e-KMI.com, the e-zine for the karting industry


CLICK HERE
 

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


Kart Expo International
ExhibitorInformation and Show Directions

 

 FYI
08-21-04
    RED BULL DRIVER SEARCH ANNOUNCES ‘SCOUTED’ RACERS FOR 2004 PROGRAM
    New York City, New York — Ten promising young American racers have earned a coveted place in the 2004 Red Bull Driver Search. The ten drivers were selected by a team of expert ‘undercover’ scouts who has been scouring the ranks of junior U.S. formulae for the past couple of months. This is an unparalleled opportunity for these drivers who stand to win a place on the Red Bull Junior Team; an accolade that earns them a fully funded racing scholarship, representing the U.S. in a junior European racing series for 2005.

    Red Bull Driver Search ‘scouted’ candidates: 
    Colin Braun – Ovalo, TX
    Dane Cameron – Sonoma, CA
    CR Crews III – Proster, TX
    John Edwards – Little Rock, AR
    Brian Frisselle – Aventura, FL
    Robert Pecorari – Aston, PA
    Joel Miller – Atspeteria, CA
    Jonathan Summerton – Kissimee, FL
    Wade VanHooser – Tulare, CA
    Lucas Wolfe – Methanicsburg, PA

    The chosen drivers will be appraised at an intense 3-day program consisting of practice, testing and evaluation, at Sebring International Raceway from 31 August - 2 September. In Sebring, they will join 12 karters who have progressed through a series of go-kart qualifiers in the 2004 program. The 22 drivers will go head to head in Skip Barber Racing RT2000 Formula Dodge racecars.  A panel of judges (see list below) led by Danny Sullivan will evaluate the participants, and between six and ten drivers will be invited to travel to the Red Bull Driver Search Final. The Final will be held at the Estoril Circuit, Portugal in October, where ultimately, the 2004 winners will be selected to join the Red Bull Junior Team.

    Panel of Judges:
    Danny Sullivan, America, head of the Red Bull Driver Search, former Formula 1 driver for Tyrell-Ford, 1985 Indy 500 winner and 1988 CART Indycar Champion.

    Dr. Helmut Marko, Austria, former Formula 1 driver for BRM, winner of the 1971 Le Mans edition and advisor to the Red Bull Driver Search program.

    Alan Docking, Australia, owner of Alan Docking Racing, one of Britain’s most prolific racing teams, best known for its success in British Formula 3.

    Roberto Cavallari, Italy, co-founder of JD Motorsport, a team that has prevailed in Eurocup Formula Renault championship with 4 consecutive titles from 1996-1999, the 1996 title won by Formula 1 driver and Red Bull sponsored, Enrique Bernoldi. Roberto currently runs 2003 Red Bull Driver Search winner, Dominique Claessens, in both Eurocup and German Formula Renault. 

    Red Bull Driver Search Go Kart Qualifiers:
    F1 Outdoors, East Bridgewater, MA 
    Justin Larson – Safety Harbor, FL
    Jeremy Warren – Noblesville, IN
    Chase Stroschein – Shoreview, MN
    Joey King – Silvis, OH
    Casey Neal – Middletown, OH
    Matthew Jordan  – Punxsutawney, PA

    Six additional karters will be selected at the second outdoor go-kart Run Off at Infineon Raceway next week.

    The 2004 Red Bull Driver Search a program aims to discover and support the "diamond in the rough," lacking the knowledge and contacts needed to embark on a career in racing, as well as talented young drivers already in racing. 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.
     
     

    FKP-US SIGNS AS SPONSOR OF KART EXPO™
    Wheaton, Illinois — Florida-based FKP-US, an indoor kart racing specialist, has today signed on to become a sponsor of the 2005 Kart Expo International presented by SSC Racing with an option for future events. The 2005 exposition will be held February 26-27, again at Pheasant Run Resort and Convention Center in St. Charles, Illinois near Chicago.

    “We are thrilled to have FKP as a sponsor for North America’s premier karting show,” said Darrell Sitarz, Expo Director. “Now in its 13th year, Kart Expo has grown to be one of the largest karting showcases in the world, and with FKP onboard will bring additional credibility to the event both here in North America and abroad.”

    Peter Bekkers, President of FKP-US said, “We are proud that we are sponsoring Kart Expo International. This trade show is the only trade show in the nation that will cover our complete line of products. As the premier developer of Indoor Kart tracks in the US, FKP is now also introducing Sodi Racing karts and we are actively looking for dealers. We have identified Kart Expo International as the ideal platform to do so, just like we did with our rental karts many years ago when we were the first to exhibit Indoor Karts at the show.” 

