12-16-09 BORDOGNA'S 2009 AND HOLIDAY SPECIALS

Bordogna Racing Engines, continued winning races and championships in
multiple classes for 2009, "this was a good year for us, our engines got many titles drivers through 2009" Daniel Bordogna said: "I want to say thanks to all my customers , and congratulations to the new champions who trust on my engines"

This season Bordogna engines won (3) I.K.F championships with Joey Teves in HPV2 & HPV4jr, and Cole Davis in Comer, also his engines won the Gold Rush series in HPV2 w/ Justin Cole, and Tag Sr. w/Troy Buckman, Alex Perales won the HPV1 Championship in Stockton, Shelby Sander in HPV2 & Nitro "Nick" Somers won (2) championships at Prairie city in HPV1 and Comer, where the Bordogna comers was dominating since last 6 years winning the championships in 2004,2005,2006,2007,2008 & 2009 in his local
track, and 2005,2006,2007,2009 in IKF Series, with different drivers and
different chassis brand.

Bordogna Engines keep investing money in his shop for more power's
development, installing an expensive upgrades for his dyno, making it automatizaded for more precision quality engine tests.- We are inviting to the people who don't know us , to get prepared for the next season, offering them a 35% off in engine refresh ,and 40% off for a engine's blue print, this offer is valid to January 10.- If you are ready to win races in 2010, join to Bordogna Racing Engines and get the maximum power and the best track support ever
feel free to contact Daniel Bordogna to: (916)853-1110, danielbordogna@hotmail.com or visit : http://www.bordogna.us

12-27-09 Emmick Cobra Racing 2009 Success

Would like to take this time to Congratulate Team Emmick on Winning 10 Championships on the New Eclipse Chassis with Emmick prepared Championship Built Engines

Tony Rodriguez winning 3 Championships this year, on the New Eclipse Emmick Prepared 80 shifter @ Praire City 80 Masters Champion, NorCal X-Over Series 80 Masters Championship and finally the Gold Rush Series 80 Masters Championship. In 2010 Tony will be moving up to Road Racing in the New Eclipse RR Series Chassis in the125 Stock MotoClass

Jesse Gwin for winning 3 Championships in Yamaha Class. IKF Region 11 Championship , X-Over Championship and the Gold Rush Championship on his New Eclipse chassis and updated Emmick Prepared Yamaha Engine

Cory Gwin in IKF Tag Champion with Emmick Prepared Tag Motor

Ray Zarick in 80 Masters Tag Championship @ Praire City Emmick Parilla Engine

Sonny Cervelli Gold Rush Series Champion in HPV Emmick Prepared Motor and now to be awarded the Duffy from Reno Nationals, "Congratulations Sonny"

Tyler Espinosa 2nd Place in 80 Senior Limited @ Praire City in his First year in the New Eclipse Chassis and Emmick Prepared CR 80

Emmick Cobra Racing will be Launching their New 2010 Kadet and Kid Kart with the conversion to Metric Fasteners and Components
 

12-27-09 Pitts Performance primed for 2010 season

With 2009 in the books and the sites already set on the 2010 season Pitts Performance would like to take the time to wish their customers holiday greetings and a prosperous new year. “Our customer base was great this year,” said Chris LaTorre Co-Owner of Pitts Performance. “With seven IKF Region 7 championships and a dozen more from the local clubs we had a very successful year on both the club and regional level.  December was a great month for us. Sales of karts and engines were up and we have high hopes for the 2010 season.”

As with sport, things change, drivers, mechanics, chassis brands, team colors, but the philosophical core rarely does. 2010 brings very little change to the Van Nuys, Ca. based operation as they continue partnerships with the best brands in the business. Back for 2010 are CRG, Top Kart, and Rotax, but expect to see the recently added Arrow chassis brand at the track more and more. Headlining the Pitts Performance chassis arsenal is the BA1 cadet chassis. The “Big AL” named in honor of Big Al Nevoso, the BA1 is the best all time cadet chassis in karting and Pitts is the Exclusive US Importer. It posted wins throughout the country in 2009 and will again lead the pack for 2010.

Leaving Pitts, effective immediately is Josh Robertson. After many years with Pitts he is moving on to other endeavors. “Josh is a great friend and an even better employee,” said Phil Carlson head engine builder and Co-Owner of Pitts. “We wish him the best of luck and thank him for his years of valued service.” Any one with questions regarding Team Pitts Performance championship winning engine program can contact Phil directly for details. Rest assured that it is business as usual with Josh’s departure having no effect on horsepower or delivery times and your racing is, as it always has been, in good hands.

Besides unparalleled shop service Team Pitts Performance will continue their extensive track side support program into the 2010 season starting in early January. Team Pitts Performance will be offering customers trackside sales and service at these events in 2010: IKF Region 7, Los Angeles Kart Club, Gatorz Challenge of Americas.

12-23-09 ALEX ELLIS & GARY CARLTON LAND JIM RUSSELL’S FUTURE DRIVER

SEARCH 2010 TOP PRIZES
• Two drivers chosen for fully funded Jim Russell Championship Series “prize” drives
• Almost forty drivers from 10 countries involved in extensive four-day selection process at Racing School’s Infineon Raceway “home” in California
• Ex-Formula One & double Le Mans 24 Hour race winner Allan McNish “chairs” judging panel for inaugural Future Driver Search program

Alex Ellis, from St Catharines, Ontario, CANADA and Gary Carlton, from Marysville, California, USA have today (22 Dec) been chosen from an international field as the winners of the Jim Russell Future Driver 2010 selection.

Ellis (18) and Carlton (23) each receives a fully-funded season in the 2010 Jim Russell Championship Series (JRCS) plus coaching and testing opportunities.

Almost 40 drivers, representing 10 different countries and with an average age of 20 (the youngest being 14), participated in the four-day (19-22 Dec) selection process at the Infineon Raceway, Sonoma (CA) which features the impressive Jim Russell Racing Drivers School complex.

Twenty drivers were then selected to continue in to the final two-days with six progressing into the last day of Jim Russell’s new worldwide driver search program which was launched this year to find the best young talent from the worlds of karting and “junior” formula car racing.

Speed, precision and car control were evaluated when driving karts, Mitsubishi Evolution X sedans and the school’s purpose-built FJR-50 single-seater. They were appraised on their application of “feedback”, technical understanding of each of the vehicles while media awareness, racecraft and fitness were also observed and evaluated in the latter stages.

In addition to Ellis and Carlton, Germany’s Bastien Graber (18), James Kovacic (16), from Australia, Brazilian Felipe Polehtto (20) plus American Jeffrey Westphal (23) were involved in the final day, six driver shoot-out today.

Britain’s ex-F1 and double Le Mans 24 Hour race winner, Allan McNish, and his fellow panel members chose Ellis because he was considered the best “all-rounder” while Carlton effectively chose himself by setting the fastest lap time in the turbocharged two-liter FJR-50 on the final day. “I was pleasantly surprised by the high standard of all of the drivers,” commented McNish. “Even the ones that didn’t progress through at the halfway stage were all of a good standard. It was a very closely fought competition not made any easier by the changeable weather conditions we experienced at times – but that’s motor racing.

Alex finished 5th 2006 Sunoco Ron Fellows Karting Championship (F1K), 8th 2007 SKUSA SuperNationals (Rotax Senior), 15th 2007 BTK/Arrows Karts (Rotax Junior), 2nd 2008 F1200 Canada & “Rookie of the Year” (5 wins, 11 podiums, 15 races), 6th 2009 Formula BMW Americas (1 pole, 3 podiums, 2 fastest laps).

“Winning this means absolutely everything to me having dedicated my life, mine and my family’s money, in to succeeding in motorsport so you can understand I’m absolutely elated – it’s more than a dream coming true, it’s a massive turning point in my life.

“I know that I can excel in motorsport and am already looking forward to the opening races of the Jim Russell Championship Series. I learned more in the last four days than I have done from the past two years of racing. The Jim Russell instructors have a wealth of knowledge and are just great guys. It
was non-stop action both on and off the track and superbly organized throughout at what is a mindblowing facility.”

