"Stars of Tomorrow 2002 rules and schedule released by NAKA"

PALM SPRINGS, CA - The technical rules and race schedule for the 2002 CART Stars of Tomorrow were released today on the North American Karting Association website (www.nakarting.com). The third year of this development series will again be expanded to include six regional championships and three national championship races, all qualifying for invitations to the National Championship at the Las Vegas Karting Center in November of 2002.

Bryan Herta and Hollis Brown developed the Cart Stars of Tomorrow series to provide the first step to a career in motor racing. With Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) officially naming the series as the initial step in their development 'ladder system', young drivers now have a well defined path to the highest levels of open wheel racing.

The structure of the 2002 CART Stars of Tomorrow series follows the FIA/CIK in many areas. NAKA's focus is to assist karting in the United States to become recognized as an integral part of America's great motorsports industry. With the classes, rules, and regulations written to enhance driver development rather than technology development, the focus can be on talent, not primarily on financial expenditures.

The tracks selected by NAKA for the Regional Championships include: Oakland Valley, New York; Ocala, Florida; Norway Speedway, Illinois; Willow Springs, California; and Sears Point, California. Three National Championship are scheduled at Oklahoma Motorsports, Oklahoma, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, and a third site to be announced. The National Championship Finals will be held at Las Vegas Karting Center, Nevada, on November 8, 9, and 10, 2002. The complete schedule is available on the NAKA website at www.nakarting.com .