Driver News: Austin Schimmel - Crockett Motorsports

After several discussions between Austin Schimmel Racing and Crockett Motorsports, we are proud to announce that Austin has joined Crockett Motorsports.

After finishing 3rd at SKUSA SuperNats and 2nd in the SKUSA Pro Tour, discussions for the 2011 season began. With such a strong run in Vegas, it became once again obvious that Austin was meant to be in this sport. The move to Crockett Motorsports seemed to be the best business decision to make.

Austin and Crockett Motorsports will be able to benefit from each other. Owner Derek Crockett, winner of the Pro Tour in the S2 class, will be able to closely work with Austin to better his on track and off track presence. Austin will be able to share his talents and abilities with the younger drivers on the team as well.

Crockett Motorsports was founded by Derek Crockett of Cahokia, Illinois at the end of the 2009 season. Derek has been karting for 13 years and has been working in a kart shop for 6. When asked about signing Austin Schimmel, Derek stated “We are very happy to have Austin on board with Crockett Motorsports, he will be a huge asset to our S5 program and I'm really looking forward to working with him in the 2011 season.”

Austin Schimmel started racing when he was 9 and never would have thought he’d be given an opportunity like this. When asked about moving teams Austin proudly stated “I am thrilled to be a part of such a close knit team like Crockett Motorsports. This is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me in karting!”

-For more information on Crockett Motorsports check out their Facebook or contact Crockett Motorsports at crockettmotorsport@yahoo.com

-To stay up to date on all of the latest Austin Schimmel Racing info check out our Facebook or contact Jessie Crowbridge at jessiecrowbridge@msn.com to be added on our Friends of Austin mailing list.

www.ekartingnews.com

GP TEAM VENEZUELA WINS!!

Awesome job in south america for the official GP TEAM in Venezuela.
First and second place for the drivers Kevin Alfredo Lopez Gonzales and Sidney Gomez Obiedo.

GOOD JOB TO ALL THE GP VENEZUELA TEAM!!

GP Chassis Claims 2 Series Championships.

At the final round of the Mi-Sedaap Pro Tour, both Mark Swetman and Daniel Bray wrapped up the Series Championships for Formula 125S and the premier KZ2 class, 2 of the 3 classes in the spectacular series in just the chassis’s first year on the New Zealand Market.

Going into the final round Bray had a whopping 17 point lead over fellow GP driver Daniel Dufty, who was running second in the points. Bray qualified on the front row with Dufty managing 5th, (which was respectable, as he could not make Friday practice with work commitments).
In the heat races Bray was in a hefty battle for the lead, finishing 2nd, 2nd and 1st, while working on the chassis set up. Dufty would be in another battle through the heat races finishing 4th and 3rd but unfortunately didn’t finish the 3rd heat race.
In the Pre Final, Bray settled for second place, as he was struggling with a leaking bead lock in the left rear tyre. Dufty once again had a fight to the end on his hands, only to loose 3rd place with 4 laps to go.
The Final lived up to all expectations as a great race. Bray got the lead with his GP chassis, bolting from the standing start (as he had all weekend long). Bray held the lead till lap 4, when he got shuffled back to 3rd and lost ground to the leaders. He pulled the leaders in, in just one lap and made the pass for second. Bray then stalked the leader for the next 5 laps until on lap 10 he made his move, and never looked back, winning the all important final and finishing the series in winning fashion.
Dufty would not have as much fun in the final, not finishing with motor problems. This dropping him to 3rd in the championship by 1 point.

Mark Swetman’s day was business as usual for the GP driver. Mark qualified on pole and won all the heat races, Pre Final and Final. Mark finished the year with the most points possible, getting all the bonus points for qualifying and winning every round.

The newest GP driver Kerry James would have another strong round, driving in the Formula 125S class. In the heat races he would finish as high as 3rd. Kerry finished the final 5th, one place higher than the previous round. Kerry finished the series 4th overall.

GP Driver News: Austin Schimmel - SKUSA Pro Tour SummerNationals - Report

Coming off several solid regional race weekend performances, Austin Schimmel (Colorado Springs, CO) arrived in Shawano, WI looking to continue his stellar 2010 season. The outstanding USA International Raceway was host to rounds 3 and 4 of the 2010 Superkarts! USA Pro Tour. The Pro Tour SummerNationals featured an exciting three day format. One full practice day of six on-track sessions, followed by two complete and separate race days.

