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| Features |
| EKN One-on-One: Tom Kutscher - Superkarts! USA CEO |
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Now one of the most recognizable faces in North American karting, Superkarts! USA owner and CEO Tom Kutscher is on the cusp of a new and exciting future. With what may be the biggest and brightest event in United States karting history just around the corner – the SKUSA SuperNationals XIII – Kutscher and SKUSA are currently expanding their regional program and launching the new North American Pro Tour in 2010 in the process. Things are definitely going in the right direction.
Kutscher is what many consider as ‘new school’ when it comes to karting. Getting into the sport during the late 90s, Kutscher’s first taste of karting was watching a shifter kart blast by him while attending an arrive-and-drive event at a southern California venue. From there, he began racing – and when he wasn’t getting the customer service that he wanted from a kart shop, he opened up his own: Extreme Karting. Kutscher (and his squad) began to follow the national and regional tours for several years, earning multiple wins and championships – including the 2002 Shifter Kart Illustrated Excellence Awards Team of the Year honor. Kutscher then went on to create the ProKart Challenge program in 2005 in Southern California before purchasing the Superkarts! USA organization in 2006.
Despite his busy schedule, we were able to tie down the personable Kutscher for our most recent ‘One-on-One’ feature, booking some time on the phone from his office in Temecula, California to answer a few questions for us.
eKartingNews.com: Thank you for taking some time away from your hectic schedule getting ready for the upcoming SKUSA SuperNationals. To begin, can you believe that it has been five years since you created the ProKart Challenge? Things have come a long what since the debut of the program.
Tom Kutscher: The reason that the ProKart Challenge came about was when I had the kart shop (Extreme Karting), our local regional area was lacking in shifter kart programs. Nobody really liked what was going on and I think I had close to 25 used shifters in my shop. People were just rolling them to buy whatever. So I called everyone around our area and let them know that if we started this thing, it would be based around what was the ‘Pro’ style and I then asked if they would be interested. I called other kart shops, even former competitors, and asked them if they would be ‘in’. A lot were like ‘hell yeah, let’s go.’ So that’s how PKC started. And now, it’s grown into two different series, South and North, and it’s the basis for what we now call our SKUSA regional program.
 | SKUSA's Tom Kutscher
(Photo: EKN) |
EKN: Can you touch on some of the things that came from forming the ProKart Challenge that you are most pleased with now?
TK: I’m just a happy guy (laughing). To be honest, I just seem to like it a lot. I actually come from a bit of a corporate background. You sit around in your suit and tie, everybody shakes your hand and tells you how great you are, then turns around and stabs you in your back. Here, at least they wait a couple miles up the road before they stab you (laughing). I’ve met some great people, some still in the sport and some that are not, but remain good friends. I really like the crowd we have formed and our events certainly continue to remain fun but competitive.
EKN: What are some things you wish you had not done in your past? Any regrets?
TK: The number one deal financially is starting a kart shop. Scott (Jeffery) and I get together and joke about the money we each put into our respective shops. I see people out there starting shops and thinking they are going to change the world - and I was one of those when I created Extreme Karting - I had that attitude. I tried my best, but the biggest problem I see now is the Internet. It’s taken away from what you need to be a successful shop. People come into your showroom; you spend a solid 45 minutes with someone educating them on what they need. Then they go out and buy a kart for $200 less somewhere else. Many then have audacity to come back and ask you for help. And then they wonder why you might have a slight attitude?
Now what came out of having the kart shop is what I do today, ProKart Challenge and SKUSA. That’s the positive side of the kart shop deal. I bleed for those out there and I really push for those that are at the track, supporting customers. For people who are new to the sport, I offer some advice - don’t buy online. There are one or two online shops that do it right and support their customer base both on and off the track. The biggest challenge is trying to get people to understand that what we do is a legit business, not something out of the back of my own garage. Just because it is a hobby for them does not mean it’s a hobby for us. There are a lot of expenses that people don’t see with owning a kart shop. That’s my one pet peeve. Until we change that, we can’t change karting as a whole.
EKN: What about the ProKart Challenge? Any regrets there?
TK: Nothing. The ProKart thing came out and we had great people supporting it in the beginning - Greg Smith, Chris Ortenburger, Jim Baltutis, and some other great people who had great ideas. We may not have implemented all of them but what we’ve done with the ProKart deal is picked up the quality of racing to what it needs to be. Being on time, following schedule, pre-entry online, nobody had this stuff until we brought it. Now everyone’s followed suit. So if anything positive has come out of it, we helped pick up the quality and product of racing in California.
