9-30-09 DE PHILLIPPI INCHES CLOSER TO SKIP BARBER NATIONAL TITLE WITH PODIUM FINISH AT ROAD ATLANTA

Newly announced Team USA driver finished among the top-three for an 11^th time in Round 12

 American standout Connor De Phillippi continued his pursuit of the BFGoodrich/Skip Barber National presented by Mazda title with another podium finish during the September 24-25 doubleheader at the famed Road Atlanta road course. In addition to adding to his points leads in the Skip Barber National title fight, the 16 year-old up-and-comer was announced as one two recipients of the prestigious Team USA Scholarship for 2009

De Phillippi, having set a new Skip Barber National record with his seventh win of the season in the previous event at Road America, entered the penultimate event at Road Atlanta confident he could again challenge for top honors and further extend his large lead in the title fight. This optimism proved justified; as the teenager turned the fastest time in the opening qualifying session, earning yet another pole position for race one at the high-speed road course. De Phillippi followed up his pole-winning run with a third place effort in the rescheduled afternoon qualifying session, ensuring the newly announced Team USA driver was well positioned to challenge for both wins during the Friday doubleheader.

As fans and fellow drivers have come to expect, De Phillippi got a good launch when the green flag waved for Round 11 under Friday morning (September 25) sunshine. While the polesitter was able to hold the lead for the opening three laps, it quickly became apparent that the win would come done to the final lap, with the draft playing a key role. De Phillippi came up on the short end of the stick during the final run down the long back straight, being shuffled back to sixth place when the lead pack crossed the start/finish.

While De Phillippi was not overjoyed about the end result of race one, he quickly but it behind him, focusing on the task at hand, race two of the doubleheader. The Californian immediately indicated his intentions to add to both his series win record and championship points lead, moving up to P1 by the completion of lap one. The order never remained constant up-front however, with multiple cars trading the lead position. As in the previous race, the Round 12 win came down to the final lap and the run down the long back straight. For De Phillippi the end result was a narrow second place finish, giving the talented young race pilot an impressive 11^th podium finish in 12 races.

Away from the cockpit, the Road Atlanta doubleheader proved to quite successful for De Phillippi as well. On Friday afternoon (September 25), renowned motorsports journalist and program founder Jeremy Shaw announced that De Phillippi had been selected as one of two Team USA Scholarship winners for 2009. In winning the prestigious award, the California teenager will join fellow award winner Brett Smrz behind the wheel of a Formula Ford at both the historic Formula Ford Festival at the Brands Hatch Circuit in England, and the famed Walter Hayes Trophy event at the Silverstone Circuit in England this fall. Previous Team USA Scholarship winners include Champ Car World Series champion Jimmy Vasser, Indy Lights champion Bryan Herta, Indy 500 winner Buddy Rice, Grand-Am champion Andy Lally, Champ Car World Series race winner A.J. Allmendinger and Indy Lights champion J.R. Hildebrand.

“I am thrilled to be representing the United States and the Team USA Scholarship,” said De Phillippi. “It is my first big shot to prove myself on the European circuit. I look forward to meeting many new people in the racing community and hopefully posting some excellent results.”

9-28-09 BOWLES CLINCHES 2009 NASCAR CAMPING WORLD WEST SERIES TITLE AT ALL-AMERICAN SPEEDWAY

California scored his 10^th top-five finish to earn his first NASCAR title

Jason Bowles completed his season-long quest for a series title on Saturday night (September 26), capturing the 2009 NASCAR Camping World West Series championship crown. The California standout clinched his first NASCAR title with a strong fourth-place result at All-American Speedway in California in the Toyota/Copart 150 presented by Golden State Steel & Stair.

For Bowles, the 2009 NASCAR Camping World West Series season-finale at the All-American Speedway meant only one thing, a 16^th or better finish and the championship title. The on-track action commenced in perfect fashion for the championship leader, as Bowles led the way in both practice sessions around the 1/3-mile oval. While the former karting and formula car standout did not quite match that performance in afternoon single-car qualifying, he did post the third quickest time positioning himself for a championship winning run in the Round 13 later that night.

The start to the 150-lap affair under the lights proved quite dramatic, as a turn one incident collected multiple drivers, including Bowles closest championship pursuer Eric Holmes. Bowles, having narrowly avoided the crash, effectively clinched the title despite falling back to a position outside of the top-10. Wishing to end the season on a high note, the No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Oakley/Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/GS 610/RPM 12/Justice Brothers/Bell/Ford race pilot commenced an impressive run back to the front of the field. When the checkered flag waved, Bowles had clinched the 2009 Camping World West Series title with a fourth place finish, his 10^th top-five result in 13 races.

“It was a really good day,” stated Bowles. “I left a bit on the table in qualifying, but that was all me. My team gave me a great car and we did exactly what we set out to do, stay out of trouble and finish the race. I have to hand it to my crew, they have given me great cars all year and I can’t thank them enough for there hard work and dedication. I would like to thank all of our sponsors for there great support. Sunrise Ford, Sunrise Management, Justice Brothers, RPM12, Oakley, GS610 brake fluid, Bell helmets, Joe Gibbs Driven Oil. I would also like to give a special thanks to the whole Bruncati family for giving me this opportunity. This was my last season with the team and I just can’t thank them enough. I am working on putting some stuff together for next year and I hope this opportunity will help open those doors.”  

The third round of the Gold Rush Series was held at the Stockton Motorplex. It was the first race in the series that was held after the sun went down and under the lights. The racing was some of the best seen in Norcal in a few years. The intense battles of side by side racing were back as names like Emmick and Eady were joined with Bordogna and Booker. The Karters did battle under the setting sun and into the night as the change in temperature provided setup struggles for many. The drama and rivalries are back in Norcal Kart racing! As the Gold Rush moves on to the final race in its first season; points battles are ever so close setting up an epic battle of Championships under the lights at Kinsmen Kart Club in Dixon. 

The MMI Motorsports Sponsored Formula 80 Limited Division took to the track and there was one driver that was perfect thus far. That was Kartel’s Adam Booker. Booker going into Stockton had led every lap so far in the Gold Rush as well as two fast times. Booker again put himself on the top of the charts in Qualifying. On the drop of the green in the heat race Adam got the whole shot into turn one and walked away to another easy victory. Again, leading every lap in the series thus far. In the Final however, Bookers perfect record looked as if it was vulnerable. Adam again got the whole shot on the start. But two laps into the race the pressure of second  place Leading Edge’s Jared Woolf was felt. Woolf being the hometown boy has had many laps at Stockton. As the race began to progress, Woolf settled in on Booker’s bumper. Waiting for Booker to slip up, Woolf ran comfortable in second, Adam Booker led from start to finish without making a mistake. Adam Booker has had a perfect three race streak to start the Gold Rush series, and looks very impressive in 2009. Woolf was second, Chris Ouimet third, Jake Vandrimmelen and Kartel’s Jon Ban were the top five.

