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June 2008 Archives

6-23-08 June 2008, Snap-on Tools sponsors the 2008 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge as the official tools supplier of the series.

The Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge is pleased to announce Snap-on Tools as the official tools supplier of the series. As part of the sponsorship, Snap-on Tools has provided 5 Blue Point 100 piece general service sets valued at $334.95 each, to be given away at the end of the racing season.

Prize details: Snap-on Blue Point BLPGSSC100 General Service Set

Description:
100 piece tool set including metric and standard shallow sockets, spark plug sockets, Metric and standard wrenches, extensions and ratchets.
Set Components (1/4" Drive):

· 10 Fractional (3/16" to 9/16") and 13 Metric (4mm to 14mm) Standard Sockets

· 5 Ratchet/Socket Accessories

1 Ratchet

Set Components (3/8" Drive):

13 Fractional (1/4" to 1") and 19 Metric (6mm to 24mm) Standard Sockets
11 External Torx® Sockets (E4 to E20)
2 Spark Plug Sockets (5/8", 13/16")
5 Ratchet/Socket Accessories
1 Ratchet
1 Spinner Handle
Set Components (Combination Wrenches)
9 Fractional Combination Wrenches (1/4" to 3/4")
10 Metric Combination Wrenches (10mm to 19mm)

““We are extremely grateful for the generous support of a great company, Snap-on Tools. We use Snap-on Tools at the track and in the shop everyday and as everyone knows, they are of the highest quality. The support and knowledge we receive from our local supplier, Shane Baker has greatly assisted us in our service business.” said Adrian Szwarcburg, Owner of Marin Karting and Norcal Series organizer. “Their support adds even more to the fantastic prize package for drivers of the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge.”

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

6-23-08 Rotax, Juniors and 80 Grand Masters Featured at Jim Russell Series this weekend

Race #4 of the Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge Series is expecting a record turnout this Saturday, June 28. And the reason is the track layout will be the Reverse National track which has never been run before. The ProKart Series ran the Reverse National track 2 weeks ago and the feedback is the track is really fun.

For 2008, the Norcal Rotax Challenge Series has already set new records for driver turnout at the last two events. Norcal is also now the 2^nd largest Rotax region in the country. More Rotax members, more Rotax racers. And the racing in 2008 so far has been very competitive in all the classes.

This weekend, SSC Racing will also be making it’s annual trip to Infineon Raceway to support the local Rotax racers. SSC Racing is the US importer for Rotax and the organizer of the Rotax Challenges Series throughout the US as well as the organizer of the Rotax Nationals. SSC will also be bring up some Senior and DD2 class karts to rent to non-Rotax racers so they can experience Rotax racing.

On Sunday, June 29, another record turnout in the Jim Russell Sunday Series is also expected due to an anticipated increased turnout of 80 Grand Masters as well as the fun of running the Reverse National track. The Junior classes have shown to be very competitive this year, especially the HPV2 class, and competitive racing always brings out the racers.

On Friday, June 27, the normal practice day will be extended to allow racers more time to drive the Reverse National track layout. Practice will be from 9:00am to 6pm. Cost for practice is $60 for the whole day, or $40 for the morning or $40 for the afternoon half day sessions.

So come out and race the largest Jim Russell Series weekend of the year. Or just come and see the racing, check out Rotax classes or the Sunday Junior and 80 GM racing, and the pit pass cost is FREE.

Jim Russell Karting Series Information:

Track Layout: Reverse National track. Configuration changes with each race.

Weather: The forecast is for warm weather.

Entry:

Race Entry for all classes except Arrive and Drive is $00, this includes the use of a transponder. Pit passes for family and crew are free. Kid Kart Exhibition entries on Sunday are also Free.

Classes:

Saturday Program:

Junior Rotax

Senior Rotax

Rotax Masters

Rotax Masters Light

Rotax DD2

Cadet Arrive and Drive

Junior Arrive and Drive

Sunday Program:

Junior 1-Comer and HPV1

Junior 1-Gazelle

Junior HPV2 and Junior Puma

80 Grand Masters

Kid Kart Exhibition (2 sessions at 12:30 and 2:00)

Practice Day:

Practice on Friday is available for all drivers from 9:00am to 6:00pm. Pre-registration is available on Friday.

Race Day:

Saturday Registration opens at 7:30am until 10:00am. Practice starts at 8:30 with two 15 minute practice session for each class. Qualify is a 5 lap group Qualify process. Pre-Main is 12 laps and Mains are 18 laps.

Sunday Program:

Sunday Registration opens at 8:00am until 10:00am. Practice starts at 9:00am with three 15 minute practice sessions for each class. Qualify is a 5 lap group Qualify process. Pre-Main is 10 laps and Mains are 15 laps.

Overnight Camping and Trailer Parking:

Overnight camping for this event, as well as trailer overnight parking, will be available Friday and Saturday night only, at no charge. Pit spots are first come, first serve, in accordance with the Paddock Marshall’s parking plan, starting Friday at 11:00am. Some selected pit spots have been reserved for kart shops and teams. For information on reserved spots, contact race director Ric Shaw at ricshaw_srp@hotmail.com

Membership:

Rotax membership is required for all Rotax classes. A one race grace is allowed so drivers can try out the Rotax Series. Rotax membership is $75 for the year and can be done online at www.rmaxchallenge.com or at the track on race day.

There is no membership requirement for all the Sunday classes.

Rules

Rotax tech rules are per Rotax National Rules. All other tech rules are per IKF National Rules.

Jim Russell Series Rules are as per the Series Supplemental Rules. Contact race director Ric Shaw for a copy of the Supplemental Rules.

Spec Tires:

For Rotax classes, tires are the Mojo D2 tire. For all Sunday classes, the spec tire is the Bridgestone YHC tire.

Spec Fuel/Oil:

Spec fuel is ERC 98 for all classes except 80 Grand Masters which uses ERC 110. Spec oil for Rotax classes is Motul 8002T Off Road. Fuel/Oil ratio for Rotax classes is 33:1 (4.0 oz) to 50:1 (2.5 oz). For Sunday classes, one can use Motul 8002T Off Road, Motul Grand Prix 2T or Burris High Rev Castor. Fuel/Oil for the Sunday classes is 20:1 (6.5 oz)

Air Boxes and Mufflers:

For Rotax classes, see Rotax rules. All Sunday classes, see IKF tech rules. On 80 Grand masters, mufflers must be 14 inch long RLV or M4 muffler, as manufactured, no alterations.

Press Coverage:

Media releases will be distributed to the major karting publications and websites, giving everyone a chance to become a local hero to their family and friends.

Series Prizes:

Contact series race director for the list of the unprecedented prizes for the Jim Russell Karting series. Prizes totaling $35,000 from Jim Russell Racing Drivers School and other sponsors. The Championship points of the Norcal Rotax Challenge is a best 8 of 10 races, with the Championship points for all the other classes being a best 6 of 7 races. The Norcal Rotax Challenge is sponsored by Jim Russell Racing Drivers School and runs 7 races at the Jim Russell Karting Center and 3 races at the Dixon Kart Track.

Podium Prizes:

Top 3 in all classes get awards. Rotax Challenge Series have additional prizes available at each race for the top drivers as well as raffle prizes. These prizes include fuel, oil, movie tickets, dinner certificates, and more. These Podium prizes have been coordinated by the efforts of Marin Karting, the Northern California Rotax Challenge Coordinator.

6-21-08 ProKart Challenge South readies for return to calspeed

Second trip to Fontana facility will see Nuovo course in use for round four

FONTANA, CA (June 20, 2008) – The ProKart Challenge South, the foundation of the Superkarts! USA regional program, has reached the halfway mark of its 2008 season and will be heading to round four at the CalSpeed Karting facility in Fontana, CA on June 28, running the 3/4-mile Nuovo circuit in the clockwise direction. On tap for the weekend is the normal event schedule for the PKC competitors, which will include plenty of track time, both during the practice and race days, and a fun racing environment where drivers will compete against some of the best pilots on the West Coast. Many of those drivers will continue to rack up points toward the series championships, and a mid-season event such as this can be the start of a push towards the overall title. The series points program offers one drop when calculating the championship, so a drivers’ best five results will count. As such, the door remains open for anyone to grab hold of the class leads.

