3-31-11 IKF Membership has it Rewards Kick off at 2011 IKF Region 6 Gold Cup Events

IKF Members can score two ways all 2011 IKF Region 6 Gold Cup events. All regional Gold Cup Drivers will receive one complementary Blue 2011 NW Gold Cup Series T-shirt with their first Gold Cup race entry of the season. The North West Gold Cup Series shirt designed by LJ DeZigns has earned some high remarks as an “I got to have it shirt from the 2011 NW Gold Cup Season”.  The Shirts will come in 3 colors Blue, Grey, and Red.

Say you are not a racer but really like to get a shirt? No problem the T-shirts are available to purchase for $20.00 each.

Show your IKF membership card at the time of purchase and get 20% off of the price of the T-Shirt. That’s right! Save 4 bucks just by showing your IKF Membership Card. That’s not all!!! For every t-shirt sold $2.00 will be contributed to Yearend Awards fund. This is a great way to show support of the NW Gold Cup and to give back to the racers of the region.

BAM Racing the NW Gold Cup Official Registration Service will have the NW Gold Cup Series T-Shirts in stock at all of the 2011 Gold Cup Sprint events and at a limited number of the Gold Cup Road Race events. To order your shirt or to get more information about IKF Region 6 Gold Cup Series call Debbie or Bill at BAM Racing at 425-481-5278  or go to www.northwestgoldcup.com

3-31-11 Leading Edge Motorsports Solid Again in ProKart Challenge North

Feature wins and solid qualifying performances anchor NorCal squad’s success

The Leading Edge Motorsports team logged yet another impressive weekend of competition at the second round of the ProKart Challenge North series, celebrating a pair of wins and several fast laps at the All Star Karting track in Prairie City, CA. The supreme challenge of nasty weather was attacked head-on by the Leading Edge team, who battled through rain and wind to emerge victorious. The new season is definitely off to a great start, as the squad’s drivers are all finding their rhythm on the track.

Carrying the torch for Leading Edge at Prairie City was Jared Woolf, who scored a win in the S2 main event. Woolf’s run started well with the third quickest time in qualifying, as they dialed in his Intrepid for the rain-soaked track. A tough DNF in the first heat left Woolf in need of a strong run heading into the final to repair the damage. The Intrepid pilot delivered big-time with a Heat #2 win and then laid down a dominating performance in the Final. Woolf took the checkers with a nine-second advantage on the second place driver, recording the fastest lap along the way. This was Woolf’s second straight victory in PKC action and he now has a commanding lead in the overall points race.

In the TaG Junior class, Jarred Campbell made his first PKC start of the year and took his Leading Edge Intrepid to the top of the box, giving the squad its second win of the weekend. Campbell was fast straight away, taking the pole in qualifying before struggling with a DNF in the first heat and a mid-pack run in the second. Starting eighth in the Final, Campbell hammered the start and moved into the top three by the third circuit. Hard racing covered the remainder of the event, but Campbell rose to the challenge, scoring a one-second win in his PKC debut. Joining him on the podium in third was Leading Edge teammate Jack Freese, who now sits in the top-five in points thanks to the result. Class rookie Ian Fryer joined Campbell and Freese in TaG Junior, recording an eighth place finish overall to sit eighth in the current point standings. Fryer continues to gain experience and is expected to challenge for podiums as the season progresses.

The podium finishes continued throughout the day, thanks to a gritty performance by Shelby Sander that saw her land a solid third place result in the TaG Senior class. It wasn’t easy getting there, however. After qualifying seventh, Sander’s luck disappeared in the heats, as she failed to finish either of the qualifying motos. Starting from the back in the main event, she pushed for the entire 20 laps and the hard work was rewarded with a move to the final step on the podium in third – her first of the season. Mike Graves was also in contention for a podium, running in third during the main event before losing a chain while attacking the lead duo. It was a disappointing end result, but his show of pace was very encouraging.

Leading Edge had a strong duo in the TaG Master category, but the results were not a true indication of the potential performances. Randy Froom finished second in the opening heat race (having set the fastest time) and third in the second to start on the inside of the second row. Froom was in the position to fight for the win, but his final was cut short far too early when he was forced over the track curbing during a pass, dropping his chain in the process. Paul Holbein would finish sixth in the final tally after being unable to start the second heat race, relegating him to the tail of the grid for the start of the main.

The team also has a lone representative in the TaG Cadet class in Tanner Carter, and the young pilot was on fire in the first heat race en route to a fifth place finish, turning the fastest lap. Carter would end up 10th in the final results for the day, but his speed in the wet was extremely impressive.

“Overall, it was a very good weekend for the team,” said Leading Edge Team Principal Greg Bell. “Woolf and Campbell were impressive and the new members of my team are starting to get their bearings as well. The rain this weekend made things interesting for all of us, but I am very, very happy with how it all went. Our focus at Leading Edge Motorsports is always about consistently improving our program and the performances of our drivers, and this was just another step forward.”

The Pro Kart Challenge North series will now take an extended break to clear the schedule for the SKUSA SpringNationals in late April, where Leading Edge will be out in full force. “We have a lot to do over the next few weeks,” added Bell. “We’re taking a full squad to Tucson for the SpringNationals and it’s a mix of youth and experience. I’m very excited about the Pro Tour and we might have a surprise in store before we head out. Stay tuned for some very exciting announcements in the near future.”

 

3-31-11 IKF Region 6 / NW Gold Cup Sprint Kart Series to host 8 races for 2011

The IKF Region 6/ NW Gold Cup Sprint Kart Series, one of the largest IKF Regional series programs in the North America have slated an 8 race series starting with another great season of racing in the Northwest for 2011. The nationally recognized Canadian and United States race series attracts national and internationally known racers to compete in highly contested racing action.  The series boasts in cooperation with IKF, IAME Cup, and as the regional qualification series for the Rotax Max Challenge Grand National Championship.  This high profile series has had strong history producing some of top ranked drivers not only in the US and Canada but the World. These drivers will be returning in 2011 and again providing some of the best top level competition in the United States and Canada.

The Northwest Gold Cup Sprint Series events are all IKF sanctioned and insured events run by a professional Race Officiating team enforcing a consistent set of IKF sanctioned rules developed and approved by the northwest regional clubs.  Back by popular demand by the racers and spectators alike, Terry Bridges of Pro Sound Services, will be calling the racing action to keep families and spectators up to speed on the racing on the track. This regional sprint race series will consist of 8 race events at 7 different race facilities. The different tracks have eliminated the home track advantages that other series can’t offer.  For the competitors, that means professional quality racing at many different tracks.  

2011 will once again see IKF 2-4Cycle Sprint and shifter experts along with IAME Cup and Rotax Max competitors give the spectators and fellow racers professional experiences and performances for all to remember.  Newer racers should not be intimidated by the series high caliber competition as the Northwest racers are excited to see and work with all of their fellow racers to be a part of the racing family.

