It has been a rapid fire start to the season. Already we’re two races into both the Interstate Kart Series and the NHKA Racing Series driven by Checkered Flag Indoor Karting. Now we’re shifting into high gear with three races in four weeks, starting with this Saturday’s return to Canaan Motor Club for NHKA Race 3.

With so much racing, it’s easy to just GO, GO, GO! However, the drivers you’ll find on top next month will be the ones who reflect and build upon their successes and learn from when they came up short. We’ll be running the exact same configuration as we did last time so you can pick up where you left off. This is how you become a better karter, and we become a better kart club.

A Few New Rules and Processes for Canaan
By any measure NHKA Race 1 at Canaan Motor Club was a huge success. That said there were lessons learned that will be applied at Race 3 this Saturday:

Do Not Work on Karts on Asphalt: Not on the grid, racing surface or even in the paddock. Stains on the pristine asphalt at Canaan stand out like a stock car at an F1 race. Even lube flung from a chain leaves a stain that stands out. Worse still is how hyper-reactive the asphalt is to fuel… it literally dissolves. You must be very careful not to get petroleum products on the asphalt. If an accident does happen, tell Mike or Lee IMMEDIATELY so they can hit it with a spill kit ASAP.

Pit on Grass Only: The only way for the ambulance to leave the property is through the paddock area. Seriously, you do not ever want to be responsible for delaying it. Greg “Parking Czar” Clear will direct you to the best available pit spot. By the way, the the grass is coming in nicely.

New Pregrid and Grid Process: You’ll see cones and ropes indicating a new pregrid area off the asphalt for warming engines, applying forgotten chain lube, etc. Once the group ahead of you goes out on track, you’ll proceed to a new grid area as normal. Not only will this help prevent stains on the asphalt, it will eliminate spectators crossing paths with karts entering and exiting the track.

Air Boxes and 14” Silencers for Shifters: Currently noise is not ian issue for the track, and the NHKA needs to do its part to keep it that way. So starting at KartMania! we will be requiring all shifter karts to have air boxes and exhaust silencers (for stock motos 14-inch, as measured at the barrel, not tip to tip.) This is exactly what’s required at F1 Outdoors. Obviously, this is too short notice for this Saturday, but if you already own these items, or can get them, we ask that you do.

Clearer Scale Procedures: At Race 2, a lack of clarity about scale procedures sparked controversy in the TaG Senior class. Unfortunately, this incident put a driver, his competitors and our wonderful scale volunteer all in uncomfortable positions. Responsibility for the creation, communication and implementation of rules and procedures falls squarely on the club, thus so does responsibility for this incident. Crystal clear procedures and signage are in the works to ensure we’re all on the same page so everyone feels treated fairly and controversy doesn’t cast a shadow over the fun.

Big Thanks to Trophy Sponsor Apex Kartsports
Once again, George and Alex Vorrilas of Apex Kartsports have stepped up to sponsor the trophies for this Saturday’s race. Apex, a long-time NHKA supporter, is a full-service kart shop offering a broad range of karts, engines, parts and gear. They are the exclusive U.S. importer for the ground-breaking ONE Kart. Company founder Sean Girdler and driver Michael Eastwell have been hopping back and forth from the U.K. to dole out a proper thrashing in the F-Series’ highly competitive Formula TaG class. After two events they lead the points in their season-long quest for the coveted championship and march to set fire to the karting establishment at the SuperNats. If you haven’t seen the ONE Kart up close, you should – it’ll challenge your assumptions with its innovative design and winning ways. Visit ApexKart.com

Come Friday to Be Ready for a Great Saturday of Racing
Racers are welcome to arrive at the track Friday 3pm – 10pm. You can just drop your trailer to claim a great pit spot. Or you can camp overnight to get your pits set up, work on your kart, get your pre-race safety inspection out of the way and take care of your race registration if you’re a member. Otherwise, gates will open at 7:00am Saturday with the members-only warm up at 8:15am.

Wow! 100 entries! Now that’s how you kick off a season! Will this weekend’s first race of the Interstate Kart Series be another record breaker? It was last year with a jam-packed grid and and intense competition out on the track.

This Saturday will be Race 1 of 6 for the IKS – New England’s only multi-track regional karting championship. Always a huge draw, these events bringing together the Boston-area racers of F1 Outdoors, NHKA Racing series competitors and now a formidable contingent of new racers from Northern Vermont and New Hampshire. It will also be Race 2 for the NHKA Racing Series, which is ONCE AGAIN driven by Checkered Flag Indoor Karting. (Thank you Tom Prioli!)

