August - 2003

• 2-Cycle Sweeps Week as Hintt, Brannam and Freiberg Dominate the BCT "High Revs"
  The 2-cycles took center stage at the Burris Circle Tour August 3rd at Lake Geneva (Wisconsin) Raceway with drivers in three classes sweeping the heats and features. The "High Revs" event spotlighted the driving talent of the Kid Karts, Jr. Yamaha and Yamaha Sportsman Drivers. Austin Hintt, a 2nd grader from Poplar Grove, Illinois won the feature, both heat races and the prizes for fastest lap in the Kid Kart Class. Jessica Brannam, from McHenry, Illinois, handily won the Jr. Yamaha leg of the event and Eric Freiberg, a Lockport, Illinois resident took home the victory for the Yamaha Sportsman.
• Badger gets a few features in before rains
  The Badger Kart Club was able to get in only three feature races Aug 3rd before heavy storms moved in and washed out the rest of the program. Officials did what they could to keep the program moving, but computer-scoring problems early on didn't help. Officials resorted to manual scoring until the problem could be corrected. The only three features that ran were Sr. Sportsman Heavy and the two HPV classes.
• Flag-to-flag win from the pole is fourth in a row at Grattan
  The road to the SCCA National Championship RUNOFFS continued today at Grattan Raceway near Grand Rapids, Michigan. And Jamie Bach and B-K Motorsports continued their plans for a "championship" season with a 17 second runaway victory, their fourth in a row at the Michigan circuit, and a result of their track record setting pole position. This weekend's pole position comes on the heels of his first pole position in the STAR MAZDA PRO SERIES North American Championship at Sears Point Raceway two weeks ago.
• E-KMI Feature Writer to offer phone seminars for salespeople
  TGIF&K stands for "Thank Goodness It's Friday and Kahle," the title of the series of monthly telephone seminars presented by Dave Kahle, a well known industry sales expert AND e-KMI feature story writer. According to Kahle, the series is "a simple, inexpensive way to stimulate sales staff to continuous improvement -- sales education during lunch, over the phone, requiring no travel, at minimal cost, and with no time away from the job."
• Team USA scores unexpected win in Portugal
  A slim, 45 seconds was the margin needed by EnduranceKarting.com's Team USA 3 to take an upset GT2 victory over a professionally loaded, international field in the ninth edition of the 24 Horas Evora Galpenergia/Maxxis 2003, July 5 & 6 in Portugal.
• Inaugural HOSPICE 24 writes 24-hour success story
  June 23rd's inaugural HOSPICE 24 go-kart race included pageantry, aerial flyovers, a live band, hot air balloons, fireworks, live bands and most of all - great racing - was deemed a tremendous success, according to participants and officials of the event. Grainger Industrial Supply out of Chicago, Illinois, made up for a black flag and an early10-lap deficit to win the 24-hour race by completing 1508 laps - over 750 miles - and won a prize package valued at over $10,000.
• JM Racing & Avanti are proud to add Mike Manning Karting to it's dealer lineup
  Mike Manning Karting has been a fixture on the American karting scene since 1980, winning countless titles and national championships, especially in the 100cc classes. MMK will commence selling the Avanti brand of chassis out of their Willow Springs, California shop immediately. Mike Manning himself will be piloting an Avanti-Rotax in the Golden State My-Chron 3 Cup and Rotax Nationals. His son, Kevin, a multi-time national champion, will campaign an Avanti in the region 7 IKF series in HPV 4.
• Douglas Wheel moves
  Douglas Wheel has just finished their move into an all new 57,000 sq. ft. state of-the-art manufacturing facility in Vista, California. The new plant is just a short distance from their old home in Oceanside. This major expansion of their engineering, manufacturing and shipping departments will enable Douglas Wheel to make a giant leap in their design and production capabilities for years to come.
• Fran Am/Formula Renault Winter World Series returns to Florida in 2004
  Fran Am Sport is pleased to announce that the Fran Am/Formula Renault Winter World Series will return to Florida in 2004. again concluding at the CART ChampCar Grand Prix of St. Petersburg on February 22, 2004. Fran Am and Formula Renault cars from around the world are invited to participate. The competitors are amongst the world's best up and coming race car drivers who will soon be the next Formula 1 and CART Series' drivers.
• Fast Racing at South Bend with MKK Race #3 and #4
  Michiana Kart Klub's second race of the season started fast and finished fast. As the drivers completed their two heat races, the sun disappeared, bringing temps slightly down and the wind kicking up. Starting with the first heat races, karts were getting caught up and even completely overturned on the raceway.
• Karts & Quads the order of the evening at Path Valley
  More than 80 karts and four-wheelers raced at Path Valley Speedway Park August 9. The next regular Saturday kart and quad race is Aug. 16 with gates open at 10 a.m. and racing warm-ups by noon. The Path Valley Speedway Park is located in Spring Run PA a mile north on PA Route 641 from the intersection with PA Route 75, halfway between Port Royal and Hagerstown. It is five miles east from the Willow Hill Exit 14 of the PA Turnpike.
• Speed, Firing & Johnson advance to the Red Bull Driver Search Semi-Final
  At the famed Lowe's Motor Speedway, the Red Bull Driver Search program produced 3 more winners. Alex Speed of Manteca, CA, Travis Firing of Cherryville, NC, and John Johnson of Marshalltown, IA. Charlotte's typical summer stormy weather didn't hamper the racing efforts of these three young racers determined to advance in the program.