Cambrian Go-Karts Kid Kart 2 was up and Carter Herrera was fast time. Carter looked strong in the heat race as Kartworld’s Zach Corbitt and AJ Okazaki drove a great battle for second with Corbitt getting the position and the front row starting position next to Herrera. On the start of the Final Herrera got the jump into turn 1. Okazaki followed through to get the second position coming out turn 2. From there Corbitt went to work on Okazaki as Herrera began to pull away. Zach Corbitt seemed to be a bit faster early on and put on some great driving to get by Okazaki. Corbitt pulled alongside AJ several times, but Okazaki kept his momentum up and never made a mistake. Carter Herrera walked away to an easy victory with AJ Okazaki holding off Corbitt for second. Corbitt settled for third with MMI’s Courntey Batterton making a great drive to fourth, and Kaden Christensen fifth. 

The Joey Hand racing Jr. Comer was next with 15 karts and Kartworld’s Cole Davis getting fast time with a 34.907. Blaine Rocha got the jump to turn one to lead the start of the heat race and the win to start front row with Cole Davis on the outside of the Final. Davis and Rocha put on a show in the Main to work lapped traffic. But with 2 laps to go with Rocha leading, lapped traffic bit Rocha and sidelined him with Cole Davis running to victory. Jarred Campbell second and Alexander Perales third. Tyler Burk finished fourth with Justin Yanez making a great run to  fifth, Blaine Rocha fell to 15^th.

Formula 80 Masters Sponsored Leading Edge had 9 karts competing and Steve Nagai laid down a blistering lap of 32.351 in qualifying for pole. Nagai looked tough in the heat race driving to an easy victory. In the Final Nagai again got the whole shot and cruised. The battle was for second as Mat Kattanek held it steadily for most of the race. As laps wound down MMI’s Chuck Hastings ran down Kattanek as the two begin to engage in the battle for the position. Nagai got the win with Hastings finishing second. Kattanek was third with Tony Rodriguez fourth, Josh Cole limped to a fifth place finish. 

18 karts in the Kartel Motorsports HPV-2 Category took to the track and Leading Edge’s Katherine Cornell grabbed fast time 31.831 with .271 seconds on the field. Three drivers (Kathryn Cornell, Justin Cole, Austin Elliott) were separated by five points for the championship lead going into this race leaving it to be anyone’s championship. On the start of the Heat, Cornell got the jump into turn one but on the exit the motor died and she pulled in. This allowed MMI’s David Vasquez to go to the point and the win. Bordogna’s Justin Cole would start beside Vasquez for the final on the front row. In qualifying Bordogna’s Johnny Norris had carburetor troubles placing him last to start the heat. Johnny would start in the 7^th position for the final. On the start David Vasquez went to the lead and began to pull away. Norris made quick work to come through the field to have a shot at Vasquez. Norris ran down David Vasquez for the lead despite Vasquez running a faster time in the race. Norris got around Vasquez for the win with Vasquez on his bumper. Cole got third giving Bordogna two drivers on the podium. Kartel’s Austin Elliott made a drive through the field to fourth after spinning on the start, Kartel’s TJ Fischer was fifth. 

The Bordogna Racing Engines HPV-1  was next and Jarred Campbell ran fast lap in qualifying with a 33.845. Lapped traffic played a key role in the heat race with Kartworld’s Cole Davis getting to the stripe to start pole in the Final with Emmick Cobra’s Sonny Cervelli on the outside. The main proved to be quite the race as Cervelli, Davis, and Campbell all took their turns at the top spot. Davis began to pull away with the help of lapped traffic. Just past halfway Campbell took a nasty off track excursion into a hay bail while working lapped traffic. Campbell was shook up but okay. The race was called and Cole Davis was the winner. Cervelli was second, Michael Avansino was third, Blaine Rocha and Kartworlds Hunter Corbitt were the top five. 

TAG Masters sponsored by Cambrian Karts was up and MMI’s Kevin Knight got fast time with a 32.179.  MMI’s Aldo Freggiaro got the jump in the heat to turn one as him and Knight would start on the front row for the final. Aldo would again get the jump on the start of the final to lead the field by on lap one. Knight would put the pressure on Aldo out of the box and would eventually get by to get the win by .739 over Freggiaro. Darren Liepelt was third with John Modderman and Jeff Bradshaw rounding out the top five. 

The Emmick Cobra Tag Sr was on track and Leading Edge’s Brett Felkins grabbed pole with a 31.429. Felkins would drive to a strong victory in the heat to start pole in the final with teammate Troy Diede starting on the outside. Felkins would again get the lead on the start and cruised as the race quickly became for second. Bordogna’s Troy Buckman held the position early with Diede making the pass around halfway. Buckman stayed close and attempted to pass Diede back but ran out of time. Felkins was the winner with Diede second and Buckman third. MMI’s Tyler Bradstock came home fourth with Danny Bordogna himself racing with the younger guys to fifth. 

The NorcalKarters.com 22 kart field of Sr Superbox was on track and Leading Edge’s Bryan Eady scored fast time with a 33.748. Emmick Cobra’s Jesse Gwin came from sixth on the grid to win the heat and start Pole in the Final alongside Leading Edge’s Brian Gallagher. Eady got the lead on the exit of turn two on the start with Gwin falling to second. Eady would go onto win the race and Gwin would secure second with the points lead. Gallagher was third with Leading Edges Brett Felkins fourth and Cambrian’s CJ Mooneyham fifth.  

Rick Gutzke got fast time in the Trackmagic 125 Stock Moto and led some laps in the Heat, in the main Jared Woolf walked to an easy victory. John Espinor was second, Gutke third. Andrew Colombini went wire to wire in Jr Puma with Tushar Neal second and Chris Clark third. Christopher Coleman looked quick early in Tag Sumo, but in the Final it was Eddie Lucas getting the win.  

In the 4-cycle classes Paul Viacrucis won the biggest class of the Wunder F200 with four karts. Craig Davidson won Animal, Karl Cleaton won Clones, and Danny Cahill won Atwater Kart Club’s World Formula. 

9-23-09 RUNYAN EXTENDS SCCA FORMULA FORD WIN STREAK WITH TRIPLEHEADER SWEEP AT LAGUNA SECA

Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle rookie added to his championship lead with a perfect run at famed Northern California road course

Bobby Runyan continued his superb run of form in SCCA Club Racing competition this past weekend (September 19-20), going a perfect three-for—three in San Francisco Region SCCA Formula Ford competition at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. In sweeping the weekend, the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle development driver extended his championship lead entering the October season-finale.

For Runyan and the rest of the Formula Ford competitors, the tripleheader weekend commenced with qualifying for Round 10. As has been the case since the opening race of the year, the Porter Racing/Raging Bull Motorsports Swift DB-6 Formula Ford race pilot was immediately up to speed and challenging for top honors. When the checkered flag waved, the Californian teenager had captured his seventh pole position of the year via a fast lap of 1:33.790 in unusually hot temperatures.

Racing action at the famed Northern California road course got underway one day later, with Runyan leading the large combined Formula Ford and Formula Vee field to the green flag. The RSWC driver enjoyed a good launch when the flag waved, holding off a brief challenge from his Porter Racing teammate, before establishing a multi-car advantage. Unfortunately the gap soon evaporated due to a multi-car incident at the renowned Corkscrew turn.

On the ensuing re-start, Runyan wasted no time re-establishing himself as the driver to beat. Turning the fastest times lap after lap, the lead over second place rapidly expanded. The end result was a commanding 25 second win by the talented young American.

