english language - italian language

04/07/2008 - SECOND ANNUAL NUEVO LAREDO GRAND PRIX

The second annual “Nuevo Laredo Grand Prix” is back for 2008 and will take place August 1st – 3rd in La Nueva Unidad Deportiva de Nuevo Laredo, Mexico. Nuevo Laredo is a growing city with population of 3,024,238 and is the second major border city to the USA. Due to the close proximity, race officials have extended an invitation to their neighbors north of the border. This year’s edition of the event has been improved by lengthening the track to 1.4 kilometers and 23 corners, with a purse of $15,000 to be distributed between all classes.

With the event fast approaching, the Nuevo Laredo Grand Prix is extending an open invitation to anyone and everyone wishing to compete in the event and advises to register quickly. The Grand Prix will feature all three Rotax Max Challenge (Regions) in Mexico, ruled and regulated by the Rotax Max Challenge. A 125cc shifter class will also be featured as a guest class, and will surely be a fantastic show for race fans.

For drivers coming from the USA, race officials have informed customs in Nuevo Laredo about the event, and there will be various Nuevo Laredo administration representatives at the border to help and support the entrance for all international drivers. Nuevo Laredo Grand Prix officials would like to inform all drivers that they will have full support by the Nuevo Laredo administration for customs procedures to allow peace of mind for entry in Mexico as well as departure.

Interested participants are asked to fill out all pre-registration forms to secure your kart number and save time when arriving to the event. Please visit www.NuevoLaredoGrandPrix.com to register or for more information.

04/07/2008 - Firing and Margay Forge Inaugural Ironman Win

Travis Firing laid claim to the inaugural ‘Ironman’ title with a stellar late race charge aboard his American made Margay Brava 1.7. Firing took the lead for the final time only three corners from the end of the marathon 150 mile event at New Castle Motorsports Park. It was Firing’s first visit to America’s premier karting facility and the win in Sunday’s event fattened Firing’s wallet by $4,000. “Thankfully it wasn’t the ‘Ironman 149’,” said a tired but animated Firing. “We knew Tony (Loniewski) would likely be the one to beat and the way the stops played out after the rain, Tony had the advantage of running a few laps longer than we did before the last stop. Even though he came out ahead of us after his last stop, I felt pretty good about our chances. Throughout the race, the kart just kept getting better and better and Sean Cook’s Leopard engine was as awesome at the end of the race as it was at the beginning. Ultimately, we just had a bit more speed at the end and I was able to catch and pass Tony on the last lap. My hat’s off to Tony and Chris Larson for making it such a tough race and I look forward to running with them again at the Robo-Pong event,” continued Firing.

Firing drove a factory-prepared Margay Brava 1.7 powered by a Cook Racing Engines’ Leopard engine and running on Bridgestone YHC-shod Douglas wheels. The win was Firing’s fifth of the year and comes on the heals of a WKA Grand National win just two weeks ago at Dousman, Wisconsin where he drove a Brava 1.8tc to claim the title. “Back-to-back wins in major events on two different chassis’ not only speaks volumes about Travis’s ability but also the team and equipment behind him,” stated Margay President Keith Freber. “Sean Cook is a key part of our success and his technical support is invaluable. And the importance of having a champion like Randy Fulks managing the event for us cannot be understated. Sean and Randy were instrumental in making it all happen,” Freber continued.

Firing and the Margay Factory Team will compete next at the WKA Manufacturers Cup event in Norway, IL on July 25-27. Factory arrive and drive programs are still available for the Norway event and the upcoming WKA event and Robo-Pong 200 at New Castle Motorsports Park. For more information, contact Margay racing at 1-800-5MARGAY.

Margay Products is the most successful kart manufacturer in the United States. Based in Saint Louis, MO, the family-owned and operated company has been a leader in the karting industry since the company’s inception in 1964. Margay supports drivers in all divisions of karting and has produced the winning karts for countless local, regional and national champions. Now in their 44th year, Margay is led by third generation family member, Keith Freber.

04/07/2008 - AVANCES DE LA CARRERA DE MEXICO Y EL TROFEO INDEPENDENCIA

Las 24 horas de Karting empiezan el 13/09/08 a las 13:00 horas ( central time ) y finalizan el 14/09/08 a las 13 horas.

La Carrera de México sigue su curso y mete el acelerador para tomar la recta final a 80 dias para el grito de ¡arranquen!

Las estadisticas de La Carrera de México indican que 16 personas visitan diariamente la pagina oficial; que el 91.4% va directo al sitio; que el 45% de las visitas es de gente nueva e interesada en el evento. Tenemos visitantes de muchas partes del mundo como Estados Unidos, Canadá, Colombia, Panamá, Costa Rica, España, Guatemala, Francia, Bolivia, Cuba, Noruega, República Dominicana y por supuesto, Mexico.

La Carrera de México tiene cobertura en las siguientes páginas de Internet, en las cuales encontraras toda la información respecto al espectacular evento.


Buscanos en:

www.italiankart.com
www.sportcar.com.mx
www.automovilismodeportivo.com
www.mundomotor.com.mx
www.kartinfo.net
www.lacarrerademexico.com
www.estadioweb.com.mx
www.gofast.com.mx

Ademas checanos en: The Billionaire Magazine, Go Fast, Hard Rock Live, Solid Gold, Expo Mundo Motor, etc..

Las 24 Horas de Karting serán las de mayor igualdad entre Piloto, Kart y Motor. Cada uno de los Karts de competencia sera rifado en presencia de todos los Team Managers y solamente el equipo de pilotos podra utilizar dicho kart.
Las prácticas recibirán Bandera Verde la tarde del 12/09/08. Ese mismo día se llevarán a cabo las calificaciones nocturnas para definir al equipo que arrancará en la Pole de Las 24 Horas de Karting.
Al amanecer del sábado 13/09/08, alistaremos los Karts para que salgan a la pista a efectuar la segunda práctica y poco después se llevará a cabo la segunda y definitiva calificación.

Los neumáticos de los Karts de competencia tendrán las mismas libras de presión, misma que no podrá ser alterada.

También se tomó la decisión que el combustible a utilizar será el conocido como “Magna” y no se cambiarán las Espreas originales del carburador.

La relación final se dará a conocer una vez que se pruebe el motor con el escape que esta siendo fabricado en los Estados Unidos para obtener una mejor Performance del motor a la altura de Valle de Bravo.

La cuota de inscripción es de 3,500.00 dólares o su equivalente en Moneda Nacional antes del 5 de Agosto, pero a partir del día 6, esta cuota sera de 45,000.00 pesos.

Te recordamos que los días pasan muy rápido y si estas interesado, todavía puedes apartar tu número con la tercera parte de la cuota.

El desglose del costo de la inscripción nos indica que en un equipo de 4 pilotos cada uno desembolsará 875 dólares; que en un equipo de 7 cada piloto pagará 500 dólares y en uno de 10 pilotos la cuota será de 350 por cada participante.

El comité trabaja para presentar una sorpresa de 24 minutos!, esperala!!

¿Tienes alguna duda?
Contactanos por medio de: info@lacarrerademexico.com

04/07/2008 - CUSHENBERRY TAKES FIRST WIN OF 2008 IN PROKART CHALLENGE SOUTH

Utah contingent invades Fontana as PKC South regulars put in dominant performances

FONTANA, CA (June 28, 2008) – The Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge South put the fourth round of its season in the books this past weekend (June 28) at the CalSpeed Karting facility in Fontana, CA, running the 3/4-mile Nuovo circuit in the clockwise direction. Continuing to provide a full day of racing in a positive and enjoyable atmosphere, the PKC South program has shown the ability to bring in the best drivers from around the Western half of the United States. Among this list is a strong contingent from the state of Utah, led this weekend by an emerging young star named Patrick Cushenberry.

The S3 Light class is the most competitive category in the PKC South line-up, as it remains the building block for Stock Moto growth throughout the country. Championship leader Bobby Legate was fastest in qualifying, edging Cushenberry by just 0.050-seconds for the pole position. That would be the only session that the Utah driver would be denied his position at the head of the class. In Heat #1, Cushenberry led all 12 laps, holding off Legate by just two-tenths at the line. The second moto would see a Utah 1-2-3, as Mike Beeny finished just half a second back of Cushenberry at the line, with fellow MSquared Karting driver Tyler Bennett running third, right in front of Legate. In the 20-lap Final, it was Bennett’s turn to ride Cushenberry’s bumper, as Patrick would be pushed to lead green-to-checkered for his first PKC victory of 2008, winning by half a second at the line. Former S3 champion Nick Halen advanced to third with Bonnier Moulton, an LA transplant by way of Utah, coming home in fourth ahead of Legate.

The battle for ‘King of the Hill’ in S3 Heavy continued in Round #4, but what has been a three-man skirmish has now turned into a four-driver fight as Rob Whitley took his first feature win of the year. Phil Conte led the field for the majority of the day, taking top qualifying honors along with the two heat race wins. Conte continued to pace the field in the 20-lap feature; however, he would find Whitley and championship leader Marty Henderson on his bumper to begin the battle.
Whitley made his move with six laps to go, bringing Henderson with him to push Conte back to third. They would finish that way with Whitley taking the checkered flag by just three-tenths of a second.

TaG Senior was all Trackmagic up front with Alex Speed and Will Martindale taking the top spots on the day. Speed paced the field in qualifying and the first heat, with Martindale parked on his tail before they swapped positions in Heat #2. Speed led the field in the 20-lap Final with Martindale on his bumper once again – until mechanical issues put Speed on the sidelines on lap 16. This allowed Martindale to cruise to the win, making it two-for-two in PKC South competition for the Northern California driver. Championship leader Zach Dericco was a solid second ahead of Nicola Galloni. Second overall in the combined TaG feature was TaG Masters winner Billy Cleavelin, earning his fourth straight win on the year to extend his point lead over second place finisher Greg Smith and third place Matt Kimball.

It was a clean sweep in the S1 and G2 divisions, as Jacob Neal and Steve Donia brought their brooms to Fontana to lead their respective classes in each on-track session. Neal continues to improve in his first year aboard an ICC machine. However, mechanical issues put him at the tail of both the S1 and G1 fields at the start. Cody Hodgson, who tangled with another driver in Heat #2, also started from the tail of the field, but he got to the point early as Neal slowly worked his way to the front. Neal would eventually assume the top spot and go on to the win, ahead of Hodgson and point leader Jimmy McNeil. Donia was in a groove all day, taking the G2 feature win by 16 seconds for his third victory of the year to put him and second place finisher Eric Ortega in a tight championship fight. Darrell Tunnell completed the G2 podium. Troy Butts nearly had a sweep in the G1 category until he retired at the halfway point, handing the feature win to Brad Dhesi. Butts would end up second in the results with championship leader Robert Marks ending his race on lap two, halting his win streak to three.