Schimmel drove his S5 Rocky Mountain Kartworks GP fantastically through the Friday practice sessions, getting familiar with the track, and setting a pace that no competitors could match. He topped the time sheets in both of the Friday afternoon timed sessions. Saturday qualifying saw Schimmel on pole by nearly 1 second, posting a lap time of 1:12.871. He settled into a rhythm for heats 1 and 2, winning by over 3 seconds in both 6 lap races. In the 12 lap main event, Schimmel built a comfortable lead, but developed a chain/sprocket problem causing him to relinquish the lead and come to a halt on the final lap. A disappointing result for certain, but Schimmel’s pace was undeniably strong.

Saturday night brought foul weather and rain showers that continued at the circuit through warmup and qualifying on Sunday morning. Schimmel qualified 7th on the soaked track after spinning off early in the session. In the first of two heat races, Austin rocketed to the front, holding P2 after 2 laps and taking the lead after 5, winning by about a second and claiming the fastest lap by over half a second. Then, Austin lead the entire 2nd heat and won by nearly 5 seconds, displaying a strong pace for the main event to follow. In the 12-lap final race, it appeared that his competitors had gained a bit of ground, but it wasn’t enough to deny Schimmel. He won by 5 seconds, and set the fast lap of the race, gaining him additional championship points.

Schimmel and the Rocky Mountain Kartworks team are surely pleased with his first career Pro Tour win. Austin’s strong weekend in Wisconsin earned him some nice hardware on the podium, as well as the lead in the season’s points standings. Schimmel will look to score well and protect that championship lead at the SKUSA SuperNationals this fall in Las Vegas, NV.

For more information and racing updates, please visit Austin's fan page

GP Driver News: Austin Schimmel – SKUSA Mountain Region Round 1 Report

Pikes Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colorado was host to the 1st round of the 2010 Superkarts! USA Mountain Region on Saturday, May 8th. Austin Schimmel arrived at this hometown facility looking to start his SKUSA regional program on the top step. The exciting two day regional format featured one full practice day on the newly designed temporary circuit, followed by a complete race day.

Schimmel drove his S5 equipped Rocky Mountain Kartworks GP well through the Friday practice sessions, getting familiar with the track, as well as the cool and windy conditions. He closed the practice rounds at the top of the time sheets, two tenths clear of his competitors. Saturday morning qualifying saw a close battle for pole, with the top three karts covered by three tenths. Austin set a time of 46.84 seconds, securing pole position over his teammate Christian Schureman by five hundredths.

The first of two 10-lap heat races got underway with Schimmel slotting into P2 and then hounding Schureman for the entire session. Austin set the fastest lap and came to the checkers less than two tenths behind the leader. The 2nd heat race was very exciting, with Schimmel holding the point early, swapping P1 with Schureman several times before settling into P2 and bringing it home safely.

After a few more changes to the kart, Schimmel was excited to continue the close battle for the S5 class win in the 20-lap final. His race got underway with a disappointing start, slotting into P3. Schimmel battled to regain P2 over the first 5 laps of the event so he could begin chasing down the leader. Once Austin found the clear air, he set the fastest lap of the race on lap 6 and started chipping away at the leader’s 3 second advantage. Schimmel was able to consistently close the gap over the remaining laps, but ran out of time, crossing the line in P2, just over a second behind the leader.

Another fine effort from Austin and a great way to open his regional points account. Currently second in Mountain Region S5 points, Schimmel will look to score well again at Round 2 of the Mountain Region’s season at Grand Junction Motor Speedway on June 19-20.

For more information and racing updates, please visit his fan page.

NEWS FROM NEW ZEALAND

Promising Début For JVB In His GP Chassis.


At the latest round of the 2010 Top Half series held in the BOP on the weekend of the 15th- 16th May, John Van Bommel had a great debut finishing 2nd in what you would call contrasting days.