Returning the cockpit of his Swift DB-6 after the lunch break, Runyan continued his perfect run at Laguna Seca, posting a fast lap of 1:32.956 in the second and final qualifying session. Runyan as a result earned the pole position for both Round 11 and the non-points annual Formula Ford Festival race.

Runyan, having extended his San Francisco Region SCCA win streak to three, once again timed the traditional rolling start to perfection in Round 11 on Sunday morning, holding the lead into and exiting the opening two turns. From that point forward the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle race pilot put on a driving clinic, turning near perfect laps. While a brief full-course caution bunched the field back together, Runyan never came under any threat of note, scoring his second win of the weekend.

After the lunch break, both the Formula Ford drivers and the Club Ford drivers returned to the track for the non-points Formula Ford Festival race. While his Porter Racing teammate had the benefit of virtually new tires for the race, Runyan was not to be denied. The Californian teenager once again got a good launch when the starter waved the green flag, keeping his hard charging teammate behind him. Turning the fastest laps of the race, Runyan never relinquished the lead, completing the weekend sweep with his fifth consecutive Formula Ford win.

“Simply stated, we think Bobby Runyan is a star in the making,” commented Ron Sutton, head of driver development. “For 2010 we are advancing him to the USAC Ford Focus Midget Series … then NASCAR series after that.”

Runyan would like to thank his sponsors, Raging Bull Motorsports and City Tires of Modesto for their continued support.

9-23-09 BOWLES TRAVELS TO ALL-AMERICAN SPEEDWAY POISED TO CAPTURE NASCAR CAMPING WORLD WEST SERIES TITLE

California standout only requires a top-16 finish to win the 2009 championship crown

ROSEVILLE, CALIF. (September 23, 2009) – Jason Bowles returns to All-American Speedway on Saturday (September 26) poised to capture the NASCAR Camping World West Series title in the season-finale. The California standout enters the Toyota/Copart 150 presented by Golden State Steel & Stair leading the championship fight by 78 points, and only needing a top-16 finish to secure the championship crown.

Bowles concludes what he and his Sunrise Ford team hopes to be a championship-winning campaign with a second trip to the All-American Speedway in central California. The former karting and junior formula car star has enjoyed good success at the 1/3-mile oval in the previous two NASCAR West visits, having won in 2008 and started from the pole position and finished second during Round Two in April.

Thanks to three wins, seven podiums, nine top-fives and 11 top-10s this season, Bowles enters the 2009 season-finale not only leading the championship standings by an impressive 78 points, but in control of his own destiny. The No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Oakley/Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/GS 610/RPM 12/Justice Brothers/Bell/Ford race pilot needs only finish 16^th or better in the 150-lap race to clinch his first NASCAR title.

“I am really looking forward to the race this weekend,” stated Bowles. “It’s nice to have the points lead, but we still have a long way to go to seal the deal. We have spent the last two weeks going over everything in the shop to make sure we don’t beat ourselves. I have to really hand it to my guys as they have done a great job all year and I expect nothing different this weekend. Bob has given me a great opportunity and I want to bring the Championship back to Sunrise Ford Racing.  Bill has also been a huge help as he has been in this situation before and knows what it takes to win a championship. We are just going to go and run our own race, we know what we have to do and we know our strategy so that is what we will focus on and let the cards fall where they fall.”   

9-16-09 ProKART CHALLENGE NORTH ENDS 2009 SEASON WITH THRILLER EVENT

Season ending championships came down to the final laps of the year in Sonoma, California

SONOMA, CA (September 12, 2009) � The seventh and final round of the Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge North program took place on September 12 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center in Sonoma, California. The final race of the season could not have been scripted out more dramatically with the number of circumstances deciding the eight series championships.

After perfect weather during the Friday practice day, heavy storms rolled through overnight to greet the racers with unknowing conditions. PKC Officials nearly instituted the �tough guy� bonus points had the day�s weather continued downward and the rains returned; however, the skies cleared up and no rain race was called. Aside from the weather nearly becoming a factor in the championship chases, the action on track provided enough excitement with the titles pending on the last 20 laps of the season.

Coming in 40 points down in the TaG Senior championship chase, Brett Buckwalter earned his first 10 points of the event after dropping down the quick lap during the qualifying session, besting point leader Will Martindale and Brett Felkins � who came into the finale tied for second in the points with Buckwalter. Felkins would make up the ten points he lost in qualifying, besting Buckwalter in both heat races. Felkins edged Buckwalter by 0.077-seconds in the first heat and only 0.098-seconds in the second heat, with JP Cadoux and Andrick Zeen joining in on the fight.

Entering the final, Buckwalter and Felkins were tied for the championship lead with Martindale trailing them by 15 points due to his DNF in heat two following contact with Larry Fraser. The title would be decided in the opening laps with Felkins pulling off track with a mechanical issue. Martindale�s run at the title ended on lap one, as well, with an electrical issue on his powerplant �while Zeen�s chance at the victory came to a halt on lap three with a broken chain. This allowed Buckwalter to proceed unchallenged and lead all 20 laps for his fourth straight feature victory to secure the class title. Fraser, fresh off his fourth place run at the Rock Island Grand Prix, climbed up to second in the final, but was removed in the tech barn for an illegal cylinder. This moved Kelsey Nilsson up to second for her best finish of the season, as she edged out Cadoux at the line.

The S3 finale was a precursor for the upcoming SKUSA SuperNationals XIII battle, with a number of contenders on hand getting in a final round of testing for the November event. The 2007 class winner Tom Dyer returned to action at the North program for the first time since earning the feature victory back in July. Dyer put down a blistering lap to secure the pole position over championship leader Jacob Neal, Grand-Am driver Memo Gidley, and New Zealander Daniel Bray. The complexion of the front of the field changed on the opening lap, as Neal made contact with Dyer through turn three, putting both drivers on the sidelines. This allowed Bray to outrun Tommy Thompson and Steve Reasoner for the first heat win. Bray repeated in the second heat as he edged out Reasoner and Thompson once again.

The beginning of the feature was a wild one as Dyer � who started fifth after working his way forward in the second heat � knifed his way to the lead for the first time by the scoring loop. He relegated Bray back to third behind Reasoner with Neal coming up from seventh to fourth, as Toft completed the early top-five. Bray, however, would be shuffled back to the tail of the field after spinning on lap three, ending his chase at another feature win. Up front, Dyer would get pressured early on by Reasoner before Toft worked himself into the second spot and began putting the heat on the leader. Dyer and Toft exchanged the lead a number of times before Dyer secured the point on lap 17. From there, Dyer would be able to edge out Toft to the checkered flag by just 0.177 seconds. Gidley was able to advance up to complete the podium, beating Reasoner and Thompson to the line. Neal�s seventh place finish result did not factor in with the one drop race toward the point standings, handing Neal the title to sweep the North and South S3 programs.

The fight for the TaG Masters championship was a toss-up, with a number of drivers within reach of the title. Jim Zootis gained the bonus 10-points for the top qualifier honor, as he was the lone driver under the 52-second mark. Jeff Deehan was second, with Austin Dyne � making his first start in the North program � splitting up the top four in the championship fight as Steve Elo and Paul Hohlbein rounded out the fast five. After leading the opening lap, Zootis relinquished the point to Deehan en route to the win in the first heat. Shuffling during the first lap of the second heat put Zootis back to fifth, as Deehan led all eight laps for the win with Elo and Hohlbein completing the top-three.