S4 Light was ‘The Musgrave & Miller Show’. Billy Musgrave earned top qualifier honors, while Willy Musgrave and Bryce Miller split the heat wins. In the Feature, the two Musgraves shuffled with Bryce, until engine failure took Bryce out while dropping Willy back in the pack. This allowed Billy Musgrave to take his first victory of the season. Corey Neveau and Jimmy Barnes joined him on the podium. Alex King was nearly unstoppable in S4 Heavy, taking a dominant win. Challenged early by Ken Schilling, who edged King for the pole by just 0.002-seconds, Schilling retired early in the 20-lap feature, allowing King to cruise to the win over Robert Morales.

The S5 Junior shifter class, though light on entries, saw a great duel between Supernats competitors Nicholas Silva and Dylan Kwasniewski. Silva was top qualifier and the two split the heat wins. Kwasniewski got the jump at the start of the feature and held that advantage over the 20 laps for the victory.

During the event, PKC staffer and former series champion Kyle Zirkle was injured when a kart went off the track and struck him, knocking him to the ground. He suffered a concussion, a skull fracture, and a broken left leg. Surgeons installed a rod and pins in his leg on Sunday, and Kyle's other injuries are healing on their own. He was able to return home on Monday evening to welcoming family and friends. PKC would like to wish Kyle a speedy recovery.

On deck for this PKC series will be a journey south in 3 1/2 weeks to Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, CA – a perfect track for mid-summer racing! Round #5 will be held July 25-26 at the temporary circuit in the stadium’s West parking lot. For more information about this event and to check out the line-up of year-end prizes available to ProKart Challenge competitors, head to www.prokartchallenge.com.

About Superkarts! USA:

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

04/07/2008 - NEILSON SWEEPS TAG AT STOP TWO OF CENTRAL STATES CHALLENGE

Success of local favorite highlights second round of new Superkarts! USA regional

ST. LOUIS, MO (June 29, 2008) - The Superkarts! USA Central States Challenge (SCSC) continued its inaugural year of competition with its second round running at 61 Kartway in Delmar, IA on the June 28-29 weekend. The event was spread out over two days and was a popular challenge with sessions run under sunny skies and others under the facility’s lights as well. No matter the conditions, local driver Tony Neilson was on his game as he highlighted the SKUSA weekend with his sweep of the TaG Senior category.

Saturday saw a full day of practice before the sun set and the drivers ran their qualifying sessions. Following the regular qualifying sessions, a special 30-minute session entitled “SuperLap Qualifying” took place. Any driver in any class could, if they wanted, take to the track for a one-lap run, but in doing so the driver needed to throw out their original time. The addition proved to be popular in the pits and added some excitement to what typically is a routine event.

Neilson was quickest to start out TaG Senior qualifying, out-pacing fellow local drivers Kyle Erdmann and Lincoln Eppard. SCSC Round #1 winner Derek Crockett sat fourth to begin the weekend, right in the hunt as always. Neilson and Erdmann ran nose-to-tail throughout the 10-lap Prefinal, while Crockett advanced to third in front of Eppard. The front two remained the same for the 16-lap feature as Neilson led Erdmann to the checkered flag. Crockett was running third until he retired on lap 10 with a thrown chain, allowing Eppard to move onto the podium.

TaG Masters and TaG Junior saw one driver control the field, leading all on-track sessions as Al Cram and Gregory Gerst swept their respective classes. Cram held off Greg Watters and Jim Donahue in TaG Masters while Gerst outran nine others young stars in the TaG Junior class, joined by Drake Ostrom and Kaylee Granberg on the podium.

Matt Zeis was in command in the S3 division, nearly a second a lap faster than his closest competitor. After earning the pole position for the Prefinal, Zeis retired on the opening lap, allowing Round #1 winner Rick Freund to earn the pole for the feature. Starting from the back of the nine-kart field, Zeis quickly found his way to the front and assumed the point on lap eight. From there, he put it on cruise control for his first SCSC win of the year with Freund and Carlen Granberg Jr. coming home in second and third.

Although he struggled in TaG Senior, Crockett was the head of the class in S1, leading all of the on-track sessions. Crockett ran to a four-second victory in the Feature over teammate Joe Sturm while Jonathan Koorsen completed the podium in third.

The S5 Junior category was a two-driver affair with Kaylee Granberg setting up as the driver to beat. Unfortunately, she retired early in the feature, allowing Joe Reed to take the win. In the popular TaG 60 Cadet categories, Cole Hannah earned the win in the Expert division while Jacob Blair ran to the victory in Novice. The Powder Puff class saw Angela Donahue take the win ahead of Mandi Carlton and Sheree Kulp.

Over the course of the weekend, the SCSC drivers left their mark in the record books. Derek Crockett topped the TaG Senior and S1 track records, while Tony Neilson set the new mark in Yamaha Senior. Next up for the Superkarts! Central States Challenge will be the TNT Kartway facility in Quincy, IL on July 19-20 and will return to 61 Kartway on August 9-10 to run the track in the reverse direction.

The series website is currently in a rebuilding stage, although the former website is still available with all the series information at www.thecsss.com

About Superkarts! USA:

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

04/07/2008 - REACTION KARTING: CSC REVIEW “Team shows strong in Colorado”

With a total of nine Reaction Karting drivers, results were plentiful at the most recent round of the Colorado Sprint Championship Series held at Grand Junction Motor Speedway in Grand Junction, Colorado

Making the trek to the challenging and tricky facility were Brandon Anderson, Cody Tracy, Eddie Olpin, Becca Mitchell, Melissa Yount and Troy Smith all in the TaG senior class while Bret Walton entered TaG masters. Youngsters Sophia Price and Sam Mason competed in the Kid Kart division.

After a successful Saturday morning TaG Senior qualifying session that saw six Reaction Karting drivers in the top fifteen, drivers would begin preparation for the heat race where a mixed bag of results would be found. At the start of the 12 lap heat, Reaction Karting Manager Brandon Anderson and Cody Tracy moved into the second and third positions as they kept in touch with the leader. After having a ride side seat strut break, Anderson was eventually passed by his teammate and began to fall back into the clutches of his TaG rivals. Trying to hold his position, Anderson was involved in a mid-race incident that took him out of the race.

Fireworks could only describe the main event as Reaction drivers were scattered through the field. As the green flag flew, several drivers were involved in an incident including Anderson who ended jumping over his fellow drivers Troy Smith and Melissa Yount. Smith was able to continue with only minor damage while Yount suffered a wrist and shoulder injury that ended her weekend. The talented Tracy had an epic battle with the eventual race winner as a trio of drivers swapped the top spot on several occasions. Tracy would eventually settle for the final podium position while Becca Mitchell came home seventh, Anderson eighth, Smith 11th while Eddie Oplin failed to take the checkered.

Looking for better results on Sunday, Cody Tracy started on the right foot as he managed to claim the TaG Senior pole position while Brandon Anderson clocked the third quickest time. Reaction Karting pilots had a superb qualifying session as almost all were in the top half of the running order.

After claiming the pole and then the heat race win, Cody Tracy had to settle for the second position in the main event after yet another battle ensued between the top three drivers. Eddie Olpin had a better drive as the Utah resident battled his way to a solid fifth place result. Anderson drove to another top ten result after battling engine problems while Troy Smith came home 11th.

TaG Masters pilot Bret Walton had an eventful Saturday as motor issues plagued the veteran pilot all day long. After qualifying and finishing the heat race in seventh, Walton failed to take the green for the start of the final as the motor would fail him yet again.

Sunday would be a better day for the Masters pilot as Walton would once again qualify with the seventh quickest time. Looking to improve throughout the day, Walton finished sixth in the prefinal before battling hard with the leaders in the main event. Walton drove one of the best races in his life in sweltering heat to score his first career regional level podium as he came home in the third position.

Kid Kart racers Sam Mason and Sophia Price were looking to show the rest of the drivers who were boss around the technical Grand Junction facility. Mason was involved in a pretty big incident on Saturday and had a badly bruised ankle in only his second ever race, after qualifying third in a deep Kid Kart field. Sophia Price had a really good weekend and made some great passes to finish third as she also scored her first regional level podium

For more information on Reaction Karting including information on how to get into karting please contact Reaction Karting Manager Brandon Anderson at 1.866.431.3093 or visit them online at www.ReactionKarting.com

03/07/2008 - TONY KART RACING TEAM 2008 European Championship

The Tony Kart Racing Team gained a well-deserved double win with Marco Ardigò in the second round of the European Championship in Mariembourg. We won Race-1 and race-2 and now we are leading the KF1 continental rating with the pair Catt-Ardigò.
Our Italian driver, gaining two fantastic successes, got back to fight for the Championship title after the stop he had in the first race. It’s a present for Marco in occasion of his 25th birthday.
Even if Gary Catt didn’t gain points in race-1 due to an accident, he did a great recovery in the second race. Gary, with determination, reached the 6th position and therefore 10 important points. He is still leading the rating with 4 points more than his team-mate Marco Ardigò.

Our drivers’ performances were excellent already in the tests on Friday, the weather influenced the qualifying results, penalizing many drivers after heavy showers occurred during the second qualifying round.
In the heats, all with slick tyres, Marco with a victory and with a 5th position gained the start from the first line in race-1, next to the French driver Convers.
Matias Laine started, behind his team-mate, from the third position, with two 4th positions in the rounds.
Our rating leader, Gary Catt, gained the 5th line recovering many positions after the qualifying, which took place on the wet track.


Race-1 Marco was fast already at the beginning of the race and was ready to make his move: he overtook Convers with a perfect manoeuvre in the difficult bend on the left of the finishing line.
Marco had a constant rhythm, thanks to a great kart which respects perfectly the tyres.
Behind our driver there was Alessandro Bressan, driving a Kosmic-Vortex.
Whereas on one side there was the great victory, on the other side there was Catt’s stop. Gary paid the consequences of the starting procedure, the traffic lights stayed always red.
Laine gained 13 points, which are important for the 4th position.
After a slight hesitation at the starting, Matso recovered the right rhythm and started to fight with the rivals, finally he arrived 4th but he fought for the podium until the end.


Race-2 was led by our team’s colours, Ardigò led the group and, thanks to a perfect kart, raced for 19 laps all alone, until the finishing line.
Together with the second win arrived, for Marco, also a great recovery in the rating, now he is behind Gary for only 4 points.
Gary Catt started from the last position, but he could make the most of his kart potential and, lap after lap, reached the 6th position, which allowed him to keep the leadership in the European Championship.
In the last race of the shift-category, KZ1, Benedetti started from the second line in Final-1, having reached good results in the qualifying rounds and gaining the 6th time in the qualifying.
In race-1 Andrea fought tenaciously and after having been in second position during the first laps, he finished the race in 6th position.
The last race of the European Championshio will take place in Braga, Portugal, and of course it will be exciting and rich in suspance. In the general rating three of our drivers, Catt, Ardigò and Laine, will fight for the victory.

