It's going to be an amazing day! Pre-registration required. See link below.
]]>When I first heard I was going to go down to Calspeed for the Challenge of the Americas race it did not really set in that I was actually going. As we got closer to the date it became, I started to get nervous because before this past weekend I have never been to a race of that much competitiveness. As I headed to the race, I of course wanted to win, but since it was my first big travel race, I set a goal to finish top ten.
When I arrived in California on Tuesday it finally became real to me, and it was kind of hard to sleep that night. The next three days I had practice to learn the track and improve my times. After Friday I started to become physically tire, but on Saturday my tiredness went away probably from the adrenalin of the race.
I was so excited to participate in the race, but also so nervous. On Saturday I qualified 6th out of 20 and during the first heat I was involved in a wreck that bent my chassis. This was the hardest part of the weekend for me, as I knew I did not have a chance to win starting in last and with a bent chassis. I was told with a bent chassis it would be extremely hard to turn, however I still chose to go out for the final. I was able to work my way up to 15th out of 20, which did not accomplish my goal, but I felt was good finishing in that position with a bent chassis.
The next day was a little bit better because I switched chassis. I qualified 10th which scared me a little bit because I would be on the outside for the first turn. During the first heat I finished 10th, and luckily avoided all wrecks. Even though I was faster than my qualifying session and had lap times faster than those ahead of me, I was starting to get frustrated with myself in that I did not pass anyone or get closer to the front of the pack. I was determined to do better. During the final I was able to work my way up to 6th out of 20. I felt good about this, especially with it being my first big race.
After the race was over, I was surprised to see that the two other girls in my class got podium. Kart racing is mainly filled with boys and very few girls, so this was cool to see.
As I was headed home from the race weekend, I felt extremely tired and wanted to sleep. I was not used to racing for so many days in a row, and I could definitely feel it. As I look forward to the next big race, I will work on increasing my stamina which will improve my overall performance.
]]>2. Functionality
Functionality is personal preference. Think about your time at the track and how a kart stand can alleviate stress, frustration, or even physical pain. Whether you pit on gravel or pavement will determine what type of wheels you require. If you visit the track on your own, you should consider a one-person stand, or if you come to the track with a friend, a standard kart stand might work for best you. If storage is important to you, consider a kart stand with a tray for holding tools, chain lube or other accessories. Make a list of the top 3 functions that are non-negotiables to help you determine which stand will best suit your needs.
3. Quality
Your kart stand will be carrying over 200lbs of precious cargo. Choosing a kart stand with superior quality is vital in the longevity of your stand, as well as, keeping your kart safe. Quality stands can be found by searching for reputable companies with good customer support so you know you will be taken care of if you need assistance. Ask around at your local track to see what others recommend. Look for country of origin; generally speaking, most stands from Italy are high quality, although quality stands from the US are starting to emerge as well.
4. Transportation
Fitting all your equipment, tools, tent and kart into your truck or trailer can be a challenge. Look for kart stands that break down easily and can be compact for storage and transportation.
5. Hold Your Load
All kart stands can hold varying weights. Be sure to check for the maximum load before making your purchase to avoid your stand from breaking or collapsing.
Shop Kart Stands
Formula Karting Championship
Kalvin Chen
Yorba Linda, CA
http://www.formulakartchamp.com/
909.802.8731
In racing, success is determined by the performance of not only the driver, but their equipment, too. It’s a 50/50 relationship. I see a lot of kids around the paddock who do their driver duties, but go no further. Sure, if you have mechanic who does the work and lets you focus on your driving, then great; but, you can’t ignore the importance of the relationship that you as a driver have with your machine.
As cheesy as it sounds, being “one” with the go kart can be the difference between first place and a midfield finish. Nobody likes driving a kart that doesn’t feel how you want it to, and certainly nobody likes a driver who blames their equipment for the results. As Italian Motors’ technician, Henry, likes to say, if you don’t understand the go kart, then how can you understand what it’s doing?
