^th with Heat races and the Main events. There will be racing classes for drivers from 8 to 88 years old.

The Race clases are: HPV 1, HPV 2, HPV 4 & 4 Heavy, PRD, Spec,  Sr. Rotax  & Masters, Spec Honda Shifter 3 & 4, 125 ICC Shifter

Entries will be limited to the first 30 Drivers in each class to get in their entry forms , so get those entry forms in now. For more information, contact:

Tri-C Karters and the City of Lancaster will be partnering to bring kart racing action to the streets of the Antelope Valley.  Tri-C Karters will organize the kart race to be held in conjunction with the Celebrate Downtown Lancaster Street Fair and Festival.  Tri-C Karters is seeking sponsors to participate in this exciting event.

Sponsorship opportunities for the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix Race:

Class sponsorships are awarded to companies or individuals donating $1000

Benefits of class sponsorship:

• Class sponsors are announced each time their class is on the track Saturday and Sunday.  This includes practice sessions, qualifying, heat races, and main events.
• Class sponsors are listed in the program, and on the website.
• The trophies for each class will bear the name of their class sponsor.
• Class sponsor logos will be displayed on the backdrop at the trophy presentations.
• Class sponsors will be allowed a space for vending at the street fair at no additional cost.
• Upon confirmation and receipt of payment by a class sponsor, their commitment will be recognized in a press release.
• Sponsors may provide banners to be displayed along the race circuit.

Event sponsorships are awarded to companies or individuals donating $1500

Each event sponsor will be assigned a class sponsorship yielding the above mentioned benefits plus the following:

• Event sponsors may submit a paragraph highlighting their business’ offerings to be announced strategically throughout each day by the kart race announcer.
• Event sponsors’ decals will be required to be displayed on all the competitors’ karts during the event.
• Sales and product information provided by event sponsors will be included in all competitors’ information packets.
• Event sponsors will be given 2 passes for entrance to the pit areas.
• Event sponsors’ logos will be displayed on the event t-shirts.

The PRD SPEC class will have cash awards instead of trophies.  Individuals or companies may donate to this class in any amount.  Donations of $100 or more will be recognized in the program during the race, and at the trophy presentation.

This event will draw both spectators and racers and will have media exposure.  It has already been featured in the news on local channels 7 and 11.  For more information about this race visit the event website at www.streetsoflancastergrandprix.com.

Contact me at (909)793-9695 or (909)709-1642 to discuss how you can benefit from sponsorship at this event.

Sincerely,

Sharon Barros

8-20-09 Jim Russell Karting Championship Round #5 - Race Preview

 
With the end of summer in sight, Round #5 of the Jim Russell Karting Championship will take to the track August 29th at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway, Northern California's premier motorsports facility.  The end of summer only sparks a busy fall season as the Rotax Max Challenge competitors start a string of 6 races over a 10 week period.  For the first time in 2009, drivers will be faced with the tight and twisty demands of the 0.68 mile REVERSE Sprint layout.  The unique configuration presents multiple passing zones, but is a tough test of driver fitness with only a 555 foot straight to gain composure.
 
The Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge has become one of the nation's largest regional Rotax series with over 20% growth from 2008, not to mention the competition on track is some of the country's best with championship battles in every category.    
 
Micro Max rookies have started to accelerate their learning curves as they've begun to catch up to the more veteran, if you could consider 10 years old veteran, drivers of Michael Michoff and Nicky Hays. Looking for continued growth in the class, Comer and Gazelle-powered cadets have been welcomed to join the Micro Max race group. 
 
Three drivers have been trading the lead spot in Mini Max through the first four races.  JR Raczko, Drew Setzer and Harrison Mills are expected to again put on a great show in round #5 as they dice things up in the evenly powered machines. Moving up an age group, expect the Junior Rotax battle to tighten as drivers return to take on last month's winner Brody Zink.
 
One should expect another tough battle in the Masters class between David Harwin and Donald Durbin, who have been trading out wins this year among a solid group of competitors.  In Masters Light, Andrea Delfanti has set the pace, but Mary Beth Wilson and Dolores Mosqueda are two strong women drivers poised to claim a victory at any point.  The largest DD2 field in the country saw the points close up last month with a win by Kyle Gimple over David Arnstein, both charging after three-time winner Troy Castenada.
 