Saturday started out very strong for the 17 year old Van Bommel in very changing conditions even thunderstorms throughout the day. Only having had the chassis for 3 days and not knowing where to start with a wet set up, the Aussis Butcher race team just slapped on the wets and went for a run. Van Bommel was instantly fast.
By the end of the day and minimal changes to the GP chassis, Van Bommel was the class act of the field, by 4 tenths.

Sunday then came. What a different day this was, not a cloud in the sky. This meant back to the drawing board for the Aussis Butcher/GP team. With no testing in the dry the day before, the team quickly decided to make this day a test day. John ended up 2nd overall for the weekend with finishes of: 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 7th (from 4 random starting grids throughout the heat races), then 2nd again in the final with a very competitive field of Rotax Max Lights.

John and the Aussis Butcher team are looking forward to working with N-Zed Motorsport and the GP Team in working on a winning package.


N-Zed Motorsport Ltd
35 Leicester Parade
Howick
Auckland 2014
Phone Numbers:
Work: +64 9 5376228
Mob: +64 210407968
Fax: +64 9 5372096
Email: nzedmotorsport@gmail.com

GP DRIVERS WIN IN SINGAPORE

GPRACING ASIA enter two GP drivers for the Singapore National karting championship Round 2. Both the GP karts win podium places. GP Rookie Junior Driver Hong Yang came 3rd And GP Rotax Masters Category Driver Rasheed taking the 2nd place.

Talk of the race was the GP Rookie Driver Hong Yang and more Experience Tony Kart Junior driver fighting for the third place. It was a clean drive by both of the Junior and Senior drivers. Specially Rasheed was driving with engine problems together with Singapore top drivers. Well done GP.

MIRAGE WINS AGAIN IN USA!

The 2010 season continues to be a successful journey for Team Aluminos. The hard work put in by the staff and drivers have equated to strong results on-track. On May 1, Team Aluminos shined once again at the Jim Russell International Karting Center for the third round of the Superkarts! USA ProKart Challenge North program. Team driver coach Tom Dyer made his 2010 S1 debut with a victory, while S4 pilot Jeff Smith extended his win streak to three. TaG Senior pilot Larry Fraser scored his second win of the season to give Aluminos three wins on the event.

Dyer entered the event piloting the new Mirage KZ chassis (miragekart.com), helping to develop a baseline setup for Aluminos operation. The two time SKUSA SuperNationals Stock Moto champion opened up the event with a third place performance in the morning qualifying session, just two-tenths off the pole-sitter. Wasting no time and signaling his intentions, Dyer got a great launch from inside of row two taking the lead at the start and going unchallenged for the win in heat one. Dyer again grabbed the holeshot to begin heat two. On this 8-lap run, he would find pressure and by lap six, Dyer had relinquished the lead and finishing second. Starting the main event from the off-pole position, Dyer launched off the line quickly to take the lead. With a series of quick opening laps, Dyer established a sizable lead. Hitting his marks and putting down consistent lap times over the 20-lap event, Dyer took the victory by over 4-seconds.
 
“The Mirage KZ chassis worked really well at the event,” stated Dyer following the weekend. “It’s now two for two in the win department with this one and Jeff Smith’s win in the S4 class in the second round of the series. I think this chassis likes racing here in North America.”

GP Driver News: Austin Schimmel - SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNationals - Report

Coming off a solid 8th place performance at the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals XIII in November of 2009, Austin Schimmel (Colorado Springs, CO) arrived in Sonoma, CA looking to start the 2010 season on a high note. The beautiful Jim Russell Karting Center was host to the opening rounds of the 2010 SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNationals. The Pro Tour features an exciting three day format. One full practice day of six on-track sessions, followed by two complete and separate race days.

Schimmel drove his S5 (restricted stock moto) GP well through the Friday practice sessions, getting familiar with the track, and the changing conditions. He ended the day in P3, just four tenths off the top time. Saturday qualifying saw an electrifying battle for pole, with the top four karts covered by less than two tenths. Austin’s best lap was only a tenth off pole and good for third. The top group settled into a rhythm for heats 1 and 2, with Schimmel coming home third in both sessions. In the 15 lap main event, Schimmel took over the second position for the first half of the race, but was overtaken, and came to the checkered flag in P3 once again.