Each race brings new challenges, and there are always adjustments to be made; but, unless your kart is in tip-top shape, don’t bother making set up changes. You can take a straight, well-maintained go kart with factory setup to any race and be competitive without having to change anything other than maybe gear changes.
But successful racers know there’s more to it than that. Michael Valiante taught me that the best drivers know how to work on their kart.
So I challenge everyone reading this to take the first steps toward a successful relationship with your go kart. Take time after every session or race to wipe down your go kart. Look at it, and feel every inch of it as you go: feel your chain tension, check the tightness of important nuts and bolts that can go loose, check your brake pads. See something questionable – write it down and ask a professional.
Performing these simple tasks consistently will create better results. Not only can your results improve, but you’ll experience the satisfaction of controlling your own destiny and being the best driver you can be.
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Only a couple of weeks away from American Thanksgiving has us thinking about just how much we have to be thankful for. Not to be corny, but coming into work today, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of gratitude for my place of work. Even though its a kart track, there is a sense of beauty and serenity here. I am personally very thankful for my dads perseverance and hard work in creating a beautiful place to come to work to. Your turn Henry Jenkins
SIMA Thankful Post - Day 2 with Henry Jenkins
Each day at the gates of SIMA I am thankful for newly opened doors, wide open horizons, hard battles to fight, long days to endure, opportunities to be challenged, the endless growing to be done, above all an environment where I can see my truest self reflected in what I create with my hands. -berries (aka Henry Jenkins) Your turn Christine Oliver Nunamaker
SIMA Thankful Post - Day 3 with Christine Nunamaker
I’m grateful for the opportunity to use all of my experience and skills to let other people do what they do best while I do what I love to do – to organize, to improve systems and processes, to analyze, and most importantly to me, to find balance – not just in terms of debits and credits – but in all ways. I’m grateful that in seeking balance, I get the pleasure and privilege of working with awesome owners, staff, customers and suppliers. I'm grateful that CV gives us nicknames, and Claudia encourages our personal growth, that staff have each others' back on race days and that I have this amazing place to come to every day.
- Christine Nunamaker @christine.nunamaker
This weekend was my first race in the Senior LO206 and TAG Senior, and I was excited and a little nervous to get started in Senior. I expected to be around mid-pack in both karts as I learn how to drive the karts with the extra power and weight. We arrived at the Greg Moore Raceway at around 6:30PM on Thursday evening. We then had dinner and set up our pit. After that I went to bed to rest for practice on Friday.
Day 1
Friday practice began and I got my first try at the Senior class. It was very different to drive, as braking points and handling behaviors changed drastically from the Junior class. LO206 ended up being a bit slower than Junior, since Senior class runs more weight with the same amount of power, while TAG Senior was very similar on pace to TAG Junior 3. I ran well in both classes, quickly picking up the pace up to the front runners in my classes. At the end of the day, I was on pace with the front runners in LO206, but still about 6-7 tenths off in TAG.
Day 2
Race 1 started off fairly well, as both karts ran nicely during practice. Qualifying went ok in TAG as I qualified 5th, but in LO206, I was a bit off the pace and qualified 6th. That was about where I expected to be before the weekend, as I thought I would be mid pack while I learn how the Senior kart behaves, as well as racing against different drivers.
TAG pre final went very well, as I got to 3rd place right away at the start. This happened because the outside lane got a poor start, allowing me to get into a great position. I was eventually able to pull away from the rest of the field, but was a bit off pace from the top 2 and ended the race in no-man's land.
LO206 also went well, as I had great battles while staying in the pack. I ended the race in 5th, which was a good position for the final.
