Was KartMania 2!!! a blast or what?! So much close racing in every class from green to checkers. Be sure to checkout the onboard videos shared to the club’s Facebook page, they are amazing. Thank you to all who attended and for the cooperation that made it possible for us to get in a full day of racing Saturday despite the passing showers. A great time was had by all at the cookout party sponsored by NHKA, Dave Nadeau, Lefty’s Brewing, Lecam Machine, and of course our members. Special thanks to Doreen Simpson, the Bowin family, Jan Oliver and Tina Camarra for all the planning, coordination and set up, and to your grill masters Eric Stockford and Lee Camarra. Congrats to Lee and his teammate Tim Ferraro for their win in the Cornhole tournament, and thanks to Jim Slade for keeping the tournament running smoothly. Thank you Joey Kolbe for lending his photography to the club and sharing his work with the members through Facebook. And, finally, some great news: After his nasty wreck Sunday morning, Donat is back home and expected to make a full recovery. We hope to see you back at the track soon!

With KartMania in the rearview mirror, all eyes are focused forward on championships. Saturday’s Race 5 of the NHKA Racing Series powered by K1 Speed marks the midpoint of the 2017 season. By the time the sunsets, we’ll know who might have the momentum to carry them to the big trophy. Speaking of trophies, big thanks to Kevin and Richard Georgantis of KRG Racing for sponsoring this event’s hardware. The forecast is great and we’re looking forward to seeing you there!

CLICK HERE to print entry form. Send in by June 30th to save $30 and to get the best possible starting spot!

After last year’s Kart Mania! everyone wanted to know “when do we get to go road racing again?” At long last we can say…

Saturday, June 17th, the NHKA Racing Series powered by K1 Speed will be hosting the first of three events this summer on the full road course at Canaan Motor Club. This race – NHKA Race 4 and IKS Race 2 – will be the first points-paying road race for karters in New England for nearly a decade. Road racing is officially back!!!

As many of you learned last year, road racing is just like karting, only completely different. It’s faster – a lot faster. So fast you can actually feel the draft. Smoothness and momentum are more important than ever. Playing the game right is more chess match than fist fight. The gear ratios will make you laugh out loud. There will likely be finishes where the top five are within a second of each other. And you will have as much fun as humanly possible in a go kart.

There are other, more practical differences between a road racing event and the sprint racing events you’re used to. The day’s beginning will be familiar enough, with two rounds of practice by group, followed by timed qualifying. The first big difference will be the starts, which will be LeMans standing starts from the edge of the front straight. Classes will be combined as usual, but each will receive their own starting flag. Another big difference will be that each class will race for 30 minutes, except laydown enduro karts, which will race for 45 minutes. The last difference is that road races cost more to put on. We’re going to see if it makes dollars and sense for the club to set the entry fee at $75 per class, and $65 for a second class for the same driver. In the world of road racing, this is a bigtime bargain, so make sure all your karting buddies come. They’ll thank you. and so will we.

Unlike at Kart Mania! last year, we will race rain or shine. If it does rain, we will need switch to the usual half-track course to keep everyone as safe as possible. Knowing that, you’ll do well to remember that this is a points race for both NHKA and IKS, whether you like the weather or not.

A big-time, big-track thank you to trophy sponsor Earthwork Industries, a trusted provider of complete environmental remediation services throughout the Northeast. Their expertise includes wetland restoration, contaminated soil removal, remediation systems, drainage, sewer and water connections, commercial and residential septic systems (including MA Title 5), and now, remote camera pipeline inspections. Please thank Earthwork Industries by calling 508.643.4430 for your next big project.

The NHKA Racing Series powered by K1 Speed takes to the Hill Course at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the second time in 2017. Between the changing track conditions and intense competition, NHKA Race 2 was, shall we say, was an interesting demonstration of variations in human judgement. Despite the iffy weather, we still had nearly 70 racers come get some. NHKA Race 3 promises to be no less fun.

This Saturday’s trophies will be sponsored Custom Signs and Design of East Bridgewater, MA. The shop is owned by Jay Dennehy, the father of stand-out racers Pat and Daniel and a pretty good shoe himself. Signs, truck or bike lettering and striping, custom helmets and more. Like Custom Signs and Design on Facebook.