Follow the race live on the CIK-FIA website:


KF1 - http://www.cikfia.com/News2008/Mariembourg/KF1-result-Mariembourg.html
KZ1 -http://www.cikfia.com/News2008/Mariembourg/KZ1-result-Mariembourg.html

INTERVIEWS

Giacomo Aliprandi Tony Kart Racing Team Team Manager
“We are really satisfied winning both of the 2 races. Before this race we worked hard nonstop in order to develop the material in the best way. This success proves the Team’s efforts.
Concerning the protests against the wrong starting procedure I want to underline the Team’s behaviour, apart from the decision took by the sportive authority. We supported Gary and we proved another time that our Team is always coherent and united.”

Gary Catt –Tony Kart Racing Team, KF1 Driver –Leader of the European Championship
“In the first starting the traffic lights stayed red! The starting procedure wasn’t right, but a part of the group started thinking that it was correct so the Race Director didn’t give the order to repeat the starting. In that mess some drivers started, others stopped and someone bumped me. I didn’t compete in the first race and I didn’t gain precious points for the Championship too”

Marco Ardigò – Tony Kart Racing Team, KF1 Driver
“I’m very happy both for the Team and me, I didn’t imagine that I could win both races, and I didn’t expect to reopen the Championship. Anyway I was very concentrated before the races. The days before the races we made many tests and we found new technical solutions that we used for this race. I made two beautiful startings and I fought a little bit, but I was sure to have a good rhythm and a good performance for all the week end. In the second race I made a perfect departure and then I ran away”

Matias Laine – Tony Kart Racing Team, KF1 Driver
“It was a positive week-end, I always had good positions in the rating. In the first race I made a little mistake in the first lap so I had to wait some laps to take again the rhythm necessary to reach the podium. In the second race I started fast, I was behind my team-mate Marco and I was fighting to keep that position, but a failure of a reed, gradually forced me to give up.
It was a pity because the material was very performant, anyway I can still win the Championship. During the final round in Braga there will be an hard and strong fight for the title of KF1 European Champion, it will be very exciting!”

Andrea Benedetti – Tony Kart Racing Team, KZ2 Driver
“It was a very hard race, I raced quite good with new tyres, I was very competitive and fast. I had problems with tyres, I couldn’t keep them till the end of the race. The next event will be the WSK in Sarno, there we will use Vega tyres, which fore sure are more performant”

Davide Gaggianesi – Tony Kart racing Team, KZ2 Driver
“ I’m not satisfied because I didn’t gain a good result. I want to gain more, we have the potential to win and to reach better positions in the Championship.”

27/06/2008 - Hale on podium in Spain - but says “I could’ve done better”

Mitchell Hale took a superb 3rd place at Cartaya in Southern Spain last Sunday (22 June), but believes that he should have done better – despite scorching temperatures of over 40 degrees.

The 14-year old KF3 driver was competing in the second round of the Spanish Open Championship.

The Bristol teenager delivered a strong performance in timed qualifying, not that he was entirely happy about it - “I was 10th overall (out of 64) and 5th in my group. I didn’t drive very well” he said, demonstrating the exacting standards he expects of himself.

In his two heats, Mitchell took a 5th - and then came back from a collision (dropping down to 15th) before taking 9th at the chequered flag. These results put him on the 4th row of the grid for the pre-final.

“I started 8th but didn’t get a very good start and lost a few places” he said. Sticking to his task, he fought his way back through the field to steal 9th at the finish.

Although starting further back than he would have liked (on the 5th row), Mitchell did have the vital inside line for the first corner. But as the pack hammered their way into the first corner, he was forced to try some unconventional racing lines.

“I went into the (right-hand) first bend on the inside, but it then tightens before flicking left – which put me on the outside. I was forced over the kerbs and onto the grass, but just kept my foot on the gas and only lost one place. From there, I went forward and worked my way into 5th place. I got into 3rd on the very last lap, when the two drivers ahead of me ran into each other and I nicked through!”

“It was quite good (to take 3rd) but I could’ve done better. If I’d been faster in qualifying, then I would’ve been further up the grid for my heats. Don’t get me wrong, I am pleased - but I think I could’ve won if everything had been right at the beginning.”

Asked about how he coped with the heat, he said: “It was very hot which made things quite hard. It was really, really hot inside my racesuit but my fitness paid off.”

Mitchell now faces two weeks of testing in Portugal and Spain in readiness for the European Championship at Alcaniz in Spain on 13 July, where he hopes to make it through to the finals at Braga in Portugal on 3 August.

“Last year, I got through and was 20th overall in the finals. This time, I’d like to be at the front. I’m hoping that it’ll be a lot better than last time. I’ve now got the team and the kit to do it”

27/06/2008 - Cool-head Luke takes 2nd in Spain

In temperatures exceeding 40 degrees, Luke Wright kept his cool to take a superb 2nd place in the second round of the Spanish Open championship, last Sunday (22 June).

Despite never having raced at the Cartaya circuit before, Luke quickly got to grips with the track and the hot conditions – recording the 3rd fastest time during qualifying.

In his first heat, he finished 2nd - and followed it with 5th in the second race, despite being forced off the circuit at one point by French professional racer, Armand Convers.

Starting the pre-final from 6th place on the grid, the 15-year old from Dorset drove a canny race to save his tyres and finish in 5th place – giving him the vital inside line for the start of the main final.
“I started from 5th and that gave me the (racing) line into the first corner. I got a wicked start and was straight into 3rd. I managed to slip into 2nd but couldn’t quite take Convers.”

Describing the conditions, Luke said, “It was ridiculous – seriously hot! We were also running special tyres, called Vega Whites, which are monumentally grippy. The two finals were both run over 22 laps, so towards the end they did get quite physically draining. You have to make sure that your driving is very precise and as smooth as possible.”

With the temperatures forcing mechanics to empty bottles of water down the back of drivers’ suits to keep them cool, Luke explained that his training regime gave him the edge.

“The key was fitness – big time. I’ve been training a lot with a personal trainer and sports psychologist, going to my local gym and getting up stupidly early – at 5:30am – with my school swimming team to swim for 3km and do different exercises.”

This and the fact that he’s been competing in races throughout Europe is now paying dividends, he says -“I’m making good progress in the various Championships I’m competing in (Italian Open Masters, Spanish Open and Winning Series Karting) and gaining lots of experience. I’m in good shape, mentally and physically, so it’s all coming together at the right time.”

Luke and his JRP team are now concentrating on testing in preparation for the European Championship qualifying race at Alcaniz in Spain on 13 July.

Visit Luke’s brand new website - www.lukewrightracing.com - to follow his fortunes throughout the rest of the 2008 season.

27/06/2008 - SKUSA CENTRAL STATES CHALLENGE CONTINUES GROWTH FOR ROUND TWO

New era for Midwest karting develops as SKUSA region visits 61 Kartway.

Following a successful inaugural event for the Superkarts! USA Central States Challenge just three short weeks ago, the new Midwest regional program will be back in action this weekend for round two, scheduled for the 61 Kartway in Delmar, IA on June 28-29. In hopes to bring some joy to the area following the recent flooding in the state of Iowa that has left numerous towns underwater, the SCSC is preparing for another spectacular two-day event that will include both prizes and the chance to run under the lights.

61 Kartway is a newer facility that is located roughly 30 miles north of the Quad Cities on the Mississippi River. The track is over 1/2-mile of twists, turns, chicanes, sweepers and intense elevation changes. The facility is equipped with a lighting system specifically engineered for the track to provide incredible night-time racing, AMB remote results monitoring that you can receive via your laptop, free Wi-Fi, an oversized hot pit and a huge pit area -- along with an experienced staff on and off the track.

The event will begin with official practice on Saturday morning (June 28) at 9:00 am, running until 5:00 pm. Qualifying will begin at 6:00 pm with the Prefinals – running under the lights – to follow. Morning practice will begin Sunday’s action at 9:00 am, with the Finals set to start at 11:00 am, allowing plenty of travel time for all to return home safely.

At the conclusion of the event on Sunday, SCSC will be handing out special raffle prizes during the podium ceremonies, including Mother’s Polish Products, MG tires, a free entry for round three, t-shirts, and more. Along with the prizes being handed out during the weekend, the series will be over a ‘special diehard entry fee’ for anyone traveling 400 miles or more (one-way) with their first entry coming at half-price.

As with most SKUSA regions, an outstanding prize package will be offered at the end of the year, including an all-expense paid trip to compete at the Granja Viana 500 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, racing alongside Formula 1 and IRL superstars courtesy of MG Tires Brazil. The trip includes airfare, hotel, transportation, and all race expenses – a $10,000 value.

The series website is currently in a rebuilding stage, although the former website is still available with all the series information at www.thecsss.com



About Superkarts! USA:

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

25/06/2008 - GROSSENBACHER WINS TWO, LEAVES WITH ONE DESERT KART CHALLENGE CHAMPIONSHIP

Running two classes, talented driver scores double victories at season finale

TUCSON, AZ (June 23, 2008) - With record high temperatures being recorded during the month of June, the Superkarts! USA Desert Kart Challenge racers braved the brutal conditions to close out the 2008 season on June 21 at the P1 Karting Circuit in Tucson, AZ. Record numbers were also found on the track at the sixth and final round of the series, as the grid reached its highest kart count of the year. Highlighting the on-track battles was double winner Bud Grossenbacher, who bagged a pair of victories, one of which earned him the TaG Senior championship.

Grossenbacher was locked with rival James Rooke at the top of the TaG division standings heading into the final round. The duo has been the class of the field all year long and this continued last Saturday. Rooke had the advantage over Grossenbacher in qualifying, 0.116-seconds to be exact, setting up for a 1-2 battle throughout the day. Grossenbacher got the jump on Rooke at the start of heat one, holding him off for the win while Rooke retaliated in heat two to earn the pole for the main. Entering the feature race, Rooke had a 10-point advantage by virtue of the top qualifier honor, however, the winner of the final race would take home the championship.

The 20-lap final was a nail-biter as Rooke led Grossenbacher around the 8/10-mile circuit, nose-to-tail. Grossenbacher seemed to be buying his time, looking for the right opportunity and he waited until the white flag was displayed before making his move. Getting a last lap pass to stick, Grossenbacher took the checkered flag by 0.234-seconds over Rooke to earn the TaG Senior championship by 20 points with the addition of the fast lap award. Taylor Monnig finished third in both the feature and the final tally in the standings. All in all, it was a terrific battle that bodes well for the future of TaG racing in the Desert Kart Challenge.