For the TAG final, I held 3rd at the start and stayed there the entire race. However, I had some pressure for the first few laps. Once I built a gap, I conserved tires to make sure I had enough for tomorrow. The LO206 final went very well. It was a great battle all the way through the race, and I fell to 7th but moved back up to 4th. On the final lap, the driver in front went for a move on 2nd and I followed him through. With just one lap, I defended for the last lap since the driver in front also defended. That led to me taking 3rd and getting 2 podiums for my first 2 senior races! I was very surprised that I pulled it off, but I had good pace the entire day and was very happy for the great result!
Day 3
Race 2 only had 1 practice in each kart, so I did not have much time to prepare for qualifying. However, TAG qualifying went well as I qualified in second place, but I was 6 tenths off the pace of pole. LO206 qualifying went great as I qualified pole position! However, I made a few mistakes in the prefinals.
Unfortunately, I did not get a good start in TAG and fell to 4th almost immediately, as my lane got a poor start. However, I quickly fought back up to 3rd place and stayed there for the remainder of the race. In LO206, I got an average start, but the driver in second got a great start and took the lead right away, I fell back through the race all the way back to 6th, but regained one position and finished 5th. Overall I made a few mistakes, but I took those as learning for the finals.
The final TAG race started and another driver got aggressive and got a pass on me during lap 1. However, I put some pressure on the other driver and they made a critical mistake soon after. I took that opportunity to capitalize and push on to try and reach second. Others soon crashed and retired behind me giving me an opportunity to chase for second. I started about 3-4 seconds behind and through the race pushed to attempt to close the gap. I got it down to around 1 second, but the driver ahead put in some fast laps towards the end of the race and the gap remained steady. I finished the race 3rd, and prepared for the LO206 race.
I ran a very good race in LO206 for the first few laps, as I gained positions and moved up to 3rd place. However, a driver behind misjudged his braking point and rammed into my rear heading into a corner. On the exit of that corner, we unfortunately tangled and hopped over each other’s wheel, ending my race and collecting some other drivers. Unfortunately, that ended my race, as well as my chances at a podium finish.
Conclusion
Overall, it was a solid weekend with 3 podium finishes as well as a pole position in LO206. It was a great result for my debut weekend in the Senior classes. Although I made a few mistakes, I had good learning and had fun learning the new karts and racing wheel to wheel with the other drivers. My next race will be round 9-10 of the ICP at SIMA, which I am very excited for. In conclusion, it was a great weekend with great results, and I am excited to continue on my senior venture.
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Evan started his karting experience at Sima when he got a half day driver fundamentals of karting workshop at Sima for his 11th birthday and was instantly hooked. In August of that year he entered his first race and is now competing in his 3rd full season or karting. Driving with the Italian Motors team has given him
the opportunity to participate in races around North America and last year between Jr Tag and LO206 he competed in 40 races. He loves racing and winning but what he likes even more is the fun he has with his track friends. We asked Evan to share a Driver’s Journal with us reflecting on his most recent race weekend, the ICP Cup in Spokane Washington and what he did to prepare for the weekend.
Leading up to the race I talked with my parents and we made a plan to improve my results from the previous ICP Cup. We focused on the basics of sleep, mental focus and of course getting practice laps in. I tried to sleep 12 hours most days, ate lots of good food and kept my mind strong by keeping relaxed. For me that means having lots of free time to ride my dirt bike, hang out with friends and stay on top of my school work.
When I mapped out my plan it looked like this…
Goal: Increase Sleep Time
• In bed by 9:00 awake by 10:00. I switched to online learning the beginning of May as part of the plan so I can start my school day at 11:00.
