Lets go Karting - Las Vegas SCCA

Many successful drivers in professional racing can trace their roots back to Karts. They cite experience gained in Karting as invaluable ground work for successful careers in their chosen field of professional auto racing.

Of all of the possible avenues to get started in racing, Karts may be the best path for the average wannabe racer. If you are one of us who does not have a father like Mario Andretti, who will be more than willing to pay your way, Karts are probably for you. While breaking into the Barber Dodge or Indy Lights is a possibility, it is more likely that you will find Kart Sprint, Circle Track Karting or SCCA SOLO II to be a more realistic goal.

For those who would like to have the fun and experience of some really great competition, the SCCA SOLO II series is a method of safely fulfilling those desires. While wheel to wheel Kart racing may be challenging, demanding and fun, it can also be somewhat dangerous. Enter the SOLO II formula 125 autocrossing format.

With fun, competition, and camaraderie as your main objectives, the Sports Car Club of America’s SOLO II program may be perfectly suited to your desires. SOLO II offers the opportunity for amateurs to join others who enjoy racing and want to be a part of it yet are limited by their budgets, restricted time or concerns for their personal safety. The Las Vegas Region SCCA, SOLO II series offers competition by providing a vast resource of fellow drivers and safety by furnishing a venue which is run on parking lots, airport tie-down areas or any other place where a large unobstructed patch of asphalt exists. In the SOLO II format, vehicles are released to the course one at a time in "time trial" or "qualifying" style so that there is no wheel to wheel racing. In this manner relative safety is achieved.

SOLO II or Autocross has been the exclusive domain of cars until recently when SCCA introduced a class for 125cc shifter karts. Here in the Las Vegas Region our series has welcomed the Kart drivers with open arms and we have been very successful in developing a group of intensely skilled drivers. Drivers sufficiently experienced to win the SCCA National SOLO II, F125 Championships in both 2000 and 2001, not to mention several of the other "podium" positions. Tom pilots his familiar #94

Tom Harrington has to considered the top contender in Karts for the 2002 autocrossing season. Even though some of the other drivers exhibit brilliance from time to time, Tom has been able to maintain the points lead in our regional SCCA F125 competition. After achieving a resplendent victory at the 2001 National Championships in Topeka, Tom is demonstrating that he is entirely capable of backing up that win in 2002. He is presently driving a CRG Heron, 3 rail Kart powered by a Honda CR125 engine. How did Tom get interested in the Kart class? It seems that it was economic reality, after spending a small fortune to purchase tires for his MR-2 he decided that he either needed another job or a heaper class in which to run. A shifter Kart offered the perfect alternative. Competitive, relatively inexpensive, and it also offered the possibility of seat time at the local Kart track. This seemed to be a panacea for an autocross junkie, and so it was. Look for Tom and his #94 at the Nationals.

Let’s take a look at some more of those success stories from the Las Vegas Region’s F125 class. Paul Durr switched over to F125 in 1999 when his venerable Honda CRX began to exhibit some signs of abuse from years of autocrossing. Dave Hironaka got Paul started and it wasn’t long before Paul was able to purchase a used Kart from a fellow competitor. Today, Paul drives a Tibi, 4 rail chassis with a "built" Honda CR125 as the power plant. After considerable seat time in his F125 Kart, Paul is beginning to put in some pretty respectable runs in our regional series. Paul will be attending the SOLO II Nationals in Topeka again this year and I think that he is expecting some pretty good results. Marc driving the #71 Kart

Marc Segal, another LVR competitor, is presently driving a Birel CR32X, powered by a Barros Honda CR125 engine. Mark considers SCCA F125 to be a very competitive series, intends to seriously pursue the regional title, and judging by his competitive times he is a force to be reckoned with. Back in 1997 Marc purchased a used Tibi Kart (presently owned by Paul Durr) and began driving at the Sloan Kart Track near Las Vegas. Eventually, Marc commenced driving his Kart in the SCCA F125 class, and is today one of the top challengers, both Regionally and Nationally. He finished third in a field of twenty-one drivers at the 2001 SCCA National Championships which are held in Topeka, Kansas. Presently, Marc has his eye on the SCCA Pro SOLO top spot and is working diligently to accomplish that goal. Suzanne and Marc Segal, F125

Suzanne Segal, after seeing how much fun Marc was having, decided that Karts aren’t only for the guys. Suzanne began driving Karts in earnest during the SCCA 2001 competition year. Even though she had been driving F125 for only one year, Suzanne made a clean sweep at the 2001 SCCA National Championships in Topeka, by bringing the F125 National Championship home for Las Vegas Region. Suzanne also competes at the National level in the Pro Solo events, she says that staging next to a Z06 Corvette is the ultimate drag race.

Another LVR success story is that of Dave Hironaka. Dave was the first in our region to take up Karts, he started competing in the F125 class early in 2000. At that time Karts and the F125 class were relatively new to SCCA and he took full advantage of the program. Dave won the 2000 SCCA National SOLO II Championship in the F125 class. So we might say that Dave Hironaka was a pioneer for us here in Las Vegas Region, and one of the first to see the possibilities of the Kart program within SCCA. This year Dave is once again ready for the SOLO II Nationals. After a disappointing showing at the 2001 Nationals, he has reverted back to his 1999 Renspeed Kart which Dave says, really works. Pam Morgan

Pamela Morgan has also been part of the SCCA Karting program almost from the it’s inception. As the second driver in Dave Hironaka’s number 50 Kart, Pamela has participated in our regional competition for years. After bringing home the second place F125L trophy in 2000 she took third place in 2001 National Championships held in Topeka. Pamela has temporarily removed herself from competing in Karts this year to assure a good competitive start for her soon to be baby (autocrosser) ? Pam informs us that she will be back for competition in the F125

LET'S GO KARTING!
Article by: by Rick Kostelaz