And while we’re giving shout-outs to awesome sponsors, be sure to thank Lori and Steve Sarnecki whose Stellor Custom Jewelry is sponsoring this weekend’s trophies. Nothing says, “what tire bill?” like a custom-designed ring or a one-of-a-kind bracelet or pendant. Since opening their studio in Plymouth, MA in 1995, the couple has perfected age-old techniques for combining precious metals with rare gems to create wearable works of art. They bring the same elevated craft to their jewelry and watch repair and restoration services. If you’d like to treat someone special with something special, browse all the beautiful possibilities at stellorcustomjewelry.com

New Friday Load-In Procedures at NHMS
For most events, including this weekend, racers are welcome to enter the track at 3:00pm, so long as an NHKA official is present and it won’t interfere with another group’s use of the track. We’ll give you as much notice as we can if there’ll be a delay. 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, registered and teched. 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.

For sure, last week’s release of rules changes for the 2016 season came closer to the first race than anyone wanted. But given how few and minor the differences are between the old WKA rules and our new AKRA/TAG USA rules, three weeks should be plenty of time. But that’s not to say we haven’t heard your feedback.

New Front Brakes Rule Delayed Until Race 2
The biggest rule change is the ban on front brakes for all classes but TaG Masters and Shifters. Compliance will require a bit of work and maybe a few basic parts. So we’ll delay full implementation of the rule until NHKA Race 2/IKS Race 1 on May 14th in Loudon. This means anyone still needing to remove front brakes on April 30th in Canaan will be allowed to race, but required to have the brake bias set all the way to the rear with the adjustment dial over-tightened to disable on-track changes. This will be checked in pre-race tech and confirmed at the scales.

TaG Masters Exemption Weight is Now 210lbs
We have decided to halve the change to the TaG Masters weight exemption. So now, for a driver under 32 years old to be exempt they need to weigh 210lbs with suit but less helmet. (Not the 200lbs of previous years. Not the 220lbs announced last week. 210lbs – Got it?) The intention is to take away any physical advantage a young exempted driver might have against a field nearly twice his age. However, upon feedback and further discussion it was agreed that a 20lb increase was just too much.

Aftermarket Non-Performance Parts Still Allowed
Another topic that’s come up is aftermarket parts. Nothing has changed. Generic versions of non-performance wear items such as driver gears, brake pads, batteries, starters, hardware, etc. are still allowed so long as they match OEM specs and materials. Conversely, all performance-related parts, including internal engine parts, clutches, drums, carbs, exhaust, ignition, etc. must be OEM, as always. Here’s another thing that has not changed: OEM parts or OEM specs are required to minimize wear and breakage which maximizes safety, reliability and parity/competition and fun for everyone.

This is club racing. Making sure everyone has fun is the goal of everything we do, that includes the rules. We work hard to strike a balance… Not constantly treating competitors like suspected cheaters, while providing enough enforcement for honest racers to know that when they lose it’s fair and square. We need rules that are strict and specific enough to keep everyone on the same page, but we also want the flexibility cut a well-intending racer some slack, like we all need at times.

Please keep the questions, concerns and suggestions coming, about the rules or anything else.

Mike Camarra
Race Director/Co-Owner
MikeC@nhka.net

Rulebooks: NHKA has switched from WKA to AKRA as our core rulebook. We wish it was as simple as it sounds. The AKRA book directs some classes to follow a different organization’s rulebook. Sometimes that other rulebook offers solid engine guidance but only a few specs for the rest of the kart, which leads you back to the AKRA book or yet another book. Further complicating matters, most rulebooks leave driver’s age, weight and other key specs up to us, the club. And yes, sometimes a spec in one book conflicts with the same spec in the other. To resolve these conflicts use this three-tier hierarchy:
       1. NHKA Rules
       2. Engine Rules
       3. Kart Rules
Engine Rules prevail over Kart Rules, and NHKA rules prevail over both of those.

Here’s the good news: You only have one class to worry about. So while we wrestle all these rules into a single NHKA Racing Series handbook, the list of links below should lead you in the right direction. But if anything is unclear after you familiarize yourself with your class’ rules, just shoot your question to MikeC@NHKA.net

*Rotax Parts: There will no longer be an FR125/EVO weight split. All unaltered Rotax-made parts of any
vintage are permitted but must be configured as directed by the US Rotax MaxChallenge rulebook.