If that isn't enough competition for you, the biggest battle of the weekend will be in Senior Rotax that has seen four different winners in as many races.  Nic LeDuc, Wes Philips and Jake Mottaz are all back for Race #5 to challenge last month's winner Jordan Jadallah.  Averaging 18 entries, Senior Rotax has provided non-stop fireworks and there are no signs of letting up.
 
Finding a new home on the schedule, the 80 Shifters joined the Rotax Challenge Saturday program last month.  Still seeking his first win among the Grand Masters, points leader Tom Nelson will set his sights on the top spot for round #5.  He won't have it easy as strong competition from previous race winners Ahmiel Fried, Mark Stanley and Mark Nason are sure to bring their "A" game.  The field will be tough as Masters and Senior 80 competitors will also be on the combined grid for Race #5.  Time is starting to run out as the 80 Shifters only have 3 more events to stake their championship claim in the 2009 season.
 
Registration starts at 7:15 Saturday morning with pre-registration and practice happening on Friday.  Two sessions of practice kicks off at 8:15 on Saturday morning, qualify at 11:00 and the afternoon of racing will start at 12:45. 
 
Race day schedule and entry forms available at  www.norcalrotax.com
 
For more information on the Jim Russell Karting Championship, contact race director Ric Shaw at racedirector-ric@hotmail.com.
 
Great food is available at the track from J&D Snack Shack. 
 
For more information, schedule, results, news, rules and sponsors information for the 2009 Northern Californian Rotax Challenge go to www.norcalrotax.com.
 

8-19-09 2009 4^th Annual Rick Jerome Memorial Night Race

Reno, NV – Saturday August 15^th the lights came on and the stars shined as NNKC hosted the 4^th Annual Rick Jerome Memorial Night Race at Desert Park Raceway.  It was a low turnout but the racers that did come to support the club had a fast track and free food all night compliments of NNKC.

The first class up was the Jr 1-2 Cycle class.  This has been a battle all year long between these kids.  Tyler Burk out qualified Jeremy Kay by 6 tenths of a second to give him pole for the 1st heat.  But in the first heat, Burk and JR Raczko would make contact with each other and Garrett Dixon and Kay would get by for a 1-2 finishing order, respectively.  The 2^nd heat would provide some great racing from all the kids.  Newcomers Dean Andrews and Isaac Wyett would learn the course for the first time in a race at DPR.  But it was Raczko and Burk coming in 1-2 to end that heat.  That set up the main event with Dixon on pole.  However, Burk and Raczko would fight it out for 1^st and 2^nd with passes being made every other lap on one another.  On the last lap, Burk made an inside move on Raczko who was using the blocking line.  The 2 karts touched and Raczko spun around in turn 1 ending his race.  Burk would go on to win with Dixon coming in a close 2^nd and Raczko picking up the 3^rd place finish.

Next up on the order was Formula 125 in honor of the late Rick Jerome.  3 karts came out to play in this high speed race.  Grabbing pole was long time friend of Jerome’s, Mitch Kennedy over Mark Nason by over a second!  However, in the 1^st heat you would see Nason and Kennedy go to battle.  Kennedy would have to retire for a mechanical failure.  That allowed Chris McCabe to pass Nason and the 2 would go on to finish in that order, 1-2.  2^nd heat saw Nason get a good start and get a commanding lead.  Kennedy would have to retire early again with mechanical problems.  That would set up the main event with Nason taking the lead from the get go and never looking back.  Kennedy would come in 2^nd place followed by Chris McCabe.  We would like to make the 125’s a regular class next year.  C’mon guys, bring em out!

Out the gate and running hard was the Formula 80 Masters gang.  2 of the regular contributors didn’t make the race so this was again a 3 kart race.  Mike Roes would beat out Mike McMullen for pole by almost 2 seconds.  The 1^st heat would see Roes take a commanding win by 12 seconds over McMullen.  The second heat would see points leader Darrel Dean finally get his kart working and take a close win over Roes by ˝ second.  That set up the main event as Roes would take the lead from the start.  Dean would be close behind for 14 laps trying to press Roes into a mistake.  But Roes would not make that mistake and would eventually win the race over Dean by 1.1 seconds.  McMullen would follow in 3^rd.

