CKN Guide to Escape the Cold This Winter and Race!

As most of the Canadian karting community is preparing for karting hibernation for this upcoming winter season, we know more than a few racers are looking to escape the cold and head south to enjoy some karting.

So we have prepared a list of what series and engines are racing where and how you can join in on the fun. Registration for these winter series events in the southern United States is in full swing and we know more than a few Canadian racers out there are on the fence about racing, so hopefully, we can help put you in the driver’s seat this winter.

For a complete list of race dates, be sure to check out our Competitions section.

Florida Winter Tour

The famed Florida Winter Tour will be a popular choice for drivers to run this winter. Rok Cup USA recently acquired the FWT from the now-defunct MaxSpeed group and will take the series back to a 3-round single weekend championship. The first round of the Winter Tour will be held at Palm Beach Karting on January 18-21. The series will then go to Ocala Grand Prix from February 15-18 with the season finale taking place one month later at the Orlando Karting Center from March 15-18.

In Ontario, we witnessed a quick transition to the Vortex Rok program through a trade in opportunity from Rok Cup Canada, along with the announcement that the 2018 Canadian Karting Championships will see the two-cycle categories utilize the Rok engines. For those looking to get a jump start on their season, the FWT is the place to be for Rok power!

The categories racing at the Winter Tour will be Micro Rok, Mini Rok, Rok Junior, Rok Senior, Rok Masters, Shifter Rok, and Masters Shifter Rok. With the exception of Micro Rok, all class champions will receive tickets to compete at the Rok Cup International Finals in Italy. The top three finishers in Micro Rok won’t go unrewarded however with each driver getting free entry to the Rok the Rio event in Las Vegas in November 2018.

For those of you who are interested in competing in the Florida Winter Tour click here to go to their online registration page.

CKN Reason to Race: In Ontario we know it’s going to be a busy summer for Rok racing. Get a head start on your fellow racers and race one of the most popular winter series in the world. Bonus: CKN will be trackside at all three stops of the FWT!

A number of Canadian race teams will also be present at the Florida Winter Tour where we can confirm that Prime Powerteam, Energy Kart North America, Racing Edge Motorsports, Goodwood Kartways and PSL Karting. Contact your preferred team for race team options.

SuperKarts! USA Florida Winter Series

This winter the SKUSA name will return to the Florida sun, with a new two-race championship to start off their 2017 season. The first round of will kicks off January 12-14 at the rebranded AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex. Round two will follow one month later at Ocala Gran Prix from February 9-11, the weekend before the Florida Winter Tour rolls into town. This could be a great opportunity for racers to pack in two races in two weekends at the track closest to eastern Canada!

SKUSA will be utilizing a similar class structure from their Pro Tour. The usual TaG classes, that utilize IAME engines will remain the same with Micro Swift, Mini Swift, X30 Junior, X30 Senior and X30 Masters all being offered. The shifter categories will be altered for the Winter Series with S1 and S2 being combined to form Pro Stock Moto, while S4 and S4 Super Masters will be Masters Stock Moto.

Finally for all you Canadian Briggs & Stratton Senior drivers on the east who want to travel down for some fun in the sun, the category will be offered at both rounds with some cool prizes being offered by Briggs & Stratton as well.

For those of you who are interested in competing at the SKUSA Winter Series click here to go to their online registration page.

CKN Reason to Race: AMR Homestead-Miami Motorplex is the southernmost part of Florida before getting to The Keys. The weather is sure to be warm and racers can be part of the inaugural SKUSA Florida Winter Series.

A number of Canadian race teams will also be present at the Florida Winter Tour where we can confirm that Prime Powerteam, Energy Kart North America, Racing Edge Motorsports and PSL Karting. Contact your preferred team for race team options.

Challenge of the Americas

The longtime West Coast winter series, the Challenge of the Americas, returns for another season. This year the series will be moving away from the Rotax platform and will now utilize the Vortex Rok engine package. Their season will begin in Arizona at the Phoenix Kart Racing Association on January 26-28, then it will move on to California at Calspeed Karting Center on February 23-25. The series will close out the championship at Simraceway Performance Karting Center in beautiful Sonoma, California from April 13-15.

The classes being offered are Micro Rok, Mini Rok, Rok Junior, Rok Senior, Rok Masters, Rok Shifter and Rok Shifter Masters. Like the Florida Winter Tour, all of the champions with the exception of Micro Rok will be awarded tickets to the 2018 ROK Cup International Final in Italy. In addition to the Rok categories, COA will offer Briggs & Stratton LO206 Senior and Junior, which were very popular last winter.

The Challenge will be another great place for Western Canadians to keep the rust off during the winter months.

For those interested in competing in the Challenge of the Americas championship click here to go to their online registration page.

CKN Reason to Race: While the East may be a little busier this winter, we can assure you the west has more fun, plus no humidity. COA owner Andy Seesemann puts on a great program while it may be a transition year for the series, it should still be a great season.

WKA Manufacturers Cup Daytona Kartweek

For those looking to race at one of the worlds most famous motor speedways, the World Karting Association will once again host Daytona Kartweek at the Daytona International Speedway in Florida. The event takes place between Christmas and New Years and is known to attract a large number of amateur kart racers.

A number of different classes are available to race, but one that we think may draw some Canadian attention is the Margay Ignite category. The full arrive and driver category utilizes Margay Chassis powered by Briggs & Stratton LO206 engines. For those looking for an easy getaway that doesn’t require hauling a trailer to Florida, this could be your chance.

Other categories on track include IAME Micro Swift and Mini Swift Sportsman. Yamaha Sportsman, Yamaha Junior, Yamaha Senior and KA100 Senior. There is also IAME Junior and IAME Senior.

For those interested in competing in WKA Daytona Kartweek Click here to go to their online registration page.

CKN Reason to Race: It’s Daytona International Speedway. It’s the week between Christmas and New Years, so the kids are out of school and it’s only a cool one-day drive to Florida. Escape quickly and have a great time in Daytona Beach!

Need help finding a hotel for the Florida Winter Tour, SKUSA Winter Series or Challenge of the America’s? Then look to Compass Management Solutions for all your booking needs! http://compassmanagementsolutions.com