Grossenbacher wasn’t done yet as he was chasing Peter Workum for the S1 championship as well. Needing to sweep the weekend to tie Workum in the standings at the end of the day, Grossenbacher put his ride on the pole for the opening heat race. Cruising to the victory in heat one, Grossenbacher looked to be on the same path in heat two until a slip-up put him off-track and allowed Workum to slide through for the race win. Bouncing back from his mistake, Grossenbacher stormed through and led all 20 laps of the feature. It would not be enough, as Workum took second and earned the championship by just five points in the process.

S3 saw a tight point battle between two drivers as well, with Paul Flori holding the advantage over rookie Harley Owen heading into round six. Flori posted the fastest lap in qualifying, but that would be the last time Flori was at the front of the class as Owen took home both heat wins and the feature victory. Flori came home second in each of the three races, giving him enough points to earn the S3 title by 40 points. Abraham Jones made his first DKC start in the S3 class, finishing the main event on the podium in third.

Dave Van Gordon nearly completed another perfect weekend en route to the S4 championship. Joe Johnson spoiled Van Gordon’s perfect day, as he edged the eventual champion by just 0.040-seconds in qualifying. That fueled the fire under Van Gordon’s seat – as he would go on to dominate the remainder of the day with over 10-second victories in the two heat races and the main event. Johnson won the battle for second over Pete Pittman, who finished the year second in the standings.

TaG Masters earned the honor of the highest kart count of the weekend, entitling the winner to receive a $300 track credit and a membership to the P1 facility, which includes two free practice sessions. This brought on a frenzy at the front of the field as multiple drivers sat at the point throughout the day. Michael Zuieback was the top qualifier, but he would be edged by Mike McKinney in the opening heat race by just 0.312 seconds. Neither would find themselves at the point in heat two as Scott Waters worked himself from fourth to first, holding off Byron Teats and Zuieback as McKinney retired on lap four after leading the opening laps. Waters and Teats would lead the field to the green in the 20-lap feature event with Zuieback and Brian Rasmussen making it a quartet up front. Waters held the top spot for the first four laps before Rasmussen and Zuieback each took the point over the next nine laps. This shuffling allowed McKinney to work himself through the field and back up to the lead group. On lap 14, as Zuieback retired from the race, McKinney went around Rasmussen to take over first place. McKinney would stretch out to a six-second advantage to take the victory. Rasmussen held off Teats for the runner-up spot, while Waters was fourth ahead of new class champion Roger Culver.

It was a two-driver show in TaG Junior as Landon Cling and Kolton Griffon paced the class throughout the day. Cling took top honors in qualifying and heat one after shuffling around with Griffon during the first 10-lap race. The second heat race saw Cling retire early on lap eight, allowing Griffon to go on unchallenged for the heat win. With Cling starting from the tail of the field, Griffon had clear sailing in the front for the 20-lap feature race to lead green-to-checkered for the five-second victory. Cling advanced up to second by the halfway mark, but was unable to close the gap with Bailey Murphy, series champion Tyler Cerbo, and Chance Stephens completing the top five.

For results and point standings, visit www.p1kartcircuit.com or contact Charles Quiroz by email at Charlie@p1kartcircuit.com.

25/06/2008 - L’Euro 2008 de Karting à Mariembourg !

Après avoir organisé le Championnat du Monde en 2007, le Karting des Fagnes accueillera de nouveau une épreuve de très haut niveau ce week-end avec le Championnat d’Europe de Karting. Sur ses terres, le Belge Jonathan Thonon pourrait décrocher le titre en KZ1 (karts à boîte de vitesses).

Regroupant l’élite des karts de 125cc à boîte de vitesses, le Championnat d’Europe KZ1 ne comprend que deux rendez-vous. Après l’ouverture d’Angerville, en France, c’est donc en Belgique que sera attribué le titre. Et comme un Belge est en mesure de ceindre la couronne européenne, vous comprendrez que, parmi les trois catégories présentes à Mariembourg, le public local aura probablement un petit penchant pour la KZ1. Incontestablement le plus rapide en France, comme l’ont prouvé sa pole position et sa victoire lors de la première course, Jonathan Thonon (CRG-Maxter) a raté de peu le doublé à cause d’un départ manqué lors de la Course 2. Terminant finalement dans les roues du Néerlandais Bas Lammers (Top-Kart-TM), vainqueur de cette seconde joute, le pilote de Waterloo a toutefois fait mieux que limiter les dégâts. Certes, les deux pilotes arriveront avec le même nombre de points à Mariembourg, mais le Belge partira clairement avec les faveurs des pronostics. Deux ans après avoir raté sur ce circuit la Coupe du Monde suite à une pénalité pour départ anticipé discutable, Jonathan espère que l’heure de la revanche a sonné…
Plusieurs pilotes se verraient toutefois bien profiter de ce duel belgo-hollandais pour créer la surprise. C’est le cas du jeune Français Thomas Mich (Birel-TM), de plus en plus proche de la victoire, mais aussi de l’Italien Manuel Cozzaglio (Intrepid-TM), engagé par le team du Belge Wim Eyckmans. Même s’il ne vise plus le titre, Rick Dreezen (CRG-Maxter) rêve aussi de briller face à son public après avoir été vice-champion d’Europe KZ2 l’an dernier.

A l’inverse de la KZ1, la KF1 (catégorie-reine des karts sans vitesse) compte bel et bien trois rendez-vous. Après Mariembourg, les concurrents se rendront encore sur la piste portugaise de Braga où se jouera définitivement le titre. Mais, avant cela, il est évident que ce week-end belge aura une importance cruciale. Au terme de courses très disputées sur la piste française d’Angerville, c’est le Britannique Gary Catt (Tony-Kart-Vortex) qui a pris la tête de la compétition européenne. Vice-champion du Monde et d’Europe, il ne veut surtout pas laisser passer cette occasion de grimper d’une marche sur le podium final… Les Français Armand Convers (PCR-TM) et Arnaud Kozlinski (CRG-Maxter) semblent être les mieux placés pour lui barrer la route. A moins que son équipier, Marco Ardigo (Tony-Kart-Vortex), parvienne à faire tourner la chance. Triple Champion d’Europe et Champion du Monde en titre, l’Italien a perdu gros en France lors d’un accrochage en Course 1. Mais avec 5 résultats sur 6 retenus en fin de saison, Marco peut encore rêver d’une 4e couronne consécutive.
Deux Belges tenteront de se faire une place dans ce peloton très relevé. Très rapide lors des qualifications et des manches qualificatives en France, Yannick De Brabander (Intrepid-TM) s’était effondré lors de la phase finale suite à une perte de puissance. Mais il a de réelles chances de réaliser l’exploit à Mariembourg ! C’est probablement le rêve que caresse aussi Glenn Keyaert (CRG-Maxter). Année après années, le Bruxellois affronte les usines avec des moyens nettement moins importants. Mais il a déjà prouvé à maintes reprises qu’il mérite sa place à ce niveau. Enfin, signalons la présence de Michael Ryall (Birel-TM), un Britannique habitant en Belgique (à Genk) et roulant sous licence belge. L’an dernier, Michael avait fait résonner la Brabançonne en remportant la Coupe du Monde KF2 (Espoirs).

A côté des deux catégories phares que sont la KF1 et la KZ1, Mariembourg accueillera aussi la KZ2. Cette deuxième division des karts de 125cc à boîte de vitesses est la plus fournie avec plus de 100 inscrits. Et si les pilotes engagés ont des noms moins célèbres dans le milieu du karting, c’est souvent parce que ce sont des jeunes loups qui sont encore à l’aube de leur carrière. Les Français Joffrey Demanse (PCR-TM) et Tony Lavanant (Energy-TM), tous deux vainqueurs d’une Course à Angerville, espèrent confirmer en Belgique leur bon début de championnat. Ils aborderaient ainsi dans une position idéale la finale de la compétition, qui se déroulera, elle, début septembre à Varennes-sur-Allier (France). Mais le Britannique Jack Hawksworth (Gillard-TM), révélation du premier rendez-vous, ne l’entend évidemment pas de cette oreille. Et, comme là aussi 5 résultats sur 6 seront retenus, ils sont nombreux à ne pas avoir abandonné tout espoir de sacre… Parmi les outsiders, on pointera ainsi quatre Belges. Revenu de la monoplace, où il avait remporté des courses de Formule Renault 1.6 l’an dernier, Kevin Demaerschalk (PCR-TM) a déjà atteint la finale en France. Cette fois, il espère bien profiter de sa connaissance du terrain pour entrer dans les points. Une remarque qui vaut aussi pour Nicholas De Zutter (Zanardi-Maxter), Randy Schoonderwaldt (Zanardi-TM) et Mathieu Simone (PCR-TM).

Avec les essais chronométrés des KF1 et des KZ1 prévus dès le vendredi en fin de journée, le programme s’annonce pour le moins chargé ! Dès le samedi, les manches qualificatives permettront à 34 pilotes de se qualifier pour les deux finales, programmées dimanche après-midi pour les 3 catégories. Bref, il n’y aura pas de répit et le spectacle en piste sera quasi-permanent. Si vous n’avez jamais assisté à une compétition de karting de haut niveau, nous ne pouvons que vous conseiller de rejoindre Mariembourg. Vous ne regretterez pas le déplacement !


Infos pratiques

Entrée
Le droit d’entrée est fixé à 10 euros pour l’enceinte générale.

Accès au Karting des Fagnes
Nationale 5 Charleroi-Couvin, sortie Mariembourg. Au rond-point, prendre à droite. Après 250 mètres, tourner à gauche en suivant les panneaux « Karting des Fagnes ». La piste se trouve au fond du zoning.

Horaires
Les essais chronométrés KF1 et KZ1 se dérouleront dès le vendredi après-midi. Les essais chronométrés KZ2 et les manches qualificatives de toutes les catégories se dérouleront le samedi. Les dernières manches qualificatives (KZ2) et les phases finales auront lieu le dimanche (deux finales pour chacune des 3 catégories l’après-midi). L’horaire complet, les listes d’engagés ainsi que les résultats sont accessibles sur internet à l’adresse suivante : http://www.cikfia.com/News2008/Mariembourg.htm


VEUILLEZ TROUVER EN ANNEXE LE FORMULAIRE D’ACCREDITATION A RENVOYER SI VOUS DESIREZ NOUS REJOINDRE CE WEEK-END.

25/06/2008 - CARLOS SAINZ Jr VUELVE A GANAR EN KF3

La segunda de las tres pruebas de que consta el Campeonato de España de Karting para las categorías KF2 y KF3, se disputó en el Kartódromo de Cartaya, en la província de Huelva. El evento, que acogía también a la primera prueba de la Copa de España Cadete, contó con la presencia de un total de 145 participantes, varios de ellos extranjeros.

