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International Karting Industry Buyer's Guide
International Karting Industry Buyer's Guide


Kart Expo International
ExhibitorInformation and Show Directions

 

 FYI
02-20-05

    SSC SOUTHWEST & MIDWEST AWARDS 2004 TOP TEN DEALERS

    KART EXPO ANNOUNCES ‘PRESS CONFERENCE’ SCHEDULE

    EXPO PRIZES TOP ANY KART SHOW TO DATE

    RAGE KARTS OFFERING MORE TO WKA SPEEDWAY PAVEMENT COMPETITORS

    TOP STUDENT ATHLETES HONORED BY GO-KART COMPANY

    THE PHANTOM UNIVERSITY JUNIOR CHALLENGE

    “THE AMERICAN RACER”, THE TV SHOW

    GRAND PRIX DISTRIBUTING/VEGA TIRES TO BE OFFICIAL TIRE SUPPLIER FOR REMAINING TAG SPECTACULAR EVENTS

    PROVISIONAL STATUS UPDATE FOR SOUTHERN PITT

    UNITED STATES ROTAX MAX CHALLENGE

    FORMER KART CHAMP HINCHCLIFFE MOVES TO STAR MAZDA WITH AIM AUTOSPORT

    RACERS VIE TO LEAD THE SERIES

    RED BULL DRIVER SEARCH UNVEILS 2005 FORMAT

    FIRST KART CLAIMS VICTORY IN ALL ROTAX SENIOR DIVISIONS

    NEW AMERICAN CHASSIS MANUFACTURER OFFERING INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY - KARTING GOES WALL-STREET

    ALL NEW AMERICAN KART RACING ENGINE ANNOUNCED

    TALENTED BRITISH FEMALE RACER KATHERINE LEGGE TESTS ATLANTIC CAR WITH
    POLESTAR RACING GROUP

    B&S WORLD FORMULA ENGINE OK’S BY QMA

     

    SSC SOUTHWEST & MIDWEST AWARDS 2004 TOP TEN DEALERS
    Palm Springs, California — SSC Racing, will awards its Top Ten dealers at Kart Expo at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, IL (Chicago).

    “We’re proud to have the opportunity of recognizing our top performing dealers of 2004 during the 2005 Kart Expo February 26th through 27th. Kart Expo offers a great venue for recognizing top dealers as this event is mixed with business and social activities, creating a great environment for such presentations,” states Joe Ramos, President of SSC Racing, title sponsor of Kart Expo.

    DEALER - STATE
    1. Pitts Performance CA
    2. Marin Karting CA
    3. Acceleration Kart Racing NV
    4. Full Throttle Karting CA
    5. Nash’s Karting CA
    6. Msquared, LLC UT
    7. Mike Manning Karting CA
    8. Simonar WI
    9. Pitstop Performance TX
    10. Corsa Kart Racing NV

    “Congratulations to our dealers for making 2004 the best year ever, we look forward to an equally rewarding 2005 for all SSC dealers!”, Ramos concluded. For detailed information on SSC Dealer Awards programs, contact rfreiley@sscracing.com

     

    KART EXPO ANNOUNCES ‘PRESS CONFERENCE’ SCHEDULE
    Wheaton, Illinois — Due to a huge demand, Kart Expo presented by SSC Racing has been asked to organized its press conference schedule into a manageable form. With that in mind, Press Conferences have been scheduled at half-hour increments throughout the event. Kart Expo is North America’s largest karting trade show with nearly 300 booths with over 165 companies represented. The show will take place on February 26-27 at Pheasant Run Resort and Convention Center in St. Charles, Illinois, 40 miles west of Chicago.

    The following Press Conferences are scheduled at Kart Expo at the times and locations designated. Each promises special announcements about products, services or special events.

    Saturday
    12:30 PM – Kart Parts Unlimited, Apache Junction, Arizona [120/122]

    1:00 PM – Rock Island Grand Prix, Rock Island, Illinois [209]

    1:30 PM – Secrets of Speed Publications, Grimbsy, Ontario, Canada [601-603]

    2:00 PM – MM Racing, Canton, Michigan [621/720]

    2:30 PM – Stone Master Kart Products, Grand Junction, Colorado [600/602]

    3:00 PM – SSC Racing, Palm Springs, California [301/400]

    3:30 PM – Snap-on Stars of Karting, Hilliard, Ohio [304]

    4:30 PM – Team Valhalla, Stryker, Ohio [328]

    Sunday
    10:00 AM – Contemporary Systems, Seattle, Washington [216]

    3:00 PM – USA International Raceway, Green Bay, Wisconsin [04]

    For more information, see “kart Expo Update” on this site.

     

    EXPO PRIZES TOP ANY KART SHOW TO DATE
    Wheaton, Illinois— Attendees will benefit from exhibitors at the 13th Annual Kart Expo presented by SSC Racing who have gone all out when it comes to raffles and prize drawings at the late winter extravaganza coming up On February 26-27 in St. Charles, Illinois. The show, with karting exhibitors from around the world, has proven to be a winner with karters and the industry alike.