Goal: Increase Mental Focus
• Put away my phone for race weekend
• Only talk about qualifying times with my mechanic, Craig LaBrocca, back at pit
• Have go kart on grid early and sit in seat to make sure I’m comfortable and at grid on time
• Go to RV during long breaks to watch movies and relax
• Review data with my teammates
• Talk a lot about gearing, handling and tire pressure with Craig so he and I could make decisions together
• Do a track walk with teammates
• Go to bed early so I wake up rested
• Get ahead in my schoolwork so I don’t have the stress on the weekend thinking about falling behind and coming back to a pile of work
• Ask my parents to talk about the good parts of the race which helps me stay calm and on pace
Goal: Get in Practice Laps
• Switch to online learning so I can be more flexible with my schedule
• Stop playing on my basketball team so I could make more time for karting
• Increase my practice days from once to three times a week
• Invite friends to go out and practice with me
All this preparation made me feel ready for the ICP Cup race. I think the best thing I did was increase my mental focus. I had this plan going for about a month before the ICP Cup race in Spokane. I had made a lot of changes as a driver and was looking forward to seeing if they would show in my results in Spokane. Race weekend arrived. ICP Cup, rounds three and four were starting in Spokane, Washington.
Friday, May 24
We woke up at the track in our RV. I was feeling good and wanted to get driving so I could learn the track. I went out for every practice session in TAG and LO206. Craig, my teammates and our coach, Michael Valiante, worked together comparing our sessions to figure out the best set up for each of our go karts. By the end of the day I felt confident that my lap times were on pace to be
competitive for the weekend. I stayed focused on racing and after dinner and hanging out made sure I was in bed by 9:00.
Saturday, May 25
I put on my race gear, had a small snack rather than a full breakfast and headed out to the drivers’ meeting. I went out for both practices in each class and felt ready for qualifying. I talked A LOT with Craig and I think that helped with the mechanics and with my mental focus and feeling prepared. The kart was ready.
Now it was up to me to go out and drive the best I could.
In four stroke I didn’t have a good qualifying time and started the pre final from tenth. At the end of the session I realized I made some mistakes that hurt my
ability to get laps without running into traffic on the track. I thought it over and made a plan for Sunday.
Right after my four stroke qualifying I went out for TAG and qualified second behind my friend and teammate, Mario Gill. The group of drivers in TAG was really competitive and I knew I would be in for a tight race with so many talented drivers in the field.
After a relaxing lunch break and a good James Bond movie I went out in the four stroke prefinal and improved my position from 10th to 6th which helped build my confidence. I brought my kart back to the pit, talked with Craig and then helped get my TAG ready and took it to grid.In the TAG pre-final I started p2 and finished half a second behind Mario.
My back started hurting quite a bit by this time and I had my Mom check it out. I have a number of bruises on my back from karting and one of them had the skin
worn off and was burning which made it even more painful. Luckily, my Mom keeps a first aid kit and fixed me up.
The final for four stroke had me starting in p6. I was focused on trying to improve my position but I was unable to and after making it up to 5th ended up finishing back in 6th where I started. Craig and I talked it over after the race and decided to make mechanical changes for Sunday which ended up paying off.
TAG final started shortly after and on the 6th lap I was able to make a pass and hold the position through to the end of the 17 lap race and won. Mario was still
close behind me but got passed on the final straightaway finishing third. A great part of the day was after the racing and dinner were over. First I called my Grandpa Browne because he is just totally crazy about my racing and couldn’t
make the trip so I shard some stories with him. Then, I did another track walk with my friend, Massimo and hung out with other kids at the track. I think just hanging around together at the end of the day and having fun is a super important part of racing because it makes it fun and helps get rid of the stress from the day.
Sunday, May 26
When I woke up Sunday morning I felt sick to my stomach and my back was so sore from the bruising I wasn’t sure if I would compete in both classes or even at all. My Mom gave me an Advil for the pain, some ginger for my stomach, patched up my back and said it was up to me whether or not I raced. I decided to skip the LO206 practice and went out for the TAG practice to see how I would feel. I thought I could manage the pain and made the decision to race both classes again.
Before heading out for LO206 qualifying I spent a lot of time working together with team-mate Jesse Webb. When I went out for qualifying in LO206 I was able to improve my qualifying position to fourth just ahead of my teammate Kason by 0.001 seconds. Tight! Following that I went out for TAG qualifying and finished p2 just ahead of Mario. Then the p1 driver got disqualified at the scales which meant I would be starting the prefinal from pole. I felt so relieved!