Deehan continued on, doing what he needed to do in the Final, leading all 20 laps to score his second feature � along with earning the 10 bonus points for the fast lap of the race. Elo entered the race still leading the way in the points, and slotted into the second spot behind Deehan until lap seven � when hard contact with the rumble strips in the tic-tac-toe section broke the drive chain, putting him on the sidelines for the remainder of the race. The DNF would be costly for Elo, as he lost valuable points toward the championship with Deehan earning enough to jump to the top of the standings to earn the title. Hohlbein advanced to second in the race with Zootis placing third, putting him second in the point standings ahead of Elo.

With the S4 championship wrapped up, Jamie Wilson elected to sit out the finale weekend. On-track, Alex Keith shined as he nearly pulled off the weekend sweep. After locking in the pole position in qualifying, Keith went on to earn the heat one win. A DNF in heat two for a mechanical issue cost him a perfect weekend, however, although he rebounded to score the feature victory for his first of the year over Casey Scherer and Peter Workum. Defending S1 champion Cody Hodgson put in a weekend sweep to earn his second straight class title. Jacob Neal � needing a feature win in order to dethrone Hodgson � ran second all day until retiring in the feature on lap 18, moving first time PKC driver Patrick Kelly to the runner-up spot.

At the same time, the G1 division welcomed returning drivers mixing it up with championship chaser Jim Kidd locking in the title. Kidd squeaked out the fast lap in qualifying over returning drivers Kelly Baker and Fernando Diaz, with the top-three separated by just 0.080 seconds. Baker got the holeshot in the first heat to lead all eight laps for the win, with Kidd edging out former champion Craig Corwin for second. Baker took the second heat in the same fashion, this time with Kidd fending off Diaz. Keeping his machine rolling, Baker went three for three in racing action, as he showed the way in the 20-lap feature for the victory. Kidd held his ground in second, scoring the class championship, with Diaz putting the pressure on to complete the podium.

In Junior action, Kiel Spaulding repeated as the HPV-2 Junior champion, locking in the title with his fourth feature win of the season on Saturday. With the title all but locked up before the event began, Spaulding was scheduled to skip the finale until the uncertainty of the weather forced Spaulding to attend, arriving late to contest for the second heat and feature. Before Spaulding hit the track, Austin Keller earned his first top qualifier honors of the season, edging out Luis Tyrrell for the P1 spot to start the first heat. Tyrrell showed the way in the opening laps of the first heat, although he was pressured by Dylan Lupton � with Keller falling back to third. On lap four, Tyrrell was relegated to the back of the field after scrapping with Lupton. That put Lupton to the point and the win ahead of Keller and Frankie Guerrini III.

In the second heat, Lupton led all eight laps, as Tyrrell worked himself back up to second with Spaulding coming from eighth to third in his first session on track. In the feature, Spaulding got the lead early and went on to lead all 20 laps for the victory. Behind him, Lupton and Tyrrell continued to duke it out before contact on lap eight sent them back a few positions. As the race went on, Tyrrell reclaimed the second spot with Marvin Gardner completing the podium � as Lupton drove from last to fourth in the second half of the race.

Lupton, however, found the gold in the TaG Junior division with a win in the feature to score the class championship. Austin Thomas showed the way in qualifying, while Austin Elliott took the win in the first heat. Lupton picked up the lead after Elliott retired early in the second heat, earning the win � and then leading all 20 laps of the final for his third feature victory of the season. Elliott recovered to pressure Lupton early, until another mechanical issue put him on the sidelines on lap nine. That moved Niki Luna up to second and Thomas to third to complete the podium.

As a final special treat, the winners of the S3 and TaG Senior classes � Tom Dyer and Brett Buckwalter -- got a victory lap around track with driver Memo Gidley in a 1961 Aston Martin DB3 Zagato. A special thanks goes out to the Thomas family, for sponsoring both the Friday night BBQ at the finale event as well as the sponsorship for the end of the year banquet to be held October 17 at the 'Tuscan Car Barn' in Larkspur, CA. Details and ticket information along with more information on the upcoming SKUSA SuperNationals XIII can be found at www.prokartchallenge.com or by calling 951-491-0808.

Riverside, CA - K&N Filters announces a sponsorship program to provide a young, upcoming race driver with a funded 10 race season in the 2010 NASCAR Grand American Modified Series, plus a one year driver development program. Long known for the company's ongoing support of grassroots racing across America, K&N Filter's heritage of motorsports involvement ranges from lawn mower racing to the top tiers of NASCAR.

NASCAR recently announced for 2010 they are reducing the minimum age to 14 in NASCAR's Charger divisions, including the Grand American Modified Series. This opens the K&N talent search up to young drivers as young as 13, as long as they turn 14 by the 2010 season. "We love being involved in the NASCAR Grand American Modified Series for a lot of reasons ... one being the K&N Flow Control System, because it makes more power, is the filter of choice for a huge majority of the competitors," stated Bob Harris, Corporate Race Accounts Manager for K&N Filters.

The winning driver will be placed with Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle (RSWC) race team in the series on the West Coast. The RSWC Modifieds weigh 2550 pounds and feature 410" V-8, 520 hp, roller valve train, methanol burning engines utilizing K&N air and oil filters. The talented driver selected will be awarded a one year scholarship in Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle NASCAR focused driver development program. The K&N scholarship winner will have a training program designed specifically for their age, experience and development stage.

"The $40,000 race sponsorship and driver development scholarship are just the next step in K&N Filters long history of supporting young racers," stated Tony Yorkman, Sports Marketing Manager at K&N Engineering. "These are challenging times for everyone but, we are not going to stop caring about young racers. Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle already has a great process in place to find talented young drivers. We are tapping into their program to help us find a deserving young racer for K&N's award."

Sacramento, California based Ron Sutton's Winner's Circle is currently accepting driver resumes through the deadline of September 30th, 2009. The talent search concludes with an on-track Driver Shoot-Out with 40 of the nations' top talented drivers on a California paved oval short track in early October. The application process is open to all drivers 13 to 19 years of age, with race winning backgrounds.

Many successful car racers today, honed their skills driving something smaller, such as Karts, Legends, Dwarf Cars, Quarter Midgets, Mini/Micro-Sprints, Dirt Karts and other forms of youth racing. K&N Filters and Sunoco Racing Fuels, an additional supporting sponsor, are awarding six free spots to young racers from various forms of youth motorsports in the 2009 RSWC Talent Search Shoot-Out.

"K&N Filter's support for grassroots racing is unprecedented. Last year they came on board to sponsor several free spots in our talent search. This year, in a tough economy, K&N increased their involvement by adding a 10 race sponsorship and training program to a deserving young racer. We are excited to help develop a young racer's career with K&N's help," said Ron Sutton.

RSWC is an established talent scout and development program, providing long term, comprehensive racing and career development for up and coming drivers focused on NASCAR careers. RSWC drivers are coached, groomed, trained and molded into what top teams look for when hiring drivers. The career development program consists of 12 veteran driver coaches, 24 classroom topics and eight organizations fielding over 20 race teams, all dedicated to develop drivers in the RSWC program. The teams are a balance of Open Wheel and Stock Car oval track race teams, with Road Racing added, to develop highly versatile and accomplished winning drivers.

