TKZRacing

Championship Enduro 2012 schedule

2012-01-31T15:09:00.001-08:00

TM build

2012-01-28T11:35:00.001-08:00

Final timing adjustments made...getting close to being complete with the KZ build

Michigan International Speedway

2012-01-16T14:06:00.001-08:00

It is OFFICIAL. Michigan International Speedway will host a Michigan Kart Club event for 2012

MKC has worked very hard to secure a race date at MIS for this season. A major resurfacing project nears completion at MIS, most of the entire facility...which includes the infield road course, have all been freshly repaved. It has been many years since karts have competed at MIS, so this comes as great news for the racers in the area! The infield course will be close to 2miles in length, and incorporate almost half of the high banked oval. This layout should provide some great racing at high speeds. Spectators will enjoy the great MIS facilities as well as viewing opportunities not often found at typical kart tracks.

The race is scheduled for September 29th and 30th 2012. Stay tuned for details.

Kart Assembly

2012-01-14T16:25:00.000-08:00

Seat installation and front end alignment. Thanks to RLV and TAGUSA for the exact-toe alignment tool! Careful attention to these two details is critical for kart handling later in the racing season. Details, details, details make the difference!

Off season preparations

2012-01-08T14:26:00.000-08:00

Winter prep work under way....We are assembling, rebuilding, and preparing for the spring season. Plenty of work to be done. This is the time when critical preparation and planning is done to make weekends at the track much more successful.

WINTER - HAPPY HOLIDAYS

2011-12-02T15:12:00.001-08:00

Winter is upon us.

The Karting Zone race team is hibernating until the spring....well not really! We have begun the tear-down and rebuild process on the team karts. We have everything in the shop and fully disassembled as we do every offseason. Motor rebuilds and inspections are in in process, and new graphics are in route from our friend Brian at DB Motorsports (stay tuned for photo's of the fresh graphics).

http://www.dbmotorsportsonline.com/

2012 schedules are in the works, and early reports are that Michigan will be the host to at least 5 road course events. 1 of which will be a WKA National event held at Grattan Raceway. Full schedule details will be posted once everything is finalized.

The Karting Zone will have race prepped Rotax karts available for rent again in 2012!

Enjoy the winter season - Happy Holidays!

SuperNationals 15

2011-11-10T06:04:00.001-08:00

The next event on the karting schedule - Supernationals!

TKZ Racing is not making the journey this year, but wanted to wish all of this years racers a safe

fun week in Vegas!

ABOUT THE SUPERNATIONALS

Speed, Competition and Thrills

In the world of motorsports, few races can be billed as the race of the year, but time and time again the SKUSA SuperNationals have been dubbed the pinnacle karting event of the year. This year marks the fifteenth running of the prestigious race, and as usual, it is poised once again to
be "the race of the year."

stay tuned to Ekartingnews for event coverage:
http://www.ekartingnews.com

Dan Wheldon

2011-10-20T10:41:00.001-07:00

The Karting Zone would like to express our sincerest condolences to the Wheldon family and the entire motorsports community on the loss of Dan Wheldon. His presence will be missed not only on the race track, but in the hearts and minds of everyone who had the pleasure of interacting with him.

Tag World Championships

2011-10-09T06:45:00.000-07:00

Great day of racing and a first place finish in the Rotax class at the Tag World Finals. I checked out on the competition at the drop of the green flag. The chassis and motor set-up was spot on for the final! Great way to end the season.

TAG World Finals

2011-10-08T04:58:00.000-07:00

Sun comes up on a beautiful morning in New Castle Indiana for the NOS Energy TAG World Finals! Great day for racing.

TAG World Championships

2011-10-05T18:59:00.001-07:00

TAG™ Racing International 7th Annual TAG™ World Championships Sponsored by NOS Energy Drink and Presented by Mazda Road to Indy is Scheduled at New Castle MotorSports Park in Indianapolis, on OCTOBER 7-8-9^th 2011 at NCMP

The Karting Zone Racing is gearing up for the final kart race of the season at NCMP. We are headed off to the TAG World Championship event scheduled for the October 7-9th weekend. The TAG Finals will include the best TAG drivers from across the country. The racing takes place at the finest kart facility in the Midwest. TKZ Racing will take to the track Friday afternoon for a short practice session before the qualifying and racing kicks off on Saturday. Prep work is complete on the kart, and looking forward to a great weekend at the track, and a strong finish to cap off the season!

Anyone interested in a kart rental program for 2012 should contact us:

info@thekartingzone.com

as we have opportunities for rentals for New Castle Motorsports events, as well as events in the Michigan area. Both 125cc Shifter and 125cc Rotax options are available.

RIGP Update

2011-09-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

RIGP Recap.

3rd place finish in Tag Master!

My best finish yet at the Rock! A hard earned 3rd place finish, while battling for 2nd all the way through the checkered flag. Clean hard racing for the closing 5-6 laps and a fraction of a second separated 2nd and 3rd position. I am pleased with the finish, and glad the weekend of racing went off with only minor complications.

The Friday 'land rush' for pit space went smooth. We endured 100degree temperatures as we waited for the streets of Rock Island to close at 5:00pm, and then we made the trek into the pit area and staked out our ground. All things considered, this went off smoother than in years passed. They RIGP staff has made big improvements to the pit staging process.

