Race 9 is here, the last of the 2019 NHKA Racing Series season. It’s this Saturday, October 19th at Canaan Motor Club. We will be racing the same track configuration as last time: Half Track 2, clockwise, with the chicane. Kid Karts will use Half Track 1. Big thanks to the Zamperini Family for sponsoring event trophies. Be sure to pre-register before midnight tonight, Wednesday October 16, 2019 so you can make the most of your race morning.

Please remember to bring donations for the CLR #10 Team food drive. Cruise LaBrie and family will be set up near the paddock entrance collecting canned and dry goods for local food pantries. The cold weather and holidays are coming, so please be as generous as you can. See the earlier post for suggestions, but if you somehow forget to load mac-n-cheese into the trailer, cash is always a welcome donation.
 
 
 
As usual, we have some reminders and updates to share with you…

USE THE FIRST GATE: Please enter the track property by the first gate closest to the main road. There will be signs.

PIT PASSES: You must sign in and purchase a pit pass BEFORE entering the paddock. Please DO NOT drive in and park and then walk back to the front booth to get your pit passes after. Get your pit passes first.

FRIDAY NIGHT ENTRY: The gate and pit pass sales will open at 4pm (or as close to that as we can) to give teams time to set up before the sun goes down. Registration will open at 7pm, then close at 9pm along with the front gate. There is no late entry or street parking allowed. If you’re not positive you’ll arrive before 9pm, delay your departure to arrive in the morning.

SATURDAY MORNING ENTRY: The gate will open at 6:30am. Pit pass sales will begin at 7am.

DRIVERS MEETING: 8:15am sharp… we have a lot of racing and work to fit in before the sun sets. All Drivers MUST ATTEND.

BARRIER STORAGE: After the races, we’ll need a few extra people to help with moving the barriers into the barn for the winter. It usually takes about 45 minutes. Thank you!

PIT PASSES PART II: Everyone at every NHKA event must have a pit pass. That means if friends or relatives attend, even for just part of the day, they’ll need pit passes. If your guests arrive after lunch, please make sure to find Mike or Nancy BEFORE your guests enter the paddock. Please keep in mind that we will be very busy conducting the races at that time and may not be able to step away. Thus, please expect an extended wait and understand that mid/late-day entry is not guaranteed.

DRAIN YOUR ENGINES: The first frost is coming any night now… if it hasn’t already near you. So be sure to drain the water out of your engine. Don’t forget to blow into your radiator fill a couple times to get the water out of the small passages in your engine.

BANQUET: Your NHKA Racing Series Awards Banquet/Annual Meeting/Party will be on Saturday, January 18, 2020 at the White Birch Function Hall in Hudson, NH. Stay tuned for more details in the coming weeks.

It’s funny how most of us started racing because we enjoyed watching it. But now that we’re racers ourselves, often the only racing we see at the track is from behind the steering wheel. That’s a shame because there’s so much great racing across all classes at every NHKA event. Never is this more true than at the last race of the season. So here are some tips and back stories to draw you to the catch fence at Canaan this Saturday so you can enjoy beinging a fan again. Note: These predictions figure in the presumed drop race, and the opinions are solely those of the writer, who wields a slow wrench but runs two classes and thus tends to get hollered at for being late to the grid.

Briggs 206 Cadet
Caleb Jarvis-Comi will nail down his fourth Cadet championship in a row. His lowest finish this season was third, which only happened once. According to our records, since he started racing in 2016, he has only finished off the podium once! All this success isn’t due to a lack of competition. When the dust settled in 2017, a mere 10 points separated him from his brother Wyatt – who finished THIRD behind Matthew Winter!!! Both Myles Danoff and Alex Braga put in solid performances all 2019, each snagging a win. Racing against someone like Caleb makes drivers very hungry, very good and the racing very much worth watching.

