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| Features |
| EKN One-on-One: Kevin Williams - Championship Karting International |
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 | Kevin Williams
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
On April 9-11, the WSK North American Series by CKI - a new national championship program - will make its debut working in direct cooperation with the world’s leading karting program, the WSK World Series. The Championship Karting International (CKI) made its debut in the North American karting scene in May of last year, put together by business entrepreneurs RJ Valentine and Phil DeLaO, who both hold a love for motorsports and karting. To help guide the program, the duo hired long-time karter and race official Kevin Williams.
The Las Vegas resident lives and breathes the sport, having started in the same fashion as many others when his family began karting together. From there, Williams grew as a talented driver and then into an official’s role. As the Race Director for the Stars of Karting national program for many years, Williams turned in his flags last year to help manage the day-to-day action of the new World Karting Association-sanctioned CKI organization. The operation, still not even a year old, is preparing for its second national series and first year under the WSK banner.
Williams was gracious enough to provide eKartingNews.com a few minutes to allow the readers of the website some insight as to who he is and what is in store for CKI and his other roles in the karting industry.
eKartingNews.com: Thank you, Kevin for taking time out of your busy schedule to speak with us. I know you have a lot going on no matter what time of the day it is.
Kevin Williams: I always have time for eKartingNews.com
EKN: First off, let’s get into your duties in the karting world. We know that you are associated with Championship Karting International as well as the World Karting Association, correct? What are your roles right now?
KW: I’m the General Manager of Championship Karting International, which has two different programs; the CKI Florida Cup (our winter program), as well as the new WSK North American Series by CKI. And with WKA, I’m the District 10 Trustee, and have been for a few years, along with being Race Director for the Manufacturer’s Cup Series for the past number of seasons.
EKN: Before your time as a Race Director, Vice-President, and the other non-driver related positions that you have held over the last 10 years or so, like many others, you began your life in karting as a driver. Tell us how you got into the sport.
KW: My father, who is one of the ambassadors of this sport, got myself and my brother into karting. We went down to a neighbor’s and bought a kart for $25 and hit the track. From there, we figured out it wasn’t as easy as we thought. Little did we know, that from that point forward, we would be involved in the sport still today. I’m very proud of everyone in my family from my wife, my father, and my son as they have dedicated their lives to the sport for a number of years.
EKN: What does your Dad (Dave) do in the sport currently?
KW: Well, he works a lot with the SoCal Sprinters in Southern California and he announces at all the regional and local races throughout the area, including one-off races like Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix. He’s even worked at some national events in the past as well. He’s a lover of the sport first and foremost, and very supportive at all levels, being a member of all the clubs and organizations. Again, one of those many unsung heroes of sport.
EKN: And your brother Kimball is the quiet one that we normally see wrenching away on a kart at many national and regional events throughout the year.
KW: Exactly. We don’t tell a lot of people that we are actually related. The reason for that is we are so busy, we don’t spend a lot of time together. Interesting enough, I see my family more at karting events then I do anywhere else, even over the holidays. He’s one of my heroes as well. He’s a great tuner, a great coach, knowledgeable, he’s done a lot of training here and in Europe as a driver and a tuner/coach. He has a couple race cars that he uses to help develop young drivers, another person who is committed to the sport of karting and motorsports.
EKN: Putting on your CKI hat, the program is still not even a year old, having been created in May of 2009. Certainly the organization is looking at building a solid reputation and you’ve had a lot to do with that being the General Manager. What are some of the current challenges that you are facing as a new professional karting series in North America?
KW: First, myself along with the CKI co-founders RJ Valentine and Phil DeLaO, are very proud of where we have come in just a short amount of time. Just like you said, our company really is not even a year old ,although we have lots of talent on our team that has years in the sport. I guess you could say we are in our sophomore year of promoting karting events. Looking back at our first event, which we put together in just a few weeks, it was a huge effort. Our only goal was to get that event off and I can’t thank the competitors and teams that participated enough. We really would not have gone as far as we did without their support. A lot of the challenges that we face now is helping contribute to the sport and helping it grow. Quite frankly, we are interested in making it a viable sport at any level, not just the national level that CKI represents.
