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Tuesday, 06 October 2009 10:16 |
 The recent announcement regarding the return of Superkarts! USA to a national level program, coupled with SKUSA’s unveiling of a re-worked class structure, has certainly prompted many trackside and online discussions. Shifter aficionados often look back at the initial explosion of the gearbox categories, which debuted in the early 90s and blossomed at the end of the previous decade thanks to Jim Murley and the Superkarts! USA ProMoto Tour, and wish for a return to form. One of the highlights of the ProMoto Tour was the inclusion of a single class for younger drivers – 80cc Junior – which helped launch the careers of so many current pros, such as Scott Speed, AJ Allmendinger, Robert Wickens, Cole Whitt and Colin Braun.
Just as they have done for the past five seasons, SKUSA is now focused on further developing their Stock Moto program, which touts the package’s limited buy-in and operating costs in contrast to the sky-rocketing prices of ICC powerplants. Along these lines, SKUSA still longs for a solid gearbox program for its Junior level drivers and the S5 class promises even more value than its 80cc predecessor. There is no doubt that 80cc Junior was an expensive undertaking. As engine development progressed, the motors became increasingly fragile with a number of weak points, including the gearbox. Should S5 catch up as the past junior gearbox class did, it would do so without the cost. S5 is simply the Junior version of the proven Stock Moto category, which has become more attractive thanks to the absence of necessary engine modifications and the affordability of replacement parts. And in the end, the young drivers get to shift gears, which has always been the selling point. One only needs to look at the face of a young pilot when he or she gets out of a shifterkart for the first time to see how much they enjoyed the experience. Ear-to-ear smiles are the norm.
EKN spoke recently with SKUSA’s Tom Kutscher to discuss the development of his Junior program, touching on its current status and what the organization plans on doing to fuel its development. |
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Wednesday, 30 September 2009 12:01 |
 Our webmaster and staff photographer is currently running a special for ProKart Challenge competitors. For a limited time, get digital(original/high-res) copies of any and all photos he has taken of you during the 2008 and 2009 seasons for the low price of $50 (personal use only).
Visit www.sixspeedphotos.com to view all of the galleries. You can also order actual prints of various sizes directly from the website. Please direct any questions to
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
.
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Tuesday, 29 September 2009 16:38 |
If you are attending the Awards Banquet and need to stay at a hotel, we have procured special rates at the Courtyard by Marriot very close to the banquet venue. But you will need to act fast as you must make your reservations by this Friday, Oct 2nd. Full details on the What About the Prizes page.
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Thursday, 24 September 2009 16:52 |
The details for this years 2009 Awards Banquet are available on the What About the Prizes page.
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Wednesday, 23 September 2009 19:05 |
The excitement developing in the Stock Moto categories continues to please us here at the SKUSA organization. Our CEO Tom Kutscher, is thrilled to confirm that the S4 category has just two positions left on the 40-kart grid as of this writing, but it is the overwhelming interest in the S3 class that has him looking into the future. The S3 class hit its 40-driver max very early on in the registration process and entries have continued to pour in as drivers are putting themselves on the waiting list with hopes of getting a spot on the grid. Due to this overwhelming response, SKUSA has elected to open the class up to a maximum of 80 karts, harkening back to the early days of the organization when Last Chance Qualifiers were a regular highlight of the annual SuperNationals.
“The Stock Moto classes are the future of SKUSA, and to have this much interest in both S3 and S4 bodes well for the future of the SuperNationals and next year’s Pro Tour as well,” Kutscher commented. “With the extra day this year, we’ll be able to make the necessary room in the schedule and I can’t wait to see the Last Chance Qualifier for this one. With S3, TaG Senior and TaG Junior all going to 80 entries, we’ll have LCQ’s all morning on SuperSunday. It will be a great way to kick off the day!” |
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