Allan on Alex: “For someone with such limited karting and racecar experience at a high level, he really impressed me. He bounced back from any problems and issues very quickly, and importantly, strongly. He has a positive personality. He suffered badly with the weather conditions but nevertheless performed outstandingly.”

Gary’s career to date is almost entirely in karts. He placed 2nd 2005 SKUSA SuperNationals (SuperPro), 2006 National Stars of Karting champion (ICC), 2007 National Stars of Karting champion (ICC), 2007 PRI All-Stars Karting Classic champion (Karters class), 2nd 2007 SKUSA SuperNationals
(SuperPro) and All-Stars Karting Classic (Masters class), 3rd 2008 Stars of Karting (National & West ICC) and SKUSA SuperNationals (SuperPro). He had brief tests in a Formula Mazda in 2008 and an Indy Lights car this year.

“Winning this initiative will literally change my life. I know what I’ll be doing in 2010, I can focus and prepare fully for the months ahead which are certainly going to be exciting as well as challenging.

“I’ve had a great time over the past four days and have learned a great deal in terms of on and off the track. The Jim Russell organization has been incredible. They’ve somehow made it a lot of fun despite it being an intensive and informative program with the stresses that go with a driver shootout.”

Allan on Gary: “Considering the lack of time Gary has spent in a single-seater, especially one [the FJR-50] at such a high technical level, was very impressive. He didn’t make a single mistake throughout the event and was always running towards the front. In his ‘home’ habitat of karting, he was extremely quick and very good in traffic.”

Meanwhile karting’s S3 champion Tyler Bennett (Farmington, UT) and TaG senior runner-up Gustavo Menezes (Coto de Caza, CA), who were awarded Future Driver Search scholarships following last month’s Superkarts USA! SuperNationals, both made it through to the final 20 driver phase as did
Cody Hodgson (Escalon, CA) who finished third in World Rotax championships recently.

Chip Pankow, President of the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, who was also on the judging panel, reflected: “The Future Driver 2010 Selection has exceeded our expectations on a number of fronts while the quality of drivers that have taken part has been truly impressive.”

The 16-race 2010 Jim Russell Championship Series gets underway in April and features two, 30 minute races staged on consecutive days over eight weekends utilizing a variety of configurations at the world famous Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.

The outright 2010 JRCS champion gets a fully-funded prize drive in the 2011 FIA Formula Two Championship. The European-based F2 series was launched this year and features a Williams F1 developed single-seater. The F2 champion is awarded a test with the Williams Formula One team while the top-three finishers in the FIA F2 Championship qualify for an FIA Superlicence and thus are eligible to compete in F1.

Pankow concluded: “We’re now looking forward to building the Future Driver Search winners’ progress next season when they will be fighting to win themselves a place on the 2011 FIA Formula 2 Championship grid.”

For more information, please contact:
General enquiries, Jim Russell Racing Drivers School
Telephone +1 877 229 9855 or +1 707 939 2755 outside the US
Email futuredriver@jimrussellusa.com
Media enquiries, Martyn Pass Public Relations
Email jimrussellusa-pr@earthlink.net

12-23-09 Norcal IKF Series 2010 Update
 

Happy Holiday Season to all!

With the racing season just around the corner we would like to take the time and let the racers know what Changes are in store for the 2010 Norcal Super Series Race season.

**1ST IKF RACE -Bluemax kart Club (Davis)- Feb 7th. If it rains a lot then they have been given the option for the next weekend Feb 14th.

2010 *Norcal* Super Series (IKF) will be a one day event held on Sunday. Practice will be Saturday. There will be no practice the week of the event on the track hosting the event. Any person participating in said event caught on the track that week will be disqualified from that event. No exception.
Each track will post when they will allow trailer parking for there event
.
**This year we are hoping to have all of our races in the Go racing magazine. Nothing better than to see our racers in print!

One of the biggest changes will be to the Sr. & Jr Super Sportsman class. With IKF changing this class to a pipe class. It was felt that it was best to change now then to wait. With that being said, RLV with NCTA have come up with a way to help the racer. This is a one time deal. The cost for the pipe,header,flex will be $150.00 .This is only for the racer and limited to one per racer only through NCTA. they are in stock now both Sr &Jr.. This is offered to the club racers also.
THE STOCK IS LIMITED TO ONLY SO MANY UNITS, PLEASE CALL ASAP IF YOU ARE INTERESTED.
~*Rick Luther -925-798-4360
~*Les Hand -916-383-5278

The Gold Rush series will be with the pipe set up also.

**The tires for the Sr.class will be the large 7.10 rears, Bridgestone YKC. The Jr. class will stay on the smaller tire 6.0. Bridgestone YKC
**Class weights will stay the same. Sr super sportsman light -340 lbs, heavy 360 lbs. Jr class will be at 300 lbs or until we are notified by IKF of a weight change. (this could happen)

We are working with ERC to be the gas for the 2010 *Norcal* Super Series (IKF). ERC will be on site for this series.

Right now for Race Director and tech person we have few persons interested. If you know anyone interested please e-mail us with the names.
Rick- RMracing95@aol.com 
Les- les@kartelmotorsports.com
Cindy- tctracing02@yahoo.com

There is more info to come. We will post it when it comes available.

May all of our *Norcal* racers, and families have a Wonderful Holiday Season!!
 

12-21-09 IKF Region 7 Set for 2010 Season

The 2010 edition of the IKF Region 7 Championship Series presented by Bridgestone kicks off their new season in only a few weeks at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, CA hosted by the Bakersfield Kart Club. Get your pre entry in for premier pit positions, reserve your race number, and get the best prices on entry fees. Entry forms for this event are online now at ikfkarting.com or bakersfieldkartclub.com.

On January 1, entry forms for round two in Phoenix will be posted to IKF’s website, the Phoenix Kart Racing Association website and in the print and virtual editions of Go Racing Magazine

2010 Winter/Spring Schedule:
Date Host Track
January 8-10 Bakersfield Kart Club Buttonwillow Raceway
February 12-14 Phoenix Kart Club PKRA
March 5-7 Kerman Kart Club Buffalo Bills Hotel & Casino
April 9-11 Tri-C Karters Grange Motor Circuit
April 30-May 2 Los Angeles Kart Club CalSpeed Karting

2010 Summer/Fall Schedule:
Date Host Track
June 4-6 EPIK TBD
August 6-8 Santa Maria Kart Club Santa Maria Kart Track
September 10-12 APEX Apex Raceway
October 1-3 Willow Springs Kart Club TBD
November 5-7 SoCal Sprinters Adams Kart Track

2010 Class Schedule:
Saturday:
KPV-2
Rookie Sportsman
Kid Kart
Sr. PRD TaG Controlled
Jr. 2 PRD TaG Controlled
KPV-1
KPV-4/Sr. Super Sportsman Pipe*

Sunday:
KPV-4/Sr. Super Sportsman Pipe
KPV-1
Kid Kart
Jr. 2 PRD TaG Controlled
TaG/Master PRD TaG Controlled*
Jr. 1 Comer
KPV-2

*Qualify and race together, scored separately.

With an exciting schedule and new classes, look to come out and run with the best racers in the country. There’s fast, then there’s Region 7 fast. Join the fight for 2010 karting supremacy. For everything IKF visit http://www.ikfkarting.com 
 

12-23-09 CENTRAL STATES CHALLENGE ANNOUNCES 2010 SCHEDULE AND CLASSES



A third season on the horizon for Superkarts! USA regional program with five events on the docket

ST. LOUIS, MO (December 22, 2009) Now entering its third season of competition, the SKUSA Central States Challenge (SCSC) is proud to release its schedule for the 2010 campaign. The Superkarts! USA regional program has grown continually over the last two years and is expected to see more expansion in the coming year. Working around the new SKUSA Pro Tour schedule and making sure that competitors will have ample time between events, the SCSC has scheduled seven races over five weekends from May to September - counting the best five results toward each class championship. Three venues will return in 2010, while two new locations have been added to help expand the regions base.

The opening round of the 2010 season will be a double-header weekend at the New Castle Motorsports Park in Indiana on May 15-16. The SCSC made its first visit to the New Castle facility in 2009 with great success and looks to repeat that popular outing. The weekend will be the opening two rounds of the seven-race championship with a full slate of racing (Qualifying, Prefinal, and Final) to take place on both Saturday and Sunday.

