For the past seven years, the SKUSA ProKart Challenge has been THE program to race for shifterkarts and TaG-powered karts in California. Superkarts! USA has solidified that statement once again with the announcement of the prizes and contingencies that have been set out for the 2012 PKC season, beginning with the opener at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Southern California on February 10-11. The flagship regional program for the SKUSA organization is among the largest in the country and will kick-start the new year on-track. SKUSA’s 2012 prize package for the program will be focused on supporting the racers who participate fully in the series, in addition to those who perform best at each of the six events on the year, as it currently tops the $65,000 mark in prizes and contingencies.

 

“It’s hard to imagine that we are entering our eighth season for the ProKart Challenge,” stated Superkarts! USA President and ProKart Challenge promoter Tom Kutscher. “Originally, this was just something we put together to organize the racers and shops in the area so that we could all have a good time and get out to the track, and now it just continues to grow and evolve. Our mission has always been to support those who support us. We have a number of industry partners who have stepped up for this year to take it to the next level what we will be awarding our racers. This commitment to our racers proves that the ProKart Challenge is the ‘baddest’ place to race in Cali.”

 

Event Prizes

As always, the ProKart Challenge trophy presentations at the end of each weekend will include great prizes to be given away by Tom and Patti Kutscher, valued at nearly $14,000 for the year. Selected at random from the drivers’ entries, and given only to those attending the podium celebration, PKC will be doling out complimentary sets of MG Tires, cans of VP Fuel, Honda CR125 top-end kits courtesy of HPD and the ever-popular buckets of Mothers Polish products, valued at over $150 each.

 

Contingency Awards

Honda Performance Development (HPD) is once again continuing to support the growing Stock Honda program by offering special HPD part credit vouchers to the SKUSA ProKart Challenge series participants. To receive the contingency, racers will need to make sure they are signed up for the Honda Racing Line - http://racing.honda.com/hpd/race-for-honda/registration.aspx - (no cost). Full contingency and prize details will be announced shortly.

 

International Invitational Event Awards

Returning as one of the many perks that come with competing under the ProKart Challenge banner is the chance to earn a ticket to the Granja Viana, the hugely popular race in Brazil. Provided courtesy of Wagner Rossi of WR International and MG Tires, the prize package offered by SKUSA will provide two drivers with the opportunity to compete at the 2012 edition of the event, all expenses paid. Individual programs like this are worth $15,000. The two trips will be awarded via random blind draw at the season-end banquet from a hat containing the names of the S4 Master Stock Moto and TaG Master drivers who competed in all six PKC races in 2012.

 

TaG Junior and TaG Cadet champions will also have a chance to compete on the international level. Russell Karting Specialties is stepping up to award the PKC’s TaG Junior champion with an invite to compete at an IAME Cup race. More details will be forthcoming, but the prize is valued at roughly $5,000. Once again, the TaG Cadet champion will earn the invite to compete at the Rok Cup International Final in Italy -- with expenses such as race entry, kart and engine rental, tires, and hotel included. Flight cost is the only expense that the winner will be required to cover. For 2012, one Cadet driver at-large will also be selected to attend the October 2012 event, that name coming via random blind draw from the group of drivers who have competed in all six races. This winner will be drawn at the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix podium presentation, so that he or she will have adequate time to prepare for this amazing opportunity.

 

Preferred SKUSA SuperNationals XVI Registration Program

New for 2012, Superkarts! USA will be implementing a program that provides SKUSA regional racers with an early opportunity to reserve their chance to be part of the SuperNationals experience. Drivers who participate in any SKUSA Pro Tour event in 2012 or any SKUSA regional race (i.e., Pro Kart Challenge) up to July 1 will have a spot held for them in their respective class for the SuperNationals up until August 31.   If drivers support their regional championships, this program all but guarantees them a spot in the paddock in Las Vegas this November.

 

Guaranteed SuperSunday Starting Position

Something that you cannot put a price on will be the Guaranteed SuperSunday Starting Positions for the 2012 ProKart Challenge class champions at the SKUSA SuperNationals XVI in Las Vegas come November. Regardless of their performance in the heat races or Last Chance Qualifier, each PKC champion running in their respective class will gain a starting spot at the tail end of the grid for the main event.

 

2012 Calendar

The PKC season will be a unification of the two separate programs that ran from 2008 through 2011, which featured separate North and South championships. The one combined ProKart Challenge regional program for the ‘Golden State’ will feature a six-event schedule starting on February 10-11 at Buttonwillow Raceway Park. Willow Springs International Raceway in Rosamond, CA will host Round Two on March 23-24. April is reserved for the SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNationals in Arizona, so no PKC race is scheduled. The series continues on May 18-19 at the historic Adams Motorsports Park in Riverside. Round Four takes the program back to Buttonwillow on June 22-23 before another series break for the second stop of the Pro Tour, the SummerNationals in Utah. Action resumes for the PKC series on August 17-18 with a trip south to San Diego and the Qualcomm Stadium. The sixth and final event of the 2012 schedule will be the first street race included as a point race for the regional program -- the Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix on September 14-16.

 

Registration Open

Superkarts! USA has launched a new online store for racers to utilize for event registration, membership/license application, SKUSA products and clothing, and miscellaneous racing items. Drivers should be reminded that a SKUSA membership is mandatory, and that new license applications should be completed before the opening round of the PKC, as do any license upgrade applications. To fill out your entry for the opening event at Buttonwillow, click over to www.skusastore.com.