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| December 05, 2011 News |
| EKN Paddock Pass: Superkarts! USA SuperNationals XV |
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During the years that the Howden Media Group produced Super Kart Illustrated Magazine, the publication’s staff often reserved a page or two when laying out the race reports to reflect back on the weekend. This space was dubbed the ‘Paddock Pass’ and was used to detail some of the highlights that helped make the event so interesting. Here on eKartingNews.com, we already provide unmatched session-by-session updates and daily race coverage from big events throughout the year. The one thing that has been missing in these timely reports is some of the behind-the-scenes information. As we have done on several occasions this summer, EKN will bring added coverage of every Trackside Live event with the new ‘EKN Paddock Pass’, which will help fill in our readers on our thoughts of what happened on-track and what was being talked about off the racing surface.
 | Superkarts! USA raised the bar once again, this time for the 15th annual SuperNationals
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Super-Duper
Year after year, the SKUSA SuperNationals gets better and better. With its 15th edition now in the books, the 2011 event goes down as a record-breaking one with a record number of entries (528), record prize purse (over $120,000), including a record number of drivers in 11 classes during five days of non-stop action around the temporary circuit outside the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. While this year’s edition was missing the super-star names that have visited in previous editions, this was the ‘Top Gun’ of karting and determined just who is the best of the best. With about 50 weeks before next year’s event, Superkarts! USA has its work cut out to top this one.
Final SuperNationals Lap for Wheldon
Before the main events began on SuperSunday, the opening ceremonies featured a memorial pace lap for fallen motorsports star and karting advocate Dan Wheldon. The British driver lost his life in an IndyCar Series event in Las Vegas in October, and was among the best ambassadors for the sport of karting. Always stating it as the ‘purist form of motorsports’, Wheldon could be found in a kart numerous times during is off-weekends from IndyCar. Making his SuperNationals debut in 2008, he became a fixture the following years and was schedule to compete in the 2011 edition with KoeneUSA.com. To remember Dan, SKUSA ran a memorial pace lap of the TaG Senior field with the Tony Kart he was schedule to compete with, the Top Kart from 2008/2009 and Arrow machine in 2010 with Nick Neri, IndyCar Martin Plowman and EJ Viso.
International vs. Americans
As the SuperNationals event grows, so does the influx of international drivers. More international flags on the driver tags can be seen in all the categories. Certainly, the international contingent has dominated the KZ2 and KF2 classes, both by numbers and by victories (five straight wins in KZ2 and three in KF2). International drivers could be found in all 11 categories, winning for the first time in S1 (Mirko Torsellini) while repeating in TaG Master (Leonardo Nienkotter). Despite the number of talented young drivers in North America, the TaG Junior category has yet to see a driver with the American or Canadian flag score the victory with two Brazilians and now two Brits (George Russell winning this year) taking the checkered flags since the class was introduced in 2008. The USA took back the G1 title thanks to the efforts of Jimmy McNeil.
 | The Dan Wheldon memorial lap was a great way to open up the action to SuperSunday
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Know Your Boundaries
This year’s event welcomed a reconfigured layout that challenged the workers, mechanics and of course the drivers. The new circuit took parts from last year’s track and incorporated a tighter half section near the paddock area. While many complained about the tight confines of the track early, everyone admitted it was the same for everyone. Some classes showed how to race like pros and kept off the barriers while others gave no respect to their fellow racers, the corner workers or anyone else and caused lots of carnage. One thing that came out during some of the heat races, each corner was a passing zone. Turn one still provided the best opportunity to work around a rival. This year, turn three and turn six provided some great action. Much of which you can see by the on-board footage by the many who posted up to internet (see the following thread: http://www.ekartingnews.com/viewtopic.php?t=110219)
Dude, Where’s My Engine
The big story early was the absence of the Tec-Sav engines from France. Stuck in customs due to a paper error, it looked as if nearly 50 engines making their way to Vegas were not going to arrive. By Thursday night and many calls to the EPA and customs offices, the engines arrived that evening and were on-track for qualifying Friday morning.
24/7
A big thank you to the entire staff at Superkarts! USA, both on and off the track who busted their tails for nearly 20 hours a day for a week straight to make sure the event went off without a hitch.
SuperNationals Replay
The EKN staff is busy at work editing the audio recordings of the EKN Trackside Live broadcasts. Once the files are ready for download, EKN will notify everyone so they can relive the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals XV. |
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