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| June 15, 2011 News |
| EKN Trackside: 2011 IKF Road Race Grand Nationals - Preview |
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This week, eKartingNews.com turns its focus on one of the most unique genres of karting - road racing. Over June 15-18, the Southwest Roadrace Association will host the annual International Kart Federation Road Race Grand Nationals. SWRA, the Texas-based regional series, last hosted the 2009 edition of the prominent event for the sanctioning body. Twenty-nine categories will compete over the four days at the Eagles Canyon Raceway, outside Decatur, Texas, all vying for the prestigious Duffy trophy that awaits each class winner.
Back in 1963, the first ever IKF Road Race Grand Nationals were held in Texas at the now dismantled Green Valley Raceway. The promoter of that event was Doc Wester. SWRA will honor him with the Grand Marshall role for the 2011 edition of the IKF Road Race Grand Nationals. Green Valley Raceway was located in then-known Smithfield, Texas, now mapped as North Richland Hills, just a few miles directly west of the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Opened in 1960, the facility offered both a road course and a 1/4 drag strip. The original road course used the drag strip along with surrounding access roads on the facility grounds to make up the 1.6-mile circuit. During its early years, the SCCA Trans-Am Series competed on the Green Valley Raceway course, including legendary names in motorsports - Carroll Shelby, Dan Gurney, Parnelli Jones, Mark Donahue, and many others. The land is now made up of housing developments with part of the old drag strip still showing in aerial images.
This year’s location - Eagles Canyon Raceway - was site of the 2009 edition. Since then, the facility has added new covered paddock position on the north side of the facility, available for rent during the event through SWRA. More importantly, the track has undergone improvements in terms of surface. Over the past few months, the staff at ECR has repaired a number of rough areas around the 2.5-mile course. After patching certain areas, they smoothed out the transitions by grinding down the asphalt. A recent test day, which saw roughly 20 karts take part in, proved the new surface changes were successful.
 | | Eagles Canyon Raceway |
The course was built in 2007 and is among the most challenging in the United States. With 11 corners and over 70 feet of elevation changes, the course will challenge both driver and equipment. The quickest lap recorded at the 2009 event was 1:50.071 by Ryan Kurpiewski in the Unlimited/FKE III class with 125 shifterkarts in the 1:51 to 1:55 range and TaG karts around the 2:00 lap mark.
With a combination of national, regional and local option classes, 29 categories will compete over the four days. Below is a list of the classes and a brief description:
100cc Open - a 45 minute class for laydown karts with engines based on the 100cc models, modified or unmodified based off the KART organization rules
125cc-150cc Open/FKE II - a 45 minute class with a combination of sprint and laydown karts, powered by 125cc-150cc engines that are either gearbox or non-gearbox
Yamaha KT100S Light Laydown - a 45 minute class for laydown karts utilizing the Yamaha KT100S engines with expansion exhaust at 370lbs.
Yamaha KT100S Heavy Laydown - a 45 minute class for laydown karts utilizing the Yamaha KT100S engines with expansion exhaust exhaust at 400lbs.
Yamaha Junior Sprint Sit Up - a 30 minute class for Junior level drivers, piloting sprint-style karts with Yamaha KT100S with RLV Muffler
Yamaha Sportsman Heavy - a 45 minute class for laydown karts utilizing the Yamaha KT100S engines with RLV Muffler
Yamaha Ltd Light Sprint - a 30 minute class for sprint-style karts utilizing the Yamaha KT100S engines with expansion exhaust at 330lbs.
Yamaha Ltd Heavy Sprint - a 30 minute class for sprint-style karts utilizing the Yamaha KT100S engines with expansion exhaust at 360lbs.
TAG Enduro - a 45 minute class for laydown karts utilizing Touch and Go engines
TAG Heavy - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing Touch and Go Engines
TAG Light - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing Touch and Go Engines
 | 2009 EKN Road Racer of the Year Anthony Honeywell will be among the many competitors over the four days
(Photo: hart-photography.com) |
Formula 80 Junior - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing 80cc gearbox engines for Junior level drivers at 320lbs.
Formula 80 Junior Heavy - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing 80cc gearbox engines for Junior level drivers at 340lbs.
Formula 80 Senior - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing 80cc gearbox engines at 360lbs.
Formula 80 Sr. Heavy - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing 80cc gearbox engines at 380lbs.
Rotax Max Jr. - a 30 minute class for sprint-style karts utilizing the Rotax Max Junior engine package
Rotax Max Light - a 30 minute class for sprint-style karts utilizing the Rotax Max Senior engine package
Rotax Max Heavy - a 30 minute class for sprint-style karts utilizing the Rotax Max Senior engine package
Mini Max - a 20 minute class for sprint-style karts utilizing the Rotax Mini Max engine package for Cadet level drivers
Formula 125 - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing 125cc gearbox engines at 385lbs.
Formula 125 Limited - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing 125cc gearbox engines at 385lbs.
Formula 125 Limited Heavy - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing 125cc gearbox engines at 420lbs.
Formula 125 Ltd Heavy II - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing 125cc gearbox engines at 420lbs.
SWRA Stock 125 Light - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing Superkarts! USA 125cc gearbox engines
SWRA Stock 125 Light II - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing Superkarts! USA 125cc gearbox engines
SWRA Stock 125 Heavy - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing Superkarts! USA 125cc gearbox engines
SWRA Stock 125 Heavy II - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing Superkarts! USA 125cc gearbox engines
S5 Junior Stock 125 - a 15-minute, two-heat category for sprint-style karts utilizing Superkarts! USA 125cc gearbox engines for Junior level drivers
USSK Superkarts (S1-S2-SS) - United States Superkarts for 250cc Superkarts divided into three different categories, competing in a qualifying, prefinal and final format over three days
eKartingNews.com will be on hand for the entire event, providing their industry-leading EKN Trackside Live program, complete with live streaming audio and timing, daily race reports, photos, and event results. For complete coverage, visit http://www.ekartingnews.com/live from Wednesday to Saturday. Two races will take part Wednesday with a full review of the opening day to be published Thursday morning before live coverage begins. EKN Trackside Live coverage begins at 10am CDT Thursday, Friday and Saturday. For a complete event schedule, click HERE. |
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