Saturday started the practice rounds and qualifying. During my first round of practice, the front two motor mount bolts worked themselves loose which created a HUGE vibration and cause for me to pit early. The repair took longer than expected which resulted in a missed practice round. Second practice session went well and the kart was handling well, and the Rotax power was competitive. As we prepared for qualifying the skies opened and the rains came. The rain came so hard, that the streets began to flood and the qualifying rounds were canceled! This lead to qualifying times to be taken from Sunday mornings warm-up practice round. - 1 day to make this happen!

Sundays morning warm up went well....sort of....I made it about 2/3rds of the way through the morning warm-up/qualifying session before I ran wide through turn one and hit the barriers. I hit hard enough with the front right wheel that the barriers pulled me in, I made two spins and came to a stop. The damage was done and my qualifying session was done. Even with the brief session, I managed to make the 5th spot in qualifying times.

Now it was time to get to work - The kart had moderate damage that would take some time to repair before the race. The front steering was bent, the nose and side pods were in need of replacing, and the final tuning changes needed to be done to prepare for the final. Luckily, we had all of the needed spare parts....we only needed to work calmly and quickly to make the needed repairs, re-align the front geometry, and make the final motor tuning changes. Dad and I made all of the repairs and changes with time to spare :)

Ready for the green flag. My race was the last of the day. Starting on the inside of the 3rd row meant I needed to get a clean start and at the least, hold my position and race clean. I made it through turn one with no incident...the usual pushing and shoving transpired during the braking zone, but I managed to hold my ground and actually gain one position. I raced in 4th position for several laps before the 1st and 2nd place karts came together and ended up in the turn one barriers. It was about the half way point that I became under pressure from behind. We had a 2 kart battle for the balance of the race for the 2nd/3rd position. We raced clean, and battled hard, but at the final turn leading onto the front stretch for the checker flag...I could not make the pass and came across the finish line in 3rd. It was a great race, and I was pleased with a 3rd place finish.

A huge THANKS to the TKZ Racing team that made this podium finish possible.

RIGP

2011-08-18T14:51:00.001-07:00

Registration is in, preparations for TKZ Racing have begun and the Rock Island Grand Prix is only a few weeks away. The largest karting street race in the world will be in Rock Island Illinois on Labor Day weekend. It has been a few years since I've raced this event...but I'm glad to be making the trip back to the ROCK this year. This is a great event, that the entire town embraces with a festival weekend. Large spectator crowds, live music, a great entertainment district and of course...the best street race karting has seen!

NCMP race update

2011-07-24T10:30:00.001-07:00

Full day of racing with some great racers. I made slight improvements through practice and qualifying. I qualified in 10th place, and finished the heat race in 9th. The kart seemed to slow down with every lap in the heat race. Not sure if it was simply due to the heat, or if there was a bigger problem. After we examined the motor before the feature race, we found a set of cracked reeds was the problem. With new reeds installed, I raced the feature and picked up one position to finish in 8th. A respectable finish given the level of competition for this race. The heat had some tempers flaring through the day....but I managed to race clean with everyone around me, and finished with no incidence.

Thanks to my race team for keeping me cool and hydrated through the weekend (and the cold beers at the end of the day!!)

Thanks to GL Pro Series and Central States SKUSA for hosting a great event.

NCMP

2011-07-23T05:03:00.001-07:00

GLPro Series vs. Central States SKUSA dual. Temps in the high 90's and a heat index over 100degrees will make for a physical challenge for the drivers. The midwest's best shifter pilots are in attendance for the weekend battle!

Grattan July recap

2011-07-19T15:10:00.001-07:00

One word describes the weekend at Grattan - HOT!

Mid 90 degree temps both days this year. One positive...no rain :)

A great weekend, and a good turn-out. Great competition in all classes, and everyone was pleased with the new pavement. Track records were shattered in most if not all classes. I saw improvements in my personal best lap times by close to 2seconds! They fresh pavement and weather conditions were near perfect.

Saturday TAG125 - I had a second place finish in the tag class by .014 seconds! I battled wheel to wheel for almost the entire 25 minute race...and made the pass for the second place position on the final lap. Jordan Johnson made a run to regain the position, but I held him off to cross the line in second position.

Saturday Stock Moto 125 - I had a solid start and was into 3rd place by the end of lap one...and battled into 2nd place through lap 5. I ran as hard as I could...but could not run down the leader, and finished the race in 2nd place.

Sunday TAG125 - I had a horrible start for this race...and was in 6th place by the time we entered turn 1. The competition for this class is fierce, and I managed to work my way up into 2nd place during the first 5 laps of the race. With continued passing, and drafting changes through each lap, I found myself shuffled back into 4th place and separated from the lead pack. I could not catch the lead pack and finished the race in 4th position.

Sunday Stock Moto 125 - A solid start for this race had me in first place on turn 1. I had a sizable lead through the first 3-4 laps and thought I may be able to run away with the race when a red flag was waived due to a kart flipping accident! After a full restart and only 10mins left in the race...I re-gained the lead again on the start. On only the 3rd lap after the restart, I dropped to 2nd place. I held onto the second position and was locked onto the rear bumper of the leader. I held this position until the last lap until the leader missed a shift going through turn 2...I made my move and passed for the lead. I held the lead until we passed the start/finish line side-by-side, and I crossed in FIRST place! A hard run race, and great competition. Great fun to be able to race cleanly wheel to wheel at 100+ MPH.