La KF3, la categoría antiguamente denominada Junior, fue la que deparó las pugnas mas encarnizadas en pos del triunfo siendo Carlos Sainz Jr el que mejor resultado global obtenía, con una victoria y un segundo puesto en las dos carreras disputadas. Después de imponerse la semana anterior en una de las finales de la tercera prueba del Campeonato de Alemania, el hijo del ex-Campeón del Mundo de Rallies llegaba pletórico de moral a Cartaya y ya de entrada marcaba el 3º mejor registro en los entrenamientos cronometrados.

Tras acabar 3º en la primera clasificatoria, Sainz Jr se imponía claramente en la segunda, lo que le valía un lugar en la primera línea de la parrilla de salida de la primera carrera, al lado de su compañero de equipo Gerard Barrabeig que a su vez había ganado en otra de las clasificatorias al igual que Julio Aumente, aunque éste debía conformarse con la segunda línea al no haber terminado tan arriba en su otra manga.

El mejor resultado global

Sainz Jr tomaba el mando de las operaciones al ponerse verde el semáforo en la primera carrera, liderando durante las tres primeras vueltas. Sin embargo Barrabeig le superaba en el cuarto giro y poco después el madrileño bajaba hasta el tercer puesto, lo que aprovechaba el nuevo líder para tomar una ventaja que sería decisoria ya que, cuando Carlos Sainz conseguía recuperar la segunda plaza poco después del ecuador de la carrera, la ventaja de Barrabeig era ya irrecuperable. Así, Sainz Jr finalizaba 2º a espaldas de Barrabeig y por delante del italiano Kevin Ceccon que culminaba una excelente remontada.

En los primeros compases de la segunda carrera, Ceccon, Sainz y Barrabeig se sucedían al frente de la clasificación hasta que Carlos Sainz Jr se instalaba definitivamente en cabeza antes de media carrera para comandar con autoridad hasta el final, cruzando la meta por delante de Ceccon y el británico Mitchell Hale que se veía beneficiado del toque que se daban Barrabeig y Carlos Gil en la última vuelta cuando luchaban por hacerse con el tercer peldaño del podio.

Además de su primera victoria de la temporada en España, Sainz era el piloto que obtenía la mayor cantidad de puntos en Cartaya, fruto del mejor resultado en el global de ambas carreras, y ello le sitúa en 2ª posición en la tabla provisional del Campeonato de España, a tan sólo tres enteros de Barrabeig.

Los extranjeros continúan mandando en KF2

Aunque David Alabart lograba imponerse en la primera carrera de KF2, esta categoría sigue dominada por los pilotos extranjeros, que ocupan las dos primeras posiciones en la clasificación del campeonato con el portugués Jose Cautela en cabeza seguido del francés Armand Convers, vencedor de la segunda carrera en Cartaya.

Cautela finalizó 2º en la primera manga y 3º en la segunda a espaldas de Convers y el británico Luke Wright en un podium 100% foráneo. Tras el abandono de Alabart, Adrià Domenech sería el mejor español en la segunda carrera desde su 4ª posición final, mientras que Luis Miguel Villalba no pudo repetir su brillante actuación en Alcañiz al verse obligado a abandonar en ambas finales.

Por lo que respecta a la Copa de España Cadete, el andaluz Eric Morris fue le gran dominador del fin de semana, ganando todas sus clasificatorias y las dos carreras, la primera de ellas tras la exclusión de Alex Palou. Pedro Hiltbrant secundó a Morris en ambas ocasiones mientras que Antonio José González y Maverick Domenech se alternaban en el tercer peldaño del podium.


CLASIFICACIONES

KF3 (1ª carrera):
1. Gerard Barrabeig (FA-Vortex), 18 vueltas
2. Carlos Sainz jr (FA-Vortex), a 0”874
3. Kevin Ceccon (Maranello-TM), a 1”818
4. Adrián del Rio (Intrepid-TM), a 2”549
5. José Mª Pérez (Tony-XTR), a 2”716
6. Victor Majó (FA-Vortex), a 4”370
7. Manuel Bejarano (Intrepid-TM), a 5”157
8. Carlos Gil (Tony-Vortex), a 6”992
9. Mitchell Hale (Maranello-TM), a 7”677
10. David da Luz (Maranello-TM), a 8”545

KF3 (2ª carrera):
1. Carlos Sainz jr (FA-Vortex), 18 vueltas
2. Kevin Ceccon (Maranello-TM), a 0”618
3. Mitchell Hale (Maranello-TM), a 5”046
4. Manuel Bejarano (Intrepid-TM), a 5”257
5. Victor Majó (FA-Vortex), a 5”465
6. Gerard Barrabeig (FA-Vortex), a 6”373
7. Carlos Gil (Tony-Vortex), a 7”253
8. José Mª Pérez (Tony-XTR), a 8”569
9. David da Luz (Maranello-TM), a 13”751
10. Alex Riberas (Top-XTR), a 14”102
Lucas Wolf (CRG-XTR)

Campeonato: 1. Gerard Barrabeig, 132 puntos; 2. Carlos Sainz jr, 129; 3. Kevin Ceccon, 125; 4. Mitchell Hale, 118; 5. Adrián del Rio, 115; 6. David da Luz, 97; 7. Carlos Gil, 96; 8. Kevin Tenorio, 87; 9. Julio Aumente, 75; 10. Ferràn Monje, 73 puntos ... etc

KF2 (1ª carrera):
1. David Alabart (FA-Vortex), 22 vueltas
2. Jose Cautela (CRG-Maxter), a 2”533
3. Dani Simón (Tony-Vortex), a 2”976
4. Rubén Rodríguez (Maranello-TM), a 4”202
5. Luke Wright (Maranello-TM), a 5”119
6. Armand Convers (PCR-PCR), a 5”218
7. Bernardo Arnaut (CRG-Maxter), a 7”481
8. Oscar González (FA-Vortex), a 9”458

KF2 (2ª carrera):
1. Armand Convers (PCR-PCR), 22 vueltas
2. Luke Wright (Maranello-TM), a 3”570
3. Jose Cautela (CRG-Maxter), a 5”517
4. Adrià Domenech (FA-Vortex), a 7”253
5. Abel Sequera (Birel-Parilla), a 8”452
6. Bernardo Arnaut (CRG-Maxter), a 8”904
7. Steve Lesca (Tony-Vortex), a 9”226
8. Oscar González (FA-Vortex), a 9”884

Campeonato: 1. Jose Cautela, 135 puntos; 2. Armand Convers, 123; 3. Dani Simón, 116; 4. Luke Wright, 113; 5. Oscar González, 107; 6. Steve Lesca, 95; 7. Abel Sequera, 94; 8. Rubén Curbelo, Emil Bernstorff y Rubén Rodríguez, 92 puntos ... etc

Cadete (1ª carrera):
1. Eric Morris (FA-Parilla), 13 vueltas
2. Pedro Hiltbrant (Arisco-Parilla), a 3”476
3. Antonio José González (Tony-Parilla), a 8”344
4. Samuel Cucala (PCR-Parilla), a 8”365
5. Hector Marín (Intrepid-Parilla), a 9”403
6. Jordi Oriola (Maranello-Parilla), a 9”658
7. Alfonso Sangrador (Maranello-Parilla), a 10”035
8. Alejandro Rodríguez (FA-Parilla), a 10”224

Cadete (2ª carrera):
1. Eric Morris (FA-Parilla), 13 vueltas
2. Pedro Hiltbrant (Arisco-Parilla), a 1”837
3. Maverick Domenech (Intrepid-Parilla), a 4”224
4. Antonio José González (Tony-Parilla), a 4”387
5. Roberto Caballero (Intrepid-Parilla), a 4”759
6. Alfonso Sangrador (Maranello-Parilla), a 7”808
7. Diego José Rodríguez (FA-Parilla), a 8”051
8. Oscar Soto (Tony-Parilla), a 11”013

Campeonato: 1. Eric Morris, 70 puntos; 2. Pedro Hiltbrant, 66; 3. Antonio José González, 63; 4. Alfonso Sangrador, 57; 5. Roberto Caballero y Maverick Domenech, 56; 7. Oscar Soto, 52; 8. Jordi Oriola, 47 puntos ... etc

24/06/2008 - Superkarts! USA regional program will wrap up campaign at P1 Kart Circuit this weekend

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

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

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

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

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

For results and point standings, visit www.p1kartcircuit.com or contact Charles Quiroz by email at Charlie@p1kartcircuit.com



About Superkarts! USA:
Established in 1995, Superkarts! USA is dedicated to shifterkart racing and is the leader in the field, currently promoting three regional racing series located on the West Coast, with challenging racing program running in Southern California, Northern California and Arizona. These programs all lead to the annual SKUSA SuperNationals, the biggest shifter kart race in the world, held every November in Las Vegas, NV. For more information on SKUSA, please visit www.superkartsusa.com


About the Desert Kart Challenge:
The Desert Kart Challenge series debuted last year as the first new regional program under the Superkarts! USA banner, bringing high-quality shifter kart and TaG racing to Arizona. The series consists of six racing events at P1 Kart Circuit in Tucson and the Phoenix Kart Racing Association facility in Phoenix. For information on the Desert Kart Challenge, please visit www.p1kartcircuit.com .

24/06/2008 - LA CARRERA DE MEXICO EN EXPO MUNDOMOTOR!!

Gracias al entusiasmo del promotor de la exposicion el Sr. Francisco Name, los pilotos y publico interesado en participar dentro de las 24 horas de karting, Podran consultar cualquier duda o necesidad con el director de la Carrera de Mexico que estara presente en el stand # 32 de esta exposicion.

La Carrera de Mexico se presenta en Expo Mundo Motor para acercarse e intercambiar comentarios con los competidores y publico que este interesado en aprticipar en este magno evento.

Hay gente interesada que externo dudas sobre la fecha, la cuota de recuperacion, la metodologia, el tipo de kart, el peso, el comunicado que salio en la pagina de sportcar.com.mx y otros puntos importantes para el buen desarrollo de los equipos en la competencia.

El comité organizador hace patente que se trabaja para que la Carrera sea la mejor en su tipo, los go-karts que se utilizaran seran de marca intrepid con un motor Honda y una pipa directa que se desarrolla en U.S.A. especialmente para este motor y la altura de valle de bravo, sobre la cuota de recuperacion que se enlista, esta no es significativa contra los gastos de operación del evento, sobre este punto queremos abundar que los integrantes de cada equipo tendran que desembolsar muy poco dinero ya que un equipo se puede conformar desde 4 hasta 10 personas y divididiendo el numero de la cuota entre los participantes, se daran cuenta que una carrera de karts de cualquier otra especialidad puede costar mas dinero que inscribirse con su equipod entro de las 24 horas de karting.