TaG Masters came unleashed as 8 karts showed up for the Night race.  Dan Harris would start things out with a fast lap good enough to snatch the pole from Nick Wadlow by 3 tenths.  The 1^st heat saw Harris get out and fly away from the pack.  Brian Rivera would come out to play for the first time in a year and make an outside pass down the straightaway on Chris McCabe to finish in the 2^nd position.  The second heat proved to be another great race with McCabe grabbing the early lead on the invert.  Rivera would have to pass McCabe again this time setting up the crossover in turn 1-2.  Rivera made it stick and eventually took the heat victory with McCabe in 2^nd.  The main event was up next and Rivera and Harris occupied the front row.  The green dropped and Rivera grabbed P1.  Harris would have a bad start and go back to 4^th.  Wadlow jumped in the P2 and latched on the back of Rivera for 14 laps.  Harris finally broke free from the pack and starting reeling in the leaders.  With 3 laps to go, the leaders would catch traffic kart Marty McNew at the corkscrew.  Rivera would use his momentum to carry him around McNew before reaching turn 6.  Wadlow and Harris would have to wait till the straightaway to eventually get by McNew.  By that time, Rivera had a 3 second lead and eventually took the checkered flags, followed by Wadlow and Harris in 2^nd and 3^rd, respectively.

TaG Senior came up next and 3 karts came out for this one.  Ray Andrews would put his Tony Kart on pole by just 3 tenths over Curt Baker.  The first heat would prove to be a shootout between Andrews and Baker.  They stuck together like glue for 8 laps finishing in that order.  The second heat would see the same race between the two drivers only this time Baker got the win by less than a tenth of a second.  That brought out the final race in which Andrews would start on pole.  Again, the main was a mirror image of the earlier racing.  These two drivers were almost identical all day long.  They stayed latched on to one another and eventually walked away from Lionel Fayet.  The checkers waived to see Andrews take his first NNKC TaG Senior win followed by current champ Baker 3 tenths behind in 2^nd.  Fayet would take 3^rd.

The last race on the night was the $800 80 shifter money race.  Formula 80 Seniors took to the track in torrid fashion as Tony Mangini snatched pole from Jereme Abshire by 1 tenth of a second.  The entire field of 9 drivers would all qualify within less than 1 second from each other.  Unbelievable!! The 1^st heat saw Reno’s Mark Nason get an incredible start going from 5^th to 1^st by the first corner.  Local Cody McKinney also would benefit from others mistakes to jump into the 2^nd position.  The heat would end with Nason taking the win followed by McKinney.  The 2^nd heat saw pretty much the same hard clean racing.  But Nason who qualified 5^th would benefit on this top 6 invert heat to start on the outside of the 1^st row.  He would take advantage and win again another heat by 1.5 seconds over Mangini.  The main event had cold hard cash waiting for the eventual winner.  The green flag dropped and Nason would get the point followed by Abshire and Mangini.  The top 6 would stay together like a freight train the entire race.  McKinney tried unsuccessfully to pass Mangini for the 3^rd position throughout the race.  But Mangini would not budge.  Adam Booker would get by Ben Fisher on the 5^th lap to take over the 5^th spot.  But the order stayed the same the entire race with Nason bringing home the victory and the $800 purse with it.  Abshire would hold on to 2^nd, followed by Mangini in 3^rd and McKinney in 4^th. 

A lot of great racing for those that attended.  Our turnout was much lower than we expected.  But it has been a long and prosperous year for the club and we are thankful for those that did come out to race.  We’ll see ya’ll Sunday August 30 for our 7^th race of the year.  Don’t forget, we have a track clean up day the Saturday before, August 29^th.  See ya then!!

Brian Rivera

President - NNKC  

8-19-09 SMRZ EXTENDS JIM RUSSELL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES WIN STREAK TO FOUR

Smrz returns to the cockpit of the Jim Russell Championship Series car this coming Sunday (August 23) at Infineon Raceway, taking part in an exhibition race as part of the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma event. Official series competition resumes on September 12-13, with Rounds 11 and 12. Between events, the talented American race pilot will continue his search for sponsorship and funding to resume his BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National and Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup race campaigns.

The 2009 edition of the MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain resumes on September 5-6, with Rounds 19, 20 and 21 being contested at the Brands Hatch Circuit. Newgarden enters the tripleheader second in the championship standings and the leading rookie driver.

8-17-09 BOWLES RETAINS NASCAR CAMPING WORLD WEST SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD IN COLORADO


 
Sunrise Ford driver leads before blown tire results in first finish outside the top-10
 
DACONO, COLO. (August 17, 2009) – While Jason Bowles did not enjoy the sort of result desired on Saturday night (August 15) at Colorado National Speedway, the talented American exited Round 11 of the NASCAR Camping Word West Series continuing to lead the championship standings. Bowles finished 13^th in the NAPA/Toyota 150 following a late race tire failure.
 