The Interstate Kart Series (IKS) revs into action at this weekend’s F1 Outdoors season opener. As usual, there will be practice on Saturday 9am-1pm, then racing on Sunday. Gates open at 7:30am both days. IKS championship awards for the 2016 season will be presented during the trophy ceremony at the end of the day.

It appears that the schedule on the F1 Outdoors website has incorrect dates for the IKS races. The correct dates are:
Race 1 – May 21 – F1
Race 2 – June 17 – Canaan
Race 3 – July 16 – F1
Race 4 – July 30 – F1
Race 5 – Aug 27 – NHMS
Race 6 – Sept 16 – Canaan

Now in its third year, the Interstate Kart Series offers New England racers the chance to come together to compete on a variety of tracks for a regional championship. Every year we add a new track to the mix, and 2017 is no exception with the addition of the full road course at the Canaan Motor Club. Road racing demands different gearing, different set ups and a different mindset than what most of our racers are used to. New challenges keep racing fun, and that’s what the IKS is all about!

Let’s start by getting this out of the way: Yes, rain is likely at least part of the day Saturday, but temps should be in the 60s. Yes, we will be racing. No, there’s nothing Mike can do about the weather. Yes, if Ayrton Senna raced with us, you bet your rear bumper he’d be there.

It’s time for Race 2 of the NHKA Racing Series powered by K1 Speed. This will be our competitors’ first shot at the always challenging New Hampshire Motor Speedway Hill Course. This crazy mashup of massive elevation changes, long straights, super-tight hairpins and the famous sweeping bowl turn produces unexpected results all the time, but add rain and just about anyone could be standing on the podium. The only sure way to take yourself out of contention is not to show up. And if the level of competition we saw two weeks ago in Canaan is any indication, you can’t afford to skip a race just because of rain. So break out those Senna videos to remind yourself how much fun it is to race on a wet track.

Big shout out to Apex Kartsports for sponsoring Saturday’s trophies. Since way back when the NHKA first made the shift from road racing to sprint, George and Alex Vorrilas have been major supporters of the club and its racers. We appreciate everything they do, and so should you. Be sure to let them know it when you see them at the track Saturday.

New Friday Load-In Procedures at NHMS
For most events, including this weekend, racers are welcome to enter the track after 6:00pm on Friday. We’ll give you as much notice as we can if that time changes. You can just drop your trailer in a great pit spot and leave, or you can purchase a $25 camping pass from the track at the front gate and enjoy a pleasant and productive evening with your racing family getting set-up and registered. Please note: the front gate will be locked at 10pm. There will be positively no admittance after that time, even if we really like you. The front gate will reopen at 7am Saturday morning. The members only warmup will be at 8:30am, followed immediately by the drivers meeting. Please remember, no starting of race engines until 8:05am.

We hope you like surprises! Race 1 of the 2017 NHKA Racing Series Powered by K1 Speed will be the club’s first time on the right side of the Canaan Motor Club (let’s call it the Village Circuit and see if it sticks.) Race Director Mike Camarra says the layout will be very similar to how that end of the track was set up for Kart Mania last year. Which means there will still be a chicane at the end of the back straight due to the old dirt oval’s concrete wall. It’s going to be a gearing challenge for everyone with long straights and fast sweepers punctuated by a couple very tight turns. And let’s not forget the blind off-camber Speedway Turn. This is going to be fun.

A couple important last minute items you need to know…

Friday Entry 6-9pm Only Our new contract with the track stipulates that only NHKA Officials and regular workers, and those with advanced explicit permission, will be allowed on the property before 6pm on Friday for this and every race at Canaan this year.

No Race Engines Before 8:30am Again per our new contract with the track, there will be no running of race engines before 8:30am. All of last year’s noise abatement measures will also be in effect: Air boxes for all 2-cycle karts including all shifters. 14” silencers for Stock Motos. No loud music, excessively loud generators or yelling at night (Mike is still allowed to yell whenever he feels it necessary.)

Hot Track 9am-5pm We only have the track for a limited time, so we’re making some tweaks to the morning schedule to make sure we get in all the racing. Gates will open at the usual 7am Saturday morning, and so will registration. Please go register as soon as you park. The drivers meeting will be at 8:30am sharp. The new circuit will have new procedures, be there so you don’t end up being THAT guy. Finally, we will not be having a Members Only Warm Up. Instead, at 9am we’ll go straight into the usual two rounds of group practice followed by qualifying.