Thanks to the TKZ team for everyones hard work and enduring the HEAT!

GRATTAN RACEWAY EVENT ANNOUNCE !

2011-07-07T18:12:00.000-07:00

NEXT EVENT - Grattan Raceway!

2011-06-05T10:32:00.001-07:00

Next event on the TKZ Racing calendar is scheduled for the weekend of July 16-17 at Grattan Raceway.

Championship Enduro Series is hosting the weekend event at the newly re-paved Grattan Raceway. This should be a great event with the new pavement. Many kart racers have chosen not to attend the Grattan events due to the deteriorating pavement at the track. I had a chance to dive on the new pavement and think the racers with be pleased! I remember the days of 100+ shifters lining up for the green flag!! And look forward to those days coming back. This year should be the start of the rebuilding of the road racing in the Midwest.

My plan is to race the stock moto in the modified class, and my Rotax in the Tag class. I hold the track record for the stock moto and expect to be competitive with it racing in the modified shifter class. I will not be fighting for the lead...but considering I am about 8-10hp less than the modifieds...I enjoy the challenge.

The tag class always has a strong competitive field at Grattan that will make for some great racing. The tag karts race at the same time as the stock-moto class, thus my need to race my stock-moto with the modified shifters. I always like to race both my shifter and tag kart at Grattan :)

This track has continued to be my favorite place to race since my first time driving there...I look forward to a good time again this year!

Waterford Hills

2011-05-29T12:50:00.000-07:00

Waterford Hills.

Michigan Kart Club hosted a great race at Waterford Hills. The Michigan weather cooperated and gave us a great Saturday to race. My kart was quick throughout the day, and I was able to drive to a 2nd place finish. The track surface is starting to show it's age and left me a little banged and bruised, but with an ear-to-ear grin. Waterford is a physical track to drive, but it is a blast!

Grattan test day

2011-05-24T19:50:00.000-07:00

Finally! I have had a chance to drive on the new pavement at Grattan personally. I can say...it is GREAT! The track surface was overdue for a fresh layer of asphalt. They completed the final sections of the track to make for a great smooth surface.

Grattan continues to be my personal favorite track to drive. The technical sections are some of the best to drive in the Midwest! The smooth surface make the track once again enjoyable to drive, without causing the hated rib pains and chassis damage through the 'bowl'.

We rented the track for a weekday, and it was worth every penny spent. I had about 2hrs of 'hard track time'. Was great weather, and a good group of drivers which meant not many 'pick-ups' to manage.

Karts ran flawless all day, and we basically ran out of the trailer with little if any adjustments for the day. The smooth surface saw some of my personal best lap times in both the shifter and Rotax karts. The CES race later this season should lead to some new track records set!

Loaded!

2011-04-08T15:33:00.000-07:00

Loaded and ready for the first race of the season! Spring is finally here, and we are off to a club race at NCMP. Maybe on rain tires...but who cares when it is the first race of the year.

Race prep

2011-03-06T17:30:00.001-08:00

additional set-up work on the TKZ shifter. Fine tuning to kart prep continues...ready for SPRING!

The TKZ Shifter should prove to be FAST on track again this year. Ready for a successful season in both the Rotax Max, and 125 Shifter classes this year.

Thanks again to the help from our friends at OGRacing, and MRP!

Spring is near!

2011-03-06T17:22:00.001-08:00

Only a few minor items left to finish the assembly on the Rotax for the racing season.

2011 prep begins!

2010-12-26T17:08:00.000-08:00

Spending some time in the shop on the new Birel for 2011

MKC 2011

2010-12-04T18:33:00.001-08:00

Michigan Kart Club Series 2011

Michigan Kart Club has announced their 2011 race schedule including racing at the regions best tracks! Feel free to contact MKC to join, or for more details on their class structure or racing details. Join us for some great racing in 2011!

Waterford Hills May 28th & 29th Hosted by MKC

Grattan July 16th & 17th Hosted by CES
Point Pelee August 28th Hosted by Point Pelee Kart Club (Double Points/Counts as two races)
Mid-Ohio October 28-30th Hosted by Dart Kart Club

2011 Series is best 3 of 4
Must be a MKC member to receive points and be eligible for year end trophywww.michigankartclub.com

New SKF bearings

2010-11-24T18:02:00.000-08:00

Prepping for next year. I have just installed the new SKF kart unit bearings in my CY31 chassis! A great unit, and it should help make axle changes a bit easier. They also have removable seals which will make cleaning and regreasing easier as well.

Looking forward to testing them on a Rotax powered Birel unit for 2011.

Indy MotoGP

2010-08-31T15:17:00.000-07:00

On a relaxing weekend off from racing...kind-of :)
Here are a couple of photo's from this years RedBull Indy MotoGP. An awesome event, with over 100,000 fans in attendance. These bikes are simply amazing! A must see if you have never witnessed in person. The photo of the sea of RED is where we were sitting for the main event. We mixed it up with the fellow Ducati riders as we cheered on Nicky Hayden.

Saturday - race day

2010-07-20T14:48:00.000-07:00

The day of the finals was here. A DNF in heat 3 had me starting 10th out of the field of 28karts. Not as high as I had hoped, but heck, I could race to the front from there! I had been in the top 5 for lap times all week, so I had plenty of laps to make up some ground.

