IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY WELCOMES LOS ANGELES KART CLUB - MARCH 31
IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY WELCOMES LOS ANGELES KART CLUB FOR 2002 … NINE-RACE SEASON WILL RUN MARCH - NOVEMBER Irwindale, Calif. - - (February 28,2002) The very active Los Angeles Kart Club will bring its own style of action-packed family Kart racing to Irwindale Speedway for the 2002 season with a nine-race series of monthly competition events that will begin on Sunday March 31 and run through November 24. The “LAKC” (as the club is known) is an all-volunteer group of dedicated Karting families and individuals who, for the past 15 years or so, put on regular monthly Kart racing events on the infield of the old Saugus Speedway. Like the stock car racers before them, they too now are leaving that venerable establishment for the newer confines of Irwindale Speedway with its wealth of modern conveniences and proximity to more racing fans and potential participants. “We've heard from countless Saturday night competitors, that they'd love to bring their kids here to race (Karts),” said Chris Morgan, Director of Operations. “… And we've heard the same thing from hundreds of fans who have youngsters and are looking for a place for them to get started in circuit racing. We can now offer them a familiar and friendly place to do that,” he added. “… Besides, they'll know right where Irwindale is when they get old enough to graduate into driving Legends or stock cars here at the Speedway,” added Irwindale VP/COO Bob DeFazio. DeFazio's own son, Nick, 17, is a multi-time Karting champion who is now driving professionally for the Southern California Pipe Trades in the Jani-King Super Late Model division at the Speedway. For Tony Stewart, Michael Schumacher, Ricky Rudd, Scott Goodyear, Tim Woods III, Mark Reed, Scott Pruett, Danica Patrick and so many others, Karting is the early common denominator that taught these champions some of their first (and possibly most important) lessons in racecraft. Like the Karting course at Saugus, the Irwindale venue will be a “permanent/temporary” circuit adapted to the double oval track's infield with the use of special course markers. Using state-of-the-art foam barricades (from the motocross world), the track's road course layout can be made both challenging and safe. Snaking its way around Irwindale, the course may be altered or totally reconfigured for different types Karting events. “With as much room as LAKC has here at the Speedway, they can really get creative with their course design,” said Morgan. “A permanent road course might be prettier, but this facility, with its capability of changing the course to fit the need of the Karters, will be THE place to test their mettle in this growing from of grassroots motorsport.” Irwindale's NASCAR-sized pit area will more than accommodate the largest Karting crowd with room to spare, and the track's pitside concession stand will be open during each racing event for the convenience of crews and spectators. For more information on participation fans are encouraged to access the club's excellent and informative website at www.lakc.org where they can find out just about “everything that they ever wanted to know about Karting”. “We're very energized about having the LAKC involved in racing at Irwindale, this is just one other example of the wide range of motorsports offering that we are able to present at the Speedway,” said DeFazio. “We really welcome their new partnership and recommend that our Saturday night “fans in the stands” come back on an upcoming Sunday afternoon to see where our next generation of track racing stars will be coming from.” SCHEDULED EVENTS – 2002 SEASON March 31 April 14 May 26 June 9 July 14 Aug 11 Sept 22 Oct 13 Nov 24 Gates and registration open at 7AM on all race days. Practice starts at 8:45AM and racing with start at noon. SPEEDWAY: (626) 358-1100 THANKS!