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| April 15, 2010 News |
| SKUSA Pro Tour Set for Debut in Sonoma |
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Slow and steady growth has been the focus of Superkarts! USA owners Tom and Patti Kutscher since they took over the ailing organization back in 2005. The earlier development of their SoCal-based ProKart Challenge series provided the flagship regional program for the rebirth of the ‘outlaw’ shifterkart organization, and subsequent expansion into northern California, Hawaii and Arizona enabled them to grow their footprint. The regional program has now stabilized with series in both northern and southern California, Colorado and the Midwest, and the success of their annual SuperNationals in Las Vegas have pushed SKUSA into the forefront as one of the most exciting programs in the sport.
With the new regions coming into line, the next step in continuing the progress of the organization was a national program. Motivated by feedback from his customers, Kutscher’s primary guideline for putting together the new SKUSA Pro Tour was to promote a limited number of major events that would keep travel costs down for his racers. The result has been a three-race series that is capped by the SuperNats, an event that is on the schedule of virtually every SKUSA racer in the community. The addition of two new events – the SpringNationals in April and the SummerNationals in July – formed the schedule for this new national tour. The Pro Tour will kick off this weekend at the Jim Russell Int’l Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA with the inaugural running of the SpringNationals. SKUSA has put together a strong package of purse, prizes and incentives for their driver community and the pre-entry for the race looks encouraging in what has become a difficult time for the sport, where lower numbers are becoming the norm.
The event will kick-off on Thursday evening with registration taking place at the host hotel – the Embassy Suites in San Rafael – ahead of the ‘Welcome Party’ at the hotel bar that evening. A full slate of practice is set for Friday, capped by a complimentary BBQ dinner. Saturday and Sunday will each feature full days of racing, with qualifying, two heat races and a main event.
 | | Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA |
The initial research regarding class line-ups is proof that SKUSA separation of their former S3 Stock Moto class into ‘S1 Pro’ and ‘S2 Semi-Pro’ offerings was the right move for the organization. The headline S1 and TaG Senior classes, which will run for a weekend purse of $1750 each, are both setting up to feature many of the sport’s top drivers. In S1, a field of between 10-15 drivers in expected, led by many of the top SKUSA regional series competitors. Top-ranked drivers such as Tommy Thompson (Syar Motorsports Energy), Derek Crockett (Crockett Motorsports GP), Brad Dunford (Aluminos GP) and Clinton Schoombee (Select Shifter CRG) are all primed and ready to take a run at the #1 plate in the Pro Stock Moto class. That said, former SuperNationals winner Brett Buckwalter (Cameron Karting Italkart) is back in the fight and will lead a group of NorCal pilots who are planning to defend their turf against the out-of-region interlopers. Reigning ProKart Challenge North champion Jason Toft has been on-form in his STA Racing GP, while Leading Edge Motorsports’ Brett Felkins (Intrepid) continues to improve, having already bagged an S1 win in the PKC South opener. The late entry of Extreme Motorsports’ Bryan Eady should also add fuel to the fire. The wildcard in this class is the much-anticipated entry of Lorenzo Mandarino (Vemme), Daniel Bray (GP) and Fritz Leeseman (CRG), which will certainly turn up the level of competition. This will be the breakout party for the new S1 class, and will put SKUSA’s best drivers on display at Infineon.
The S2 Semi-Pro Stock Moto class will see an even larger grid, with at least 20 drivers expected to hit the track running for Friday practice. This will be an exciting class to watch this year, knowing that the top pilots will very likely graduate to the headline S1 category in 2011. This year, we’ll watch them develop throughout the season. The lead contender in the class will be Matt Alcorn (Syar Motorsports Energy), who has been incredibly impressive in the opening PKC North races of the year, where he has run with the S1 drivers in the combined race group. Alcorn will be pressured by drivers such as Cameron Pringle (GP), Cody Deide (Intrepid) and Lukas Johnson (Monza), while the arrival of the Hawaii’s Alec Gumpfer, an S5 graduate, could turn some heads.
 | Tommy Thompson is among the favorites in the S1 Pro Stock Moto category
(Photo: Tony Leone - sixspeedphotos.com) |
Of all the SKUSA classes, the S4 Master Stock Moto class will likely attract the largest entry and some of the toughest competition. PKC North driver Jeff Smith (Aluminos Mirage) is likely the lead contender for the win on his home track, but considering the fact that SKUSA is running the configuration in the reverse direction, which has not be permitted all years, he will have his hands full with some top drivers from all over the western half of the country. Peter Workum (GP) and Mike McDonough (GP) both showed very well at the last PKC North race, with Workum turning the fast lap in the main event won by Smith. Both drivers could contend. A large group is also trekking in for the Pacific Northwest, led by Intrepid drivers Steve Perdue and Craig Sender, who are both former SuperNats podium finishers in the S4 class. With over 20 drivers in the field, it won’t be until Friday afternoon that we know the initial pecking order.