Prefinal

The start of the race was again as aggressive as the previous heat races (if not more so). Everyone in the top 10 was not giving an inch through the first 3 turns...and I found myself getting shuffled back a few spots and running in 14th spot by the time we rounded the start finish for lap 2. I settled in and started to pass where I could to slowly regain positions. I was quick in the tight section of the track, but not making any real gains on the long straights. I made up as much ground as I could each lap in the tight section, and by lap 10 was up into the top 10. As I rounded the hairpin leading onto the long straight-away...the kart DIED! I pulled off into the grass and tried to get re-started with no luck! There goes another respectable finish!! After riding the gator back to the scales (for the 2nd time in TWO races!), we found that there was a problem with the carburetor. = This means I'm starting the final from DEAD LAST!

Final

Well, the start goes pretty smooth from last place :) And I waited until after turn 2 before I started trying to move up the pack. Unfortunately for me, the guy directly in front of me was racing like it was the last lap for the WIN! I experienced some of the worst blocking I had seen all weekend. He even managed to drive me off into the grass at one point to prevent me from passing...after about 5 laps of that, I was a good 4-5 seconds behind the entire field! It was a few laps before I could catch the pack and begin to make a few more passes. I made my last pass on the white flag lap that put me into 19th place, which is where I finished. A fair finished after what was some BAD LUCK for the previous 2 races. I would have traded that luck for earlier in the weekend - FOR SURE!

All-in-all, a great event, and some awesome racing. The racing was VERY competitive, and for the most part; respectful.

Friday heat races

2010-07-20T14:41:00.000-07:00

Heat 2

Starting again from my 6th place...I lost a little ground during the start as our outside lane was again slow at the drop of the green flag (no due to the lack of me pushing Sean!). I lost two spots through the first two turns....but would battle back to gain one spot back before the end of the heat for a 7th place finish.

Heat 3

My start was a bit more aggressive on this heat. Every inch of space on the track was valuable through turns 1-3 at the drop of the green! I made a couple of quick moves through the first section of the track and had myself up to 4th place as we entered the first hair-pin leading to the long straight. And then my luck turned! There was a kart turned in the exit of the hair-pin...he was directly in front of me, and I had NOWHERE to go! BAM! I hit his right rear tire, and off the track we went. He fortunately drove off...I did not. = DNF in heat 3!

heat 1

2010-07-15T15:15:00.001-07:00

4th place finish....I had to earn each of the 2 spots I picked up from my 6th place start!

qualify

2010-07-15T10:20:00.001-07:00

Qualified in 6th place! Goal was top 5, so I missed by a few hundreths on my time....it was a solid result, and a good starting point for the heat races.

Let the racing begin!

HOT!

2010-07-14T16:43:00.000-07:00

Practice day has come to a close. I ran in the top 10 in times for practice. Ready for qualifying tomorrow am. Temps in the 90's today, and the track temp was over 110F!! The heat was draining, but we made steady improvements all day as I slowly moved up the time charts. Scattered showers predicted for the balance of the week....so things will be interesting!

rain hit the tent

2010-07-13T17:24:00.000-07:00

rain storms blowing through

2010-07-13T16:39:00.000-07:00

Rain is cooling things off for the welcome dinner

ready for day 1

2010-07-13T15:22:00.000-07:00

US Rotax grands

2010-07-13T12:25:00.001-07:00

Day 1. Registration and tech done. Ready for the start of practice tomorrow. Time will tell how much work we have ahead of us!

test day

2010-06-30T17:05:00.001-07:00

Great day testing at New Castle....perfect weather, and tons of laps. Working with a GPS and data collection was a big help. Made consistant gains in lap times all but 1 session. I ended up only 2hundreths of my target lap time, so a productive day!
We had 4 Rotax karts sharing data, which was a bonus for number comparisons, and testing results. A couple of lead-and-follow sessions also helped on track driving lines.

Looking forward to the Rotax Grand Nationals scheduled July 15-17th!

Team America MRP/Birel

2010-06-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

My sights are now on the Rmax Grand Nationals in July at NCMP. I have signed on to race under the Team America MRP/Birel tent. I plan to make a trip to the track for some motor testing in advance of the formal event practice with the team engineer, and a couple of other team drivers.

New Castle Motorsports June update

2010-06-20T15:34:00.000-07:00

Rmax Challenge update-

June 5th Rmax Challenge race at New Castle Motorsports had a low kart count for the day. I was hopeful that a larger amount of people would turn-out for practice/preparation for the Rotax Grand Nationals scheduled at NCMP for July. The race had 5 karts in the Masters group. The format was a qualifying session, heat race, and final race. I was fast during qualifying, and was on the pole.....until...I came across the scales about 20lbs light :) ... That left me with a challenge for the heat race! So, I started in the back of the pack for the heat race...and lap-by-lap fought my way to the front. The kart was handling great, and our set-up was good for the day. I made my way to 1st place, and pulled a comfortable lead to take the checker flag in first place. I even came across the scales at the correct weight :) I started the final in first....lost a couple of spots on the drop of the green, but after lap 5 I had worked my way back to 1st place...and did not look back from there. I scored the race win! That makes my 5th win of the season!