Briggs 206 Junior
With three wins and only one finish off the podium, LeBrie is set to Cruise to his first NHKA Championship. (Sorry, couldn’t resist.) He will be heading into the final race with a 60-point margin over 2018 champ Wyatt Jarvis-Comi and Zachary Fasset, who both will be fighting hard to end their seasons with a win.

Briggs 206 Senior
After winning the first six races, Tom Rosenfield locked-down the Briggs 206 Championship a couple months ago. Then things got interesting. TaG dominator Ricardo Nunes put together a 206. Raphael Kiopini dropped in from Canada’s huge 206 scene. Then Ryan Archambault appeared out of nowhere last race to snag second place. Then there’s Paul Bowin and Mike Oliver who each earned a pair of seconds this season. Yes, Tom will win the championship, but that means the only thing he or his competition have to lose at Canaan is the race – making it one you want to watch.

TaG Senior
Ricardo Nunes continues to win races, dominate championships and rewrite the NHKA record books. While fending off Greg Santos and Pat Dennehy to clinch the TaG Senior title, he ran two other classes, and became the first driver to win three races at a single event in the ten years NHKA has been sprint racing. The next event, he did it again. He is impressive, which makes any race he’s in worth watching.

TaG Masters
The competition in TaG Masters has always been fierce. Just one mechanical issue can jeopardize the championship hopes of even one of the NHKA’s winningest drivers, Ricardo Nunes. His DRT Racing teammate, Marciano Dos Santos has been nipping at his heels all season long with two wins and three seconds. Mac Minarelli team leader Brad Danoff has been right there too with a win and five podiums. Separated by only 45 points, with a large field adding the potential for a big lose or gain of points, these guys will be coming to Canaan meaning business. Don’t miss it!

Briggs World Formula Light
In a 100% box-stock class, there is no domination, only consistency. Defending champ Rick Brown knows this. His win at the last race bought him 20 points of breathing room over his closest rival, Rodrigo Dias, who had to swallow the disappointment of a tenth-place finish. But it’s not much of an advantage when you know that a minor slip up that loses you just a few positions on track could lose you the championship. Rick knows this too, especially in a field stacked with potential race winners. There’s “Dammit” Dave Nadeau who will want to end his rollercoaster season at the top of the podium. There’s the surging Kevin Georgantis who followed up his first ever kart win with a solid second. Or maybe one of the emerging young guns will strike the balance of speed and discipline through every corner all day long to stake their place among the proven veterans. I can’t tell you how it will turn out, only that it’ll be worth watching.

Briggs World Formula Heavy
Feeling that his weight held him back in the light-weight class last season, Ken Poulin bolted on a bit of lead to race World Formula Heavy. It was a great decision that brought him his first win and has situated him with only one race between him and his first championship. But just 30 points back lurks the always hard-charging Tom Rosenfield. And only five points behind Tom former champ Geoff Lockett. Hot off his first win of the season, Geoff will be hungry for more.

Congrats to All!
Well-deserved congratulations to all our champions, including Jeremy Fleury in 206 Masters, who came to every race and worked hard to beat the best out there, even at those early season events when it was just him. Bryan Bouton loves to challenge himself. He won the Stock Motor Shifter championship last season, then built his first KZ and drove that to the KZ Shifter championship. This season’s Stock Moto Championship will go to Mike Kavanaugh, a much-respected presence on-track and off at NHKA events since the road racing days. Quiet, tough and strong, he’s our very own Clint Eastwood.

Congrats and thanks to all our racers (meaning you) for bringing such incredible commitment (meaning insanity) to chasing your racing dreams with us. We feel very lucky to have you as part of our amazing racing family, and look forward to celebrating your accomplishments with you at the banquet. But first, there’s a bit of business we all need to attend to at Canaan.

Over the years, the NHKA family has demonstrated remarkable generosity, and we’re hoping everyone will dig deep into their shopping carts and answer the call once again.