Returning to short oval competition following three road courses in the past four races, Bowles was the driver to beat early on. The No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Oakley/Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/GS 610/RPM 12/Justice Brothers/Bell/Ford was quickest in the opening practice session on the 0.375-mile oval and second quickest in the final session prior to qualifying.
 
Things however did not go quite according to plan in single-car qualifying later in the day, as the championship leader only managed the seventh fastest time, earning a row four starting position.
 
When Bowles returned to the driver’s seat of his Sunrise Ford under lights for Round 11, the goal early on was to conserve the car and remain among the lead pack. The former junior formula car and karting star did just that, steadily working his way forward. Just prior to lap 100 of the 150-lap race, Bowles took over the lead. The three-time 2009 race winner retained the top-spot for 10 laps, before losing pressure in the right front tire. Staying out in order to gain the best finishing position possible, Bowles hopes of a top result vanished when the tire blew. Bowles in the end was classified 13^th, ending his run of finishing among the top-10 in every round.
 
“Although the weekend didn’t turn out quite the way we were hoping we still have the points lead,” stated Bowles. “The car was good in practice and we just had some radio issues there towards the end of the session so we were not able to make the last couple changes we were hoping to. I think in qualifying I left a lot on the table and cost us a good starting position. I was happy we were able to lead a few laps and get the bonus points and I think we were gonna be able to hang on for a top three finish, my car was working real good around the top. I just picked something up from a earlier caution. I could tell we had a problem, but I was just hoping to hang on and the tire finally let go 15 laps from the end. My guys did a great job getting me back out on the track. I have to hand it to the whole Sunrise Ford team for the job they have done up to this point in the season. We are going to go to Iowa and just focus on winning and let the rest of the cards fall where they fall.”
 
Bowles, despite the low point scoring result, continues to lead the NASCAR Camping World West Series standings by 37 points, with two races remaining on the 2009 series calendar.
 
The Sunrise Ford driver returns to action on September 4, with Round 12 held at the Iowa Speedway. Bowles finished fifth out of the west series competitors in Round Five at the 0.875-mile oval.
 
 

8-6-09 SUPERKARTS! USA RETURNS TO COLORADO FOR SUPPORT OF NEW REGIONAL PROGRAM
 

Sanctioning body announces formation of new regional program to replace Colorado Sprint Championships in 2010

TEMECULA, CA (August 5, 2009) – Hot on the heels of the recent announcement of the new Superkarts! USA North American Pro Tour, the popular racing organization is extremely excited to release the information of a new regional program that has been formed in the state of Colorado. One of the original areas of strong support during the early days of SKUSA, the region was a unique hotbed for shifterkart racing set around the Rocky Mountains. As the new era of SKUSA - under the eyes of owner and president Tom Kutscher - begins to progress with its growth throughout the country from its base in southern California, the karters in Colorado will be the next beneficiaries of the company’s on-going expansion with the new SKUSA Central Mountain States Challenge.
 
“Colorado is a great region for karting and we are happy to bring the SKUSA name back to the many karters in and around the state,” commented Kutscher. “Since we purchased the organization and took control of the annual SuperNationals, we have been fortunate to have enjoyed the participation of many racers from that state and it is only fitting that we return the favor by establishing their own regional program that will follow our basic format and the fun atmosphere that we provide to racers across the country.”
 
“I used to travel up to Colorado back when I was racing shifters myself,” added Kutscher, who was ranked in the top-five in the G1 category at the prime of his career. “I trekked up there to get away and do some racing, and the region still hold a special place in my heart.  I’m jacked to have them back on-board!”

With the cooperation of track owners Brad Linkus of IMI and Stacey Cook of the Grand Junction Motor Speedway, the new regional group is proud to announce the return of SKUSA to Colorado and the surrounding region.  Shifterkart veteran Sam Walls, a respected member of the Colorado karting community, will lead the event staff as the Chief Steward and he will oversee the debut of the program in 2010, which will feature a five-race regional points series.
 
“I am happy to be involved with SKUSA once again, because I spent so much time running with them back when karting was a lot of fun,” explains Walls, ready to step into a new role in the sport. “Being a participant on the SKUSA ProMoto Tour, I travelled to so many great facilities and spent time with so many great racers both on and off the track, and I believe that these past experiences will give me the insight and ability I need to bring back the ‘fun’ in karting. There is some great talent out there, so my challenge will be to get behind the young racers who are trying to reach their dreams, while also providing the majority of our racers, those who want to be karters, with an awesome experience every weekend.”
 