KRA June 6th

Sunday I entered the KRA Tag class. As always, the KRA tag class has plenty of competition. We had a chance to race on a new track layout at NCMP. The track included 90% of the oval that then lead back onto the main road course with a huge elevation change and a VERY tight 'S' section that proved to be a challenge for me. The track was a blast to drive, and the oval was very fast....but I struggled with the tight section after the oval all day. The Rotax lacked enough bottom end power with the gear that I had selected! I struggled to a 10th place qualifying position, and finished the race with a hard fought 8th place. Not my best performance, but I feel that the kart gear selection and my driving in the tight portion of the track could both use improvements!

Next scheduled race is at Grattan Raceway, unfortunately we will miss the Grattan race as I have returned the TKZ tow vehicle back to GM :(

2010-05-31T09:01:00.000-07:00

Waterford 2010 is in the books. A great weekend for racing at one of Michigan's finest tracks. It is always a great time to drive at Waterford Hills. The weekend entry count was less than expected, but that meant plenty of track time for those of us there! Saturday had non-stop practice sessions and the canceling of the afternoon pro races (due to low entries), but additional practice time for everyone.

Sunday was again a beautiful day with temps in the 80's, a light breeze and clear blue skies! Two morning practice sessions followed by two races for each group. My 125 shifter was quick all weekend with little if any changes required all weekend. I was lucky enough to just drive, and enjoy the track. I started the first race on the pole, and got a great start at the drop of the green and never looked back. I had my competition covered by at least 2 seconds per lap! I was running lap times at just over a second off the track record! The second race of the day was a duplicate of the 1st....a great start, and I was off to my second win of the day!

I was pleased with the kart, and everything ran great all weekend. The MKC club was helpful, cordial and it was great to see some good friends at the track.

That tops off my 4th race win of the season....next stop is NCMP for the Rmax Challenge race on Saturday June 5th.

Waterford Hills

2010-05-27T14:12:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for a return to Waterford Hills after a few years without a date on their calendar. One of the few tracks in Michigan...and the ONLY track in SouthEast MI will be the setting for the Memorial Day weekend. Waterford Hills is a 1.46mile track with changing elevation and very technical corner layouts. Should make for a great weekend of racing...and one of the closest tracks that we visit during the year! I plan on racing both 125 shifter and tag classes. Practice is scheduled for Saturday with a money race planned for Saturday afternoon, and racing all day Sunday.

Sunday KRA

2010-05-02T16:39:00.001-07:00

Sundays KRA race at NCMP started with a wet track...and plenty of clouds. Set-up was a guessing game with parts of the track very low on grip, and light sprinkles coming and going through the day. I made 3 solid laps in qualifying before the track became slick again. Luckily, my 3rd lap was fast enough to lock down the 1st spot on the grid! The only Rotax on a grid of 10 Leopards.

I paced the race start, and jumped out to a small lead for 3 laps. It was on lap 4 that there was an attempt at a pass on the long back straight. I knew that it was a matter of time before my gear selection was going to cost me on the straight-away. On the next lap, I was passed on the straight and lost the lead. I would hold onto 2nd place for the remainder of the race.

Great finish to a good weekend. We proved that the Rotax can be competitive at the KRA series with the Leopards. We dodged the rain for the weekend, and had a fun weekend at the track!

....next race - Waterford Hills Road Course

race day win

2010-05-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

Race day win! 3for3 on the season. Followed up with a night at Ro's and some good live music.

WIN - WIN

2010-04-19T14:36:00.000-07:00

The first RMax Challenge race of the season is finished. It was a double race event at New Castle Motorsports park hosted by Terry Riggins and the Great Lakes Pro Series. The weather was typical central Indiana...sunny, cool and W I N D Y!! Wow, there was 30+MPH winds on Saturday, and 20mph on Sunday. The entire weekend was DRY, and Sunny, so no complaints from me or the other racers!

There was a good turn-out for the weekend, with over 10 entries in the Rotax Master class alone.

This was my first race weekend on the new RY31 chassis, equipped with my OGRacing accessories ;) ... I found the chassis VERY receptive to changes, and the baseline settings were close to where we needed them. Very few minor changes were needed on the chassis for the weekend. The chassis worked very well, and in my opinion better matched to the Rotax engine than the R32 that I have raced in the past. We did make some tuning changes on the Rotax motor for the weekend, again, minor changes needed on the powerplant. Practice went well as I improved on the lap times with each session. All of the changes made were moves in the right direction. All of the changes led to qualifying and finishing first all weekend. Qualified on the pole for the class, and won the heat race and feature for both days!

Successful outing for the first event of the year.

let the season begin!

2010-04-16T14:52:00.000-07:00

Solid practice day, and ready for the first Rotax Challenge event of the year.

countdown

2010-04-06T15:48:00.000-07:00

Countdown to the season opening race for the GLPS at New Castle Motorsports Park in two weeks!! April 16-18

track day planned for Friday

2010-04-01T13:28:00.000-07:00

Should be great weather. The season has begun!

New Castle Motorsports Park

2010-03-27T08:35:00.000-07:00

Spring outing - 2010

2010-03-21T14:21:00.000-07:00

FINALLY - Spring has arrived. The first outing of 2010...March 19th, with mid 60 degree weather and sunny sky's. A great way to kick of the season. First order of business was setting up the garage at New Castle Motorsports Park, and to break in a new motor. The garage will be a bonus this year. It should pay for itself in saved gas $$ tugging the trailer to and from the track! Not to mention the convenience of just closing the garage door at the end of the weekend :)

Motor break in went well, and I was able to get in two solid days of track time. Great weather, and a productive weekend. 4 weeks until our first scheduled GLPS race at New Castle. I'm hopeful for a big turnout and some good racing.

