Following on the success of the inaugural 2015 Summer Challenge that saw numerous drivers going home with cash prizes, fully-paid entries to major events throughout North America, the awarding of a ticket to the Rotax Max Challenge Grand Finals in DD2 Masters, and most importantly huge smiles on the faces of all of the racers who got to experience what was the most unique, fun, and biggest event in Western Canada of the past decade, the event organizers have been busy planning for the 2016 event to be held from Thursday, July 28 to Sunday, July 31 at the Edmonton and District Kart Racing Association (EDKRA) facility in Warburg, Alberta.
After listening to input from the 2015 participants, the 2016 Summer Challenge will again feature non-stop on-track action, with the schedule following a similar format to 2015 with the days broken into segments by class, but with expanded track time available to the Briggs and DD2 classes, compared to the 2015 event.
The complete Event Supplemental Regulations will be posted to the edkra.ca website shortly, and at this time, the organizers are happy to announce that entry fees paid by the July 15 early pre-registration deadline will be set at $150, providing amazing value for all competitors across the full slate of Briggs LO206, Rotax Max, DD2 and Shifter classes on offer.
Building on the success of the Alberta clubs, which attracted 120 racers to the first round of the Alberta Shootout in early June, the rules will closely follow the EDKRA and Calgary Kart Racing Club (CKRC) rules and class offerings.
Briggs Junior 1 and Junior 2 will follow ASN Canada regulations, with a spec Mojo D1 tire that has proven very successful in Western Canada.
With regular grids approaching or exceeding 30 karts in Edmonton and Calgary, Briggs Senior and Masters will run to ASN Canada regulations with the following modifications adopted within the EDKRA and CKRC regulations, featuring a spec Mojo D2 tire, and allowing racers and tuners the option of running with “full width” rear wheels and track widths. This formula has proven very successful in Alberta with a mix of Briggs-specific chassis and Rotax chassis vying for wins and podiums from weekend to weekend, including some interesting chassis setup combinations, as proven by the 2015 Summer Challenge Briggs Senior winner, Scott Campbell.
The Rotax Max classes will run to ASN Canada and Rotax Max regulations, with Micro and Mini Max on spec Mojo D1 tires and Junior, Senior and Masters Max on spec Mojo D2 tires. An allowance will be made to permit numbered cylinders in all classes, and Masters Max will be run at the EDKRA and CKRC minimum weight of 395 lbs.
DD2 and DD2 Masters classes will be run to ASN Canada and Rotax Max regulations, with the exception of the use of the spec Mojo D2 tire. As proven by grids featuring 15 plus karts, this tire spec used by the EDKRA’s DD2 racers has helped reduce wear and tear on equipment and racers, making for a more enjoyable experience while man-handling the DD2 karts.
Finally, the organizers are gauging interest in an open-concept shifter class, where the only major requirements are a maximum 125cc displacement, and a gearbox featuring at least 2 speeds. With the configuration of the EDKRA’s track in Warburg, and the unique event schedule, this formula opens up the option for DD2 racers to run a second class if they want, where a simple change to an open (Mojo D3 or MG Yellow) tire can immediately put them on an even level with the 6-speed karts.
While the full event schedule will be released shortly, the organizers are happy to announce that it will feature lots of track time for all classes, starting with optional Thursday practice for the Rotax Max classes in the morning, and the Briggs, DD2 and Shifters in the afternoon and evening.
Friday will again feature Rotax Max karts on the track in the morning, with 2 longer official practice sessions, and qualifying. Friday evening will feature a combination of additional practice for the Briggs and Shifters, along with an exciting condensed DD2 race program, which has proven very successful with EDKRA’s DD2 racers and at the 2015 Summer Challenge, with qualifying, two heat races and a Final all run within an evening.
Saturday morning will see the Rotax Max karts hitting the track for two rounds of heat racing. This will be followed in the evening by the same condensed qualifying, two heat races and a Final for the Briggs and Shifters, forcing racers and tuners to manage cooling track temperatures and the glare from the late northern Alberta sunset, while giving the spectators a non-stop show from the grandstands.
On Sunday, the Rotax Max karts will finish the event off with their Pre-Final and Final, allowing traveling teams to pack up and hit the road at a reasonable time.
For the 2016 Summer Challenge, the organizers have changed to an all-cash prize format, and will offer awards to the top 8 and the fast qualifier in each class, with the potential for a more random payout to the Shifter class to encourage participation in recognition of the mixed engine formula. Exact details of the payouts will be released soon, with total class payouts being dependent on the number of entries in each class.
The event organizers received incredible feedback from out-of-town racers who went home from the inaugural 2015 Summer Challenge in awe of the EDKRA facility, with many vowing to come back and bring more racers in 2016 as a result of the great experience they had at the inaugural event. The EDKRA members have put great efforts into continually improving and maintaining the facility and are extremely proud to call Warburg home and to show off and share the facility with traveling racers. While they have a world-class kart rack, the EDKRA members are equally, if not more proud of the facility, which features some of the best and cleanest washroom and shower facilities ever seen at any race track, full-service rv sites and unlimited space for traveling racers to set up camp, a fire pit for socializing in the evenings, top-notch food trucks during most event weekends, and on-site fuel availability for big events. The efforts to build a great facility and to combine it with a fun, family atmosphere where most racers camp out at the track together have proven very successful for the EDKRA, and the organizers are hoping to see racers from all over Western Canada show up for the 2016 Summer Challenge.
For more information on the 2016 Summer Challenge, please visit the EDKRA website at www.edkra.ca or contact the event organizers, Joey Guyon at 403-652-5010 or by email at overdrivekart@xplornet.ca, or Rob Kozakowski at 587-984-8486 or by email at r.kozakowski@mowbreygil.com.
