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| Online Registration Opens Tonight for Superkarts! USA SuperNationals XIII |
| Tuesday, 30 June 2009 23:10 |
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As the United States battles through these difficult economic times, in which the karting community is certainly feeling the effects, one of the shining lights at the end of the tunnel for many of our sport’s competitors is the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals in Las Vegas, which is set for this November. Held directly on the grounds of the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino during the week of November 18-22, the annual karting festival promises to bring the world’s top shifterkart and TaG drivers together for another great week of competition and camaraderie. Work continues on the 13th edition of the SuperNats, and the race will take a big step forward tomorrow (July 1) as SKUSA’s online shopping kart will be open to accept entries on skusasupernats.com. At this time, SKUSA would like to announce the official class structure for this year’s event, so that competitors may lock in their entries before they are no longer available. Each class will be capped at 40 entries, except for TaG Senior, which will be open to 80 drivers. SKUSA officials are also excited about the opportunity to release news of the availability of additional rooms at the Rio for the special event rate of $79 per night.
“Last year, we had just six months in which to put together SKUSA’s return to the Rio, so we’re extremely pleased that this time around, we have the time we need to present a more effectively-organized approach to the race,” admits Tom Kutscher, Superkarts! USA President. “After cementing our relationship with the Rio, we went to work on our online shopping cart, which will make entering the race so much easier. We’re opening the doors tonight at midnight, and we’re excited to begin seeing the names of the drivers who will be coming to our biggest event of the year. Getting access to 100 more rooms at the Rio was a welcomed call, and I’m thrilled that even more of our racers and their families will be able to stay right at the event venue! It will just improve their SuperNats experience – and that’s what this is all about.” Competitors will be able to begin entering the event on Wednesday, July 1 at 12:00 am through the event website – http://www.skusasupernats.com In addition, Kutscher has confirmed that they have secured an additional 100 rooms at the Rio, all of which will be available for the amazing rate of just $79 per night. The first offering of 600 rooms has already been sold out, giving a thrilling indication of how big this year’s SuperNationals will be. Full information in regards to booking a hotel room is available on the SuperNats website. The class structure for the 2009 running of the SKUSA SuperNationals will be trimmed to nine categories, which – when coupled with the addition of Wednesday to the event schedule – will ease the pressure of the long days that were put on the teams, drivers and the SKUSA staff last year. The class line-up will be as follows: SuperPro – Pro 125cc / KZ2 engines G1 – Masters 125cc (30 years of age and older) / ICC and built moto engines S3 – Stock Moto Light (15 years of age and up) S4 – Stock Moto Heavy (30 years of age and older or 200 lb. driver) S5 – Stock Moto Junior KF2 – CIK International rules TaG Senior - see SKUSA site for eligible engines and weights TaG Master - see SKUSA site for eligible engines and weights TaG Junior - IAME Leopard only The SuperPro class will once again run for the big money in Las Vegas, and the country’s top KZ2/ICC pilots should expect the opportunity to race against the world’s best gearbox drivers. SuperPro will be one of only two classes for the ICC powerplants this year, as S1 will be folded into the headline category. The Masters-aged G1 competitors will be back in Vegas once again, running with either ICC or built-moto power, and the field is expected to be stacked with talent, including many top guns from the early days of SKUSA. SKUSA’s position as the leader of the Stock Moto movement will again bring a full brace of classes to the Rio in S3, S4 and S5, the organization’s growing Junior Shifter program. The S3 main event at last year’s SuperNationals was one of the finest shifterkart races in years, and SKUSA is expecting more of the same this year. The addition of the S3 class to the eKartingNews.com Driver Rankings has put an exciting spotlight on the Stock Moto program, and with just 40 grid spots available, the finest drivers in the nation are expected to run for the gold in Las Vegas. The Stock Moto Heavy class, dubbed ‘S4’ by SKUSA, will join S3 on the entry list and will certainly attract a full field. Kutscher has also re-confirmed his efforts to build the S5 Junior Shifter program, buoyed by the recent surge of support in the Midwest. In SKUSA’s early days, the 80cc Junior program was the premier developmental ground for the racing’s current crop of young stars, such as Graham Rahal (IndyCar), Robert Wickens (F2), Cole Whitt (USAC), and James Hinchcliffe (Indy Lights). The S5 package now provides the drivers and their families with an engine that can be carried right through to the S3 senior class, adding longevity to anyone’s investment in an engine, while most importantly introducing young pilots to gearbox racing. Over 25 competitors have already sent in their commitments to contest the S5 class, hinting that this category will be an exciting part of this year’s race. A full field of 40 emerging stars is expected. Alongside Stock Moto on the Superkarts! USA menu is the TaG program, and the SuperNationals will present a total of three classes on the docket. Last year, the TaG Senior class attracted 100 drivers to the event as the largest single class entry list in North America – and the same is expected in 2009. Kutscher has decided to restrict this class to just 80 entries this year, and it is expected that the available spots in the category will fill up very quickly. TaG Master and TaG Junior will be a huge part of the event, as the Junior component will add a second option for the young drivers of the sport in addition to S5. The newest addition to the SuperNationals line-up will be the introduction of the KF2 category. SKUSA has always prided itself on providing a venue in which the sport’s top drivers can compete, and the focus of many of the finest pilots in the new international class has prompted Kutscher to include KF2 on the menu. An influx of international talent is also expected to be part of the show, as KF2 is enjoying impressive support in Europe. While the day-by-day event schedule has not yet been confirmed, competitors can expect a full day of practice sessions on Wednesday with additional practice on Thursday before Qualifying action begins. Friday will open with practice leading into the initial heat races, while Saturday will see the completion of the heats to set the grids for SuperSunday’s TaG Senior Last Chance Qualifier and nine main events. The weekend will be capped in style, as it was in ’08, with the SKUSA SuperNationals AfterParty in the VooDoo Lounge on the 50th floor of the hotel. |