This coming season will also mark the return to the Gateway International Raceway. The opening venue in 09, a temporary sprint track constructed within the facilitys oval and road course will be host to the third round of the series on June 26-27. For the one-race weekends, such as this early summer trip to Gateway, practice and qualifying will take place on Saturday with the Prefinals and Finals commencing on Sunday. The series will break for the month of July as the series organizers will to turn their focus to helping host the second round of the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour - the SummerNationals - in the St. Louis area over the July 16-18 weekend (location to be announced).

The first of two new tracks on the SCSC 2010 schedule is the challenging USA International Raceway in Shawano, WI. The August 6-8 event at the northern Wisconsin facility will be the second doubleheader weekend of the season, bringing rounds four and five of the program to the undulating circuit. The addition of USAIR will help build northern support in the Central States area. The second new track to the series is the Precision Driving Center in Kansas City, MO. The new facility will host round six on August 21-22. The final round of the 2010 schedule will take the series back to the St. Louis area at the I-55 Raceway in Pevely, MO on September 11-12.

The 2010 season is projected to be our best yet, stated SKUSA Central States Challenge Director Pam Freund. Coming off the growth of our first two years and the addition of the SKUSA Pro Tour to our area, we should see the entry numbers and competition increase more than what we saw in 2009. Tom Kutscher and his SKUSA operation continues to be a great relationship for us and with the new Pro Tour, I see nothing but great things for the future.

With the creation of the SKUSA Pro Tour and the new class structure format for 2010, the SCSC will be revamping their class structure to mirror the organizations changes, and they are also excited about the addition of the new national licensing system. The reorganized shifter classes will see unparalleled simplicity with the presentation of S1, S2, S3, S4, S5 and G1 categories. The Stock Moto categories, along with the Masters open division, offer plenty of options for drivers of any experience, including the popular S5 Junior Shifter category that has exploded in the area. The S1 category will be the Expert division for the Stock Moto package for those holding the SKUSA A license. The Amateur level drivers will compete in the S2 class for those carrying a SKUSA B license - where all current S3 competitors will be automatically placed. Those new to the SCSC and/or SKUSA program will need to apply for either the B or A license if they wish to compete in S2 or S1, respectively. The new class that is expected to see growth at the regional level is the new S3 category, reserved for Novice drivers carrying the C license. The S4 category will remain roughly the same as the Masters Stock Moto division.

The TaG Senior, TaG Masters and TaG Junior divisions return, adjusted to the technical regulations SKUSA has previously released for the Touch and Go engines. Additional classes to run with the SCSC as Local Option will be the Yamaha Senior SuperCan, Yamaha Junior SuperCan, TaG Cadet, Yamaha Junior Sportsman, and Kid Kart.

The SKUSA Central States Challenge has already signed on a number of supporters as class sponsors for the 2010 season: Corrida Karting, Crockett Motorsports, Farmer Insurance - Rick Freund Agency, Unique Heating & Cooling, Ostrom Painting & Sandblasting Inc., Margay Racing, Desloge Foot & Ankle - Dr. Christopher Sloan, and Mates Concrete. To find out more about being part of the 2010 SKUSA Central States Challenge or if you questions on the new class structure and licensing system, visit www.centralstateschallenge.com  or contact Pam Freund at 636-262-7678 or else email pamelafreund@att.net


2010 SKUSA Central States Challenge Schedule
Date Track Location

May 15-16 New Castle Motorsports Park New Castle, IN

June 26-27 Gateway International Raceway Granite City, IL

August 6-8 USA International Raceway Shawano, WI

August 21-22 Precision Driving Center Kansas City, MO

September 11-12 I-55 Raceway Pevely, MO
 

12-21-09 Jim Russell Future Driver Search 2010 Reaches Halfway Stage

Twenty drivers will spend the next two days trying to earn themselves one of two, fully-funded seats up for grabs in the 2010 Jim Russell Championship Series as the inaugural Future Driver Search program reaches its climax. Almost 40 drivers, representing 10 different countries, have participated in the four-day selection process at the Infineon Raceway, Sonoma (CA) since Saturday (December 19).

Britain’s double Le Mans 24 Hour race winner, Allan McNish, and his fellow judging panel members, have now chosen 20 drivers who progress after two-days of detailed evaluation – today’s (December 20) phases taking place in changeable weather conditions.

The final two-day line-up is:
Bastien Graber (18), from Niddatal, GERMANY
James Kovacic (16), from Forresters Beach nr Gosford, AUSTRALIA
Brett van Blankers (22), New Westminster, British Columbia, CANADA
Xavier Coupal (19), Saint-Jean, Quebec, CANADA
Tyler Bennett (20), from Farmington, Utah, USA
Gregory Liefooghe (29), from San Francisco, California, USA
Yannick Mettler (20), from Kriens (Luzern), SWITZERLAND
Jordan Jadallah (17), from Hillsborough, California, USA
Mark Pombo (27), from Berkeley Lake, Georgia, USA
Jayson Clunie (40), from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, CANADA
Gustavo Menezes (15), from Coto de Caza, California, USA
Justin Gald (18), from Fresno, California, USA
Felipe Polehtto [nee Poletto Bastos] (20), from Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL
Logan Downing (17), from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, CANADA
Nikola Radosavljevich (18), from Los Gatos, California, USA
Gary Carlton (23), from Marysville, California, USA
Alex Ellis (18), from St Catharines, Ontario, CANADA
Javier Echeverria (22), from Mexico City, MEXICO
Cody Hodgson (18), from Escalon, California, USA
Jeffrey Westphal (23), from San Carlos, California, USA

Judges will ultimately chose the best “all-rounder” on Tuesday evening while the second recipient of the 2010 JRCS seat will be the driver who has set the outright fastest lap time in a Jim Russell Racing Drivers School FJR-50 single-seater on Tuesday - a day which will see just six drivers battling for this spectacular prize after Monday’s continuing selection process.

The two prize drives could be the launch pad to a full-time career in motor racing. The 2010 JRCS champion gets a fully-funded prize drive in the 2011 FIA Formula Two Championship.
 

12-16-09 RLV announces an easy-pay plan for JR 2 PRD Tag Controlled packages to IKF Region 7 racers

 ATTENTION ALL 2010 I.K.F. REGION 7 JUNIOR II DRIVERS

The JR II PRD TAG Controlled Class is “the new junior class” for 2010.  RLV is offering all qualifying JR II drivers in the IKF Region 7 area a special one time offer.  The JR II driver must participate in the IKF Region 7 area at either club or regional level. The JR II PRD TAG Controlled Class is offered at the 2010 I.K.F. Region 7 Bridgestone Championship Series, Saturday and Sunday as well as every race weekend at Los Angeles Kart Club (L.A.K.C.).  Your club can also provide a place for you to race this package.

Purchase a new PRD 125 Fireball JR II controlled complete engine package for $1,399.99.  This offer is available from select RLV distributors listed below.  The following financing plan is designed to help minimize your initial cash output.

Purchase price:  $1,399.99

Down payment: $   280.00

February 1, 2010 $   280.00

March 1, 2010   $   280.00

April 1, 2010     $   280.00

May 1, 2010      $   279.99

PARTICIPATING RLV DISTRIBUTORS

                        Adams Motorsports Park           (951) 369-3171

                        Empire Karts                              (909) 793-9695

                        Extreme Karting                         (714) 630-3655

                        Mack Motorsports                      (951) 572-5802

                        Maxx Motorsports                      (714) 841-5158

                        Nash’s                                          (909) 981-9611

                        Pro Kart Shop                             (559) 291-0570

                        Smart Karts                                (661) 201-0523

Terms

1.  This offer only available from the above distributors and to Junior II drivers participating in the region 7 area.

2.  You must qualify for the financing plan with the distributor you select, your acceptance is not guaranteed by RLV.

3.  A limited number of Junior II packages are available for this program.

4.  This offer expires December 30, 2009 at 5:PM P.S.T.

12-17-09 SwedeTech Customers – Where Are You Racing in 2010?

