The sophomore season of the Rotax Can-Am ProKart Challenge is just around the corner, with Northwest drivers from the United States and Canada preparing for the opening rounds of the 2014 season, set for the Horn Rapids Kart Track on April 25-27. Part of the program, which includes categories for Rotax Max Challenge and Superkarts! USA competitors, a Local Option 206 class has been added to provide 4-cycle racers with an opportunity to enjoy the atmosphere of a major international event. Helping to build the program for the Cam-Am series, industry partners have signed on to help support the LO206 divisions.
“Here in the Northwest, 4-cycle racing is very popular at the local and regional level,” states series organizer Mike Rolison. “Many of them have a long-term relationship with Briggs & Stratton racing engines, dating all the way back to the popular flat-head engine. The new LO206 has been gaining popularity throughout North America, and we felt its standardized rules package fit perfect with the Can-Am series.”
One race group – which will include Senior, Masters, and Junior competitors – has been added to 2014 Can-Am program. Race entry will be $175, which includes Friday practice in addition to the Saturday and Sunday rounds of racing. Racers who do not currently own a LO206 package will have the opportunity to rent one of the limited supply of engines from the Can-Am series as part of
their entry fee. Originally announced as a $325 package, the rental program is available now for $225 with a driver receiving a race-ready engine (including clutch and exhaust), along with a three-day weekend entry. The MG HZ ‘Red’ compound will be the spec tire for all three LO206 categories.
Briggs & Stratton, the American manufacturing company of the LO206 engine, will provide the Can-Am program with a limited number of engines to provide as rental packages. RLV has donated the spec exhaust systems for each engine, with Inferno Racing Clutches also stepping up to provide a ‘Flame’ clutch for each of the rental engine packages. Both CMC and Kart-O-Rama will be trackside to provide tires and Briggs support to racers each weekend.
“Briggs & Stratton is excited to be part of a series the caliber of the Can-Am Karting Challenge,” stated Dave Klaus of Briggs Racing department. “It gives our US and Canadian 206 racers a great opportunity to compete at some of the best tracks in the Northwest and develops a cross border rivalry that will make for some incredible racing. The 206 is cost-effective racing and puts chassis setup and driver skill first to the checkered flag. Who will win? We can’t wait to find out!”
The first opportunity for the LO206 categories to join the Can-Am program is at the series 2014 debut on April 25-27 at the Horn Rapids Kart Track in Richland, Washington. A new facility for the series, the home to the Tri-City Kart Club provides a long front stretch that is matched with fast sweeping corners in the infield.
Registration is set to close soon, as racers have the chance to pre-register now online at rotaxcanamprokartchallenge.com. Be sure to follow the site, as well as the series Facebook page, for more updates as the opening weekend draws closer.
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About: Can-Am Karting Challenge
The Can-Am Karting Challenge is the newest and growing regional racing program, focused around supporting the western coast of North America with drivers and teams coming from Canadian and the United States. The four event program offers categories of the Rotax Max Challenge and Superkarts! USA. This program provides a unique atmosphere, formatted much like a national summer series program. American Rotax racers will receive punches toward the 2014 US Rotax Grand Nationals, with all Rotax drivers racing to earn one of four tickets to the 2014 Rotax Grand Finals in Senior, DD2, DD2 Masters and Junior Max. SKUSA class champions are racing for a guaranteed starting spot at the SKUSA SuperNationals XVIII in Las Vegas.