Weights, Spec Gears, Etc: We’ve updated weights, gearing and engine restrictions for several classes to maintain alignment with major sanctioning bodies and the F1 Outdoors Club Series.
       ROTAX: Juniors 320lbs, Seniors 365lbs, Masters 405lbs
       TAG MASTERS WEIGHT EXCEPTION: 220lbs (raised from 200lbs)
       BRIGGS 206 KID KART: 3.35 gear ratio, long black slide (#55656728), 4,150 RPM black ignition (#555725),
       and MaxTorque clutch (#555727).
       BRIGGS 206 CADET: 275lbs, red slide (#55656733)
       BRIGGS 206 JUNIOR: Yellow slide (#55656741)

Onboard Cameras: AKRA and TAG USA have banned helmet-mounted cameras. Kart mounted cameras are still permitted but now must be installed for approval in pre-race safety tech. Any cameras that come off a kart on track may be retrieved on EBay.

Front Brakes: Following the lead of most major sanctioning bodies, front brakes are now only legal for TaG Masters and Shifters. If a TaG Masters driver wishes to race the same kart in TaG Seniors, and it has front brakes, it must be raced at the Masters weight.

Mini Max: USRMC rules require 6” rear tires and either a cadet chassis (1010mm wheelbase only) or a full-size chassis. (Comer 80cc and Briggs 206 Cadet racers are required to race a Cadet chassis.) Also, Mini Max competitors may now choose 13/82 or 12/76 gearing.

IAME X30: X30 drivers must now run the 31mm header, not the previously approved 29mm.

4-Cycle Fuel: All World Formulas and Briggs 206 karts must run 93 octane race fuel or pump gas. Race fuel offers no performance advantage, but has none of the additives or ethanol of pump gas, so it burns cleaner and isn’t as prone to clogging carburetor jets.

World Formula Silencer: The RLV-4108 silencer is no longer allowed. The RLV-4110 is now the only approved silencer, and already used by 99% of our racers.

World Formula Tire Sizes: As a point of clarity, the rear tire size remains at 7.10. While we are still considering allowing 6” rear tires in the future, more testing is needed to confirm that the smaller tire would offer a useful tuning option but not a must-have competitive advantage.

Click here to download a printable version.

To download, print and spread the word about this cool class, click here.

“Dammit Dave” Nadeau has won the CFIK/NHKA Short Track Showdown Championship. The NHKA World Formula Light Champion had some very tight competition from World Formula Heavy runner up Daniel Dupre and TaG Junior Champion Vincent Fontecchio. In the end, his (literally!) thousands of laps at Checkered Flag Indoor Karting were what made the difference. With a fast lap of 12.732 he was the only contender to earn maximum points. Big thanks to Checkered Flag Indoor Karting and your local kart shops – Apex Kartsports, CFMotorsports and DRT Racing – for such generous prize packages.

FIRST PLACE – Dave Nadeau
Two sets MG Yellows from CFIK and DRT Racing
Set of MG Wets from CFIK
Bottle Motul or Briggs oil from CFMotorsports
Four CFIK races and t-shirt from CFIK
Entry to a race in 2016 from NHKA

SECOND PLACE – Daniel Dupre
Set of MG Yellows from DRT Racing
219 chain and breaker from Apex Kart Sports
Bottle of Motul or Briggs oil from CFMotorsports
Four CFIK races and t-shirt from CFIK
Entry to a race in 2016 from NHKA

THIRD PLACE – Vincent Fontecchio
Four CFIK races and t-shirt from CFIK
219 chain from Apex Kart Sports
Bottle of Motul or Briggs oil from CFMotorsports
Entry to a race in 2016 from NHKA

Congrats guys, make sure you have lots of room in your trunks when you come for the banquet.

It’s almost time to say goodbye to the 2015 NHKA/IKS racing season (boo-hoo!) by saying hello to the Canaan Motor Club (woo-hoo!) and what we hope is a long partnership of giving people from all walks of life access to the thrill and joy of racing.

Saturday is going to be jam-packed with a ton of seat time, one-hour endurance race, free lunchtime cookout and our annual Try-A-Kart Lapping Session. It’ll be a fun-filled celebration of the great season we just wrapped up and the promise of an even better season to come. To help the day come off without a hitch, we need your help with a few items.

Please Add These Items to Your Canaan Packing List
[ ] Side dish to share at lunchtime cookout. (See details below.)
[ ] RSVP ASAP who is coming to the cookout and what you are bringing: MikeC@NHKA.net
[ ] A charged and installed transponder.
[ ] Extra safety gear, in all sizes, for the Try-A-Kart Lapping Session.
[ ] A friend for the Try-A-Kart Lapping Session.

Cookout Time!
At some point Saturday morning expect to find yourself distracted by the aroma of Rich Fontecchio’s lamb kabobs and Marcelo de Campos’ BBQ ribs on the grill. Around 11am (when your nose has worked your stomach up to full grumble) we’ll begin serving up the kabobs and ribs as well as hamburgers and hot dogs provided by the club. Thank you to everyone who has already RSVPed and volunteered to bring side dishes. If you haven’t yet, please email email Mike so can have a rough headcount and some idea of what folks are bringing for sides. Thanks!