    Here, in no special order, are examples of prizes to be given to attendees at Kart Expo next weekend:

    SSC RACING will be raffling a GearBox High Tech Driving Suit.

    KART EXPO INTERNATIONAL is holding a drawing for a Bose ‘Wave’ Radio

    BADGER KART CLUB will be holding a benefit drawing for a tremendous quantity of prizes to benefit a fellow karter, Keith Tiffany, a cancer patient.

    RIVER VALLEY KART CLUB is holding a drawing for 2 DVD players, one each day.

    SNAP-ON STARS OF KARTING will be holding a drawing for a $250.00 Snap-On gift certificate on both Saturday and Sunday.

    AMERICAN POWER SPORTS will offer a chance to win a $250 Gift Card by just signing up to their e-mail list.

    ROCK ISLAND GRAND PRIX will be giving away 1 free entry to the famous Rock Island Grand Prix.

    KARTING USA will give away a LED Display Sign to 2 clubs purchasing their new timing software.

    ENDURANCEKARTING.COM will raffle a Michael Schumacher Karting Challenge game and a seat in an Endurance Karting race or Karting School whichever the winner prefers.

    ADVANTAGE TRAILERS will conduct a drawing for a $100 Gift Certificate for trailer accessories.

    PREMIER PERFORMANCE is planning to give away two free Stinger clutches. One will be given away Sat and one Sun.

    NATIONAL KART SUPPLY/HAASE will be raffling off a pair of KingDragon leather/fireproof driving shoes.

    MM RACING will be holding drawings for numerous apparel items including a leather jacket, helmet and misc. other items.

    For more information, see “Kart Expo Update” on this site.

     

    RAGE KARTS OFFERING MORE TO WKA SPEEDWAY PAVEMENT COMPETITORS
    Concord, North Carolina — Showing their karters more support than ever, Rage Karts, Inc. has signed on to be the Title Sponsor for both the WKA National Speedway Pavement Series and the newly formed Heartland Speedway Pavement Championships.

    As part of their sponsorship program, Rage Karts will be giving away two speedway chassis on two stops of the tour for the National Speedway Pavement Series. Be sure to stop by Chapel Hill Raceway in June and Lowe’s Motor Speedway in September for your chance to wine a Rage chassis. In addition, a champ kart will be given away at the Heartland Speedway Pavement Series Grand National event at Jamaica Raceway in August.

    “Having Rage Karts as the Title Sponsor of the Heartland Speedway Pavement Championships and the National Speedway Pavement Series will have a positive impact on both series,” said Tony Barton, WKA Director of Program Development. “Rage Karts, Inc. will have representatives at all events for both series, providing strong product representation and customer service.”

    The Rage Karts Speedway Pavement Series is one of the fastest growing asphalt oval series in the country. It consists of 4-cycle classes providing intense competition on asphalt oval tracks of 1/6-mile to _-mile. Making it’s premier in the 2005 season is the Rage Karts Heartland Speedway Pavement Championships. This 3-race series focuses on providing a solid national asphalt oval program for the Midwest karter. For further information on either of these programs call WKA Headquarters at 704-455-1606.

     

    TOP STUDENT ATHLETES HONORED BY GO-KART COMPANY
    China Grove, North Carolina — Phantom Racing Chassis announced the winners of the 2004 Phantom University Junior Challenge, a program to promote academics in the sport of go-kart racing.

    Students compete in either national or divisional competitions, based on the kart series they race throughout the year. Although it is the 4th year of the PUJC, it is the first year the program has been a stand-alone not for profit organization, instead of a program of Phantom Racing Chassis. As a non-profit, PUJC was able to receive tax-deductible contributions and raise the prize level from $22,534 to $41,500 – including $29,500 in 529 college saving account awards.

    Awards were presented at Kart Fest in Hickory, NC on January 28-29, 2004.

    Trenton Beckinger formerly of Keokuk, IA, now residing in Evansville, IN received the top national prize of a new “Champion’s Edition” Phenom Kart ($2800 value), a year of replacement parts and a prize package of apparel and gear for himself and crew. He also received $5000 in a 529 savings account for higher education. (Total Value: $9368)

    Trenton was an 8th-grade student at Keokuk Middle School with a GPA of 97.91, and placed first in the World Karting Association’s National Heartland competition in the Junior Animal class.

    Taylor Dyer of Pell City, AL earned the top Divisional prize of a new “Champion’s Edition” Phenom Champ Kart and apparel and gear for himself and crew. He also received $3000 in a 529 savings account for higher education. (Total Value: $6843)

    Taylor was a 5th-grade student at Victory Christian School with a GPA of 98.89. He finished 1st in the Southeast Pavement Series in the Junior Sportsman Champ Lite class.

    Katelin M. Longbrake of Bowling Green, OH, garnered the Top Academic Achievement Prize for her GPA of 99.07 for the 2003-2004 school year. Longbrake’s award is $7000 in a 529 savings account for higher education, the highest amount awarded in the history of PUJC. (Total Value: $7000)

    Katelin was an 8th-grade student at Eastwood Middle School. She finished 4th in Ohio’s Dirt Divisional Series in the Junior Restricted Gold class.