12-16-09 Jim Russell Karting Endurance Race -Race Report

The 9th Jim Russell 4-hour Endurance Race had a new set of challenges that added a new level of depth to the race for teams this year. Colder weather and the threat of rain added to the preparation that teams had to deal with to come out on top of the 4-hours.

Juniors/Arrive and Drive Endurance
For the first time, the Junior Endurance race was expanded to 4 hour, which was welcomed by drivers and crews alike. In addition, the Jim Russell Arrive and Drive classes were added to the card where drivers were fully supported by Jim Russell equipment, mechanics and instructors. Teams, mostly consisting of Sprint Series regulars, made up teams to contest the different format using the SKM-Rotax powered karts.

In Qualifying, the top two karts were Jim Russell A&D machines with the third going to the top Junior HPV-2 machine of Team Leading Edge. From the Le Mans start, all five Junior HPV-2 engine’d karts got away into turn one ahead of the A&D competitors, but it did not take long before the top A&D karts went into the lead. After the initial exciting sprint of the first 15 minutes, the teams all settled into the pace of finishing a 4-hour race.

Before the first hour was completed, two Junior class karts had to make stops in the pits to make repairs. Team Kartel had an engine go down and had to make a quick engine change that cost them 10 laps. Team FAST had to come in with a slow leak in their left rear tire, which took a couple of quick stops to find and fix the problem losing 6 laps in the process. As the race continued, two of the Jim Russell A&D teams along with Team
Leading Edge continued to pace the field.

Team Leading Edge had to visit the pits with a broken pipe, however a quick pit stop from the veteran enduro crew had a whole new pipe assembly in place within a minute and they were back into the race without losing the class lead.

Entering the last half hour, the leading A&D kart of Ridgard/ Evans/ Eagleton stopped on track and had to be brought in on the recovery trailer. By the time they re-entered the action, they were down to 4th place, 3rd in class. Team Leading Edge was cruising with a six lap class lead and on their way to their second Enduro class win in a row. Team FAST made a quick final pit spot and was now chasing down the 2nd Junior team, Team
STA.

As the clock reached the 4-hour mark, A&D Team of Templin/ Davidson/ Hoxsey scored the overall win, weighing in as the heaviest kart in the field and qualifying last on the grid. For the second consecutive year, Team Leading Edge took second overall and the top spot in the Junior class, two laps down from the winning kart. Third was A&D Team of Juniors Linebarger/Grey/Balen followed by the A&D Team of Ridgard/ Evans/ Eagleton, Team STA and Team FAST.

In addition to Team Trophies, the winning drivers on Junior Team all received new ACCESS Passes for the Jim Russell International Karting Center, valued of $500 to each driver.
Team Class Laps Drivers
1. Jim Russell #18 A&D 248 Templin/Davidson/Hoxsey
2. Team Leading Edge Juniors 246 Devirro/Ereth/Kaiser
3. Jim Russell #28 A&D 243 Linebarger/Grey/Balen
4. Jim Russell #235 A&D 240 Ridgard/Evans/Eagleton
5. Team STA Juniors 240 Thomas/Braddock/Langon

Senior Endurance – TaG Senior/TaG Masters/Stock Moto

Sunday dawned with even colder weather and the real chance of showers. For the first time, 125 Stock Moto was added as a to the race card spicing up the ontrack action. In Qualifying, Stock Moto karts were at the head of the field with Team Reno on pole and Team Awesome in a close second. The first Senior Tag kart, Monkey See was in third with the top TaG Masters kart, Team TBD, in 4th. At the start, the 8th place Stock Moto, Team Monkey Do, made the best of the Le Mans start and taking over the top spot by the end of the first lap.

Again, the first 10 minutes looked like a sprint race when the 3rd place Team Reno kart rolled up the back of the Team Awesome kart with the final result being the two karts becoming hooked together. The two finally got disconnected, however the result was Team Awesome losing a lap and Team Reno spending over 10 minutes in the pits replacing its nose.

Just prior to the 2-hour mark, the leading Monkey Do Stock Moto team broke it’s shift lever and had to limp back to the pits stuck in first gear costing them 8 laps. Team Awesome gratefully assumed the lead. Problems on the other side of the team for Monkey See promoted Team Jim Russell into 2nd position overall.

Finally, the threatening storm clouds opened up with rain. Two teams of Team Jim Russell and Team Green, pitted for rain tires and appeared to be ahead of the curve as other teams were spinning off track, however the rain only lasted 10 minutes and dry conditions resumed. The tire swap cost the teams 4 laps for the adventure, one of which, the Jim Russell Team, lost their hold on second spot. Monkey See regained the 2nd position with the Stock Moto Monkey Do now in 3rd, 11 laps down.

Going into the last hour, the Stock Moto of Team Awesome continued a flawless pace while most of the other teams had brake problems, needing to replace pads. As the checkered flew, Team Awesome came home first covering 254 laps. In the 2nd spot, the top TaG Senior kart of Monkey Do with the TaG Masters kart of Team TBD coming home with a near flawless drive into 4th place.

Again, each of the winning teams received trophies and new ACCESS Passes for the Jim Russell International Karting Center, valued of $500 to each driver.
Team Class Laps Drivers
1. Team Awesome Stock Moto 254 Alfonso/Scherer/Felkins/Bartolero
2. Monkey See TaG Senior 249 Frasier/Cadoux/LeDuc/Toft
3. Monkey Do Stock Moto 249 Frasier/Cadoux/LeDuc/Toft
4. Team TBD TaG Master 235 Landerville/Jaurequi
5. Team Jim Russell TaG Senior 230 Rondet/Bain/Gerrard

The success of the event has the Jim Russell management considering additional races for 2010 championship. Stay tuned to www.jimrussellusa.com  for the latest information. Endurance Kart Racing has been a core element to the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School from the beginning. Back in 1958, Jim Russell ran the first 24-hour karting race
at the Snetterton circuit in England. Today, the 16-turn, 0.75 mile Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway, is one of the premier karting venues in the country and offers a full range of karting courses for beginners to world-class drivers

12-12-09 IKF Region 7 Championship Series - Santa Maria
Article by: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine courtesy of e karting news

The 2009 IKF Region 7 Championship Series presented by Bridgestone took their final laps of 2009 this past weekend in Santa Maria, CA at the famed Santa Maria Kart Track. After a date change and a venue change the season finale is now in the books. The closing race of the season came just shortly after the announcement of the 2010 schedule and class structure (www.ikfkarting.com for all the details).

The biggest difference from year’s past is the splitting of the ten race series into two (2) five (5) race series, a Winter/Spring and a Summer/Fall with a break for the IKF GrandNationals at Willow Springs in late June. Track selection remained similar to the 2009 schedule with the exception of seeing Buffalo Bills temporary circuit and Adams Motorsports Park back in the mix. Class structures remained close with some of the less participated classes being dropped, revamped or combined with another race groups. The biggest news in Juniors is the addition of Jr. II PRD TAG Controlled class to be run both days. Senior racers can look forward to Sr. Super Sportsman Pipe as a new alternative, also to be run both days along with KPV-4.

Day one of the two-day race weekend took place under chilly conditions with a slight breeze, keeping most people bundled up with at least pants and a coat. The weather might have been cool, but as always the action on track was hot, as were the tri-tip sandwiches served up by the Women of the Moose. Kyle Shiver was the big winner of the weekend with three victories to his credit, while Ethan Barrett and Jake Craig brought home two first place trophies each.

Shriver earned two wins Saturday in TaG and HPV 4. The TaG class had only four entries but three of them finished nose to tail. Andrick Zeen, Bobby Kelley and Lucas Barnett chased Shriver for 20 laps but none could do anything about his lead. HPV 4 was combined with Formula Y/C where Colin McGinnis scored that win. In HPV 4 Shriver gained an early advantage over Devin Lindsey, Robby Harryman and Barnett. By halfway, Harryman had taken a pull up front, but his day ended early leaving Shriver the lead and Barnett and Lindsey to chase. Win #2 for Shriver set him up nicely for Sunday. Sunday’s TaG class ran with Masters TaG winner Paul Grey. Shriver got the jump to start the final but Travis Lowe was looking racy. Lowe got caught up fighting for second with Kelley and Barnett. Ultimately this allowed Zeen back into the hunt after contact in turn one put him off track on the start. Shriver cruised to the finish, turning around at the line just to see Zeen score a great second place comeback.