Driving Hunger Out of Our Communities
Please join the CLR #10 team in their fight against hunger by bringing bagfuls of dry and canned food to the season finale at Canaan on October 19th. The LaBrie family will be collecting donations at their trailer, which will be parked close to the entrance. Just look for the “food drive” sign. Every donation will count as an entry into a raffle for tres chic NHKA tee-shirts to be held during the trophy ceremony. Here are some donation suggestions:

Cereal (low sugar)
Juice pouches (100% juice or low sugar)
Pasta
Pasta Sauce
Peanut Butter ( 16 oz or 28oz)
Mac-N-Cheese
Canned or Dry Beans
Canned Soup
Cash!!! Get the most bang for your buck by enabling pantries to buy exactly what they need at prices far below retail!

Briggs 206 Raffle Adds $1,400 to Danzilla Fund
Thank you to everyone who participated in the re-raffle of the Briggs 206 originally donated by Apex Kartsports, then given to Dan by the winner, then given by Dan to his landlady to sell, then donated back to the club by her to be used for a fundraiser, again. This engine has been at the center of a two-year, $12,000+ campaign for cancer-related causes – which is amazing for community our size. You people are the best! If that engine ever finds its way onto the track it will surely be easy to pick out by its halo.

NHKA Race 8 is fast approaching. Please be sure to thank the Ouellette’s of RJT Karting for sponsoring the trophies. We will be running the NHMS Hill Course clockwise, which has produced some phenomenal racing all season. Pre-registration ends this Wednesday, September 25. As always, you can register at the track.

This is our favorite time of the season!!!! The weather is dry and crisp. Points battles are tight. Pressure is mounting. That said… we must remember we’re all here to have FUN, including those not contending for a championship. At this point in a long season equipment, bodies and tempers can start wearing out. So let’s, each of us, make it our personal mission to get everyone else through the next two events smiling.

Looking into the near future, we need to implement a stricter fuel rule. But before anything is set in stone, we’d like to hear the membership’s thoughts and suggestions. We’ll bring it up during the drivers meeting, and you’re also welcome to discuss ideas with Mike during the course of the day.

Friday Night:
Track entry on Friday night starts at 6pm. The front gate is controlled by the speedway, so we cannot guarantee entry after 10pm. We will sell pit passes in the paddock from 7pm till 9pm. Any late arrivals will have to purchase a pit pass in the morning at the front gate. All guests must have a pit pass. Race registration will also be open 7-9pm.

Saturday:
Main gate, registration and pre-race tech all open at 7am.
Drivers meeting at 8:15am ALL DRIVERS MUST ATTEND.
Members warm up at 8:30am.

ALL drivers must sign the driver release form at registration. Even if you have pre-registered for the event or season.

All karts must be safety inspected. We are paying close attention to how lead weights are mounted. If you have been told to improve how a weight is mounted, be sure to do so because you won’t be allowed on track until it is safe.

Only two weeks after 122 entries marked the NHKA’s return to Canaan, we’re right back at it this Saturday, September 7th, with Race 7 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

One look at the updated points confirms what is obvious on track – the competition continues to get tighter and run deeper into the field than ever before. Some classes have four or five drivers duking it out for the win, plus 20 more fighting for position all the way through the field. As we enter the last part of the season, the championship battles in most classes are also tightening up. With nothing decided, every position gained on track could be the one that gets the big trophy at the banquet.

If all one knows are the trash talk and cheap shots of ball and stick sports, they might think that all this intense competition on the track has ramped up tensions in the pits. They’d be mistaken. NHKA events continue to be defined by the high level of comradery and helpfulness between drivers, teams and shops. Everyone helps everyone, especially direct competitors. That’s because we’re true racers who want to beat our rivals on the track. And because we’re true friends, which is what makes this club awesome and our events so much fun.

Now for a few reminders…

PRE-ENTRY DEADLINE is today (September 4) at midnight. Yes, you can always enter at the track. But wouldn’t your race morning be better spent checking your kart one more time?

