May - 2002

• SSC Racing/Shifter Kart Pro Series opens 2002 in St. Louis
  The 2002 SSC Racing/Shifter Kart Pro Series started off its sophomore season in grand style at Gateway International Raceway on Saturday May 25th. This season will feature the popular SK 125 Moto class sponsored by Shifter Kart Illustrated along with the new ICC 125 class sponsored by National Kart News and the Rotax Max Challenge class sponsored by The Inside Track.
• Wisconsin hosts Burris Circle Tour Season Opener
  The Burris Circle Tour, the Midwest's premier speedway kart racing series, opened its eighth season under cold, cloudy skies on Sunday. Burris Racing and R.A. Adams return as the major sponsor for the series that draws racers from a four-state area of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. The Burris Circle Tour is a thirteen event series that runs at speedway tracks in the Chicagoland area.
• Team Cadillac wins the 24 Hours of Ocala
  The 24 hours of Ocala endurance karting event was held at the Ocala Gran Prix facility in it's namesake town, in Florida. This was the very first time an endurance Karting event was held in the USA, even though they've been held for many years in Europe and elsewhere in the world as a joint project between the Start Racing program and the Ocala Gran Prix facility.
• Schroeder and Funk win new "Animal" classes at BKC
  For the first time in quite a number of years, the members of the Badger Kart Club were welcomed to the new year by great weather the weekend of April 14, 2002. Although this was a non-points race to start the season out, the great weather brought in quite a few karters, making this day seem like any other race day at Badger Raceway.
• Special races to highlight 2002 Rock Island Grand Prix
  This year's Rock Island Grand Prix will spotlight some of the greatest special events in professional kart racing. These races, featuring the top kart drivers in North America, are held through the downtown streets of Rock Island, Illinois, each year on Labor Day Weekend, August 31-Sept. 1, 2002. SBC/Ameritech and Bi-State Home Improvement return as Presenting Sponsors. Jumer's Casino Rock Island is sponsor of the $25,000 purse -- one of the largest payouts in professional karting.
• Burris Circle Tour blasts into Rockford Speedway for Round 3
  Over 100 of the best go-kart racers in the Midwest gathered at the Rockford (Illinois) Speedway on May 26th to race on the high-banked track. The event was the third stop in the Burris Circle Tour, the Midwest's Premier Speedway Kart Racing Series. Sunday's event was the 5th running of the Burris Twin 50's - 50 lap feature races for the Sr. Lite and Yamaha Sportsman Lite classes.
• Locals lock up wins at U.S.13 Kart Club races
  Seventy-six kart racers entered last Friday's US-13 Kart Club race at Delaware Motorsport Park in Delmar, DE. Local racers swept all 10 classes offered that night. Harrington, DE based Phantom kart pilot Matt Layton earned the first feature win taking Stock Lite with a 1.137-seconds advantage over Pittsville, MD pilot Richie Hornsby.
• Rubenzer dominates in Sr. Sportsman Lite at Badger Raceway
  Finally, after two wash-outs, the Badger Kart Club was able to start the racing season off with week three of the BKC Bridgestone Tire Championship Points Series. This past weekend's beautiful temperatures and bright sunshine were welcomed by all the karters.
• Spring shines at Mid-State Raceway
  The Mid-State Kart Club held its second point race of the 2002 season on a beautiful Spring day on April 14. Forty- two entries were on hand with the Junior Sporstman, Yamaha Super Can and 4-Cycle Heavy classes drawing the most entries. The races went smoothly with the exception of the 4-Cycle Heavy class where Ron Lykins got upside down in the second heat. The Kadet class participants were treated to free ice cream cones courtesy of Hardees.
• Path Valley opens karting season with Slaseman win, previews PDKA State Championship Series Event
  Jimmy Slaseman of New Cumberland won the first feature event of the season in the Saturday's Burris karts and quads at the Path Valley Speedway Park with his victory in the Caged Rookie Karts. As he drew a winning ticket for a Burris Tires $120 gift certificate, the rain came pouring over the Tuscarora Mountain and the balance of the program was cancelled with points, plaques and payout awarded based on the already completed heat race results.
