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| December 21, 2011 News |
| WKA National Road Racing Makes Return to Daytona Next Week |
| Article by: WKA PitBoard |
The following is the second of three previews provided by WKA on the upcoming Daytona KartWeek
The 2010 version of Daytona KartWeek will be remembered as a successful event for the World Karting Association. A record entry count for the Manufacturer’s Cup Margay Sprint Championships and an encouraging turnout for the second annual Dirt World Championships at the Daytona Flat Track gave the karting industry something to boast about, while close, safe and competitive racing was the norm at both tracks throughout the week.
But clearly there was something missing from the aura and feel of KartWeek 2010. That glaring absence came in form of an empty DIS garage area and no WKA National Road Racing Series karting on the DIS high banks for only the second time in some 30 years.
Many questioned if enduro-style karting would ever again grace Daytona’s 3.5-mile road course.
Those questions were answered this past fall, when road racers received word in October at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, where the Dunlop Tire National Road Racing Series driven by Mazda closed its 2011 campaign, that the series would return to Daytona to once again do battle on the famed superspeedway road course.
The new Daytona entry form debuted days later, and since WKA has seen a strong pre-registration session that has neared 430 pre-entrants for the latest version of KartWeek’s Daytona Championships, putting the event on pace to match and hopefully surpass 2009’s turnout of over 600 entries.
Many of the best road race karters in the country have spent months preparing their mounts for the return to Daytona. By now, less than a week away from parking day at Daytona, some teams have already begun their trek to Florida for a comfortable Christmas weekend preceding a grinding but fun-filled three days of practice, testing and of course, some good old fashioned enduro-style kart racing.
Thirteen race groups will go off between next Thursday and Friday, Dec. 29 and 30. Seven will take the track Thursday before KartWeek concludes with six race groups Friday.
Starting fields are sure to stretch throughout a good portion of Daytona’s long pit road. Numerous classes already have over a dozen pre-entries, while a few sit at 20 or more early entrants. As always, a number of at-track entries are expected. Officials expect many class fields to grow to 20 entries with some potentially surpassing 30.
Here’s a look at some Road Racing categories to keep your eye on next week if you’re a racer or fan heading to Daytona Beach.
Briggs Animal
Road Racing’s 4-cycle contingent is as strong as it’s ever been and it appears the divisions will continue to shine at Daytona.
Animal Sprint 360 is the largest class thus far with 21 entries. Included in the field are 2011 Animal 335 and 360 national champion Zachary Linsell (Md.), Ohio’s father-and-son team of Jack and Bryce Reall, Coyote Gold Cup / Road Race veteran Steven Kilsdonk (Wis.) and 2009 Animal 385 Daytona winner Kevin Colborn (Md.).
These top Briggs runners and a host of others will be in contention when Animal 360 hits the track in Friday’s first race group. On Thursday, the lighter drivers, including Linsell, Kilsdonk, Bailey Colborn (Md.) and Tom Smith (Wis.), will do battle in Animal 335, while heavier weight shoes such as K. Colborn, MGM’s Paul Rice (N.C.), Jonathan Tedder (Md.) and Dominic Greco (Fla.) will vie for the win in Animal 385.
Yamaha Sportsman
The Yamaha Sportsman classes saw a surge of participation at many 2011 Road Racing events and the fields will be stout at Daytona. A new Yamaha Sportsman Lite class has been added to replace the PP Can enduro divisions, and already 13 racers have entered the affair, which goes off in Thursday’s fourth group.
Yamaha Sportsman Medium, which races second on Friday, is the largest laydown class so far at 20 pre-entrants, while Sportsman Heavy isn’t far off with 16 drivers set for the scheduled 45-minute grind.
Sportsman racers to watch include two-time and defending WKA Triple Crown champion Courtney Atkinson (Wis.), 2011 Sportsman Heavy national titlist Lance Yunck (Fla.), Matt Michel (Fla.), Ryan Hatcher (Okla.), Jamey Brown (Texas) and David Lee (N.C.), among a host of others.
100cc Controlled / Formula 100
The 100cc Controlled Spec classes featured some of the most competitive racing in WKA last year. The fields are stacked with top road racing veterans for Daytona, and it’s anyone’s guess who’ll hit the fastest setup in practice and have the edge come race time.
Controlled Spec pre-entrants include Randy and Rick Fulks (Ill.), Margay’s Keith Freber (Mo.), Scott Buerman (Fla.), Nate Grindell (Fla.) and the Georgia-based Fry Racing family of Jim, Lance and Brandon.
Formula 100 will feature some fast laydown action, as well, with veterans such as Anthony Honeywell (Okla.), Scott Grenier (Ill.), Travis Miller (Va.) and Grindell in the field.
Thursday’s last race is led by the tradition-rich 100cc Controlled class, which will see Don Chrzan (Wis.) pace the field as last year’s national champion and the No. 1 starter. Chrzan will have his work cut out for him with Grenier, Randy Fulks and Grindell in the field, among others.
125 Shifters
The sprint shifters always put on some of the most exciting shows at Daytona among the CIK, WKA and Stock Honda 125 divisions.
Stock Honda boasts 16 pre-entrants for both Thursday and Friday’s classes, while WKA Shifter has over a dozen racers pre-entered and CIK with eight more for each day.
The CIK 125 classes will be led by defending national champion Steven Rougeou (La.) and national points runner-up Noah Stark (Pa.).
The Stock Honda fields boast heavy hitters such as Philip Davis (Pa.) Tiffany McCollum (Tenn.) and Tyler Guilbeault (N.H.), as well as some western-based outsiders in Carson Miller (Texas) and Kerry Matthews (Calif.) to keep an eye on.
The WKA Shifter divisions saw a good amount of pre-entries come in, led by 2011 national champion Steve Flatt (Ga.). Flatt will some fast competition to fend off, including Chuck Weaver (Ga.), Ryen Miller (Calif.), Matthews and Midwesterners Brien Sheppard (Ill.) and Brian Duensing (Ill.).
With some 60 classes on tap, including local options, there will be fast action all over the Daytona high banks next week. A full slate of TaG sprint, 2-cycle pipe and sportsman sprint, junior, Unlimited and Clone classes are on tap as well.
Some Unlimited class karts, including dual-engine enduros (B Stock), 250cc super karts and 125cc laydowns will hit speeds of around 130 mph or greater on the superspeedway.
Tuesday, Dec. 27 is parking day. Pre-entry pickup and registration will also run Tuesday from noon to 5 p.m.
Wednesday features a full day of practice before racing takes center stage Thursday and Friday.
To view the Daytona entry blank, which features daily schedules, pit pass prices, lodging and other information, visit here: http://www.worldkarting.com/downloads/eb-2011/Daytona_RR.pdf |
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