In the LO206 prefinal I battled back and forth with three other drivers changing positions four times in the race and falling to p5 before making a last lap pass to recover to p4. Then the first place finisher ended up getting disqualified
after tech which moved me up to p3 where I would start the final from.
In the TAG prefinal race that followed, my teammate, Mario, passed me on the second lap and he was able to hold on for the win beating me by 0.6 seconds.
In the four stroke final I had a great battle with Caleb Schrader and Gracie Brown. I got passed on the start and fell to third before working my way up to first and then falling back to second. On the final lap of the race I had a great back and forth battle with Caleb. In the end our karts were side by side but he won by 0.027 seconds which was less than the width of my nose cone. What a great race! It felt great to improve from my 6th place finish on Saturday to a 2nd. The changes Craig and I decided on made a big difference and also resulted in me having the fastest lap time recorded in the race.
In the TAG final I had a great start from p2 and was able to get into p1 by turn two. I managed to hold the p1 position for the entire race. Mario got on my bumper a few times but I was able to make a comfortable gap towards the end of the race. I remember I felt exhausted and kept telling myself to just keep holding the steering and talked myself through each turn focusing on one at a time. I kept thinking, “Hold on. Just hold the steering wheel.” I guess it worked.
Before podium Jake Preston came into our RV and figured out from the balloons that Sunday was also the day I turned 14. He promised he would embarrass me and he kept his promise. At the podium ceremony when I went up for my TAG trophy he yelled out, “Happy Birthday Evan!” Monroe Jordan followed with and even louder yell and then the announcer, Terry Bridges, caught on and got the whole crowd to sing to me. Yep Jake you kept your word. I was embarrassed. Can’t wait to get you back!
After the race we drove home getting back to Chilliwack at 1:00 am. The next day I was physically and mentally exhausted even though I slept until 11am. I rested all day except for a little bit of dirt biking to get outside. It felt great to improve on my Tri City results where I finished 3rd overall in Tag and 5th in LO206 for the weekend. I will stick with my plan for the race in McMinville and continue to focus on me more than my go kart.
]]>Throughout the year their commitment to the sport was apparent. Training devices were put into their garage, every weekend was spent at the track and Jesse even competed in a couple of F-Series. Aside from the racing, Jeff says “there are so many things I like about this community of racers, there is a lot of support and advice from fellow parents and driver, the kids all seem to get along so well and just the vibe of race day and seeing others at SIMA as well as the others tracks is pretty cool”.
With high level of commitment and determination, Jesse quickly advanced from a beginner and was competing at front of the pack. It was obvious that his competitors and other members of the racing community felt the same as he was voted as SIMA’s 2019 Rookie of the Year.
The Webbs are ambassadors of the sport and a true testament to the bond that karting can cultivate for parents and their children.
Check out the PITSTOP with each driver below.
Hardest Thing You Have Ever Done?
Jeff - Having to say goodbye to my Dad
Jesse - Learn how to pass
What is your favorite movie?
Jeff - Shawshank Redemption because it shows you to never give up or lose hope.
Jesse - Groundhog Day
If you were offered a seat on the next space shuttle, would you take it?
Jeff - No
Jesse - No, because I would miss things we do no Earth
What makes you laugh the hardest?
Jeff - Claudio
Jesse - My dads jokes
Proudest Accomplishment
Jeff - Raising a son
Jesse - Being voted Rookie of the Year
Where would you most like to travel?
Jeff - Africa
Jesse - Dubai because there is alot to do
What is one goal you hope to accomplish this year?
Jeff - Pass Rob Jukes
Jesse - Get a streak of three podiums in a row.
What do you love most about karting?
Jeff - Speed and friends
Jesse - Close Racing
If you were Prime Minister/President, what is the first thing you would do?
Jesse - Put in a kart lane
If you could be any animal, what would it be?
