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| December 27, 2007 News |
| EKN Trackside: WKA Daytona KartWeek - Preview |
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The sound of karts buzzing around and inside the Daytona International Speedway will be heard once again this weekend as the World Karting Association returns to the historic venue for the 2007 Daytona KartWeek. The George Kugler/Bridgestone Manufacturer’s Cup Series and the Dunlop Tire Road Racing Series - both presented by Mazda - will compete at the Daytona Beach facility after a one year hiatus while the Briggs & Stratton Speedway Dirt Series returns to the Volusia Speedway Park in Deleon Springs for the Dirt World Championships and Winter Nationals.
The Man. Cup program returns to a reconfigured DIS kart track, inside NASCAR turns 3 and 4. The 10-turn course will have additional curbing and gator bumps at the apex and exit of the corners. The biggest change however is the elimination of the tight S turn before the main straight. The new configuration will have the backstretch extended to a gradual right hand turn onto the front stretch. Numbers for the programs return back to Daytona to begin the 2008 racing season are higher then the previous event at the end of 2005.
 | | The reconfigured DIS kart track layout |
508 pre-entries for 19 classes, including 30 kid karts for the new participation class added to both days of the schedule. TaG - which will now run both days now - has 53 entries thus far to lead all classes. Many young drivers looking to make their name in karting will be in the class along with a number of Florida drivers. One particular driver to watch will be NASCAR’s Jamie McMurray. The former karter returned for an awesome performance at the All-Stars Karting Classic at the PRI Trade Show just a few weeks ago.
Cadet Sportsman is the second highest total at 44 while the other Junior and Cadet classes are near the 30 kart mark. The Senior classes for HPV, Yamaha, and Yamaha Can do not have the strong numbers but could change once the trailers start rolling in Thursday for registration.
Joining the Man. Cup series at DIS is the Road Racing Series. The first event for their 2008 program returns to high-banks after missing out last year for the first time in over 30 years. What was normally a three day racing event is now two, which could be the reason this year’s entries (455) are down from 2005 (508). That will not however put a damper on the racing as all the top dogs in road racing will be on hand.
The top class thus far is the Spec 125 TaG class with 25 entries. Unlike the Man. Cup TaG class where there are multiple engine choices, the road racing class only allows the Parilla Leopard, the Sonik VX125, and Rotax. The popular Yamaha Sportsman laydown class is second with 22 entries in both their Medium and Heavy divisions. Many of the top laydown drivers will battle there, including ’05 SKI Road Racer of the Year and Daytona legend Randy Fulks.
 | | Yamaha Sportsman Heavy lay-downs on the Daytona high banks |
The remainder are jumping over to the 100cc Controlled class - which has 22 entries as well. One of the fastest laydown classes, the division has grown in numbers over the last two years and Daytona will feature two RRoY, shifter kart driver and ’03 SKI Awards recipient Chad Dokken and reigning EKN Road Racer of the Year ‘Nasty’ Nate Grindell - who spent the year wrenching and engine building for Stars of Karting JICA National Champion Jarvis Gennari.
The weekend will begin with the competitors moving in Thursday and setting up camp for the weekend. That evening, DIS and WKA will host the “Welcome Back to Daytona Party” in the Sprint FANZONE with music, food and beverages. In addition, all registered competitors will receive a voucher for Hot Lap rides around the 2.5-mile Speedway - weather and time permitting. Friday will be full day of practice for both programs with racing set for Saturday and Sunday. Friday night will host the Man. Cup 2007 banquet at the Daytona 500 Club while Saturday the Road Racing group will pass out their awards.
EKN will be trackside beginning Friday with coverage of the Man. Cup banquet Friday and some pit notes from practice. Saturday and Sunday we’ll bring our forum updates on the Official Discussion Thread, full results and daily reports both days, based from the sprint track with updates coming from the road racing program throughout the day.
WKA Daytona KartWeek Race Schedule
Saturday
Manufacturer’s Cup Series
1. HPV Lite
2. Cadet Jr. Sportsman Final 1
3. HPV Jr. Lite
4. Yamaha Heavy
5. Yamaha Jr. Sportsman
6. TaG Final 1
7. Yamaha Masters
8. Yamaha Jr. SuperCan Heavy
9. Yamaha Sr. Sportsman Lite
10. Kid Karts
Road Racing Series
1. PP Can Sprint 360
Jr. Sprint Lite
Briggs Raptor 360 #1
2. 100cc Controlled
100cc Pipe Heavy
PP Can Heavy
3. CIK 125 Shifter 1
WKA 125 Shifter 1
4. WKA Sprint 1
Stock Leopard Sprint 1
Briggs Animal 335
Briggs Animal 385
Briggs Jr. Sprint Lite
5. Yamaha Sportsman Medium
PP Can Lite
Jr. Enduro Lite
6. 250 Twin 1
Unlimited Final 1
B Stock
Formula 125
Formula 100
7. Stock Honda 1
Spec 125 TaG 1
Open Sprint 1
Sunday
Manufacturer’s Cup Series
1. HPV Heavy
2. Cadet Jr. Sportsman Final 2
3. HPV Jr. Heavy
4. Yamaha Lite
5. HPV Jr. Sportsman
6. TaG Final 2
7. Yamaha Jr. SuperCan Lite
8. Yamaha Sr. Sportsman Heavy
9. Kid Karts
Road Racing Series
1. WKA Sprint 2
Stock Leopard Sprint 2
Briggs Animal 360
Briggs Jr. Sprint Heavy
2. 100cc Controlled Spec
Yamaha Sportsman Heavy
Jr. Enduro Heavy
3. Stock Honda 2
Spec 125 TaG 2
Open Sprint 2
4. PP Can Sprint 340
PP Can Sprint 380
Jr. Sprint Heavy
Briggs Raptor 360 #2
5. 100cc Pipe Medium
PP Can Medium
6. 250 Twin 2
Unlimited Final 2
Controlled Limited
7. CIK 125 Shifter 2
WKA 125 Shifter 2 |
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