Young winning drivers ages 13 to 19, and their parents, are encouraged to get all the information and answers to common questions from the web-site, then submit their resume in time to be considered. The web-site is www.Winners-Circle-Racing.com
 

9-9-09 PODIUM FINISH IN LAS VEGAS PLACES LICATA JR. IN TIE FOR ASA SPEED TRUCK CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver advanced from the rear of the field to third place at the Bullring

American oval track up-and-comer Joey Licata Jr. resumed his pursuit of the ASA Speed Truck Challenge on Saturday (September 5), scoring a third place result at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring. The podium finishes places the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle development driver in a tie for the championship lead entering the final stages of the 2009 season.

Licata Jr. commenced the seventh event of ASA Speed Truck season in fine fashion, turning among the fastest times during Friday night and Saturday morning practice. That trend continued when single-truck qualifying got underway on the 3/8-mile oval, with the No. 71 United Nissan/G2 Graphic Service/Chevy Colorado posting the second fastest time (16.17). With the inverted field rule, this resulted in a fourth place starting position for Licata Jr. in Las Vegas.

After a short break to discuss and make any setup changes, Licata Jr. was back behind the wheel for the 100-lap race. For the former multiple IKF Grand National karting champion, the goal early on was to keep his nose clean and work his way towards the front. After initially falling back to fifth place, Licata Jr. began making his move, advancing up to second before the 25-lap mark.

Once in second place, he began looking for the right opportunity to pass for the lead. That chance came following a great run off of turn two, as Licata Jr. got to the inside of the race leader in turns three and four. Unfortunately light contact soon ensued, with the leader spinning out. As a result, Licata Jr. was sent to the rear of the 17-car field.

On the ensuing restart, the Van Nuys, Calif., driver put the incident behind him and began what would ultimately be a stunning charge back to the front. By lap 71, Licata Jr. was once again among the lead pack in fifth. Licata Jr. was in third three laps later, having executed a picture perfect pass of both third and fourth place in turn three. While the Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle driver closed the distance to the lead duo in the closing stages, he never got within striking distance, taking the checkered flag in third place

“Licata is a real talent,” said driver coach Ron Sutton. “He showed that tonight with his hard charging driving style taking him to the front. We’re excited that Joey is tied in the season long battle for the championship.”

IKF Email Blast: 

September 2009 virtual issue of the Karter News is now available on the IKF website, www.ikfkarting.com. 

August 2009 Phone Board Meeting Minutes are now available on the IKF website, www.ikfkarting.com. 

September 2009 Board Meeting Information now available.

September 19-20, 2009
Sheraton Ontario Airport Hotel
429 North Vineyard Avenue
Ontario CA 91764
Call 909-937-8000 or 800-325-3535 for reservations. 

IKF Night at the Races at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.
Saturday night September 19, 2009 Gates open at 4pm Racing at 7pm.

More information available on www.ikfkarting.com. 

9-9-09 BOWLES ONE STEP CLOSER TO NASCAR CAMPING WORLD WEST SERIES TITLE WITH RUNNER-UP FINISH IN IOWA

Californian expanded points lead to 78 points with one race remaining

NEWTON, IOWA (September 8, 2009) – Jason Bowles’ return visit to the Iowa Speedway on Friday night (September 4) proved highly successful, as the talented American finished second in NASCAR Camping World West Series Central Iowa Building and Construction Trades 125. In doing so, Bowles enters the season-finale in three weeks time with a 78-point advantage in the championship fight.

Bowles entered the penultimate race on the 2009 calendar confident he could challenge for top honors and add to his championship lead. This belief proved justified early on, as the former karting and junior formula car standout was second fastest when the two practice sessions had been completed. While Bowles did not enjoy a perfect run in single-car qualifying, he did position himself for a strong race with the fourth fastest lap, earning a row two starting position.

Returning to the driver’s seat of the No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Oakley/Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/GS 610/RPM 12/Justice Brothers/Bell/Ford under the lights in Iowa, Bowles got away cleanly when the green flag waved for the 125-lap race. The rising stock car race pilot, having been part of the lead pack lap after lap, took over the top spot on lap 97, scoring valuable bonus points. The lead was short lived however, with Bowles relinquishing the top-spot to the eventual race winner. Aware that his nearest championship pursuer was back in 10^th, Bowles kept the leader within sight for the remainder of the race, running P2 all the way to the checkered flag.

“It was a good night for me and the whole Sunrise Ford team,” stated Bowles. “We came into the race knowing we were racing one car and we did what we needed to do. I was lucky to get those bonus points on that restart, but we just didn’t have anything for the 17 car. He was really good all night. I have to thank the whole team for giving me great cars all year and putting us in this position for the last race of the season. I think we are going to do a bit of testing before the last race to make sure we are as prepared as possible, and we will see how it plays out.” 

9-9-09 PERFECT WEEKEND FOR RUNYAN IN SCCA FORMULA FORD COMPETITION AT INFINEON RACEWAY

Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle rookie now leads the San Francisco Region championship standings

Rising American talent Bobby Runyan returned to victory lane this past weekend (September 5-6), winning both Formula Ford races of the San Francisco Region SCCA doubleheader at Infineon Raceway. The Ron Sutton’s Winner’s Circle development driver now leads the championship standings entering the final three races of the season.

Returning to the cockpit after the traditional month-long summer break, Runyan was immediately up to speed at Infineon Raceway in Northern California. Saturday morning qualifying, which witnessed plenty of traffic, featured Runyan as the man to beat from start to finish. When the checkered flag waved, the talented teenager had posted a time of 1:41.469 - a full two seconds quicker than his previous best at the challenging track – to earn the pole position. Runyan made the most of the P1 starting position a short time later, getting away cleanly from the rolling start. Routinely posting the fastest laps of the race, the Californian never relinquished the top spot, leading every lap en route to a commanding win.

With one win already for the weekend, Runyan entered qualifying for Round Nine confident he could again capture the pole position and potentially set a new lap record. While traffic prevented a new qualifying mark from being set, the No. 2 Porter Racing/Raging Bull Motorsports Swift DB-6 Formula Ford once again turned the fastest time (1:40.505), securing the P1 on the timing charts.

The start to race two at Infineon Raceway proved quite entertaining, as a hesitation by the starter caused the field to bunch right together and the second place driver to challenge for the lead. While Runyan initially overcame the attack, a slight bobble a few turns later in the Carousel dropped the Ron Sutton Winner’s Circle to second place. The change in position proved to be only temporary however. Showing the speed, skill and patience of a future champion, Runyan regained lead within a lap via a well-planned pass. Settling into a fast yet comfortable pace, the 16 year-old quickly pulled out a multi-car advantage. Just as it appeared that Runyan was headed towards a second commanding win, the yellow flags waved for an incident on the course.

When the race action resumed a short time later, the Porter Racing rookie got an ideal launch, holding the lead through turn one. Runyan, never putting a wheel wrong for the remainder of the race, completed the weekend sweep in front of friends and family.

