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Thank you to everyone who participated in our first two events – both of which drew more than 100 entries! It’s support like this that makes the NHKA one of the largest club series in the country. This also makes the racing super competitive and fun. Let’s keep this going in Race 3 this Saturday, June 22nd, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, with trophies sponsored by OnPoint Karting. Pre-registration ends Wednesday June 19th at midnight. If you miss it, not to worry, you can always enter at the track.

Please be aware that the speedway will be hosting the Short Track Showdown on the NASCAR oval for stock cars and modifieds. This will have no effect on our racing, we’ll be on the Hill Course as usual. The parking and pit areas will also be the same. Aside from more traffic Saturday morning, the only difference should be all the race fans and crew members. This is a good thing! We’re hoping more than a few of them will stop by to see what we have going on. Please make any curious visitors feel welcomed and don’t let them leave without bookmarking “NHKA.net” on their phones.

Here’s the latest info for attending Saturday’s race:
Friday Night Entry The gates, pit pass sales and registration will be open 6-9pm. The main gate will be open later, but the gate to the Hill Course paddock will close at 9pm.
Saturday Morning Entry The gates, pit pass sales and registration will open at 7am.
Driver Sign-In All drivers must go to registration to sign the driver insurance waiver. NO EXCEPTIONS. This includes preregistered drivers, who will have a separate line.
Pre-Race Safety Inspection All karts and helmets must pass a safety inspection and have both the safety and registration wristbands affixed to the top of the steering wheel.
Pit Passes Everyone attending the NHKA race must be wearing a pit pass purchased at the front gate – even if you are just stopping by or helping out.
Used Tires and Fuel Cans You must take home your used tires and fuel cans. Anyone caught leaving them behind will receive an automatic 1-week suspension. At least.
Race Day Schedule The schedule for on-track activities we used at Canaan worked well, so we’ll continue along those lines with some small adjustments.
Members Only Warm Up Immediately after the drivers meeting, NHKA members will have a 5-minute session to blow off the cobwebs.

We realize we sound like a broken record with these reminders, but they are extremely important and continue to crop up. We do our best to keep things light while balancing the needs of the racers, staff and the properties. And we certainly appreciate everything you all do to make that possible!

As a final note on the Short Track Shootout, it’s been said that the drinking of beer is common at NASCAR events. We wouldn’t know. But we can say for sure that there will be absolutely no alcohol consumed by any NHKA participant – including crew or friends – before the conclusion of all NHKA on-track activities for the day. We have a zero tolerance policy on this matter. The driver will be held responsible and suspended indefinitely. That said, once the racing is done, it’d be our pleasure to join you in toasting the day, no matter how it went on the track.

Learning from the hiccups of Race 1, we made some adjustments to our procedures and schedules for Race 2 and were able to deliver a full day of racing across all classes. This rally wouldn’t have been possible without our fantastic team of volunteers, staff and officials, but most of all our competitors and crews. By minimizing breakdowns and off-track excursions, all of you deserve the thanks for making Race 2 such a smooth-running success!!!! The points are being calculated and will be posted very soon.

All that said, there are a couple areas still in need of improvement…We continue to have issues with transponders. Some died on track, some were DoA, and others weren’t registered to the drivers using them. If you borrow a transponder, please give the number to registration. Also, again, please charge your transponder for at least 18 hours before every race. Remember, no working transponder, no scoring and you start from the back. Given everything you put into your racing, it’s a pretty silly way to lose.

EVERY DRIVER MUST VISIT REGISTRATION THE MORNING OF EVERY RACE TO SIGN THE DRIVER WAIVER – EVEN IF YOU PRE-ENTERED. Incase it’s not clear, the waivers you sign at the gate are for you to be on the property. The waiver you sign at registration is for you to race on the track. All are enormously important to protect the club and absolutely must be signed!

One final note on Race 2… Some of you have kindly asked after the woman who was attended to by the ambulance after a nasty fall. Lee spoke with her and reports she is fine, just a bit banged up and sore.

