Archives May 2009

5-29-09 SwedeTech Customers Dominate ProKart’s West Coast Shootout
 

SwedeTech customers participate in 7 ProKart Challenge classes and accumulate 3 pole positions, 11 podiums spots, and 4 Wins.

Buttonwillow, CA – May 17, 2008 – Two of the attractive aspects of the ProKart Challenge Series (PKC) is the laid back social atmosphere within the pits and the intense racing action on the track.  One of these elements was missing when I rolled into the pits for Friday’s practice, no one was laid back.  There was intensity in the air that has been missing from karting for a long time (with exception to the SuperNats).

Leave it to Tom Kutscher, founder of the PKC, to challenge the NorCal pilots and the SoCal pilots to an ego fest.  Murmers in the pits of drivers and teams talking about how many points are being scored for their end of the state.  Rob Howden’s voice echoing through the pits as he shouts out “ BOOK IT!”. 

SwedeTech Racing Engines has supported our customers at the PKC races for over three years, and our customers have supported us back with results.  This weekend would be no exception.

The S4 / S4 Magnum class was first on track for the weekend.  Cory Gwin ( Emmick Cobra Karts ) placed his Honda CR125 machine on pole and brought home the win for the Emmick boys.  Ken Schilling (Extreme Karting – GP ) and Jeff Smith ( Aluminos - GP ) battled throughout the weekend, but Ken narrowly edged out Jeff for third.

S3 was the second class of the weekend, and this class never disappoints the crowd.  SwedeTech customers Jimmy McNeil ( Visalia Racing - CRG ), Tommy Thompson ( Trackmagic ) , and Jacob Neal ( PCH Motorsports - CRG ) swept the top three qualifying spots.  In the second prefinal, Jimmy McNeil’s air filter came loose and he was removed from the track on the last lap, dashing any hopes of a win.  Clinton Schoombee ( Select Karting - CRG ) used the heat races to improve his qualifying position and by the end of the weekend, after a spirited battle with Jacob Neal, would bring home a well deserved 2nd place.  Jacob Neal captured another S3 victory.

The HPV 2 Jr. driver’s were also in attendance this weekend.  After the qualifying round, Luis Tyrell ( Kartel – Top Kart ), Kiel Spaulding ( Trackmagic ), and Donavon Wheeler ( Trackmagic ) placed their karts in positions second, third, and fourth for the first heat race.  Luis Tyrell was strong all weekend long, but a broken exhaust mount ended his chance for a podium finish.  Kiel Spaulding stayed consistent all weekend long and drove his kart to a well deserved second.  Dylan Lupton ( Cambrian Go Karts -  Birel ) was unable to participate in Friday’s practice, so he used qualifying and the heat races to move up in the grid order, and at the end of the day finished fourth.

Steve Wiener ( FX Racing – Trackmagic ) was the lone SwedeTech customer in the TaG Masters class.  Qualifying third and taking second in both heat races, Steve was the only driver in the field who contested the overall winner.  At the checkered, Steve would finish second, with a 16 second margin over third.

The TaG Jr. class is always exciting to watch, and this weekend, the strong NorCal drivers had strong SoCal competition.  Louie Pagano ( Dave’s Performance – Birel ), Kiel Spaulding ( Trackmagic ), and Dylan Lupton ( Cambrian Go Karts – Birel ) qualified within 0.119 seconds of each other to start the first heat race in second, third, and fourth.  When the drivers took the checkered for the final time, Dylan Lupton finished second, with Louie Pagano and Kiel Spaulding wrapping up third and fourth.

The S1 and the G1 group hit the track at the same time.  Jacob Neal ( PCH Motorsports – CRG ) and Gregory Liefooghe ( Leading Edge – Intrepid ) qualified 2nd and 4th. Robert Marks ( Top Kart – Visalia Racing ) qualified 7th overall, but 2nd in G1, not bad for a guy that hasn’t been in a kart since the SuperNationals.  At the end of the day, the familiar name of Gary Carlton ( PCH Motorsports – CRG ) topped the podium.  Jacob Neal was a strong second and Gregory Liefooghe was fourth.  In the G1 class, Fernando Diaz ( Aluminos – GP ) was standing on the top step, with Eduardo Martins ( TonyKart Florida ) in the third spot.

For more information on SwedeTech, visit www.swedetechracing.com or the new online shopping catalog,  www.shopswedetech.com .      

 
 

5-26-09 Gatorz Battles in the California Desert

 
May 25, 2009 (Orange, Calif.) – The Gatorz Karting Cup hit one of its traditional stops for the third round of the 2009 season at the Grange Motor Circuit in Apple Valley, Calif. Located in the California desert, roughly halfway between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the Grange circuit is technical, twisty, and a physical challenge for drivers to last the full length of a Gatorz main event.
 
Rotax Masters
 
It was a resurgent Paul Bonilla (birel) who convincingly put himself on pole for Dave’s Performance Rotax Masters ahead of Tyler Brooks (Kosmic) and Steve Dzurilla (birel).
 
At the start of the pre-main, Brooks got a big push from Andy Seesemann (birel) to launch into the lead, with Seesemann slotting into second and Bonilla falling to third. Brooks was out to a big lead while Bonilla went to work on Seesemann, making the move into second in turn one after five laps. A lap later, Bonilla was into the lead as he passed Brooks into turn one. Seesemann was next, demoting Brooks back to third. Behind them, Mike Daniel (CRG) made life difficult for himself as he spun out of fourth place, falling back to tenth. The order at the front was Bonilla, Seesemann, Brooks, Dzurilla, and Larry Hayashigawa (Tony Kart) at the checkered.
 
Bonilla got a big push at the start of the main while Seesemann didn’t and dropped to third into turn one, behind Brooks. A lap later, Seesemann passed Brooks into turn one for second. Seesemann could not pull away from Brooks, however, and Brooks retook the spot a few laps later in the same corner. Later that lap, Brooks race ended in turn eight with a thrown chain, putting Seesemann back into second. A lap later, Seesemann pulled off the track, leaving Dzurilla in second place with Frank Powell (birel) third.
 
But charging through the field was Daniel. After making his way past Powell for third, he set sail and caught Dzurilla, making the pass for second into turn one on the final lap. Bonilla, however, was unchallenged and took his first victory of the season, with Daniel second and Dzurilla on his bumper in third.
 
Club
 
Run for the first time this season, Ian McAdam (birel) took pole position for the Club class. But it was Jacob Zamora (birel) who took the win in the heat race, with McAdam second and Kim Ryan in third.

McAdam jumped ahead of Zamora at the start of the main, with Ryan giving chase. In the latter stages of the race, McAdam made contact with another kart, dropping him out of contention for the win. Zamora would take the first Club class win of the year, with Ryan finishing second and McAdam making it home in third.
 
MicroMax
 
For the first time, MicroMax was offered at a Gatorz Karting Cup event and four young drivers made their series debut. Nicky Hays (birel) took pole ahead of Sebastien Elizondo (Arrow), Chris Trickle (CRG) and Wilson Skjerven (CRG).
 
Hays led the pre-main from the start with Trickle and Elizondo right behind. Elizondo passed Trickle for second place after six laps, but pulled to the side with a mechanical problem three laps later. Hays ran uncontested to the win.
 
Hays led the main race from the green flag to the checkered, while Elizondo ran in second. Skjerven finished third after Trickle retired with a mechanical problem.
 
Junior Rotax
 
Lou Pagano (birel) kicked his day off by qualifying on pole ahead of Nicholas Silva (Kosmic), Dakota Dickerson (birel), and Austin King (PCR).
 
Pagano ran away from the field in the pre-main, winning with ease while Silva was pressured the whole way by Dickerson. Dickerson made the pass for second on the last lap with Silva finishing third. Behind them, King had an entertaining battle for fourth place with Jeremy Kane (birel).
 
Pagano held the lead at the start of the race, but Silva challenged for the lead and took it with a pass into turn one after one lap. Pagano stayed with him for two laps before retaking the position. While Pagano started to grow his lead, Dickerson started to make up ground on Silva. However, with a few laps remaining, Pagano’s lead was erased when a red flag came out after contact between Adrian Starrantino (CRG) and King when Starrantino went for a pass in turn eleven. King was tended to by the on site paramedics but was uninjured.
 
On the restart, Pagano began to build his lead again and Silva was under fire from Dickerson. On the last lap, Dickerson made a late pass into turn one to take second spot. The pass slowed Silva up enough that he was unable to make a bid for the position, and Dickerson crossed the checkered in second with Silva third. But Pagano made it a perfect sweep, taking the win and leading every lap of racing on this weekend.
 
 
MiniMax
 
Qualifying was a preview of things to come in MiniMax, as Trenton May (CRG) just edged Royal McKee (CRG) and Michael Davis (birel) for pole position with a little more than a tenth of a second separating the first three. Blake Dunkelberger (Biesse) and Adam Iavelli (birel) rounded out the top five.
 
The top three karts broke away in the heat race, but the order remained May, McKee and Davis until two laps to go when McKee made a pass into turn one for the lead stick. Undaunted, however, May retook the lead on the last lap to lead the trio home.
 