“I’m happy that Sam is coming back,” Kutscher continued.  “We used to race hard against each other.  In fact, we met for the first time at the scales for a heated discussion, and we’ve been good friends ever since.  He really wants to make this happen and he has the same passion for the sport that I do.  And that means a great deal to this program.”
 
Many of the region’s top drivers have already committed to making this series a success.  The program will focus on bring the SKUSA-style of outlaw shifterkart racing back to the forefront in Colorado by offering SKUSA’s primary Stock Moto categories – S3, S4 and S5 Junior – and the popular S1 and G1 classes as well.  TaG racing will be front-and-center with steps on the ladder for Juniors, Seniors and Masters competitors. The full class structure will be released in the near future, as will the tentative schedule.
 
“It has been exciting to help get this off of the ground and I look forward to being a part of the list of series sponsors,” said Cris Schureman, a karting enthusiast and President of Wood Source, who will be a major sponsor of the start-up series.  “We have a good core group of guys who are passionate about seeing kart racing succeed.  With their help, we will be very successful.“
 
The region’s industry members are also urged to jump on-board in a big way, as many have a rich history in SKUSA lore.  Colorado has brought home its share of gold from the organization’s racing in the past, including multiple SuperNationals and ProMoto Tour wins. The series will replace the regional Colorado Sprint Championship, which will complete its run at the end of the year.  The new series will be able to draw drivers from six states including Colorado and Utah, many who are already supporters of SKUSA’s on-going programs.
 
“Stacey (Cook) and Brad (Linkus) are two of the good guys in this sport and they have welcomed the idea of developing a SKUSA program with enthusiasm and they are genuinely excited about the future of karting in our region,” added to Rocky Mountain Kartworks’ AJ Noud, a prominent industry member of the Colorado karting community and a former SuperNationals winner. “I hope that my fellow kart shop owners are as pumped as I am about this, because I still look back at my days of SKUSA competition fondly.  If we can do anything to bring back that level of passion, I’m all for it.  I’m really looking forward to supporting this new effort!”


In working with Superkarts! USA headquarters in Temecula, CA, the Central Mountain States Challenge will schedule their races around the recently announced SKUSA Pro Tour so that its drivers can have the opportunity to travel out and run with the best in the country.  Many more releases are forthcoming, as the class structure and race schedule are still in the works. The announcements of new marketing partners will also be made soon, as will the formation of the event staff and the Race Committee and Regulations Committee, who will all be charged with developing a series that caters to the ultimate customer – the racer.
 

8-4-09 MMS Karting News Report

Season Results for IKF Region 11 Series and IKF 2 Cycle Grand Nationals

With the 2009 season coming to a close soon, we would like to report on the accomplishments of MMS Karting/Racing Engines driver’s performance. Having just finished the IKF 2 Cycle Grand Nationals in July, MMS Karting/Racing Engines is very pleased with how our drivers and motor packages placed and performed. At the IKF Grand Nationals, there were over 400 entries. Amongst those entries were some great Junior and Senior drivers using MMS Karting/Racing Engines’ services, products and motor packages. MMS Karting/Racing Engines garnered 11 podium finishes in 10 different classes and some finishes just one off of the podium. In the HPV 1 class, Noah Hermansen brought home the Screamin’ Eagle and then finished 6^th in the main event. In Super Sportsman Light, Mike Botelho Jr finished 2^nd. TaG Masters had Dave Harwin finishing 4^th. Jr 1 - 2 Cycle Heavy saw Noah Hermansen bring home the 5^th place award. Mike Botelho Jr had another great finish in the Senior Sportsman class bringing home the Screamin’ Eagle award and 2^nd place in the main event. HPV 2 had a great race with Austin DeMent finishing in the 5^th place position. TaG Cadet (Gazelle), had the most podium finishes in any one class for MMS Karting/Racing Engines drivers, with Davey Manthei Jr bringing home the Duffy and the Screamin’ Eagle. Finishing behind Manthei Jr was Jeremy Kay, 2^nd place and Flinn Lazier finishing in the 5^th place position. In Super Sportsman Heavy there was drama from start to finish. Mike Botelho Jr, due to some engine issues in qualifying and the pre-final was relegated to starting dead last in the main event.