ATTENTION LAYDOWN ENDURO DRIVERS:
We have received word from Canaan Track Manager Dave Del Genio that the speedway end of the road course is under construction. Unfortunately, this means that laydown enduro drivers won’t be able to race Saturday because we’ll be using part of the kart sprint track. That’s a bummer, but on the flipside is really freakin’ great news…

Canaan Road Course to be Doubled for 2016!!!!
The track was always been envisioned as a two-mile circuit with the high-speed straights and sweeping turns of the of the first half built earlier this year. The second half of the track, under construction right now, balances out the first half with technical sequences of corners. The crushed stone bed is ready for asphalt, so Saturday you’ll be able to see what’s to come. This expansion, which ties in at the former Fairgrounds Speedway, was originally targeted for 18-24 months from now. But with all the permitting and equipment in place, Canaan Motor Club decided to complete the paving before it snows. This is what happens when race tracks are built by racers – they go fast!

See you at the track!

Saturday October 10, 2015 promises to be the dawn of a new era for karting in New England. The NHKA Racing Series driven by Checkered Flag Indoor Karting is pleased to invite you to a full day of lapping, racing and celebration at the brand new Canaan Motor Club. The asphalt is fully cured, the landscaping is filling in, the curbs have been installed and the safety features are in place. All it needs is you.

7am Gates Open
8am-1pm Practice by Group
11am Free burgers, dogs and more. Please bring a side dish to share.
1pm-2pm Try-A-Kart Lapping Session
2pm 25-lap Race for TaG Micro/Mini
2:45pm 1-Hour Endurance Race for all other classes

FREE Spectator Viewing Area With a clear view of entire track.
$15 Pit Pass Required for everyone in pit area.
$20 Try-A-Kart Lapping Session Minimum of 10 laps
$60 Practice & Race

Classes/Practice Groups
• TaG Micro and Mini
• TaG Junior, Senior, and Master, 125cc Shifter
• 4-Cycle, 2-Cycle, World Formula, 80cc Shifter
• Laydown Enduro, Sprint Enduro, Vintage
That’s right former NHKA road racers, this track is for you too!

Try-A-Kart Lapping Session
If you’ve ever wanted to try a real high-performance racing kart, this is your chance. We’ll be setting aside an hour and lining up our karts for anyone who wants to get behind the wheel. For $20 you’ll get a minimum of one 20-lap session on the kart track… quite possibly more, it depends how many people show up to tray a kart.

The Track
The track is a glass-smooth, super-flexible 7/8 mile road course that incorporates the old Canaan Fairground Speedway and includes a couple of crossover roads designed specifically for karts making eight possible configurations. Their intention is to double the size of the road course over the next year or two.
• Ride along with Tom Prioli as feels his way up to speed during the first ever session on the kart track.
• Hop aboard Keith Buffo’s shifter as he tiptoes his way around the damp road course.
• There were some people flying drones while we were there. Here’s some birds-eye video they shot.
• Here’s video of the track’s various configurations from on a bike.

Location
About an hour north of Concord, NH in the beautiful small town of Canaan, with its lovely lake and Mount Cardigan’s hiking trails and rewarding views. Hanover, NH, the home of Dartmouth College, is only 15 minutes north and full of the amenities you’d expect in an Ivy League town. Just 30 minutes west are the attractions of Central Vermont, including quaint Woodstock and the Quechee Gorge. Enjoy a leisurely drive east through the countryside and in less than an hour you’ll reach New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. In Canaan you’ll be in the middle of everything that’s great about autumn in New England. So gather up your loved ones to make the most of the holiday weekend.

Directions
From points south take 93N to 89N, Exit 17 for Rte. 4 East, go about 13 miles, at Canaan center bear left onto 118, very shortly turn right onto Cardigan Mountain Road and you’ll see the Canaan Fairgrounds to the right.

Where to Stay
Racers are welcome to camp for free at the track. There are also plenty of hotels and B&Bs for any budget in the surrounding towns:
Courtyard Marriott Lebanon 603-643-5600
Days Inn Lebanon 603-448-5070
Residence Inn Lebanon 603-643-4511
Baymont Inn and Suites West Lebanon 603-298-8888
Comfort Inn White River Junction, VT 802-295-3051
Hampton Inn White River Junction, VT 802-296-2800
Holiday Inn Express White River Junction, VT 802-299-2700
Fairfield Inn and Suites White River Junction, VT 802-291-9911
Super 8 White River Junction, VT 802-295-7577