THANKS

2009-11-29T14:29:00.000-08:00

This is the team that worked through the week! I can not thank each of them enough for the countless hours spent at the track; loading, unloading, packing coolers, wrenching, lifting, pushing, trips to Walmart, long nights at the bar, extravagant nights on the Vegas strip, early nights, late nights, drive to the airport (and back again!), and providing endless support through the week. I could not have made the trip a success without them! We showed up in one of the smallest trailers at the track....no 'team or factory' support. No endless supply of spare parts, motors, chassis, tuners, etc.....and made a respectable finish to say the least.

Thanks again!

Supernationals XIII in the books

2009-11-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

Well the greatest kart racing event that I've ever been witness to is in the books. This years Supernationals was by far the best run, most professional, best attended race in SKUSA history. The track layout was great, three sets of spectator bleachers, and fantastic weather. Possibly the best kart race to date in North America. With 25 countries represented, and over 400 drivers...this event was host to the best competition possible. Add the lights and sounds of Vegas and you have the makings of more than just a kart race.
I was humbled by the competition to say the least...I qualified 29th out a class of 40. During the feature race on Sunday, I had worked my way up to as high as 15th before the kart handling began to fade with the increasing amount of grip on the track. The 25 lap feature proved to be a physically demanding track for me and the karts handling. I would end up taking an 18th place finish in the main event.

As a reference of the caliber of talent and competition for this event....Dan Wheldon (former Indy 500 champion) finished 4th in his class, and Michael Schumacher (7 time world F1 champion) finished 7th in his class. This was serious racing from day one!

....topping of the racing was an after party at the VooDoo Lounge....52 floors above the Vegas lights. The rooftop nightclub of the RIO is the perfect setting to cap off a great week!

night falls

2009-11-21T18:17:00.000-08:00

Night falls on the pits for the 13th supernats. Tomorrow is super sunday with some teams packing up tonight as they did not make the 'show'.
Those left are working into the dark making final changes for race day.
I have survived all heat races with no altercations....waiting for the points to be tallyed for the grid to be set.

Sundays racing should prove to be exciting for every class.

practice day2 update

2009-11-19T21:45:00.000-08:00

The second day of Supernats practice is in the book. The track is getting faster with every lap with tons of grip and rubber being put down. VERY competitive fields in ALL classes. My times are improving with every session, and I am slowly closing the gap with the leaders...I still have work to do for qualifying.

This is truley the best of karting in North America. The superpro class has current F1 drivers, European karting champions in addition to Michael Schumacher....non are toping the current lap time charts!

Great to see the 7 time world champion at his craft in person!

it's on!

2009-11-17T20:44:00.000-08:00

Set up is over... It's time to RACE at the RIO!

tkz trailer has arrived

2009-11-14T03:09:00.001-08:00

The Karting Zone trailer has arrived at the RIO!!

Track preparations are under way, and we will be placed in our pit spot tomorrow.

schumacher!

2009-11-09T10:01:00.001-08:00

Yes, it's true.....the 7time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher will be competing in this years Supernationals!

14 days and counting!

2009-11-03T16:56:00.000-08:00

SUPERNATS!

ncmp

2009-10-24T18:39:00.001-07:00

Closed 10/25!!!! Agggh

test, test, test

2009-10-23T17:13:00.000-07:00

heading to NCMP for a day filled with testing! Hoping for DRY weather as it has been raining for the past week....

2009-10-15T14:50:00.000-07:00

33 Days until the largest race of the year! Plans are made, hotel booked, track layout published, and kart counts continue to grow for this years Supernats to be held at the RIO in Las Vegas. I am entered in the S4 shifter class. This is shaping up to be one of the biggest races of the year. We will be adding a few extra 'vacation' days to the 5 days of racing to make an enjoyable trip to Vegas.

Now we only need a day or two of warm and dry weather to get some testing done before we load up for the race! We have plenty of testing to be done and limited TIME! The tentative plan is to spend a day at SBRP during the week to get some needed testing done....plenty of work to be done for preparation.

...stay tuned for Supernats updates.

Grattan update

2009-09-10T19:11:00.000-07:00

The 2009 Grattan race is in the books. An interesting weekend for the weather, but some great on track racing. Friday's practice was a complete wash out with rain falling most of the day. Dave Larson ultimately canceled practice....so we spent the day in GR!

Saturday was race day one, with no testing time that we had planned for on Friday! Oh well....luckily we were pretty much spot on with our set-up out of the trailer (as usual for Grattan!). Practice found me with quick time in the Rotax, and 4th quick overall in the shifter. The tag race was the first for the day...and turned into a great race. 4 karts were nose to tail for 30 minutes! Passing multiple times per lap. There were easily 15 lead changes during the course of the race. Luckily for me, I was fastest through the bottom section of the track and through turn 10 leading onto the front straight. The white flag lap found me in 4th place until turn 10, where I made a diving pass on the inside of 3 karts and found myself in the lead when we all exited onto the front stretch. I managed to hold on and take the checker flag in first! Great clean racing by everyone.

The balance of the day Saturday saw on and off rain showers, and at the last minute they decided to run the shifter race in the rain. I decided to pass and wait until Sunday.