New for 2011 IKF has added Rotax Max Jr and Sr. to the National Program and drivers of those classes competing in the IKF Region 6/ NW Gold Cup will be eligible to compete at the 2011 IKF Grand Nationals in August for the coveted Duffy. The IKF Duffy is kart racings Original National Championship award and one of the most sought for awards.  

The IKF Region 6 / NW Gold Cup / Rotax Max Regional Series will kick off the 2011 Racing Season with the first race event hosted by the Seattle Kart Club 28 at Horn Rapids Raceway in Richland, Washington.  The Horn Rapids track, home to several past Grand National events and will once again host the 2010 IKF 4-Cycle Sprint/ Shifter Grand Nationals.

Member Clubs of the NW Gold Cup along with the local communities look forward to hosting a regional event each year and team up to roll out the red carpet to make each racer feel right at home as part of the regional karting community.  Most of the events have special Saturday night events like Barbeques, Pot Luck Dinners, Spaghetti Feeds, or Pizza Parties for all the competitors and their crews or family.  The IKF Region 6 / NW Gold Cup / Rotax Max series has become a favorite gathering of the karting families in the Northwest and Western Canada.

Title sponsor Bridgestone Tires is looking forward to be a part of the popular NW Gold Cup Sprint Kart Series. A new tire compound YLC will be the spec tire for the series with tire give away at each of the series events. The YLC compound tire has been formulated by Bridgestone to give more consistent and longer wear for the racers throughout the competitive year. Shilo Inns will for the third year provide the race event participants, race crews and the racing families with large discounts on all their out of town lodging.  Please contact Mike Schorn at 503-324-9072 for details.

April 1-3                        SKC                 Horn Rapids Richland, WA         Seattle Kart Club

May 13-15                     WCKC              Chilliwack, BC Canada              West Coast Kart Club

May 27-29                     SRK                 Boise, ID                                  Snake River Karters

June 10-12                    TCKC                Horn Rapids Richland, WA         Tri-Cities Kart Club

July 8-10                       PSGKA             Spanaway, WA                          Puget Sound Go Kart Association

August 5-7                    SIMA                Sumas, WA                               Sumas International Motorsport Academy

September 2-4              PKA                 McMinnville, OR                        Portland Karting Association

September 23-25           WKA                 Mission, BC Canada                  Westwood Kart Association

3-29-11 Ashley Rogero Claims Championship at Florida Winter Tour

Looking to have a breakout rookie season in the junior ranks, karting standout Ashley Rogero started off her 2011 racing season in fine form. After a dominating program in 2010 that saw Rogero claim multiple championships in the Sportsman ranks, the Floridian female moved to the tougher junior categories and did not miss a beat as she claimed the Florida Winter Tour Formula Leopard Junior championship.

"Winning a championship in my rookie season as a junior is something that I didn't know I could do," expressed Rogero. "I was going to take this season as a learning year but after the first event I knew that I could fight for race wins and championships. This is a great way to start off the season and it will provide a lot of momentum as we move forward."

Heading to the final round two weeks ago at the Ocala Gran Prix facility in Ocala, Florida, Rogero was sitting second in the points battle with an outside shot at winning the title. Needing to score near perfect race results, Rogero did just that as she claimed a solid fourth place finish on Saturday and a second place finish on Sunday. Couple those results with a pair of heat race wins that reward with bonus points, Rogero managed to take the Formula Leopard Junior title by forty markers when the final points were tallied.

Rogero continued, "Though the kart count in the Leopard Junior class was lower than expected, the competition was second to none as top drivers from across the United States were here to compete. I am thankful to have the support from Tony Kart, Ocala Gran Prix, Comet Kart Sales as well as my friends and family."

The young female was a model of consistency throughout the Florida Winter Tour as she claimed six top five results is six events. The up and coming driver was a threat each and every race weekend as was shown by her outright speed and determination to run at the front of the field. With six top five results including one main event win and two heat race victories as well as countless pole positions, Rogero proved that she will be a threat in each and every race in 2011.

Ashley would like to thank all of her sponsors for all their hard work and continued support: the entire crew at Ocala Gran Prix, Tony Kart and Comet Kart Sales.

For more information on Ashley Rogero, please contact Jim Rogero at 239.877.4302. For press release and media information, please contact Race Tech Development at 317.270.8723

3-29-11 Ocala Gran Prix Scores Three Victories at Florida Winter Tour

With the final round of the Florida Winter Tour taking place at Ocala Gran Prix (OGP), team drivers would look to utilize track knowledge and experience to take home race wins. Leading the way was multi-time champion Nick Neri who scored the Rotax Senior race win on Sunday as well as Rotax Junior competitor Oliver Askew who claimed a pair of dominating wins.

"I am so proud of my team and drivers," exclaimed Jorge Arellano after the weekend was over. "We have had some great success over the past three months and to cap the tour off in the form that we did is something to build on in the future."

As the season began to wind down, several Ocala Gran Prix drivers hit their stride as they entered the final round of the Formula Kart Productions Florida Winter Tour. Competing in the ultra-competitive Rotax Junior class was a quartet of pilots, as Oliver Askew, Alex Keyes, Angus Hunt and Alex Hornborg would look to end off the series strong. While only one driver can win, that honor was given to Askew has he dominated the Rotax Junior class throughout the weekend.

After scoring the pole position for Sunday's racing action, Askew claimed the fourth place starting spot for Saturday but would look to move forward. After claiming the second position in the heat race, Askew went on to take the lead at the drop of the green flag for the main event and never looked back. Leading all twenty-four laps and scoring the fastest lap of the race, Askew scored his first career Florida Winter Tour win.

Starting from the pole position on Sunday, Askew scored a perfect day taking the heat race win, main event victory and fastest race lap to score maximum points on the day. With the pair of victories, the Floridian pilot claimed the second position in the overall championship.

Michigan resident Alex Keyes did not have the best of luck in Ocala as multiple incidents hindered any chances at a good result. Though the 14-year old driver managed to make both main events, contact throughout the finals would force him to retire early with a pair of 31st place results.

Fellow Floridian pilot Alex Hornborg would have a great showing in Saturday's racing action as he claimed the 17th place position while Georgia's Angus Hunt garnered a 19th place result on Sunday.

Ocala Gran prix's other race win came at the hands of two-time Florida Winter Tour Rotax Junior champion Nick Neri as he took the top honors in Sunday's Rotax Senior category. Jumping out to the lead early, Neri led all twenty-four laps as he stole the show. The race win made up for a disappointing result on Saturday as Neri was removed from the results after failing a controversial post-race technical inspection after claiming the second position on track.

Also competing in the Rotax Senior category was Miami-area driver Andrew Evans. Looking to utilize his experience of the OGP facility, Evans had his best result at this year's Florida Winter Tour on Saturday with a solid fourteenth place finish. Looking to improve on Sunday, Evans could only manage a 26th place finish.

Rotax Masters competitor Jason Bell entered the final weekend of action with a shot at the title. With a stout field of competitors, Bell garnered the third step on the podium on Saturday but ran into severe trouble on Sunday. After claiming the pole position for Sunday's festivities earlier in the weekend, Bell would make contact with a fellow competitor on the opening laps and be forced to retire from the heat race. Starting from the tail of the field, Bell worked his way forward to claim an impressive twelfth place result but came just short of the overall series crown.