Mike Botelho Jr was not to be denied. From the start of the race Botelho began picking off competitors one at a time each lap until on the “white flag” lap Botelho was in third place. Coming down the hill from turn seven the two front runners touched going into the chicane leading onto the straightaway and Botelho won the “drag race” to the finish line for the Duffy. Jr TaG had some good racing also, with Austin Self finishing 3^rd and Chelsi Wagner just missing a podium finish in 6^th at her first IKF Grand Nationals event. Finally, in IAME Cup, Mike Botelho Jr had another great finish taking 4^th place with Zach Dericco right behind in 5^th place. The highlight of the IKF Grand Nationals event for Mike Botelho Jr was to be awarded the “Lake Speed Grand Nationals Sprint Award”, which is the award given for “Achievement of Excellence In Karting”. Congratulations Mike!!!

In other racing news, with the IKF Region 11 Championship Series ended for 2009, the TaG Junior Class Championship was won by Austin DeMent with his MMS Karting/Racing Engines teammate Chelsi Wagner finishing 2^nd. This is DeMent’s first year in TaG Junior  and Wagner’s last year in the class. Not a bad way to pass the torch for MMS Karting/Racing Engines teammates. MMS Karting/Racing Engines would like to thank all of those racers that depend on and WIN with MMS Karting/Racing Engines’ services, products and motor packages. We are proud to let everyone know who our drivers are and how well they perform.

JOB WELL DONE!!!
Thank you from everyone at MMS Karting/Racing Engines

8-4-09 SUPERKARTS! USA SUPERNATIONALS XIII CLASSES FILLING UP FAST

 
Reserved entry spots and hotel rooms going quickly as annual November event nears

TEMECULA, CA (July 31, 2009) – Only a month has passed since Superkarts! USA leader Tom Kutscher opened the doors on registration for this year’s SuperNationals, but the grids for the Las Vegas event are already filling up fast.  Set for the week of November 18-22, this year’s karting festival will be packed wall-to-wall as has been confirmed by the number of entries already received at the SKUSA offices and the number of rooms reserved at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.
 
“The numbers we have seen pile in over the last few weeks is simple amazing – we had over 100 entries the very first day!” stated SKUSA owner and president Kutscher. “Between the entry totals we are seeing already and the number of rooms booked at the Rio, there is no doubt this event will be huge. With last year’s event as a measuring stick, we are already past last year’s hotel books by over 40% and that says a lot about our program, our staff and the whole package that we present for our customers and karting friends. This year’s event will truly be one you don’t want to miss.”
 
To keep the on-track schedule rolling, all but one of the categories will be capped at 40 with the exception of the TaG Senior category, which will be open to 80 drivers. Those classes already in jeopardy of reaching the maximum limit are the S3, S4 and TaG Junior divisions, which may be filled up within the next week. The TaG Senior group is also growing rapidly, and is sure to reach the maximum capacity with some of the biggest names in the sport already registered. Both the G1 and TaG Masters are nearing the halfway mark, and entries for the headline SuperPro division continue to make their way in – from around the world – with a number of drivers from the ’08 edition slated to make their return to the Rio. The new KF2 category is expected to also max out long before the pre-registration cutoff date of October 31st, and will see more drivers commit as the weeks progress. Last, but not least, the S5 Junior Stock Moto class is projected to double last year’s numbers.
 
Also in jeopardy are the number of rooms left for reservation at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino at the unprecedented rate of $79/night. A staggering 700 rooms have been reserved for the SuperNationals event to date, and SKUSA has worked with the establishment to keep the special room rate opportunity open for a bit longer to accommodate those still looking to make their plans to go to Vegas in November.
 
Returning to the event for 2009 will be the ‘Machismo 500’ endurance event that will be held over the Saturday night of the SuperNationals. The 500-lap team endurance race will begin on Saturday evening, and will run through the early morning hours of Sunday – on the same SuperNationals circuit that will be tackled by the paddock throughout the day. The inaugural 2008 edition featured such famous motorsports names as Alex Tagliani, Boris Said, and Joey Hand mixing it up with some of the best among indoor and endurance karting. With one year in the books, the race promises to be even more exciting this time around, with both Pro and Amateur classes offered. For more information on this event, go to www.calspeedkarting.com or call 951-506-9363.
 
Competitors may find out more information about the SuperNationals, register for the event online, as well as secure their Rio rooms for $79 per night, through the website at www.skusasupernats.com. The complete event schedule is in the final stages of production and will be released in the near future, along with more announcements in the works at the SKUSA headquarters.