May held on to his lead at the start of the main while Davis worked around McKee for second place. McKee took the spot back a lap later and parked his kart on the rear bumper of May’s, while Davis did much the same. The three ran in order for much of the race, until McKee went for the lead with two laps remaining with a late pass into turn one. The pass stuck, demoting May to second place. May attempted to take it back on the final lap in the same spot, but Davis was able to sneak past him to take the second spot for himself. They ran the last lap in that order, with McKee taking the win just in front of Davis and May.
 
 Rotax Senior
 
Mike Herda (CRG) showed early that he was going to have things his own way in Rotax Senior, as he convincingly took pole position ahead of Dylan Stalker (Sodi Kart) and Erik von Zeipel (birel).
 
Herda drove away from the start while Stalker was going backwards with a mechanical problem with his kart. Efrain Olivares (birel) moved into second with Derek Wang (CRG) and von Zeipel right behind. Wang moved into second with a few laps remaining with a pass into turn one, and the pre-main ended with Herda winning by a large amount ahead of Wang and Olivares.
 
The top four karts held their running order at the start of the main. Herda again began building a lead while Wang ran ahead of Olivares and von Zeipel. Von Zeipel moved passed Olivares, and while the two ran side-by-side down the front straightaway, Wang’s kart suddenly pitched off the left side of the track and through haybales after a mechanical failure. Wang was unhurt but was out on the spot, and von Zeipel himself pulled his kart off the track two corners later with a mechanical failure of his own.
 
With Herda enjoying a massive lead, Alan Musev (CRG) was closing the gap to Olivares for second, getting close with a couple of laps remaining but not close enough to mount a serious challenge. Herda took the victory with Olivares a distant second. At the scales, however, Musev was dq’d from his third-place spot, promoting Ari Baquet (birel) to the final spot on the podium.
 
 DD2
 
Running uncontested, Matt Ostiguy (CRG) swept the weekend but put his tracktime at Grange to good use as he continues with his season-long preparation to run in the Rotax Grand Nationals in the DD2 class.
 
The Gatorz Karting Cup is in action next month at the CalSpeed Karting Center on June 27.

 

5-28-09 BRUNELLI SECOND IN NASCAR GRAND AMERICAN MODIFIED RACE AT ALL-AMERICAN SPEEDWAY



Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle development driver worked her way back from
contact to score her first feature race podium finish

ROSEVILLE, CALIF. (May 27, 2009) – Series rookie Jessica Brunelli
showcased what a talented race pilot can do behind the wheel at
All-American Speedway on May 23^rd , as the Ron Sutton Winner’s Circle
development driver won her Heat race, finished third in the Trophy Dash
and crossed the stripe second in the NASCAR Grand American Modified
feature race.

Just over a month after capturing her inaugural NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series Trophy Dash win, Brunelli enjoyed her most
successful run thus far in 2009.

First up for the talented 16 year-old Californian was qualifying on the
0.300-mile All-American speedway oval. While Brunelli failed to match
her typical top-five pace, she quickly regrouped in her Heat race,
leading the No. 3 K&N Filters/Tico Construction/Fremont
Bank/Finishmaster Paint Company/Nascimento Motorsports/Brunelli Racing
NASCAR Grand American Modified to victory lane. As a result of the win,
Brunelli was soon back on-track as part of the Trophy Dash, which pits
the top drivers from the Heat races. In contention for the win from
start-finish, the former Skip Barber Western Regional Rookie of the Year
and two-time IKF regional karting champion crossed the stripe in third
place.

Given the Heat race win and podium finish in the Trophy Dash, Brunelli
was poised for strong run in the feature race later in the night. Things
however did not go according to plan early on, as on lap two a spinning
car rolled back down the track striking the second-year Ron Sutton’s
Winner’s Circle driver. Despite damage to her car’s suspension and
wheel, Brunelli was able to make it to pitlane, where her Nascimento
Motorsports/Brunelli Racing crew made repairs and got her back on-track
without losing a lap.

Brunelli promptly became one of the drivers to watch when the racing
action resumed. Despite piloting a damaged car, she regularly passed
more than one car a lap, working her way towards the front of the field.
In what was a stunning drive, Brunelli earned a career best result of
second place when the checkered flag waved for her fourth NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series Grand American Modified race, crossing the stripe
just ahead of her Ron Sutton Winner’s Circle teammates Marten Hansen of
Sweden in fourth and Josh Reaume of Canada in sixth.

“Jessica continues to show she is the real deal,” stated development
coach, Ron Sutton. “She runs up front practically right out of the gate
as a rookie.”

Brunelli resumes her 2009 NASCAR Grand American Modified campaign on
June 6, with the next round of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at
All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif.
 

5-26-09 SUPERKARTS! USA ANNOUNCES RETURN TO RIO FOR 2009 SUPERNATIONALS


 
13th annual event back on the Vegas strip in mid-November

TEMECULA, CA (May 22, 2009) – At what was largely considered to be the greatest karting event in North American history, the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals XII elevated the event’s prestige when it returned to the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas last November. Now, looking ahead six months, the organization is gunning to trump the previous edition of the program’s marquee race. SKUSA’s Tom Kutscher is pleased to announce that the 13th edition of the SuperNationals will return to the Rio on November 18-22, 2009, with a number of improvements scheduled to be unveiled prior and during this year’s event.
 
“The 2008 SuperNationals was a huge success for karting and for SKUSA,” stated Kutscher, looking back at an event that was the product of six months of work. “Without the hard work and dedication of the entire staff, both on and off the track, and those competing, the event would not have been possible. With last year’s event now in the SKUSA history books, we have a better idea of the challenges and opportunities that we face at this tremendous venue. With some fine tuning, we’re looking to make this year’s event even more spectacular – and one not to be missed!”
 
The evolution on the drawing board for this year’s race includes the addition of a fifth day of on-track action, a more focused class structure, a fine-tuned race track, increased seating and paddock excitement, and finally, the best room rate in the history of the SuperNats at the Rio.
 
After working closely with the Rio for the first time last year, Kutscher has put together a great program with them for the ’09 event. The hotel room rate will be announced just prior to the hotel registration opening June 1st. This special room rate and code will be announced at midnight on May 31st at www.superkartsusa.com <http://www.superkartsusa.com>
 
If you’re waiting to hear that your class will be on the docket this year, at this time the organization can only confirm that the core SKUSA classes will be presented. Stock Moto is one of the foundations of the program; therefore, both S3 and S4 will be offered. The TaG categories have become such an exciting part of the group, as well; therefore, TaG Senior, Junior and Masters will all be offered.  If you have an ICC powerplant, the KZ2 (SuperPro) category will be your ticket into the SuperNats, where you will get the opportunity to run with the best of the best. Always a key part of the SKUSA program, the G1 pilots will also take center stage in Las Vegas, running both ICC and built moto engines.  The remainder of the class structure has not yet been confirmed, but this final announcement will be made soon.  The full ’09 update of the SKUSA SuperNationals website will coincide with the opening day of pre-race online registration on July 1st.
 
Last year’s race featured very long days, as the schedule was packed into four days of action at the Rio – prompting Kutscher to take the race back to five days of on-track action.  The opening rounds of practice will take place on Wednesday, November 18, continuing through qualifying, heat races and Last Chance Qualifiers, all the way to the wildest day in karting – SuperSunday.
 
Do not miss out!
 

5-26-09 HANSEN CAPTURES FIRST NASCAR GRAND AMERICAN MODIFIED PODIUM FINISH



First-year Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle development driver overcame an
incident to finish third at All-American Speedway

ROSEVILLE, CALIF. (May 26, 2009) – Swedish driver Marten Hansen scored
his first-ever North American podium finish on May 23^rd , finishing
third in the NASCAR Grand American Modified race at All-American
Speedway in California. With the result, the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s
Circle development driver became the first Scandinavian driver to score
a top-three result in series history in only his third-ever oval race.

A newcomer to oval racing, and the first-ever European selected into the
prestigious Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle program, Hansen has quickly
come to grips with the 500 horsepower NASCAR Grand American Modified
car. After strong showings in his opening two races of 2009, the 20
year-old entered the race at 0.300-mile All-American Speedway oval
confident he could challenge for top honors. This proved the case, as
despite a car that was a little tight, Hansen still managed a top-10
time in single-car qualifying, resulting in a third place starting
position for the feature race.

Hansen enjoyed a solid start when the race got underway later in the
day, holding his position among the lead pack. Unfortunately just as the
former Swedish Junior karting champion, Swedish Camaro Cup Rookie of the
Year and Swedish Camaro Cup Junior Champion was getting into a rhythm,
he was struck by another competitor. Forced to the pits for repairs,
Hansen rejoined the race near the rear of the field in car that looked
less than perfect.

Upon getting the green flag to resume racing, Hansen immediately
refocused on the task at hand. In what was the drive of the day, he
methodically worked his way back to the front, passing multiple cars
each lap. When the checkered flag waved, Hansen had earned his first
career podium finish on an oval behind the wheel of his No. 21 Ron
Sutton Sutton’s Winner’s Circle NASCAR Grand American Modified in only
his third series start.

Ron Sutton, head of Driver Development said, “The hurricane that is
American Short Oval Track Racing is very different from the road racing
series he came from. But Marten has come a long way in only three oval
track races to run up front in a stout field.”

Hansen and the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle NASCAR Grand American
Modified team return to action on June 6^th , with Round Four taking
place at All-American Speedway in Roseville, Calif.
 