PIT PASSES ARE CASH ONLY Credit cards are not accepted at the gate for pit pass sales. Please bring cash.

EVERYBODY NEEDS A PIT PASS Anyone who enters the gate onto track property are required to have a pit pass. That includes friends, family and mechanics (as well as drivers) whether they intend to be on the grid or not.

ALL DRIVERS MUST SIGN THE DRIVER WAIVER Whether you’re pre-entered for the event or the season, all drivers MUST sign the driver waiver at registration.

PRE-RACE SAFETY INSPECTION IS REQUIRED All karts must be brought to Paul Bowen’s pit near the grid for a safety inspection before being allowed to enter the track. Every race. No Exceptions. To brush up on what Paul will be checking, click here. He will continue to be paying special attention to how lead weights are mounted. If he already told you to remount your weights during a previous inspection, you’ll need to have that done for him to pass you Saturday morning.

FRIDAY NIGHT ENTRY The main gate at NHMS opens at 6pm. Pit pass sales, registration and safety tech will be 7pm – 9pm. Anyone who arrives after 9pm must go to the front gate Saturday morning to purchase their pit pass.

SATURDAY SCHEDULE The main gate, registration and safety tech open at 7am. Drivers meeting at 8:15am. Members only warm up at 8:30am.

New England grassroots racers truly are blessed to be part of such a great motorsports community. NHKA, Mass Tuning, USCRA, SCCA Solo and other groups all had members who volunteered significant time and energy to the clean up and repair of Canaan Motor Club. Of course Dave Delgenio and crew did a masterful job of orchestrating the effort to make this miraculous recovery happen so quickly. We must also thank track owner Tillman Gerngross for his continued passionate dedication to providing grassroots racers a track to call home.

Of course, thanks to all who attended the event. The racing was excellent across all groups. The new configuration was tricky, but all drivers did a great job. At the end of the day we had three first time winners and a bunch of new faces on the podium.

The flood forced us to cram a lot of racing into a short period of time. We sincerely appreciate the commitment of our members and families help saving the season. Stay tuned for updated points standings and the latest information for Race 7 at NHMS on September 7. You can pre-register right now.

We are very excited about our return to Canaan Motor Club this Saturday, August 24th!!!! The property looks great and they are looking forward in hosting us. Attendance has been off the charts, and we’re expecting another great crowd. So make sure you get your pre-entry in before midnight Wednesday the 21st. Big thanks to the Duchak Boys – Brian, Kevin and Wes – for sponsoring the trophies.

The main gate has moved. Please use the first entrance to the track after you turn off the main road. There will be a sign and someone directing traffic. If you miss the new entrance you will need to drive up Orange Road to Cardigan Mountain Road (at the intersection of Tuttle Hill Road) to turn around. In other words, DO NOT TURN AROUND IN THE NEIGHBORS’ DRIVEWAYS! And as always, no parking on Orange Road. Please spread the word.

The gate will be locked at 9pm Friday. No exceptions. Friday night entry begins at 6pm. The gate (remember, the first one!) will open at 5:30pm. Please pull up to the pit pass booth to wait. The gate will be locked at 9pm. DO NOT let yourself in after hours. The gate will reopen at 6:30am Saturday, a half hour before pit passes go on sale. DO NOT arrive early/overnight and park on the street out front (Orange Road.) This will disrupt traffic on the main road, make residents mad at the track, the track mad at us, and us something much worse than mad at you.

ALL DRIVERS must sign the driver release at registration. Yes, even if you are pre entered for the event or the season – there’ll be a special express line just for you.

DRIVERS MEETING will be at 8:15am. Everyone must attend. If you are late you will be required to review the meeting with your race director (which will likely be as fun as it sounds.)

