The 15th season of FTK Promotions’ Challenge of the Americas series is just around the corner as the 2022 winter season is drawing closer. When the international west coast winter series begins this coming January, it will be celebrating not only the 15th year of the program, but the fifth season under the ROK Cup USA banner as well. Dates for the 2022 season were announced in July, and now, the tracks for all three events are confirmed.
The 2022 Challenge of the Americas season begins with a return to the Musselman Honda Circuit on January 28-30. The Challenge first visited the Tucson, Arizona in 2012 and has made seven visits in total since. The program’s February round (Feb 25-27) will bring the teams back to Arizona for a stop at the Phoenix Kart Racing Association track in Glendale. This season will mark the 11th time that COTA has visited the popular and challenging PKRA track. For a 10th time in series history, Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, California will host the series finale, scheduled for March 25-27, 2022.
“We are lucky to have a handful of facilities that can host an event as large as The Challenge here along the west coast,” stated FTK Promotions owner Andy Seesemann. “Tucson and Phoenix set as back-to-back events is something we’ve done in the past, and we’re excited to enjoy the Arizona weather during January and February. And, of course, there is no other setting for a kart track like Sonoma. The multiple layout choices provide us with the opportunity to mix it up at each year-end event. I’m really excited about hosting the 15th season of The Challenge.”
In addition to the Challenge information, FTK Promotions is excited to confirm the full schedule, including dates and locations, for the California ROK Championship along with a format change for the 2022 season. The California ROK Championship will follow the three-day, two-round format that is similar to the Challenge, hosting three events next summer. The program begins in SoCal, with the opening two rounds at CalSpeed Karting in Fontana, California on May 20-22. The following month is a return to the Pat’s Acres Racing Complex in Canby, Oregon on June 24-26. The series will then wrap up on August 26-28 at the Sonoma Raceway with the final two rounds of action.
“The formula we’ve used for the past 14 years with The Challenge has worked so well, we are going to apply that to the California ROK Championship in 2022,” added Seesemann. “We have three outstanding facilities in three different regions to make up the six rounds of racing. The highlight will be our return to Pat’s Acres, as we hope to make this a crown jewel of the summer season. There are no conflicts with any major events in North America that weekend, along with no issues surrounding club events in California. We hope this is the best season yet in the five-year history of the CRC.”
FTK Promotions and eKartingNews.com will continue and expand on their relationship in 2022. For an 11th straight season, EKN will provide Trackside Live coverage of the entire Challenge of the Americas program, including live audio, social media updates and daily race reports. That same coverage is coming to the California ROK Championship, with EKN traveling to the Pat’s Acres weekend in June.
“It’s an honor for David (Cole) and I to be back with the Challenge family again in 2022, as we’re on-board with everyone else in thoroughly enjoying the series’ atmosphere and close competition,” offered EKN Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Rob Howden. “Personally, I’m thrilled that I don’t have a conflict with the Pats Acres round of next year’s California ROK Championship because I simply love that facility. There’s just something extra-special about Pats Acres, and I was disappointed to miss this year’s CRC debut there. It’s awesome for us to bring out EKN Trackside Live program to the event so that we can raise the bar on it in terms of national exposure. We hope to see everyone there.”
For complete information regarding the California ROK Championship and Challenge of the Americas, visit challengekarting.com. More information, videos and photos can also be found on the Facebook and Instagram page.
2022 Challenge of the Americas Schedule
January 28-30: Musselman Honda Circuit – Tucson, Arizona
February 25-27: Phoenix Kart Racing Association – Glendale, Arizona
March 25-27: Sonoma Raceway – Sonoma, California
2022 California ROK Championship Schedule
May 20-22: CalSpeed Karting – Fontana, California
June 24-26: Pat’s Acres Racing Complex – Canby, Oregon
August 26-28: Sonoma Raceway – Sonoma, California