Another driver scoring his best Florida Winter Tour results to date was the young Enzo Fittipaldi. After running inside the top twenty at the opening two rounds, Fittipaldi jumped into the top ten during the final rounds claiming a ninth place finish on Saturday and a fourteenth place result on Sunday in the Rotax Mini Max class.

The young Mathias Ramirez would be Ocala Gran Prix's sole entry in the Rotax Micro Max class as he would see battle against a host of seven to eleven year olds. Working with the OGP team personnel, Ramirez scored a solid eighth place result on Saturday but would falter slightly on Sunday to finish 16th.

Arellano added, "I am happy that this year's Florida Winter Tour is over. Though we had some great results and memories that will last a while, it is time for me to give my guys a break and regroup as we work towards a busy summer season."

For more information on Ocala Grand Prix, OGP race team opportunities and info on how to get into karting, please visit Ocala Gran Prix online at www.OcalaGranPrix.com or contact Kyle Kraus at 352.291.0600 or Mike Maurini at 317.270.8723
 

3-29-11 Cambrian Go Karts Bronson Eggert and Tj Fisher Front Row at ProKart
Photos By Race Media Group

It was another wet weekend for the second round of the SKUSA! pro kart north schedule and this stop was at Prairie City. Fresh off the teams four big wins from the previous weekend confidence was high and the teams unity showed. " Its good the have confidence, and its good to use the momentum from a previous good weekend, but the reality is that at the shop somewhere around tuesday afternoon we forget about the great weekend we just had and start focusing on whats coming next. It's all too easy to let that invincible feeling get the best of you and before you know it your slipping. " Said Donald Durbin jr.

Cambrians Team for the weekend consisted of a very talented group with Garret Dixon, Carter Herrera, Danny Rubino and Scott Huffaker in the stacked mini rok class, TJ Fisher and Bronson Eggert in the Tag Sr. class, Jamie Wilson heading up the S2 class and Derrick Delong in the Tag Masters.

The Day started off very well, Bronson Eggert Qualified his Birel Ry30 on the pole and his teammate Tj Fisher off pole right next to him. " this was a very proud moment for me, mostly because it was a conversation that Steve ( tj's father ) and I had before the season began and while both boys have had plenty of success this year they have been on different weekends, so for both drivers to be in the front was very special." Donald commented.

the First heat was exciting, Bronson lead the field to the green flag and stood on the gas pedal and left the field behind and cruised to a win. Meanwhile Tj Fisher got turned around in turn 5 and lost his second place position and immediately found himself in 7th. This is where confidence can be your an asset....the young pilot collected himself, shook it off and used his new found rain experience to work himself past everyone but his team mate finishing second.

The Second heat saw Eggert and Fisher leading the field to the green when suddenly Bronson Eggert's engine started shorting out, forcing him to pull off to the grass, " this was heartbreaking for me to watch, " explains Donald . " the poor guy is leading the race, the last this we need or want is a part failure, and it turned out to be a problem with the spark plug we had just replaced. " this allowed Tj to consistently put distance between him and the field winning the second heat.

The Main was not much different, TJ Took the green and never made a wrong turn, he put seconds in between him and the stacked field of talented drivers and took his Cambrian Go Karts prepared RK ( birel ) leopard powered kart to his first Pro Kart Victory and did it in style. " Thank you so much to Cambrian Go Karts! " Said the ecstatic TJ. " They pulled out my old Leopard and completely went through it and this thing is amazing! I cant say enough about them, thanks for the perfect weekend guys. "

The Mini Rok class was just as exciting as we saw our very own Scott Huffaker qualify in the rain on the front row with his team mates Rubino, Dixon and Herrera in tow ready for battle. Scott got out to an early lead as Danny Rubino carved his way from last to inside the top 5 carefully positioning himself for the main event.

the Second heat showed Scott get hit from behind and loose his second place position but Carter Herrera and Danny Rubino moved up through the field once again.

In the Main event Danny Rubino Jumped into second place and put a big gap between him and the rest of the field bringing home another solid finish for Cambrian Go Karts, Scott Huffaker carved his way through the class and finished with an impressive fifth place finish as he powered past Davey Manti for the last spot on the podium. " I'm very proud once again with these young drivers, they are patient and trusting. Danny was so frustrated after qualifying when it didn't go very well and he found himself in the back, and he should be frustrated...he is a great driver but his consistent effort throughout the day and never give up attitude helped him finish second and looks like he is now the points leader in the class. Great driving Danny, we are all very proud of you.

Look for Cambrian Go Karts Sat and Sunday at Kinsmen Kart Club for the Xover this weekend.

3-29-11 Fischer Earns First Prokart Challenge North Victory at Prairie City
Photos By Race Media Group

TaG Senior driver bags first main event triumph while Woolf takes second straight S2 feature win

Nearly every category at the second round of the Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge North program - contested at the All Star Karting facility in Prairie City, CA - saw a new winner. The competitors in the seven divisions battled wet conditions throughout the race day, providing an added challenge to the technical 3/4-mile ‘Grand Prix’ circuit – with all drivers in attendance earning a 100-point ‘rain’ bonus toward the season ending championship. Leading the way for those first-time winners on March 26 was TaG Senior driver TJ Fischer, who earned his first series victory. The lone exception was S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto driver Jared Woolf, earning his second straight feature win in the category.

Bronson Eggert led the way during the Peterson Wealth Management-sponsored TaG Senior qualifying session, posting a 50.207-lap to earn the pole position for heat one. Fischer was just a bit off, as both posted faster times than round one winner Austin Elliott. Eggert led all 12 laps of heat one, while Fischer fell to fourth early but regained the spots he lost to Elliott and Jess Peterson. Fischer inherited the top spot when both Eggert and Peterson were unable to start the second heat with mechanical issues, running to the win with Elliott in tow. Fischer continued on through the main event, going wire to wire from the pole position to outrun Elliott for his first series victory. Shelby Sander completed her series debut with a third place finish and the second straight event with a female driver on the podium for the class.

2010 S5 Junior Stock Moto SKUSA Pro Tour champion Daniel Langon was the driver to beat following qualifying in the Sunshine Daydream-sponsored S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto category, putting down a hot lap of 49.918. A poor start to begin heat one put him behind early, but not for long as he recovered back to the top spot by lap three, going on to take the win. Langon put down a better opening lap for heat two and led the way – until a charging Woolf began to pressure. After retiring on the opening lap of heat one, Woolf drove up from the tail of the grid to Langon’s bumper, taking over the lead as they took the white flag. Woolf scored the win with Langon in second. At the start of the feature, Langon fell behind once again with two competitors from other categories sliding in between him and Woolf. That was until lap six when Woolf went off course and lost positions, including the lead to Langon. On lap 10, Langon returned the favor as he too went off course. Woolf retook the lead, with Jamie Wilson holding second over Langon. In the end, Woolf took the victory over Langon with Wilson retiring on lap 17, giving Chris Ouimet the third step of the podium.