    To accommodate additional exhibitors, Kart Expo has recently added additional space which now brings the total to nearly 300 booth spaces. “For the 2004 event, we used every square foot of space available to us,” said Sitarz. “And with many companies on a waiting list, we have revised our floor plan to be able to accommodate more exhibitors. Additionally, the show will, as always, present interesting and informative seminars, serve as the location for many association meetings as well as being the annual platform for kart manufacturers to unveil their new kart chassis and products.” 

    For more information on the show, please log-on to www.e-KMI.com, then go to ‘Kart Expo Update’ for a list of exhibitors, photos from previous shows, directions, info on accommodations and a down-loadable pre-registration form for dealers. Show hours are: Saturday 9:00AM until Noon for Dealers-only, Noon to 6:00PM General Public and on Sunday from 10:00AM until 4:00PM General Public. For additional info, please call 630-653-7368. 

    FKP-US can be contacted at www.FKP-US.com or e-mail to peter@fkp-us.com. 
     
     

    NEVOSO KART TAKES FIVE WKA GRAND NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES 
    Dousman, Wisconsin — Nevoso Kart attended the WKA grand nationals at Badger Kart Club in Dousman, Wisconsin this past weekend. The team has spent months preparing for this event.  The event was a success for the team with two fast-time awards, four national points championships and 5 WKA Grand national Title. Thomas Hartensveld and Sergio Pena were double winners for the team. 

    Thomas Hartensveld qualified second in the junior superbox category.  In the pre-final, Hartensveld finished second.  In the final, Hartensveld got the start and was passed briefly, before taking control of the 20 lap final and going on to win with a 3.5 second lead. Teammate Robert Thorne went on to finish second for his first podium of the season making a one, two finishes for team Nevoso Kart. 

    In the cadet final, 1 IKF Grand National Champion Garrison Masters of California took the pole for Nevoso Kart.  The first two rows were occupied by team Nevoso Kart drivers Garrison Masters, Will Tenney, Corey Lewis and Sergio Pena. Garrison Masters won the pre-final with his teammates Corey and Will finishing 3rd and 5th .In the final, the three Nevoso Kart drivers of Garrison Masters, Will Tenney and Corey Lewis swapped positions for the lead. Garrison went on for the win bringing the team their second title for the day. Corey and Will joined Garrison on the podium making it a clean sweep for Nevoso Kart. 

    Sunday brought more success winning another three eagles. Thomas Hartensveld qualified third in the formula-y junior category and took a commanding lead in the pre final and won by 6 seconds in the final.  In the Yamaha Junior sportsman class, Sergio Pena qualified third. Sergio went on to win the pre-final and dominated the final like Hartensveld, with a six plus second lead giving this young star his first WKA Grand national championship of the day.  Corey Lewis went on to finish third after starting 14th in the final. 

    In the cadet final 2, Team Nevoso Kart took the top three qualifying positions again this time Will Tenney taking the pole Sergio second and Garrison Masters third.  In the pre-final, Sergio Pena took the win followed by team and rising star Bijon Spinazzola In the final, Team Nevoso Kart had another battle between teammates Garrison Masters, Sergio Pena and Bijon Spinnazzola.  Sergio and Garrison dueled back and forth on the final laps. Garrison made a last lap pass on Sergio, but was denied, as Sergio fought back allowing third place driver to catch up with them and pass them both. After post race tech, the opposing team driver had some problems and was disqualified, giving Sergio his second Grand National title of the day and the overall points championship. Team Nevoso Kart took the top three steps on the podium for the second day in a row with Bijon second and Garrison third. 

    “This weekend has been amazing.  I never thought we would come in and dominate the way we did. The weekend had a lot of stress and pressure for everyone. To come out with five Grand National titles is a dream. I have to thank everyone on the team for all their hard work and dedication this year.” (Jon Nevoso)  I have to thank our supporters Pitts Performance, Josh Robertson, PSL Karting, and OMP Race Wear
     For more information about Nevoso Kart and testing opportunities please visit www.nevosokart.com or e-mail info@nevosokart.com
     
     

    TEXAS’ FIRST SUPERKART COUNTRY CLUB TO OPEN SOON
    Austin, Texas — Superkart racing in Austin is taking off – at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA). On August 17th, the Austin City Council approved a lease agreement between Iron Rock Raceway and ABIA that will allow Iron Rock to open its superkart track and country club on ABIA property by early 2005.

    Iron Rock Raceway will be one of the nation’s first karting country clubs and the world’s first karting track to be located at an international airport. Iron Rock Raceway will be located on an 8.1-acre property immediately southeast of the ABIA passenger terminal and will include a semi-permanent, multi-configuration kart sprint track that can be periodically reconfigured to create new challenging racecourses. The facility also will include automatic race scoring, a 22,000 square-foot member clubhouse with locker rooms, showers, VIP and spectator viewing areas, kart rentals, a driving development school and a karting pro shop.