    Jerry Leigh of Sugarland, Texas received the first “Most Improved” Academic Achievement Award. This award was designed and introduced to encourage all students, not just the top achievers to push themselves academically. Leigh was rewarded for his 7.46 point jump from the 02-03 school year with $6000 in a 529 savings account for higher education. (Total Value: $6423)

    Jerry was a 6th-grade student at Sugar Land Middle School. He finished the year with a 93.77 GPA.

    Buren Scott Andrews Jr. of Trinity, NC received the 2nd place national prize of $3500 in a 529 savings account for higher education and a prize package of apparel and gear for himself and crew. (Total Value: $3923)

    Scott was a 7th-grade student at Archdale Trinity Middle School with a GPA of 97.35, and finished first in the World Karting Association’s National Dirt series in the Junior Lite class.

    Jennifer Fischer of Fargo, ND received the 3rd place divisional prize of $2000 in a 529 savings account for higher education and a prize package of apparel and gear for herself and crew. (Total Value: $2423)

    Jennifer was a 7th-grade student at Agassiz Middle School with a GPA of 97.71, and placed second in the World Karting Association’s National Heartland Competition in the Junior Lite class.

    Michael Bauer of Clarion, PA received the 2nd place divisional prize of $2000 in a 529 savings account for higher education and a prize package of apparel and gear for himself and crew. (Total Value: $2423)

    Michael was a 5th-grade student at Clarion Area Elementary with a GPA of 98.86, and placed second in Pennsylvania’s Dirt Kart Series in the Junior I Lite class.

    Cody Johnson of Linton, IN received the 3rd place divisional prize of $1000 in a 529 savings account for higher education and a prize package of apparel and gear for himself and crew. (Total Value: $1423)

    Cody was a 4th-grade student at Linton Stockton Elementary School with a GPA of 98.35, and finished first in Indiana’s Fast Track Divisional Series in the Junior Sportsman I Lite class.

    AND…

    THE PHANTOM UNIVERSITY JUNIOR CHALLENGE
    The Phantom University Junior Challenge (PUJC) is open to all junior class drivers (ages 8-14) riding Phantom karts. The class of 2004 found 121 students from Canada to Florida enrolled in this, the 4th year of the program. There are no fees to join.

    Brian Vickers, NASCAR driver #25 has become a supporter of the program. Vickers, a former karter, came to the trade show to meet and encourage the kids.

    "I really enjoyed getting to catch up with Harrill (Wiggins) and his staff, as well being able to say a few words to the participants and award winners in Phantom University," stated Vickers. "Harrill has always set a great example with his company and products on the racetrack, and he continues to demonstrate the same type of excellence off the track with this program. I basically encouraged the young men and women in the program to continue setting goals in their racing, but always remember that their education should come first... by doing that, they can help ensure a great future, whatever they end up choosing to do as a career."

    This year's award winners also each received several autographed items presented by Brian in recognition of their achievements. Vickers recently added the Phantom University Junior Challenge to a group of charitable programs that he supports.

    For more info, contact: Wiggins Kart Shop, Inc / Phantom Racing Chassis, 4010 Hwy 152 West, China Grove, NC 28023. Caroline Benton, Tel: 704-855-3165 . Various supporting website are:
    prc@carolina.rr.com
    www.pujc.com
    www.phantomchassis.com

     

    “THE AMERICAN RACER”, THE TV SHOW
    Concord, North Carolina — Let us introduce you to “The American Racer” television show brought to you by Performance Productions. The American Racer is a project designed to search out undiscovered racing talent that may never otherwise pursue their dream.

    It all starts out by becoming a member of The American Racer Team via The American Racer website at www.theamericanracer.net . Once you have paid your Team Membership fee and send in the other forms, photos and essay, your name will be added into the line up to see if you have what it takes to become not only a TV star but a star driver as well.

    "What we want to do is to give as many people as possible a real chance to participate" said Greg Davis, President of Performance Productions, Inc. "Being in racing for over 20 years, I know how hard it is to break into the sport." This project is designed to bypass the huge sacrifices in time and money, in pursuing a career in this industry. This will allow us to tap into an unlimited supply of undiscovered talent. Based on that, we are going to create a TV show exposing the process from our point of view. Starting from taking our viewing audience from the first round of qualifying or auditions all the way on a ride toward a dream career opportunity.

    "We are taking people who have no stock car racing experience," Davis said. "We want to keep the playing field as level as possible." The show qualifying / auditions will start with simulated racing and then move onto an Oval Kart racing experience. From there they will advance to æ scale stock cars known as Pro Challenge cars. Then the final 20 will advance and participate in The American Racer. The final 20 will race in full size stock cars in an eleven race series.

    When asked about the entertainment values and sponsorship opportunities, Bruce Cooper, Executive Vice President asked, "how much more entertaining can it get? We are parlaying the popularity of both reality shows and NASCAR. What more can you ask for?" The entertainment avenues are endless with this combination. Everyday we think of new twists and turns for the show. There are so many different aspects for the shows; I think we are into at least the 5th season as far as new ideas are concerned. We are chomping at the bit to get started.