Kyle Shiver
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine)

The Junior 2 field fell off dramatically this weekend with it being the last race of the season. Junior Super Sportsman continued along at its normal pace but HPV 2 was not the strong selection of drivers we are used to seeing. Jake Craig doubled up in the win column splitting his victories between HPV and Yamaha. Louie Pagano led most of Saturday’s HPV2 race, but Bryan Lemon and Craig both snuck by late in the contest with Craig getting his first win of the weekend. Lemon also picked up a first place trophy on Saturday beating Christian Rochester and Craig to the finish in Jr. Yamaha. Sunday’s action was even better as Tyler Palmer joined the crew. HPV 2 saw Palmer chased down by Rochester, and then Palmer and Rochester reeled in by Lemon. Contact early in the race and more contact late in the race changed the finishing positions a bit but most importantly it gave Palmer room to breath on the final lap so he could grab a win. Yamaha went down running with World Formula in a combined class. Craig and Lemon traded the lead for a while, ultimately finishing bumper to bumper. Craig got it done for the second time in two days, followed closely by Lemon. Nova Brown finished in third place.

The Junior 1 drivers truly are the backbone of the Region 7 program and really deserve top billing for their driving skill and for sheer numbers. As usual the Cadet fields were the largest classes of the weekend and provided the very best kart racing has to offer. Not one of the four races was boring to watch and four different drivers each earned a first place trophy. These drivers give it full gas from the time they roll off the grid to the time they hit the scales.

Rookie Sportsman qualifying went to Carter Williams with a time of 55.951. Christian Brooks sat P2 with a 55.999. Brenden Baker and Williams went 1-2 in the prefinal and set the stage for the 18-lap feature. Baker grabbed the lead heading out of turn one with Michael Womack and Williams in tow. Brooks, Herta, Stowell, Mankin and Smith all gave chase but as the laps continued they lost ground little by little. Baker gave way to Williams, but his lead was short lived as Womack put the pedal down in the last half of the event. Baker pulled alongside Womack heading to the checkered flag, but Womack held on to the top position by less than a kart length.


Jake Craig
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine)

Zane Smith qualified P1 in Saturday’s HPV 1 over Chase McDaniel, Michael Davis and Christian Brooks. Smith kept it together to hold off advances in the prefinal, but the final was anyone’s guess as to who would come out on top. Baker came out of turn one with the lead while Smith dropped back to fifth. Davis, Brooks and Chance Skaufel sat between Smith and the front. Baker continued to lead but Smith was on the move and he had Slater Stowell charging with him. By halfway it was Baker, Davis, Smith, Chase McDaniel, and Stowell. The last half of the race was a slugfest and no position was safe for more than a few corners. Stowell came out on top, just ahead of Smith, and McDaniel. Davis and Baker rounded out the top five.

Sunday brought with it the best race of the weekend Junior 1. Carter Williams scored his second pole of the event, besting Brenden Baker, Nicholas Ramirez, and Slater Stowell but just a tenth of a second. The prefinal saw nine drivers finish in a line headed up by Stowell. The final was amazing as nine drivers again did battle for the top positions. Baker led early on followed by Colton Herta, Stowell, Zane Smith and Michael Davis. No one was safe from being passed and every move by one driver was countered by at least three more by others. Stowell grabbed the lead from Baker on lap five, but Herta took over the point a few laps later. Smith joined the action and led the way for a few laps before giving it back to Baker. Baker was a sitting duck with two to go. Herta made a great move for the win, leading a pack of seven to the finish line. With his hands in the air he scored his second IKF win of his career. Baker finished in the runner-up spot with Williams grabbing third. Womack moved up into fourth and Smith capped off the top-five.

Baker is back and after this weekend’s repeat top five finishes it was only fitting that he got a win too. Baker started things off in HPV 1 with the pole, and backed it up with a prefinal victory. The final was anything but easy as Smith Stowell and Baker all took turns leading the crazy train. Michael Davis and Smith were the original chasers of Baker but as they looked for weaknesses Wyatt May and Slater Stowell ran them down. Smith led nearly half the race, but in the end fifth was where he ended up. Baker wasn’t going to let things go easily, and made his move for the win on the last lap. Baker and Stowell crossed the finish line neck and neck with Baker just getting the nod from the racing gods. Stowell finished second with Davis and May right there with him. Smith brought it home in fifth.


Ethan Barrett
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine)

The ladies led the way in World Formula with Taelor Janes nabbing the pole and Gabby Robles getting the heat race win. It was more of the same in the final as Janes worked her way up from the back of the pack and back into the lead. Robles gave chase, but ultimately lost ground. Janes got the win with Robles second and Terry Nash in third.

Robby Harryman laid down a flawless lap in Sunday’s HPV 4 qualifying. He needed to because archrival Devin Lindsey did too, as did Bobby Kelly. A scant 0.047 separated the top three qualifiers. Harryman owned the prefinal as Kyle Shriver and Lucas Barnett dueled with Kelley and Lindsey. Harryman gained the lead at the drop of the green but Shiver spun it in turn two dropping him to the rear of the field. Kelley got after Harryman, but soon enough Lindsey took up the chase. Eventually the field split into small groups with Harryman in the lead as a group of one. Harryman will go in the record books (if there were such a thing) as the last Region 7 HPV winner. The class next year has a new name change (KPV) since Horstman is no longer involved with the class. Lindsey was second and Kelley finished third.

PRD was the premier Senior class of the weekend with thirteen drivers taking the green flag. Kolby Araki showed up on Saturday with no practice and nearly stole the pole position. Bobby Kelley was just a tick quicker and would start the prefinal P1. Araki walked away with the prefinal win as the pack led by Devin Lindsey spread out behind him. The final played out the same with Araki leading from the green flag to the checkered flag. Lindsey pursued for all 20 laps, but the best action was for third place between Lloyd Mack, Travis Lowe and Kelley. Araki turned in an impressive drive putting 3.5 seconds between himself and the second place finisher Lindsey. Lowe fought hard all race long and was rewarded with a trip to the podium in third.

Ethan Barrett put his stamp of authority on the Kid Kart class this weekend. The youngster is moving up for next season and wanted to make sure everyone knew who was boss. While most competitors were running times in the high 1:09 to low 1:11’s Barrett consistently churned out laps two second a lap faster. Even more impressive than the lap times was him clearing tech both days. Jerett Tachovsky, Anthony Sawyer, Justin Mankin, Braden Waterman, and Garrett Twitty were best in class, but they gave up 20 seconds to Barrett both days.

And so completes the IKF Region 7 Championship Series presented by Bridgestone for another season. We have only a month off before returning to action at Buttonwillow Raceway Park January 8-10 hosted by Bakersfield Kart Club. The entry form will be posted to the IKF website and to Bakersfield’s website very soon. Good news is a recently built Best Western close by in Wasco offers a Bakersfield Kart Club discount so we now have a decent place to stay. Banquet plans will also be announced in the near future. See everyone next year with continued Region 7 coverage by Go Racing Magazine.
 

12-11-09 2009 Nor Cal Rotax DD2 class champion Troy Castaneda is in Egypt

 competing in the "Olympics of Karting," the Rotax World Finals this week.

Troy is writing a blog to keep everyone updated. Here is a link for the page where he has started the thread:

http://www.ekartingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=89767

Also, they have live race coverage (timing and video) at:

http://live.kart-data.com/LT09/RGF/

Troy is competing in the Rotax DD2 class representing USA! Here is a link to download the schedule:

http://www.maxchallenge-rotax.com/event2009/Time_schedule.html


We wish Troy luck this week. He has had a very strong qualifying result today.

Adrian Szwarcburg
Nor Cal Rotax
 

12-8-09 SUPERKARTS! USA PRO TOUR Dates released for 2010



New national program to debut with focus on establishing stronger ties within regional tours

Coming off their biggest event yet the wildly successful SuperNationals in Las Vegas which was held in late November the Superkarts! USA staff has now refocused its efforts on finalizing the event schedule and class line-up of their new three-weekend SKUSA Pro Tour, which will debut next April. As the organization continues to grow, adding a new regional program in Colorado in 2010, the timing is now right to re-launch a national series, which will bring together the groups competitors from around the country. Answering the requests of many of their members to put on a national series with minimal travel and maximum enjoyment, the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour will be that meeting ground and will bring the SKUSA product to the karting community and the public as well.

