The recent joint statement from ROK Cup USA, Superkarts! USA and the United States Pro Kart Series regarding a working relationship has sparked much interest in our community, and not surprisingly, it has brought up past discussions and new conversation regarding the sport of karting here in the USA. What sparked this new endeavor? First […]
Read Full StoryBehind the Laptop: The Longest Season
Putting 2021 into the rear-view mirror as we anticipate another exciting karting season ahead
There is no doubt that 2020 was one of the more difficult years in decades for everyone around the world, which not surprisingly impacted the sport of karting – both positively and negatively. Depending on the region or area in which you reside, karting was affected one way or another. After dealing with the initial […]
Read Full StoryBehind The Laptop: The Return of SuperSunday
Granddaddy of them all coming back in Vegas next week
As I begin writing this column on a Sunday evening, I do so with mixed emotions. The first is frustration, as the Chicago Bears just lost another game all because of blown defensive coverage. The second is joy, as Thanksgiving is just around the corner, which means a massive meal is coming on Thursday as […]
Read Full StoryWe are past the mid-point of the 2021 karting season, now into the month of July. Each year, the Major League Baseball holds their All-Star Game, welcoming some of the top players from the season from each team to fill up two squads to compete against one another. With that in mind, I thought it […]
Read Full Story2021 has the distinction of featuring the most times I have been to road racing events in the last decade. Back in April, I had the honor of providing our EKN Trackside coverage for the World Karting Association Vega Road Racing Series event that was part of the Charlotte Motor Speedway Karting Challenge in Concord, […]
Read Full StoryToday, March 13, 2021 marks the one-year anniversary of our sport and the world coming to a standstill at the beginning of what would become the COVID-19 pandemic. One year ago, many of the same teams, drivers, mechanics and families that are here at the United States Pro Kart Series opener in Ocala, Florida, were […]
Read Full StoryToday’s date – September 17, 2020 – marks the 20th anniversary of the day that the electronic doors opened at eKartingNews.com. It was during the 2000 Superkarts! USA World Finals in Norman, Oklahoma that EKN was born. Yes, current EKN Publisher Rob Howden was trackside announcing the event, but he was there with Shifter Kart […]
Read Full StoryDuring this forced downtime of not going to the race track, I have been able to catch up on my Netflix playlist. Sitting in there for some time was the second season for ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’. Many of us in the karting world are F1 fans, and I think this show over the […]
Read Full StoryWe are nearing the end of the fourth week of ‘Stay at Home’ movement due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I have mixed emotions of how the time has passed. It feels like forever that I was trackside at NOLA Motorsports for the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour WinterNationals before watching the paddock tear down that Friday […]
Read Full StoryOne sector of the motorsports world that is getting a boost during this COVID-19 pandemic is eSports. Racers and racing fans all over the world are locked down to help stop the spread of the virus, and to keep within the ‘social distancing’ guidelines laid down by local and state authorities. This has amped up […]
Read Full StoryTo say this week has been extraordinary is an understatement. As we completed our first full week of ‘social distancing’ during this COVID-19 pandemic, we are all trying to find activities to keep ourselves busy and to not simply lay out on the couch watching reruns of The Office (I limit myself to two episodes […]
Read Full StoryBehind the Laptop: Karting Is Not Cancelled
Racing and, more importantly karting, will continue moving forward
The past week has been a period of extraordinary implications due to the wave of the COVID-19 virus around the world and, of course, into the United States. As I begin writing this column, I am on my way home from New Orleans on a Saturday, a day in which we should be watching the […]
Read Full StoryThis month is very significant one for me, for the sport, and for the world. It is December 2019, and we all are embarking on the third decade of the 21st century. Social media has been busy over the last two months reflecting on the past decade (2009-2019), both personally and how extremely different the […]
Read Full StoryBehind the Laptop: Human Error
No matter the sport, nothing is ever perfect
During the early months of 2019, sports talk radio was filled with discussion regarding the NFL Playoffs. Throughout the first three rounds, we saw human error effect the outcome for many of the games. The Wildcard weekend was highlighted by the missed/blocked kick for Cody Parkey and the Chicago Bears. The Divisional weekend was a […]
Read Full StoryBehind The Laptop: Travelin’ Man
Eastern half of United States flooded with traveling series in 2019
A lot has changed in the sport over the last decade. Previously, the racing calendar was filled through the summer months and there were limited racing opportunities during the fall and winter seasons. Regional programs typically fed the national series with not only racers, but they also provided the opportunity for competitors to get in […]
Read Full StoryBehind the Laptop: Congratulations Rob Howden
Karting journalist celebrates 20th anniversary of HMG
This week at the Superkarts! USA SuperNationals, racers from all around the world are set to converge on the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino for what is the largest karting event to date. No where around the globe will you find over 500 drivers vying to etch their name in history for the 22nd edition […]
Read Full StoryBehind the Laptop: No Respect for Our Sport in United States of America
ACCUS drops the ball once again with karting
Karting is a legitimate motorsport. I swear it is. But many times, over and over here in the United States, it seems that we are just looked at as a game or a hobby, not as a legitimate motorsport in the eyes of the higher-ups. It not only is a slap in the face for […]
Read Full StoryBehind the Laptop: Less Is More
Too many series lead to declining numbers
I am not sure where I heard this statement, but as I spend more time around the karting industry, I most definitely agree that ‘Less is More’. It seems that, in general, our lives have sped up three to four times compared to what things used to be. Social media always has us busy, be […]
Read Full StoryBehind the Laptop: MAXSpeed Ends This Era of United States Rotax
Where does Rotax racing in the USA go from here?
Rotax racing, as we know it, began here in the United States back in 2001. The company was involved in karting back in the 1980s, but it wasn’t until the introduction of the Rotax FR125 Max engine that it really grew roots in North America. SSC Racing, which was based originally in the Seattle area […]
Read Full StoryBehind the Laptop: Wisconsin – The Heartland of Karting in the United States
Companies, racers and tracks continue to provide the grassroots for our sport
The month of February can be a frigid reminder of why people like to live in the southern half of the United States. Each winter, cold weather blows painfully through the northern states, especially around the Great Lakes region. While temperatures below zero (thanks to the wind chill) and inches of snow are the norm […]
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