As we’ve all become aware of just how shockingly destructive the storm in New Hampshire was, we are thankful that no one was injured at the track, nor any of our friends on Cape Cod near where the tornados struck. We are also thankful for the patience and support of the NHKA membership and everyone from the Northeast karting community who called with offers of assistance. A special shout out to the staff and management at NHMS for stepping up with extra race dates.

Final Adjusted Schedule (Almost)
August 10      Race 4      NHMS
August 11      Race 5      NHMS
August 24      Race 6      Canaan*
Sept 7           Race 7      NHMS
Sept 28         Race 8      NHMS
October 19     Race 9      Canaan
*Note that the event recently added for August 25th has been removed.

Races 4 & 5, August 10-11, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Each day will be the same format as a regular race day. Race 4 on Saturday will run the track counter clockwise. Race 5 on Sunday will run clockwise. Everyone is invited to hang out after Saturday’s races for a party along the lines of KartMania.

Race 6, August 24, Canaan Motor Club
That’s right!!! You read correctly. We will be racing at Canaan this month! How? A seriously committed owner and a whole lot of hard work by Track Manager Dave, the local excavation contractor and dozens of hardcore racers – including a number of you! Dave tells us that the property has been cleared of debris and 95% of the excavation is completed. While this is surprisingly great news, and what’s been accomplished so quickly is truly impressive, there is still much to be done before the full road course will be available. So, we will run Half Track 2 clockwise… the right-side loop utilizing the “bus stop” chicane and the section of kart track to the right of the infield garage.

Race 7, September 7, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
This date has been on the schedule all season as Race 8. Now it will be Race 7.

Race 8, September 28, New Hampshire Motor Speedway
This is a new date provided by our friends at NHMS.

Race 9, October 19, Canaan Motor Club
We have added a race on October 19 to get the schedule back up to nine events.

We regret to inform you that Kart Mania 4 is cancelled. A severe weather system passed through the area late yesterday afternoon and evening. Heavy rains have flooded the area along with the entire Canaan Motor Club property. The track has sustained heavy damage as well as part of the racing surface has washed away.

Mike and Lee will be going to the track Saturday to view the damage and assist in any clean up and retrieval of the barriers and anything else. We will inform everyone with a plan as soon as we know.But yeah, bummer.

Thank you all for your patience.

As always, KartMania4!!! will be two days of fun for racers, friends and guests from other clubs and tracks. On Saturday we plan to get in enough practice that your arms will about fall off. Then you’ll qualify for your spot in Sunday’s LeMans-style starts to 30-minute endure races. Then Saturday evening we’ll be hosting our legendary cookout and party featuring the ever-popular and downright-competitive cornhole tournament.

SAVE $10 if you pre-register for both days by midnight Wednesday!

Here are some details for the weekend’s events.

Friday Night: Entry 6–9pm. Overnight camping is $25 for one or both nights. The gate will be locked at 9pm. Please no overnight parking on the property out front.

Saturday: Gate opens at 7am. Please use the first gate – there will be a sign. This will avoid traffic backing up on the street. The gate will close at 10pm.

Saturday Practice and Qualifying: Practice will run 9am – 4pm, followed immediately by qualifying for Sundays races. There will be a lunch break at approximately noon.

Kid Karts: The little racers will practice and race on Saturday. No racing for Kid Karts on Sunday.

Saturday Evening: Please join all of your karting friends for Marcelo’s fabulous Brazilian BBQ and the Armendariz Brothers’ authentic tacos. NHKA will supply burgers and dogs. Plus! One of our favorite parts is sampling all the dishes brought by you. So please bring your favorite summertime crowd pleaser to share, be it a side, salad or dessert. (Please just drop a quick message to nhkaracingseries@gmail.com so we know what you are bringing.) Please bring your own adult beverages and sodas. And remember, if you know how to operate one of those grill things don’t be shy, we can always use a little extra help in that department, as well as with setup and clean up.

Sunday morning: Gate will open at 7am.

Sunday Practice and Races: Practice will start at 9am followed by racing. More details will be announced soon.