All ten PKC classes will be in the spotlight this weekend, as a camera crew will be on-site to capture the action. The producers of a documentary focusing on the Star Mazda series will be focusing on the motorsports’ ladder system, of which karting is the foundation. Once again, SKUSA is working aggressively to promote the sport on all fronts, and this new promotion will certainly bring valuable exposure to karting in general.

Heading into round four of six, the S3 Heavy division is virtually locked up, with two drivers tied for the lead and another racer just 40 points back. Marty Henderson and Phil Conte have gone back and forth throughout the first three rounds of the series, though Henderson has the advantage in the win column with two victories. Then again, Conte has hung tight for two straight weekends, gathering the most points in total. It’s a great fight. Grant Westmorland is lurking right behind in third, waiting for his chance to strike and take over the championship lead. In S3 Light, SKUSA WinterNational Series champion Bobby Legate had a two-win streak going to kick off his campaign, that is, until it was snapped during round three, closing his championship lead to just under 100 points over Clinton Schoombee.

G2 is a tight battle between two drivers at the top that sees Eric Ortega leading Steve Donia by just 45 points. Donia has two wins, including a feature victory at Willow Springs in round three, although Ortega has collected the most points over the opening three rounds and will try to extend his lead with a second win on the year. The mark has been set for G1 as well, as Robert Marks has been near perfect, stretching out to a 223-point gap over Wally Wright. Either Marks will need a string of bad luck or the field will be required to step up in the remaining events on the year it they want a chance at the championship.

Willy Musgrave is another driver who has been near perfect, heading the S4 Light division with three feature wins. Bryce Miller has kept it close, running in the top bracket so far this year, as well as earning the bonus points for pole position and fast lap in two of the first three races. S4 Heavy point leader Ken Schilling got a wake up call at Willow after a near sweep in the first two rounds. Schilling still holds a 128-point lead over Marc Segal with Mike Goebel, Jeff Krueger, and Alex King all within 60 points of each other. PKC welcomes back the Utah drivers that stirred up round three to return and kick a little more California butt.

With other series running up against the PKC South the last two dates, entries have not been quite as high as expected in the TaG Senior division; however, that has not taken away from the quality of racing seen in the class. The top-three in the standings is proof to this high level of competition as Zach Dericco, Travis Whitehead, and Ryon Beachner had a great battle at Willow and will continue that fight at CalSpeed as they chase the title. TaG Masters has been all Billy Cleavelin, as the veteran has dominated the first half of the season, pulling out to a 225-point advantage over Matt Kimball in the standings with his three feature wins.

Jimmy McNeil has won the last two features to take over the S1 standings, holding an advantage of 150 markers over Derek Tillett. The growing S5 Junior category should see its highest entry count at the upcoming CalSpeed event with Race Liberante leading the championship over Corey Neveau.

6-21-08 DESERT KART CHALLENGE TO CLOSE OUT 2008 SEASON

Superkarts! USA regional program will wrap up campaign at P1 Kart Circuit this weekend

PHOENIX, AZ (June 20, 2008) - The Superkarts! USA Desert Kart Challenge will put its 2008 season in the books on June 21 with the sixth and final round at the P1 Karting Circuit in Tucson, AZ. Concluding its second season of competition, the Southwest region has seen solid growth in the program, both in numbers and competition level with the largest turnout forecasted for this finale weekend. The class with the most entries will see the winner receive $300, plus an annual membership to the P1 facility that includes two free practice sessions. PKRA will also be giving away a $100 credit bonus to an unannounced winner during the weekend.

Heading into the final event, the popular TaG Senior championship comes down to a pair of drivers locked at the top. James Rooke and Bud Grossenbacher are tied for first place points after five events so this sixth round will decide the championship. Each driver has two wins on the year with both of Grossenbacher’s wins coming at the P1 Karting Circuit. Rooke took the last round victory at the PKRA facility, which may put Grossenbacher in the driver’s seat. The third place battle is tight as well with Taylor Monnig holding a 32-point advantage over Chad Brassfield. With a maximum of 320 markers up for grabs, anything is possible.

The S1 shifter championship sees just 50 points separating first and second heading into the final event. Peter Workum - despite not earning a win all season - holds the top spot on the standings thanks to consistency. Workum sits ahead of the double-duty running Grossenbacher, who has three wins on the year after missing the opening round. If Grossenbacher earns the maximum amount of points while Workum runs second in all the sessions, the two will end up tied with Grossenbacher winning the tie breaker thanks to his victories. Should Grossenbacher get topped in even a single session, Workum will have the upper hand.

Just 70 points is the difference in the S3 fight with Paul Flori and Harley Owen set as the two title contenders. Like Workum, Flori has a zero count in the win category, but he sits atop the championship. Owen joined the class in round three, but remains in the hunt thanks to a pair of victories on the year. However, Owen will need some help this weekend if he wants to knock Flori off the top of the standings.

Despite winning all five feature races on the year, Dave Van Gordon still has not mathematically clinched the S4 championship. Van Gordon has a 270-point lead heading into round six over Pete Pittman with Tommy Baker in a solid third spot. Roger Culver has a similar situation in the TaG Masters category. Even though he has yet to win, he is 260 points ahead of double winner Mike McKinney. The growing TaG Junior division has Tyler Cerbo with a 162-point advantage over Chance Stephens with Landon Cling in position to move into second in the standings.

6-17-08 Speed Victorious at ProKart Challenge North Event at Infineon

Top shifter pilot wins TaG division at biggest NorCal event of the year

SONOMA, CA (June 14, 2008) – Another historic event went in the books for the Superkarts! USA organization this past weekend during the third running of the ProKart Challenge North program at the Jim Russell Int’l Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California. The NorCal-based series ran the national course in the reverse direction for the first time in the facility’s history, and the feedback was tremendous. With the unique event format and clear warm skies highlighting the day, a record number of entries for the program filled the paddock and lined the fences with spectators as a positive atmosphere was enjoyed throughout the paddock. Besting 22 other drivers, veteran Alex Speed took home the TaG Senior win to highlight the weekend.

The qualifying run for the TaG Senior division looked more like an old SuperNationals S1 line-up as Tom Dyer and Brett Buckwalter led the way in the timed session. Running an Aluminos GP with new Rotax power, Dyer was the only driver to break the 50-second mark running in the reverse counter-clockwise direction with a 49.950-second lap, edging Buckwalter by just over a tenth of a second. Dyer would go flag-to-flag in the first eight-lap heat, while they shuffled around behind him to begin the wheel-to-wheel action. Speed started fifth and came up to finish second, bringing Wes Phillips with him. Buckwalter dropped back to fifth behind point leader Jason Toft. The second heat was nearly the same as Dyer took another win, although he was pressured significantly by Speed. Buckwalter was also able to get around Toft for fourth, improving on his performance.

The final was an exciting one to watch with the top-three mixing it up for the 15 laps. Phillips attacked early, leading the opening lap before Dyer regained the position the following circuit. The Aluminos driver coach would lead the next seven laps as Phillips and Speed went back and forth for second. Phillips retook the top spot for three more laps until Speed took his turn on lap 12, running with Dyer right on his bumper. Speed was able to hold him the top qualifier for the final three laps to take the victory by a scant 0.137 seconds. Phillips – who was credited with the fast lap of the race – crossed the line third just in front of Buckwalter and Cameron Pringle.

Also new to the program was the HPV-2 Junior class. As a test for a possible new class in the upcoming SuperNationals XII in November, the PKC North staff added it to the regular class lineup for the weekend. The dozen Juniors who attended this debut were electrifying on-track, beginning with their qualifying session -- as Donavon Wheeler edged Kiel Spaulding for the pole position by just 0.062-seconds. Brett Felkins got into the mix during the first heat action, coming up from the third starting spot to take over the point and the eventual win. Wheeler was second with Spaulding third. In heat two, Spaulding took the victory on the final lap ahead of Felkins and Wheeler. Felkins, however, would not make the green flag for the 15-lap final as he suffered brake issues on the parade lap. Following a red flag incident in the opening lap for Janna Spear, who was later cleared with no injuries, the race got underway. With Felkins out, Spaulding was offered a clear run up front as he led green-to-checker, with Joseph Keaton getting by Wheeler on an exciting pass at the final lefthander of the final lap for second place. Great driving!

