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| November 27, 2007 |
| Team News: FX Racing - SKUSA SuperNationals Report |
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FX Racing USA returned to the famed SuperKarts USA! SuperNationals event in Las Vegas for the 11th edition supported by partners Monster Energy, K&N Filters, Piloti Driving Shoes, Bain’s Hardware and Trackmagic Racing Karts. Two new drivers flew the FX Racing colors for this event with Craig Caringella joining the team for a run in the S1 class and Kyle Kuntze making a step up from 100cc karts to run in the Rotax International class. Veteran Steve Wiener piloted a new Trackmagic FTR in the TaG Masters category.
Solid S1 Debut for Caringella
Craig Caringella, 2007 ProKart Challenge S2 champion, moved to the Trackmagic FTR chassis for this event. Running neat and tidy through the practice sessions, Caringella knew the importance of seat time. A fast pace for the class was expected and proven, as it was a deep field of international drivers. Working with FX Racing boss Frank Bain on technique and data analysis, the Orange County, CA driver picked up the details needed to go faster.
Beyond the challenges of the track and other drivers, qualifying brought the added pressure of putting in a good showing in front of the huge crowd. Caringella recorded a conservative lap, landing him towards the rear of the field for the heat races with a 27th place in the 30 kart field. Attention turned to making the most of the heats as he and Bain dove back into the data.
For Heat 1 the team, including S1 ace Nick Brinkman turning wrenches, made setup changes including moving the seat and making front end adjustments. A bump at the start sent Caringella off, however he got the kart re-fired and set off after the field at a much increased pace. Despite the hiccup at the start he was able to finish 19th. Heat 2 saw Caringella make a great start to avoid first-corner problems and a strong race pace saw him finish 17th after again starting 27th. Setup changes to gearing and the chassis brought a little more for Heat 3 with a 16th place finish.
Solid finishes in the heats brought Caringella to 17th on the grid for the Main. The team had to make a tough choice on setup as the S1 class was scheduled for a 9:30AM start on Super Sunday. Multiple incidents, including three restarts and a 15 minute red flag period saw the track moving away from the cold setup on the kart. As the track continued to rubber in and heat up during the 25 lap event the kart became too stuck. Caringella did well to avoid incidents and make the best of what he had, bringing the Trackmagic home 12th, a strong finish in a tough field of drivers.
 | Kyle Kuntze's machine before the Storm
(Photo: J. Huston) |
Unlucky Strike for Young Kuntze
Kyle Kuntze comes to the driver seat of FX Racing off solid season in racing in 100cc classes in the famed IKF Region 7. Making the step up to the Rotax class for this event, Kuntze made his SuperNationals debut on a new 2008 Trackmagic FTR.
Practice was tough for Kuntze with contact with the wall coming in three of the five sessions. Each time the kart was repaired as the team continued to sort through setup. Qualifying proved disappointing with 26th spot in the 39 kart field. Heat 1 saw Kuntze settle into a groove with a strong drive to move up to 13th at the checkered flag. Heat 2 saw another solid drive to move him up to 17th. Heat 3 brought another solid drive until a scary moment broke that rhythm. A brake rotor failure sent Kuntze off-track while running in 15th.
The damage from the big off in Heat 3 proved too much to repair and Kuntze had to move to the backup chassis for the Main. Starting 17th thanks to his heat race finishes, Kuntze moved up the field, running as high as 10th before a misadjusted carb caught up to the Poway, CA driver, slipping him back to 19th for the finish. Despite the setbacks, strong drives in the heat races showed potential in the young racer at his first taste of competition at a big time event.
Barrier Bit
Steve Wiener arrived for his second SuperNationals event after a top-ten championship finish in the 2007 ProKart Challenge season TaG Master class. The San Diego, CA driver was ready to tackle the big event with his best preparation to date – kart, crew and driver were ready to go.
Practice started off rough with cold conditions leading to a cold seize of the newly rebuilt Parilla Leopard. Going to the backup kart, the new engine was dialed in and performing flawlessly. Later in the day the team swapped the engine onto a new 2008 Trackmagic FTR chassis with Wiener very happy with the handling of the final package going into qualifying. Wiener ended the session feeling he had left a lot on the table as a 24th place spot in the 32 kart field proved disappointing.
Moving on to Heat 1 the team made tweaks to the gearing, carb and chassis to make the most of every opportunity provided by the heat races. A great start followed by some crafty driving saw Wiener move up to 12th in the field. The TEC-PRO barriers lining the track were merciless though, as slight contact with the wall coming out of turn one served up a bent axle. In Heat 2, Wiener showed some of his best driving of the event – starting with great passes at the green flag and not stopping until the checkered the FX Racing driver brought home a 19th place finish. Heat 3 saw Wiener pick his way through the turn one melee cleanly again a moving up to 15th place before making contact with another driver in turn three, knocking the driver fairing loose, leading to a black flag.
Dialed in and ready for the Main, Wiener was off and flying at the green flag, passing four drivers in turn one. Making a slight bobble on lap 4 in turn nine, the TEC-PRO barriers again showed their ability to give as good as they get, ending Wiener’s day with a 15th place finish.
FX Racing would like to thank partners Monster Energy, K&N Filters, Piloti Driving Shoes, Bain’s Hardware and Trackmagic Racing Karts, whose support made their presence at this event possible.
FX Racing USA is a professional motorsports organization with competition roots that span 12 countries worldwide. FX Kart Racing is a full service trackside support operation catering to regional TaG and Shifter drivers. Combining strong engineering skills, international race experience and full service event production, the team supports programs from driver coaching to comprehensive trackside support. The team is currently filling driver spots for the 2008 SKUSA WinterNationals & ProKart Challenge Series, IKF Region 7 Junior Team and Club racing teams. For more information, visit http://www.fxracingusa.com |
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