    Further, Mr. Cooper said that Sponsorship opportunities are unbelievable and we have made several marketing rich openings available at fantastic values for companies anywhere from the local to national corporate levels. We have the advantage with our program as we own all of the real estate on the cars, track signage, hospitality, show cars, uniforms and in many additional areas. For more information, please contact us at BC@performance-productions.com.

    All of the various sponsorship packages that we have created are packed with the same features as you would find if you sponsored a series, event or car in the highest level of stock car racing, at a fraction of the cost. Additionally, we are looking for those companies that might have invested their money in a one off program with a team or event and might not have had the results or coverage that they expected in a racing format program. Just as we are trying to make the racing aspect of our program more available to those who might not be able to afford doing it on their own, we are also looking for sponsors who have interest in racing but don't think they can afford to advertise and market their products or companies. Even the layout for the sponsor graphics on the cars is a little different in that we have eliminated the number on the side of the car to allow for more sponsor real estate.

    To date we have signed several sponsors and have traveled to Daytona, FL. at the invitation of WKA (World Karting Association) who not only sponsor us but invited us to attend their yearly Daytona KartWeek. Just about all of the qualifying event sponsors are on board. Several of the show and car sponsors are closing their packages, but there are a whole host of openings available to date. Once again we would like to thank the folks in Daytona and WKA for inviting us down there to set up our show car, simulator and kart as well as Harold Wiggins at Phantom Racing Chassis, Amanda Gaunder at WKA, Steve Valdez at Real Racing On Line, Joey Childress at Childress Race Cars, Mike Newcomb at Aluminum Racing Products, Frank Bolter at Corporate Image, Bob Seville at Leisure Tyme Rentals, Jeremy Fair and Frank Ashe at Oval Kart Magazine, Ken Bonham at LKN Media and Billy Rhine at Rhine Enterprises.

    We will be announcing several new sponsors in the next month as well as our first racing related celebrity endorsee, so drop me an email today so we can get together on customizing your sponsor package!



    GRAND PRIX DISTRIBUTING/VEGA TIRES TO BE OFFICIAL TIRE SUPPLIER FOR REMAINING TAG SPECTACULAR EVENTS
    Toledo, Ohio— Grand Prix Distributing, the sole importer of Vega tires in the USA has been named official tire supplier for the remaining 8 races of the $500,000 PJ1 Grand Prix distributing TaG Spectacular season.

    Based upon a successful outing in the first two rounds, {The PJ1/Grand Prix Distributing TaG Spectacular held February 5-6 at Gainesville Florida} of Karting's richest series, Grand Prix Distributing has signed on for the remaining stops on the history making tour.

    Despite sustained high speeds, with many teams exceeding 90 Miles Per Hour for nearly half of the slightly less than one mile road race circuit, combined with a gut wrenching technical section, the Vega "White" tires delivered unbelievable performance.

    As a cost management issue, teams were limited to two sets of Vega "Whites" per day...When the checker flag fell, not only was this not a problem, most competitors had plenty of rubber left. Many drivers were heard saying they could have done the entire event on one set if necessary!

    "With Grand Prix on board, the long term success of this series is cemented" according to Grand Vitesse Racing's General Manager Glen Mazzone. "Mr. Giacomelli and his team are currently working on some innovative programs to make the most exciting happening in karting even more so...and more lucrative to all involved!" continued Mazzone.

    Grand Prix Distributing will have a presence at all stops on the Ten Race/Five Weekend tour and will have highly trained, knowledgeable staff on hand to assist all teams with the their questions, and tips on how to derive maximum performance from their Vega Tires.

    John Giacomelli, General Manager, Grand Prix Distributing."We really encourage the racers to purchase their Vega tires from local dealers, we want to keep them (the local shops) involved. If this is not possible, we will have a supply on hand to fulfill the needs of all in attendance."

    In the event of inclement weather, (all events in this series run rain or shine) the Vega W-4 rain tire will be utilized. W-4 "Wets" are also available from you local Vega Tire dealer. To locate a dealer near you visit Grand Prix Distributing's website www.grandprixdistributing.com or via telephone 877-864-9060

    PROVISIONAL STATUS UPDATE FOR SOUTHERN PITT
    Concord, North Carolina — Due to a loss of one racing day at the recent Dirt World Championships at Daytona Municipal Stadium, the status on provisionals for the upcoming Bordeaux Dyno Cams Nationals at Southern Pitt Raceway has changed.

    As announced late last season, starting at Low Country Kartway, two rounds of qualifying were eliminated at all tracks on the Briggs and Stratton Speedway Dirt Series, with the single exception of Daytona’s opening event. Starting with the second race of the 2005 season, the top 25 drivers would be locked into the field, via qualifying, with the 26th position awarded to the previous year’s class champion. The remaining four spots that would fill out the 30 kart starting field would fall back on current points following the Daytona event, as per rule # 411.14 in the WKA Tech Manual. All drivers must be registered in that class for the provisional to apply. If the previous champion were already in the field of 25, the remaining five positions would be based off of the current point standings from Daytona, starting with first place.