S3 began with drama as top qualifier Jason Toft was disqualified for a bad batch of fuel. This gave Marc Elliott the pole position for the opening heat. Elliott took the victory in the first eight-lap race, while Toft was able to get up to fifth from the tail of the field after sorting out the fuel issue. Toft quickly made up ground in the opening corner and was at the point by lap two of the second heat. He would take the checkered flag; however, he was penalized one position for jumping the start, giving Elliott the win once again. In the final, Toft would run flawlessly, taking his second victory on the year, as Elliott ran to a solid second. Neil Joseph and Steffan Maus had a heated battle for third until contact took both out on lap 10. The two showed great sportsmanship with a hand shake as they stood on the sidelines. This allowed Brad Dunford to slide onto the podium in third.

Matt Alcorn continued his dominance in the S4 division, taking all of the on-track sessions, including an almost 10-second victory in the feature, while scoring maximum points to extend his championship lead. Sergio Machado finished second in his third race of the season, coming home ahead of Alexander Keith.

S1 point leader Cody Hodgson looked to have the advantage early on, with Jacob Neal on his heels in both qualifying and the opening heat race. In heat two, Neal turned up the wick and took the win, which he parlayed in a feature race victory. Jon Allen won the battle for second, however he skipped the tech barn at the end of the race, thus removing him from the results and giving Hodgson the position, with Gregory Liefooghe in third. G1 was ‘The Craig Corwin Show’ for the third straight event, as the veteran swept the class on the day. Ethan Wilson won a tight battle for second over Jim Kidd.

With TaG Masters championship leader Rob Soares out with a broken hand, the category was left open for the taking. Jim Ferguson was the man who stepped up, taking the top qualifier honor, as well as the two heat race wins. The final, however, would not end the way he had hoped, as electronic issues with his engine ended Ferguson’s race on lap eight. This handed the win to Helmar Beregszaszy, with Jeremy Hillhouse and Steve Elo joining him on the podium. In TaG Masters Light, Herman Ip won his third straight feature – with David Oroshnik and Jim Zootis running second and third.

6-17-08 SSC Racing to attend Jim Russell Northern California Rotax race on June 28^th. CRG/Rotax karts available for rent for the race.

Marin Karting, the bay area’s exclusive CRG and Rotax dealer / service center is pleased to announce that SSC Racing will attend the next Rotax race to be held at Jim Russell karting center on Saturday, June 28^th.

Director of Race Operations and experienced technician James Perez and Rotax Program Director Jermie Meyer will be on hand to support Northern California Rotax Members. James will assist with tech and work with Kris Shaw to make sure all motors are performing at their optimum.

Northern California karters also have the chance to rent a CRG/Rotax kart for the race. SSC has DD2s and FR125 karts available. The FR125s can be run in Seniors or Masters classes.

The DD2s and FR125s are available first come, first serve for only $250. The rental includes the complete kart and kart stand (tires and fuel are NOT included).

For junior 1 drivers, SSC will bring along a fleet of MicroMax karts. These will be available for FREE. Jim Russell Race Director, Ric Shaw has agreed to run a MicroMax race so come on juniors, come try Rotax! You must be an experienced Junior 1 driver to rent a MicroMax kart and you must sign up by Monday, June 23^rd.

Micro Max FR 125 junior engine

· Target age group 7 to 9 years old Performance 6.8HP @ 6500 RPM

· Maximum Torque 8 Nm @ 5500 RPM

· Weight 26.0 lbs with complete power pack 47.6 lbs

· Sealed engine and spec class

Special Features

· Junior cylinder without exhaust
power valve

· electric start 12V battery

· special size radiator and

· exhaust to fit cadet and reduce HP

· Carburetor restrictor to reduce HP

· Cylinder / head restrictor with metal gasket

If enough karts are rented, SSC has agreed to arrive early enough for some practice time on Friday, so sign up as soon as possible.

To secure the rentals please contact Jermie immediately.

Jermie Meyer
Program Director, Rotax Kart Challenge
760-864-1320 ext.209, 760-864-1323 fax
jmeyer@sscracing.com

6-16-08 Nothern Nevada Kart Club Championship Race #4 Action

Northern Nevada Kart Club hosted Championship race #4 at Desert Park Raceway on Saturday, June 14, 2008. The weather stayed a calm 83° all day with some slight wind in the afternoon.

First up on the day was Kids Kart driver TJ Johnson. He was the only racer to show up as NNKC’s Kid Kart program has no drivers for the year. Johnson ended up the day holding up a big Kids Kart 1^st place trophy.

Next up was Formula 80 Senior. A lower turnout than expected for this class put 7 karts in the field. Cody McKinney grabbed pole with a blistering time of 49.8, almost a half second ahead of Mark Nason’s 50.2. McKinney would win the 1^st heat by a mere second over Nason. In the 2^nd heat, it was Nason pulling the victory by nearly 4 seconds over McKinney and Jay Neely. That would set up the final as it was all McKinney and Nason fighting it out in grand style to the end. Nason jumped in front from outside pole to take the early lead but McKinney managed to slip his ItalKart into 1^st down at turn 1-2 on lap 4. The two soon left the pack and were racing in torrid fashion with times in the 49.3’s. McKinney would hold off Nason at the end by .3 of a second!! Steve Dow continued his hard driving and consistency to put his orange machine into the 3^rd position. Newcomer Cameron Bellamy held off Gerry Williams for 4^th and 5^th place, respectively.

Showing up at Desert Park Raceway were the F200 group. They pulled into the facility Friday afternoon and practiced till the sun went down. That seat time enabled all of them to get a quick set-up for the race. Billy Bowerman came out with a fast time of 54.4 to snag pole by almost a full second ahead of Tim Johnson’s 55.3. The two would battle all day long as well. Bowerman would go on to win the first 2 heats. In the main, Bowerman led Johnson until Bowerman pulled off for “good known” reasons. That gave Tim Johnson the lead in which he never looked back with Paul Viacrucis coming into second. NFRA F200 President Brad Wunder came out with a tough 3^rd place medal. Rick Vandemark and Scott Bura finished off in 4^th and 5^th, respectively.

TaG Cadet (Gazelle) rolled onto the track as Trever Listman got pole with a 55.7 over Justin Hoekman, Jordan Chaput and Jarryn Pritchett. Listman would go on to win both heats with Hoekman close behind all day. Pritchett and Chaput continue to show improvement with every race. In the main, it was Listman on pole but Hoekman would barrel into the first corner for the lead and never relinquish the lead, winning the race by 6 seconds over Listman. This was Justin’s 1^st victory in TaG Cadet. Chaput jumped on the podium with a 3^rd place finish with Pritchett in 4^th.

Ready for a battle was the hot TaG Senior gang. 12 racers came out for the excitement in this class. David Brant cranked out the fire as he torched the track with a 49.945 pole time to snatch the pole from Dave Harwin, who unloaded his Rotax and placed it off pole with a time of 49.949!! These times were unheard of for this track layout. Brian Rivera was 6/10 of a second behind at 50.5. Curt Baker (51.1) and Billy Bowerman with a Todd Hinton PRD TaG package (51.3) were 4^th and 5^th in qualifying. The 1st heat was claimed by Brant with Harwin 1 second behind. Harwin would then beat Brant in the 2nd heat by 1 second. Brian Rivera would encounter mechanical problems for most of the day in this class. Curt Baker, “Mr. Consistent”, took a couple of 3^rd places on all heats during the day. That set up the main event with Brant leading the field and Harwin to his right. Brant got a nice start and dove it into turn 1-2 to take the lead. The two would walk away from the pack and battle to the end as Brant got caught up in traffic near the end. Harwin pulled up on Brant’s bumper down the straight but didn’t have enough to get by. The race ended with Brant holding the 1^st place trophy and Harwin less than a ½ second behind, settling for second. Curt Baker rounded out 3^rd with Tyler Wamre in close 4^th. Billy Bowerman made it a successful day with a 5^th place finish.