SKUSA’s continuing promotion of the S5 Junior Stock Moto category was confirmed when the class was included on both the PKC North and South class structures this year. The regional turnout has been light in this debut season, but the seed needs to start somewhere. The class has taken root in the Central States Challenge and will also see over a half-dozen running in the new Mountain Region when it debuts at Pikes Peak Int’l on the May 7-8. Anywhere from 5-10 entries are expected in S5 this weekend, and Colorado’s Christian Schuerman (GP) may be considered as the frontrunner as he was quick when he visited the PKC North event in March. Schuerman will be joined in the podium fight by Scott Phillips (PTK), Austin Schimmel (GP), Daniel Langon (GP) and Alex Tartaglia.
A lackluster turnout of G1 drivers is likely a precursor of things to come with the category, as it appears to be walking the same trail as the all-but-extinct ICC-powered KZ2 class. At this time, the class entry looks to be just over a dozen, but the race will be exciting for certain. The top names of the G1 program will be making their way to Sonoma, including ’09 SuperNats runner-up Kelly Baker (Italkart), PKC South championship leader Fernando Diaz (GP) and NorCal stud Jim Kidd (Italkart). Add in the entry of SoCal frontrunner Roy Montgomery (CRG) and NorCal speedster Sergio Machado (GP) and the stakes are raised even further. Rumor has it that former ProMoto Tour G1 stud Howie Idelson may also be on-track in a GPhactory Sodikart, which would put a half-dozen great drivers in the lead pack.
 | Being in a wealth of knowledge, Phil Giebler will be one to watch in TaG Senior
(Photo: Tony Leone - sixspeedphotos.com) |
Just as the S1 class will feature SKUSA’s top ‘gearslammers’, the TaG Senior class promises to bring an equal level of talent to the Infineon asphalt. On the strength of a big PKC North win over Bobby Kelley, Phil Giebler (FA Kart) has to be considered one of the favorites, although he has a list of young guns looking for their turn in the spotlight. The previously-mentioned Kelley will be joined by Devin Lindsey and Nick Johnston in the Position One Motorsports line-up, all running Maddox chassis. All three are capable of victory. The late entry of Tony Kart West Senior rookie Gustavo Menezes should make things interesting, as the young pilot was just two corners away from a SuperNationals victory last November before contact moved him back a spot. Menezes has been very quick in early-season events. From the Northwest, Stepanova Nekeel (Vemme) is now on everyone’s radar following a great ’09 season that was focused on the Rotax program. He will be joined in the hunt by strong drivers such has Jess Peterson (Intrepid) and Adam Zeen (Sodikart), while ageless veteran Larry Fraser (Mirage) will forego the TaG Masters category that he runs in Las Vegas to scrap with the young guns at the SpringNationals. Speaking of the TaG Masters category, entries for the class came in much lower than expected, as just two drivers had entered the category as of press time. PKC North regulars Ethan Wilson and Craig Corwin are the only entries, and as such, the class will run with the TaG Senior category to conserve track time. These drivers will face off big-time, as they are very evenly matched. There is still possibility for late entries into the class, as like many factions, the SKUSA community has not shown urgency in leveraged the pre-entry discounts. Many entries have been posted since the Sunday pre-entry cutoff.
TaG Junior is always a great race to watch, and the class will have a very strong NorCal flavor for the SpringNationals. Kathyrn Cornell (Intrepid) and Niki Luna (CRG) battled it out for the entire main event at the most recent PKC North race, so they must be looked as the drivers to beat. That said, the entry of the always-fast Luis Tyrrell could shake things up. Jack Freese (Birel) and Austin Thomas (GP) should also be near the top of the charts. At press time, a total of 10 entries had been received for the class.
We’ll cap off this preview with one of the most interesting introductions to the SKUSA program has been the launch of the new TaG Cadet class, which will bring the 8-12 year-old age bracket into to organization for the first time in many years. In an effort to open the SKUSA community to all levels of karters, Kutscher and his tech staff put countless hours into engine testing to determine the package that would be used in the new TaG Cadet class, and the end result was the selection of the Vortex MiniRok. Armed with a $3000 claim rule and a fleet of 10 engines for use by interested families, the new class has been embraced by many, as an expected field of 15+ competitors will be part of the debut at the SpringNationals. We’ll take a look at the drivers after they have hit the track.
So with the preview set, Superkarts! USA now embarks on new territory with its 2010 Pro Tour. The EKN staff is on-site and will be broadcasting a live audio show from the ‘SpringNationals Welcome Party’, which is set for this evening at the host hotel. The scheduled start time for the show is expected to be 6:00 pm PST, but stay tuned to the Official Discussion Thread for confirmation. |
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