Colorado Karting Tour to Host Centennial Event in Memoriam of long-time Community Member
The Colorado Karting Tour regrets to inform our friends and current members of the passing of Chip Korenek, a longtime member of the Colorado kart-racing community, and past volunteer with The Colorado Karting Tour.
An engaged member of the kart racing community for more than 20 years, Chip was well – known within the Colorado region for his officiating and volunteer work with the Pikes Peak Kart Racing Club, the Racing the Rockies series, and The Colorado Karting Tour. A racer from a young age himself, Chip’s first encounter with racing was with the South Mountain Quarter Midget Association near Phoenix, Arizona. Eventually, Chip would go on to work for the Sports Car Club of America as an integral member of their SPEC Racer program on a national scale.
With an at times quiet, yet firm approach in his work at the track, Chip was known to strive for balancing the need for integrity in competitive karting with the commitment to making each race day safe and fun for the individual. Over time, Chip grew to form strong bonds with many of the racers present across the state, often taking time to catch up with friends in the community before or after racing events.
Eric Gunderson, a current volunteer with CKT, commented on his best memories of Chip: “I will remember him most for the time he spent not only helping me understand what to do, but why to do it. I think that one of the lasting things that Chip was able to impart on many of us was that there is a bigger goal at the track than just officiating a kart race, and I was lucky to be able to witness a few of these moments with other racers. To him, karting was an environment within which people could challenge each other and learn from that experience, and he spent quite a bit of time considering how to make the racing bring that out in people.”
A small memorial and service was held in Phoenix, Arizona with members of Chip’s immediate family on Sunday, February 10. In lieu of flowers or donations, the Korenek family has asked for time to heal and reflect. The pink #58 quarter midget Chip raced in his early days of motorsport competition can now be seen at the Sprint Car Hall of Fame in Phoenix, Arizona.
Due to the magnitude of Chip’s impact on the region, and the volume of people his loss affects within the community, The Colorado Karting Tour intends to host Round 04 of the 2019 Championship Series as a memorial race for Chip. This event will take place on June 22, 2019, with more details surrounding the event to follow.
At present, The Colorado Karting Tour requests that all inquiries regarding arrangements for this event be directed to email: [email protected]
well done!!