5-26-09 NEWGARDEN RETURNS TO COMPETITION WITH HEAVY HEART
American committed to honoring Team Boss - Joe Tandy
KENT, ENGLAND (May 26, 2009) – American race driver Josef Newgarden returns to the cockpit of his Joe Tandy Racing formula ford with a heavy heart this coming weekend (May 30-31), with Rounds Four, Five and Six of the MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain taking place at the Rockingham Motor Speedway in England. The tripleheader will mark his first races since the tragic passing of team owner Joe Tandy. Newgarden was in America on a scheduled visit home when he learned of the news.
As any race driver will tell you, the goal when you get behind the wheel is to win races and championships. In order to do so, you not only need to be skilled, but also require the support and backing of talented team members. For Newgarden, this has come recently via a successful partnership with Tandy. Since signing with Joe Tandy Racing during the winter months, the American had rapidly developed a special bond with the former driver and up-and-coming team owner. Sharing insights, experiences and advice, Tandy not only made the 18 year-old feel at home in his inaugural season of European junior formula car competition, but helped propel him to victory lane, with Newgarden scoring a win in his first-ever British Formula Ford event. Everything changed however on May 13th, when Tandy, the 2005 Formula Palmer Audi champion, lost his life in a road car accident near his home in England.
“To be honest I’m still in a state of shock about Joe’s death,” said Newgarden. “What I learned and experienced with Joe will last my entire life. He was more than just my team owner, he was my friend. I’ll never forget Joe and now more than ever, I’m committed to winning the Formula Ford title in his honor.”
With the Tandy family announcing that Joe Tandy Racing will continue its efforts in both the British Formula 3 International Series and MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain, as Joe Tandy would have wished, Newgarden has returned to England on schedule with his sights set on placing his JTR car in victory lane at Rockingham.
The rising American talent, whose final memory of Joe came on a May 8th team test at Brands Hatch in which Tandy stated how proud he was of the young driver, will get behind the wheel of his No. 21 Robo-Pong/Racer of Tomorrow Ltd/Joe Tandy Racing Mygale SJ08 Premier Power car on May 30-31, committed and confident for Rounds Four, Five and Six of the MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain.
 

5-23-09 WestCoastKarters Exclusive
Track Mom Beverly Ban
Bad Boyz Racing

 

When asked what it takes to be a race track mom Bev. Ban had to think about it for awhile because there are so many things that have to be put into being a track mom.

First when your over- grown boys come home with the idea of your little darling getting into what amounts to a race car and going faster than the speeds of their normal bikes and skateboards they are used to seems like a pretty simple task. Then the excitement and adrenaline kicks in when you see the kart for the first time. I thought hey that is pretty cool, of course most of us have been in one of those little karts and the mini golf courses and putted around a few laps for fun. So I was game……why not …….so we found a kart second hand, pretty cheap too. We had been on the internet and hubby pointed out there was a great new track forming in Stockton Calif. That would soon open up. Oh by the way hubby says there are also tracks at near by Dixon, Davis and closest to us Prairie City track. Now Prairie City I had heard of, I had been there many times as a kid and teen riding dirt bikes so I had adrenaline running through my blood as a kid. Oh sure not like Dad and my son’s cousin who raced years ago……..sure they never told me they had plans on the kid racing down the road. ( much sooner than I had expected) My whole life and “free time” changed after that.

   I think they sucked me into this deal by taking me along out to the track so I could see how much fun it was. I watched dad and the cousin drive around the track and it seemed much faster than those karts I had seen that looked pretty innocent at the mini golf course……Ah ha that is when I realized I had been suckered into something much bigger than I would ever realize. And my son and I were along for the ride as Dad and cousin relived their teen years bringing us into the mix.

         All I remember the first time I was in the kart to take a spin on the track and check it out for  myself is I did just that, spun around on turn 1 looking right at a kart heading my way. I ducked out of that kart and decided it was much safer for me behind the fence watching them drive.

      The rest pretty quickly revolved over the next few years of racing, we knew our son couldn’t race the cheap kart we had found because Yamaha kt100 pipe classes had died off, so we bought his first real kart a Rocket from Chris and MMI he ran that for a few years all the while they ( I believe ) were wiser than I was because I found myself the one that said we needed a trailer to put all the stuff in and not the back of the truck anymore, oh and I needed all kinds of stuff that I didn’t even realize I needed until I found myself brining it up after they so slyly were making due without the latest thing to make our lives easier at the track. I soon found myself by the end of the first year asking for a Toy hauler  trailer for Christmas and even went so far as to go pick out my own trailer ordering bright Red and checker board floors. The Trailer company thought I had lost my mind or the boys had me on something to agree to all the items ordered but I swear it was all my idea……( I think )

      Anyway, my life evolved more as my son moved from class to class moving up to faster go karts kept me pacing the fences while he was racing and that is when I asked for a camera so I could do something with my hands to keep me busy. My excuse was the pictures would surely help him with his driving but in fact more than anything it helped me stay calm while he was out there racing. Not that things haven’t happened on the track that had me pacing the fences again and wanting to run out to him when he found his way head first into the hay bails after leading the race and getting tangled up with someone trying to pass on turn 1. I was a good parent and stayed off the track like I was supposed to do. Even now as I made my way infield and take pictures for my own web sight & to share with Nor Cal Karters I have found myself very restrained and calm.

I find that with a camera in my hands I can’t give a sign to the driver like others do on the side lines but I love the feeling and the rush of seeing the drivers out on the track. I often can tell that something is going to happen just prior to it happening and click away through some wild rides. The cool thing by being focused enough to do that it helps the drivers look over the pictures later and most realize that it was a 50/ 50 racing deal when one or the other didn’t give enough room or a simple mistake was made by a driver that caused a reaction. I have settled a few arguments when drivers have come up to me after the race and asked to see the pictures and asked what I thought. ( I don’t like to take sides so I let the pictures speak for themselves)

I think what I love the most about being a “ Track mom” is putting a name to a face and see the smiles on the drivers and families face when they see my pictures capture them on the track. I love watching the drivers move up through the ranks, from the littlest kid kart drivers who graduate onto the bigger karts and watching the Jr ½ kids and the hpv classes knowing in a few short years they are going to be our stars of tomorrow and the funniest part is watching them grow and develop. If I could have picked any job in the world years ago it would have been to be a “track mom”

     When it is hot outside, the kids know what mom has popsicles in the freezer, a bottle of water or a snack if they forgot their food. The adults know that I can make a mean “Rita” and they seem to find me too after the day is over and we just chill and hang out and talk about our days.

So on the Road to my son’s first championship I changed myself yet again so I could spend more time with my racer family. I sold my Bridal/ Tux Rental business and moved my Travel Agency business in a new direction from home and leaving my other agents in place to pull the extra slack while I was off racing with my son and family. Having a travel agency really helped with the cost assonated with racing. Hotels can be expensive part of racing so I used my contacts in the business to get group rates and help other racers as well as myself with cheaper rates when we went out of town with our racing adventures.

The friends and contacts I made over the years also helped when we needed sponsors for my son’s racing I became his manager and picked up sponsors for his race team leaving more money in our budget to run 3 race series instead of one. So I have become a well rounded Entrepreneur with this race business getting the best rates for hotels, food and other expenses. Learned to pick up sponsorships to fund the team.

over the last couple of years also Taught myself to be calm in crisis and take pictures to earn extra money for tires and equipment as well as having a blast doing it. I began writing about every race for Jon’s scrap book when he began racing, now I have written the “ The Track Warrior Report” every race I have attended over the last year being published in the NorCal Karters Website repeatedly as well as Go Racing Magazine, and local newspapers.

I love being at the track and having a little racer or even an adult come up and say they loved seeing their names in print about their race weekend. I also started a new Award, " The Track Warrior Award of the race"

This award has been given away starting at the Cross-over race at Dixon to David "Captain Morgan" Gwin for a great come back, then to Curt Sanders at Davis for his great sportsmanship and not giving up the race even while his neck collar had to be held on by his chin as he lead the race. then came the next driver awarded at Stockton, Wayne Bundy for his sportsmanship and giving back to the sport,  Prairie City award goes to Jarred Campbell for taking a brutal beating bringing out the red flag, in the heat race, making a comeback in the main to win one of his classes and running great in 2nd until a on track accident took him out Hpv1.

I love taking pictures and writing about the race weekends I attend, it is fun to look back on to see how far drivers have  come.

I used my business skills from all my work experience and alot of contacts I made over the years to come up with new ideas for the Ikf Event such as " Race to Paradise" where I designed the shirts and the track trophy events for the series and the Winner of the Event was sent to Hawaii. It was a pleasure to donate a partial sponsorship to join the other great sponsors such as Scribner Plastics, Panavise, to make it happen.

I also am working with the Reno Club for the Hotels and side attractions at the Grand Nationals being held in Reno in July and the Ikf Event in June. It has been a lot of fun as well as alot of work over the years to help bring events like this into light. It is something I have thrived on for years putting together big events such as weddings, High School Reunions and other Corporation parties & seminars.

A tidbit of information about me that you might not know............

