Karting on Credit

Half of motorsports parents prepared to incur a $35k debt to help their child's career, reveals survey. 

• • 58% say the high cost of karting severely stretches their finances. 

•  2 in 3 say they do not consider motorsports inclusive, given the exorbitant costs involved. 

• • Infographic showing survey results.

source: prfire

Survey Finds 98 Percent of First-Time Go-Kart Racers Say Professional Drivers Are Athletes

#AutobahnAthletes

As the 2019 NASCAR Season debuts at the Great American Race this weekend, the debate as to whether race car drivers are athletes will no doubt resurface in television studios, sports bars and living rooms across the country, yet a simple experiment conducted by Autobahn Indoor Speedway & Events at 6399 Shelby Drive in Memphis suggests the argument would be best settled from racing, not talking.

From April 1 through October 31, 2018 employees asked 315 first-time karters to answer the simple question: “Do you think race car drivers are athletes?” Pre-race, 52% of customers said, “Yes.” Employees asked those customers the exact same question after they’d completed their races, and 98% agreed that race car drivers are athletes.

One of those customers, Alexis Gillis, agreed that professional race car drivers are “top tier athletes.” “It takes endurance. You have to be smart. You have to have mental strength,” said Gillis. Almost every participant said it was “harder than it looks.”

“I think race car driving is like a lot of sports. When watching it on television, it’s hard to appreciate how difficult it is, and the best drivers always make it look easy,” said Josh Mayo, General Manager, Autobahn. “We felt the place to settle this argument was not in the television studio or by the water cooler, but at the track.”

And, as Mayo points out, racing an electric go-kart in air-conditioned comfort for a few miles while wearing street clothes is not the same as negotiating an open wheel or stock car in heavy traffic for 400 miles or so at 200 miles per hour. While what the pros do is much harder, less than 30 minutes of karting demonstrated how much coordination, spatial awareness, reflexes, mental focus and physical endurance racing requires.

According to Mayo, Autobahn Indoor Speedway & Events, which has 12 indoor tracks nationwide where Italian-made, Formula 1-inspired, electric pro-karts can reach speeds up to 50 miles per hour, will continue the survey in all of its locations this year.

Even though the debate may persist in circles well beyond the track, it’s been settled in the minds of those who make their living in racing. Professional and amateur athletes, along with weekend warriors, are encouraged to take the Autobahn Racers are Athletes challenge by visiting www.autobahnspeed.com.  They are also encouraged to post videos or opinions on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram using the hashtag #AutobahnAthletes.

“Cardiovascular fitness, strength endurance, neurological efficiency, and other pillars of athleticism will make any driver more competitive,” said Caitlin Quinn, MS CSCS RSCC, who trains a number of drivers for Toyota Racing Development. “The fitter you are, the better decisions you will make under pressure.”

About Autobahn Indoor Speedway:

Autobahn Indoor Speedway is a premier indoor karting center. The European style go-karting takes place in a state-of-the-art facility in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grand Prix style provides a real racing experience. Racers take to the tracks in unique, high-speed electric Italian pro-karts. These F1 inspired karts reach speeds of up to 50 mph. The attractive, upscale facility has the latest technology and is ideal for corporate events, team building, fundraisers, and competition racing events. For more information, visit: www.AutobahnSpeed.com. 

source: PR

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American E-Kart Championship Brings Competitive Racing to Everyone

What a Great and Fun Opportunity to Show What You Got as a Racer and Compete for a $10,000 Prize

The American E-Kart Championship (AEKC) powered by Monster Energy announced its nationwide, indoor karting series schedule today with races starting Monday, May 21 and culminating with the Championship Weekend on Saturday, August 11 and Sunday, August 12 at Accelerate Indoor Speedway & Events, Chicago in Mokena, Ill. with the winner receiving a $10,000 cash prize.

The second place winner will receive $2,500, and the third place winner will receive $1,000. Various cash prizes will also be offered in qualifying rounds.

Officially sanctioned by the World Karting Association (WKA), the series offers practically anyone the opportunity to be a champion racer.

“What makes this series special is that everyone who participates has an equal shot at winning. It’s not about sponsors or having the best engine program. Everyone drives the same karts on the same tracks, and anyone who is old enough and tall enough to drive a kart can show up,” says Donald Wagner, Commissioner of the American E-Kart Championship. “This year, an entirely unknown driver could lay claim to being America’s fastest E-kart racer.”

Competitors can choose to race at any of the 18 participating indoor e-karting tracks. Champions from each of the tracks will then earn a berth, along with local expenses paid (participants must secure their own travel) to race in the American E-Karting Championship Finals at Accelerate.

Participating tracks include Autobahn Indoor Speedway & Events, with locations in Hadley, Mass., Palisades, N.Y., Harrisburg, Pa., White Marsh, Md., Jessup, Md., Manassas, Va., Dulles, Va., Memphis, Tenn., Jacksonville, Fla., Birmingham, Ala., and Tucson, Ariz.; ; Xtreme Racing, Wichita, Kan.; Veloce Indoor Speedway Milwaukee, Waukesha, Wis.; Need2Speed in Reno, Nv.; Overdrive Raceway in Colorado Springs, Colo.; MB2 Raceway, Grimes, Iowa; High Voltage Indoor Karting, Cleveland, Ohio; and Accelerate Indoor Speedway & Events Chicago. 

For map of the locations, visit https://www.americanekart.com/participating-tracks.

“Every day, we see so much talent from ordinary people at the track,” says Wagner, who also serves as Director of Operations for Autobahn and Accelerate. “Some of the world’s top race car drivers, like Jeff Gordon and Lewis Hamilton, got their start racing karts. Our goal is to make racing accessible to everyone. Having the series sanctioned by the top governing body in the world and sponsored by Monster Energy, one of the world’s preeminent brands in racing and extreme sports, brings real legitimacy to the championship. It’s real racing for real people.”