Rotax Max was up next with 6 racers coming out for the showdown. Nick Wadlow showed his quickness with a 51.4 pole run with Dan Harris a ½ second behind at 51.9 to start off pole. NNKC’s treasurer Eric Dean’s 52.1 followed by Pete Morley’s 53.0 were the top 4. Wadlow would go on to win the 1^st heat with Dean winning the 2^nd heat. The main would give the hole shot to Dean as he never looked back with Wadlow on his back bumper for 12 laps. But at the end it was Dean holding off Wadlow by .3 of a second! Chris McCabe finished with a hard fought 3^rd place and Lance Bruntz came away in 4^th.

Formula 80 Masters took to the track as 9 karts came out to play in this class. The class added 1993 NNKC shifter champion Mike McMullen to the ranks. Glad to have you back Mike! Cody McKinney again showed an awesome display of speed with a qualifying time of 49.8 to fend off Gerry Williams at 50.1, Mark Nason at 50.22 and Steve Dow at 50.24. McKinney would go on to win all heats during the course of the day. Steve Dow would have a great day of racing as he took 3^rd’s in all heats as well. In the main, it was McKinney starting on pole with Dow off pole, Williams on the inside of row 2 and Nason parked on the outside of Williams. As the green dropped, McKinney took the lead into turn 1 with Nason getting a great jump to get into 2^nd before the first turn. McKinney would go on to win his second class of the day with Nason a couple seconds behind. Dow turned in another solid hard fought 3^rd with Williams in 4^th. Ben Fisher rounded out the top 5 with a good finish.

Our next class up was the hot new TaG Novice class. Rich Adams put his Arrow on pole with a 51.6 run. Billy Sewell was outside pole with a 53.3. Newcomer Amy Lim in her first ever race ran a 54.6 for third fastest but had to start in the back for X driver purposes. Adams won the 1^st heat by 2 seconds over Sewell to start the day then Sewell countered back with a victory in the 2^nd heat followed by Lim and Adams. This Amy Lim is going to be a force to deal with really soon! The main proved to be what was expected, a battle with Adams and Sewell again! Adams jumped out into the lead and held the position with Sewell laying front plastic on Adams rear bar the entire way. Then on lap 11, Adams went wide into turn 6 and Sewell swept inside for a dramatic pass and held the lead to the end to take the checkered flag. Amy Lim finished in 3^rd and Bob Hoekman rounded out 4th. Kelly Morley was mixed up in an incident in turn 1-2 early in the day and had heavy damage to her kart. Pete Morley and a bunch of racers helped get her kart back on the track as she finished the day in 5th. This class is gaining popularity by the day. Keep up the good racing guys and girls!

TaG Junior’s came out again to play under the sun as Christian Scholz snatched pole with a 50.7 ahead of Chelsi Wagner at 51.4. These two have been battling it out all year so far in what has become a fight every race for the top spot. Scholz won both heats during the day showing his quickness and consistency. In the main, it was Scholz on pole with what was looking to be his first win in TaG Junior. As the green flag dropped, Wagner took the hole shot heading into turn 1 and never gave up the lead. The two were neck and neck the entire race setting a blistering pace with times in the low 50’s. Wagner was able to hold off Scholz by a couple seconds at the end. Great racing by these two youngsters!

Last class of the day was the TaG Masters group. Brian Rivera came out on Pole with a 51.4 followed by Troy Berry’s 52.62. Barry Wellard’s 52.65 was good for 3^rd and Kevin Listman’s 52.7 was 4^th. Troy Berry won the first heat and Brian Rivera was DQ’d for weight in the second heat. In the main, it was Listman getting out in front followed by Berry and Wellard. Rivera made a pass on Wellard and soon took over 2^nd with a move on Berry. Rivera then set his sights on Listman who was running away in 1^st. Rivera caught Listman on the exit of turn 1-2 and made the pass for the lead heading into turn 3. Listman settled for a hard fought second with Berry and Wellard duking it out till the end for 3^rd and 4^th, respectively.

Great day of Championship racing at Desert Park Raceway in Reno, NV. I want to thank all the F200 guys and gals for coming out and supporting the club. Your welcome back anytime and we are looking forward to seeing you on August 9^th for our Rick Jerome Memorial Night Race. Thankx to all the Jr 1-2 parents for working the track, Dave Brant for awesome flagging, Mitch Kennedy for Race Directing, Sandy Diederich for registration and Shari Dow for awesome timing/tower work!!

6-14-08 FREUND STEALS VICTORY AT SKUSA CENTRAL STATES CHALLENGE DEBUT

New era for Midwest karting begins as new SKUSA region debuts in Pevely, Missouri

ST. LOUIS, MO (June 7, 2008) - The first installment of the new Superkarts! USA Central States Challenge (SCSC) took place this past weekend at the I-55 Speedway karting circuit in Pevely, Missouri. Previously known as the Central States Super Series, the new SKUSA region pulled out all the cards for the opening event as SKUSA President Tom Kutscher was on-hand along with representation from leading engine builder SwedeTech Racing Engines and an opening round BBQ for all the competitors on Friday evening. On track, Rick Freund took the win in the popular S3 division, while Derek Crockett led all drivers with two victories on the weekend.

The growing S3 Stock Moto category is slowing making its way from the West Coast, spreading out across the country. The Central States Challenge region had nine drivers in attendance at the opening round with Matt Zeis stepping up as the man to beat in the early stages of the day. Leading the way in qualifying, Zeis took the Prefinal victory by a large margin. Set for a solid feature, Zeis was ultimately not able to make the grid, as a hole in his radiator forced him out of the race before it even began. With the door open, Eric Burkard would lead the field in the early portion of the 20-lap Final, driving a smooth opening three laps. Slowly yet steadily, however, Adam Lyon and Rick Freund started to close in. On lap four, Freund went to second and on the next lap, Burkard got a little out of shape in turn two, allowing Freund to assume the top spot. On the very next circuit, Lyon made the same move to take second. Burkard eventually slipped back and lost ground, turning S3 into a two-kart race for the win. Lyon tried and tried and was within striking distance until four to go, when his kart appeared to go away. Freund would then pull away, winning the race in front of Lyon and Burkard.

It's been a long time since a shifter battle like the one that unfolded in S1 played out at ‘Thunder Valley’. Joe Sturm was back in action for his first race of 2008 following a shoulder injury. He battled long-time St. Louis hotshoe Derek Crockett to the bitter end. Prefinal winner Adam Lyon started on the pole and was able to hold off Crockett and Sturm for three laps, but then a slight bobble allowed the duo to get by to begin their tussle. From then on out, it was a clinic on how to pass and where to pass, in addition to passes being made where they just shouldn't be made. Between the two drivers, the lap chart shows six lead changes, but there were many more actually made during the battle. The final pass for the lead came under braking into turn one, as Crockett made a great late-braking maneuver to take the point as Sturm tried the crossover to retake the spot, but to no avail. At the conclusion of the race, both Sturm and Crockett performed victory donuts on the main straight, much to the delight of the paddock.

Crockett enjoyed less of a challenge in TaG Senior as he was the only driver to dip below the 40-second lap mark all day, taking the main event win over Justin Vancil and Chris Berg. In TaG Masters, Greg Seep took the win in front of Angela Hannah and Greg Watters.

The SCSC has a growing Junior and Cadet program which shows a promise of up-and-coming future karting stars. TaG Junior saw a revolving top spot with all three drivers taking the point in one of the three on-track sessions. The most important race, the Final, had Natalie Fenaroli in P1 ahead of Kaylee Granberg and Drake Ostrom. Granberg did get her win on the day in the new S5 Junior shifter class, beating Austen Duncan. Joe Reed was the lone K2 driver, but he enjoyed running with the S5 group.

It was a day of high drama for Coltan Brooks in TaG Cadet Expert, as he missed qualifying, which resulted in his starting in the back for the Prefinal. Brooks was able to make up just one spot in the short sprint, although he turned up the wick in the Final. Whatever issues Brooks had been battling in the Prefinal were gone as he had his sights on the top spot. He made quick work of all those in the way and, before lap five, he was on the rear bumper of the lead duo of Braden Johnson and Cole Hannah. Brooks used a cautious aggression and made clean passes on both Hannah and Johnson and then began to pull away. The battle, or rather ‘war’, for second was contested the entire event. The two karts were never far from each other and many times there was casual contact. Johnson did all he could do, but he just could never make a pass and Hannah took the runner-up position.

