“I fear all we have done is awakened a sleeping giant and filled it with a terrible resolve.” – I. Yamamoto,  December 7, 1941

Then as now, the sleeping giant has again been awakened and will right the wrong that has confronted it this week. Among those who have died in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington DC as a result of this dastardly deed, undoubtedly were many karters, although as of today the names have not been released. The worldwide karting family will miss them and we offer condolences to their families and to all others involved in the catastrophe.

This week we have received much e-mail regarding the Attack on America, some of which I would like to share with our readers.
 
 

AMERICA – THE GOOD NEIGHBOR
“This Canadian thinks it is time to speak up for the Americans as the most generous and possibly the least appreciated people on all the earth. Germany, Japan and, to a lesser extent, Britain and Italy were lifted out of the debris of war by the Americans who poured in billions of dollars and forgave other billions in debt. None of these countries is today paying even the interest on its remaining debt to the United States. When France was in danger of collapsing in 1956, it was the Americans who propped it up, and their reward was to be insulted and swindled on the streets of Paris. I was there. I saw it. 

When earthquakes hit distant cities, it is the United States that hurries in to help. This spring, 59 American communities were flattened by tornadoes. Nobody helped. The Marshall Plan and the Truman Policy pumped billions of dollars into damaged countries. Now newspapers in those countries are writing about the decadent, warmongering Americans.

I’d like to see just one of those countries that is gloating over the erosion of the United States dollar build its own airplane. Does any other country in the world have a plane equal to the Boeing Jumbo Jet, the Lockheed Tri-star, or the Douglas DC10? If so, why don’t they fly them? Why do all the international lines except Russia fly American planes?

Why does no other land on earth even consider putting a man or woman on the moon? You talk about Japanese technology and you get radios. You talk about German technology and you get automobiles. You talk about America technology and you find men on the moon, not once, but several times and safely home again.

You talk about scandals and the Americans put their right in the store window for everybody to look at. Even their draft-dodgers are not pursued and hounded. They are here on our streets and most of them, unless they are breaking Canadian law, are getting American dollars from Ma and Pa at home to spend here. 

When the railways of France, Germany and India were breaking down with age, it was the Americans who rebuilt them, When the Pennsylvania Railroad and the New York Central went broke. I can name you 5,000 times when the Americans raced to the help of the other people in trouble. Can you name me even name one time when someone else raced to the Americans in trouble? I don’t think there was outside help even during the San Francisco earthquake. Our neighbors faced it alone and I’m one Canadian who is damned tired of hearing them get kicked around!

They will come out of this thing with their flag high. And when they do, they are entitled to thumb their nose at the lands that are gloating over their present trouble, I hope Canada is not one of those.”
 

Thanks to all who wrote and GOD BLESS AMERICA!
 

LATE BREAKING NEWS!
 

OTHER KARTING NEWS…
 

While it is very clear that air travel is the most questionable means of travel, news reports leave reasonable hope for a move toward flight resumption and access to most cities in the U.S.

While some consideration was given to the possibility of postponing the event for one week, total lack of hotel availability has rendered this thought as an unworkable possibility.

With the highest respect and regard for the catastrophe in New York and at the Pentagon, and with the President of the United States statement that the “American Spirit” will not be broken, SKUSA feels that it can move forward with the World Finals as planned. There should be no misunderstanding that we will carry heavy hearts for our lost and injured fellow Americans. With this spirit, SKUSA will dedicate this event to the freedom loving people that lost their lives and were injured Tuesday.
 
 

Karting has long been viewed, by such higher levels of motorsports, as confusing and fragmented. A great deal of true talent has emerged over the years through karting that due, almost exclusively to the confusion, has never been recognized or properly utilized.

In the development of a championship structure within the SKUSA system, a keen attention to this concern is unfolding in a program that will address championships in a more progressive manner.

To this end, while the North American ProMoto Tour develops and awards national championships, the U.S> Amateur Championships will present the second tier of the awards ladder. The Amateur Championships will appropriately crown aspiring drivers with awards in accordance with the SKUSA championship structure.

This first of its kind event will take place in South Bend, Indiana on October 19-21, 2001. SKUSA is planning to move the event around the country in pursuit of favorable market areas. This effort is designed to enhance favorable spectator participation and television attractiveness.

The SKUSA ProMoto Tour participants represent 5% of the membership base. 95% of the membership compete on a regional level, many with the skill and ability to move up the ladder. As an organization, SKUSA is committed to the entire membership. Having established it’s premier level that will ultimately serve to bring greater public awareness to the sport, it is time to bring national attention to the immense pool of skill and ability that will advance many to the pro ranks of karting in the future. 

SKUSA is preparing for a significant “First Year” event and feels the U.S. Amateur Championships has the potential to be one of the largest single events of the years in the shifter world. Almost every aspect of this event will be conducted in a true “ProMoto” style. Entry forms are available on the SKUSA website at www.skusaonline.com. 
 
 

“This is by far the best field of drivers we’ve had in this race,” said Rudolph, head instructor at the Bob Bondurant Performance Driving School in Phoenix, Arizona, which is also the sponsor of the race.  “So a win this year is especially gratifying. There were so many talented guys out here this weekend. This Rock Island race is just a great event. All these spectators were out here watching us. This is just the type of karting event we need to bring the sport to the people.”

To illustrate the depth of the field, 13 drivers in the SuperPro field turned in qualifying lap times on Saturday that were faster than the track record. Brian Jacobsen of Carol Stream, Illinois who put his BRM on the pole, took more than a half second off the previous mark. Ten drivers then topped his fast-lap mark during Sunday’s feature.

Rudolph won the “King of the Streets” title last year in Rock Island and the previous year in Quincy, Illinois. He also won the title in 1998 and 1994.

“King of the Streets”, parts of SKUSA’s Triple Crown of Gearbox Racing, was only the first of 14 feature racers run at the Rock Island Grand Prix on Labor Day weekend in the western Illinois community, overlooking the Mississippi River. The event drew more than 350 entries from the USA and Canada as well as from Bermuda, Italy and Mexico.
 
 

END
 

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