Hmm that would be that I was on National TV over 30 times featured on " The Food Network" doing  "Weecook, a kids cooking event and show" I also was on " Good day Sacramento" repeatedly with Cooking spots as well as my Bridal store being featured a few years ago. Along the way I taught cooking classes at The Learning Exchange and Local schools bringing cooking skills to some of the roughest but coolest schools in our area, you also might have seen me doing cooking shows at the home and garden shows at Cal Expo or Auburn Ca. ** I am retired from that now, cooking for my friends and family is enough for me.....thank you very much like I have time for decorating wedding cakes or cooking for big events any longer....LOL

I became the go between for Stockton Race Track and secured Good Day Sacramento Morning news program to come out to the track and do features of both the track and my son for more publicly for the go karting community awareness. I like to volunteer my time with different go karting ideas and help with all the things that need to be done with making an event a big success.

But most of all.........

I love being a “ Race Track Mom”

Thanks for letting me come along for the ride.

Bev The Track Warrior Mom

 

5-20-09 NEAL AND ZEEN SCORE IN PROKART CHALLENGE WEST COAST SHOOTOUT



South tops North in inaugural battle that draws 110+ competitors to Buttonwillow

BUTTONWILLOW, CA (May 19, 2009) – The concept behind the inaugural ProKart Challenge West Coast Shootout was to bring together the competitors of both the North and South PKC regional programs, and the approach certainly delivered – as a thrilling day of racing was the outright result. More than 110 drivers hit the track on May 16 at the Buttonwillow Raceway Park kart track, and they were forced to battle extreme heat as well as each other.  The mercury rose to over 100 at the California facility, but the SKUSA staff, their drivers and their teams all handled it extremely well.  The racing itself was ludicrously good, with some stellar head-to-head battles highlighting the action –as the South edged the North for the overall regional crown.  PCH Motorsports’ Jacob Neal (CRG) turned in one of the finest performances in his young career, coming out on top of an exciting scrap in S3, while G-Phactory’s Andrick Zeen (Sodi Kart) was the man to beat in TaG Senior.
 



 

Neal faced some serious challengers in the S3 category, qualifying third behind polesitter Jimmy McNeil (CRG) and Tommy Thompson (Trackmagic).  McNeil was two tenths clear of the field to throw his name in the hat for the win, until he lost his airbox and had to pull off. Neal took over from there, winning both heat races to start on the pole for the main event.  The 20-lap race took place on a very greasy track, made even more challenging by the high heat, as Select Shifter pilot Clinton Schoombee (CRG) grabbed the holeshot to lead the first half of the event.  Neal would battle back from a tough start, getting past a pair of Team Aluminos drivers in Daniel Bray (GP) and Tom Dyer (GP) as they battled each other, eventually arriving on the rear bumper of Schoombee.  The leader fought valiantly, but Neal would not be denied as he eventually slipped through to take the point.  The win did not appear locked, however, as Utah’s Patrick Cushenberry (Arrow) was coming on strong.  ‘Cush’ laid down the fastest lap of the race as he reeled in the lead duo, leading many to believe that he was on his way to victory. Cushenberry came up just short, as he was not able to find a safe way by Schoombee, allowing Neal to inch away for the win, his fifth PKC triumph of the year. Schoombee and Cushenberry completed the podium, while Bray and Dyer capped the top-five.
 
PKC North driver Nic LeDuc (Tony Kart) paced the TaG Senior field to begin the day, laying down a 48.451-second lap to put himself on the pole of the opening heat race.  Zeen was second in the timed run, less than a tenth back, while veteran Larry Fraser (GP) was up to speed as well, sitting third after the morning session.  Fraser would work his way to the front in the opening heat races, but Zeen took the second as Fraser scrapped with Mason Marotta (Intrepid). In the main, Zeen led early but was overtaken by Fraser, who led the majority of the laps. Marotta took the point for a single lap, but the freshman senior could not hold back Zeen, who assumed the lead on lap 14 – which he took to a 0.306-second triumph.  Marotta capped a great weekend in second, while Fraser completed the podium following a stellar run that has allowed him to close on PKC North point leader Brett Felkins (Intrepid), who was not able to finish the main at Buttonwillow.  Miles Maroney (CRG) and Brett Buckwalter (Italkart) completed the top-five.
 
Two-time eKartingNews.com Driver of the Year and former SuperNationals winner Gary Carlton (CRG) was back behind the wheel in Buttonwillow, turning up the heat in the S1 class.  In qualifying, Carlton battled an issue that restricted him to just one timed lap, which was good enough for fourth in the order. Kartel Motorsports’ Brendan Phinny continues to improve during his rookie campaign and turned up the wick in qualifying, putting his Top Kart on the pole with a lap of 47.251.  Neal was doing double-duty and was second in the S1 order, just ahead of Peter Abba (GP).  Carlton would not be denied in the heat races as he got out front and stayed there, securing the pole position for the 20-lap Shootout main event.  After getting the holeshot, Carlton simply walked away from the field to score a 6.357-second victory over Neal and Abba.
 
In the S4 class, American steel found its way to the front as Emmick Cobra Racing pilot Cory Gwin was the lead driver, putting his new kart on the pole.  Jamie Wilson (Birel) and Jeff Smith (GP) capped the top-three in qualifying.  Gwin struggled a little in the first heat race, but battled back to win the second moto to start from the front row in the main.  In the final, Gwin was chased aggressively by Jared Woolf (Intrepid) as the battles for both first and third were extremely entertaining. The scrap for the final podium position was waged between Smith and Ken Schilling (GP), as the duo fought back and forth for the spot. Schilling would eventually win out, making a great move to take the position for good late in the race. Up front, Woolf challenged Gwin at every turn, taking the lead for a time, but Gwin would not be denied as he took the victory by 0.379 seconds.  Smith took fourth and was followed in the top-five by Rob Whitley (Tony Kart). In the S4 Magnum class, Luke Bianco led the way all day, finishing up 1st in the S4-M class and seventh overall for the S4 category. Tony Morrison and Michael Morgan completed the podium.
 
The HPV2 Jr. pilots raced well all day, led in morning qualifying by Joey Teves (Tony Kart), as the top six drivers timed in within less than two tenths of a second. After exciting heat races, the main event came down to a battle between David Vasquez (Tony Kart), Kiel Spaulding (Trackmagic) and Jason Hannegan (Intrepid), who was making his first PKC start. All three led at one time and it looked like Hannegan would eventually score the win after catching and passing the lead duo, but Vasquez rebounded to be first to the flag, edging Spaulding and Hannegan for the victory. In the TaG Junior class, Adrian Starrantino (CRG) was the driver to beat, qualifying on the pole and then walking away to a 4.024-second win in the main after pacing the second heat as well.  Rookie driver Dylan Lupton (Birel) turned it on in the final, chasing down and passing Louie Pagano (Birel) to record an impressive runner-up finish. This freshman driver has shown tremendous natural talent since arriving on the scene late last year.
 
The PKC West Coast Shootout attracted a quality field of 11 KF2 drivers, which was led in qualifying by Alex Speed (Tony Kart). Brett Felkins (Intrepid) and Gustavo Menezes (Tony Kart) completed the top-three in the timed session, as Menezes would improve in the heats by taking both wins over Speed and Andrick Zeen (Sodi Kart). The main event was a spirited battle, as young Menezes grabbed the early lead after ‘moving’ Speed out of the way. Speed got back by to lead laps three and four, but Zeen was the charger through the middle part of the race.  Speed would eventually gather things back up, taking the lead and powering away to the win over Menezes.  Zeen held on to third, taking the final podium position ahead of Will Martindale (Tony Kart) and Ryon Beachner (Tony Kart).
 
Capping off the day’s action, Team Aluminos’ Fernando Diaz (GP) scored the win in the G1 class, defending an early lead from a charging PP Mastro. The arrival of Mastro on Diaz’ rear bumper awakened the leader, who stepped up his game to score his first win of the year. Mastro just couldn’t find a way by in the waning laps and needed to settle for second, as Roy Montgomery (GP) completed the podium. In TaG Masters, the Emmick name was up front again as Paul Hohlbein swept the proceedings en route to a 1.218-second win over Steve Wiener (Trackmagic).  Jeff Bobbitt (Tony Kart) emerged as the fastest driver in the class by the end of the day, but mechanical difficulties prevented him from getting all the way to the flag in both the second heat and the main event. Jim Zootis capped the podium in the TaG Masters group.
 
When it was all said and done, the South topped the North in the overall Regional Shootout, which took each region’s best three finishes in the six cross-over classes.  Race wins by Fernando Diaz and Andrick Zeen gave the South top points, but it was the sweep of the top-three in the S3 category that made the difference.  In the end calculations, the South had amassed 134 points to the North’s 114 markers.  This will certainly become an annual battle for bragging rights in California.
 
With the annual SuperNationals set as the Superkarts! USA season finale – it’s date and location to be announced later this week – the ProKart Challenge racers will be looking forward to the next events on their respective schedules.  The North competitors will be back in action on June 13 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center, while the South pilots head to Santa Maria on June 27.  For more information on the Superkarts! USA’s ProKart Challenge, head to www.prokartchallenge.com.
 