• Path Valley Karters heat up for Spring National
  Good fields Saturday in the Burris lite, medium and heavy classes signal to Promoter Ken Geesey a big turnout next Saturday for the $300 to win Spring National at Path Valley Speedway Park.
• White rules flag-to-flag at Red River Kartway
  The action at Red River Kartway in Trenton, Kentucky this past Saturday night, May 4th, was fast and furious as class after class of go-karts thrilled the crowd endlessly. Plenty of racers showed up to try their skills against this tough dirt track and the assembled competition.
• Team Claussner sweeps Endurance Karting's "Charlotte 400"
  After a long day of swapping positions, strong race strategy and just plain good, hard racing, it came down to the final two laps for the GT 40 win in the Charlotte 400, April 20, 2002. As the Thunder Valley team led the GT40 field into the closing laps, the track was lined with boosters rooting for their favorite participant in the duel.
• Rock Island Grand Prix staff releases update on 2002 event
  The Rock Island Grand Prix, America's Premier Street Race, is held each year on Labor Day weekend in Rock Island, Illinois along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River. Added were a 125cc Masters (SKUSA Formula G1) class for shifter drivers over age 35, and a CIK Intercontinental C class (SKUSA Formula IC) for IC motors (not open to A license holders). The 80cc gearbox class was almost dropped this year due to the low number of drivers last year.
• 'SAFER' Barrier to debut at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
  Motorsports history will be made this May when the Indianapolis Motor Speedway will be the first super speedway to use an energy-absorbing barrier in its turns during competition. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway in the month of May is the perfect time to install and test the SAFER barrier. The amount of time teams and drivers have to practice leading up to the race will allow us to get feedback on the barrier.
• Kartfinder.com launches updated and revamped site
  Kartfinder.com has gone through a complete overhaul in design and structure recently. This makes it easier for potential kart enthusiasts to get information on kart chassis' from around the world. Started in June 2001 by entrepreneur Tom Stephens, Kartfinder.com was the first site dedicated to listing all the kart chassis' manufactured worldwide.
• Sharp leads opening day with 227 at Indy
  Scott Sharp showed the speed that helped him win the MBNA Pole for the 2001 Indianapolis 500 by leading the opening day of practice for the 86th Indianapolis 500 with a lap of 39.5481 seconds, 227.571 mph on May 5 in the No. 8 Delphi Dallara/Chevrolet/Firestone.
• Top American shifter kart drivers to make run for $5,000 winner's jackpot
  A virtual who's-who in North American kart racing is taking shape for the first Championship Auto Racing Teams Stars of Tomorrow Buffalo Bill's Grand Prix at the Buffalo Bill's Resort and Casino in Primm, Nevada, May 31, June 1-2. Event organizers have announced that a full $5,000 cash prize will be awarded to the winner of the 125 ICC shifter class.
• Bridgestone Tire Badger Kart Club Championship races at the new Briggs Motorplex at Road America
  This past Sunday, due to a gracious offer by Briggs & Stratton, the Badger Kart Club raced at the Briggs Motorplex at Road America. This was the first time since 1963 that the Badger Kart Club held a championship points race at a track other than Badger Raceway in Dousman, Wisconsin. So everyone packed up their trailers and headed to one of America's finest racing facilities to try out the different track.
• PDKA State Championship Kart Series Races Round Two
  Some 240 karts raced for state championship PDKA and national BNSS points on an exceptionally fast Selinsgrove Raceway track Sunday. The six-race series alternates between Path Valley and the Selinsgrove Raceway and the remaining events are all Sunday races. The best five finishes are counted toward the Pennsylvania State Championships and the Burris National Speedway Series points.
• Hubbard and Stockel earn double-wins at second WKA Deleware Dirt Divisionals
  Ethan Stockel, of Greenwood, DE and Austin Hubbard, of Seaford, DE, each earned double wins during round two of the WKA Delaware Dirt Divisional series sponsored by Robinson Speed Shop that drew 140 regional racers from Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Virginia to US-13 Kartway in Demar, DE Saturday May 4th.