That’s it for now. We’re looking forward to a big crowd and fun racing. See you there!

Some karters have the heated shop and required discipline to start prepping their karts for the first race of the new season right after the last race of the old season. These diehards will roll into Canaan Motor Club the morning of April 22nd with their karts set to kill. The rest of you should take this post as a friendly reminder… THE SEASON STARTS NEXT FREAKIN’ WEEK! GET TO WORK!

NHKA Race 1
April 22, 2017
Canaan Motor Club Short Track
Friday Arrival: TBA–9pm
Friday Night Camping: $20 (passed through to the track)
Saturday Gates: 7am
Drivers Meeting: 8:15am
Members’ Warmup: 9am

The racers of the NHKA Racing Series powered by K1 Speed will run just two rounds of practice before getting straight to the business of winning a championship in 2017. We’re expecting tight competition across multiple classes all season long. The drivers who are presented the big trophies at Canaan next Saturday afternoon could very likely be presented the even bigger trophies at season’s end. First race or last race, they know the points are the same, and they will race hard for all of them.

Speaking of trophies, a big shout out to the season’s first trophy sponsor – and class sponsor for TaG Senior and World Formula – CFMotorsports. Every race of every season CF has been trackside with parts and support. You’d have a hard time finding a racer in the paddock whose bacon they haven’t saved. So, when you see Mike, be sure to thank him not just for putting on the races, but also keeping you in them!

Once again, please join us in welcoming K1 Speed as our title sponsor. The Icebreaker race they hosted was a blast, that is if your idea of fun is seeing Ken Repke mistaking Mike Camarra for a cone. The spiffy NHKA suits are still in progress, we’ll let you see them as soon as they are ready. However, the 20% discount at K1RaceGear.com is live. Just enter offer code NHKA2017 at checkout.

We are very pleased to announce that K1 Speed has signed on as the new title sponsor of the NHKA Racing Series. Not only will their support help us to continue to grow and improve the club, having K1 as part of the NHKA family comes with special privileges for all our members:

$5 Off Arrive and Drive Packages Save on racing any day at K1 Speed Wilmington and Kingston. Use offer code NHKA or 10429.

20% off at k1racegear.com NHKA racers get big savings on K1 Race Gear’s already affordable K1 safety equipment and apparel, including custom apparel! Use offer code NHKA2017 for regular online shopping, but call with the code to get the discount on custom orders.

Save On Private Events Birthdays, bachelor parties, corporate outings – if you’re hosting a celebration, call Gary in Group Sales at 855-517-7333 for special discounted rates.

NHKA Suits and Gloves K1 is helping us to design awesome new NHKA driving suits, gloves and more. They should be available soon. Watch for an announcement.

As if that wasn’t enough, K1 Speed in Wilmington is hosting the NHKA Ice Breaker to help us get the 2017 season started right!

NHKA Ice Breaker
Saturday April 1st
K1 Speed Wilmington
Arrive at Noon, Race at 12:30
$55 for Two Heats and a Final
RSVP by Friday March 23rd
email MikeC@NHKA.net

With K1 Speed as our title sponsor, 2017 is shaping up to be the best season yet for the NHKA Racing Series!

At the banquet, on the phone, via email – with racers, shops and series race directors – we’ve had many discussions about tweaks, adjustments and all-out changes we should and shouldn’t make to the NHKA rules for 2017. Thank you to all who made thoughtful contributions to the effort.

There have already been a couple NHKA News emails from Race Director Mike Camarra with early versions of these changes to encourage input. Consider what’s here the final changes until after the season opener at Canaan on April 22, 2017. So carry on and prep your kart with confidence. However, know that once we’ve run a race or two, we may make further adjustments to ensure that the competition as fair and safe as possible.

Hello Mini ROK, Mini Swift and the New TaG Mini Class
For the last couple years, young karters around the country have been working the kinks out of a couple new engines: Mini ROK and Mini Swift. By all accounts they are reliable and quick – but not too quick. Our local shops are eager to offer them, and we’re eager to see them on track… so much so, we’re putting them together with the Mini Max to create a new combined class:
TaG Mini
AGE: 9-12 Years Old
MINIMUM WEIGHT: 245lbs
TIRES: MG Red 4.60 x 5 Front and Rear
MINI ROK & IAME MINI SWIFT
     ENGINE RULES: TaG USA
     GEARING: Open
     CHASSIS: 950mm Wheelbase – No Front Brakes
ROTAX MINI MAX
     ENGINE RULES: USRMC Micro & Mini – EVO or NonEVO, no mixing
     GEARING: 12/76 or 13/82
     CHASSIS: 950mm or 1010mm Wheelbase – No Front Brakes
           NOTE: Mini Max may run 1010mm chassis with 6.0 x 5 rears, but must weigh 265lbs