• Rock Island Grand Prix awarded FIA/CIK International License
  The Rock Island Grand Prix street race is the first and only internationally-licensed kart race in the United States in 2003. The licensing announcement was made jointly by the Rock Island Grand Prix, the Automobile Competition Committee for the United States (ACCUS), the World Karting Association, and the Commission Internationale de Karting (CIK). The announcement is the culmination of a lengthy effort to bring international racing to Rock Island, Illinois, located on the Mississippi River west of Chicago. The CIK, with headquarters in Switzerland, is the karting arm of the Federation International de L'Automobile (FIA) which governs auto racing worldwide.
• Rock Island Grand Prix Update
  From Roger Ruthhart, director of the Rock Island Grand Prix - "We have assembled what we believe is an awesome technical crew to handle inspections and scrutineering at this year's Grand Prix. A lot of detail-oriented planning has gone into this year's effort in pursuit of our goal to provide the fairest and safest karting event in the country. As in the past, an emphasis will be placed on pre-tech. We want the races to be fair and would rather fix a problem before the races than DQ someone after. Detailed plans are in place for all classes and as we did last year, racers will receive Technical Passports when they sign in.
• Bobby Wilson lock up ICC in dominationg wins at Stars of Tomorrow karting event
  Shifter kart star Bobby Wilson made a shambles of the tough ICC (125cc Shifter) division August 3rd and 4th at Trane Motor Speedway in dominating both Saturday and Sunday main events in the Snap-on Grand Prix in the Champ Car Stars of Tomorrow presented by RACER national karting series. Wilson, who won in Road America on June 24 and the all-star (non-points) race in Windsor, Ontario June 29, is close to securing the Eastern Division ICC point championship with his two feature victories.
• Three double at Waynesfield Dirt Nationals
  Brett Miller, Tony Belk and Jimmy Furrow were double winners during round four of the WKA/Briggs & Stratton Speedway Dirt Series July 18-20 hosted by a new national venue Waynesfield Motorsports Track in Waynesfield, OH. They were among 640 entries in the Twister Kart Nationals. Miller, of Greenville, SC, posted wins that Saturday in Power Products/Super Seat Briggs Limited Heavy and Trick/Olimpic Briggs Lite.
• C&D Motorsports WKA Pavement Grand Nationals; Baker-4, Edwards-3, Parnell and State-2
  Multi-class winners gobbled up half of 22 classes offered at this year's WKA/Ultramax Racing Chassis Speedway Pavement Series C&D Motorsports Grand National s hosted by Wilson's Motorsports Track in Wetumpka, AL August 1-3. Holland, NY racer Wayne Baker led with four wins, Michael Edwards, of Winchester, VA followed with three and New Hyde Park, NY racer Jesse State and Kernersville, NC competitor Kerry Parnell each posted a pair of wins.
• Karting cares for Karting Family
  Three weeks ago a karting family that has raced at Badger Raceway in Dousman, WI as well as Burris Circle Tour and CES series¹ were tragically killed by a drunk driver. Killed were Bob Brannam Sr. 40, sons Joe 10, and Bob Jr 8; wife/mother Linda is in critical condition.
• Hot racing at I-55 Sprint Series Round Three
  Round three of the I-55 Sprint Series had 109 entries on hand at the new sprint track located near Pevely, Missourri on a hot July Sunday where temperatures reached into the high nineties. The four race series is co-hosted by the St. Louis Karting Association (SLKA) and the Mid-State Kart Club of Springfield, IL.
• Gran Prix style starts headline at Lake Village
  All divisions were treated to Gran Prix style starts. Rookie Purple began the day with Tyler Trainor grabbing the first heat race win. Points leader Brett Shoemaker picked up a win in the second heat. Nine karts lined up in Gran Prix formation awaiting the drop of the green flag.
• Exhibitor strength continues as Performance Racing Industry Trade Show joins top 100 of largest trade shows in North America
  Preparations for the 16th Annual Performance Racing Industry Trade Show continue to take shape as the Show Producers have announced a further expansion at its current site, the Indiana Convention Center & RCA Dome, in the racing capital of the world, Indianapolis. The show will be held December 4-6, 2003.
• Gidley and LaPoint launch Rocket Factory
  Memo Gidley and Jason LaPoint announced today the opening of Rocket Factory LLC, a retail store that will sell ATV and Kart parts and accessories along with being the official Trackmagic Kart dealer in the Reno/Sparks area. Rocket Factory will also have a full service department, utilizing a shop-based and portable Dyno-Jet dyno to fine-tune customer's vehicles.
• New Partner in T.C.M. Racing
  TCM Racing of Niagara Falls, New York, a world leader in motorsports consulting and event operations and specializing in the Karting Industry, is pleased to announce the addition of a new business partner and co-owner. Thomas Argy III, son of the businesses founder and eight year employee of the company will fill the positions of vice-president and communications director for the Internationally recognized company that has served the motorsports industry for over 20 years.
• Karting's BEST Mechanic Search 2003
  TCM Racing is pleased to announce its new partnership with the NASCAR Winston Cup DODGE Racing Team, Evernham Motorsports, in the creation of an exciting new program that will benefit the entire karting industry. Karting's Tom Argy Jr. and NASCAR Legend Ray Evernham have created a special nation-wide talent search looking for KARTING'S BEST MECHANIC!