Jarred Campbell marked his PKC North 2011 debut with a victory in the Bordogna Racing-sponsored TaG Junior division. Campbell was quickest in qualifying (51.031) of the 12 drivers, clearing the field by six-tenths. The start of heat one did not go his way as he spun in the opening lap to record a DNF. Reigning SKUSA Pro Tour champion Luis Tyrrell went on to take the win over “Nitro Nick” Sommers. At the start of heat two, Sommers got the jump on Tyrrell to go wire-to-wire for the win – with Tyrrell finishing second over point leader Blaine Rocha. Sommers held on to the top spot through the opening laps of the feature, but quickly became under fire by Campbell. Starting eighth, Campbell was into the top-three by lap two and began running down Sommers. The two put on a great show for the remainder of the 20-lap main event, with Campbell escaping to a one-second victory over Sommers. Jack Freese completed the podium over Tyrrell and round one winner Austin Dement to mix up the championship chase heading into round three.

Reigning SKUSA Pro Tour champion Ethan Wilson returned to his winning ways at Prairie City, sweeping the day in the Cambrian Go-Karts-sponsored TaG Master division. Wilson posted a 51.349-lap in qualifying to earn the pole position. From there, Wilson went on to lead all 12 laps of heat one and heat two, in addition to the green-to-checkered victory in the main event. Round one winner Glenn McKinnon finished second with PKC newcomer Corey Mitchell placing third.

The Cambrian Go-Karts-sponsored TaG Cadet class was hotly contested from the opening practice to the final lap of the feature. Scott Huffaker was the quickest in qualifying (54.348), with Hunter Kelly and Hunter Corbitt within six-hundredths of his time. The start to heat one shuffled up the field, with Huffaker and round one sweeper Davey Manthei Jr. able to break away. Huffaker led until the final lap when Manthei took the spot and the win. Manthei went flag-to-flag in heat two all alone after Huffaker was shuffled back early on, leaving Kelly in the second spot. Kelly grabbed the lead as the green flag waved to start the feature, while Manthei dropped down the order after some early race shuffling. Kelly would go unchallenged to score his first series victory, with Danny Rubino and Corbitt completing the podium. Huffaker and Manthei would finish fifth and sixth, respectively, behind Cole Davis.

Chris Yettito completed an event sweep in the S3 Novice Stock Moto category, outrunning round one winner Ryan Rasberry, which is setting up to be a season long battle for the series championship. Jim Kidd took home his first victory in the Fastech Racing-sponsored S4 Master Stock Moto division. Nick Galante was quickest in qualifying and the opening heat, but Kidd took home the win in heat two. Galante led the first half of the feature, before Kidd took over the spot and was able to hold him off to the checkered.

The SKUSA ProKart Challenge North program will take the month of April off to allow racers a full month to prepare for the upcoming SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNationals at Musselman Honda Circuit (formerly P1 Kart Circuit) in Tucson, AZ on April 29-May 1. The series will return on May 27-28 for round three – traveling for the first time in its history outside the state of California – to the Desert Park Raceway in Reno, Nevada. The SKUSA crew will be back trackside prior to the SKUSA Pro Tour 2011 opener for round three of the PKC South program on April 8-9 at the Buttonwillow Raceway Park kart track in Buttonwillow. This will be a good time to get in one last SKUSA race prior to the Pro Tour SpringNationals.

 

3-25-11 North West Gold Cup Updates

As we approach the upcoming 2011 Gold Cup season, we are looking forward to a great season. A few noted changes:

1. Rule # 201.6 Rear Bumper Rule
Starting January 1st, 2011 all karts must be equipped with a rear bumper to protect the driver and kart from rear impact and to keep a following kart from reaching the rear tires. The bumper may be either CIK style plastic rear wheel protection or steel tube of a double bar design. The bumper shall extend to at least the center of the rear tires. The ends of the bumper shall not extend beyond the outside of the rear tires, except in a declared rain race.
For all dimensions, see rule #201.6.1, #201.6.2, and #201.6.3 2011 IKF Rule Book.
Bumpers are available at all local kart shops and will be available at the track.

2. Rotax has required us to run the Mojo D2 slick and the new MOJO W2 rain tire. They are the newest compound out. You will "not" be able to use the older W2 rain tire that has been used at the Gatorz series and Florida Winter Tour series this year. They are now available and will be available at the track. Gates will open Thursday night March 31st to load in trailers at 5:00pm.

4. Practice will be available Friday from 8am-5pm. Registration will be open at 7am Friday, Sat, and Sunday.

5. On-Line Pre-Registration will be available (date) for the Gold Cup race. Sign up can be done on our northwestgoldcup. com site, but payment will have to be made at the track when you show up. We are still searching for a company to handle on-line payment. Payment can be made in cash(US Funds only), check, or Credit card, (visa/m/c). As voted on by the clubs, there will be a 3% charge on all credit card payments used for registration)

6. All other classes will use Bridgestone slicks YKC or the new YLC compound. Both compounds will be allowed.

7. IKF has a new Minor release form. If the minor does not have a signed release on file with IKF, or if a or guardian will not be in attendance, the parents will have to have a notarized minor release filled out and signed at registration. This includes all minor drivers and minor spectators. For more info contact IKF at (909) 923-4999 or ikfkarting.com
8. All Rotax drivers will need to join GoRotax to race the Max Challenge. Membership applications will be available at northwestgoldcup.com or e-mail wghrockand also at the track at the Tri-Cities. note( Canadians exempt).

9. All drivers will need a current IKF license. Contact IKF to check your expiration date.

If you have any questions, please contact wghrock@comcast.net or 425-481-5278.



 

3-25-11 Monterey Bay Karters March 2011 Newsletter

•Effective April 1, 2011, all Club races will be run “Rain or Shine”. We are doing this at the request of the majority of racers who would like to run rain or shine and add consistency to our program by being able to count on running all scheduled days.

•Any brand of rain tire will initially be accepted, new or used
 
•Once a race has been officially declared a “Rain” race, all participating “current” club members will receive 100 bonus points towards their season total.

•If your 2011 Club membership is not paid, you must pay non-member pricing. Sorry, no exceptions.

•We will be overlapping SKUSA / IKF rules in the Tag SR class in order to hopefully boost participation. Club members running for points must adhere to IKF rules, all others may run under SKUSA rules. You will run together but will be scored separately.

•Wristband pricing has been updated as follows:
Kids 4 and under – Free
Kids 5 thru 12 - $6 (1) Day / $10 (2) Day
Adults $10 (1) Day / $15 (2) Day

** This puts us in line with all NorCal tracks**

*** Wristbands are mandatory at all times. We unfortunately have to step up enforcement on this. Too many people are ignoring this. If you are found in the Pit area without a wristband, you will be asked to leave the Pit area until your wristband is on / purchased. I hope all of you understand the Track’s position on this. If you don’t have a wristband on, you are not insured (liability) and are not permitted to be in the Pit area. Thank you in advance for your understanding on this.