Sunday was a new day and hopes were high in the Rocky Mountain Kartworks GP tent. Schimmel was again just a few tenths off the leader’s pace and qualified third with a 50.92 second lap. Heat 1 saw a steady effort to hold P3, but Heat 2 saw him slip one spot on the eighth and final lap due to developing brake issues. With those issues resolved, the main event turned into what is sure to be one of the most exciting S5 races of the year. The top 4 karts were never more than a second or two apart, swapping positions several times per lap for 15 laps. Schimmel closed in on the battle for the lead, holding P2 and was at the point just briefly. The shuffle on the final lap put him back in P3, with the podium finishers crossing the line less than three tenths apart. Closing the day with a fine effort, Austin could also claim the fast lap of 51.07 seconds.

Finishing the weekend out with two podiums was a great result for Schimmel and the Rocky Mountain Kartworks team. Currently second in season points, Schimmel will look to score well again at the SummerNationals in Shawano, WI.

Next up for Schimmel’s 2010 program is the first round of the new SKUSA Mountain Region’s season in Fountain, CO. The experience gained on yet another temporary circuit will surely benefit the young driver at SuperNationals XIV in November.

For more information and racing updates, please visit his fan page.

EXTRAORDINARY GP!

Ieri 28 marzo alla Pista Winner di Nizza M. il nostro pilota THOMAS CINO conquista una straordinaria vittoria con il suo nuovo GP-10 motorizzato TM.

Yesterday 28 of march at the Pista Winner of Nizza M. our driver THOMAS CINO conquest a straordinary winning with his brand new GP-10 powered by TM.

MIRAGE FIRST WIN IN USA!

Team Aluminos continues to be a consistent factor in the early months of the 2010 season. In its third season, Team Aluminos has recorded strong results and strives to guide their drivers to the top of the charts. For a fourth straight event, Aluminos recorded at least one victory with S4 driver Jeff Smith scoring a win at this past weekend’s ProKart Challenge North Round 2 event at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, California.
Smith’s weekend wasn’t a complete sweep like his round one victory. Aboard a new Mirage kart for the first time, prepped by the Aluminos staff, Smith was narrowly edged out for the top spot in the morning qualifying session. Falling back to third on the opening lap of the first heat, Smith knifed his way to the point by lap three. Hounded through the remaining laps, Smith was able to post the fast lap of the heat to make some space before taking the checkered flag. With a better start from the pole in heat two, Smith was once again at the point, leading all eight laps while recording another fast lap for the win. With momentum on his side, Smith drove a smart and error free 20-lap feature race to score his second straight victory and the first in North America for the Mirage brand, running similar lap times to his first two heat races.

GP RACING ASIA TEAM GETTING READY FOR ROTAX MAX CHAMPIONSHIP THIS WEEK END AT SEPANG MALAYSIA

ROCKY MOUNTAIN KARTWORKS GEARS FOR SUCCESSFUL 2010 SEASON

GP Kart importer expands brand across the country for assault at victories and championships

LOVELAND, CO (February 25, 2010) – The 2010 season is gearing up to be a successful year for Rocky Mountain Kartworks (RMKW) and the GP Kart chassis. A full slate of events across the country for the Italian manufactured chassis importer, along with a solid group of dealers, will be putting the GP Kart on a number of tracks in search of victories and championships. With the winter months nearly complete, RMKW is preparing for a busy year of racing.

“The 2010 season is looking to be a solid year for Rocky Mountain Kartworks and GP Karts,” stated owner AJ Noud. “Since becoming the sole United States importer for the brand, we have carefully outlined our business model and now are looking to expand further. The collaboration of new dealers we have signed on and the longtime supporters of the GP brand will only help build the presence throughout the country. We excited to hit the track for our official 2010 debut in the next few weeks.”

Rocky Mountain Kartworks squad, based in Colorado, will campaign the new Superkarts! USA Pro Tour along with the regional program - SKUSA Mountain Region Challenge. The new SKUSA Pro Tour will be a collaboration of the RMKW operation and its many GP Kart dealers, providing a number of Arrive and Drive opportunities for all divisions offered. The Tour will take the GP Kart pilots to the Jim Russell International Karting Center at Infineon Raceway in Northern California for April along with the USA International Raceway in Shawano, Wisconsin in the month of July. Wrapping up the SKUSA Pro Tour will be the 14th annual SuperNationals in Las Vegas, where plenty of GP Karts will be battle for victories.