The concept of the series is to promote and manage three large stand-alone special events that will provide the opportunity to run a five-race championship. The first two events will feature a three-day format with practice on Friday and completely separate race days on Saturday and Sunday (qualifying, heat races and a main). If a driver has a tough opening day on Saturday, theyll be able to come back on Sunday to salvage the weekend. In contrast, the SuperNationals will be a similar format as this years event, with class groupings and half days of practice, qualifying, and heat races, leading up to SuperSunday. The SpringNationals and SummerNationals will be their own separate events, and with the addition of the single final SuperNationals, SKUSA has developed a five-race series that will feature one drop. Once all the points have been tallied, SKUSA will issue their national numbers for the top 10 in all classes. These prestigious number plates will be required for competition in the 2011 SKUSA Pro Tour.

Ive been asked on countless occasions to put together a national program for SKUSA, one that was focused on a minimal number of events to keep the travel costs down, explains Tom Kutscher, Superkarts! USA President. By pairing two big-time weekends with the SuperNationals, well be able to provide our customers with a series that will crown the nations top shifter and TaG drivers on SuperSunday in Las Vegas. I am so fired up about this Pro Tour!

The opening round of the SKUSA Pro Tour will be held at the Jim Russell International Karting Center, located on the Infineon Raceway compound in Sonoma, California. Host to many national events over the years, the challenging circuit will be the site of the inaugural SKUSA SpringNationals on April 16-18. SKUSA is planning to pull out all the stops to kick-off the new series, and will be organizing special events and programs that will be part of this new level of competition. The concept is to organize and promote two additional events of the same quality as the annual SuperNationals.

The second stop on the new Pro Tour will take place on July 16-18, as the SummerNationals will be run on a temporary circuit constructed at a soon-to-be-confirmed hotel venue near St. Louis, Missouri. Of course, to bring everything back to Las Vegas, the series will come to a close with the 14th running of the SuperNationals set for November 17-21 once again at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino.

2010 SKUSA Pro Tour Schedule

April 16-18: SpringNationals - Infineon Raceway - Sonoma, CA
July 16-18: SummerNationals - TBA - St. Louis, MO
Nov. 17-21: SuperNationals - Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino - Las Vegas, NV

The creation of the new SKUSA Pro Tour will also play its part in reinforcing the organizations new class and licensing structure that will be put into effect for 2010. As it is within all of the Superkarts! USA regional series, the former S3 category will now be split into S1 and S2, presenting a new hierarchy for the organizations Stock Moto program. The new S1 class will lead the way for Expert Stock Moto drivers, while the S2 category will be the development class for amateur competitors and juniors graduating to the senior level of shifter racing. Drivers 30 years of age and older will have two choices in G1 and S4, the former providing a place for those running ICC or built moto powerplants, and the latter introducing an official Stock Moto Masters class. The final gearbox class will be for those 12-15 years of age as the S5 Junior Stock Moto category will make its national debut. TaG racing will also be front and center on the Pro Tour with Senior, Masters and Junior classes in the line-up.


2010 SKUSA Pro Tour Class Structure

S1 Expert Stock Moto 15 years of age and older 375 lbs - A License only
S2 Amateur Stock Moto 15 years of age and older 395 lbs B License only
S4 Masters Stock Moto 30 years of age and older 405 lbs A or B License
S5 Junior Stock Moto 12-15 years of age 340 lbs D License
G1 Masters ICC or Built Moto 30 years of age and older 405 lbs A or B License
TaG Senior 15 years of age and older see below - A or B License
TaG Masters 30 years of age and older see below - A or B License
TaG Junior - 12-15 years of age 320 lbs - D License


TaG Engines
Class A (Sr 375 lbs, Masters 415) Rok TT & Sonik TX 125
Class B (Sr 365 lbs, Masters 405) Motori 7 & Rotax
Class C (Sr 355 lbs, Masters 395) Leopard & PRD Fireball 2008

Any companies interested in event or class sponsorship opportunities are asked to contact the SKUSA head office at 951-491-0808
 

12-8-09 JUSTIN WILSON TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS IN CKI BOOTH AT PRI

“IndyCar star helps promote karting at trade show”

The Championship Karting International series has confirmed that IndyCar star Justin Wilson will do an autograph session at their booth space during the Performance Racing Industry show in Orlando, Florida. With the PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic taking place on the evening of December 10^th, Wilson will be live at the Championship Karting International booth #706 on Friday, December 11^th between the hours of 11:00am and Noon.

Born in Sheffield, England, Wilson started his racing career at a young age and currently competes in the IndyCar Series. During competition in the Champ Car World Series from 2004 to 2007, Wilson claimed four victories. In 2003, Wilson competed in the Formula One World Championship with Minardi and Jaguar and two years prior to that, won the Formula 3000 championship.

Wilson, who is currently teamed with Dale Coyne Motorsports, scored one victory and two podiums in the 2009 IndyCar Series. Taking the victory on one of the most challenging road courses, Watkins Glen, Wilson will look to get back to his roots of karting and score the win at the PRI/CKI All-Star Classic. Wilson has been a big name in the world of motorsports as he competed in the Formula One World Championship back in the early 2000’s and claimed the Greg Moore Legacy Award in both 2006 and 2007.

At the 2009 PRI show, Wilson will compete with Corsa Kart Racing America.  Wilson commented, “"This is my first year in the PRI CKI race and I'm looking forward to
it as I have heard it's a great event. Im excited to be invited to
join. It always looks fun and a perfect way to work the skills in the
long off season. Its been a while since I've driven a kart but I cant
wait to get behined the wheel of my Corsa machine. Nothing can beat
the pure feeling that karting gives you."

“The fact the Justin is donating his time to help bring promotion to CKI and their booth display shows the kind of person that he really is,” expressed Championship Karting International’s Director of Operations Kevin Williams. “Justin is giving back to the sport that he loves and will be available for autographs at the series booth. We invite all races, enthusiasts and show attendees to stop by and meet the IndyCar driver.”

The 2009 PRI/CKI Karting All-Stars Classic will take place at the annual Performance Racing Industry trade show in Orlando, Florida. With the event taking place on the evening of Thursday, December 10^th, Fox will be in attendance producing an hour long broadcast bringing karting to the mainstream medium of television early in 2010.

The PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net affiliation of cable networks.  Both the Karter and All-Star Divisions of the race will have their own dedicated half-hour broadcasts that will air in a minimum of 86 million households. Last year’s PRI event, with re-air dates, was viewed in more then 700,000 households helping bring karting to the mainstream media. The Karter division from the 2009 event will air on Monday, January 11^th, 2010 at 4:30pm local time while the All-Star division will be broadcast on Monday, January 18^th, 2010 at 4:30pm.

Stay tuned to www.championshipkartracing.com for up-to-date information, photos and results.  The PRI show is held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from December 10^th  – 12^th with the PRI/CKI Karting All-Stars Classic taking place on the evening of December 10^th.  Admission to the event is free for PRI attendees and exhibitors with PRI show credentials.

12-4-09 Tagliani confirmed for PRI/CKI All-Star Classic with Pserra Racing Birel

Canadian based Birel Racing Team to field two Canadian drivers in annual karting showcase event.

The Championship Karting International Series and Pserra Racing-Birel are pleased to announce their driver lineup for the fourth annual PRI/CKI Karting All-star Classic. Competing with the Stouffville, Ontario based organization will be IndyCar driver Alex Tagliani along side karting standout and 2008 Stars of Karting National Champion Michael Vincec. This will mark the first visit to the PRI/CKI Karting All-star Classic for Pserra Racing-Birel, Canada’s leading Birel dealer

“We just got back from the SuperNats in Las Vegas on the weekend and we are heading off to Orlando for the PRI All-star Race,” comments Peter Serravalle, owner of Pserra Racing-Birel. “It’s great to have Alex (Tagliani) on our team for the race. He will be awesome on the Birel chassis. This is just the finishing touch to a great year for Pserra Racing and Birel Products.”