•We are currently working with Boy Scouts Troop #134 from Marina to hopefully take over full time concessions for all race and practice days. We hope to have them onsite each day from 8am till 3pm. We will update as we know more.

•I want to thank everybody that made it out to the Practice Day / Swap Meet. Turnout was great, hopefully a sign of events to come.

Alan Freese -
MBK President
 

3-25-11 TAG Racing International Announces Posting of 2011 Technical Rules

TAG Racing International today announced the posting of the 2011 technical rules to the www.tagracing.net website and the updated list of participating 2011 TAG Regional series track programs.

We are proud to welcome “Mid state Kart Club” “Indy Karting Series” “I-5 Corridor Series” and The “Oregon State Karting Championship Series” as Regional series.

In addition we would like acknowledge and provide web links to the series listed below as returning series with additional series yet to be announced before the season begins.

Badger Kart Club www.badgerkartclub.com
Great Lakes Pro Series www.glproseries.com
Heartland Sprint Series www.bpmotorsportsgroup.com
Indy Karting Series www.indykartingseries.com
I-5 Corridor series www.I5Corridorseries.com
Kart Racers of America www.newcastleraceway.com
Mid state Kart Club www.midstateskartclub.com
Midwest sprint Series www.midwestsprint.com
Oregon State Karting Championship www.patscres.com
Pikes Peak Kart Racing Series www.ppkrc.com
Rock Island Grand Prix www.rockislandgrandprix.com
Skusa Central States Challenge www.centralstateschallenge.com
Championship Enduro Series www.championshipenduro.com
IMI Motorsports Complex www.imimotorsports.com

Dave Larson, President of the sanctioning body said:
"We are proud to have the addition of new regional series and welcome back the returning series”

The 7th TAG World Championships at New Castle Motorsports Park in Indianapolis August 19, 20 and 21st, 2011 will be open to all TAG Racing International and TAG USA members. Karters wishing to join TAG Racing International / TAG USA may go to www.tagracing.net to register online. The Top Ten TAG Members of a qualifying series will receive a reduced entry fee for the TAG Worlds. Racers should keep watching the TAG website as it will provide updated information as the race date moves closer




 

3-24-11 An Impressive 2011 Season for TJ Fischer With a Stunning Weekend at Gatorz Challenge of The America’s
Story By RMG Race Media Group
Photo By Sean Burr

TJ Fischer made some big changes in the offseason to prepare for his 2011 season in Karting. With the move from Wild Kart to the winning RK Chassis by Birel, and flying under the Cambrian Go-Karts banner; Fischer’s early 2011 season has proven successful. The 17 year old Fischer's busy early season schedule culminated in a surprise victory at the Gatorz Challenge of The America’s Race located at the Jim Russell International Karting Center Sonoma, California. The Jim Russell International Karting Center is one of the country’s leading karting facilities. The Track layout offers a mix of 16 high, mid and low speed corners, sloping tic tac toe linked by 2 straightaway’s, challenging karters to the toughest track and longest track of .76 miles in Northern California.

Under the guidance of Donald Durbin Jr, TJ Fischer has been making great progress in the Gatorz Series leading into the Infineon Championship Race this past weekend. Finishing in the 7th position out of a stellar 40 kart field full of multi champions at the last Gatorz race in Fontana, was proof TJ was getting more comfortable with the new Rotax package, the newly developed RK chassis, the Cambrian Go-Kart team, and was steadily acclimating to the demands of a driver in the most competitive Rotax class and TaG program.

Making his way to the Jim Russell International Karting Center TJ Fischer knew he was going to be competing with the best of the best in the Sr. Rotax class. 35 competitors came from all over International map targeting North, Central and South America as well as Australia. While Fischer was one of only several drivers with spectacularly quick times in dry conditions on Thursday’s practice, the team knew the rain was coming. So Thursday’s practice turned into getting familiar with the track. As expected, Friday’s soggy practices led Cambrian to tune Fischer's RK Machine for very wet conditions. By the end of the day on Friday, the team felt the changes made to the kart for Saturday’s Race Day were in the right direction for the weekend weather conditions.  Fischer ended Friday Practice standing at a frustrating 23rd quickest, but he also knew the team was more interested in gathering valuable data to package a well-tuned rain set-up for Saturday's race.

In Saturday qualifying Fischer began to improve dramatically as expected, landing the 15th position with a 103.510 fast time. Starting inside 8th row for the prefinal, TJ knew Cambrian had put together a fast package, that was getting faster every time it went on the track.  To have success in the final, TJ knew he had to finish in the Top 10 in the pre-final.  Unfortunately, with such a large field, the expected large incident happened in turn one shuffling TJ back to the 25th position. This didn’t discourage Fischer as he went to work quickly passing half a dozen karts on lap one. With the conditions deteriorating, and any missed braking points or misplaced wheels resulting in a spin, enormous pressure was felt by the drivers to execute mistake free while working through the field. Not to be deterred, by lap two Fischer was already in the 14th position and eager to keep picking off more positions. For the next 2 laps Fischer gained another 2 more positions each lap putting him in the 10th position.  Fischer maintained a steady 10th place finish which put him outside on the 5th row for the final.

The most spectacular final battle to ever go down in Gatorz Sr Rotax history was about to happen and TJ Fischer was starting 10th out of 35 karts. On the start of the final Fischer gained an impressive 5 positions in turn one moving him to the 5th position. The next 19 laps were entertaining and nail biting, keeping everyone on their toes fearing what would happen next. The racing dynamic was further enhanced because the top 5 drivers brought an international flair bringing success from Australia, Canada, Mexico and USA (Fischer). Fischer battling for the fifth spot with another driver caused him to fall back to 6th by lap three. Lap four Fischer found himself in the 4th position knocking on the back of the driver in 3rd. Fischer found himself making multiple passes and position changes on almost every corner on every lap putting TJ as low as 5th position and a high of 3rd. As the race wound down, TJ moved up to 4th position with an incredible pass on the outside going into turn one, darting past the the Australian driver who was maintaining a protective inside line.  Several laps later second and third place tangled in turn one, opening the door for TJ to slip past both.  It almost worked.  But as TJ was beginning to move past the opportunity disappeared, and Fischer found himself in a drag race with the former second place leading into the flooded tic tac toe. TJ won this critical dual and eased into P2, leaving him 2 laps to catch the leader before the checkered flag dropped. The crazy last lap began with Fischer gaining on the Leader, and 3rd place gaining on Fischer.  It all changed when the leader placed a tire wrong, spinning off the track and handing the race lead over to Fischer. TJ roared to the race win, with 2nd place in hot pursuit, with a margin of just .3 seconds separating them.   The Cambrian team roared with approval as the Gatorz series entered one more new race winner to the record books.