La cCrrera de Mexico empieza su promocion, como hemos anunciado con antelacion, the billionaire hoy patrocinador de la Carrera, nos engalano con un comentario, estadio web destaco un ejemplo a seguir dentro del deporte de nuestra especialidad, hoy en expo mundo motor nos toca acercarnos y aclarar dudas asi como alentar a pilotos a que se inscriban dentro del evento.

La Carrera de Mexico seguira informando y comenta que toda la informacion de la carrera la pueden obtener en la pagina web de www.lacarrerademexico.com, cualquier comentario o duda podran escribirnos al siguiente correo donde daremos respuesta a cualquier duda, por favor dirigirse a info@lacarrerademexico.com.

Los esperamos en Expo Mundo Motor del 20 al 22 de Junioen el WTC Mexico donde ademas de observar motos, lanchas, autos elegantes, autos clasicos, tiendas de ropa y mas, la Carrera de Mexico y go fast uno de nuestros patrocinadores estara presente para que platiquemos sobre su incursion dentro de las 24 horas de karting.

24/06/2008 - Birel Brings Home Three Wins, 19 Podiums at WKA Manufacturers Cup Grand Nationals - Stewart, Self & Crump each score victory for Birel

The WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Grand Nationals were hotly contested this past weekend and the large contingent of Birel drivers led the way in several classes. Ryan Stewart, Austin Self and Kyle Crump each scored a Grand National victory while several Birel drivers scored impressive podiums. Stewart (MRP-Birel AMERICA) put in a remarkable performance that saw him finish on the podium in each of his five races on the weekend.
“We showed well in all classes – again,” said Chris Lobaugh, MRP-Birel AMERICA Engineer. “Both Mike Doty Racing (MDR) and Team MKP had solid performances with their customers and we were able to have several customers take a few wins and several podiums. We can’t ask much more than that.”
Stewart’s victory came on Sunday in the HPV Heavy class where he was also rewarded with the fastest race lap. He was followed closely by Birel driver Patrick Olsen who finished 2nd. Mike Giessen and Scott Kopp finished in 9th and 10th in the 19-kart field. Stewart would also finish 3rd in Yamaha Lite, 2nd in Yamaha Heavy, 5th in Yamaha Sr. Sportsman Heavy and 2nd in HPV Lite – setting the fastest lap in the process. Bill McLaughlin Jr. (Team MKP/Birel) placed 9th in the HPV Lite final.

Austin Self (MRP Birel AMERICA) stood on top of the podium in HPV Jr. Sportsman. Birel had four more drivers in the top-10 with Jared Thomas (5th), James Bennett (6th), Aidan Landauer (7th) and Jake Cole (8th).

Also a big winner was Kyle Crump in Sunday’s Cadet final. The young driver led the way to a win and fastest race lap followed by Cole (3rd) and Logan Beardon in 5th to put three Birels on the podium. Trent Walko finished 8th. In Saturday’s Cadet final, it was Beardon leading the way with a strong 2nd place finish followed by Self (5th and fastest race lap), Landauer (7th), Gresham Wagner (8th) and Walko in 10th.

In the Yamaha Jr. Sportsman class, four Birel drivers finished in the top-10 with Crump and Bennett finishing in 3rd and 4th. Crump again had the fastest race lap. Cole and Self finished 8th and 9th.

Yamaha Masters drivers John Dixon (Team MKP/Birel) and Dale Roller (Team MKP/Birel) finished in 2nd and 5th. In Yamaha Sr. Sportsman Lite, it was Brandon Adkins (MRP/Birel AMERICA) finishing in 7th after qualifying on pole followed by Scott Kopp in 9th in the 22-kart field.

Both Melissa Landspurg (MDR/Birel) and Steve Nemeth (Laukaitis Racing/Birel) had strong outings. Landspurg had a 6th in Saturday’s Yamaha Jr. Sportsman Heavy class followed by Nemeth in 8th. On Sunday, it was Nemeth who finished in 5th and Landspurg in 7th in the Lite class final.

“It was a very good weekend overall,” said Tim Lobaugh, MRP-Birel AMERICA Engineer. “Everyone worked hard but had a good time in the process.”

Brandon Adkins, Patrick Olsen and Kyle Crump all scored Pole Awards for the weekend.


For more information regarding MRP Motorsport, Birel or the MRP-Birel AMERICA race program, call (269)-756-9133 or contact us online at www.mrpmotorsport.com. Information regarding the Birel chassis line may be found at www.GoBirel.com.

23/06/2008 - Dream weekend for First in Bergen 14/15 June

The second round of the regional South West Cup ( SWC)took place on the the Eikaas track outside Bergen last weekend in very difficult and changing weather conditions.

The conditions however let the First chassis show their qualities and our drivers climbed to the podium in all classes entered, and the final medal tally showed 3 wins,two seconds and one third place.

Mini class.( Raket 85) : Anders Vik dominated the finals, won with a convincing margin

Yamaha class ( KT100) : The finals in sizeable field was an exciting duel between Stefan Evensen and Bjarte Morvik, who finished first and second.

Production : Morten Nygaard ended up 3rd , and has the same position in the aggregate standings.

KZ2 : Einar Lie climbed back too the top of the podium. Steffen Lundanes shadowed Einar in the final.

23/06/2008 - Norwegian cup 31-05-08/01-06-08 first round

Morten Nygaard topped the podium in KF2 – and with further podium places for Nikolai Stien ( 2nd-ICAjr);Espen Liseth (2nd KZ2) and Steffen Lundanes (3rd KZ2).

Kristina Kirkhus had an impressive debute for First Super Rok and claimed an excellent 6th coming strong throught the field.

Einar Lie had an impressive come-back after his accident where he lost his right leg. With his special developed artificial leg he was as fast as ever and claimed an excellent 4th – just tents off the podium!

20/06/2008 - Brothers win, break a lap record and crash at Rowrah

Carl, Adam and Craig Stirling showed their star quality at last Sunday’s (15 June) third round of the British Super 1 kart Championship.

One of the favourite tracks on the calendar, Rowrah’s mixture of high-speed straights, testing corners and tricky chicanes is a true driver’s circuit.

Small wonder then perhaps, that Carl won one of the two KF3 finals, whilst his elder brother Craig, set the lap record in KF2.

In the packed junior category, the youngest of the three brothers, 13-year old Adam fared less well - and was at a loss for the reason why. During Saturday practice he had been quick but his early speed eluded him on race-day - “I just don’t know what went wrong” he said. “I went from being on the pace to nearly a second off it. I was driving well and not making too many mistakes.”

Just three tenths of a second faster than Adam in his qualifying session, British Open Champion Carl was further up the order in 14th position, but confident that he could gain higher places in the races.

After a hard fought battle to work his way into the lead, Carl took a deserved first final victory - and also racked-up 50 valuable championship points. Behind him, Adam was the victim of a first corner crash and having dropped to last, was unable to recover further than 22nd place.

Showing his increasing maturity and the fact that he’s now beginning to think about the title, Carl sensibly opted for points rather than outright glory in the 2nd final. He still found himself boarding the ferry home clutching another trophy – having taken 3rd at the chequered flag and the championship lead.

He said: “The best result would’ve been two wins - but consistent finishes make the difference if you want to win the title. I always go to a race aiming to win, but points finishes are equally important. If I can keep finishing on the podium, that’ll win me the Championship.”

In contrast to Carl’s obvious delight, Adam endured another difficult race but refused to be downcast: “It was quite disappointing really for me, but I’ll bounce back at the next race!”

In KF2, 16-year old Craig was experiencing the fortunes of both his younger brothers. In his second heat, he shattered the lap record and was justifiably delighted: “My time was four tenths of a second faster than the previous record. My motor just had unbelievable bottom end.”

But after his and the Millennium Racing team’s elation, came disappointment. Having qualified well for the first of two finals, Craig suffered from clutch gremlins – dropping from 4th to 11th but still scored a hatful of championship points.

In the following race, a crash dropped him from 10th to 20th - but a gritty drive saw him pass nine drivers to secure more points for his title bid. “I’m happy to be in 5th place overall. Obviously I wanted to leave Rowrah leading the Championship but 5th is okay”.

20/06/2008 - Three important vicotries for Team Fistkart at WKA MANUFACTURE'S CUP

FirstKart race team members Chris Larson and Kevin Monteith had a successful event this past weekend at the third round of the World Karting Association Manufacturer’s Cup Grand Nationals held at Badger Raceway in Dousman, WI. Larson took home the Grand National Eagle in TaG and Yamaha Senior Sportsman Lite while Monteith was victorious in Yamaha Junior SuperCan Heavy.

Saturday was a good day for Canadian Monteith with two top ten results including his first career World Karting Association (WKA) victory in the Yamaha Junior SuperCan Heavy class.

Over the two day weekend, Florida pilot Chris Larson would score six top ten results including two dominant victories in the rain.

On Sunday, Larson would drive his First Kart to three more top ten results including a ninth place finish in Yamaha Lite, a sixth place result in Yamaha Senior Sportsman Heavy and a fifth in TaG.

the firstkart team has been, as always, successfully managed by the team manager Tony Ventresca and also by the director of operations Mike Maurini.

For more info : www.firstkart.it and www.firstkart.com

18/06/2008 - VICTORIA DE CARLOS SAINZ Jr

La primera victoria española de esta temporada en el karting internacional llegaba de la mano de Carlos Sainz Jr, sin duda uno de nuestros más prometedores pilotos jóvenes del momento, que lograba un espléndido triunfo en la tercera prueba del DKM, el campeonato alemán de karting, disputado este pasado fin de semana en la pista de Ampfing, situada a poco mas de una cincuentena de km al este de Munich.

La mala suerte sufrida en las dos primeras pruebas, donde Sainz Jr jugó ya el papel de favorito sin conseguir concretar debido a diversos problemas mecánicos, ha dejado paso esta vez al esperado día de gloria y el hijo del actual detentor de la Copa FIA de Rally-Raid cosechaba en Ampfing dos excelentes resultados que le catapultan hasta la 6ª posición en la general de KF3 del Campeonato de Alemania.

En pole-position tras mostrarse el mejor en las clasificatorias

Tras marcar el 8º crono en los entrenamientos, el joven madrileño mostraba enseguida su superioridad en las clasificatorias, ganando la primera y terminando segunda en la otra después de sendas excelentes actuaciones. La progresión no fue fácil pero ello le situaba en la pole-position de cara a la primera carrera.

Partiendo en cabeza, Sainz lideraba la carrera con autoridad hasta que esta debía ser interrumpida para permitir la entrada de la ambulancia que tuvo que intervenir después de un accidente. Al reemprenderse, Sainz tomaba de nuevo el mando pero al cabo de unas vueltas era superado por Michelle Gätting que cruzaba la meta como líder pero con Sainz pegado a su rebufo. En la suma de tiempos Sainz era declarado vencedor ya que la diferencia que había obtenido en la primera parte era superior al margen cedido en la segunda, siendo segunda Gätting y tercero Wehrlein.