Sunday's weather was a great improvement, and sunny for the day. The tag race was first for the day. After a minor gear change in the morning we were off again for a 30 minute duel. Our 4 kart battle was short lived today....as by lap 10 I had pulled a few second lead over the field and managed to break away from the pack. This gave me a comfortable tag win for the day.

Sunday's shifter qualifying had be on the inside of row 3. Fifth quick overall was not bad for a stock moto, but I'd have some good racing and should be able to pick up a few spots through the 30 minute race. Unfortunately, we would not get to find out how many spots I'd be able to gain during the race. As I pulled out for the warm up lap....the kart made it about 200 yards before completely dying. With the help of a corner worker, we pulled the kart over the wall and into the pit road. After what seemed like forever (about 5min) we realized that the carburetor had not been fully tightened and had come loose. RATS!! One quick run for a screwdriver, tightening of the clamp and I was off.....about 2 laps behind, but I managed to pick off a few karts during the remaining laps.

All-in-all a great weekend. Great turnout from friends, family and fellow racers!

Grattan

2009-08-14T13:12:00.000-07:00

Countdown to Grattan! 14 days.

Minor kart set-up is ready. Itching to get to the best road course in MI! Seems like forever since we've raced at Grattan. I'm hopeful for a good turn-out this year, should be some good friends there at the least. Plans are to race the shifter and the rotax. Full day of practice scheduled on Friday for some fine tuning with the karts. Expectations are high for what is my favorite track to race!

funny stuff

2009-07-31T15:49:00.001-07:00

This is an e-mail from a customer who purchased a shifter from me earlier this year....he was having a little 'too' much fun around the neighborhood!

"Well Eric, looks like I’m getting faster. Had the pleasure of meeting a Jefferson County Sheriff last night in my garage with tools in hand after testing the kart with new jetting. He was pretty cool and said he understood that I needed to test the new set up. The engine is a kick in the pants. Taking it to the track next week. Thanks again for everything.

Pat"

2009-07-31T13:46:00.000-07:00

gearing up for another saturday of lapping at ELKT. Should have 7-8 tag karts again. Thinking about throwing on some 'older' bodywork in case we end up racing before the end of the day! There is never a shortage of excitement at an ELKT race. Even if it is only pride and bragging rights at stake....

ELKT Practice day

2009-07-21T15:17:00.000-07:00

A great day was had last Sunday. Weather was perfect, 7 tag karts in attendance and LOADS of track time! We turned over 100 laps before everyones arms were ready to call it a day. The Rotax ran flawless all day, some minor tweaks on the chassis gave me some improved lap times through the day....36.8's were the best I could get out of the kart. The MOJO tires are proving to be as long lasting as any tire I have used. I have 4 race days, and 6 practice days on a set...and NO reason for replacing them yet. The grip level has been consistent through each heat cycle thus far.

Two days advance planning, and we pulled together 7 tag karts at ELKT on a weekend that every neighboring track in the three state area had club races....something tells me that with NO professional track within a 3 hour drive from metro Detroit = a need for a TRACK!

2009-07-18T12:08:00.000-07:00

Weather permitting, headed to ELKT for a practice day. Looks like we have 6-8 tag karts lined up...we are on the way to starting our own league! 20-30% chance of rain and highs of 72degrees are in the forecast.....

New TOY in the stable!

2009-07-09T11:52:00.000-07:00

This is to pass the time on the long breaks between racing weekends!

Grosse Ile

2009-07-09T11:40:00.000-07:00

The race at the Grosse Ile airport proved to be a short weekend for the TKZ team. We arrived on Saturday morning to see what we thought to be....well....less than desirable racing conditions. In an attempt to utilize two runways of the airport and maximize space, the racing circuit was very tight, not much room for passing, and in my opinion, rather unsafe. I decided to run a few practice laps and make the best of the track we had to race with. There was an incident on the first practice session, and a few close calls.....the next rounds of practice seemed to go O.K. On to qualifying...on my second of three laps I came towards the chicane section of the track to find a TIRE in the middle of the racing line (with no advance warning!), and on my third of three laps, had a slower kart pull from the side of the racing line into the middle of the track. After the qualifying session was complete (and no weigh in?) I found that the tire in the track was due to a flip that occurred on lap one. Whew! What a morning....

...needless to say, with the questionable race circuit, we decided it would be more cost effective and safer if we packed the trailer up and called it a weekend, with everything, and everyone in one piece. The one unknown variable in going to a temporary circuit is the track layout, and the thought behind the layout in advance. Not all temporary circuits are created equal!

Gingerman

2009-07-09T11:27:00.000-07:00

A great weekend for racing at Gingerman is in the books. Great weather and large fields for the action at the 1.9 mile 11 turn road course outside of South Haven MI. The TKZ performance was respectable. I raced two classes on Saturday. Entering the stock moto in the CIK shifter class, and racing the Rotax with the tag class. The tag class had over 20 entries, and the CIK shifter with 30+ karts. The start of the tag race had me dead last by turn 1. A horrible start left me with a great challenge for the 30 minute race. I managed to work my way up to 3rd place by the end of the race. I landed a strong 10th place finish with my stock moto with the full modified CIK 125 shifter class....

I was only entered to race the tag class on Sunday. The fields were just as big for Sundays action...and I again finished 3rd in the tag 30 minute race.