EKN: Four years ago, you purchased Superkarts! USA. What were your initial thoughts during the weeks that followed the final signing of the agreement?
TK: I’m a dumbass (laughing). So people understand, the purchasing of SKUSA was not done from a business standpoint. Joe (Janowski) called and said “I’m done”. I said “it doesn’t matter if you give away $100 dollar bills, people are still going to hate you - that’s the bottom line”. He said, “I know, but if anyone can take this operation back to its hay-days, it’s you.” I really didn’t have an interest, but I thought I could build it into what I was doing with PKC. My thoughts for the future at that time were to build ProKart programs across the country. When this opportunity came, I thought maybe we could do this through SKUSA. When (Jim) Murley started SKUSA, they tried to build the regional program. They created them, but some failed as their attention turned more toward the Pro series. But when I was thinking about buying it, Janowski was real supportive of the idea and wanted to work with me on it. He wanted to see the name continue on and I think he and Murley now look at what we have going and they’re pumped.
 | Kutscher was a fierce competitor in the G1 category during the days of the SKUSA ProMoto Tour
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
EKN: In 2006, you put on your first SuperNationals at Sam Boyd Stadium. What grade would you give yourself and the staff for that year? What did you consider the event’s most positive aspects and in what areas were you able to address weaknesses?
TK: From 1 to 10, maybe a 6. A lot of people didn’t see the effort we put into the first race. I had never done this type of event and wasn’t sure of the future of SKUSA. Making things even more hectic that year, the first session on-track we realized there was no entrance on the track. Then when they got the checkered flag and kept running around, we realized there wasn’t an exit off the track either. After that, we had trouble trying to pick up dead karts around the track as we didn’t anticipate that scenario when building the track. It was one of the biggest SuperNats entry totals at that time, which was a big confidence booster. It was just the simple mistakes we made that made it so I couldn’t sleep at all. I was an absolute mess.
EKN: The following year, you brought in the Europeans as the track was CIK-approved. The track layout was questioned by many who attended. Looking back, do you think you should have designed the track differently and not gone the CIK route?
TK: First, grading this one, I would give it an 8 or a 9 as we had a year behind us and knew what to expect this time around. That was also the first year we had the CIK approve the track design. It was an expensive investment to have CIK come and put their stamp on the deal. We had 114 CIK ‘fix-it’ items on the track to change at the first walk-thru. I had a design with Rocky Moran all set, and it was much better than what we ended up with. I would have not done that, but I had no choice and had to conform to what CIK wanted to get it approved. We just didn’t see eye-to-eye and it was a pain in the butt. That was the last year they had tougher CIK regulations regarding track certification. Now, we are able to work better with them and the US representatives.
EKN: Last year’s biggest news was SKUSA’s triumphant return to the Rio Hotel and Casino. Personally speaking, I think it was one of the biggest and exciting events I have attended in North America. Would you agree as Tom Kutscher, the person?
TK: To be honest with you, I wasn’t even there. I was there until I got hurt on Friday evening (lifting a kart over the barriers), and came back as a different person on Sunday in a wheelchair. I do have to give props to the sports doctor that the hotel sent to me. He was phenomenal. He made me walk again, and I’m still walking. It amazes me that the drugs and support they gave me allowed me to be able to be trackside on Sunday. I also have to give kudos to my team, my wife Patti, and the rest of the staff who made it happen. A lot of people come to me, ‘what about this, what about that’, but you have to understand I wasn’t ‘really’ there. It was done with me laying in a bed and my daughter was trying to explain to me what was going on because I couldn’t get up, I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t go to the bathroom. I did take notes from last year in preparation for this year, and if you guys were stoked from that year, wait until this one.
Not running on Wednesday was my biggest mistake. That’s why we were running into 10-11 o’clock at night. But the complaints I received were all followed with ‘see you next year’. So if you want to rate this one, I think it was a 5, but that doesn’t matter because as you said, just walking through and around the pits, your hair stood up on the back of your neck. It just had that vibe in it. You can’t explain it, you can’t buy it. You know it, you were there working the late, late hours with us but you would still do it again because it was bad to the bone. Agree?
 | The ProKart Challenge completed its fifth season behind the drive of Kutscher, his wife, and dedicated staff
(Photo: Tony Leone - sixspeedphotos.com) |
EKN: I totally agree. Speaking of your back, how is it now?