Race 3 is slated for June 22 on the new and improved Hill Course at NHMS. We’re eager to see what our new toy can do, so we’re considering running the track in reverse. We need to test this first, so we won’t know if it’ll work until Friday night or Saturday morning. Stay tuned for other event details as race day approaches. Pre entry deadline is Wednesday June 19. If you miss it, no problem, you can still enter at the track.

The Hill Course upgrade brought racers out in droves to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for NHKA Race 1. We had 115 entries take to the track to test our new configuration. The response has been positive so we’ve decided to keep it! LOL! Once again, thank you to all the racers who helped make this project possible, and to Apex Kartsports for sponsoring the trophies for this landmark day.

With growth come growing pains. More people means more to do, but still the same amount of day to get it done. Just as racers need to make adjustments to keep up with changing conditions, so do we:

• The gate will open 1/2 hour earlier at 6:30am.
• We will have a second pit pass line for those who pre-registered, annually registered or who are workers.
• Kid Kart practice and racing will be completed before lunch break.
• More classes will be grouped together for both practice and racing.
• Practice sessions will be slightly shorter, but there will be three sessions of equal length with the third being timed qualifying.
• Pre-finals and finals will be run in the afternoon as usual. However, to ensure everyone enjoys maximum track time, race lengths will now be determined by average lap time.

We hate shortened races as much as you. We appreciate everyone’s patience last week and count on it in the future as we work to find ways to deliver the same great racing to more and more people. Speaking of which…

We feel very fortunate to have so many new drivers and families join the club this season. The NHKA community is known for being welcoming and super helpful. Let’s keep that tradition going by introducing yourself when you come across a new face, then check in with them from time to time to see if they need help with registration, kart safety, pit rules or anything else.

Now onto the reminders:

• EVERYONE who enters the property must have a pit pass wristband. No exceptions. All wristbands must be purchased and signed for at the gate.
• EVERYONE who enters the racing surface must go to registration to sign the driver waiver – including those who are pre-entered.
• All karts that enter the track must complete a pre-race safety inspection.
• All karts must qualify and race on the same set of NHKA marked tires. Marked tires are available through Apex Kart Sports, DRT Racing and NHKA.
• Friday night entry is 6pm and 9pm. Only pre-authorized workers are allowed in earlier. The gate will be locked at 9pm and reopen at 6:30am Saturday. Please plan accordingly.
• CHARGE YOUR TRANSPONDER!!! Several fast drivers were forced to the back in their prefinals due to weak or dead transponders. These things need at least 18 hours to fully juice. That means tossing them onto a charger race morning ain’t gonna cut it. If you’re not confident about yours, we have a tester. If it fails, we have transponders to rent.

Race 2 will be at Canaan Motor Club utilizing the same configuration and direction we ran on the practice day. Your trophy sponsor is Danoff Contracting. If you have a dream, Brad can build it. Please join us in thanking Brad and Myles when you see them.

We are very pleased to announce that on April 30th at approximately 4pm a new section of track was born at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway Hill Course. It is 210 feet long, 18 feet wide and weighs in at a hearty 60 tons of asphalt. The deservedly proud parents who pre-paid their 2019 entries to bring this baby into the world invite one and all to join us for its christening on May 11th at Race 1 of the NHKA Racing Series.

First they said the rain would end by 7am, then 9am, then 10am, and then they said “breaking clouds and sun” but it was still raining. But that didn’t slow down 50 of the heartiest, most dedicated, and downright craziest drivers ever to take to a track. This included many new drivers/members who all made a stellar first impression.

Thank you to the NHKA team who smoothed out more than a few glitches. And our crackerjack photographer Ken Repke who captured a pile of cool pics (including these) that you can view and purchase at www.kenrepke.zenfolio.com And a very special thanks to our volunteers and ace corner marshal team for spending the entire day out in conditions that defy polite description. Finally, a big fat raspberry to the lying weatherman whose breaking clouds and sun didn’t actually happen until the last of the trailers were pulling out of the paddock. Hopefully, that’ll be the last of the rain this season.

This Saturday, April 27, will be the first event of the 2019 season. What’s better than a full day of practice to shake off the cobwebs, break in engines and get all of the new drivers some track time? Everyone is itching to get on track and the forecast looks good.