Jesse - A cat because it has 9 lives
Looking forward to the start of the racing season and seeing our friends at the track.
]]>1. Come prepared - make sure you have adequate rain gear for your suit and feet to ensure your clothing stays dry.
2. Use hot shots in your gloves and shoes for added warmth.
3. Keep moving!
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Try out date: March 24
Back up date if rained out: April 7
REGISTER HERE
SIMA is very excited to offer the fifth annual New Junior Driver Program. We appreciate the interest in our program and invite you to contact us if you have any further questions regarding the shoot out or the racing program itself. We can be reached at info@simaracing.com or by calling Claudia Carpentier at 360-988-5104. Please read the the following information before proceeding.
If my child wins a scholarship, what are the additional registration fee's that apply?
By winning one of the ten scholarships, your child will be offered a complete racing kart package, racewear, consumables and general maintenance to use in the SIMA Summer Series and practice sessions. This is valued at approximately $4000 per child. Registration fees for the 7 races and 7 practice sessions are $700 plus taxes. No refunds will be granted for missed races and sessions. Price includes insurance passes for driver only.
When and where are the races held?
The races are all held at SIMA. The races will be held in conjunction with the 2019 SIMA Series (Club Races) and one Gold Cup Race (Regional Race). The SIMA Series race days are an all day Saturday event and the Gold Cup event is a Saturday, Sunday event. The Kid Kart class will run in between other classes from approximately 12:00pm to 4:30pm. Due to the popularity of this shoot out and SIMA's investment, each child is expected to attend every race and practice event. The schedule of events are listed below (dates still tbd):
Practice Dates:
90 Minute Practice Sessions
5:00pm-6:30pm
April 4
April 18
May 2
May 16
May 30
June 20
July 18
July 25
August 15
September 5
September 19
Race Dates:
May 4
June 8
June 29
August 3-4
September 7
October 5 & Banquet
REGISTER HERE
Being an avid Formula 1 fan, Sammy knew most F1 drivers start their career in karting. Around the age of 11, Sammy started racing rental karts at a local track in Seattle. Each weekend he and his father would practice until they believed that Sammy was ready to commit to purchasing his own equipment. The Barrera's made their way to SIMA and by 2015, he was racing in the SIMA Series with Italian Motors.
For the past three years, Sammy's commitment, dedication and passion have become more and more apparent. The amount of time he spent in the seat of his kart in 2018 is staggering; 1,500 miles in winter testing and 4,386 miles or 4,980 laps of racing throughout the season. Due to his late entry in the sport, Sammy feels he had to work twice as hard as his competitors. "When practicing, I usually keep driving unless something goes wrong with the kart or if I physically cannot withstand driving another 30 laps, "says the racer when asked about his training. Sammy is quick to add that he's not the only one that has to put the hard work in to catch up to his competitors, "my father has had to learn about how to mechanic a kart".
With a lot of the emphasis in karting on being fast, Sammy comments that being selected for Italian Motors Driver of the Year was an honour as it stands for someone who is committed to training in all weather conditions and for being a exceptional and model team member.
In the end, Sammy believes that "being determined, committed, and naturally talented is something that you have to work hard to become, but it does become easier if racing is your passion. Being determined and committed only works out well if you love what you are doing, or else you won't work as hard".
Keep a watch out for this up and coming IM driver in 2019!
]]>For more information on Michael click here
]]>The Michael Valiante Driving Academy is hosting its Winter Group Coaching. See more information here.
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Since the beginning Italian Motors has been very proactive with providing great engines, chassis and parts to their customers and nothing has changed as the recently they have introduced the X125T-MX. This next-gen TaG engine allows for great power, less vibration, Internal water pump, built-in hour meter, one-piece pipe and a 15500 rev limiter with 30hp. If you are looking for great products and service make sure to check out all Italian Motors and X125 websites for the latest news and details.
Track website: www.simaracing.com
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