Road America to host Kart racing club, championship point series ELKHART LAKE, WI (September 20, 2002) - Road America will sponsor and host a new karting club based at the new Briggs and Stratton Motorplex, according to George Bruggenthies, Road America president and general manager. The Road America Karting Club (RAKC) will hold an open house and organizational meeting with open practice session on the new Briggs & Stratton Motorplex on Saturday, Oct. 19. Admission to the meeting, which starts at 10 a.m. is free. The open practice session is free for members or $25 for the open practice session, which will run from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. To register for the meeting, call 892.4576 or long distance, 800.365.7223. RAKC will hold races once a month from April through October 2003. The club is open to kart racers from 12 years old and up who will compete in one of seven classes. "We saw a need for a challenging kart track and built it," said Bruggenthies. "The Briggs & Stratton Motorplex is getting great reviews from experienced kart drivers, so we're very pleased with that first step. "The second step is to start developing new, young road racers," he continued, "and the Road America Karting Club will do that. An added benefit is that experienced road racers can use the Saturday practice days and Sunday races to keep their skills sharp, just as the pros do." RAKC will provide additional benefits for competitors, depending on the membership level, including on-site secure storage for equipment, a reserved kart number, preferred pit space and admission to special events at the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex. The three membership levels are $1000 for the National Membership, a full-service, arrive-and-race membership package; the $500 Division Membership; and the $100 Club Membership, all with varying features. Entry fees and practice fees are $40 for members and $60 for nonmembers; crew pit passes are $15 each. Members will accrue points toward class championships. All club races will compete on the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex. Classes for the club are divided by age and engines, starting with the Briggs Animal Junior, the Yamaha Junior Supercan, and the 80cc Shifter Junior, all for ages 12-15. The other club classes, the Yamaha Supercan Senior; HPV, Rotax or Parilla Leopard; 125 Shifter ICC and Moto; and Senior Animal are for 16-year-olds through adults. Final decision on 2003 classes will be based on feedback from members. The tentative 2003 race dates are May 17-18; June 28-29, July 26-27; Aug. 9-10; Sept. 13-14 and October 4-5. In addition to the race dates, RAKC will host an open test and practice on Wednesdays running from 1:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. or dark for $40 for members, $60 for non-members. Twilight rates, which begin at 4:30 p.m., are $30 for members, $45 for non-members. Road America built the Briggs & Stratton Motorplex in 2001. The .8-mile road course features multiple configurations, including an oval and a junior drag strip. The track hosted karting and a Super Motard series, a hybrid motorcycle, in its first full-season of operation.