 

5-20-09 Cascade Karting Awards Banquet

It's finally here!  We have a date for the Oakwood Awards Banquet - Sunday, June 7, 2009, at Sprinker Recreation Center from 12 noon to 4:30 pm.  The address is 14824 "C" Street, Tacoma, Wa. 98444, Phone:  253-798-4000. 
The club is providing pizza, pasta, beverages, paper plates, cups, silverware & napkins.  Bring an appetizer, salad, or dessert if you would like to.  Open ice skating is from 2:30 - 4:30 pm for those who like to skate.  Club meeting to follow awards presentation.   Please let us know if you will be attending any how many you're bringing.


Thanks for a great winter race season @ Oakwood!
 
 
here's a link to Sprinker website with directions, etc.
http://www.sprinker.org/
Hope to see you there!

 

5-13-09 Scribner Motorsports Returns to Racing Action for Race #5 at All-American Speedway

 

 Scribner Motorsports and the #51 Late Model driver, Chris Scribner, will return to racing action this weekend, May 16th, at All-American Speedway in Roseville, Ca. for Round 5 of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. The previous race on May 2nd was rained out allowing a much needed break for the team.

Scribner, new on the circuit this year in his rookie season stated, "We have been behind from day one after getting a late start late in the offseason, acquiring our car and equipment just one month before the season began. Many parts were borrowed from fellow competitors to get our season started. The rain-out provided an extra week which gave us time to catch our program up to a competitive level". Chris finished in sixth position his previous race for his best finish thus far. This weekend Chris is looking for his first top five finish.

Scribner brings an impressive resume from the Karting ranks in which he was ranked third in the Nation in 2008 and also represented Kart Team USA in an International Event held in the Alcaniez region of southern Spain last November. Chris is making the jump to the NASCAR Late Model ranks with the help of father, Rick Scribner, (Team Manager) who also raced in the NASCAR ranks on the West Coast. The Scribner Motorsports team is on a quick learning curve as they set the bar high in route to their first top five.

Additional information on Scribner Motorsports 2009 season can be obtained from scribnermotorsports.com. The Team will contest the 2009 All American Speedway NASCAR Late Model 27 race series in conjunction with the WESTCAR series with Team Partners Zamp Helmets, Scribner Plastics, Powertrain Technology, Impact Racing, MSD Ignition, Flowmaster, AD3 Graphics, and KRC Power Steering.

5-12-09 Gatorz Karting ‘regular season’ set to kick off in ten days’ time

 

 
May 12, 2009 (Orange, Calif.) – Less than two weeks away from the third round of the Gatorz Karting Cup – and the unofficial beginning of the Gatorz Karting ‘regular season’ – and excitement is building with the addition of two classes to the lineup for the rest of the season.
 
For starters, the series has elected to add the newest class in the Rotax Max Challenge, Micro Max, to the lineup for the rest of the year. As a new class, Micro Max will be offered at a $75 entry. The class will also be supported by SSC Racing, who will offer MicroMax rentals at Gatorz Karting Cup events for $150.
 
“Our original intent was to let the MicroMax class grow at the club level before we introduced it at the regional level,” said Andy Seesemann, owner of Gatorz Karting. “However, the class has yet to be supported locally in Southern California, and we have had a large number of requests for the class. We have seen growth over the past couple of seasons in MiniMax and Junior Rotax, and I hope the trend continues in MicroMax.”
 
The Club class will return to the series throughout the rest of the year. Club, for the more recreational racer, runs shorter races than the standard Gatorz Karting Cup length, and allows the Rotax Max, Parilla Leopard, and PRD Fireball on the Mojo D2, Bridgestone YHC, Burris 55A, or Maxxis tires. All karts must weight 385lbs.
 
Of course, one can never discount the bang for the dollar or the on-track excitement of the five regular Rotax Max Challenge classes. And with several drivers from outside the region – and in some cases, outside the state and country – declaring the Gatorz Karting Cup as their home series in order to qualify for the Rotax Grand Nationals, the series is sure to remain the most competitive Rotax Max Challenge in the country.
 
Gatorz Challenge of the Americas champions Wes Phillips (Gobirel.com Senior Rotax), John Crow (Dave’s Performance Karting Rotax Masters), Phil De La O (Overdrive Karting Rotax Junior), and Michael Davis (Reaction Karting Minimax) will be competing throughout the rest of the season, as will several drivers from the Rolison Performance Group, based in Oregon, and members of the Overdrive Karting squad from Calgary, Canada.
 
The series has also opened up the previous rule that tires used in the Gatorz Karting Cup must be purchased from the series. Tires in all classes may be purchased from outside the series, but must still pass tech. Competitors can still purchase tires through the series entry form.

 

5-8-09 FIRST ANNUAL PROKART CHALLENGE WEST COAST SHOOTOUT TAKING SHAPE
 


Competitors from all over will determine who’s ‘Best in the West’

TEMECULA, CA (May 8, 2009) – The much anticipated ProKart Challenge West Coast Shootout is just one week away, set for May 16 at the Buttonwillow Raceway Park kart track. The event will put together the PKC South and PKC North programs into one setting, with drivers battling for handsome trophies and exciting podium prizes from the series sponsors – along with being crowned the ‘Best in the West’. Drivers competing will receive points for their respective championships; however, any and all racers are invited to compete.
 
The event will see a total of 10 classes on track when combining the PKC South and PKC North divisions. S1, G1, S3, S4, TaG Senior, TaG Master and TaG Junior are part of both programs, with the KF2 and S4 Magnum racers coming from PKC South and the HPV 2 Juniors being a PKC North category. A look at the early entry list shows the event at the 7/10-mile circuit should be a good training ground for the upcoming SKUSA SuperNationals XIII later in the year, as most of the heavy hitters will be in attendance.
 
The S3 division has been a one-man show at both ends of the spectrum for the ProKart Challenge program. Jacob Neal has four wins total, three in the South and one in the North to lead both championships heading into the Shootout weekend. Neal is being chased by Patrick Cushenberry, Bobby Legate and Jimmy McNeil in the South while Steve Reasoner and Tommy Thompson trail Neal in the North. 2007 SuperNats S3 winner Tom Dyer will be making his 2009 debut at the Shootout and should be a factor.
 
The TaG Senior and KF2 fields are expected to field a number of national caliber competitors. Howie Idelson and Brett Felkins hold the top spot in the TaG Senior standings, but will have to fend off drivers like Will Martindale, Larry Fraser, Andrick Zeen, Nic LeDuc, and Brett Buckwalter. Both Martindale and Felkins, as well as Zeen, will be among the many looking to knock off Alex Speed from the top of the KF2 championship lead. Cody Hodgson, Devin Lindsey, young gun Gustavo Menezes and Indy 500 champion Buddy Rice are also expected to be at Buttonwillow.
 
In S4, Jeff Smith and Jamie Wilson will do battle as the South and North championship leaders. Smith has yet to earn a feature win this season, while Wilson took home one after two rounds in the North. Peter Workum sits third and second in the standings and will be a factor – along with South winner Rob Whitley and defending champion Ken Schilling. Jared Woolf is another driver traveling from the North, already a victory on his 2009 CV.
 
The G1 division has a number of drivers representing the South program, including championship leader Troy Butts. He, along with fellow front runners Roy Montgomery and Brad Dhesi, will do battle against the best in the North, including Jim Kidd, Ethan Wilson, and defending champion Craig Corwin.
 
It will be Steve vs. Steve in the TaG Master category, as Wiener and Elo will face one another, with the likes of Mike Kelley, Jeff Bobbitt, Jim Zootis, Paul Hohlbein, and Jeff Deehan – who has run both South and North campaigns thus far – in the mix of the leaders. Aside from S3, Neal has been dominant in S1 – and could be leading both regional championships after Buttonwillow. Peter Abba and Cody Hodgson, however, stand in his way, along with Gary Carlton, who’s coming out to race S1, as well. Tony Morrison leads the South-based S4 Magnum division after their first three official weekends on the roster. His two feature wins puts him on top of the standings over Luke Bianco and Jim Miller.
 
A good field of TaG Juniors will be present at Buttonwillow, giving South championship leader Max Zacky some much wanted competition. North standings leader Kiel Spaulding and a host of others from the North will be on hand, along with new PKC competitors Kolton Griffin and Cole Loftsgard. The North-based HPV 2 Junior category will see the top competitors from that region on hand – with Spaulding, Dylan Lupton, and Donavon Wheeler leading the way. A number of new competitors from other areas of the West coast are expected to be in attendance.
 
An extra flavor added to the outstanding show PKC produces at each event will be eKartingNews.com’s Rob Howden, the premier announcer in North America, providing live commentary of the on-track action. Howden was the voice of the SKUSA ProMoto Tour in the late 90s and early 2000s, along with numerous karting events over the past decade – including 11 of the 12 SKUSA SuperNationals.
 