“Bobby continues to impress us and everyone,” stated head of driver development, Ron Sutton. “He has fought back hard for the championship lead, and winning both races this weekend is a good way to achieve that.”

9-9-09 TEAM ALUMINOS WINS FINALE TO CLINCH PROKART SOUTH CHAMPIONSHIP WITH SMITH

S4 driver sweeps seventh and final round to secure championship, squad looking for more wins in North program

 As the 2009 season comes to a close, the Team Aluminos drivers and staff are steering toward ending the year on top. With the final round of the ProKart Challenge South taking place August 29 at the CalSpeed Karting facility in Fontana, California, the first of three events to wrap up the season is in the books with Aluminos coming out as a champion. With a full tent of seven drivers, team manager Rob Soares and the staff of George Tavares, Tom Dyer and Fritz Leesmann were kept busy throughout the event with the tough circuit and fierce competition in attendance.

Championship hopes rode on the shoulders of S4 driver Jeff Smith. With a consistent string of results, Smith entered the event as the championship leader and a recent feature winner. Smith kicked the event off on the right foot, literally, as he just grabbed the pole award by a mere 24-thousandths of a second. That slipped away at the start of the first heat race as Smith fell back to third in the opening lap. With grit and determination, Smith managed to reclaim the top spot for the heat win. Getting off the line better to begin the second heat, Smith led all 10-laps for the win, placing him on the pole for the main event. From there, Smith was able to stretch out for solid victory to clinch the S4 championship.

�It was a great feeling to get the win in the fashion that I did,� commented Smith following the weekend. �I was so excited to get the win to end the season on top and it couldn�t have come in a better way as it helped seal the deal for the championship. The title is my first championship of my career so it�s very special. Coming home from Fontana was a great feeling, just over the top with excitement. I can�t thank Rob (Soares) and the staff for all they did for me this year. A team like theirs is what makes karting so much more fun and relaxing for a driver like myself. They make the weekend go smooth for me and the experience staff of Tom Dyer, Fritz Leesmann, and George Tavares helped me earn the win this weekend and the championship.�

Alongside Smith were Aluminos drivers were Peter Workum and Jonathon Allen. Workum was third in the qualifying order however contact in the opening heat put him at the rear of the field. Moving up to 10th in the final heat, Workum was able to climb up to finish sixth in the feature, putting him fifth in the final standings. Allen was consistent all day, starting out sixth in the lineup and breaking into the top-five in the heat races. In the feature, Allen battled to move further up the top-five but settled for the fifth spot when the checkered flag waved.

Brad Dunford led the charge for Team Aluminos in a stacked S3 category that looked like a mini-SuperNationals field. Dunford had a respectable fast lap in qualifying that put him seventh in the order however contact put him back to the tail of the field in the opening stint of the first heat. Regaining the spots he lost in the second heat race, finishing seventh, Dunford challenged the top-five. Though he crossed the line seventh, a driver ahead of him was removed from the results, placing him sixth. The result put him fifth in the final point standings.

The event began out slow for fellow S3 drivers Harley Owen and Kyle Hathcox - who returned under Aluminos tent after being away for a few months. The two were classified 12th and 13th in qualifying with some work to be done. The Aluminos staff worked closely with both drivers to improve both their racecraft and the machines they were piloting. Both improved each time on the track and it showed in the feature with both drivers running at the same pace as Dunford. When the checkered waved, Hathcox was seventh and Own was eighth.

Brad Dhesi - a new driver under the Aluminos tent - was the lone driver in the G1 division flying the squad�s colors with high hopes of a podium run. The day began with Dhesi placing fifth in the qualifying session followed by one spot gain in each heat race. Starting third for the feature, Dhesi was set on pacing himself for the 20-lap event before charging forward near the end of the race. Unfortunately, a slight error entering a corner allowed a group of drivers to slide underneath as Dhesi went wide, putting him near the tail of the field. Working hard to regain the spots lost, Dhesi ended up sixth by the final lap, a solid performance for his first weekend with the Aluminos operation.

This coming weekend, the Aluminos crew will battle in the ProKart Challenge North finale on September 12, back at the Jim Russell International Karting Center, with Aluminos drivers looking to secure the top positions in the point standings once again. Driver coach Tom Dyer will return to the driver�s seat for some extra track time, running in the S3 division with round six winner Daniel Bray from New Zealand and championship contender Steve Reasoner. Peter Workum will fly the Aluminos colors in the S4 division, coming into the finale second in the standings and looking for his first feature win and slide in for the class championship.

9-3-09 BOWLES READY TO EXPAND NASCAR CAMPING WORLD WEST SERIES LEAD IN RETURN VISIT TO IOWA SPEEDWAY

 Californian has finished among the top-10 in all but one race in 2009

 NEWTON, IOWA (September 3, 2009) – Rising stock car talent Jason Bowles returns to the driver’s seat on Friday (September 4) with Round 12 of the NASCAR Camping World West Series taking place at Iowa Speedway. The Californian enters Central Iowa Building and Construction Trades 125, the penultimate race on the 2009 calendar as the championship leader.

 After failing to finish among the top-10 for the first time this season in Round 11, following a tire failure, Bowles is excited to return to action and extend his championship lead at the Iowa Speedway. While the No. 6 Sunrise Ford/Oakley/Joe Gibbs Racing Oil/GS 610/RPM 12/Justice Brothers/Bell/Ford had not enjoyed its best results on the 7/8mile tri-oval prior to this season, Bowles was among those challenging for the win during the mid-May visit to the track, leading two laps before recording a ninth place result, fifth among the west series competitors. Given the former karting and formula car standout is the current NASCAR West championship leader, and he has been in contention for top honors week after week in 2009, there is little doubt Bowles will again be a driver worth watching when the green flag waves on Friday night.

 “I’m really looking forward to going back to Iowa Speedway,” stated Bowles. “The last two races there we have shown pace, but tire issues have put us behind. We are bringing the same car back and I think we have made a few improvements. We just need to really focus on having a good racecar. Its going to be a bit different never running there at night. Its important to start up front, but this track allows for some good racing and usually has two or three grooves before the race is over.”

9-3-09 NEWGARDEN LOOKING FORWARD TO BRITISH FORMULA FORD RACES AT BRANDS HATCH

American returns to English track where he entered the record books in 2008

KENT, ENGLAND (September 2, 2009) – Rising American talent Josef Newgarden resumes his chase of a European championship title this holiday weekend (September 5-6), with Rounds 19, 20 and 21of the MSA Formula Ford Championship of Great Britain at the famed Brands Hatch Circuit. The Joe Tandy Racing rookie enters the first of back-to-back events at the English race circuit second in the championship fight, and as a six-time series race winner.

For Newgarden, the seventh event of the 2009 British Formula Ford season marks his return to the track where he scored the most significant victory thus far in his burgeoning race career. As a member of the prestigious Team USA Scholarship program, Newgarden made history last fall at Brands Hatch, when he became the first American to win the world renowned Formula Ford Festival, earning the Kent class victory. The 18 year-old followed up that historic moment this past spring with two additional wins at the high-speed road course, taking two of three in the season-opening Formula Palmer Audi Championship as a guest driver.