TK: It’s alright. It’s not what it’s supposed to be. I’m 3/4 of an inch shorter on one side because my back goes this way and that way. Right now I’m taking care of it and it’s OK. But at least I’m walking because I never thought I would be walking again. I take it as a bonus and people are definitely not going to be seeing me picking up karts this year. I missed out last year, and I’m not missing it this year.
EKN: Now that we’ve set the stage, what is your mindset heading into this year’s SuperNationals? Entry numbers sounds very good, we know that a couple classes and are already sold out, and we’ve heard that others are close to capacity. What are your thoughts on what we’re going to see this year?
TK: It’s funny, watching the forums, people say we don’t have this, we don’t have that. But it’s going to be phenomenal. Numbers are down across the country and our numbers are amazing. Other events around the country are seeing numbers down, but to be at close to 400 total entries in this economy is amazing. We have TaG Senior full with 20 on a waiting list, so we are trying to get people to KF2, which is filling up. SuperPro and G1 are almost there. Others are already full and their waiting lists are growing. These are great numbers we are seeing. Plus, we are going to have 40 of the top SuperPro drivers from around the world, and it is going to be off the hook. I cannot wait.
EKN: Unlike other privately-owned karting organizations, SKUSA is focused on developing regional programs throughout the country. What is your reasoning behind this approach?
TK: People think we are rolling in money after the SuperNats and with the ProKart money, but they don’t understand, the SuperNats is a nine-month beast. It really is. The Pro Tour is what we are really focusing on as our next step, but getting back to the regional stuff, if we don’t spend our time on the regions to try and make them similar to the structure we have at PKC, we’ll be in trouble. I don’t know if you have been to an In-and-Out Burger here in Cali, but I like to use that as a reference. Anyone who has been to one understands that it’s one of the most insane burgers and you can’t get it any other way. Just one way, the exact same at every location. And what I’m trying to do is teach our regions how to be efficient and run a certain way. No certain special rules for certain people. Hawaii seems to be the most challenged financially, but has an incredible group of people! Central States Challenge is growing, and we are starting in Colorado next year so we can have strong regions to fill into our Pro Tour. We’ve got a few more areas that have contacted us with great interest, so the future looks very bright. This is the way it was designed 15 years ago, and because we’re being strict with our format and branding, it’s working. And all of our regional partners will be there supporting us at the Supernats.
 | Following an incident trying to clear out a stranded kart on-track, Kutscher was forced to a wheelchair at last year's SuperNationals XII
(Photo: EKN) |
EKN: Can you give us an update on the Colorado region? Is the momentum building for their debut season in 2010?
TK: They have a group of people there running this new program like a business. They have meetings every week, at least by phone, to put everything together. They are getting ready to release their 2010 program – dates, class structure, and everything else. They are going to be super strong. Sam Walls and the rest of the group up there are serious and focused at launching this program to be a winning deal for everyone involved, whether it’s the sponsorship support or the tracks. But mostly, they’re focused on their competitors, as they will have a great program to race at. Central States is looking to build on their momentum after a strong second year, and we’re expecting continued growth there as well. I’m super excited about the future.
EKN: Looking ahead, can you let us in on where you see SKUSA expanding in 2010 and 2011?
TK: We are looking into the Florida area, of course Texas, also to the Northeast and into the Northwest, and that should complete everything that we need to do in order for SKUSA to have a firm regional representation across the country.
EKN: Obviously you’re busy with the final touches on the SuperNationals, but 2010 is just around the corner and the new SKUSA Pro Tour will debut. When will venues and dates for the SpringNationals and SummerNationals be ready?
TK: We are looking to finalize everything in November. We are sticking with the April and July months that we announced earlier; however, we don’t want to give out tentative dates and locations until finalized. Our goal is to have the details locked up by SuperNats with all drivers getting them in their driver packets.
EKN: Thank you Tom for taking the time out to talk to us and we wish you and the SKUSA staff the best at the SuperNats next month and the 2010 season.
TK: Thank you, guys! Please remind everyone: if you want to race at SuperNats XIII, you are only guaranteed to race if you are confirmed pre-registered by this Saturday! Online registration closes at midnight October 31 at http://www.superkartsusa.com Please don’t call me afterwards! |
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