Rocky Mountain Kartworks will then be the backbone of the GP Kart support for the new SKUSA Mountain Region Challenge based in Colorado for four double-header weekends. Providing a number of Arrive and Driver opportunities, the RMKW tent is sure to be full and loaded with some of the best talent in the Mountain region. In addition, Rocky Mountain Kartworks will return to the Rock Island Grand Prix over the Labor Day weekend along the Mississippi River in the Quad Cities area. In preparation for the SKUSA Pro Tour events, RMKW will be attending the March event of the ProKart Challenge North in Sonoma and the Central States Challenge in Wisconsin for July.

Under the GP Kart banner for 2010 are a number of dealers set to tackle the kart tracks across the country. Crockett Motorsports and Corrida Karting, newly developed shops in the St. Louis and Wisconsin areas, will provide trackside service for those competing in the SKUSA Central States Challenge. Kart Speed Motorsports - a newly relabeled operation out of Northern California - along with the S.T.A. (Shawn Thomas Automotive) Racing program will be the GP Kart foundation for the West Coast. Handling GP Kart customers along the east coast is CF Motorsports who has a great following at sprint and road racing events. Also flying GP Kart colors is Evolution Karting in Indianapolis, one of the longest running supporters of GP Karts.

“We are thrilled with the dealer lineup we have assembled thus far,” continued Noud. Each have a solid base of customers and love working with the GP Kart brand. Our goal is to expand even further with our dealership program to extend the models to areas of the country not yet familiar with the craftsmanship and quality product GP Kart produces.”

Rocky Mountain Kartworks will make their 2010 debut at the ProKart Challenge North event on March 12-13 at the Jim Russell karting circuit at Infineon Raceway in Northern California. The event will be a warm-up for the opening round of the SKUSA Pro Tour in April. To find out about Arrive and Drive programs or to becoming a GP Kart deal, contact AJ Noud at 303.587.4656 or visit www.rmkartworks.com

###

About Rocky Mountain Kartworks:
The exclusive United States importer of the GP chassis, Rocky Mountain Kartworks has 10 years of experience working with the Italian manufactured kart. The Noud family started the Loveland, Colorado operation as one of the founding dealers and now is the central location for all GP Kart products in the country. Rocky Mountain Kartworks has grown into a karting powerhouse through strategic partnerships with first class vendors, including GP Racing, KLS Racing, Kal-Gard, OMP, Motion Pro, Aluminos, Woodsource and many others. The company strives on its countless hours testing and product development necessary to offer a race-winning package for all their customers. More about this growing company can be found at www.rmkartworks.com


www.gpracing.it

GP Karts Win Their First NEW ZEALAND Championship!

As the chequered flag waved at the end of the 31 lap final for the premier class, KZ2 at the CIK Trophy of New Zealand there was a clear winner, Daniel Bray.

Piloting his N-Zed Motorsport, GP chassis powered by an R&R Powersports Maxter, he dominated the weekend’s proceedings.

The weekend kicked off on Saturday morning with 2 x 10 minute Qualifying sessions, which were in dry conditions. Bray only needed the first qualifier to seal pole position with a time of 34.760. This time was 0.058 faster than local hero Karl Wilson who qualified P2.

Just after qualifying, the heavens opened, sending the teams scrambling for their wet weather tyres. Bray didn’t quite know what to expect from his GP chassis as he had never driven it in the rain before. In his 3 years of racing this brand of chassis in the USA it had, never rained.

Race 1. Bray got a lightning start from the standing start, only to come around to complete the first lap and to find it had been red flagged, because of a crash at the start. So they lined up to do it all again. Already with a feel for his clutch, Bray leapt off the line again, pulling out to a 7 ½ second lead by the end of the race, while setting the fastest lap of the race.

“I am amazed at how well this GP chassis handled in those wet conditions. We just slapped the wets on, with the kart still in a dry set up. The kart was near faultless” “We will make a rear width change for the next one, to help my drive off the turns.”