    Since 7 classes have yet to run a national event this year, those classes will still lock in the top 25 in qualifying, with last year’s champion being awarded the 26th position. However, the remaining 4 positions will be determined from qualifying from earlier that day, instead of current points, for which there is none at present. If last year’s champion is already in the field of 25, the remaining five positions will be issued to the drivers that qualified 26th-30th.

    If all goes well weather wise at Southern Pitt, the balance of dirt races for the season will take the top 25 in qualifying, 26th going to the past champion, and positions 27-30 falling back on current points for that class, starting with first place. Again, if the champion is already in the field of 25, the balance of the 30-kart field will be determined by current points for that class.

    The seven classes that still have yet to race this season are Briggs Animal Heavy, Briggs Controlled Medium, Briggs Junior Sportsman 1 Lite, Briggs Junior Animal Champ, Briggs Senior Champ Lite, Briggs Lite, and Briggs Super Heavy. For more information on qualifying for Southern Pitt, contact Buddy Long at (704) 455-1606, extension 19.

     

    UNITED STATES ROTAX MAX CHALLENGE
    The Florida Rotax Max Challenge Series for both the North and South regions are set. Work by new Series Directors, for both series have produced schedules for the 2005 race season in Florida. The Southeast Regions Cup will be held April 16-17 at the Ocala Grand Prix. This is a date change necessitated because of scheduling conflicts with other events in the South East on the 2nd weekend of April. Details and entry forms will be available the first part of March for this event.

    Florida North Series: Series Director, Nick Weil, e-mail: nick@speedquestkarting.com
    Race 1 - March 11–13 @ Ocala Gran Prix
    Race 2 - April 29 -May 1 @ Jacksonville
    Race 3 - May 27 -29 @ Jacksonville
    Race 4 - June 17 – 19 @ Ocala
    Race 5 - July 22 - 24 @ Jacksonville
    Race 6 - August 12-14 @ Ocala

    April 15-17 - TEAMS CUP EVENT @ OCALA

    Florida South Series: Series Director, Joe Genari, e-mail: Joe@teamgennari.com
    Race 1 - April 2 3 @ Homestead
    Race 2 - May 7-8 @ Moroso
    Race 3 & 4 - June 24,25&26 @ Moroso (2 race event)
    Race 5 - July 9-10 @ Homestead
    Race 6 - August 6-7 @ Homestead
    For more information on the US Rotax Max Challenge Series visit www.rmaxchallenge.com

    FORMER KART CHAMP HINCHCLIFFE MOVES TO STAR MAZDA WITH AIM AUTOSPORT
    Oakville, Ontario, Canada — After a long and challenging winter, 18-year-old James Hinchcliffe resigned with the AIM Autosport squad, this year competing in the Star Mazda Series presented by Goodyear. The 2004 Formula BMW Rookie-of-the-year champion will look to make his mark in ’05 as the Canadian driver aims for the overall series title.

    After finalizing the contract with the AIM squad on February 2nd, Hinchcliffe and his team had to purchase a Pro Formula Mazda and head south for a February 13 and 14th test at Road Atlanta. Having never seen the car before and taking delivery at the track a day before the test, the AIM squad immediately went to work prepping the car and getting it ready for the two day stint.

    Sunday morning greeted the team with rain showers and forced Hinchcliffe to make his first on track session on a wet race course. A brief break in the action allowed the racing surface to dry as the three time BMW race winner Hinchcliffe and many of his fellow Mazda competitors were able to turn some dry laps in the afternoon. As the Sunday test came to a close, Hinchcliffe was very quick compared to other competitor’s times.

    Monday also greeted the test day participants with rain as it lasted through out the day. Hinchcliffe showed his driving abilities as he circuited the race course with out any problems and once again faired well in difficult conditions to set very competitive times.

    “These cars are definitely a step up for me” explained the Oakville, Ontario resident. “We had a very successful two days and we are all looking forward to the Sebring season opener in mid March.”

    Though Hinchcliffe will not have a chance to complete another test before the start of the season, he is very optimistic about ’05. “I learned a lot last year and will learn even more this year. There are a lot of good drivers in this series but I believe that AIM is one of the best teams in North America and I am sure that you will see us at the front of the pack.”

    The AIM squad will now head back to their Ontario based shop and complete the pre season car preparation and get Hinchcliffe comfortable in his new ride.

    With the season just around the corner, Hinchcliffe is finalizing season sponsors and will announce in a few weeks time. For sponsorship opportunities and more information on James Hinchcliffe and the Star Mazda series, please contact James at 416-522-7470 or via e-mail at james@jameshinchcliffe.com. For up-to-date news releases, race schedules, results and photos, please visit www.jameshinchcliffe.com.

    RACERS VIE TO LEAD THE SERIES
    Jupiter, Florida — Since it’s inception in May 2004, Moroso Karting has established its reputation as one of the finest Karting facilities in the nation. It is a course that can challenge as well as improve the skills of any racer with varied degrees of experience. Moroso Karting offers a turnkey-style of participation for eager competitors as young as eight years old. Just last week, the Florida Winter Tour held the second of three race weekends and the Moroso Jon Smith Subs Kart Series, featuring ten races for 2005, kicks off on Saturday, February 19th.