• Four post double-wins at 2nd Maryland Sprint Divisional
  Four of 120 racers entered in round two of the Maryland Sprint Divisionals at Sandy Hook Speedway in Sandy Hook, MD Saturday and Sunday May 18 and 19 came away double winners. GT Machine powered Gaithersburg, MD based Coyote kart pilot Tyler Sandmeyer's #12 machine swept both European Auto Services, Inc. Briggs Junior Sportsman-1 classes, Lite and Heavy from their poles.
• SSC Racing announces new Rotax DD2 Engine & Chassis
  A good thing is about to get even better. Two years ago SSC Racing, America's leading kart company, introduced the Rotax FR125 powerplant to the U.S. karting scene, a revolutionary user-friendly, high-performance, low-maintenance engine. Today, SSC is announcing two more breakthrough karting products from Rotax -- the 125 MAX DD2 engine and the companion Rotax RM1 kart chassis.
• 'SAFER' Barrier engineers receive 36th Louis Schwitzer Award
  The 36th annual Louis Schwitzer Award was awarded May 17 to the team of University of Nebraska-Lincoln engineers that developed the SAFER (Steel and Foam Energy Reduction) Barrier. The first track installation of the SAFER Barrier was performed at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for this year's Indianapolis 500 practice, qualifications and race.
• Stars ot Tomorrow/Eracingvision deal falls through
  eRacingvision announced today that its agreement in principle to acquire a controlling interest in the CART Stars of Tomorrow series had fallen through. Financial commitments related to previous sponsor agreements terminally affected the conditions of the new ownership.
• River City Fast Karts moves to new location for "2002 Saturday Night Dirt Track Madness"
  River City Fast Karts promoters Roger, Shirley and Erik Sollenberger of Brimfield, Illinois are pleased to announce a change for the 2002 karting season. Operations have been moved to Mercer County Fairgrounds in Aledo, Illinios, home of the Aledo Raceway. For the past two seasons races were held at the 1/4-mile dirt track at the Peoria Speedway in Peoria, Illinois.
• MSSS posts many winners at Gateway Int'l
  The 2002 Russell Karting / Dunlop Tire Mid States Enduro Series started it's season at the very fast Gateway International Raceway the weekend of April 12 - 14. Rain on Friday slowed things down but the racers were able to get some good track time in before the rain came.
• Rahal with Moosespeed/ Shift Kart potent combination at Phoenix
  The pairing of Moosespeed and Shift Kart for the ProMoto efforts of Graham Rahal showed early success as the young driver scored a pair of second place runs. The team worked well with Rahal, keeping him focused despite some difficulties during the pre-event practice session.
• Racesportz Tide Racing Team plans to bring talented American to CASCAR series
  Marc Miller recently completed a successful test with Racesportz Tide Racing, a Canadian based Canadian Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (CASCAR) team, at Mosport Park this past weekend.
• Carlson takes first feature win of 2002
  Adam Carlson's pass on the final lap of the feature race at Rockford Speedway gives him his first feature win of the 2002 season. The twelve-year-old driver from Lisle, Illinois is competing in the Burris Circle Tour, Jr. III kart class. Adam started seventh in the fifteen-lap feature race.
• Jamie Bach splashes to two victories in as many days, making it four wins in a row
  If this weekend is any indication, Jamie Bach is in for a strong season of performances at Road America. Bach and his B-K team went to Road America this weekend (May 12, 2002) for a Double Event race weekend to put in some solid track time and testing in preparation for three major upcoming events at the famed four mile racing circuit north of Milwaukee.
• Former Karting Champion Jon Wood having success in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
  Jon Wood comes from a family with a long history of involvement in racing. His grandfather, Glen Wood, formed the NASCAR Wood Brothers racing team over 50 years ago and won four races as a driver. David Pearson was one of the most famous drivers who drove for the Wood Brothers team.