Race 2. Another lightning start for the GP driver, bolting out to a 5 second lead in the opening couple of laps! From there he would slow to the pace of the rest of the field to save tyres. Bray was a staggering 6/10^ths faster than the second fastest time in this heat race.

“The changes we made from race one helped and now has given us a great base setting for the wet.” “I am pleased with today, but tomorrow is a completely different day and that is the only day that counts.”

When Sunday rolled around it was a completely different day. Sunny and no sign of rain.

Race 3. Another great start for Bray on the GP chassis, jumping out to an early lead. In the last 2 laps Bray got caught by the 2^nd and 3^rd placed karts. Under heavy attack from Ryan Grant, Bray managed to somehow hold them off and continue his unbeaten record.

“The kart was handling great throughout the hole race.” “I was struggling off the corners with jetting and pulled the carbie apart to find the needle clip had come out. The needle had bent and jammed in but out of place.” “I was lucky to finish, luck was on my side.”

Pre-Final. With this race being much longer (23 laps) it was going to be a test on the set up of the kart. Bray, again left everyone behind at the start. Within a couple of laps he was out to a comfortable gap and with-stained this for the whole 23 laps.

“The kart was great over the whole race. My lap times didn’t change, within a tenth or two the whole race.” “It makes my job a lot easier, when the kart is that consistent.”

Final. With this the longest race of the year, it was sure to be a test on man and machine. The lights went out for the 31 lap final and it had to be the one start of the day that the GP driver didn’t nail. Luckily Bray caught the clutch and still made it to the first corner in the lead. At the end of the second lap the air pressure in the tyres had risen to where they needed to be. Bray took off and never looked back. He pulled out to the same comfortable gap as in the previous races, and then just held it there. Showing how consistent the kart was, he set his fastest lap time on lap 24 while lapping other competitors in the race. In the last couple of laps Bray got held up in heavy lap traffic reducing the overall winning margin to 4.8 seconds.

This meant Bray lead every lap of every race while doing the clean sweep and giving the GP chassis and the new importers N-Zed Motorsport their first New Zealand title to add to the North Island title they won at Labour Weekend in Manawatu.

“I’m so pleased with how this weekend has gone, just flawless!” “I have to thank my sponsors: N-Zed Motorsport, GP Racing, R&R Powersports, Aluminos, Turbo-Traders Racewear, Dave Bray’s Chassis Shop.” Bray said after the meeting.

KZ2 Final Result

1^st Daniel Bray GP/Maxter/Vega 31 laps

2^nd Ryan Grant Maranello/TM/Vega +4.829

3^rd Karl Wilson Tony Kart/Vortex/Vega +5.114

If you have any inquiries about the GP product contact the team at N-Zed Motorsport: nzedmotorsport@gmail.com

GP WINS IN NEW ZEALAND!

Bray, 22, claimed the Senior trophy with a clean-sweep in the KZ2 class, while defending title holder Arie Hutton fought back to keep the Junior trophy for another year in the top Junior category, KF3.

Hosted by Wellington club KartSport Wellington at its CRC Raceway at Kaitoke in the foothills north-east of Upper Hutt, the three-day event attracted a class field of over 80 drivers including two from Australia.

Heading into the meeting multi-time New Zealand champion Ryan Grant was the favourite to successfully defend his 2009 CIK Trophy of New Zealand title in the KZ2 class. However reigning North Island class champion Bray claimed pole position in qualifying on Saturday morning then went on to win all three heat races and both the Pre-Final (the race which determines the grid for the winner-takes-all-Final) and the Final, the latter from Grant and top local driver Karl Wilson.

The 22-year-old spent the past year competing in the United States and he believes racing against some of the best kart racers there has helped him raise his game.

"I knew both Ryan and Karl were going to be hard to beat but having said that I was confident this year I had a package that was as good, if not better, than their's"

Bray won the first two heats from young Bay of Plenty driver Daniel Dufty with Australian driver Matthew Hayes third in the first and Grant third in the second. He then won the third from Grant and fellow Aucklander Richard Moore before winning the Pre-Final from Grant and Dufty and the Final from Grant and Wilson.

KZ2
Daniel Bray 1; Ryan Grant 2; Karl Wilson 3; Richard Moore 4; Jason Farmilo 5; Daniel Dufty 6.

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