Friday Track Entry
There is a new procedure for track entry Friday nights: Racers will only be allowed to enter 6–9pm. No exceptions. The main gate will be locked at 9pm as stated on our contract. If you are dropping off your equipment, you will need to be out by 9pm. If you are camping, the track charges a $25 camping fee, which needs to paid when you buy your pit pass (both are cash only.) Overnight parking on the property outside the gate (i.e., in front of the Canaan hall) is not allowed. So please, plan your travel accordingly.

Only NHKA officials and volunteers are allowed to enter the facility prior to 6pm on Fridays to set up the track and registration. There will be a list, if you’re not on it, you will not get in before 6pm. Again, no exceptions. Please don’t pull us away from our work to restate this through the fence. And please don’t come early for a good spot in line because a line would block the street. It’s simple, come no earlier than 6pm, but no later than 9pm on Fridays. Thank you all for understanding.

Saturday Track Entry
The gate will reopen at 7am on Saturday. If possible, we will open it earlier to mitigate any traffic backed up on the street. DO NOT attempt to unlock the gate yourself.

Registration will be open 6pm–9pm Friday night, and reopen at 7am Saturday. The drivers meeting will begin at 8:30am, and practice by groups will begin at 9am. Practice will end at 4pm.

Parking and Pitting
The paddock at Canaan is always a challenge during mud season. Depending upon the firmness of the grassy areas, we’ve worked out a plan with the track for parking trucks and trailers differently just for this event. In any case, you will still need to pit your karts on the grassy areas, so bring a tarp, old carpet, table cloths or your wife’s best linens to minimize tracking mud into your trailers.

Tires
NHKA marked and scanned MG and LeCont tires will be available for purchase at the track this Saturday, and at all events, from Apex Kart Sports, DRT Racing and the NHKA. These are the tires required for any officially timed/scored session (qualifying, prefinal/heat, and final race.) While not required for practice, it’s wise racers will get their official LeCont and MG tires before the day they need them.

Hill Course Update
Last Friday Race Director Mike Camarra made a trip to New Hampshire Motor Speedway to tour the worksite with speedway management. While there they marked off the new section of track and reviewed the improvements to the “bumpy” section and chicane. We have commitment that the bumps will be fixed for our first race on May 11. If the weather cooperates, the new section will be completed. Thank you everyone who made this happen with full-season pre-registrations and early tire purchases!!!!

See you at Canaan in just a few days!

The start of the 2019 NHKA Racing Series is less than a month away. That means you have some work to do to get your kart ready, and we’re here to help.

Check out NHKA.net’s new HOW-TO tab on the main menu. You’ll find articles with step-by-step instructions for kart prep, bolt drilling, helmet selection and inspection, as well as a three-part series on axle removal, bearing cleaning and a brand new guide on axle installation. Each offers a PDF version for you to print and have on hand at the track.

Written by a veteran racer, each article combines know-how collected over ten years from top mechanics and tuners, including local pros Michael Camarra and Angelo Sadano; national-level wrenches Brian Fisher and Arturo Tames; five-time world champion Danilo Rossi and his DR factory crew; as well as numerous fellow racers with the smarts to figure stuff out and the generosity to share it.

That’s what it’s all about, karters helping karters.

As is our custom, the NHKA Racing Series banquet started with an open discussion about changes to rules and procedures for the coming 2019 season.

Big Improvements for the Hill Course We’ve made arrangements with NHMS for some needed repairs and improvements to the Hill Course ahead of the first race. These will include a much smoother main straightaway, curbs for the chicane, and best of all, a brand-new crossover section between the bowl and main straight. (No more hairpin!) To raise cash to fund our share of the costs, we’re offering racers the chance to pre-register for the entire season. Those who do will get all their pit passes for free. That’s a $160 bargain! To read more about the up-grades and how taking this deal will help us make them happen, please click here.

All Tires Now Sold by NHKA All MG and LeCont tires raced in the NHKA must be purchased directly from the NHKA. All tires will be specially marked, scanned and checked. You have the option to buy them at the track, or you can advance order sets or individual tires (click here for the order form.) Or you can order tires by the case by calling Mike at 617-448-0917.