    The Florida Winter Tour was the hotspot for several broken track records and an international melting pot combining over 150 different racers from seven countries ranging from Canada to Trinidad and Australia. The Jon Smith Subs Series will offer the same caliber of classes with a technical placement to allow as many different types of karts as possible. The 2004 Series closed, placing Shane Lewis as #1 on the Podium in the 125 Shifter class. Team Gennari and Fittipaldi racer, Jarvis Gennari, also is a recurring visitor to the Winner’s Circle atop the Mini Max Class.

    Shane Lewis entered the Karting world a bit backwards. Lewis, already a three-time winner in not only the IMSA Supercar Race and the SCCA World Challenge Races but also the highly coveted Grand-Am Races, had his hand at Karting here at Moroso for the very first time. Many racers start their careers with karting, but Shane seems to have the ‘golden touch’ when it comes to ‘anything’ racing. He runs the 125 Shifter class during the Jon Smith Subs Series because he feels it’s “the elite of the Karting world” and has found it to be “the fastest and most technical to drive”. Shane will return to Moroso and participate in the season opener this weekend. The weekend after, Lewis will have a date as driver for the Daytona Prototype in the 2005 Grand-Am Series. He contributes much of his performance to and wants to thank the “Moroso staff for such a professional karting experience as well as Andre Martins of Fittipaldi and Paul Cornell, mechanic extraordinaire, and also CMW Engines”. Thanks to the help of all these people, Shane is able to mark down laps times as low as 59.4 seconds on a track that’s almost a mile in length.

    Jarvis Gennari, at only 11 years of age, is already making a name for himself. Having taken home National Titles as well as 28 first place finishes, he is quickly rising among the ranks to become an accomplished racer and asset to any team. Gennari took home two first place race wins in the past Florida Winter Tour and plans to run the Jon Smith Subs Series here at Moroso. Fittipaldi Team Manager, Andre Martins, has nothing but outstanding reviews for the young racer. “Every once in a lifetime, you meet a complete package. Jarvis has what it takes, a smooth yet very fast driver and a family that supports him on and off the track. In the past 2 _ years, I have witnessed a little kid go from being lapped by its competitors to being the dominator in its class”.

    Karting is quickly growing as the #1 youth automotive sport and with stats like these, the drivers are beginning as young as eight years old. To find out more on drivers like Shane Lewis and Jarvis Gennari, head to Moroso Motorsports Park on February 19th. Gates will open at 8 AM. Spectator tickets are just $10 per person while kids 11 and under are FREE. For more information, please feel free to contact the Moroso office at (561) 622-1400 or visit the website at www.MorosoMotorsportsPark.com

     

    RED BULL DRIVER SEARCH UNVEILS 2005 FORMAT
    New York City, New York — The Red Bull Driver Search, which aims to discover the next American Formula 1 World Champion continues in 2005. The Program will once again provide the unparalleled opportunity for young aspirants to race their way up to Formula 1, starting at their local karting facility.

    The Red Bull Driver Search has already begun to bear fruit, with 2002 winner Scott Speed taking the German and Eurocup Formula Renault Championships in 2004 on his way to a maiden campaign in the GP2 Championship for 2005, just one step below Formula 1 on the motorsports ladder.

    2005 Program Format—
    Open Qualifying – 1 April to 1 May
    60 indoor and outdoor karting facilities across the country will hold a competition to find the three fastest drivers to progress to the 2005 Run Offs.
    Drivers aged 13-17 years are eligible to participate.

    The Run Offs – July & August
    Up to 200 participants who have been successful at Open Qualifying will compete at 2 outdoor karting events in the Summer. Drivers will race in Rotax karts in an event run by Red Bull.
    A select group of Scouted Karters* will also be invited to attend the Run Offs.
    Five karters from each Run Off will earn a place in 2005 Semi Final.

    Semi Final - September
    Sebring International Raceway plays host to the Semi Final in September.
    Up to 20 drivers made up of Run Off winners and the Scouted Drivers** will be evaluated in 2-liter Skip Barber Formula Dodge racecars.
    A team of European racing experts - led by Program Director Danny Sullivan, former Formula 1 driver for Tyrrell-Ford, 1985 Indy 500 winner and 1988 CART IndyCar Champion - will preside over the event and select the 2005 Finalists.

    Final - October
    A fitness test at the Red Bull Training and Diagnostics center in Thalgau, Austria will be followed by an intense two-day test at the Autodromo Fernanda Pires Da Silva Circuit in Estoril, Portugal, former home to the Portuguese Grand Prix.
    The drivers will test in 2-liter European Formula Renault cars; the cars will be similar to those in which both Scott Speed and Colin Fleming raced and achieved remarkable success during their 2004 season in Europe.

    *Scouted Karters
    The 5 main karting series in the U.S. will be invited to send a group of their top karters to compete at the Run Offs.
    Each karting series (listed below) will select karters to represent their respective series at the Run Offs.