EKN: CKI has introduced ‘The Race Lives Near You’ and that seems to be a general introduction of the sport through the organization, which was highlighted in the commercials during the PRI/CKI All-Star Karting Classic broadcasts.
KW: We felt we owe it to the sport to promote it at all levels; from the local level, to the regional level, and of course, the national level. CKI has done a lot of firsts in the sport and it comes with very pleasing success and acceptance in the sport. We broadcasted live our entire racing day, and although it was not a new concept, we edited each show and published on YouTube and our website - championshipkartracing.com. This way the participants could go back and watch when they got home or use the broadcasts for their own promotional use.
We wanted to take it a step further and we got involved with the PRI event. Not only did we televise the event, receiving an audience of about 800,000 people, we ran commercials specifically to enhance karting. We ran footage that had great, sexy images of karting, lots color and excitement, using race footage from some of our events, and at the very end, we directed viewers to our website and the section of ‘The Race Lives Near You’.
What that is, if you click on that section, visitors can find a kart track or kart shop near them. The visitor may not have been to a CKI race, but at least we have exposed our sport to a percentage of the general population. We have taken it a step further with our partners to visit tracks and clubs at the local and regional level to promote the same type of program to help them get new karters into the sport. Once we get an influx of entry level karters, everyone in the sport will benefit, and that is what CKI is all about.
 | Williams is a person of all trades in karting, seen here on the mic with Randy Kugler during the CKI Florida Cup
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
EKN: To emphasis your point, your stating that CKI is not just out here to promote those competing in its series, but its mission is to also build the sport at all levels.
KW: That’s exactly right. We want karting to benefit. We have actually sponsored classes in other series to help promote karting at the regional and local level. We have introduced the new CKI First Time entrants program, welcoming local and regional racers to CKI races for the first time and, in return, we are going to sponsor them with entries at their regional or club program.
EKN: For 2010, CKI has formed a partnership with WSK Promotions, who will run one of the three World Series events here in the United States (New Jersey in August). Do you feel this is a positive move for North American karting to become equal with the rest of the world?
KW: Absolutely. WSK is the leader in karting outside North America. They are great promoters, great partners. There has always been a challenge bridging the gap between North American karting and the rest of the world. This is our way of going a step further to narrow the gap. Our CKI competitors have already gone over to participate in their events and I’m happy to say that at each of our CKI events, we have also had international drivers competing. Again, bridging that gap even further with our partnership will only promote more drivers from North America to want to compete with WSK and their drivers to come race against us at CKI.
EKN: What other things are in the horizon for CKI that we can talk about?
KW: With our relationship with WSK, we are co-promoting the second round of the WSK World Series. WSK has been so hugely successful and with our partnership, they are bringing the world to the New Jersey Motorsports Park. We are very excited about that as it allows an opportunity for karters in North America to not only participate or attend the event, they can gain an experience of world-class karting right here without having to travel outside the country. We understand that the entries are nearly filled for the teams as they just need to channel in the drivers names. The feedback from the manufacturers is 100% positive and we continue to receive calls on the event all the time.
We recently had a visit by WSK Founder Luca DeDonno at the New Jersey Motorsports Park to make the final plans and adjustments to the facility. This is a huge partnership investment between NJMP, CKI, and WSK, so we are working very hard to make this first one a success to help ensure there are more events here in the United States to follow.
EKN: Your role with the WKA changed from being just a Race Director and Trustee to Vice President for 2-Cycle division under now two-year president Rick Dresang, and now back as just a Trustee. What would you grade the new-look WKA for their actions over the last two years?
KW:The WKA has gone a long way in the last couple of years. CKI is sanctioned by WKA and that has been a great partnership, each with the goal of promoting karting. There are so many people at multiple levels involved in the sport and WKA itself to make sure both are successful, despite the tough economic times. I’ve stepped down as Vice President, but that was solely so I could focus my time on CKI.
Not only operationally, but financially, the WKA has improved itself and is on the upswing as the leading force in karting, which is why I continue to be a part of it.