En la segunda carrera, de mas duración, también debía volver a mostrarse la bandera roja después de un espectacular accidente, para permitir la evacuación de un piloto presuntamente herido. Sin embargo esta vez la interrupción se efectuaba en el segundo giro y los pilotos volvían a efectuar la salida en sus posiciones iniciales. Sainz tomaba el mando pero no tardaba en ser superado por Lindberg y pronto se veía que las modificaciones efectuadas en su kart con respecto a la carrera inicial no habían sido adecuadas ya que al español le costaba mantener el ritmo de cabeza y llegaba a bajar momentáneamente hasta la sexta plaza.

El mejor resultado global

Sin embargo, Carlos se empleaba a fondo y conseguía recuperar de nuevo hasta la tercera posición y, aunque a dos vueltas del final se veía obligado a ceder ante Detmers, su perseguidor más inmediato, que le usurpaba la tercera plaza, nuestro compatriota cosechaba en Ampfing el mejor resultado global de la categoría Junior.

En efecto, el joven piloto de Rookie Bulls era quién mas puntos sumaba en la pista bávara, y ello le permite auparse hasta la sexta plaza en la general del campeonato cuando aún faltan dos pruebas por disputarse, la primera de las cuales tendrá lugar en Liedolsheim a finales del próximo mes de julio, y la última en Hahn a mediados de agosto.

“Ha sido una semana muy especial”, explicaba el hijo del doble ex-Campeón del Mundo de Rallies. “En el cole estamos de exámenes y el jueves y viernes tenía dos de ellos. Con la intención de hacer por lo menos una jornada de entrenamientos libres nos vinimos con Juanjo Lacalle el martes por la noche para rodar el miércoles y después volver a Madrid para hacer los exámenes, pero cuando estábamos a punto de salir hacia el aeropuerto de Munich nos llamaron para decirnos que los exámenes se habían aplazado, con lo cual optamos por quedarnos y, aunque el jueves previo a una prueba del DKM no se puede rodar nunca, por una vez pudimos entrenar como la mayor parte de nuestros adversarios”.

Con respecto a la prueba en sí, Carlos Sainz Jr añadía: “El fin de semana ha transcurrido todo bien excepto en los cambios de reglajes que hemos efectuado de cara a la segunda carrera, que no han sido adecuados. Al kart le costaba entrar en las curvas y ello nos ha restado competitividad”. Ahora la siguiente cita de Carlos Sainz Jr será el segundo meeting del Campeonato de España, que se disputará este próximo fin de semana en el Kartódromo de Cartaya, en la província de Huelva, a tan sólo unas decenas de km de la frontera portuguesa.


CLASIFICACIONES

KF3 (Sprint):
1. Carlos Sainz (Tony-Vortex), las 13 vueltas en 9’43”621
2. Michelle Gatting (Gillard-XTR), a 0”217
3. Pascal Wehrlein (Jesolo-XTR), a 3”066
4. Fabio Unverdruss (Tecno-XTR), a 3”266
5. Christian Sörensen (Tony-Vortex), a 6”589

KF3 (Final):
1. Nyck de Vries (Zanardi-XTR), las 24 vueltas en 17’44”162
2. Hendrik Grapp (Birel-TM), a 2”016
3. David Detmers (Monza-TM), a 2”810
4. Carlos Sainz (Tony-Vortex), a 2”293
5. Riccardo Negro (CRG-XTR), a 4”533

Campeonato: 1. Nyck de Vries, 77 puntos; 2. Fabio Unverdruss, 57; 3. Hendrik Grapp, 50; 4. Michelle Gatting, 48; 5. Pascal Wehrlein, 34; 6. Carlos Sainz Jr y Riccardo Negro, 30 puntos

KF2 (Sprint):
1. Dominik Baumann (Birel-Parilla), las 13 vueltas en 9’22”307
2. Rick Nadin (CRG-Parilla), a 0”346
3. Tom Grice (Gillard-Parilla), a 2”005

KF2 (Final):
1. Dominik Baumann (Birel-Parilla), las 24 vueltas en 17’10”558
2. Tom Grice (Gillard-Parilla), a 3”175
3. Mario Farnbacher (Tony-Vortex), a 4”311

Campeonato: 1. Tom Grice, 66 puntos; 2. Paolo de Conto, 50; 3. Dominik Baumann, 48; 4. Rene Binder, 47; 5. Yannick Mettler, 42 puntos; ... etc

KF1 (Sprint):
1. Jack te Braak (Zanardi-Parilla), las 13 vueltas en 9’18”056
2. Luigi Cefalu (Birel-Parilla), a 2”528
3. Manuel Renaudie (Gillard-Parilla), a 4”212

KF1 (Final):
1. Jack te Braak (Zanardi-Parilla), las 24 vueltas en 16’59”909
2. Luigi Cefalu (Birel-Parilla), a 3”458
3. Andre Hauke (Birel-Parilla), a 6”758

Campeonato: 1. Jack te Braak, 85 puntos; 2. Andre Hauke, 77; 3. Luigi Cefalu, 58; 4. Marcel Lipp y Matt Truelove, 54 puntos; ... etc

KZ2 (Sprint):
1. Jack Hawksworth (Gillard-TM), las 13 vueltas en 9’14”282
2. Rick Dreezen (CRG-Maxter), a 0”141
3. Roland Ecker (Zanardi-TM), a 1”462

KZ2 (Final):
1. Jack Hawksworth (Gillard-TM), las 24 vueltas en 16’59”537
2. Rick Dreezen (CRG-Maxter), a 0”128
3. Bas Lammers (Top-TM), a 1”435

Campeonato: 1. Rick Dreezen y Marcel Jeleniowski, 85; 3. Bas Lammers, 58; 4. Verdi Geurts, 46; 5. Patrik Hajek, 42 puntos; ... etc

18/06/2008 - Double runner-up results put Chamberlain on top in UK KF2

Hot on the heels of his fourth place in the WSK series in Belgium last weekend, Jordan Chamberlain consolidated his lead in the British Kart Championship on 15th June with two second places at Rowrah in the Lake District.

The weekend started reasonably well in timed practice when Jordan, racing on a Tonykart with Strawberry Racing, qualified fifth overall, then in the two heats he finished second and third.

So for the first race of the double-header, Jordan started second on
the grid and snatched the lead away from main championship rival
Michael Simpson. The marginally faster Simpson took it back again a few laps later and Jordan hung on to finish just six tenths behind him.

The second race looked like going the same way, with Jordan leading initially then slipping behind Simpson, but this time the Welshman was the faster of the two and by mid race he was gaining on Simpson by a tenth on each lap. Unfortunately a move best described as "optimistic" from the driver behind lost Jordan three tenths on Simpson and there were now not enough laps left to get close enough to challenge for the lead.

He set the fastest lap, a definite achievement in the highly competitive KF2 class, where Jordan is one of the lower budget drivers on the grid.

At half-distance in the season, Jordan leads the championship by 12 points, but Simpson has now won four races on the trot so Jordan is looking for that elusive first 2008 win. But according to his father and mechanic Andrew, it shouldn't be long in coming: "He didn't put a foot wrong all weekend, the kart was excellent, and a win now will be just the thing to keep his confidence up."

Jordan will race next at the Western European Championship Qualifier in Spain on July 13th, where he will compete for one of 25 places in the European Final against 75 of the best drivers from the UK, Ireland, France and Spain. The race is taking place on a new track at Alcaniz in Aragon so Jordan will travel out the week before to gather testing data.

18/06/2008 - SPEED VICTORIOUS AT PROKART CHALLENGE NORTH EVENT AT INFINEON

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

With TaG Masters championship leader Rob Soares out with a broken hand, the category was left open for the taking. Jim Ferguson was the man who stepped up, taking the top qualifier honor, as well as the two heat race wins. The final, however, would not end the way he had hoped, as electronic issues with his engine ended Ferguson’s race on lap eight. This handed the win to Helmar Beregszaszy, with Jeremy Hillhouse and Steve Elo joining him on the podium. In TaG Masters Light, Herman Ip won his third straight feature – with David Oroshnik and Jim Zootis running second and third.
The series will continue next month on July 12th, with the fourth round of the series returning the teams to the Jim Russell Int’l Karting Center. For more information about this event and to check out the line-up of year-end prizes available to ProKart Challenge competitors, head to www.prokartchallenge.com .


About Superkarts! USA:

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

18/06/2008 - Jonny scores a boatload of points in Lakes

Podium double moves him into Championship contention

Jonathan Walker’s two second-place finishes in the 3rd round of the British Super 1 kart Championship at Rowrah in the Lake District over the weekend (14/15 June), have moved the Blackburn racer into 4th place in the title hunt.

The 19-year old had gone into the weekend well prepared, after spending several days testing at the Cumbrian track.

However, Jonathan felt that his kart’s handling could have been better during Timed Qualifying. He said, “I couldn’t get the kart to ‘come on’ in the allocated time. It was taking about eight laps for the chassis and tyre set-up to work at the optimum level, by which time the chequered flag was coming out.”

Nevertheless, he recorded the 5th fastest time to give himself a third row start for his first race.

Encountering “no real dramas” Jonathan scored a 4th and then a 2nd place, to put himself 3rd on the grid for the first final.

“I got shunted at the start and dropped to 5th” he explained. “I got back onto the circuit and picked my way back up the order and ended up in 2nd at the (chequered) flag. I was catching the leader quite quickly, so it was a good sign for the next race.”

Starting alongside the first final winner and three-time British Champion Mark Litchfield, Jonny managed to get into the lead going into the tricky first corner.

“I tried to get away because I know Mark is so good early on in a race, but it was the other way round - he passed me and started to pull away.”

Pushing at ten tenths, Jonathan knew he’d have to work hard to stay in front of the pack before his kart started to perform. Midway through the race, it finally began to handle in the way he wanted, and he soon found himself reeling in Litchfield.

“It (the kart) was suddenly really fast, and I was gaining on Mark bit by bit. I think I would’ve passed him with three or four more laps. To be honest, Mark drove impeccably and I don’t think we could’ve done much better. To finish second in both finals was a fair result in many ways.”

Buoyed by his performance, Jonathan’s next race will be the second round of the European Championship at Mariembourg in Belgium (28/28 June). It is a circuit that Jonathan knows well and likes.

“I’ve gone very well there in the past. My first priority is to qualify for the main final (having come through the qualifying heats) and then go for a top 15. That may sound a modest objective but at this level, the European races are brutal.”