    Stars of Karting – 4 karters
    Rotax – 2 karters
    WKA – 2 karters
    SKUSA – 2 karters
    Easykart – 2 karters

    Scouted Drivers
    An elite group of drivers will be selected from junior U.S. racing formulae and invited to compete in the Semi Final.
    “Undercover” scouts led by Danny Sullivan, will survey junior U.S. racing series throughout the 2005 season, and the identity of these drivers will be revealed in early September.

    “At the Final, my judging panel will be looking for the drivers with the skill and fortitude to join the American members of the Red Bull Junior Team. A driver will truly have to prove his worth to be chosen for this accolade,” commented Sullivan.

    The Red Bull Driver Search program aims to discover and support talented young racing drivers. The long-term goal is to have a steady group of three to six American drivers racing in Europe, on the Red Bull Junior Team, groomed to break into Formula 1 and compete for the World Championship.

    Website: www.redbulldriversearch.com
    Junior Team Website: www.redbull-juniorteam.com


    FIRST KART CLAIMS VICTORY IN ALL ROTAX SENIOR DIVISIONS
    Guelph, Ontario, Canada — First Kart entered the Florida Winter Tour looking to impress the karting community and take home some strong results. After leaving Moroso with a total of five victories spread across the junior and senior divisions, First Kart North America has kicked off the ’05 season in fine form.

    Taking a double victory and having a perfect weekend with two poles, two pre-final wins and two feature results was Australian pilot Derek Cunningham. The Aussie was strong all weekend as he topped the charts in every session and left Moroso with the Rotax Senior Heavy point lead.

    Taking victory in the ultra competitive Rotax Senior category was Canada’s Eric Gerrits. Gerrits went on to a demanding victory in Sundays final to go along with Saturday’s third place result and will head to Jacksonville fighting for the championship. Florida’s Mark Jensen claimed the 4th position on Sunday to put two First Kart competitors in the top five.

    First Kart North America had four drivers enter the Pro Shifter division with Daniel Morad leading the way. The 14-year-old Canadian claimed the pole for Saturday’s feature race by out qualifying 23 drivers and winning the pre-final earlier in the day. Finishing the weekend with two 3rd place results, Morad will also enter Jacksonville fighting for the series title. Nick Maddison of Alberta, Canada had one of the strongest runs of his career claiming 10th and 7th place results. Maddison worked with karting star Bobby Wilson as the duo was able to make constant improvement throughout the weekend. Texan Jimmy Moriarty and Canadian Rene Silva had some bad luck all weekend long but were able to sort everything out heading into the features. Moriarty had two 15th place finishes while Silva claimed the 13th and 19th positions.

    James Moriarty secured the 4th and 6th place positions in the SKUSA Masters while Robert Francis secured a top five result Sunday after Saturday’s blown up motor. Francis will head to Jacksonville, a track that he knows looking to battle up front and take the top step of the podium.

    With a truly international team, First Kart North America had drivers from Australia, Canada, Colombia, and the United States vying for victories.

    For more information on First Kart North America, product sales, the FirstKart.com race team and exciting dealership opportunities including information on how to get into kart racing please contact First Kart President Tony Ventresca or Mike Maurini at 519-824-4343, toll free at 1-888-884-4851 or visit them online at www.firstkart.com.

    NEW AMERICAN CHASSIS MANUFACTURER OFFERING INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY - KARTING GOES WALL-STREET
    Long Beach, California — “The Karting Group” is a collection of investors who are developing a line of American made kart chassis and components. The company, “Patriot Racing Chassis” will also manufacture replacement parts for the imported chassis for global distribution. The group is offering investments in the company to the American public. The initial group of investors has already funded nearly half the capital required to start operations and to begin designing other components such as engines and other new karting products.

    Long time racer and noted author Jean Genibrel, heads the group and spearheads the investor search: “We want to supply America and the world with the best and most economical chassis and replacement parts available.” When queried as to why now when there are more chassis importers than ever, Jean simply added: “Timing is everything. Right now the dealers are not making any money on the imported parts and the karters are rewarding the exporters for the favor of selling them overpriced components. Patriots saved us from one oppressor some two hundred years ago, my Patriots will save the karters from the new tyrants and perhaps raise American karting to the world-class level.”

    The new company is based in Long Beach California for the proximity to its large seaport. “Yes, we are going to export. We want to give them a taste of their own medicine now that the Euro is out of reach. If the French buy McDonald’s hamburgers, I am certain we can sell them my American made chassis. If we can put men on the moon and bring them back safely, we can make racing go karts and engines”, said Genibrel.

    The group is offering additional investment opportunities. For further information on the subject, contact Jean Genibrel at (562) 498-8172, or at Americkart@aol.com soon.

     

    ALL NEW AMERICAN KART RACING ENGINE ANNOUNCED
    Manufacturer seeks performance partners and investors
    Long Beach, California — A recently formed company, "Eagle Racing Engines", is dedicated to manufacturing a line of purpose-built four stroke, overhead camshaft kart racing engines for world consumption in conjunction with the American performance racing industry. Noted author and long time performance and karting industry member, Jean Genibrel, heads the company. Genibrel's goals for his new engines are to appeal to an increasingly greater number of prospective karters, and to promote its partners/suppliers from the American performance racing industry in karting globally. Genibrel explained: “With our engines we offer the karting and the performance racing industry an investment opportunity, as well as a novel global marketing venue.”

