Colorado Karters,
I have been reading with interest your posts regarding the note I sent to Stacey Cook regarding Superkarts USA! The note was sent in order to update Stacey on what we hope to accomplish with the program if it is adopted in Colorado. It is by no means inclusive to everything we may be able to offer, and of course at this early stage it is simply a general overview of what is possible.
As enthusiasts of this great sport, we all know successful kart racers are developed over time. Setting up a kart for optimal performance is not something that happens overnight. Without hours of testing, tweaking and refining the set-up, you may as well as resign yourself to running in the middle of the pack. Simply put, seat time is key to any kart racers success over the course of a season. That is why I am always amused by the immediate criticism most new karting endeavors inevitably face in this small and close knit community of competitive kart racers.
As stated in the note, the SKUSA team is completely new- and is just getting up to speed. We?ve literally just hopped in the seat! Of course it will take time to create a program that helps promote the overall health of the sport- while at the same time addressing each region and the needs of their participants. As with anything new you have to start somewhere, and that is exactly what we are doing. Thankfully we are starting from a position of strength and with what we know best, and that is delivering the best racing experience possible?and we?ve done that with the ProKart Challenge.
I encourage you to examine ProKart Challenge in detail (http://www.prokartchallenge.com). Please read the numerous posts online about the series (http://www.ekartingnews.com), the many press items that have appeared in print, and speak or email with some of the competitors who participate in the series. I am confident you will come away impressed.
But remember, the ProKart Challenge business model works in the So Cal marketplace for a reason- because we examined what was happening there in late 2004 and responded to the need of the karters in the area. ProKart?s class structure is what works for us in California, not Colorado. It is going to take input and support from participants in Colorado in order to build a program that works. Each region will have it?s own class structure based on their specific needs, as would Colorado It?s as simple as that. We built Prokart Challenge from scratch into a powerhouse in a little over a year?can the same be said for SKUSA!? Only time will tell, but I am confident we?ll ultimately deliver.
The first race of the ProKart Challenge season takes place on tomorrow. With that under Tom Kutscher?s belt he?ll soon be able to move on the key issues such as class structure and rulebook decisions for the SKUSA regions? and as soon as the transfer of ownership is complete, you will see updates on the SKUSA website and the information pipeline will begin to flow. Thanks for your time and please feel free to email me at [email protected] with any additional questions.
Jim Baltutis