To keep you up to date with his racing career, Jonathan has an excellent website –www.jonathanwalkerracing.com

18/06/2008 - MSA British Kart Championship Rounds 5 & 6, Rowrah, 15th June 2008

Mark Litchfield dominated at the twisty Rowrah circuit in Cumbria, with a total clean sweep from timed qualifying, through the two heats and taking wins in both finals. Although Jonathan Walker led the first for a short while, Litchfield was soon into his stride to take a one second margin over the line from Walker, with Chris Rogers a further two seconds in arrears. The second final was slightly closer, and this time it was Richard Bradley who got the better of Rogers for third, but some four seconds down the road from second placed Walker. Jordon Lennox-Lamb was close to Litchfield's pace in the heats but seemed to take too much out of his tyres and had to settle for two sevenths in the finals.




Results Final 1
1 Mark Litchfield (Maranello/Parilla) 18 laps in 13.53.55 (49.75mph)
2 Jonathan Walker (Gillard/TM)
3 Chris Rogers (Octane/TM)
4 Richard Bradley (Wright/Parilla)
5 Nicholas Yelloly (Kosmic/Vortex)
6 Lee Bell (Wright/Parilla)
7 Jordon Lennox-Lamb (Topkart/Parilla)
8 Elliot Burton (Tony/Vortex)
9 Dennis Gorman (Wright/Parilla)
10 Mike Slein (Alonso/Vortex)

Results Final 2
1 Litchfield 18 laps in 13.52.87 (49.79mph)
2 Walker +0.60secs
3 Bradley
4 Rogers
5 Burton
6 Bell
7 Lennox-Lamb
8 Sam Tordoff (Alonso/Vortex)
9 Slein
10 Yelloly


MSA British Junior Kart Championship
Rounds 5 & 6, Rowrah, 15th June 2008

The main protagonists hadn't quite got into their stride for timed qualifying with John Norris a fraction ahead of Alex Lynn with Sam Jenkins in third spot. Lynn's heat exclusion put him into the repechage, where he came third to Max Robinson and Ashley Sutton. Four heats were needed to sort out the grids for the large contingent of KF3 competitors, Carl Stirling, Mackenzie Taylor, John Norris and Thomas Balmer being the winners, putting Taylor and Balmer on the front row for the first final. Eventually Stirling came to the fore in the race, from sixth on the grid, after a terrific duel with Russell Danzey, Taylor and Dennis right behind. Balmer had to be content with sixth, behind Alex Walker. In the second final, Danzey found that the Racing Steps Foundation supported Jake Dennis was his main rival, as they fought hard for supremacy along with Stirling. The three karts flashed over the line separated by only two tenths of a second. Alexander Albon's first final incident had lost him a lap, forcing him to start the second in 29th place, beginning a remarkable recovery to fourth, setting fastest lap on the way, and only seven tenths down on the winner.

Results Final 1
1 Carl Stirling (Tony/TM) 18 Laps in 14.11.74 (48.69mph)
2 Russell Danzey (Maranello/TM) + 0.22secs
3 Mackenzie Taylor (Alonso/TM)
4 Jake Dennis (Topkart/TM)
5 Alex Walker (Maranello/TM)
6 Thomas Balmer (Kosmic/Vortex)

Results Final 2
1 Russell Danzey 18 Laps in 14.17.28 (48.38mph)
2 Jake Dennis + 0.11 secs
3 Carl Stirling
4 Alexander Albon (Tony/TM)
5 Rikki Gordon (Tony/TM)
6 Mackenzie Taylor

17/06/2008 - Vital podium puts Foster-Jones in hunt

The long journey back from Cumbria to Essex was made all the more bearable as Robert Foster-Jones cradled his 3rd-place trophy in his lap.

Yesterday (15 June), the 17-year old Southend karting star returned to the podium following the fiercely competitive British Super 1 karting Championship’s third round at Rowrah.

Prior to the weekend, the reigning British Open Champion had said that a top three finish would put him right back in contention for the title. It was a prophetic comment, as he went from 6th in the title chase to 4th.

In Timed Qualifying, just six tenths of a second covered the top 22 drivers - with Robert in 7th place. After finishing third in both his heats, Robert secured 5th place on the grid for the first final.

It was a largely uneventful race and he was 4th at the chequered flag.

The second final was so close that, for the spectators, it was little more than a high-speed procession. Having got into 3rd place, Rob found the two drivers ahead of him recording almost identical times throughout the 18 laps.

On the last lap, Foster-Jones attempted to break the deadlock with a stunning, late-on-the-brakes manoeuvre on Welshman Jordan Chamberlain - “Jordan’s a fiery customer, and he shut the door” said Robert. “It was a fair move in response to mine, and after that I decided to settle for valuable points rather than risk crashing.”

It was an intelligent choice, as his two high-scoring points positions moved him up the order and in sight of the Championship lead.

“One thing that last year’s Championship taught me was the value of finishing. I had a string of DNF’s (Did Not Finish) caused by motors seizing, and I missed out on the title by just a handful of points. My dad keeps reminding me that there’s an old saying in motor racing, ‘to finish first, first you must finish.’ That’s what you have to do sometimes, go for the points rather than the glory - and so far, that strategy is paying off.”

To find out more about Robert and follow his fortunes through the season, visit www.robertfosterjones.com.

16/06/2008 - BRM AND VAMPIRE ABSOLUTE PROTAGONISTS OF THE 4 STROKES ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP

Alberto Cavalieri, official driver of the BRM Racing Team, clearly dominated the second round of the 4-Strokes Italian Championship which took place in Jesolo Pista Azzurra on 14-15 June. Thanks to his great performance, made possible by the perfect binomial between his BRM DK8 chassis and the powerful engine Vampire-Suter Racing, Alberto confirmed the victory he gained at Ala di Trento (24-25 May) and put himself at the top of the general final rating of the Championship.

13/06/2008 - FREUND STEALS VICTORY AT SKUSA CENTRAL STATES CHALLENGE DEBUT

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The series website is currently in a rebuilding stage though the former website is still available with all the series information at www.thecsss.com.




About Superkarts! USA:

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

13/06/2008 - Stirling celebrates fantastic win

Carl Stirling celebrated a “fantastic” Stars of Tomorrow victory last Sunday (8 June), at Whilton Mill - a circuit he’d never even seen before Saturday morning.

Exam commitments kept the Millennium Motorsport driver from testing at the Northamptonshire track on Friday, which hampered his qualifying performance.

The 14-year old - who won the British Open Championship in March, the first driver from Northern Ireland to do so in 16 years - said: “Testing went well, although I was two tenths (of a second) off the pace and was still learning the circuit when we went out for timed qualifying.”

Team boss, Dean Panrucker was a little less modest: “Carl did very well. He’d never been to the circuit before, let alone try to qualify on it. He was 8th out of 28 drivers and just three tenths off pole. That’s how close it was.”

Starting from the fourth row of the grid, Carl opened his account with a fine 2nd place in the first heat. In the second race, he survived a “hairy moment” – taking to the grass at high speed to avoid a crash in front of him – to finish 5th.

These two results gave Carl a front row start, alongside pole-sitter Macaulay Walsh.

“I dropped to 3rd at the start and the two leaders quickly established a good lead. I managed to catch Alex Walker (in 2nd), passed him and then set about catching Macaulay, who was now about ten kart-lengths ahead.”

In just one lap, Carl slashed Walsh’s lead from seven tenths of a second to three. But as he inched closer, new 3rd-place man Jake Dennis arrowed in.

“After five laps I was on Macaulay’s bumper, but Jake had caught me and made a move. He got past -but I did him back on the following lap.”

Under braking for Christmas corner, Carl scythed past Walsh to take the lead. Leaving Dennis, Walsh and the fast-approaching Lewis Hall scrapping over 2nd place, Carl eked out a small advantage over his pursuers and held it to the chequered flag.

Afterwards, Carl couldn’t contain his delight. “This is a fantastic win for me. I’ve never raced or even tested here before, and so to win is just brilliant.”

Having had a disastrous previous round at Rowrah in Cumbria, Carl wants to build on his Whilton performance.

“I came here expecting to do a damage limitation exercise after Rowrah, but the win changes things. I’m fourth in the Championship now, and really believe I can challenge to win it overall now.”

12/06/2008 - Mariembourg WSK 2008 VILLALBA NO TUVO SUERTE EN BELGICA

La cuarta prueba del calendario de las Winning Series Karting tuvo lugar en la pista belga de Mariembourg donde se dieron cita las categorías KF1, KF2 y KZ2. En esta ocasión era la KF3 la que le tocaba descansar, que es el apartado que congrega la mayor cantidad de nuestros compatriotas.

Aún así, once pilotos españoles efectuaban el desplazamiento hasta esta excelente pista ubicada en el sur de Bélgica pero, a parte de José Antonio Pérez que finalizaba 7º y 8º en las dos carreras de la KZ2, el resto de nuestros representantes no cosecharon esta vez ningún resultado digno de mención.

El madrileño Luis Miguel Villalba fue el piloto español que más destacó en los entrenamientos libres del jueves y el viernes, disputados sobre mojado o con la pista húmeda, figurando repetidamente entre los tres primeros de la categoría KF2.

Sin embargo, el sábado comenzaron a disminuir las precipitaciones y, aunque la mayoría de pilotos salieron a los entrenamientos cronometrados con neumáticos de lluvia, los mejores registros correspondieron a aquellos que se arriesgaron a montar slicks. Por una falta de coordinación de su equipo, Villalba no pudo disponer de estas ruedas y, pese a marcar uno de los mejores tiempos entre los pilotos calzados con gomas ralladas, se tuvo que conformar con el 37º crono. Aún así, el de Mejorada del Campo fue el más rápido entre los españoles presentes en KF2.

Disputadas ya sobre piso seco, las mangas clasificatorias no sonrieron demasiado a Villalba, cuyo kart perdió competitividad conforme la adherencia del asfalto aumentaba. Por si fuera poco, en la primera tanda era enviado fuera de la pista por su predecesor y en la segunda se le rompía la válvula cuando rodaba noveno, retrocediendo hasta la 17ª posición en el momento de cruzar bajo la bandera a cuadros. Aunque en las otras dos finalizaba 12º y 11º respectivamente, se veía condenado a disputar la repesca junto a los otros tres pilotos españoles de su categoría.

Pero en la manga de segunda oportunidad Villalba se veía muy prnto eliminado al verse indirectamente involucrado en un accidente múltiple en la salida, provocado por otro piloto, y ello le costaba el abandono, esfumándose así todas sus esperanzas de disputar las finales.

La próxima cita de Villalba será la segunda prueba del Campeonato de España que tendrá lugar en Cartaya, en la província de Huelva, los próximos días 21 y 22 de este mes. El piloto madrileño intentará allí mejorar la cuarta posición que ocupa actualmente en la clasificación provisional del certamen nacional.

fotocursa@gmail.com

english language - italian language