|
 |
|
 |
| November 26, 2010 News |
| eKartingNews.com Driver of the Month – Jim Kidd - October 2010 |
| |
 | Jim Kidd celebrates his the overall shifter victory and win in the Open Shifter category
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
In a continued effort to highlight the many outstanding performances by drivers around the country, eKartingNews.com is proud to introduce the ‘Driver of the Month’ program. Each month, the staff at EKN will determine the one driver who stood out above the rest and give the viewers a chance to know exactly what they accomplished and who they are.
Street racing is a survival form of karting at times. While you may be the fastest, your not always the driver to score the victory. It takes a combination of speed, consistency, stamina and of course a little bit of luck. At the Streets of Lancaster event in October, Northern California driver Jim Kidd exemplified what it takes to come away with victory in the overall shifter division and Open Shifter category.
Combined with the Stock Honda Light and Stock Honda Heavy classes, a field of over 30 drivers took to the track for qualifying. In his first trip to the Southern California event, Kidd qualified ninth overall and fourth in class. After the 11-lap heat race, Kidd fell down a few positions to end up 11th. Avoiding any trouble in the opening laps of the race, Kidd worked himself into the top-five by lap five. When trouble occurred in front of him on lap 13, Kidd found himself at the point. With just a few laps remaining after laps under yellow, Kidd held off charges from Robert Marks and Stock Honda Light leader Vivek Tandon to score the win.
Kidd is one of the last drivers to carry the G1 banner for NorCal and still remains loyal to the category. Training hard while enjoying his time at the race track, Kidd is a solid competitor and a great person to have involved in the sport. EKN would like to congratulate Jim on this honor.
 | Jim Kidd - EKN Driver of the Month - October 2010
(Photo: J. Kidd) |
October 2010 EKN Driver of the Month – Jim Kidd
Bio
Date of Birth: 1/27/1968
Hometown: Campbell, CA
Marital Status: Kassy Loving 15 years
Children: Two Step Son’s David and Michael (granddaughter Lyric)
Height/Weight: 6’0 and shrinking (remember I’m 42) 190lbs day to day 185 for SuperNationals this year shooting for 182lbs, I train like I am a UFC fighter.
Education: 4 year undergrad degree BBA-Marketing Texas State School (formerly Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, TX) In racing the school of hard knocks, usually ending with a “Damn I did not think that would happen!”
Job: Sales Director Humanscale Corporation - http://www.humanscale.com - Humanscale designs, engineers and manufactures ergonomic products to create a more comfortable work environment. I am responsible for the Northwest Region. My responsibilities include the sales direction of two managers and 30 employees. I have been with Humanscale for over 9 years.
Racing Resume
Chassis: ItalKart Supersonic V (2010)
Engine/Engine Builder: Italian Motors maintained by Cameron Karting – Brett Buckwalter
Sponsors: Visa (my credit card , not the company) Michael Valiante with Italian Motors helps when he can, Cameron Karting has been a tremendous help. Ethan Wilson has been a big sponsor. Kassy Loving sponsor’s me every day (she bought me my first kart for my birthday) and John Lewis has been a sponsor (loaned me his motor for the Pro Tour this year)
Series You Compete In: SKUSA Pro Tour, SKUSA Socal and Norcal
Years Karting: 10 years - 3 years indoors 7 years in the ICC Shifter Kart
How did you get started in karting? I got my start all because of Kassy. Racing has been a part of my spirit since I was a young child. My father raced formula ford in the 60s in California and TR3’s in Jamaica. I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in 1999 and immediately began to investigate getting into racing in some form. I had the money saved up to do Skip Barber and one day Kassy and I were at a event at Laguna Seca. I met a couple of guys starting a business looking for investors into an indoor karting business (SpeedRing Indoor Karting). The hook was which was better, a lifetime membership to drive a kart indoors or to get my SCCA license through Skip Barber and then struggle to find the money to do races. The result was that I took the advantage of track time at the indoor facility over Skip Barber. (The best decision I ever made). I met several pro drivers and many lifelong friends. One in particular, Robert Orcutt (at that time a Porsche Cup Driver for TRG) and I became good friends. After three years, he said enough of this indoor stuff you need to go outdoors and introduced me to Steve Cameron with Cameron Karting. Little did I know that Steve was a crack dealer in disguise as a kart shop. The kart was the crack. Kassy surprised me seven years ago for my birthday with my first shifter kart a 2003 ItalKart Rapido. I have only competed in ICC and only on an ItalKart. I guess I am pretty loyal, others have offered other rides several times but I like being on my Ital.