A popular class for the Central States Super Series - the former name of the SCSC - was the Powder Puff category, which has transferred over to the new program. The ladies had a great time with smiles all around, but none bigger than Kaylee Granberg, as she earned her second win of the day, outpacing Sheree Kulp and Dana Granberg in the 16-lap race.

In just three short weeks, the SKUSA Central States Challenge will be back at the track for round two, scheduled for the 61 Kartway in Delmar, IA on June 28-29.

Goldberg, England, Gumpfer and Reis take inaugural wins at Maui Kart Challenge

KAHULUI, HAWAII (June 7, 2008) - The Superkarts! USA Hawaii region hosted the inaugural event of the new Maui Kart Challenge this past weekend at the Maui Motorsports Park Puunene Kart Track. The first SKUSA regional program to be run outside the continental United States had a smaller turnout than expected on June 7, but still saw some great racing, as the series ran under the lights. Numerous karts are still in the process of being put together and others remain in transit, meaning that a strong future is in store for the karting community on the Hawaiian Islands. The bottom line is that a new era of karting is here and the excitement has only just begun.

The TaG Senior class boasted 12 entries, and there are many karts still in the works. The category is setting up to become a full class as the year goes on. Troy Goldberg was the top qualifier at the series opener, posting a 36.849-second lap time that was followed by fellow CRG/Rotax driver Andres Frate. In the heat races, Frate took the checkered flag ahead Goldberg, but the main event was all Troy as he led wire-to-wire for the inaugural TaG Senior win. Third went to Jim Schubert while ‘Ironman’ Steve Eggers - who ran both S1 and TaG Senior – took fourth. Dave Moran rounded out the top five.

In the S1 shifter class, Hugh England was the man to beat following the qualifying session. However, Doug Fitch was the top qualifier and was leading the opening heat race until mechanical failure on his Trackmagic took him out of contention. England stepped up and took both heat victories, but the main would not come as easy as he battled fellow CTS pilot Steve Eggers during the entire feature race. At the line, England took the win by just 0.1-seconds over Eggers. The fast lap, however, went to third place Denis Valente in his TM-powered Italkart.

The K1 class, SKUSA’s 80cc shifter division, is alive and well in Hawaii and was controlled by Gordon Reis on his Biesse. Reis’ fast lap of 38.420 gave him the pole position over Jessie Nielson (CRG), which led to Reis sweeping the racing action with two heat wins and the main event victory. Alec Gumpfer was the lone TaG Junior driver, but he made history in the opening event. Gumpfer set a new track record in the counter-clockwise direction with a 35.775-second lap time and gained experience running with the TaG Senior group all night. The young pilot will be the first driver to move into the new S5 Junior class in the upcoming events.

The event also marked the first time that the Maui organization used the AMB timing system, and the remainder of the events will be uploaded to the popular Mylaps.com site for all to view the full results of the program. A new website has been produced - www.mauikartingclub.com - and will be updated throughout the year with all the Maui Kart Challenge information. For more details regarding the Maui Kart Challenge, contact Art Gumpfer at 808-216-3514 or the karting office at 808-873-8363.

About Superkarts! USA:

Established in 1995, Superkarts! USA is dedicated to shifterkart and TaG racing and is the leader in the field, currently promoting five regional racing series. Racing programs are currently running in Southern California, Northern California, Arizona, the Central States region, and now the Hawaiian Islands. These programs all lead to the annual SKUSA SuperNationals, the biggest shifter kart race in the world, held every November in Las Vegas, NV. For more information on SKUSA, please visit www.superkartsusa.com.

About the Maui GoKart Association:

The Maui GoKart Association was established in 1983, led by Enos Kailiehu. Beginning the organization’s first races at the Puunene drag strip, the Maui GoKart Association now calls the Maui Raceway Park karting center, a state of the art karting circuit, their home. For more information, please visit www.mauigokart.com.

6-10-08 LeMans Karting Signs as Major Sponsor of
Premier Northern California Rotax Challenge Series

Bay Area indoor kart racing center supports series racers with valuable ‘seat time’; bridges new drivers to the sport of outdoor karting.

LeMans Karting, located in Fremont California, is the official indoor kart racing facility of the 2008 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge. As part of developing a strong partnership between indoor and outdoor karting, LeMans Karting will offer track time to all active Northern California Rotax members, making LeMans Karting more affordable than ever. Every Norcal Rotax member will receive a gift certificate for every Rotax race entered, for the rest of the race season. That’s right, a gift certificate to every member at every remaining Rotax race this year!!

“Indoor karting offers the least expensive and most convenient way for all racers to gain precious ‘seat time’, a necessary component to winning,” said Rick Gaan, owner of LeMans Karting, Fremont. “This sponsorship allows me to support the local kart racing scene and establish a connection between indoor and outdoor karting.”

“I view the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge as attracting and cultivating the best outdoor racers locally, regionally and internationally,” continued Gaan. To compete at this level, some of the Series top drivers regularly participate in our Sunday and Tuesday night racing leagues, and their Rotax race results prove the value of this additional track time.”

“We are extremely grateful for generous support from LeMans Karting,” said Adrian Szwarcburg, Norcal Rotax Series organizer. “LeMans Karting has just purchased new karts with speeds up to 40mph and up to 12 drivers on the track at one time. They are a blast to drive. It’s a great place to introduce novice drivers to the sport of karting, or to take the family and race one another. It is a perfect way for Rotax racers to get additional seat time any day or night of the week.”

Prizes for the previous Rotax race held on May 31st:

A $25 gift certificate to the class winners (5 classes) – to be used against any STANDARD racing package offered by LeMans Karting (not to be combined with any other ‘specials’).

A $50 ‘Sunday Nite Heats’ gift certificate to the last 2 drivers in each class. The Sunday Nite Heats is a weekly heats competition that attracts the area’s fastest racers in wheel-to-wheel battle. This package consists of a Practice session, 3 heats races, a ‘double points’ semi-finals race, and a ‘final main’ race for the top 10 drivers of the evening. The overall night’s winner races the following Sunday’s Heats Comp for FREE as the ‘returning champion’. This package offers tremendous ‘bang-for-the-buck’ in racing seat-time.

Prizes for the remainder of the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Season:

A $25 gift certificate for each and every Rotax Member participating in each Rotax race – to be used against any STANDARD racing package offered by LeMans Karting (not to be combined with any other ‘specials’).

ProKart Challenge North to Run Sonoma Circuit Backwards

Superkarts! USA has a long history of new and innovative events over the more than 10-year history of the karting organization. Under a new era for the past few years, this philosophy has remained as the SKUSA staff will be the first program in the Jim Russell Karting Center at Infineon Raceway history to run the national track configuration in the reverse direction, which it will for the upcoming third round of the ProKart Challenge North on June 13-14.

“With the series set to run all year long at the Infineon circuit, we needed to find a way to shake things up for the competitors,” stated SKUSA President Tom Kutscher. “With this new regional program, we need to keep the excitement building as we have done in the first two rounds, and what better way than to make history at this popular track.”

Another surprise for the upcoming ProKart Challenge race is the debut of a new class. While the S5 Jr. category has yet to flourish as a viable class in the NorCal area, Kutscher has been approached about adding HPV2 Junior as a possible new class in the upcoming Supernationals XII in November. As a test, Kutscher is inviting the HPV2 Junior drivers in the NorCal area to run with the regular class lineup next weekend – without becoming a SKUSA member for this first race. The normal International Karting Federation (IKF) rules will apply to this group.

Dan Chase, father of a new up-and-coming HPV2 Junior driver, was the one who approached Kutscher, and had this to say about the invitation, “Once Tom agreed to allow this class to run at ProKart, some of the best drivers in the area have committed to coming -- including the 2007 NorCal Junior II Driver of the Year David Vasquez, the 2007 Jim Russell Junior 1 Driver of the Year and 2006/2007 Infineon J1 Champion Joe Keaton, and even the current HPV2 points leader in the Jim Russell series Katherine Cornell. All of the drivers are especially excited to be running with some of the best racers that ProKart and SKUSA have to offer. Our motor package offers considerable parity, putting the results squarely on driver talent and setup.”