    In an effort to expand and modernize karting, the FIA has recently introduced several classes for purpose-built four stroke engines. In the US the TAG (Touch And Go) karting classes are quickly becoming the ones to run. This offers an unrivaled opportunity for American industry to promote its product to a young global audience.”

    New karters seek user-friendliness and affordability. As such, the new engines are being purpose-designed to fulfill the needs of kart racing. Genibrel reinforced the point: "World karting has never had purpose-built four stroke engines, and the two-strokes are being gradually legislated out, plus they have become quite expensive, unreliable, and technically challenging. In the past, karting has had to utilize industrial four stroke engines that required extensive modifications to produce sufficient power and durability. This came with a high cost and considerable loss of user-friendliness. Our experience will enable us to offer a high quality product at reasonable cost, which will compete with the two-stroke manufacturers on all levels."

    Several companies have already shown a great interest in teaming up with the Eagle Project, and the management is open to discuss further options with investors, suppliers and sponsors. For more information on collaborating on this very unique project, contact Jean Genibrel at (562) 498-8172, or at Americkart@aol.com.

     

    TALENTED BRITISH FEMALE RACER KATHERINE LEGGE TESTS ATLANTIC CAR WITH
    POLESTAR RACING GROUP
    Indianapolis, Indiana — The unseasonably rainy weather over the past week in Arizona may have made 24-year-old British racer Katherine Legge feel more at home, but she was hoping for slightly drier conditions in her first Toyota Atlantic Championship Presented by Yokohama test session.

    The talented, young open-wheel driver spent half of the day last Wednesday getting familiar with the 240 HP Atlantic machine and the other half dodging rain drops at the 1.2-mile Firebird East road circuit near Phoenix as heavy rainfall settled into the area and continued throughout the weekend. Legge tested with the Chardon, Ohio-based Polestar Racing Group team and, despite the inclement weather, the determined native of Guildford, England ran very well as she logged 120 miles in her maiden Atlantic voyage.

    “I thought it went pretty well. The car was brilliant and the Polestar team was so professional and very helpful,” said Legge. “I feel that (the Toyota Atlantic Championship) is where I want to be right now. It’s a great race car and if I can get in with a good team this will be a good situation where I can up my game.”

    Legge has gained a reputation as one of the fastest female drivers in Europe over the past several years competing in the Formula Ford, British Formula 3 and British Formula Renault racing series. Last season, she ran in the North American Formula Renault championship and finished 10th in the final series standings.

    “I thought Katherine did a really good job. She got in the car and got right to it and she got down to competitive lap times right away,” said Polestar owner Jim Griffith, who has helped develop many talented drivers in his 12 plus years in the Toyota Atlantic Championship.

    “She wasn’t nervous and was very professional and she gave us some good feedback on the car. We just started to make some changes to the car when, unfortunately, the rain started coming down.”

    Legge, who also won several karting titles growing up in Europe, hopes to be on the Atlantic grid when the 32nd season of Atlantic competition gets underway April 8-10 at the annual Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

    Polestar Racing Group will continue its testing program this week as another promising up-and-coming driver, Adam Pecorari, will run for the squad at Firebird. Pecorari, a 20-year-old American, competed in the final two races of the Toyota Atlantic Championship in 2004, earning a ninth-place finish at Montreal before finishing 14th in the season finale at Laguna Seca. With drier conditions expected in Arizona over the next few days, plans call for Pecorari to test all day on Tuesday with the Polestar team.

    The Toyota Atlantic Championship Presented by Yokohama continues to be the premier open-wheel development series in North America. The championship is noted for its long history of graduating its stars into Champ Car competition and has helped produce past Champ Car champions Paul Tracy, Jimmy Vasser, Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Michael Andretti and Jacques Villeneuve.

     

    B&S WORLD FORMULA ENGINE OK’S BY QMA
    Milwaukee, Wisconsin — The Briggs & Stratton World Formula racing engine has been given provisional class status in the 2005 Quarter Midget Association. ‘We are excited about the opportunity to work with Briggs & Stratton in Quarter Midgets. There is a void we feel that this engine can fill, economically. We look forward to a long and lasting relationship’ Said QMA President Jim Fiser.

    Briggs & Stratton Motorsports Product Manager Dave Klaus was also excited about this news. ‘Briggs & Stratton has a long and active involvement in racing. Our roots in midget racing go back to the early 1940’s when Cannonball Baker used Briggs & Stratton engines to power his midgets. To be able to carry on this rich history with the technology that our products have today is a great opportunity.’

    ‘The World Formula bloodlines began in the commercial-end of our business. From this we were able to bring in thousands of hours of advanced testing and research along with a design approach that has never been used in our racing industry before. From the ground up each component in this engine was specifically designed for the rigors of racing.’
    For more information on all of the Briggs & Stratton Motorsports racing line visit our website at www.Briggsracing.com.

     

    END


     
     


Kart Marketing Group, Inc.
Post Office Box 101
Wheaton, IL 60189 USA
Telephone: 630-653-7368
Fax: 630-653-2637
Email: karting@msn.com

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