    While Iron Rock Raceway will be primarily a membership facility, "arrive and drive" passes will also be available, allowing non-members to experience the excitement of kart racing and witness more advanced racers in action. The group already has received dozens of calls from people ready to sign up.

    "Austin-Bergstrom is the ideal location for our club," said Rich Phillips, Iron Rock Raceway president. "It’s close to town, there’s easy access, and visibility from the ABIA passenger terminal will provide our members with a viewing audience."

    Originally, the track was to begin construction on undeveloped land nearby in early 2005, but Phillips said that demand, combined with ABIA’s excellent accommodations, prompted the Iron Rock team to speed up their schedule. The ABIA property will allow the club to offer a first-class track for practice, training and competitions months sooner than anticipated.
    "This location is large enough to host local and regional racing events," Phillips points out, "and our lease with ABIA offers access to additional areas during national events. We believe our members are going to be very excited."

    "The race karts offer Central Texans a new recreational opportunity on unused airport property. We wish Iron Rock Raceway much success," said Jim Smith, Executive Director, City of Austin Aviation Department.

    Called "ultimate racing machines" by Popular Science, superkarts are advanced racing machines, featuring electronic engine management and data collection, carbon-fiber bodies and floating rotor disk brakes. Superkarts are capable of zero-to-60 acceleration in three seconds and top speeds of 130 mph. Faster and more nimble than nearly all production sports cars, superkarts rival multimillion-dollar racecars in performance at a fraction of the price.

    Iron Rock Raceway was the primary sponsor of the Austin Grand Prix regional superkart race held at Highland Mall in early June. For more information on Iron Rock Raceway, visit www.ironrockraceway.com. 
     
     

    KIC HOSTS IMPORTANT KARTING SUMMIT CONFERENCE
    St Charles, Illinois — The Karting Industry Council (KIC), North America’s karting trade association, recently hosted the 4th Annual Karting Summit Conference with all the major sanctioning bodies present. The annual meeting, held at Pheasant Run Resort in Suburban Chicago, was attended by representatives from the International Kart Federation (IKF), International Racing Association (IRA), Karters of America Racing Triad (KART), Superkarts! USA (SKUSA), Stars of Karting, Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) and World Karting Association (WKA).

    KIC President Angelo Sodano opened the meeting by explaining the purpose of the summit meeting and his vision for the future of KIC and the organizations.   On the agenda for the roundtable discussion were the following topics:

    Entry level classes—
    International racing rules (CIK) allow for classes such as ICC and ICA to run throughout the country in all organizations with common ground.  Sodano presented to the organizations two entry level classes for club racing that would have common rules throughout the country.  A lengthy discussion took place regarding the difficulty of the new karter to learn where to take his first step for his racing experience.

    Demographic listing of tracks—
    IKF’s Jim McMillan proposed KIC come up with a demographic listing of all tracks in the organization infrastructure.   The list could then be posted on the KIC website to assist karters or newbies looking for a track in their area.

    Dealer awareness—
    Joe Janowski, President of SKUSA, talked about the importance of dealer awareness.  A concern is that dealers are making sales without proper training. KIC will take this concern under advisement and perhaps it could be a topic for a future training course or seminar.

    Revenue spending for karting industry—
    SCCA’s rep, Mitch Wright opened a discussion about the money spent in the karting industry in North America.  Sodano said that KIC will try to explore the financial impact of the karting industry.

    Implementation of CIK bodywork—
    A lengthy discussion took place regarding CIK bodywork and the difficulty of staying on top of the approved components.  McMillan shared a concern that it is hard to follow the CIK regulations when it has such an impact on the current rule structure of the organizations.

    Sharing of ideas among organizations—
    President Sodano gave his view of each organization and their respective strengths.  In an open and forthright discussion, each organization shared its own viewpoints of the same subject, as well.

    After the conference, Bernie Baldus of KART said, “It is great to see KIC taking the lead in pulling together the karting organizations and community. Keep pressing on and keep the ‘big picture’ (in sight)”.

    “We would like to thank KIC for taking the proactive steps necessary to bring the major organizing bodies for North American kart racing together,” said Scott G. Evans, Stars of Karting Tech Director.  “There are many issues at hand to uniting these organizations, but it is only through efforts such as this that we can begin to bring the consistency and standardization of regulations and protocol necessary to promote our sport to a wider array of participants.”

    “One of KIC’s purposes is to act as a liaison between the industry and the sanctioning associations. By hosting this caucus and by having all of the US organizations attend, we feel we are keeping the lines of communication open between the organizations and our members”, said Bob White, Executive Director of KIC. “This is a must in this day and age, and we feel we have the wherewithal to continue to be the ‘Voice of the Karting Industry”.

    For more information about the Karting Industry Council, please log-on to the KIC website at www.kartindustrycouncil.com or call 859-760-5850. 
     
     

    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

Copyright

Back to Home Page

Neatconcept, Inc