Given Newgarden’s previous success at the Brands Hatch Circuit, it should come as no surprise that the No. 21 Robo-Pong/Race of Tomorrow Ltd/Joe Tandy Racing/Mygale SJ08 Premier Power car will be one both the fans and fellow competitors will be keeping a close eye on throughout the three-day event.

Running in conjunction with the lone German-based DTM touring car series event in England, Newgarden will be focused on reducing the gap to the championship leader. With race wins in five of the six events contested thus far, the JTR race pilot, who now resides in Oxford, England, has not only taken over control of the Rookie of the Year fight in the British Formula Ford Championship, but also positioned himself to challenge for the overall title when the final checkered flag waves in early October.

“I’m not putting any extra pressure on myself due to the points championship,” commented Newgarden. “As always, I plan on getting the most out of my car this weekend and executing a smart race strategy. No matter how the championship ends up, I’m looking to move up next year! Hopefully, my performance during the final few events will catch the attention of the right people in the racing industry.”

Newgarden’s JTR Mygale will feature additional livery this coming weekend, with the American joining the “MAKE ROADS SAFE” campaign. The program calls on the international community to recognize road traffic injuries as a global health epidemic, and to take urgent action to stop the daily tragedy of preventable deaths and injuries.

9-3-09 NEAL SECURES PROKART CHALLENGE SOUTH TITLEs at season finale

Toft and others get in track time for SuperNats with victories as nine titles were decided

FONTANA, CA (August 29, 2009) � The final round of Superkarts! USA�s ProKart Challenge South took place during last Saturday�s heat wave outside the Auto Club Speedway around the CalSpeed Karting facility. The seventh and final round of the fifth season for the Southern California-based PKC program was one of the most attended and most exciting � with a number of competitors on hand preparing for the upcoming SKUSA SuperNationals XIII in November mixed in with those chasing down a championship. In total, nine champions were crowned following the action around the �Grande-reverse� circuit.

Heading into CalSpeed, the attention in the S3 class was geared toward point leader Jacob Neal. Coming in with five straight feature wins, those chasing him would need to put in their best runs of the season to hope to dethrone him. Patrick Cushenberry � who entered the event second in the points � began the event in that fashion as he put down the fastest lap in qualifying, edging Neal by just 14-thousandths of a second. PKC North defending champion Jason Toft made the trek down for more track time, and was third in the timed session ahead of Clinton Schoombee and S5 Junior graduate Race Liberante. The first 10-lap heat race saw Neal lead flag to flag, with Schoombee advancing up to second while Cushenberry fell to fourth behind Toft. Schoombee, third in the standings, got the jump off the line and paced the field the entire second heat race - despite some painful injured ribs from a few weeks back. Neal slotted into second until lap three, when he was waved off track for no neck collar. Toft would go on to finish second ahead of Cushenberry.

The first half of the 20-lap feature saw a battle with just the top two, as Schoombee and Toft battled hard until lap 12 when Schoombee had to finally pull off track as the pain in his ribs became too severe to continue. This gave Toft all the space he needed, as he cruised on to a two-second victory over Cushenberry. In the tech barn, however, Cushenberry was removed from the results by being underweight at the scales. The surprise of the race was the newcomers that shined � with Peter Abba placing third and Liberante fourth, each moving up one position on the podium due to Cushenberry�s misfortune. The weekend was Abba�s first S3 race after running S1 for the majority of the year; likewise, Liberante earned his first podium after just his third weekend as a Senior driver. Neal looked to make a comeback in the final until lap nine, when he clipped a tire and went off track losing a number of positions. Despite the disappointing 10^th place finish, he garnered enough points to secure the class championship. Neal would also lock in the S1 championship with a victory in the feature, while Imran Husain and Jason Chott split the wins in the heat races, finishing second and third on the podium respectively.

The G1 category came into the finale with the tightest point battle between Roy Montgomery and Troy Butts. The event, however, saw former champion PP Mastro � third in the standings � steal the show as he swept the day�s action. Mastro was more than two-tenths quicker than Butts, with Montgomery clocking in third. Mastro led all 10 laps of the opening heat with Nick Firestone breaking up the Butts and Montgomery battle. Issues, however, in tech for Butts put him at the back of the field with a disqualification for his kart being too wide. In the second heat, Mastro was challenge by Firestone early. On lap seven, Firestone made his move and assumed the point, going on to take the provisional victory until he was tossed out in tech for the same kart width infraction as Butts. This gave Mastro the win, with Montgomery slotted in second � while Butts worked himself up to fourth behind Brad Dhesi.

Though Montgomery fought valiantly, Mastro was hooked up too well to challenge for the victory. Mastro would grab the holeshot and lead all 20 laps for his third feature win of the season. Montgomery was a solid second, while Firestone duplicated Butts� run in heat two, advancing up to third, relegating Butts to a fourth place finish off the podium. The win also put Mastro on top of the standings when figuring the one-race drop, claiming another ProKart Challenge championship. Montgomery ended the year second with Butts earning the third place season-end trophy.

Jeff Smith made it crystal clear just who was the top driver in S4 this PKC South season. Coming in as the point leader, Smith made sure nothing would let that slip away as he swept the class action on the day. Qualifying was close, with Ken Schilling coming just 24-thousandths from stealing the pole position during the timed session. A poor opening lap put Smith back to third in the first heat, but he would regain the lost positions to take the win with Schilling following through on his tail as he also had a bad start. Smith went unchallenged in the second heat, with Mike Goebel taking the second spot as Schilling again suffered a poor start. Smith was solid on his already warm MG Tires to extend an early lead en route to lead all 20 laps of the feature for his second straight win, locking in the title. Greg Nelson was able to work by Goebel for second, while Schilling ran a tough eighth place while suffering from heat stroke.

The PKC finale also witnessed its first double winner for someone not named Neal. Rising star Gustavo Menezes, who has spent most of his 2009 season racing in Europe, won both the TaG Senior and KF2 features. A more populated TaG Senior class saw Andrick Zeen as the early man to beat, as he led the way in qualifying and the first heat race. After a poor qualifying session, Menezes recovered in the first heat to place second, one-second behind Zeen, before going on to score the second heat race win ahead of Devin Lindsey and Zeen. In the feature, Zeen and Menezes went back and forth until Zeen retired on lap 12 with a failed coil, handing Menezes the victory. With championship challenger Larry Fraser absent from the event, the title was awarded to Howie Idelson.

Menezes did battle with KF2 point leader Alex Speed on the day, as well. After edging him for top honors in qualifying, Speed got the better end with the opening heat race win. Menezes finished third behind Andrick Zeen but was removed from the results for his kart being too wide in tech. Speed went unchallenged in the second heat race, with Cody Hodgson and Zeen finishing ahead of a charging Menezes. The start of the feature was an exciting one with the front group shuffling around. Menezes went from fourth to first with Speed falling back to third. Speed would eventually work his way to the point by lap eight, where he would stay until retiring on lap 17 following racing contact with Menezes. That would allow Menezes to retake the lead and go on for the victory over Zeen and Hodgson. Speed, however, would walk away from the weekend as the season champion.