2009-05-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Ready for a race weekend at Gingerman Raceway. The trip to Gingerman always is a great weekend. Competitive racing, close to Lake Michigan, and great times in South Haven! Final details wrapped up tonight. Weather should give us a great weekend for racing. This will be the start of a back-to-back race weekend.

GLPS Race 1-2 New Castle

2009-04-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

The first race weekend of the season is in the books. As usual, no race weekend goes without some type of excitement...some racing, some technical. Friday's practice session went smooth. Weather was in the upper 70's all day, with winds gusting in the 30mph range!

Saturdays racing schedule proved to be a physical challenge for my first outing. Racing two classes, that of course, were back to back. That basically means race one kart, fly into the pits after the checker flag flies, park it, and run to the other kart on the grid and GO RACING again! I am a junky. A good way to get my fill of racing. The line up had me racing the 125 shifter class first, and the Rotax 2nd. The final for each class consisted of 18 laps. That meant 36 laps of non-stop racing fun! The Rotax ran flawless all weekend, and I placed 3rd overall for the day. The shifter on the otherhand...gave us some technical challenges through the day. During qualifying we were WAY off with our jetting - 10th place result. Prefinal = broken coil wire, 8th place finish. Final = broken coil wire, 6th place finish. All-in-all not a bad day, and GREAT FUN. Oh, I forgot to mention...during the first Rotax race, the gas cap seal was missing. That meant that during the first few laps with a full tank of gas, my knee pad that I wear to soften the blow of my knee slamming against the top of the gas tank managed to become soaked with GAS! That lead to a nice BURNING sensation while I raced for 20 minutes. Needless to say, I needed a little aloe vera to cool my knee.

Sundays weather proved to be more of the same. Beautiful morning, sunny skies and highs in the upper 80's. I opted out of the two class deal (muscles were a little sore!). I decided to race the shifter for the day, and one Rotax race. Believe it or not....NO technical issues for the day! Races went well. Great starts, some awesome clean, fun racing! Qualified 8th in the shifter, finished my prefinal in 3rd (after what was an AMAZING launch on the start for me!), and finished the final in 4th. I battled for the 3rd place spot for a few lapps with Eric Batt before he make a pass stick after his 3rd attempt. I tried for a couple of laps to real him in, but no luck.

I did race the Rotax in the prefinal on Sunday....starting in the back of the field. I had some great racing, and managed to work myself up into the 3rd place finishing order in the Rotax class.

Another great race weekend in the books. Looking forward to the next outing in May. Gingerman Raceway in South Haven MI.

2009-04-16T18:28:00.000-07:00

1 week and counting! Spring is here and I can't wait to hit the track for the first race weekend!

2009-04-01T20:01:00.000-07:00

....here is the FROZEN cylinder. Now replaced with the new latest and greatest 2009 updated cylinder from ROTAX. The good news is that these can be repaired. Now I have a never used 'spare' once I have it welded. And after our Rmax training program completion...we are certified for the removal/replacement of the cylinder. Should prove to be a valuable resource.

First NCMP outing of the season

2009-03-23T14:52:00.000-07:00

After a late morning we arrive at NCMP to mid-40 degree temps C.O.L.D.. At least the sun was out!! The karts are unloaded and some minor track prep is done to get everything ready to drive. Chain and gear installed on the newly mounted never raced ROTAX. During tightening of the motor mount, I notice a small amount of water...strange, but I proceed with my prep work. OK everything is ready, tape on the radiators, air pressure set on the tires, suit and helmet on...lets start this Rotax and get on the track. As SOON as I hit the start button the motor fires, and water begins to SPRAY from the head of the cylinder....SHUT IT OFF! Well my worst thought that ran through my mind upon seeing the small amount of water on the bottom of the motor while tightening the motor mount was in fact the worst imaginable scenario...the motor has froze and cracked overnight during the freezing temps! There goes that motor...guess that's racing!

On to the shifters...(there are advantages to having more than one kart in the stable)...shifters start with no issues. I proceed to log several on-track sessions, making minor tuning, and chassis changes in-between. All with positive results and making lap time improvements along the way. We had the radar gun in use along the back straight, and monitored the MPH changes with the tuning changes. All good information to log. Top speed of the day on the 800' straight was 81MPH. Not bad for a 30HP motor....

The temps finally broke the 50 degree mark, just about time to load up and call it a day. All-in-all, a good spring day! Clear blue skies, fast karts, and if not for the ROTAX debacle...it would have been a perfect trip :)

....tomorrow I am off for training on the rebuild certification for the Rotax Service Center requirements. Bright side is, I have a motor that needs to be rebuilt!

First test weekend

2009-03-19T17:38:00.000-07:00

getting packed and ready to head out to NCMP for our first test weekend of the year. Weather forecast is low 60's buy SUN! I am hoping for the best, and at least the sun can make me FEEL warm. Have three karts to get on the track for testing, and season preparation or 'shake-down'. The first weekend out of the year always presents a 'challenge' or two....I am hoping that those will be to a minimum Saturday.

march 17

2009-03-17T19:24:00.000-07:00

60+ degree day = SPRING fever!
Ready to get the racing season underway. Schedule is lined-up, equipment is ready, spare parts are on-order...the countdown has begun for the first race of the season.
New Chrome shield from OGRacing is mounted on my Arai....I'm ready to get the racing season underway, and help get the gang at OGRacing excited about kart racing!