Open practice will be run on Friday, May 15 from 9am to 5pm. The day will conclude with a complimentary BBQ sponsored by Courtney Concepts and Zacky Farms (drinks not included). Anyone who paid to practice or purchased a pit pass for the day will be allowed to sample some of the free food provided – with nearly 350 people expected to be served. Pre-registration deadline for the event is Wednesday, May 13 at midnight, with competitors able to save money by entering early; however, entries will be taken at the track at the regular at-event prices. Pit spots and hotel rooms are filling up fast; thus PKC is recommending competitors reserve theirs as soon as possible. For more information on the Superkarts! USA’s ProKart Challenge, head to www.prokartchallenge.com.
IKF Region 7 - Willow Springs Race Report
Article by: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine courtesy of Ekarting News
 

In a weekend filled with highs and lows, Kyle Shriver and Jake Craig each scored the proverbial hat trick of three wins each while Ty Matta and Slater Stowell doubled up at Round 4 of the IKF Region 7 Championship Series held at the historic Willow Springs Raceway at the Willow Springs Kart Track hosted by TiMi Promotions’ Willow Springs Kart Club. The Willow club was recently awarded the 2010 IKF Grand Nationals and plans are already underway to make the night racing some of the most memorable in recent years. The nature of the Willow beast is that when things are good they are really good and when it is bad, well it is pretty bad.

This weekend would have been perfect without the wind. Seriously, it blew, and blew and then blew a little harder. If Khaled Hosseini wrote this race report little Hassan would have his hands full chasing all the EZ-Ups that fell victim to the gust. The largest casualty from the wind was Bob Runyan’s war wagon that was blown over and needed eight people to get it back upright. In the winds defense the toolbox is top heavy. I guess Bob needs to load more beverages in the cooler located on the lower level of the box for the next event. No beverages were harmed in the blow-over. What were harmed over the weekend were our creditability, our moral fiber, and our ability to function in society. Newton’s Law states for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction so if the wind blows, then something had to suck, and it was the vandals that did just that. Karting vandals struck Saturday night damaging a fellow competitor’s private property by using it as a battering ram against the Willow facility. Other damage to the track was also perpetrated and the guilty parties were removed from the track but only after the race program was put on hold until they came forward. Hopefully IKF will take a stand as well.

Once back on track it was business as usual as the Willow circuit provided its normal array of quality racing. Kyle Shriver once again proved his worth as the prince of the Senior classes. Shriver busted out a win in Saturday’s HPV 4 class and followed it up Sunday winning TaG and HPV 4 again. Shriver put in on the Saturday HPV pole just nipping former teammate Dylan Nobile for the top position. He went on to win the prefinal, but a great start by Nobile left Shriver chasing the new leader. Nobile led the first half of the race, but inch by inch Shriver pulled him back in and made his bid for the lead in turn 7. The rearward match didn’t end there for Nobile, as Devin Lindsay too was able to get by for 2nd. After lap ten the lead trio settled down into a manageable pace and ran single file to the finish with Shriver getting his first of the weekend. Shriver was able to back it up Sunday, but Nobile found a little something extra overnight and kept him on his ties. Nobile only led one lap in the 16 lap final, but for those other 15 he was glued to the rear bumper of the #59 kart and making him earn every piece of real estate. Lindsay had another solid run to finish on the podium in 3rd place and just a few seconds back of the winner Shriver and 2nd place Nobile.
 
After a DQ in the TaG class on Saturday for a driving infraction Shriver was back on top for Sunday’s action with the pole. Andrick Zeen, Shriver’s main rival in the championship managed to steal the prefinal win and we were set for a showdown in the final. Shriver is credited with a flag to flag win, but that doesn’t really show how hard Zeen and he went at it for the 16 laps. The lead duo was never more than a foot or two apart and cleaned up on the rest of the pack. I have to give credit where it is due and Bobby Kelley deserves some love for his great drive to 3rd place. A problem on the warm-up lap left Kelley to start the final from the back of the pack. His lap times were equal to that of the leaders, but he only managed to make it up into no man’s land 5 seconds behind the leaders and 5 seconds ahead of the rest. It was still a good run for Kelley. Zeen was never able to muster anything that could stick and Shriver took his 3rd win on the weekend.

Jake Craig was the only other triple winner. I hate to downgrade him, but sweeping the Junior Superbox finals on both days isn’t what it was a few years back. Still, Tyler Palmer is no slouch and any day you can beat him is a good one. Craig earned both poles but Palmer kept him from total domination by sneaking in a prefinal win on Sunday. Craig and Palmer were near equals on Saturday with Craig having to work very hard for the win, but Sunday Craig was able to gain a slight advantage at the end of the final. Blake Dunkleberger and Bryan Lemon each earned a 3rd place finish but were not quite up to the pace of the leaders. After settling for 3rd and 4th in Saturday’s HPV 2, Craig and Palmer were set for another showdown in Sunday’s main event. Palmer earned the pole with Lemon sitting in P2. Row two was made up of Craig and Saturday’s winner David Vasquez. In the prefinal Lemon dropped back as did Vasquez, but Jared Torres came forward as did prefinal winner Justin Coplen. Coplen jumped out to an early lead in the final, but by lap five Palmer had got by in turn seven and was setting the pace. Craig sat in 3rd as the top three inched away from the field. Coplen and Palmer traded the lead a few more times before Craig made his move. With Anton giving the two to go signal Craig made his move into turn one for 2nd place. Later in that lap he again made a move, this time for first. Coplen and Palmer were left scrambling for a plan, but it was too late. Palmer and Coplen lost 5 feet to Craig on the last lap as they decided who was finishing where and that was all Craig needed to end his stellar weekend. Palmer came home 2nd and Coplen finished in 3rd. Lemon and Torres rounded out the top five.
 

Ty Matta had a great weekend. First he didn’t need to beat anyone up, but most importantly he kicked the crap out of the young guys in PRD. The combined age of 2nd and 3rd place still didn’t equal that of Matta. Matta told Go Racing on Monday that he felt ten years younger and had a sore throat from yelling in his helmet from Saturday’s win. Matta scored the pole and backed it up with a win in the prefinal. The kids came after him in the final with Dylan Nobile giving chase in the early stages of the contest. Andrick Zeen was next to mount an attack, but Matta was too good on this day to be challenged. Zeen got close but not close enough to make a serious attempt at the win. Matta scored a huge win in the coveted PRD class and set himself up for Sunday’s PRD Masters competition. PRD Masters saw the return of Kevin Manning to the kart, and I for one found it a welcoming site and was please to see him suited up and racing. Manning qualified 2nd to Matta and was eventually docked a position for jumping the start in the prefinal. Matta owned this race from the drop of the green. By the end of lap one it was clear that Manning, John Bush and Paul Grey would be fighting for best in class. The 2nd trio gave it their all with Manning securing 2nd place just ahead of Bush. Matta might not have scored 3 wins for the weekend, but he was the only one to beat Shriver and he did it in the premier Senior class, mad props to the old guy.

Cadet racing was fierce with most of the usual suspect running towards the front and a few new faces thrown in just to make things interesting. Slater Stowell was coming off his pair of wins at Grangé and had a repeat performance at Willow. Stowell topped the charts in both days’ HPV 1 class but it was no easy task as Zane Smith qualified on Saturday’s pole and Colton Herta earned his first Region 7 pole on Sunday. Each day the race wasn’t decided until the very end as hordes of juniors battled headwinds and each other lap after lap. Saturday’s final started out with Brennen Mankin leading the opening circuits followed by Stowell, Smith and Brenden Baker. Mankin and Stowell traded the lead a few times before settling in to a rhythm being played by Stowell. Just behind the lead pair we saw Carlee Taylor climb her way up into 3rd place dropping Smith back in to 4th. Stowell brought it home with 3 tenths to spare over Mankin and 6 tenths over Taylor. Smith and Parker Thompson rounded out the top five. Sunday’s final played out nearly the same as Taylor led the opening laps followed closely by Herta, Wyatt May, Christian Brooks and Stowell. By the halfway mark, Stowell was out front fending off Taylor and Herta. It stayed that way right until the checkered flag as Taylor made a last ditch dive for the line. Jacob Drew had a good run up to finish in 4th while Brooks held on for a top-five finish.

Continuing on with Cadets, the Rookie Sportsman winner was Brenden Baker and Junior 1 winner was Zane Smith. Baker continued to keep his winning streak alive having tasted victory at every event so far this season in IKF competition. With the pole and the prefinal win it looked as though Baker was a shoe-in for the gold in the main event. What we didn’t count on was that eight karts would turn lap times within one tenth of Baker, some even going faster to produce a lead train that was six karts long at the finish. Four different drivers - Baker, Stowell, Herta and Riley Reyes - all took a turn leading in the final. As the laps wound down it looked as though Herta’s aero advantage was going to payoff in the headwind and he would remain out front, but two drivers drafted by on the white flag lap. Baker was one of those and he carried that momentum all the way to the finish. Herta fought back to regain 2nd place over Reyes. Parker Thompson and Chase McDaniel were right in the hunt and finished things off with 4th and 5th.
 

Smith’s win was one for the highlight real as a quartette made up of Stowell, Baker, and Herta took the white flag for their final lap. Let me just say this weekend was the best Herta has driven as a Cadet racer and he was part of the action in three of the four race groups. He had plenty enthusiasm but he lacks the experience of the other three when it comes to leading the race on the white flag lap. He did everything right and was looking solid but went just wide on the exit of turn 7. Baker passed Smith for 2nd in turn seven as Herta went wide to the outside. Smith then put the bumper to Baker and tried to push him by Herta on the outside. As they say, touching wheels is bad and the combination of Smith from behind and Herta from the side sent Baker spinning in front of Herta on the entrance to turn eight. Smith sailed by for the win as everyone scattered. Stowell dropped in behind Smith for 2nd while Brooks earned a great podium finish in 3rd. Taylor and Herta completed the top five. Baker got the racing incident short straw but still came home 10th.