EKN: For both CKI and WKA, you have brought Matt Long, the head flagman for both programs, into a Race Director role. What is that you see in Matt that brought on this promotion for him?
KW: The same that you see in any professional driver and that’s passion. Matt is somebody that wants to make the sport successful. He wants to stay in motorsports, although he has recently obtained a college education. He knows the rules backwards and forwards. He applies them consistently and fairly. As someone who possesses those qualities and with that much passion to grow the sport, both with CKI and WKA, we will certainly afford him that opportunity. He’s been a great asset to both programs and will continue to do so.
EKN: As a Race Director yourself, you are often subjected to a lot of negativity when making certain calls. What keeps you coming back to the next event year after year?
KW: You go with the rule book, simple as that. As long as you go with the rule book, you can’t go wrong. Sometimes you won’t make friends, but in the long run, they will respect you for following the rules consistently. The competitors enter the race expecting the organization to follow the regulations consistently and fairly, and they look to us for guidance in certain matters. If you apply those principals, again you may not make some fans on occasions, but at least they can’t say you were unfair. That’s really our theme and its something I see a lot in Matt and myself as a race director.
 | Williams with long-time karting supporter Bryan Herta and race director Matt Long
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
EKN: Can you give us a brief recap on the first edition of the CKI Florida Cup program?
KW: We were pleased with our first endeavor with the CKI Florida Cup. The whole reason we did it was on request. We had competitors request to have a program down there. The Homestead Karting group was very accommodating and they supported us through the program. We had great support from our CKI drivers and some international drivers who competed, as well as local drivers who came out to support the program. We certainly learned a lot as we didn’t know what to expect. We had a good idea but you never know until you get into it. For us to stick our necks out there and dedicate so many resources, time and effort into the program that really was an unknown to us, we were very pleased with the results. I’m quite certain we made some life-long customers and we pleased the ones that asked us to come down there. Giving away the 2010 Mazda 3 car helped bring a lot of drivers into the series and we can’t thank South Motors Mazda enough for their support. CKI is looking forward to returning again next year.
EKN: Turning to the upcoming WSK North American Series by CKI, what are some of the things that people can expect from the six-race program?
KW: WSK North American Series by CKI will be similar to what competitors saw last year at the track, we just have changed the name thanks to the new partnership with WSK. We’ve done a lot of talking with drivers, kart shops and teams, holding meetings and listening to what they said and we have responded accordingly. This is everybody’s series, not just CKI. From the drivers to the teams to the staff, as well as our audience who might not be able to go to events but they follow us online or through other media outlets.
We have installed new programs for 2010. The First Time CKI Entrants will be eligible for free entry into their home club or regional track for the balance of the 2010 season in a CKI Driver Sponsorship Program. The Team Entry Incentive Program where teams are commissioned for multiple entries was just announced along with the partnership with the Rock Island Grand Prix. Very soon, we will be announcing our prize package, with what should be one of the largest purses in North American karting.
We’ve got a unique schedule, a true national series of six races that crosses the country. From east to west, drivers are allowed one drop throughout the six races because we know not everyone can attend all six events. You’ll see a lot of promotions from CKI for karting to help drive new people into karting. We’ve engaged with a couple marketing companies to help us with awareness of the sport and CKI, for both inside and outside of karting. We want to reach the extreme sport enthusiasts, the NASCAR and IndyCar fans. We want to continuously promote our drivers and our teams and all their products. Not only inside the sport, but outside the sport, to make it stronger for all of us.
We’re very excited about our event prior to the WSK World Series event at F1 New Jersey. We’ve already received calls and commitments from the international community to compete in that event, with a lot expected out of that event. We will visit the fine folks at the New Castle Motorsports Park twice this year, a top-notch facility on the schedule. New to the program will be visits to the Reno area with temporary circuit at the Grand Sierra Hotel in May and the Grand Junction Motor Speedway in Colorado. Our Grand Championship event in October will be held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, which is situated right on the Strip.
EKN: Thank you, Kevin, for taking the time to speak with us, on behalf of our readers.
KW: Thank you, EKN, as well as the site’s audience and we hope to see everyone at New Castle or at any other CKI event in 2010. |
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