EKN’s Paddock Insider is part of our Trackside coverage, bringing you notes, updates and breaking news as it happens. The article will feature notes from trackside at the 2022 Superkarts! USA Winter Series, with the final two rounds held on February 11-13 at the AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex presented by MG Tires in Homestead, Florida. This is insider info will not be seen anywhere else. Please feel free to comment and discuss our coverage and today’s action in the EKN Global Members Discussion area below.

CRG Building Up Numbers on East Coast

The Weinberg brothers fielding the lone CRG karts at the SKUSA Winter Series finale (Photo: EKN)

At the most recent EKN Trackside event in Arizona at the Challenge of the Americas opener, we highlighted the new CRG models that has arrived into the USA for Ron White Racing. Here on the East Coast, CRG Nordam is working with Speed Concepts Racing to house two drivers running the familiar black and orange. The Weinberg brothers are racing in the Mini Swift and X30 Senior divisions, aboard the Black Mirror and KT5 chassis. The youngest Weinberg – Carson – was among the quickest here in January, placing runner-up on Saturday before being involved in contact on Sunday’s Prefinal. He did set fast time in the main event however. The older Weinberg – Cameron – is coming off a strong performance at the Rotax Winter Trophy program in Orlando, taking home two wins in the four rounds, and nearly picking up the Rotax Grand Finals ticket that was up for grabs. He will be making his SKUSA Senior debut this weekend.

New OTK Frames in the States for 2022

Sebastian Wheldon among the few to earn the LN Racing Kart colors in its USA debut (Photo: EKN)

This weekend, many drivers are representing the new look and models for the OTK brands. The 2022 editions of the Tony Kart, Kosmic, Redspeed, EOS and new LN Racing Kart are making their debuts at the SKUSA Winter Series finale. The new graphics for the original brands are seeing the Florida sun for the first time, as is the very much anticipated USA debut of the LN Racing Kart. The OTK manufactured kart is the new model inspired and directed by Formula One driver Lando Norris. Much like in Europe, where the kart will be limited to the Ricky Flynn Motorsport operation at the international level, OTK USA is limiting the shops and teams that are utilizing the brand here in the United States. Mike Doty Racing and JC Karting are the only teams and shops that are representing the LN Racing Kart as of right now, according to OTK USA’s Luis Ruibal. The kart stands out on-track and is sure to be a favorite for the many young and older F1 fans here in the USA and around the world.

Pushback Bumpers Return

Pushback bumpers return for the SKUSA Winter Series finale and remainder of 2022 (Photo: EKN)

This weekend is the return of pushback bumpers following a trial period without them at the opening weekend of the SKUSA Winter Series. Talking with SKUSA Race Director Beaux Barfield today at the track, and including the information he shared at the driver’s meeting, it was the contact they were seeing throughout the weekend on video in January that they feel would lead to eventual issues down the road, should no pushback bumpers continues. There were competitors and teams that did comment about returning the pushback bumper, however, it was what they saw on track over the two rounds of racing that really brought about the end of the trail period.

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