The combined TaG and TaG Masters class saw the return of IKF Grand National champion Rob Logan - who ran alone for the Masters win. TaG Light was a little more interesting as championship hopeful Kyle Shriver got DQ’d for a rough driving infraction in the final. Andrick Zeen won the pole over Lyle Webber in the closest qualification of the weekend. A scant 0.002 was all that separated Webber and the pole but it was Bobby Kelley who pulled out all the stops in the prefinal. Kelley qualified back in 5th place and like everyone else in the field besides the front row was a half second slower. That changed clearly as the top three were all running within the 44.75 lap time range in the prefinal. Kelley went flag to flag for the TaG Light win, but Webber and Zeen battled endlessly right behind him. Webber ended up just a tick ahead of Kelley and the finish for a great 2nd place finish. Zeen finished just behind in the 3rd spot.

HPV 2 has been one of those classes all year that puts a smile on the face of those looking for action and don’t have any stake in the outcome of the race. Saturday’s pole went to Justin Coplen, who ran a 46.292. Starting in P2 was Brandon Reed just four-thousandths back. Tyler Palmer and David Vasquez made up row two. The prefinal shuffled things around as six drivers lined up nose to tail for most of the race. Vasquez emerged as the victor as Jake Craig moved up into 2nd place to start the final from off pole. The smack down Vasquez put on his fellow HPV 2 compatriots wasn’t epic, but it was more than enough to run unchallenged to the checkered flag. After the first few laps Vasquez was about to gain just the slightest advantage on the field as Adrian Starrantino battled with Craig, Palmer, Torres, Coplen and Reed. The harder they drove each other the easier it was for Vasquez to solidify his position in the front and prove why he is one of the best Juniors in the HPV ranks. Starrantino, who started the final from 5th, was able to work past his rivals to finish in 2nd place. Craig’s 3rd place meant that he didn’t miss a trip to the podium all weekend long. The Rosamond cheerleaders got their fill of seeing him I’m sure.
 

The Kid Kart kart count was up slightly this weekend as a few of the Willow club members joined the ranks of the Region 7 racers. Even with extra karts to spice things up a little, the top three remained the same again this weekend. Although Ethan Barrett, Jarett Tachovsky and Anthony Sawyer seem to always find their way to the podium, the class has been exciting to watch all year long as no on can predict the final outcome. This weekend was no exception as Barrett and Tachovsky again split wins between the days with Sawyer right there in the mix. Tachovsky brought it home ahead of Sawyer on Saturday as Barrett lost ground of the final few laps. Sunday was a different story as Sawyer got the drop on the field to start things off and Barrett and Tachovsky had to chase him down. It took them a few laps to close the gap, but once they caught him all cooperation stopped and it was every kid for themselves. Barrett out foxed the other two and snagged the Sunday win ahead of Tachovsky and Sawyer.

World Formula has got increasingly uneventful to watch. Last year the class was very competitive but for some reason this year we have seen very few duels worthy of the 2008 season. Senior was shaping up to be a good battle with Jonathan Miller and Gabriella Robles starting on the front row but a mechanical on Miller’s kart left him sidelined, ending his run at the win. Robles sped off to an easy win. Terry Nash rose to the occasion and brought his trusty steed home in 2nd place just ahead of Joe Grable. The Nash-Grable battle was the best on track but it was broke up by a speedy Tristen O’Rear as the runaway leader of the Junior class came by to lap them. O’Rear once again dominated the Juniors lapping a full second quicker than 2nd place driver Matias Podboj.

Round 5 of the IKF Region 7 Championship Series takes them back to CalSpeed Karting Center June 5-7 and places the program in the very capable hands of the Los Angeles Kart Club. Entry forms for this event can be found online at http://www.ikfkarting.com , http://www.lakc.org so reserve your pit spots early. This race is bound to draw a crowd as the Grand Nationals are rapidly approaching and the series doesn’t reconvene until after the Grands in Reno, Nevada later in the summer.

 

5-5-09 FELKINS PACES TEAM INTREPID AT SONOMA
 


Intrepid brand wins scores win in TaG ICC Stars of Karting competition

NORMAN, OKLAHOMA (April 30, 2009) – Intrepid USA showed again that it can run up front anytime and anywhere with solid results at last weekend’s Stars of Karting Western Division season opener at the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway.  The multi-team squad put a total of eight drivers on-track and walked away with one win and five top-five finishes in the national event.  Leading Edge Motorsports’ Brett Felkins was driving a new Intrepid Cruiser 125 and showed the way for the marquee, coming off a double-win weekend at the ProKart Challenge North event the weekend prior, this time dominating the TaG ICC category at the Stars opener to score a big payday.  
 
Felkins earned the pole position in both the TaG ICC and Senior National classes, setting the paddock on its ear, and racked up four heat wins, and the victories in the TaG ICC Prefinal and Final.  The TaG ICC win put $5000 into Felkins’ pocket thanks to a stimulus package to promote the class that was offered up with Italian Motors, the importer and distributor of the TaG ICC engine package.  Felkins was also awarded a three-day Skip Barber Racing School course and prizes from Bridgestone and Oakley.  Contact in the first turn during the Senior National Final while running second took the NorCal pilot of contention for what could easily have been another double victory weekend.
 
“Coming off his ProKart Challenge wins, Felkins showed just how strong he is,” said Leading Motorsports chief Greg Bell.  “We’ve just scratched the surface with what he is capable of doing.”
 
Other Intrepid drivers showed solid speed as well, but they were all the victims of on-track incidents. Joey Wimsett showed well in the Sr. National class aboard his Intrepid Sirius, as the lead driver for Champion Racing showed that he could run up front with a pair of top-three finishes in the heat races. However, he was unfortunately caught up in opening lap contact in the main event that dropped him from serious contention.  A solid run from 14th to fourth in the Final was impressive and will keep Wimsett in the title hunt for the season.  Wimsett was followed closely by Leading Edge’s Mason Marotta (Intrepid Cruiser), who came home fifth.
 
Other Team Intrepid drivers showed good speed all weekend.  In the KZ2 class, Brandon Frank and Gregory Liefooghe finished third and fourth as Liefooghe set the fastest lap of the main event.  Both drivers were piloting the Intrepid Cruiser 125. Rounding out the Intrepid contingent in Senior National was Blake Teeter in 14th.  Kathryn Cornell saw her Junior National Final end after just six laps as she recorded a 13th place finish.
 
“It was an up-and-down weekend for Intrepid USA,” said Team Manager Rodney Berryhill.  “Felkins did a great job in Tag ICC and Senior National. It looked like he could double up on wins until he got caught up in the trouble in turn one.  Overall, I’m happy with how things went as I believe that our drivers really showed the speed of our product.  The Intrepids were lightning quick this past weekend.”
 
The Intrepid USA team now looks forward to hitting the assorted regional series around the country before racing with Stars of Karting once again at New Castle Motorsports Park at the end of May.  
 

5-1-09 SCRIBNERMOTORSPORTS FURTHERS IT’S “CHARGE” ON MULTIPLE RACING FRONTS

Loomis, California – The ScribnerMotorSports team NASCAR Late Model Stock continued its charge this past racing weekend with Young Gun “Chris Scribner” behind the wheel in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series in Roseville, CA.

Chris Scribner finished a strong sixth place in a hard charging close fought race. Initially qualifying in 11th place, the field was inverted for the 40 lap final; with the track having changed its look and feel from the previous event due to track modifications made this a fresh challenge.

Scribner rose to the occasion with steady passing, clean race lines and hitting his braking marks – this made for fast clean racing. Some of the teams early season set up gremlins were shaken out with the cars new look – a change from a Pontiac front end to Chevy Impala. This combined with an updated crate motor pumping out and extra 50hp and straight line speed of over 6 mph, set the scene for Chris to concentrate on speed and track position.

To round out the month ScribnerMotorSports will be conducting Stock car set up and testing this coming Friday May 01, 2009 at Roseville track in preparation for the season’s first 100 lap main event in the NASCAR Whelen All-series.

All American Speedway is located at 800 All American City Blvd. off Washington Blvd. at the Placer County Fairgrounds. Information is available at the track Web site at www.allamericanspeedway.com or the track office at 786-2025. Practice begins Saturday at 3 p.m., with qualifying opening at 5:10 and heat racing at 6 p.m. Opening ceremonies, to include the national anthem, will be held at 6:55, with the main event set for 7:55 p.m.

On other ScribnerMotorSports racing fronts, Chris Scribner also pulled double duty racing stints this past weekend with “Coaching and Tuning” duties at the Snap-on Stars of Karting Series west coast opener for the 2009 national championship series at Infineon Raceway, Sonoma, California.  Scribner successfully again took kart driver Nigel Saurino (TopKart) to a third place podium finish adding to the previous third place posting at the recent Stars east event in Ocala, Florida

The junior kart team racer Rachel Jean Brigg had the weekend off, but will be running this coming weekend at a kart club race in Reno, NV. The team will use this as a tune race and testing in preparation for her pre-qualification status as an entry for the International Kart Federation (IKF) sprint kart national championship event in July 2009 at the same track. ScribnerMotorSports will be prominently featured at the event, with Chris Scribner providing event feature commentary and live media support activities.

