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| November 06, 2006 News |
| Event Preview: SKUSA SuperNationals X |
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In North American karting, there are a handful of different events that normally make up a percentage of virtually everyone’s top ten list of favorite events. The one race that should be at the top of every karting enthusiast’s list in 2006, regardless if they’re racing in it or not, is the tenth annual Superkarts! USA SuperNationals, presented by BC Ethic, at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas, NV. Over the last few months, there has been a buzz throughout the karting community regarding this week’s event, one which has not been felt in quite a while. Everyone is talking about this race.
The inaugural event was run in November of 1997 at the Las Vegas Karting Center (renamed XPLEX Las Vegas, which was recently shut down) and it grew in leaps and bounds from that initial race on. The list of drivers who have competed in this special season-end one-off event is impressive and includes names like Alex Barron, Memo Gidley, Patrick Long, AJ Allmendinger, Alan Sciuto, Bobby Wilson and, of course, current Formula One driver Scott Speed, just to name a few.
The peak of the SuperNationals’ nine-year run were the 2002 and 2003 events, which were held just off the Vegas strip in the parking lot of the Rio All Suites Hotel and Casino. The venue provided with a great atmosphere and great racing, and SKUSA even stepped with live television coverage. In ’04 and ’05, the organization was going through a transitional period, moving the event to a temporary circuit east of the Strip at Sam Boyd Stadium, the sports stadium for the University of Nevada Las Vegas. Both events provided a platform for emotional wins in the headline SuperPro category, as in 2004, Jason Bowles scored a victory for the CompCor team, which had lost their leader that weekend in a freak accident. In 2005, Canadian Lorenzo Mandarino shocked the paddock with a stellar triumph over a stacked field.
This year, the event seems to have been rejuvenated as the SKUSA brand has moved West, under the eyes of Tom Kutscher, the new owner and president of SKUSA and the founder of the popular and well-supported ProKart Challenge. Kutscher and his staff have been working diligently since announcing the official ownership transfer back in June as they are focused on a new beginning for the SuperNats and the organization as a whole.
Over the past few months, announcements have been flying out from the new headquarters in California, including new sponsors, outrageous purses, and prizes in nearly every class. Looking outside the karting industry, SKUSA was able to sign BC Ethic Clothing as the title sponsor for this year’s event. Since 1992, BC Ethic has designed, manufactured, and refined men’s apparel in the United States and abroad. BC Ethic’s reputation is as “Loud, Fast, and Outta Control” - a perfect description for this year’s SuperNationals.
One of the unique fixtures to this year’s SuperNats is the host hotel, the Hooters Casino Hotel. Miss Hooters International 2006 Michelle Nunes will be on-hand Saturday in the BC Ethic Merchandise trailer signing autographs to promote their 2007 calendar. Along with BC Ethic, Oakley, HitchHiker Kart Stands, Zoombang, and many more companies will have their presence in the Midway with all their latest products on display.
 | Sam Boyd Stadium will host SKUSA SuperNationals X on November 9-12
(Photo: SKI) |
Motul Oil was signed as the spec oil for the event and had event signage at the SEMA show in Las Vegas last week, promoting the event for all the attendees. Along with being the spec tire providers, MG Tires is awarding a free trip to Brazil to the winner of the TaG Senior class. The winner will compete in the 500 mile Milas de Granja Viana race (Granja 500) on a team comprised of North American drivers. Joining in the support is Impact Racing - who will award the top three finishers in each class with certificates totaling just over $8,000.
Richie Hearn and Hearn Motorsports Formula BMW USA team will be offering a full day test at Buttonwillow Raceway in Southern California to a driver between the ages of 15-24. Michael Crawford Motorsports has joined with SKUSA to create a new driver recognition award for the ’06 event with one competitor being award an oval rookie test in an IRL Indy Pro Series car. More details regarding both awards will be released at the event.
Other companies putting in their support include Absolute Screenprint, Alpinestars, Eyenovation Multimedia, GPSLTD, KartSport Magazine, Pitpass, Speedteams, Super Kart Illustrated, Versatile Motorsport Marketing, Mothers Polishes, and KLS Racing
New for the SuperNats will be the Superkarts! USA Constructors Championship. The top eight finishers in each of the seven classes will be awarded points (same breakdown as the Formula One point structure 10-1). The winning trophy will be presented to the North American representative for the winning chassis manufacturer.
Teams begin moving in Tuesday and Wednesday, as drivers will be able to walk the track, which will be of the same design as last year, penned by shifter kart legend Alan Rudolph. Thursday will give every category four 10-minute sessions to fill the track time. Friday’s schedule will see each group allowed 20 minutes to qualify, with the SuperPro group split into two 30-minute groups, putting an emphasis on who will be put in the second group with the card cutting ceremony to decide who is in what group. After the qualifying sessions are complete, racing action begins with the first round of heats, with Super Pro and TaG Senior using the flight system with four separate groups. Saturday will feature the final two rounds of 10-lap heat races, along with the LCQ’s for SuperPro and TaG Senior. SuperSunday main events begin at noon with the SuperPros set to take the green at 1:40pm.
A one-day pass will be $10 with an event pass for all four days being priced at $30. EKN will continue with its coverage over the next couple of days with class-by-class previews being capped with a look at the massive SuperPro on Wednesday. At that point, the EKN staff will be on-site to bring you full ‘Trackside Live’ coverage through the Event Page including forum updates on the Official Discussion Thread, daily reports, full results, photo galleries, audio driver interviews, and our nightly podcast wrapping each day’s action. If you can’t make it to Las Vegas this coming weekend, we’ll be ready to make you feel you feel like you’re not missing a single lap. |
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