The TaG Master division was controlled by series newcomers at the season finale. Making his first series start, Austin Dyne was the driver to beat throughout the day, as he topped the charts in qualifying -- and then led all 10 laps in both heat races. The start, however, in the feature shuffled Dyne back in the order as championship contenders Jeff Bobbitt and Steve Wiener fought for the lead. As Dyne was making his way back to the point, he would retire on lap 14 with mechanical problems. Bobbit, meanwhile, had begun stretching out a lead over Wiener, with Pasha Mirhadi challenging for the second spot. With one lap to go, Bobbitt�s chance at victory ended with his engine seizing. This gave Mirhadi his first victory, as he edged Wiener to the line by just 0.071-seconds in just his fourth series start � with Mike Kelley completing the podium. Bobbitt earned a fifth place finish despite not making it to the checkered flag while Wiener�s runner-up finish locked him in for the class championship.

Securing the new S4 Magnum class championship was Luke Bianco. The point leader heading into the event swept the day�s action. With its biggest turnout of the year, Bianco paced the field the entire day, taking the feature win over Todd Scholta and championship contender Tony Morrison. Also gaining more entries was the TaG Junior division, as drivers continue to prepare for the upcoming SuperNats. Already crowned the class champion, Max Zacky welcomed the challenge. However, it was Carlee Taylor and Corey Neveau who paced the day. Taylor led the way in qualifying and the opening heat race, while Neveau won the second heat after Taylor sat it out with sore ribs. Taylor returned in the feature, climbing up to the second spot until lap five when she would retire after contact with another kart disabled her kart. Neveau went on to take the win in his PKC South debut, with Zacky ending the season second on podium, ahead of another PKC South rookie Austin Thomas.

With the season now closed, the PKC South program will focus its attention on the awards banquet, scheduled for October 3 at the Grand Long Beach Event Center. More details on the banquet � along with the upcoming ProKart Challenge North season finale on September 12 at the Jim Russell International Karting Center � will be announced in the near future. For more information on the Superkarts! USA�s ProKart Challenge itself or the upcoming SKUSA SuperNationals XIII, head to www.prokartchallenge.com or call 951-491-0808.

9-3-09 CENTRAL STATES CHALLENGE ENDS 2009 AT PEVELY

Championships decided at seventh and final event of the 2009 season at I-55 Raceway

ST. LOUIS, MO (August 30, 2009) � The Superkarts! USA AMB i.t. Central States Challenge (SCSC) completed the sixth round of the 2009 season, the final edition of the program�s second year. The event at the I-55 Raceway in Pevely, MO on August 29-30 took place on the 6/10-mile kart circuit south of the metropolitan St. Louis area. With the end of the season came the final round for drivers to gain the needed points to clinch their respective championships.

The S3 chase came down to the final laps of the year with Matt Zeis and Derek Crockett locked in a heated battle. Crockett was able to edge Zeis for the 10 bonus points in qualifying, putting down the fast lap of the session a mere 0.052-seconds. Crockett was able to lead all eight laps of the heat with Zeis retiring early. This put them tied in the standings heading into the feature. The two ran nose to tail the entire race until contact while lapping another kart sent Crockett off course with a bent kart. This handed Zeis the victory and the championship.

S4 point leader Rick Freund began his quest to clinch the title with a solid fast lap in qualifying, just 0.084-seconds quicker than rival Jack Kloeber. In the heat race however, Kloeber would have the advantage as he led the last five laps of the Prefinal for the win. In the feature, Freund challenged early, posting the fast lap of the race, but Kloeber was more consistent around the track to go on to take his third victory of the season. Freund settle for second, earning himself the championship in the process while Eric Burkard joined them on the podium in the third spot.

Carly Mandarino needed to put in her best weekend of the season in hopes of a championship crown and began the finale strong with the fast lap in qualifying. Derek Crockett was second in the order with Kyle Gnau in third. Once the racing began however Crockett showed the way as he cruised to wins in the Prefinal and Final to clinch the point championship. Gnau and Jake Rathert stood on the podium for their feature results however Mandarino gained enough points with her fourth place finish to end up second in the chase with Gnau a close third. Crockett earned a second title before the event began as he clinched the TaG Senior title. Chris Berg ran to the class win over Jerry Henry.

As he has all year, Lukas Johnson was on his game for the finale to sweep the weekend and score the S5 Junior title. A smoking lap in qualifying gave him the 10 bonus points followed by the Prefinal win after duking it out with Kevin Donahue. Johnson then went on to lead all 16 laps of the feature for his fifth straight victory. Donahue was second with Colton Brooks third. Kaylee Granberg�s fourth place finish was just enough to edge Donahue for the runner-up spot in the standings with Brooks ending the year fourth.

The TaG Junior group was exciting to watch all weekend. Colton Brooks showed the way early on, claiming the top spot in qualifying over 61 Kartway winner Richy Yates. Things went crazy at the drop of the green as contact took out Brooks. Point leader Drake Ostrom went on to take the provisional win in the Prefinal but officials disqualified him for rough driving, handing the win to Kaylee Granberg. Yates paced the field in the first half of the feature race until Kevin Donahue was able to close in and take the lead with three laps to go. He would hold off Yates to score his second victory of the season with Collin Willis placing third. Ostrom managed to run sixth, earning enough points to claim the class championship over Yates and Donahue.

SCSC TaG Masters guest Joe Sturm swept the class on the weekend in his return to action after a non-racing injury. The championship however was decided behind him as Jim Donahue gained a few points on Brit Phillips as they finished second and third. Phillips however scored the necessary points to claim the class title.

Local driver Kyle Kennedy showed the way early in the popular TaG Cadet division, posting a fast lap just ahead of championship leader Kyle Donahue. At the drop of the green, Donahue got the jump and went on to lead all eight laps of the Prefinal ahead of Kennedy. The start was very similar in the Final, except Donahue held the inside line through the opening corners. From there, Donahue was able to stretch out to a two-second victory to claim the class championship. Kennedy ended up second with Zach Bohmer winning the tight battle for third to earn his spot as series runner-up in the standings.

The Kid Kart group was a race of two - Jacob Winslow and Owen Leatherberry. Winslow was the top qualifier and was able to win by an uncharacteristic five-second margin in the Prefinal. In the feature however, the two went back and forth several laps until being joined by Nicholas Cory. After Cory took a few laps at the point, he retired and handed the spot to Leatherberry, who held off Winslow by 0.156-seconds at the checkered flag for the victory. Winslow however still smiling afterwards, taking home the championship.

Following the day�s action during the awards ceremonies, one lucky driver was chosen by a random draw with the winner given the all-expense paid trip to the Granja Viana 500 race in Brazil - thanks to MG Tires. S3 champion Matt Zeis was the lucky name pulled out of the hat by TaG 60 driver Nicholas Nufer. Zeis will join other Superkarts! USA drivers from across the country to represent the United States and MG Tires at the prestigious event, competing against some of the biggest names in motorsports.

The awards for the 2009 championship winners will be handed out at the season end banquet, set for October 10 at the Microtel Inn in Quincy, IL. More information regarding the banquet or SKUSA Central States Challenge in general can be found at the series website - www.centralstateschallenge.com   The series would like to thank the following sponsors for their support in 2009; AMB i.t., MG Tires, Car-Car Motorsports, Crockett�s Mobile Car Wash, Digatron, Nado Alley Printing, PG Racing, Russell Karting, and Unique Heating and Cooling.