What has been the high point in your racing career? At first it was the Kart Sport GP victory over Kelly Baker, then it was the G1 Norcal Champion over Ethan Wilson and now it is the Lancaster GP win from 13th beating Marks, Wilson, Montgomery and Mastro as well as host of Honda light guys half my age.
What are your goals in racing? To just enjoy every lap on the track. I am so lucky to be able to do what I do. Kassy loves racing and supports all I do so goals in racing are not much in my day to day thinking. If I had a bullet to my head, eventually I would like to do some car stuff. I would like to do some endurance racing in a GT car, perhaps a Porsche GT 3 Cup car. I just need someone with lots of money to feel sorry for me and drop 500K in my lap.
In a few words, how would you describe your driving style? Calculated, smooth, consistent and fast. Oh and a pain in the ass because you will not tire me out!
Funniest moment at the race track? Hmmm was it the time I forgot to put the main jet in the carb and nearly had Brett split the case to fix the motor or was it the time I was racing PKC Norcal. I went second quick and came in and said it was good but the brakes feel soft only to discover that I put the one of the rear pads in backwards. I then changed them and went 1st quick and came in only to discover that I reversed both pads meaning one was still in backwards. Essentially every time our crew goes out to race it is the funniest moment in racing.
Likes
Favorite Track: Any one I can race at! I like them all for different reasons, but the street courses are my most favorite as it is a level playing field usually and you have to follow the grip and momentum of the track. Oh and the moving apexs and the occasional hay bale explosion is pretty cool to, as long as I am not the cause
Favorite form of professional motorsports: Lemans style racing as it is a test of driver and machine, American Lemans.
Favorite karting driver: The hardest question I would say Steve Cameron first as he gave me a hope to get started, Brett the Jet as the just gets it done , Kassy Loving, Ethan Wilson, Johnny Lewis are my most favorite because they are my race buddies that make the toughest day racing seem like a small problem
Favorite professional driver: Mario Andretti, Alex Zanardi (read his book)
Favorite website: Autoblog.com
Favorite movie: Bad Boys (Will Smith and Martin Lawrence) Ricky Bobby a close second.
Favorite actor/actress: Do not really have one, but Jason Statham in Crank sticks out today.
Favorite music/group: Disturbed (my pre race prep music) Outside of my pre race mood, Reggae.
Favorite vacation/activity spot: Negril, Jamaica, or any white and beach.
Favorite food: Everything that a 42 year old with high Cholesterol cannot eat. If you can fry it its good!
The Real Deal
What do you do when not at the track? Think about being at the track, work, mountain bike, snowboarding (Kirkwood, CA) P90X training, any sunny relaxing event.
What are your goals outside of karting? To be fearless in everything I do. Be the one willing to take on the hard tasks and just get it done when they cannot.
What type of street car do you drive? 2005 Mitsubishi Evolution VIII MR (Works Prepped)
What type of street car would you like to drive? Porsche GT3-RS
What are your pet peeves or things that irritate you? A dirty kart…scratch that any dirty vehicle, oh and the ever popular Prius in the fast lane.
What do you think could be done to improve the sport of karting? Definitely we need to find a way to draw more people into the sport on all levels. Cross marketing with other sports has been tried. But the biggest is bringing the sport in to the cities. In most cases tracks are somewhat remote. That fact means that people just do not consistently get exposed to the sport. So they choose what they see all day long, football basket ball baseball, etc. I probably spent just as much money playing soccer on a worldwide level as a kid. I could practice soccer anywhere and brought many young people into the sport. We need to bring the sport to the masses, the cities are the key. More local cities with street races would be amazing to see. It would be hard, corporate funding would have to happen to make it happen, not the brands already in karting but those not in the sport with a common brand, speed excitement, engineering, family, the list goes on.
What are your favorite aspects about the sport of karting? Driving flatout with little regard for safety, in the rain at 200mph… oh wait that is my commute from Campbell to SF. When your head hits the pillow, karting is the closest you can get to an F1 car at least in my life and the value for the speed and excitement at the money we pay all other forms are just not a good value unless someone else is paying for it.
October Driver of the Month - Honorable Mention:
- Stepanova Nekeel: Rotax Pan American Challenge @ CalSpeed – 2 wins, 1 pole (Rotax Senior)
- Gary Lawson: WKA Gold Cup Series @ G&J – 2 wins, 2 poles (Briggs Medium, Heavy)
- Michael Fauci: WKA Gold Cup Series @G&J – 2 wins, 2 poles (Briggs Jr. Restricted, Briggs Jr. Medium)
- Jordan Musser: MJDrive Karting Super Prix - Winner |
|
|
Go Top
|
|
|
|
|