Race director Steve Buckner added, “I have been very impressed with the skill and safety aspects of the driving with our NorCal group of racers. SKUSA is always interested in growing the sport with new classes of interest. If there are enough drivers to support a class, we will pursue it. This weekend’s race will surely be some great racing.”

The Jim Russell International Karting Center is one of the premier karting venues in North America. The 16-turn, 3/4-mile course has been host to many of the top programs across the country, including the SKUSA organization. The famous ‘Tic-Tac-Toe’ section is well-known, as curb-jumping is the norm and the tight passing section is a dream for any hardcore driver or karting photographer.

Looking at the early ProKart North championship standings, Cody Hodgson holds a slight advantage over Jess Peterson in the S1 category. Craig Corwin and Matt Alcorn have been unstoppable in G1 and S4, each logging two weekend sweeps to hold a large point lead in their respective classes heading into round three. Jason Toft currently sits on top of both the competitive S3 and TaG Senior divisions, a tough feat that will be interesting to watch as the season progresses. Herman Ip has a stranglehold on the TaG Masters Light division, while TaG Masters championship leader Rob Soares is questionable for round three. In a heat race at round two, Soares flipped his kart and ran the rest of the weekend with a soar hand, finding out later that it was indeed broken. With the arm still in a cast, Soares may try to ironman the event, or he may elect to sit it out.

In addition to making history, the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School will be sponsoring a Friday night BBQ for all the competitors, crew, and families to continue the PKC commitment of making each and every event unique, competitive and fun for all.

For more information about this event and to check out the line-up of year-end prizes available to ProKart Challenge competitors, go to http://www.prokartchallenge.com

6-5-08 SKUSA Hawaii Region Set to debut this weekend

Maui Kart Challenge to begin 2008 season as the newest Superkarts! USA region

KAHULUI, HAWAII (June 4, 2008) - After completing an agreement to become the latest region for the Superkarts! USA organization, the SKUSA Hawaii series is set to kick off the first of seven events for the Maui Kart Challenge this weekend at the Maui Motorsports Park - Puunene Kart Track. As the first SKUSA regional program outside the continental 48 states, the Maui Kart Challenge has spent the past month preparing for the opening event on June 7, to be held under the lights, in hopes of building the karting community on the Hawaiian Islands.

The Maui GoKart Association will be behind the running of the Maui Kart Challenge. The organization is currently in a rebuilding stage as the sport of karting has come and gone on the island over the past 20 years. The Puuene Kart Track – where all seven races will be held this season – is a half-mile course with two long straights, boasting nine turns equipped with CIK-style curbing and a full lighting system for night racing. The Maui Kart Challenge will offer the basic SKUSA class structure for their shifters with S1, G1, S3, S4, S5 Jr, and K1 (for the 80cc Shifters), and then TaG Juniors, Seniors and Masters for the TaG racers. Local option classes will be run as well during the weekend.

“I’d really like to thank Tom Kutscher and SKUSA for being involved with our program and creating the SKUSA Hawaii region,” stated Art Gumpfer of the Maui Kart Challenge. “With this new partnership, we hope to bring karting to many racers on the Hawaiian Islands with a respectable program that they can be proud of. I’d also like to thank Tony Kart Florida, Fastech Racing, Gumpfer Motorsports, Pacific Rim Productions, and American Standard Concrete Pumping for their support of the new program.”

Practice will begin at 8:00 am and run all day to prepare for qualifying at 5:00 pm before getting into the racing action. A new website has been produced - www.mauikartingclub.com - and will be updated throughout the year with all the Maui Kart Challenge information. For more details regarding the Maui Kart Challenge, contact Art Gumpfer at 808-216-3514 or the karting office at 808-873-8363.

6-4-08 NorcalKarters.com Raises big money for MIND Institute of UC Davis

In early May the IKF Region 11 series made their way through the Stockton Motorplex. During this event NorcalKarters.com hosted a Race for Autism. This race was a fundraising battle of the stars of region 11 in equally matched karts under the lights at Stockton Motorplex.

A modified track was assembled by the NorcalKarters.com crew to assure no advantages by any driver. Utilizing the oval, part of the current track for the IKF race, and an added chicane, five drivers did battle on the small bullring type circuit. Drivers consisted of Donovan Wheeler representing the 12-15 years old, Jamie Wilson representing the 16-29 years old, Allan Hermensen represnting the 30 and up years old, Kelsey Nilsson represnting the Ladies only, and Professional Race car driver Joey Hand, for the Pro category.

The money was raised from selling driver tickets and raffle tickets to be donated to the MIND Institute of UC Davis for Autism research. the MIND Institute had just celebrated their 10th year anniversary for research of varying diseases, cancers, and imparities in children and adults. Located in Sacramento CA the MIND institute specializes in the research of such curing of these impairments.

The racing was great, and drew a lot of attention packing the stands and the fence line. "The raffle prizes were great! We had so many kind people offering their gratefulness and were able to raffle away $100 gas cards, entries to various events, and products from those business within the industry. After all was said and done we were able to raise over $1800 to donate to the MIND Institute!" Said Chris Scribner, NorcalKarters.com editor.

We would like to give a special thanks to those businesses who donated their share to the raffle prizes:

Rocklin/Folsom/Jackson Harley Davidson
Sierra Woodworks
Zamp Helmets
Central X-ray
Scribner Plastics
Sobe Life Water
NCTA
Shasta Kart Club
Knob hill Coffee Company of Sacramento
MMI for the use of the rental karts
MMS

6-4-08 CHAMPION RACING / INTREPID USA ON PODIUM WITH EADY AND YOCOM

Long weekend ?under? the Team Intrepid tent at Stars of Karting Mazda Race of the Americas

NEW CASTLE, IN (June 1, 2008) ? The first four months of the 2008 karting season have been punctuated by a long string of victories for the Champion Racing / Intrepid USA team. As the calendar turned over to the month of June, the team was hoping to continue its winning ways at the Snap-on Stars of Karting Mazda Race of the Americas event at the New Castle Motorsports Park, located just outside Indianapolis.

Not only did the team have to battle the stout field on hand for the ?East vs. West? shootout event, but the Champion Racing / Intrepid USA squad were forced to deal with Mother Nature as a severe thunderstorm came through the area on Friday evening and wreaked havoc on the large circus tent used by the team. With a trashed tent, few tipped over karts and minor damage, the team of 20 karts - including the Leading Edge Motorsports contingent - spent the rest of the weekend working under any temporary folding awning that they could get their hands on.

On-track, a total of 14 drivers represented the Intrepid brand with eight competitors in ICC, four in the Stars TaG class, and one each in TaG ICC and Cadet. Those final drivers - Bryan Eady and Broc Yocom - scored the team?s lone podium finishes on the weekend with each scoring a third place finish. The weekend did not begin well for Eady, the TaG ICC pilot supported by Leading Edge Motorsports. After a dismal eighth in qualifying, a stuck engine in heat one forced the driver to run a break-in session in heat two, finishing last in both races. With the engine ready to race in heat three, Eady advanced to fifth and was eventually classified ninth starting position for the two features. Jumping three spots at the drop of the green to Final 1, Eady then waged a 15-lap battle to break into the top-five, edging his competitor at the line for a fifth place result. Getting an even better start in Final 2, the Californian was at the tail of the lead pack early and advanced to the third position, where he would finish. Coming off a pair of wins at the West Coast opener in Utah, Eady was looking for more at New Castle, but his top-five finishes will keep him right in the middle of the championship fight.

In Cadet, Yocom stalked his competition throughout the weekend, waiting for the right moment to attack. Unfortunately, starting the first final from the seventh row, Yocom was collected in a first lap incident trying to move forward, dropping him to the tail of the field to finish 15^th. Staying out of trouble in the early stages of the second final, Yocom advanced one position a lap until reaching third with four to go. Mixing it up with the top-two, Yocom tried a last lap pass for second, but lost ground heading to the final corner and matched his best finish of third on the year.

A podium looked to be in the cards for Intrepid in ICC with eight drivers competing in the gearbox class. Jordy Vorrath led the squad into battle but got off to a slow start. Starting the finals from the sixth grid spot, Vorrath was quick off the line and battled the lead group. In final one, Vorrath finished a strong fourth, although mechanical problems took him out on the opening lap of the second final - his first DNF of the year. In his second weekend with the team, Cody Jolly made only his third Stars ICC start in his career, having previously focused on the ICA category. At the start of the first feature, Jolly was shuffled back to 18^th but worked himself up to 13^th. In the second final, he left from the seventh grid spot and retained that position despite a heated battle for the 18-lap race.