For additional information on “ScribnerMotorSports race schedule into NASCAR sanctioned series for 2009” and other events and team services please contact Chris Scribner or visit the Teams website, www.scribnermotorposrts.com. Sponsor packages are also available for a full range of activities within ScribnerMotorSports - from vehicle feature partners to product and team synergies. Currently ScribnerMotorSports have the following sponsorship line up - Powertrain Technology, MSD Ignition, Butler Built-KRC Power Steering, Zamp Helmets, Kennec Inc, Roseville Auto Plaza, and our parent group Scribner Plastics.

Stay tuned for post race updates on all the “News-n-abuze-n-intrigue”.              

ScribnerMotorSports “We’re in it – to win it”.

5-1-09 Title sponsor Jim Russell Racing Drivers School offers generous prizes for Class Champions in the 2009 Northern California Rotax Challenge


 
The 2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge is pleased to announce that 2009 title sponsor Jim Russell Racing Drivers School will award Rotax class champions with exciting and valuable prizes worth over $7900.
                
2009 Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge Class Champion Prizes:
 
Senior - The Senior Rotax Champion, we will award Grand Prix Masters Program. 
 
The Grand Prix Master program gets a student behind the wheel of the very cool FJR-50. The program starts with a Driver's Meeting, then you are fitted into your race car: seat fitting, belts, and pedal  adjustment. As your race crew familiarizes your with the controls, you will be getting comfortable in the FJR-50, a state-of-the-art formula car based on the championship winning Lola Formula 3 racecar. No school in the world has a car that comes close to this. Following the vehicle fitting we familiarize with both the track and the car. You will be introduced to the track by a professional driver that will show you the racing line and reference points around the track. You will familiarize yourself with the car in a shifting exercise (each car has a Hewland sequential gearbox) and slalom. Following a catered trackside luncheon in the Jim Russell Hospitality Suite, you will begin your lapping sessions on the track, lapping the 2.52 Infineon Raceway at progressively higher speeds.  Program Value $2495.00  For a full description go to www.jimrussellusa.com.
 
Masters and Masters Lite - Each Champion will be awarded a Audi Driving Experience S-Model One Day Program. 
 
The Audi S-Model Program covers the fundamentals of driving followed by lapping on the 2.52 mile road-racing course at Infineon Raceway.  The lapping sessions will encompass time in the Audi performance line-up including the S4, S5, S8, TTS along with a taste of the ultra hi-performance RS4 and R8.  2 Programs valued at $1395.00 each.  www.truthinengineering.com/audi-driving-experience/.
 
Junior - Champion will be awarded a Season Practice Pass at the Jim Russell International Karting Center.  The season practice pass will allow the driver access to any open practice sessions throughout the 2010 season.  Season Pass Value $850.

DD2 - Champion will be awarded a Season Practice Pass at the Jim Russell International Karting Center.  The season practice pass will allow the driver access to any open practice sessions throughout the 2010 season.  Season Pass Value $850.
 
Mini Max - Champion will be awarded an Access Pass for the Jim Russell International Karting Center. 
The access pass will allow the driver up to 20 half days or 10 full days of practice on any open practice sessions throughout the 2010 season.  Access Pass Value $500.
 
Micro Max - Champion will be awarded an Access Pass for the Jim Russell International Karting Center.  The access pass will allow the driver up to 20 half days or 10 full days of practice on any open practice sessions throughout the 2010 season.  Access Pass Value $500.
"This is a great prize package that will motivate drivers to race even harder for the championship." said Adrian Szwarcburg, series organizer. "For the Senior, Masters and  Masters Light, a driving opportunity in the FJR-50 and the sporty Audis will be a fantastic experience.  Other class get a very valuable track pass so they have no excuse but to practice next year.  I would like to thank Jim Russell Racing Drivers School for their continued support of the series."
 
About:  The 16-turn, 0.76 mile Jim Russell International Karting Center is one of the premier karting venues in the country and offers a full range of karting courses for beginners to experienced drivers. Whether you're 8 years old, or 50, there is a class for everyone. All classes feature substantial track time in race-prepared karts that can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in less than five seconds. There is also weekly open testing for experienced karters.  For details about the Jim Russell Racing Drivers School, please visit www.jimrussellusa.com.
 
For more information, schedule, results, news, rules and sponsors information for the Jim Russell Northern Californian Rotax Challenge go to www.norcalrotax.com.

 

EClub Members:

The latest information available on the IKF Website:

The Entry Form is now available for the 2009 Region 7 Bridgestone Championship Series

LAKC @ CalSpeed Kart Track, Fontana, CA.  June 5-7, 2009

Download Entry Form Here

Technical Bulletin

Engine Specs now available for the TaG Leopard

Go to www.ikfkarting.

 Rule Updates

Section 275.5.1

Section 275.5.2

Go to www.ikfkarting

 IKF

 

5-1-09 LICATA TAKES OVER ASA SPEED TRUCK CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD AT HAVASU
95 SPEEDWAY
 


First-year Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle development driver scored a hard
fought runner-up finish in Arizona

LAKE HAVASU, AZ (April 27, 2009) – Joey Licata Jr. continued his strong
start to the ASA Speed Truck Challenge season on Saturday (April 25),
capturing a hard-fought runner-up finish in Round Three of the series at
Havasu 95 Speedway in Arizona. With the result, the Ron Sutton’s
Winner’s Circle development driver now leads the highly competitive series.

Licata Jr. entered the third event of the 10-race ASA Speed Truck
Challenge seeking to build on his first win of 2009, having scored the
Trophy Dash victory on the Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Round
Two. Despite focusing on trying something different setup-wise in
practice, the Van Nuys, Calif., driver was immediately one of the racers
to watch, regularly turning laps near the top of the speed charts.
Licata Jr. further indicated his intentions to challenge for top honors
in Arizona during single-truck qualifying on the quarter-mile oval,
eventually placing his No. 71 United Nissan/G2 Graphic Service/Chevy
Colorado second the grid.

When the green flag waved for the feature race in Lake Havasu, Ariz., a
few hours later, it was Licata Jr. who enjoyed the best launch. The
former multiple IKF Grand National karting champion quickly moved into
the lead and began building an advantage on the rest of the field. While
an early yellow flag period allowed his nearest competitors to get
within striking distance, Licata Jr. repeatedly held of their
challenges, leading for 85 straight laps. The tide shifted however on
lap 86, when the second place driver found a way past into the lead.
Over the course of the final 14 laps of the 100-lap affair, Licata Jr.
engaged in a heated battle for the win, with the lead duo contacting one
another on more than one occasion. When the checkered flag waved, Licata
Jr. crossed the start/finish in second place, earning enough points to
take over the championship lead.

“Joey has a lot of talent … a lot of heart … and is very committed to
winning and moving his career forward. He impresses us every time he
gets in a race car,” stated head of driver development, Ron Sutton.

The 2009 ASA Speed Truck Challenge season resumes for Licata Jr. on May
9^th , with Round Four taking place on the 1.9-mile Firebird
International Raceway road course.
 

5-1-09 SMRZ SET FOR PLAYBOY MAZDA MX-5 CUP SEASON-OPENER  
 


 Experience and seat time the goal for young pilot coming off first Skip Barber National win
BRASELTON, GA. (April 29, 2009) – Rising American talent Brett Smrz will make his 2009 pro closed-wheel debut on May 2nd, taking to the famed Road Atlanta road course for Round One of the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup. For the left leg amputee, the result of a freak trampoline accident in 2007, the season-opener will mark a return to the series, having previously stood on the podium in the highly competitive spec championship.
Smrz is a mere days from scoring his first formula car victory of the season in Round Three of the BF Goodrich/Skip Barber National presented by Mazda at Virginia International Raceway and he will look to maintain this momentum as he makes the switch to sports cars via the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup. Commencing what will be a full nine-race campaign with the Atlanta Motorsports Group, which will be run in conjunction with his full Skip Barber National season, the former karting standout will pilot the No. 6 RaceSimsRus.com/In Touch Physical Therapy car at the high-speed 2.5-mile Road Atlanta road course.
While the season-opener, which is part of the annul Mitty Challenge event, marks only the third time that Smrz has taken part in a Mazda MX-5 Cup event, the Idaho native has already shown that he has the speed and skill to challenge for top honors. In his second career MX-5 start at the similarly high-speed Mosport International Raceway in 2008, Smrz drove a stellar race and advancing from 22nd on the grid all the way to a third place podium finish. In addition, the talented young driver prepared for the the opening round of the series by capturing an SCCA Club Racing win behind the wheel of his Mazda MX-5 at VIR earlier in the month.
“I am really looking forward to this weekend,” stated Smrz, who has shown impressive maturity in adapting to the loss of the left leg. “We ran a couple of races in the Mazda MX-5 Cup over the past two years, and have proved that I will be a top contender for the championship this season. I tested with Atlanta Motorsports Group a couple of weeks ago, and the test was very successful.”

The season-opening round of the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup gets underway for Smrz at Road Atlanta on Thursday (April 30), with a pair of 25-minute practice sessions. The talented young driver returns to the high-speed road course on Friday via qualifying, with the green flag schedule to wave for the 45-minute race one on Saturday (May 2) at 1:30 p.m. local time.
 

 

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