Hello Mini Max 1010mm Chassis. Goodbye Mini Max 1010mm Chassis.
It seems like just last year Rotax forced Mini Max drivers onto the 1010mm chassis. Now they are requiring the 950mm. So for 2017 only, the NHKA will allow either chassis to be raced with a Mini Max for the new TaG Mini championship (see the rules above.) However, starting in 2018 we will no longer allow the 1010mm chassis.

Goodbye 80cc Comer
This will be the last season for the Comer K-80 due to the limited availability and rising prices of these engines. For 2017 only, the K-80 can be raced for points towards the Briggs 206 Cadet championship. For now, we’ll keep the 5.30 spec gear ratio, but nudge the weight up to 245lbs. We want to make sure both engines have a fair shot at winning, so we may need to make adjustments as we go along.

The NHKA is giving you a year to get full value out of any K-80 purchases you’ve already made, and to start figuring out which engine you’ll race next. In 2018, racers 7-12 years old of age have the option to continue 2-cycle racing in the Micro Max or TaG Mini classes, or switch over to 4-cycle racing in the 206 Cadet class.

As a club, we think the best choice for most cadet-age racers is the Briggs 206. The speeds are age appropriate, especially as these youngsters work up the confidence to attempt passes. By literally reducing the impact of expected mistakes, we hope to see more racers practicing this core skill earlier. Then you have all the other reasons we recommend the Briggs 206 to racers of any age: It’s affordable to buy and own, reliable and easy to maintain, sealed at the factory for fairness on the track. This all adds up to a package that allows drivers to focus on what they care about most – racing! It’s also a great choice if you aspire to compete at the national level. The 206 has become a mainstay at the Rock Island Grand Prix, also, both AKRA and WKA national touring series offer Briggs 206 racing using the same rulebook as the NHKA.

Hello MG Red Spec Tire – World Formula, Micro Max and TaG Mini
Starting in 2017, the MG Red will be the spec tire for World Formula Light and Heavy, Micro Max and TaG Mini, while remaining the spec tire for all Briggs 206 classes. The goal is to save you money with a harder compound tire that offers consistent performance across a long life cycle. This change should eliminate the pressure some drivers feel to buy new tires every race. Truth be told, we’re not anticipating much drop off in speed in World Formula. In fact, we’re betting most of you will figure out how to tune and groove on a much freer kart to the point of beating your times on stickier tires.

To put a period on a related topic, the idea of switching World Formulas to 6” rear wheels has been shelved. Both Light and Heavy classes will continue to use 11 – 7.10 x 5 rears and 10 – 4.60 x 5 fronts.

Goodbye Helmets with 2005 or Older Certifications
With the new year, many older Snell and SFI certifications expired. If the sticker on the inside and/or back of your helmet has a date of 2005 or older, you’ll need a new helmet to get on the track. Go check your helmet right now. If it’s no longer legal, be sure to give an NHKA sponsoring shop a shot at fitting you with a new one!

Snell Foundation Specifications
CMR 2007 (Youth)
12/20/2020
M2010
12/20/2021
SA 2010
12/20/2021
CMR 2026
12/26/2026
No longer legal: SA 2005, M 2005 and K2005

SFI Specifications
24.1/2010 (Youth)
12/20/2021
31.1/2010
12/20/2021
41.1/2010
12/20/2021
24.1/2015 (Youth)
12/20/2026
31.1/2015
12/20/2026
41.1/2015
12/20/2026
No longer legal: 24.1 (Youth), 31.2a, 41.2a,
SFI 24.1/2005 (Youth), 31.1/2005, 41.1/2005

Hello 30mm Headers on TaG Jr. Leopards
To promote parody, and stay current with the TaG USA rulebook, Parilla Leopards in the TaG Jr. class should now have 30mm exhaust headers.

If you have any questions or suggestions, don’t wait until we’re standing on the grid in Canaan, email MikeC@NHKA.net today. Otherwise we’ll see you at the track soon!