Ryan Kinnear looked to have his second top-10 finish on the weekend locked, following a tenth place finish in Final 1. Embroiled in the fight with teammate Jolly, among others, Kinnear made contact with another driver that sent him off the track before reaching the checkered flag, placing him 19^th on the final tally. The Terrel brothers, Chance and Shane, had their best finishes on the year with Chance recording 15^th and 13^th place finishes while Shane recorded results of 18^th and 15^th. Drivers Evan Walters, Devon Nichols, and Brandon Frank worked on improving each session out, which they did, with the exception of Nichols who recorded one DNF.

Point leader Joey Wimsett continued to run among the top drivers in the TaG division. Dropping the second fastest lap in qualifying, Wimsett had a front row starting spot for both his heat races. Despite the grid position, he would get shuffled back to record finishes of fifth and third to start the feature races from outside of row two. After two tough 15-lap battles, Wimsett ended the weekend placing fifth and fourth in the main events. The rest of the Champion Racing TaG roster had a tough weekend. Nate Norenberg and Shane Walters were outside the top-20 in both finals while Blake Teeter missed out on the mains with a DNF in the LCQ.

The team will now focus on the upcoming Eastern Division finale set for the USA International Raceway in Shawano, WI on July 11-13 - a circuit where Intrepid has found the podium before in the past and plans on repeating that feat in 2008.

6-4-08 Round Three of the Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge

Round three of the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge was run at the Jim Russell kart track on the challenging Sprint track layout under mild overcast skies. 51 drivers came out for Race #3 equally the largest entry turnout that was set in April. 11 Junior Rotax drivers were entered, the largest Junior Rotax field in Norcal history.

Rotax DD2 summary – With seven entries, the 2 speed DD2 class proved to be very interesting. Glen Poy-Wing (Swiss-Hutless) took the pole ahead of David Arnstein (CRG) and David Polic (CRG). January Grove (CRG) took the third spot momentarily, but was 2 pounds light and sent to end of the field. In the Prefinal, Poy-Wing took the lead initially then was passed by Arnstein who then held the lead to the end of the 12 lap race. Grove worked her way back up to third only to come across the scales 2 pounds light again. Back to the pack for January. In the Main, Arnstein took the lead and started to pull out a slight lead. Grove made herway up to third in a few laps but could not make inroads in the lead of Arnstein or Poy-Wing. Then Glen spun and gave up 2^nd to Grove but came back to over take the lady driver to claim 2^nd overall by the end of the 18 lap Main. Grove finished 3^rd, Polic 4^th and Bruce Weir (Birel) 5^th.

Junior Rotax summary – The largest field in Norcal history of 11 Junior Rotax karts took to the track this day. Race #1 winner Mikee Mejia (CRG) and Race #2 winner Donavon Wheeler (Birel) proved to very equal all day beginning with the Qualify where they turned in the same best lap with Wheeler getting pole due to his better 2^nd best lap. Jordan Miller (Birel) returned to competition from a wrist injury and put down the 3^rd best time in Qualify. At the start of the Prefinal, Andrew Wolocatiuk (Trackmagic) got spun around going through turn one and lost his great 4^th place spot and had to charge after the pack once he got his kart pointed the right way, he eventually finished 10^th. Wheeler led all the way, but just barely, as he took the win by less than a half second over Mejia. Miller was 3^rd, Austin Root (Birel) 4^th and Bryce Hylbert (Birel) was 5^th. In the Main, Wheeler and Mejia checked out again, with the young lady Miller holding down a solid 3^rd the whole 18 laps. But all the great racing was behind Miller as Joseph Keaton (Monza) and Brody Zink (Birel) both made their way past to take the 4^th and 5^th place spots by the end of the race. Wheeler pulled away near the end to win over Mejia to take his second win of the year and also take over the points lead in the class.

Rotax Masters Light summary – Veteran Rotax racer Joe Karrett was not planning to run this year, but just sitting around while others are racing was no fun. So Joe showed up with his tried and true Intrepid and pulled off the hat trick of winning pole, the Prefinal and took a 14 second victory in the Main. In Qualify, Mike Lawler (CRG) took 2^nd and points leader Mark Pingol (Swiss Hutless) took 3^rd. In the Prefinal, Pingol and Lawler switched positions in the final order behind Karrett.. In the Main, Lawler took over second on the start and held on for the 2^nd place finish behind Karrett with Pingol another 6 seconds behind in 3^rd. Irvin Sevilla (Tonykart) was 4^th and Mary Beth Wilson (CRG) was fourth.

Rotax Masters summary – The 8 kart field Masters field had some great racing in the middle of the field all day long. In Qualify, Jerry Pretti (CRG) took pole ahead of Dan Dollosso (CRG) and 2007 champ David Carlisle (CRG). But in the Prefinal, the more seasoned Dollosso go the best of Pretti and took a 2 second win with Carlisle 3^rd and Jay Brosius (CRG) 4^th. In the Main, Brosius had a bit of a moment when he spun off and got some air over a small dirt mound. He returned to the race to take 6^th overall. Dollosso controled the race and took the win by 3 seconds over Carlisle who got the best of 1^st year driver Pretti, who finished in 3^rd another 8 seconds back. In 4^th was Chris DeBruine (CRG) and 5^th went to Peter Boot (Intrepid).

Senior Rotax summary – 15 drivers took the track for what turned out to be a hard fought race day for the Senior Rotax class. Gregory Liefooghe (CRG) won both of the previous 2008 races, and he started out the day taking the pole over Jake Mottaz (Birel) and Cameron Pringle (CRG). In the Prefinal, Gregory cruised to a 3 second win over Mottaz who was another 4 seconds up on the 3^rd through 5^th drivers. But the battle for 3^rd through 5^th was where the action was with back and forth battling. In the end of the 12 lap Prefianl, Nikola Radosavljevich (Birel) took 3^rd ahead of Raymond Bustamante Jr (CRG) and then Pringle. In the Main, Liefooghe pulled out to an early lead over Mottaz with Bustamante getting into 3^rd and pulled open a gap over 4^th. Nikola held onto the 4^th spot but was under pressure from Pringle the whole way. It is worth noting that in 6^th spot was the veteran of the class, David Arnstein (CRG). David not only won the DD2 class earlier in the day, but went from 11^th qualify to 6^th in the Main, not a bad days work. Also another driver to highlight is Jessica Harmon (Corsa). This was only her second Senior Rotax race, having come out of indoor karting at the LeMans karting center. She battled hard all day with some experienced Rotax drivers to take a well deserved 9^th place. The hard luck award for the day has to go to Mathew Powers (Birel). After a 7^th spot in Qualify, a 6^th in the Prefianl, his kart would not start at the beginning of the Main. By the time they got the kart going, he entered the race 2 laps down and finished 14^th, but he did not give up and recorded the 5^th best lap time in the race.

Race #4 of the Jim Russell Norcal Rotax Challenge will be June 28 at the Infineon kart track. This will be a special race with the track layout being the never before run Reverse National track. Since the AMA motorcycle air fences will be used for this race, there will be only one practice day to run this track prior to Race #4 and that day will be June 27. Race #4 should be a very interesting race in deed.

6-4-08 HALEN RETURNS AND UTAH ‘BRINGS IT’ TO STEAL VICTORIES AT PROKART CHALLENGE SOUTH

SKUSA regional championships get shuffled following Willow Springs event

ROSAMOND, CA (June 4, 2008) – The Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge South program reached the halfway point of its season following the third round, which was held at the Willow Springs International Motorsports Park in Rosamond, CA this past weekend (May 31). Running the fast and technical 6/10-mile course in the reverse direction, the PKC drivers enjoyed a competitive weekend as the championship chases became more defined – and took some surprising turns

S3 Light championship leader Bobby Legate has been near-perfect on the year. However, the introduction of a few new talented pilots this past weekend broke up his winning streak. This list of ‘party-crashers’ included veteran shifter drivers Nick Halen, Mike Beeny and Bonnier Moulton. The trio has been on-and-off participants of the ProKart Challenge over the years, and all three made their 2008 debuts this past weekend at Willow. Halen, a former PKC champion in the S3 class, was on form as soon as racing began, taking both heat race wins and the 20-lap feature. Beeny was second in the main event, as top qualifier Clinton Schoombee edged Moulton at the line for this final step on the podium. Legate settled for fifth after running fourth for most of the race. He still leads in the points standings after round three.

