This is the second edition in a series of photo galleries from the SKUSA SuperNationals. This particular slideshow features the young up-and-coming drivers from the TaG Cadet division. For more galleries check out the related reading links below.
All photos were shot by Corey Johnson – JuniorOpenWheelTalent.com
This is the first of a series of photo galleries from the SKUSA SuperNationals. This particular slideshow features the young up-and-coming shifter kart pilots from the S5 division.
All photos were shot by Corey Johnson – JuniorOpenWheelTalent.com
THE FUTURE — Pole sitter Anthony Gangi Jr. (07) and Parker Thompson (80) lead the TaG Cadet field to the green flag on Super Sunday in Las Vegas.
(Photo: Corey Johnson – JuniorOpenWheelTalent.com)
Superkarts USA wrapped up its 14th edition of the SuperNationals this past weekend in Las Vegas. Despite the bone-chilling wind and cold temperatures on Super Sunday, the racing was incredible. The amount of talent at this event is absolutely mind blowing and if you’ve never been to a SuperNats before, I strongly recommend you book a trip for next year’s edition. You won’t be disappointed.
The SKUSA staff did a commendable job all week long to keep the event running smoothly. The entries reached an all-time high, nearing the 500 mark, with drivers from all over the world hitting the pavement behind the Rio Hotel to take on the best.
It was nice to see SuperNational XIV posters displayed throughout the Rio Hotel, but it would have been nice to have a slightly more predominant ad near the front entrance. Spectators were a bit sparse (aside from those who already follow karting) which was a shame, but I’m sure that was partially due to the combination of the high spectator price ($55 for three days) and the frigid temperatures. Not that $55 is out of line, but the idea here should be to bring in as many newcomers to the sport as possible and that price tag undoubtedly turned a few potential viewers away, especially for those struggling to find success on the one-armed bandits.
The weather was strange all week, wreaking havoc on tuners and drivers alike, with the skies opening up on Saturday creating a steady downpour which washed away some of the rubber that had been built up earlier in the week. With the track officially declared wet — but a dry line forming — several competitors alternated between slicks and wets on the pre-grid for their respective heat races. By late in the evening, slicks were the way to go as those who chose rain tires burned all four off in only a few laps.
I was fortunate to have a good friend shooting the event while I focused on the journalism side of things. I have over 1300 photos from this amazing event thanks to Corey Johnson. Slideshows of his photographs will be posted later this week, here on JOWT. On Sunday, Corey and I had a near-death experience while walking up to the pit area. As we reached the pit entrance, a gust of wind caught the huge aluminum truss structure and blew it over. Fortunately we were directly underneath it when it tipped, but if we had been walking at a slower pace the end result would have been much different. There was a lady a few feet behind us that came inches away (possibly less) from being crushed. Fortunately, no one was hurt in the incident. The high winds blowing through the Nevada desert toppled tents in the paddock and blew portions of track barriers out of place on Sunday creating red flag delays. The SKUSA crew handled the adverse conditions well.
During the event, I provided live updates via Twitter and kept a notebook on the action. I’ve compiled some observations on several drivers and listed some of them below. This gets pretty long, so I’ll post my thoughts after the jump.
Standard Disclamier: There were close to 500 drivers in attendance this weekend and I wasn’t able to take notes on everyone. I compiled a few observations on those who impressed me. It goes without saying that several talented drivers are not on this list. Thoughts after the jump…
I’m leaving for the airport shortly to begin my trip to Las Vegas for the SKUSA SuperNationals XIV. Posting may be a bit light over the next few days, but I’ll try to keep you updated with things via Twitter; follow JOWT here.
This is my favorite karting weekend of the year. It’s amazing to see so much talent converge in one place. I should have a ton of great content from my trip for next week, including photos. Stay tuned.
The SKUSA SuperNationals has developed into the largest go-kart event in North America. It’s renowned for drawing the biggest names in motorsports to Las Vegas every November and this year — the 14th edition — is no exception.
