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| August 12, 2003 News |
| Skunk2 Racing “Media Cup” Invitational Kart Challenge |
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On June 11th, Skunk2 Racing, a leader in high-end performance components for popular sport compact cars, held its first annual “Media Cup” Invitational Kart Challenge that saw serious competition between editorial staff members of Primedia’s Super Street, Sport Compact Car, Import Tuner, Turbo, and Honda Tuning magazines.
This major media event was the “first of a kind”, and is slated to be a recurring Skunk2 Racing annual event. The participating editors and publication titles clearly represents the key influential players in the huge sport compact demographic and market segment.
Competition between magazine titles and their insatiable urge to secure bragging rights is what it was all about. The Skunk2 Racing “Media Cup” Invitational Kart Challenge put to the test just how strong the competition can be.
The Skunk2 Racing “Media Cup” winners were determined from timed “hot” laps demonstrating superior driving ability and performance. This “arrive and drive” event pitted each team, which consisted of two editors from each selected Primedia International Group publication, against each other in the challenge.
Highly prepared, world-class Arrow AX8 125 race kart chassis powered by 125cc water-cooled Parilla Leopard non-shifter motors generating approximately 30 HP and fitted with AIM Sports/MrChron 3 Gold data acquisition systems were the instruments of competition. The race karts feature integral starter system (TAG – touch and go) and non-slip clutch. Driving experience is similar to that of a pro-level European direct drive kart. These race machines are easily capable of hitting speeds upwards of 80mph in about an eighth-mile.
The selection of non-shifter motors was decided to provide all competitors with common ground without any team having to rely on an acquired shifter technique – only driver ability. Don’t confuse these with the indoor or rental variety. These race karts are serious high-performance race machines that can register lateral loads over 4 g’s, and have substantial power to weight ratios.
Skunk2 Racing’s “Media Cup” was held at the Grange Motor Circuit, located in Apple Valley, CA. Grange Motor Circuit is new and acclaimed as one of the very finest kart tracks in the USA. Race Director and Co-owner, Jerry Henderson, stated that Grange is just under one-mile in length, FIA approved, is very technical, very fast, and very demanding. Grange lived up to its’ reputation and proved to be a challenging course for team drivers.
Two practice sessions lasting 20-minutes each per team were monitored by the events timing and scoring experts, AIM Sports/MyChron. Scott Jessup of AIM Sports recorded and compiled all data and results of each teams practice sessions for each team to review. A laptop computer was plugged into the data port of the MyChron3 Gold system on each race kart for fast download, evaluation, and team analysis. Track mapping capabilities of the MyChron3 Gold made it possible to view critical performance data in relation to a drivers location on the track. Teams studied this data to fine-tune driving technique. The MyChron3 Gold data acquisition systems were instrumental in achieving the high degree of timing and scoring accuracy required for the event.
The morning practice sessions saw plenty of action. Teams acclimated to the race karts and spent time with track instructor and karting champion, Jerry Henderson, prior to taking to the track for the first practice session. Henderson took each team out on the track during the first practice session for a “lead and follow” period to show teams the correct track line. Teams reviewed nuances of the track and took note of proper track negotiation. As in any road racing event, corner entry and exit are very important. Grangé has several technical sections on the track where entry and exit are paramount to good lap times. Kart champions, Robby Mott and Tanya Oxford, also provided technical driving assistance and guidance to team members to help shave critical time from their laps. The teams adapted quickly and started turning improved times during their second practice sessions.
 | | The unique award |
Robby Mott, of Ribtect, provided Ribtect carbon-fiber seats and rib protection vests to help reduce potential rib pain and injury to the team drivers. In addition, the seats were fitted with the GPAD energy absorbing system to reduce energy transfer from the track, to the chassis, to the driver, resulting in reduction of driver fatigue.
John Motley of Race Kart Engineering and Rick Blood of Courtney Concepts took charge of race kart preparation and safety in the staging area and hot grid. Each race kart was safety checked and maintenanced prior to each teams practice and main event sessions to ensure safety and that performance levels were equal and consistent.
The Skunk2 Racing “Media Cup” main event was dominated by serious team rivalry. Race order started with Honda Tuning, followed by Sport Compact Car, Super Street, Import Tuner, and finally Turbo. Each team hit the track with two warm-up laps followed by 6 timed hot laps for the competition. The best single lap time recorded for each team driver was averaged to yield each team’s official timed score.
In addition to gaining ultimate “bragging rights” between the magazine titles, Skunk2 Racing designed the ultimate trophies featuring various Sparco steering wheels mounted to beveled and polished thick black acrylic with custom plaques, which were awarded to both team drivers for 1st Place, 2nd Place, and 3rd Place. Skunk2 Racing also awarded gold anodized rear gears mounted to beveled and polished thick black acrylic with custom plaques for the “Fastest Single Lap”, “Highest Top Speed”, and “Highest Recorded G” of the competition. (See official race results below)
A professional driving exhibition between karting champions Jerry Henderson and Robby Mott at the end of the event day provided a non-stop stream of spectacular spectator moments. Highlights of the exhibition included severe slicing and dicing, contentious strategies, nose-to-tail, sidepod-to-sidepod, and wheel-to-wheel. Often, Henderson and Mott appeared to be doing “Blue Angel” flying stunts – but in karts on the ground. Several editors and spectators commented that the exhibition was simply “impressive”.
The Skunk2 Racing “Media Cup” provided an excellent opportunity for editors of the most influential sport compact automotive magazines to joust for bragging rights, as well as shed light on this often misunderstood and underestimated motorsport. Most do not realize just how strenuous driving these race karts can be, and that many internationally renown motorsports drivers started in karts, and many continue to drive karts to stay in optimum physical shape and keep driving reaction acute.
Skunk2 Racing is known for the manufacturing and engineering of top-quality, high-performance components for popular sport compact cars and their involvement in pro motorsports campaigning drag racing cars and touring cars. Skunk2 Racing president, Dave Hsu comments, “We love to go fast. We love to make things go fast. As we keep racing, we are going to let those good parts come down to our customers because we want to see people go fast. We did it in the beginning because we loved it, not because it made a ton of money. We are here to create a legacy.”
Skunk2 Racing will also be holding the first annual Skunk2 Racing “Manufacturers Cup” Invitational Kart Challenge in October, 2003. This upcoming Skunk2 Racing event will mimic the “Media Cup” in format and venue.
For more information, contact: Skunk2 Racing at (909) 808-9888, or visit http://www.Skunk2.com.
THE TEAMS
Team Honda Tuning
Dan Frio, Editor
Bob Hernandez, Technical Editor
Team Super Street
John Naderi, Editor
Jonathan Wong, Senior Editor
Team Sport Compact Car
Josh Jacquot, Senior Editor
Dave Coleman, Engineering Editor
Team Import Tuner
Jason Mulroney, Editor
Gary Castillo, Technical Editor
Team Turbo
Robert Choo, Senior Technical Editor
Jared Holstein, Feature Editor
OFFICIAL RACE RESULTS
1st Place
Sport Compact Car
Team Lap Time: 00:58.770
Josh Jacquot
Dave Coleman
2nd Place
Turbo
Team Lap Time: 1:00.440
Robert Choo
Jared Holstein
3rd Place
Import Tuner
Team Lap Time: 01:00.77
Jason Mulroney
Gary Castillo
Fastest Single Lap
Sport Compact Car: Josh Jacquot
00:58.210
Highest Top Speed
Turbo: Jared Holstein
68.8 MPH
Highest G Force
Turbo: Jared Holstein
3.48 gs
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