Day 2 of the Gatorz Challenge of The America’s Finale was the complete opposite for Fischer. Morning warmup showed TJ 5th fastest, even though he ran only 1 lap, and everyone knew in the pits that he was the driver to beat. Fischer Qualified 3rd fastest, barely missing pole by an impressive .138 seconds. In the Prefinal Fischer ran a steady 4th place finish leading him to start on the outside second row for the Final. In the Final on lap 10, TJ made the pass for third and cruised to an easy 3rd place finish. Thus, putting TJ on the podium for 2 consecutive days and the only American placed on the podium for the Sr Rotax class for both days.

TJ's next event is the SKUSA North Series at Prairie City, followed by the Norcal Rotax Max Challenge held at the Jim Russell International Karting Center April 10th, finally ending April at the Skusa Pro Tour Spring Nationals at Musselman Honda Circuit Tucson, Arizona. TJ Fischer would like to thank his current Sponsors & Partners: Cambrian Go-Karts, Rathbun Associates, Gregg Drilling, Spy Optics, Axcel Fast Graphics, and RMG Race Media Group for all of their continued support. More information about TJ Fischer can be found at his website www.TJFischerRacing.com

3-24-11 Kartel Race WKA Outlaw Race Report

This past weekend Kartel Made the trek out to Prairie City Kart track for the Second round of the WKA Outlaw Series. The Weather was reporting 70MPH winds combined with the heavy down pour, so the team prepared karts for rain during Saturday morning practice. With many drivers under the kartel banner racing in the rain this weekend for the first time, this was sure to be a wet and wild event for all.

Davey Manthei from Washington, led the team in the Cadet Classifications Qualifying his Wild Kart/Magnum Comer in first position. Starting on the front row, Davey used his wet weather skills pulling a comfortable lead to win the heat race. The start of the Final was a bit more challenging for the northwestern native, as the second place kart was putting pressure on the youngster right away. As the race progressed the second place kart made some attempts, but was ultimately unable to power by. Davey led from start to finish in one exciting race. First time Cadet rain racer and Kartel Teammate Jack von Quillich drove to an outstanding third place finish. Posting very quick practice times on Saturday, Jack used the data gathered and drove a smart race to gather valuable Championship points.

Zach MacLean is building his resume as a Super Sportsman Senior driver to watch. Zach was leading the pace with consistent fast times, and slowly pulled away to a straight away victory. MacLean drove a great race and is now leading the points.

With everyone knowing how competitive kart racing is at all levels and at all ages, the ultra competitive Masters division is non the less. This class is perfect for the weekend warrior or newer drivers looking to have fun. Corey Mitchel showed how much fun this Masters class really is. The kartel driver was unable to attend Saturday testing and has never driven on Bridgestone Rain Tires so Sunday had a steep learning curve. Corey drove a flawless Qualifying session to put his Magnum Rotax/Wild Kart on Pole. Starting on the front row for the final Cory did a great job of adapting to the conditions and earned himself his first WKA Outlaw win!!

Kartel/Magnum had three Drivers in the KPV-1 category. Jason Pettit Kicked off Qualifying by laying down a fast lap to secure the pole position. Roy Fulmer Jr. qualified off pole. Great effort for the team! Davey Manthei worked his way through a talented group of kids to take the win in the heat race and secured a front row starting position for the final. Kartel/Magnum took the podium in the final with Manthei, Pettit and Fulmer representing the team well.

Kartel had a stellar driver line up in the KPV-2 class. Leading Qualifying was Austin Elliot. Blaine Rocha qualified Fifth for his first Rain race ever, following Blaine was Branden Tomko, Sonny Cervelli, and Taylor Jacobs. This was the first rain race for a lot of the KPV field and final race had a first turn incident which took out some of the team. Sonny and Austin avoided the wreck and Austin put his head down and checked out. Sonny had his hands full the entire 15 laps with a 5 kart battle, once he won that fight, running comparable times to the leader, Cervelli ran out of laps and settled for third. This was Cervellis' first race on his Top Kart and showed he will be a contender at the remaining races.

Next up for Kartel is the SKUSA Pro Kart North at Prairie City this coming weekend. For any information on Wild Kart, Top Kart or Magnum Racing Engines contact Erik at 916-383-5278 or erik@kartelmotorsports.com


 

3-23-11 Cambrian Go Karts Wins Big in Challenge of the Americas Race

They call it the Challenge of the Americas because that is exactly what is going on at every event, the best from the U.S. Canada, Mexico, South America and Australia all get on a plane or in their rigs and meat for a hair raising 3 day event. All Rotax power plants Every chassis mfg. you can think of, all doing everything in their power to win because when the dust settles the series winner gets the right to represent their country in the Rotax World Finals and its all paid for.

Cambrian Go Karts arrived at the track with a good feeling about their preparation and their drivers ability to get the job done. With great representation in every class the team lined up very talented drivers to go to battle. Young Cody Dempster in the Micro Max class, Michael Michoff, Scott Huffaker and Wilson Skjerven in the Mini Max Class, Jason Dempster on a Jr. Rotax, TJ Fischer in the 40 car field of Rotax international and Donald Durbin Jr. in Rotax Masters.

Thursday was sunny and warm and it brought all the competitors out to play and when the day ended the the whole group was quick as we have come to expect but what was a surprise was Team leader Donald Durbin Jr. " I really pushed to do this event and a lot of people worked hard to make it happen for me, but honestly I didn't know how it would all turn out, I haven't competed in two years and the closer we got to the track the more I worked myself up......so to end the first day 5 tenths of a second faster than the field allowed me to calm my nerves and enjoy myself. "

But the rain came and never let up. Starting Friday morning the track was wet and never again dried, so all that was gained on Thursday was lost but the upbeat group held their heads high and started over again. " the worst thing about the rain for us is when it starts and stops. " " there is so much to do to the kart to really get it ready for a race in the rain that simply putting tires on if it dries out is not really an option, so the fact that it was always wet was honestly fine with us."

The Races came on Saturday and brought a lot of satisfaction to the San Jose based team, starting in the morning Cody Dempster from Colorado Stomped the micro max field with his Cambrian Go karts prepared Birel C28 and sealed his place 1st place position in the championship.

Scott Huffaker drove his heart out and calmly passed everything in his sight until he was out of opponents finding himself leading the biggest race of his young karting career, he crossed the finish line in the lead and won the race. " this was a big win for us " said Donald Durbin, " the mini max class is packed with talent from the front to the back and to walk away with the gold makes me so proud of the drivers we are grooming, Scott never cracked under pressure and never once put a wheel wrong, I am so proud of him. "

Just when we thought we had all the excitement we can handle for one day the highly anticipated Rotax international class was up and Cambrian Go Karts player in the field was TJ Fisher. " The class is cut throat, 1 tenth can equate to 10 sometimes more positions in qualifying and while TJ has been doing very well all year, qualifying is a tough act to master, and in the dry we knew what we had......I was curious to see what we had in the rain. " What they found they had was a very smart racer who was able to compete at the highest level and not slip up and end his day early. " TJ is a machine, as he passed Australia's own David Sera on the outside of the straight away and never looked back. Putting distance between him and the 38 other karts on the track he finished the 20 lap race in 1st place and earned the respect of his peers, it was a very popular win.