“The World Karting Association has always had a place for everyone in Karting, and that includes E-Karting. With that, the decision for WKA to sanction The American E-Karting Championship powered by Monster Energy was a no-brainer.” states Kevin Williams, President of WKA, “Many of the global motorsports stars started in various forms of Karting, and we are excited to see the stars of this series.”

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Moses Returns to His Desert Roots

The 48th BudLight Score BAJA 1000 - November 20-21, 2015

Now a days, Moses Smith happily goes to work every day as the manufacturer of the popular open-wheel racecar known as the Formula Mazda. As the owner of Texas Autosports, a full-service Formula Mazda Racecar prep shop, Moses continues to “live the dream.”

Moses talks to his parents
after a Baja Race in the 1980s

What most fans do not realize is that Moses’ dream was born in the early 1980s. He was on a 'pit crew' by the time he was just three years old. He and his father, Paul would work long hours at the race shop of Off-Road Racer Malcolm Vinje*. There he learned all about desert racing by working on the Baja 1000 Class 5 and then Class 7S race machines.

Moses’ family outings in the Southern California deserts further his interest. The thrill of his own three-wheeler and his father’s dune buggy fueled Moses’ love for going fast.

Unbelievably, before the age of ten, Moses had progress in his race crew duties to include driving the chase vehicles from checkpoint to checkpoint solo. The youngster’s feet could barely touch the Baja Bug’s pedals, but that did not discourage him as he focused on pushing that clutch in far enough to shift smoothly.

“Off road racing was my first love, that’s what I wanted to do when I grew up.” Moses recalled. “I have had been very fortunate to have driven a lot of different racecars over the years, but Off Road racing and Baja has always eluded me. It has been on my list for as long as I can remember. I am pumped to finally get my chance in the dirt!”

Moses Smith began his racing career in the extremely competitive Southern California Karting Region. Moses clearly set himself apart from his competition both on and off the track. Winning the California State Championship and the SDKA Junior Sportsman Championship proved his on track abilities, while also holding the prestigious title of the youngest member of the famed San Diego Karting Association Board of Directors.

Star Mazda Podium -- Luis Schiavo (left), Moses Smith (middle),
and Michael McDowell (right) -- at Road Atlanta 2003

With karting accomplishments in hand, Moses worked to further his motorsports goals. Moses moved into full size race cars the hard way. As a mechanic for the Skip Barber Racing School and other prominent professional race teams, the young driver was able to learn the intricacies of the sport while biding his time to get behind the wheel.

The opportunity was not far off. In 2000, Moses got his career break competing in a limited schedule of Formula Mazda (FM) events. Moses parleyed that limited schedule into become one of the top Formula Mazda drivers on the pro circuit.

In 2002, Moses missed winning the North American Star Mazda Pro Series, by just one point. However, he won the Star Mazda West Coast Championship. In 2003, Moses tested in the Toyota Atlantic car and entered an Infiniti Pro Series event.

Never one to stay stagnant, Moses became a Star Mazda team owner in 2004. He opened his own online store in January of 2006.

In September 2009, Moses acquired all support and manufacturing rights for the approximately 300 Formula Mazda rotary-powered race cars currently in use across North America, as well as the MSR sports racer, a full-bodied version of the FM.

From 2007 to 2011, Moses competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West. He finished third in the championship points standing his last season. Further, he was voted the series Most Popular Driver in four consecutive years!

Moses Smith sits in his #16 Hasa Pool Products K&N Pro Series West car.

Moses’ long history in the sport of racing has not dampened his excitement and eagerness.

“Over my career as a driver I’ve had some pretty amazing teammates, but we were there on business. This race I am paired with a couple of very special team mates. The Entwistle, father and son team, have been racing Formula Mazda with me over the past year.” Moses stated enthusiastically. “We were learning, and chasing a championship, although we had fun, there was still a serious undertone. This race we get to have FUN, and experience something that only an elite few have done before. Don’t get me wrong…we ARE going to win our class…haha or have a blast trying to anyway”

You can follow Moses and the team as their #1409 Sportsman 1400 competes in the 48th Baja 1000 by following it via live streaming at http://score-international.com/baja-1000. The challenging course will start and finish in Ensenada.

Moses Smith’s Career Highlights

2015	48th BudLight Score BAJA 1000
2013	Rolex 24 At Daytona in the SRT Viper
2013	Grand-Am Sports Car Series, Class GT Debut
2011	Third Place Finish K&N Pro Series West Championship
2008-2011	K&N Pro Series West Most Popular Driver Awards
2007-2011	K&N Pro Series West Series Driver
2009	Formula Mazda Manufacturer
2007	Grand-Am KONI Challenge Debut
2006	Official Standard Formula Mazda Dealer
2004	Star Mazda Team Owner
2003	Infiniti Pro Series Debut
2003	Toyota Atlantic Debut
2002	Star Mazda Pro Championship Runner-Up
2002	Star Mazda Rising Star Award
2002	Star Mazda West Coast Champion
2001	Star Mazda West Coast "Rookie of the Year"
1992	IKF California State Champion
1991	SCCA Class Champion
1989	Former SDKA Board of Directors Member
1980	Pit Crew / Shop Worker for Malcolm Vinje

*1982 CLASS 5 Champion - Malcolm Vinje/Mark Hansen; 1996 CLASS 7S Champion - Malcolm Vinje/Mark Hansen; 1999 CLASS 7S Champion - Malcolm Vinje.