Thirty- six year old Alex (Tag) Tagliani is an established Canadian motor-racing driver. Born in Montreal Quebec, Tag is a race winner in both open wheel and in NASCAR. From his home in Las Vegas, Nevada, Tagliani currently contests the IZOD IndyCar Series across which he represents a diverse group of the world’s most respected brands. Tag will compete full time in the IZOD IndyCar Series in 2010 for FAZZT Race Team based out of Indianapolis, IN. 2009 will mark the second trip to the PRI All-star event for Tagliani.

Like most top-level professional racers, Tagliani cut his racing teeth in karting, beginning in 1987 and never looking back. With numerous wins, championships and national titles, Tag quickly rose up the ranks both in Canada and the US as the one to beat. For the Tagliani’s, karting has always been a family affair with father Remo nearby to masterfully tune Alex’s karts.

“Karting is a great way to stay fit and has helped many top racers around the world,” comments Tagliani from his home in Las Vegas. “You have to train and always stay in shape. And karting means you can train and still have fun.”

Tag has had a long history with the Birel line of racing karts and is a close friend of Birel owner Ronni Sala. Alex used the Birel chassis throughout much of his karting career and still has two in his personal collection along with a twin-engine shifter Birel shifter built by his father. Expect to see Tag battle the All-star Division frontrunners at the Orlando Convention Center as he looks to make good on his return to the PRI All-star event.

Joining Tag will be Canadian karting standout Michael Vincec who will hit the track aboard his Birel kart in the Karters Division. Vincec has just returned from the Superkarts USA SuperNationals where Pserra Racing prepared engines gave him the speed he needed to run with the top Europeans. Tough luck in the final would end Vincec’s trip the SuperNats early, so he will look for redemption and a transfer to the All Star Final to take on the pros.

“I am looking forward to my first trip to the PRI All-star Classic,” comments Vincec. “It’s the best showcase of karting and after racing in huge events in Europe, Canada and the US this summer, I am definitely looking forward to the show.”

The PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net affiliation of cable networks. Both the Karter and All-Star Divisions of the race will have their own dedicated half-hour broadcasts that will air in a minimum of 86 million households. Last year’s PRI event, with re-air dates, was viewed in more then 700,000 households helping bring karting to the mainstream media. The Karter division from the 2009 event will air on Monday, January 11, 2010 at 4:30pm local time while the All-Star division will be broadcast on Monday, January 18th, 2010 at 4:30pm.

Stay tuned to http://www.championshipkartracing.com for up-to-date information, photos and results. The PRI show is held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from December 10th-12th with the PRI/CKI Karting All-Stars Classic taking place on the evening of December 10th. Admission to the event is free for PRI attendees and exhibitors with PRI show credentials.

12-4-09 VITANTONIO LIUZZI ADDED TO SSC EAST PRI/CKI KARTING ALL–STAR CLASSIC DRIVER LINEUP

“Formula One set to be represented at PRI”

Phoenix, AZ - December 5, 2009 – The Performance Racing Industry trade show and Championship Karting International program are excited to announce the addition of Formula One star Vitantonio Liuzzi to the PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic. Liuzzi will be aboard a CRG chassis under the SSC East tent.

Liuzzi, who drives for the Force India Formula One team, is a multi time karting champion from back in the day. Starting karting at the age of nine, he won the 1993 Italian Karting Championship and was the vice-champion in the 1995 Karting World Championship. Liuzzi would get redemption in 2001 when he was awarded the World Championship after an aspiring drive in Germany.

“Vitantonio Liuzzi is a major player in the motorsports world, and we welcome him to the PRI event,” expressed Director of Operations Kevin Williams. “Having Formula One represented at the event is something that we have worked towards this season and are excited to have Vitantonio on board. He will be a treat to watch.

With support from William Rast Racing, the racing and sport lifestyle division of the premium denim brand William Rast, Liuzzi will travel to the United States to compete. Working with Dave Davies’ SSC East squad, Liuzzi will have a strong chance at being the first Formula One driver to claim the PRI title.  William Rast CEO Coin Dyne says, "We are excited that Antonio will participate in the race. As one of the great karting champions of all time, his contribution to the sport has been immeasurable.  Both as a personal friend of Tonio, and as a fan of the sport, William Rast is proud to take part in this event.”

The PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net affiliation of cable networks.  Both the Karter and All-Star Divisions of the race will have their own dedicated half-hour broadcasts that will air in a minimum of 86 million households. Last year’s PRI event, with re-air dates, was viewed in more than 700,000 households helping bring karting to the mainstream media. The Karter division from the 2009 event will air on Monday, January 11^th, 2010 at 4:30pm local time while the All-Star division will be broadcast on Monday, January 18^th, 2010 at 4:30pm.

The 2009 PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic will take place at the annual Performance Racing Industry trade show in Orlando, Florida. With the event taking place on the evening of Thursday, December 10^th, Fox will be in attendance producing an hour long broadcast bringing karting to the mainstream medium of television early in 2010.

Stay tuned to www.championshipkartracing.com for up-to-date information, photos and results.  The PRI show is held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from December 10^th  – 12^th with the PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic taking place on the evening of December 10^th.  Admission to the event is free for PRI attendees and exhibitors with PRI show credentials.

12-4-09 TOP KART USA PRI/CKI KARTING ALL–STAR CLASSIC DRIVER LINEUP

“Nation’s best TaG drivers set to fight for win”

The Championship Karting International program along with Performance Racing Industry trade show are pleased to announce the Team Top Kart USA driver lineup for the PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic. Team Top Kart USA will enter the December 10^th event at the Orange County Convention center with three talented karting competitors in the Karter division as they look to fight for the PRI win.

Entering the event will be Californian Chris Scribner, World Karting Association TaG vice-champion and CKI KF2 vice-champion Chris Wehrheim and front-runner Kyle Wiegand. Between the trio of competitors, they have shared the number one ranking in the eKartingNews.com (EKN) TaG driver rankings for 75% of the 2009 season and have a host of national level wins.

“Grand Products and Team Top Kart USA were one of our biggest supporters throughout the past racing season,” explained CKI’s Kevin Williams. “Having these three talented drivers at the PRI show has sure increased the competition in the Karter division. It will be one of the toughest fields all season, and I am sure these guys will work together to be at the front of the pack.”

Located in Bensalem, Pennsylvania, Grand Products, Comer Engines and Kartel / Team top Kart USA entered the 2009 season as one of the biggest teams on the national tour. Claiming multiple high profile race wins and several championships, the 2008 EKN Team of the Year was back for more in the ’09 season. With a large dealer network and a host of karting related products, Grand Products and Kartel / Team Top Kart USA is one of the biggest karting operations in the North American market.

Mike Tetreault, owner of Grand Products / Team Top Kart USA stated, “The PRI show is a great way to finish off a great 2009 campaign our team and our chassis have shown they can excel in all categories.   We are really poised to add PRI to another major race win for our program.  With the 1-2 sweep we had in the Karter Division in 2006 with Matt Jaskol and Kyle Wiegand, and Joey Hand’s runner-up finish overall last year I am hopeful we can continue that success.   We thank CKI for continuing the march forward in promotion of karting by holding this event, we are already planning our 2010 plans for our program to begin in the WSK/CKI Florida Cup in January.”

More information on Comer, Team Top Kart USA and the Top Kart line of chassis can be found at www.GrandProducts.com

The PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic will be televised nationally on Fox Sports Net affiliation of cable networks.  Both the Karter and All-Star Divisions of the race will have their own dedicated half-hour broadcasts that will air in a minimum of 86 million households. Last year’s PRI event, with re-air dates, was viewed in more than 700,000 households helping bring karting to the mainstream media. The Karter division from the 2009 event will air on Monday, January 11^th, 2010 at 4:30pm local time while the All-Star division will be broadcast on Monday, January 18^th, 2010 at 4:30pm. 

The 2009 PRI/CKI Karting All-Star Classic will take place at the annual Performance Racing Industry trade show in Orlando, Florida. With the event taking place on the evening of Thursday, December 10^th, Fox will be in attendance producing an hour long broadcast bringing karting to the mainstream medium of television early in 2010.