Cambrian Go Karts Pit boss showed to to qualify his # 79 Birel Ry30 and quickly realized the radiator was leaking water, fast. With very strict rules in the series nothing is allowed to be done to the engine once in the hot pit so qualifying was not an option. " I got out of the kart and saw the look in my dads eyes and new he was feeling like he let me down, and true in my hay day I would have reacted not exactly professionally, but this really isn't about me anymore and I have a lot of impressionable eyeballs on me. " So instead Donald removed his helmet, looked at his dad and said " just going to be that much more interesting isn't it. " In the first heat Donald started last on the grid of 16 karts and on lap 5 he was in the lead and it stayed that way all through out the day. " I think its important to be able to practice what you preach, and while winning is important it isn't everything, I really press hard on these young drivers about passing, to me it is more important. The fastest driver in the world can win from the pole week in and week out but what he does when you start him in 12th is when people start to pay attention to what he or she can do? "

If there is anything we can help you with Cambrian Go Karts is in the shop, on the web and at your track and more that happy to do anything to improve your day. 408-377-5278 www.cambriangokarts.com look for us every week to give you a report of our drivers at your tracks.

 

3-22-11 Gatorz Challenge of the Americas - Sonoma Report

It just wouldn’t be the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas without a little bit of rain to make the Canadians feel more welcome. However, there aren’t many people that would describe the rain that befell the final weekend of the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California over the weekend as a ‘little bit of rain’.

However, even with a lake in the ‘Tic Tac Toe’ section of the National configuration of the kart track at Infineon Raceway forming, nothing was going to stop the one hundred drivers of the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas from battling for their trips to the Rotax Grand Nationals and Rotax Grand Finals. The event, while soggy, would provide an exciting conclusion for all classes in what has been the most successful season yet of the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas.

Saturday
Rolison Performance Group DD2 / Arrow Karts DD2
Nicholas Latifi looked set to clinch his DD2 class championship after four straight wins, even though Derek Wang put a chink in his armor by taking pole position in qualifying. Latifi took the pre-main, and led the field at the start of the main. He began to put distance on Wang in second place, and his fifth win of the season seemed to be a few easy laps away – until he suffered gearbox failure on the thirteenth lap of the race, sidelining his kart. Wang then took the point and ran alone to the checkered, recording his first win of the season. Second overall was the winner of DD2 Masters, Andre Ericksen, with Matt Ostiguy third overall.

One Racegear Rotax Masters
The main focus in the Rotax Masters race was the close championship battle between Bill Kann and Scott Falcone, as the two entered the Sonoma weekend separated by a scant few points. However, it was local driver Donald Durbin, Jr. and Arie Luyendyk who would act as spoilers as they mixed it up with Kann and Falcone throughout the day.

Durbin lined up for the Final first with Kann in second, but it was Falcone who got the drop on the field at the start. From the moment he took the lead, he was untouchable, and pulled away from the field in the heavy downpour. Durbin, Jr. gave chase while Kann and Luyendyk battled for the final podium spot throughout the race.

But Falcone’s pace was relentless – he lapped up to fifth place in the field – and he handily took the victory with Durbin, Jr. in second. Kann eventually passed Luyendyk for good to finish third, which meant the Masters class championship wouldn’t be settled until Sunday’s race was run.

Tony Kart West Rotax Senior
It was another monster field for Rotax Senior as thirty-five karts answered the bell in Sonoma. Leading the charge into the first turn was Bryce Choquer, with Tyler Wheeler off-pole and Chris Glover in third. However, it was fourth-starting Kiel Spaulding who was on the move at the start of the race as he jumped up to second on the opening lap and took the lead on the third lap. From that point he simply took off as a huge battle raged behind between Choquer, David Sera, T.J. Fischer, Tyler Wheeler, and Daniel Burkett. Points leader Felipe Fraga had a difficult day, suffering a DNF in the pre-main and unable to move up any higher in the main than 17th.

The battle went on throughout the race but Spaulding was in total control – until the last lap, when he spun off course. Fischer, running second at the time, inherited the lead and took the surprise victory, with Wheeler right behind him in second and Jorge Cevallos in third.

Overdrive Karting Junior Rotax
Artie Carpenter and Brody Zink led the field down the front straight at the start, but it was Skylar Dunning who took the lead from Carpenter after the first lap and put on a driving clinic for the rest of the field. While he set sail – almost literally in the rain - the battle for the rest of the podium was heating up as Dakota Dickerson and points leader Parker Thompson were moving forward through the field.

Dunning simply put on a driving clinic while Dickerson was able to move past Marco Eakins for second in the final stages. When the checkered fell, Dunning had a comfortable gap and took the win with Dickerson in second and Eakins in third. Thompson would finish fourth, his first non-podium in the season, but his result was good enough to secure him the Junior Rotax championship and a trip to the Rotax Grand Finals.

Holeshot Race Products Mini Max
Sting Ray Robb and Scott Huffaker led a large Mini Max field into the first turn at the start of the main, while points leader Scott Wick and his closes pursuer, Royal McKee were stuck in the middle of the pack.

From the start, Robb was untouchable, and he began to pull away from the rest of the field. Robb dominated the fourteen lap race until the tenth lap, when he was black-flagged after his rear bumper came detached from his kart. The attention then focused on the new leader, Huffaker, who had Kami Moreira-Laliberte giving chase. However, a mistake never came, and Huffaker took the win with Moreira-Laliberte in second and Garrett Gulenchyn in third.

In the championship battle, McKee took a chunk out of Wick’s lead as his eighth place was ahead of Wick’s thirteenth.

Apollo Motorsports Micro Max
Cody Dempster led the field at the start and quickly began to pull away from the field. As he did, all eyes were on Hannah Greenmeier, who worked her way past Conner Wick and Griffin Dowler. Although she came close, she ran out of time to challenge for the lead, and Dempster took the win with Greemeier in second and Wick in third.

Sunday
Rolison Performance Group DD2 / Arrow Karts DD2
After his troubles on Saturday, Latifi looked to finish the season with his fifth win to seal his championship and his trip to the Rotax Grand Finals. Leading the field at the start, Latifi made a mistake in the ‘Tic Tac Toe’ complex on the opening lap, spinning off track and giving the lead to Wang.

Thanks to that mistake, Wang led the field from start to finish, taking his second win of the weekend. Latifi recovered and would finish second, but that was more than good enough to secure his DD-2 class championship. Ericksen again won DD-2 Masters, and January Grove would take that class championship after six races.

One Racegear Rotax Masters
Durbin, Jr. led John Crow and championship contender Bill Kann to the green flag in the main while the other championship contender, Scott Falcone, was mired down in eleventh. Crow hit trouble early, slowing over the first lap and retiring quickly after that, and Durbin, Jr. was suddenly without a challenger at the front of the field. Falcone was able to make a great start, jumping up to third after two laps while Kann fell down to sixth.