As in years past, there are several incredibly-talented drivers making the trek to Nevada from all over the world. While the stock-moto S1 division has been declared the headline class, I’ve decided to preview the larger, and arguably more talented, KZ2 field.
With 40 drivers on the provisional entry list, the preview gets pretty long (as in 2,294 words) so I’ll post the entry list and few details on each driver after the jump.
It’s been awhile since I’ve posted a ‘Video of the Day’ and with the SKUSA SuperNationals set to take place this weekend at the Rio in Las Vegas, Nevada… it seems like a good time to feature shifter kart standout Gary Carlton.
Carlton will be competing in the KZ2 division this weekend and should be considered a favorite for the outright title.
The following video was shot onboard Carlton’s CRG kart at New Jersey Motorsports Park and features a close look at his left foot. Take notice of how smoothly he applies brake pressure and, more importantly, his timely, soft release of the brake pedal. Hint: Drivers… you can learn something here.
The seventh-annual Robopong 200 — an endurance karting event that draws some of the biggest names in motorsports — is set to take place this weekend, Oct. 10, at New Castle Motorsports Park in Indiana.
eKartingNews.com put out their preview for the event yesterday, which includes an entry list. For those that missed the race in years past, check out some of the previous coverage.
(ed. note: You’ll have to scroll through the search results linked above, because the search picks up every article mentioning the term “Robopong.”)
My Picks:
Similar to years past, I’ve made a couple predictions on who will win the 2010 event. Feel free to add your own “picks” in the comment section.
British driver Jake Dennis (Top Kart) has won the inaugural CIK-FIA Under 18 World Championship. Dennis won the opening round at Wackersdorf, Germany, finished fifth at Alcaniz, Spain, and concluded the season with an eighth place finish at the Val d’Argenton circuit in France to claim the overall title.
I’m sad to report that nine-year-old Taybor Duncan has lost her life in a tragic go-karting accident in Colorado. Duncan was taking part in a Sunday morning practice session at Grand Junction Motor Speedway when her kart struck a rescue trailer pulled by an ATV. The incident occurred on-track.
This is a truly heartbreaking story. A facebook page has been set up in her memory. Taybor was well-known throughout the Colorado karting community. She was extremely passionate about racing and enjoyed every minute at the race track. While Taybor spent most of her time competing in Colorado, she was no stranger to the National scene; last month she competed in the Rotax Max Grand Nationals in the Micro Max category at New Castle Motorsports Park.
My sincere condolences go out to the Duncan family and the entire Colorado karting community for their devastating loss. Hopefully tracks worldwide will review their “kart pick-up procedures” so accidents like this can be prevented.
Championship Karting International announced the award winners for the inaugural “Karting’s Got Talent” program. For those that missed it, here is my write-up on the program from April.
Karting’s Got Talent Award Winners
Bryan Lemon, 14, Phoenix, Arizona
Karl Weber, 13, Ambia, Indiana
Camden Geise, 14, Orange County, California
Mariah McGrif, 15, Vail, Arizona
Nicholas Ramirez, 13, Riverside, California
Broc Yocom, 15, Wichita, Kansas
Andy Schlosser, 15, Sewickley, Pennsylvania
Ayrton Mutagaana, 13, Ambridge, Pennsylvania
Kyle Smith, 15, State Collee, Pennsylvania
Phil DeLaO, 17, Phoenix, Arizona
Taylor Minch, 15, Alpine, California
Arie Ouimet, 19, Plymouth, Massachusetts
The youngest driver in the program is 13 and the oldest is 19. I believe the original plan was to limit the age to 15 , but they only included two drivers over the age of 15 and both are brimming with talent.
Along with a sponsorship package that will include items such as entry fee expenses, safety gear and apparel, tires, and racing oil, CKI will also follow the success stories of each of these drivers for public announcements with media assistance to help the drivers’ promote their driving accomplishments throughout 2010.
It’s nice to see tires added to the prize fund as that’s an area where most young drivers really spend the bulk of their funding. Stay tuned for future updates on the program.
A special thank you to everyone for their support. Donations will be used as a travel fund to provide more live coverage of karting and junior formula events. Every little bit helps.
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