New Spec for Rain Tires Starting this season, if your class races LeConts in the dry, you’ll be racing LeConts in the wet. Same goes for classes that race MGs. Also, last season we allowed racers to register previously purchased off-spec rain tires; those exceptions have expired and those tires can no longer be raced. However, you are welcome to burn through them in practice.

TaG Jr. to Race LeCont Reds For the economy, familiarity and challenge of taming more power on a harder tire, kids coming up the 2-cycle ladder into Tag Jr. will continue racing on LeCont Reds as they did in TaG Micro and Mini.

Changes Not Mentioned at the Banquet

New Spec for Rear Wheel Widths Karts running 7.10 rear tires are now required to have rear wheels with a minimum width of 7.75”/196mm, and a maximum width of 8.3”/212mm. This size range will result in this being a non-change for anyone racing wheels made for sprint racing by any of the major chassis manufacturers/suppliers.

Plastic Rear Bumpers Now Required Karts in all classes are required to be equipped with plastic rear bumpers by the third race of the 2019 season.

TaG Mini Weight Tweak Rotax racers will now need to scale in at 265lbs, per 2019 USRMC rules.

Briggs 206 Masters Age Correction As has always been the case, and is now stated correctly in our rules, you must be 32+ to race in Briggs 206 Masters.

Canaan Gates to Close at 9pm Friday Nights We fully realize and hate that this forces a good number of you to choose between rousing the family at 4am or burning precious vacation time to sit in summer traffic. Unfortunately, the track owner worries about upsetting the neighbors. So 9pm it is.

ROK GP is Now an Option for TaG Jr., Sr. & Masters Introduced 4 years ago, it looks like the ROK line of engines will be around for a while. Although typically raced in ROK-only classes, TaG USA has included it in their multi-engine TaG rules, thus we will add the ROK GP to our TaG Jr., Sr. and Masters classes. As always, our goal is parody, so expect tweaks to the minimum weight requirements during the season.

TaG Micro Gets New Engine and Gear We have added Micro ROK 60 as an engine option. The minimum weight will be 225lbs, and you’ll have a couple gearing options: 11/82 or 10/75. Also, in the interest of parody, Micro Swift will also be limited to gearing at 11/82 or 10/75.

Kid Karts Given Option to Run Transponders Kid Karts should be all about having fun, building confidence and learning. This is why we don’t charge entry fees for that class or score their results – nor will we. However, we will now turn on the scoring system while they are on track so those who wish to run a transponder can use MyLaps/Speedhive data as a teaching tool.

World Formulas Now 100% Box Stock After a season of transition, World Formulas now must have a blue NHKA Box stock seal to race. Additionally, we have named Dave “Archie” Archambault, a long-time widely respected promotor of 4-cycle karting, to be the sole Authorized Builder and Inspector for the World Formula Engine Program. Lastly, we’ve made the stock Champion spark plug mandatory.

From here on, all the competition will be driver to driver out on track, as it should be. So as we turn the page on blue printing and all the envy and suspicion it breeds, please remember this one key fact: In the last season blue printing was legal, both World Formula champions won with sealed box stock engines.

For the first time, you can pre-register and pre-pay for the entire 2019 season. We’re making this offer to raise cash for the NHMS Hill Course upgrade. The project includes adding a new section of track to connect the bowl to the main stretch and eliminate the current hairpin. (Brothers and sisters, can I hear a hallelujah?!) This will also create significantly more space in the main paddock so only the latest arrivals will be stuck pitting in Timbuktu. The project also includes repaving the first part of the main stretch to eliminate the chain-popping frost heaves. Finally, we’ll also be adding some curbs to the chicane to make it a little easier to stay out of the rocks on exit. This is all slated to be completed for our first race in May if the weather cooperates.

To show our appreciation for helping the club make these critical track improvements, your full season pre-registration will include all the season’s pit passes – $160 value! The deadline is April 1st. We totally understand that a whole season of entries is a big chunk of change to part with all at once. But if you can swing it, the benefits to you and the club will be worth it!

Pre-Register for the Entire 2019 NHKA Season