The difficult conditions probably contributed to Falcone going off track on the fourth lap, falling down the order. Things got worse for Falcone, however, as he went off course again when his tire rod became disconnected from the spindle of his kart. In full championship mode, however, Falcone fixed his kart on the side of the track and jumped back into the race, despite having lost a lap.

While all this was going on, however, Durbin, Jr. cruised home to take the win with Arie Luyendyk finishing second and Brian Robson taking his first podium of the season in third. Kann would finish the race in eighth, but Falcone’s points for ninth narrowly earned him the Rotax Masters class championship.

Tony Kart West Rotax Senior
The final Rotax Senior race of the season was action packed from the beginning as Tyler Wheeler led David Sera, Stepanova Nekeel, and thirty-two other karts to the start. Championship leader Felipe Fraga started in eighth place, behind his closest pursuer – Nekeel – but still within striking distance of his championship.

Wheeler led the first several laps but had Sera putting some serious pressure on him for the lead, which he finally took on the sixth lap. Once clear of the field, Sera was untouchable and he pulled away from Wheeler. T.J. Fischer and Chris Glover both passed Nekeel for third and forth, moving him to fifth, while Fraga was right behind in sixth but did not know that he was to be given a two position penalty for rough driving.

In the end, however, it would make little difference as Sera handily took the race win with Wheeler in second and Fischer in third. With Nekeel finishing fifth and Fraga reclassified in eighth, it was still enough for the Brazilian to take the Rotax Senior class championship and a trip to the Rotax Grand Finals.

Overdrive Karting Junior Rotax
Champion-elect Parker Thompson and Brody Zink led the field to the start of the Junior Rotax final, which lost fifth-starting Matthew Moniz even before the green flag flew. Zink drove around Thompson at the start and nobody would see him again as he clearly had the wet conditions figured out better than anyone else. Thompson stayed close but appeared to not want to push the issue too much, with his championship locked up, but he still had the pace to stay clear of the rest of the field.

After the opening lap excitement, the race would be fairly uneventful as Zink pulled away throughout the race to eventually take the win by nearly four seconds. Thompson would cap his championship with a run to second place, while Jake Craig ran alone to finish in third place.

Holeshot Race Products Mini Max
With the rain falling much harder for the start of the Mini Max race, Royal McKee led Michael Avansino, Kyle Wick, and Giafranco Mazzaferro into the first corner. Wick jumped up to second at the start to challenge McKee with Avansino in third, but the three would run in that order throughout the entire race. Unable to pass McKee, Wick and Avansino waited for a mistake that never came, while behind them, Kami Moreira-Laliberte and Mazzaferro, battled for fourth.

After fourteen laps, McKee took the checkered flag with Wick right behind in second and Avansino in third.McKee’s win in the premain as well as the main would complete his come from behind run to win the Mini Max class championship and a trip to the Rotax Grand Nationals.

Apollo Motorsports Micro Max
The final race of the season saw Griffin Dowler jump out to the lead ahead of Cody Dempster, Hannah Greenmeier and Conner Wick. Dempster took the lead on the second lap but went off the track two laps later, allowing Greenmeier into the lead with Wick right behind in second. The two battled for several laps but Greenmeier was able to pull away to a substantial lead.

Behind, Dowler went off course a few times and Dempster was charging hard. With only two laps remaining, he passed Wick for second place. He would run out of time to make a run at the lead, and with the crowd cheering, Greemeier took the win with almost ten seconds in hand over Dempster. However, Dempster was placed behind Wick in the final standings, so Wick was awarded second with Dempster third.

The result, however, was good enough for Dempster to earn the Micro Max class championship.

The 2011 Gatorz Challenge of the Americas Champions
Tony Kart West Rotax Senior – Felipe Fraga
Overdrive Karting Junior Rotax – Parker Thompson
Rolison Performance Group DD2 – Nicholas Latifi
Arrow Karts DD2 Masters – January Grove
One Racegear Rotax Masters – Scott Falcone
Holeshot Race Products Mini Max – Royal McKee
Apollo Motorsports Micro Max – Cody Dempster
 

3-22-11 Degrand Prepared For Return to Florida Winter Tour at Ocala

Two time series champion looking to better February results in Rotax Senior category at familiar facility

American karting star Tristan DeGrand is set for his return to a favorite and successful facility from his past. The final round of the Florida Winter Tour Rotax Max Challenge will take place at the Ocala Gran Prix circuit in central Florida over the March 25-27 weekend. The short yet fast 1/2-mile venue has been a welcomed stop on the karting schedule for the recently turned 15-year old from Missouri. Following his Senior debut at last month’s event in West Palm Beach - racing alongside former national and world champions in addition to IndyCar drivers Dan Wheldon and Jay Howard - DeGrand has shown his development as a driver is paying off and looks to continue that momentum into Ocala.

DeGrand’s event in Palm Beach began with a sixth place qualifying effort for his first day in the Senior category. He was quickly initiated, getting shuffled by multiple competitors to drop to 29th across the line for the first time. DeGrand put his head down and knifed his way forward to end up 14th with lap times similar to the leaders. From there, Tristan made up numerous positions in the opening laps of the final to join the lead pack. A heated 20-lap feature race saw common racing contact throughout the duration with DeGrand climbing to cross the line fifth, only to be handed a three-position penalty as the lone and questionable offense. Day two began with a ninth place effort in qualifying aboard his J3 Competition Kosmic powered by a Supertune USA Rotax and holding the position after some heavy shuffling in the Prefinal. Similar to Saturday, the opening corner was very dicey and the mistakes by others caught Tristan, dropping him to 19th after the first lap. With determination and skill, DeGrand found himself trailing the lead group once again by the halfway mark. Running as high as fifth, he would cross the line sixth to complete his first weekend racing in the Senior category.

DeGrand’s jumped to the Senior category was last minute but the young Missouri driver was ready, “Racing in Seniors was unexpected in Palm Beach. I originally planned on racing in the Junior class but a mix up in registration forced me to move up to Senior. This was an exciting new challenge to fight against very experienced drivers. I wanted to take the success I’ve had in Juniors and my experience overseas to carry that to the next level. The heavier weight of the kart was the first noticeable difference to racing in the Junior category. From the first practice, I felt comfortable so my preparations have paid off. I learned a lot and finished both finals with possible chances at the podium. I’m looking forward to the final round in Ocala. This is a track where I have had lots of success.”

Lot’s of success is an understatement when reflecting on the 2009 event of the Florida Winter Tour at Ocala. Competing in the KF3 and TaG Junior categories, DeGrand earned three main event victories and one runner-up finish over the two days. Two of those wins helped to clinch the KF3 series championship. Following Ocala, DeGrand will shift his efforts toward the Rotax Pan American Challenge, with events in Homestead, Florida and South Bend, Indiana for April and May.

Tristan would like to thank his sponsors - J3 Competition, Supertune USA, Alpinestars, Pro Am Golf, Inc. and Thinkglobale Inc. - for their support. Additional information on Tristan DeGrand can be found on his personal website - degrandracing.com .