S3 Heavy was just as close, with all four drivers entered in the class running within six-tenths of each other following qualifying, where Phil Conte took the top honors. Conte would go on to win the opening race, as Grant Westmorland stepped up to take the second heat victory – setting up an exciting main event. All in all, Marty Henderson came through for his second feature win on the year, with Westmorland in second and Conte in third. Some great racing, for sure. The result: the points battle heats up, as Conte’s performance for the day has put him in a tie with Henderson for the championship to date.

While Legate saw his streak end in S3 Light, another run continued in S4 Light, as Willy Musgrave earned his third straight feature race win by edging his son Billy Musgrave. While Bryce Miller was top qualifier, Billy Musgrave won both heat races leading up to the main event. Willy did not wait long to make his move in the final, getting around Billy on lap three and holding the top spot for the remainder of the 20-lap race. Miller ran a strong race and finished third behind the Musgrave duo to round out the podium.

Running at the same time as S4 Light, the S4 Heavy division mixed 10 drivers into the on-track action, including some hot newcomers from Utah. Scott Clark was the winner in both heat races, then went green-to-checkered for his first main event win on the year, with fellow Utah racer and top qualifier Lloyd Putnam taking second. Longtime PKC competitor Bill Cox took the third spot. As the upset, point leader and two-time race winner Ken Schilling had a tough weekend, getting shuffled back at the start of the final, only to recover to a sixth place finish.

Jimmy McNeil and Robert Marks both put in perfect days at Willow Springs in the S1 and G1 categories. Running on the track at the same time, both drivers were P1 for all on-track sessions and, most importantly, the feature race. McNeil outpaced Vivek Tandon and Peter Abba to extend his S1 point lead as did Marks, who earned his third straight G1 main event win ahead of Troy Butts and Brad Dhesi.

Blair Chang looked to be the driver to beat early on in G2, as he led the 12-kart field in both qualifying and the first heat -- before Steve Donia picked up the pace in heat two. In the feature, Donia continued to outpace the field, leading the 20-lap race from start-to-finish for his second feature win on the year. Points leader Eric Ortega was able to work around Chang in the closing stages of the race for the runner-up spot.

TaG Senior was a small but competitive group, with more great racing throughout the day. Ryon Beachner was the top qualifier, although Zach Dericco took both heat races. In the main, Dericco was squeezed off the track temporarily, and fought hard to work his way back to the second spot. Travis Whitehead rounded off the podium in third.

Billy Cleavelin and Greg Smith enjoyed an exciting battle all day in TaG Masters, as the two went toe-to-toe every lap. Smith took top qualifying honors, while Cleavelin earned the win in both heats. In the 20-lap showdown to decide it all, Cleavelin got away early but a charging Smith would not go down quietly, cutting into his lead each lap. In the end, Smith came up just short, as Cleavelin would earn his third straight feature win. Matt Kimball rounded out the podium.

Although only two drivers competed in the new S5 restricted 125cc Stock Moto division for Junior drivers, both competitors left the track with solid weekends under their belts. Race Liberante took all on-track sessions over Nicholas Silva. Both were talented and fast drivers, running competitively with the S4 class throughout the day. ProRacing Specialties, along with PKC and a few other local kart shops, are offering up special sponsorship prizes and incentives to help this class grow.

Up next for the PKC South program will be round four at the CalSpeed Karting facility, located outside the Auto Club Speedway (formerly known as the California Speedway) in Fontana, CA, running the Nuovo configuration on June 28.

6-4-08 SUPERKARTS! CENTRAL STATES CHALLENGE SETTING UP FOR DEBUT EVENT

New SKUSA region to debut at in Pevely, Missouri

ST. LOUIS, MO (June 3, 2008) - After nearly two years in the making, the stars have aligned and the first installment of the new Superkarts! USA Central States Challenge (SCSC) will take place this coming weekend at the I-55 Speedway karting circuit in Pevely, Missouri, set on the calendar for June 7-8. Previously known as the Central States Super Series, the program created by PG Racing’s Greg Yocom was recently able to join forces with the SKUSA organization to help build a stronger regional presence in the states of Illinois, Iowa, and Missouri.

To help make the debut a memorable one, Yocom and his SCSC staff are going at the event 110%. Kicking off the series, SKUSA President Tom Kutscher will be on-hand to oversee the first event, taking the opportunity to introduce himself to all of the new SKUSA racers. In addition to Kutscher, one of the lead technicians of SwedeTech Racing Engines will be on-site to provide engine tuning assistance throughout the weekend. Also on the docket for the opening round will be a Saturday night BBQ and special prizes handed out throughout the weekend.

“I want to thank Tom (Kutscher) for helping this become a reality and working with us to help grow this region,” stated Yocom. “With Tom present at the opening round, our racers will be able to talk with him directly rather than through me, to help them understand how serious we are in becoming one of the best programs in the country, as we already have some of the best racers.”

The I-55 Speedway karting circuit is located in Pevely, MO and is a nine-turn, 0.55-mile circuit with an 800 ft. long front stretch. “Thunder Valley” as it’s known, features hairpin turns, a banked Monza and a tight Esses section that creates a challenge to each driver. The SKUSA Central States Challenge will be offering a variety of classes, the core based on the SKUSA ProKart Challenge South program: S1, G1, G2, S3 Heavy, S4 Light, S4 Heavy, TaG Senior, TaG Masters and the S5 Junior division. Local option classes include TaG Junior, TaG Cadet, Kid Karts and 2&4 cycle classes.

As with most SKUSA regions, an outstanding prize package will be offered at the end of the year, including an all expense paid trip to compete at the Granja Viana 500 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, racing alongside Formula 1 and IRL superstars, courtesy of MG Tires Brazil. Trip includes airfare, hotel, transportation, and all race expenses – a $10,000 value. All Central States Challenge racers will be eligible if they are 18 or over, have competed in all six of the series events, and are present at the series banquet for the drawing. Entries to the SuperNationals, class championship trophies, championship jackets and more will be awarded at the year-end award ceremonies.

The series will be holding a practice session on Friday, June 6 from 12:00 – 6:00 pm. To help attract new races, Yocom will also offer up a half-price entry to anyone traveling in from over 200 miles. The series website is currently in a rebuilding stage -- although the former website is still available with all of the series information. See www.thecsss.com.

5-20-08 MOLECULE Partners with the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge for 2008.

With the growth and popularity of MOLECULE's line driver suit care products, the next step in the promotion of the brand has emerged with a partnership with the 2008 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge.

MOLECULE will provide sample products to Rotax members entered in the series, and will be on hand at several races to discuss the products with the end users themselves. "The products are amazing," stated Adrian Szwarcburg, Owner of Marin Karting and Series organizer, "We have cleaned several suits that were dirty and covered with grease. When cleaned with Molecule they were like new and smelled good. We became a dealer on the spot."

MOLECULE is used to clean and service driving suits for half of the F1 drivers and pit crews, the IRL Car World Series, the American Le Mans series, the British Touring Car Championship, the FIA GT series, Off-Road racing, kart racing and everywhere in between. By partnering with the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge, MOLECULE will reach out to another important segment of the industry; the Rotax kart racer. The series has race events locally, nationally and a world final and is the largest spec. TaG series in North America.

About MOLECULE: MOLECULE Labs, Inc. provides solutions for the safety, care, and maintenance of numerous technical fabric applications. Specially formulated for Nomex®, tested by the SFI Foundation and proven in diverse racing conditions for over two years, MOLECULE is designed for racers by racers. Formulated to be used on any brand of Nomex® fire suit, the lineup of MOLECULE WASH, MOLECULE REFRESHER , MOLECULE PROTECTOR, and MOLECULE SPOT CLEANER can be found in use on driver and crew suits around the world.