12-4-09 SwedeTech Customers take home 11 trophies from SuperNationals X111

SwedeTech customers sweep the top three in the S5 category.

Las Vegas, NV –November 24, 2009 – For a week, karters flocked to Las Vegas for the largest and most prestigious sprint kart racing around, the SKUSA SuperNationals.  The Supernationals is an event that any karting fan should have on their calendar, either as a spectator or participant.  With entries and factory support from all over the world, this year’s event will be hard to match. 

SwedeTech Racing Engines was in full force supporting our 78 customers who chose to run SuperNationals XIII.  SwedeTech customers filled the entry list in all classes; G1, S3, S4, S5, TaG Jr., TaG Sr., TaG Masters, KF2, and the headline SuperPro class.  Of our 78 customers, 11 would bring home some additional shiny hardware. 

Kiel Spaulding, with a big win in the S5 class and a strong 2^nd place finish in TaG Jr, would bring home two trophies.  Tyler Bennett was fast all weekend in S3, but contact on the track pushed him to the mid pack.  A hard drive from mid pack to third earned Bennett the Jim Russell Championship Series Future Driver Selection scholarship.

Wes Phillips entered the Tag Senior class powered by a SwedeTech Rotax Max package.  After the final checkered waived in the Tag Senior division, Wes earned a hard fought fifth place podium spot.  Kiel Spaulding pulled double duty for the SuperNationals weekend, running both TaG Jr and S5.  In TaG Jr., Kiel was competitive all week long with his SwedeTech Leopard package.  At the end of the race, Kiel would bring home a nice second place trophy.

S5 was a great showing for SwedeTech customers, as our customers where standing in the 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place spots with a podium sweep.  The charge was led by Keil Spaulding.  Finishing second was Dylan Kwasniewski and Corey Neveau finished a strong third after a long battle with Dylan.

S3 put on another great show for the fans in the stands.  Starting the main event, SwedeTech customers filled three of the top five spots during the opening laps.  Memo Gidley made a strong push to challenge the eventual winner, swapping for the lead a few times.  A fellow competitor squeezed his way by, which shuffled Memo to the back.  Jacob Neal was strong all week long, and knew the racing would be tight going into the main event.  Tyler Bennett slid under the radar until he showed some quick speed in the heat races.  Mid way through the race a racing incident put Tyler towards the mid pack of the class about.  Putting his head down, Tyler charged back to the front to finish in 3^rd.  Keenan Schmitke kept his nose clean during the race to earn second place.  Jacob Neal came home to a hard fought fifth place finish.

S4 had an exciting race as well.  The Stock Honda package keeps the field tight and makes the racing exciting.  Jared Woolf delivered a strong performance and drove his SwedeTech powered kart to a solid third place podium finish.

G1 is always a fun class to watch, as the more mature drivers pound side pods.  Andre Martins and Robert Marks drove consistent races all week long, and when it was all said and done, Martins finished fourth and Marks finished in fifth.

SwedeTech Racing would like to thank all of our customers that have supported us throughout the years.   With your support and continued business, we are able to do what we love.  Keep up the hard work and enjoy the upcoming months.

12-1-09 MENEZES DOUBLES AT SKUSA SUPERNATIONALS XIII WITH TWO PODIUM FINISHES



Tony Kart driver awarded entry into Jim Russell Championship Series Future Driver shoot-out

Gustavo Menezes closed out a solid 2009 season at the 13th running of the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals, the largest karting event in the United States, which is held annually outside the Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. The November 18-22 event will go down in history as one of biggest races in North American karting as a number of professional drivers from around the world contested the 6/10-mile temporary circuit. Menezes was looking to secure a piece of history of his own, competing in both the new KF2 division and the TaG Senior for the first time in his career. The 15-year old fought valiantly in both, nearly securing his third SuperNats title with a great run in TaG Senior, walking away with a podium finish in both main events. The icing on the cake, however, was the Jim Russell Championship Series Future Driver Scholarship that he received for his weekend performance.

The KF2 division made its first ever appearance at the SuperNationals this year with the largest field ever seen in North America (31 entries) and Menezes was looking to become the inaugural winner. His bid for the title began in the right direction following a solid qualifying performance of second overall, just 0.051s off the fast lap. The opening heat race, however, hurt his chances at retaining the position for the main event as contact on the first lap put Menezes to the tail of the field, eventually finishing 23rd. The second 12-lap sprint saw more contact hamper Menezes chances. After running inside the top-five, contact on lap four sent him back to roughly 20th in the order before he worked back up to 16th at the checkered. Avoiding the melees in the final heat race, Menezes ran the third 12-lap heat in the lead group en route to a third place run.

His results put him 14th on the starting grid for the main event. Getting through the opening corners unharmed, Menezes was up to 10th the first time across the stripe. As the laps clicked off, Menezes Tony Kart chassis and Vortex engine continued to get quicker as he moved up the order. By the halfway signal, Menezes had worked himself into sixth and closing on the top-five. After reaching the tail end of the lead group, Menezes calculated the right maneuvers to assume the fourth position while running some of the fastest laps of the race. At the checkered, Menezes held onto the fourth spot and earned a trip to the podium.

It was a great race, stated Menezes on his first trip to the podium. Once the kart starting coming in, it was like a rocket. My goal was to try and get up through the field quickly and as clean as I could. Luckily, we had the package to do that and Im thankful to be here.

In a stacked TaG Senior field of 80 total drivers, Menezes was one of the few to run double duty throughout the five-day event. Certainly, double the track time in similar divisions helped Menezes and his Tony Kart West team find the base line set-up rather quickly, and it showed in qualifying. Posting times quicker than current IndyCar, Grand-Am and international karting stars, Menezes was second in the order following the timed session to put him on the front row for all three heats. Knowing that one major slip up could cost him a solid start in the main event or a chance at not making the final, Menezes played the first heat race safe by not making any daring maneuvers. Despite running consistent fast laps, Menezes slipped back to fifth at the end of the first heat race. In the second flight, Menezes was able to break away with the lead and cruised to the win by over half a second. The final heat was a great warm-up battle for the main as Menezes fought off one of the race favorites for a photo finish win of 0.002s at the line.

With two wins and a top-five run, Gustavo earned the outside row one spot alongside Indy 500 winner and IRL champion Dan Wheldon. The two led the 40-kart main event field to the green flag. After some opening lap jostling, Menezes held his second position as a four-kart lead pack formed together to break away from the rest of the crowd. In what was one of the best battles for the win in the entire event, the top four swapped the lead numerous times over the course of the 25-lap affair. Retaking the lead on lap 19, Menezes looked to hold on to the position. When the white flag was shown, Menezes was ensued in a battle for the lead in the first half of the track. Coming into the final corners, Menezes held the top spot until being pushed off line by his primary challenger. The result saw Menezes fall back to third in the order as they crossed the line. Following the officials debriefing, the driver who made hard contact with Menezes was penalized two positions, moving Gustavo up to the second step on the podium.

It was a great weekend, Menezes commented in his second trip to the podium. My mechanics Seth Nash and Christophe did an amazing job and I have to thank Buddy Rice along with the rest of the Tony Kart West crew for giving me the opportunity to compete with them. We had some trouble at the end of the race there and I would have enjoyed the win so much, but a second place in a field like this is great for my Senior debut at the SuperNats.

Despite not bagging his third SuperNationals victory with it so close to becoming a reality, Menezes performance earned him a Jim Russell Championship Series Future Driver Scholarship. The free entry into the shoot-out will be for a spot in the Future Driver with Allan McNish ride in the 2010 Jim Russell Championship Series.

Menezes was thrilled to learn that he was selected as one of two drivers from the SuperNats event, This so exciting. I cant wait to get into their car and see what I can do with an open wheel machine. A lot of successful drivers have come from the Jim Russell Racing School program and I hope to be one as well.

Gustavo is able to compete at this level thanks to his many sponsors, including Tony Kart USA, Red Bull, UP Racing, Safety Park Inc., K1 Speed, K1 Race Gear, Tony Kart Junior Racing Team, On Track Promotions and Oakley.