This year’s edition of KartMania! is in the books. While Saturday’s weather was a big disappointment, boy did we ever have some fun Friday on the Canaan Motor Club’s full road course. So much speed and flow! What the track may have lacked in hard braking zones, it more than gave back with the subtle complexity of banking, drafting, off-camber exits and elevation changes. The track offered the thrill of the fastest corners many of you have ever driven… like the kink onto the pit stretch. Talk about a blazing fast corner that puts you right on the edge. Some of the region’s best shifter and TaG drivers spent the whole day trying to find a way through without lifting. Not sure if anyone did, but a few went for wild rides into the infield trying. Fortunately the track’s safe design prevented injury and kart damage. Friday night we had ourselves a great party. Thank you to everyone who brought side dishes to share. And a huge thank you to chef Marcello DeCampos and crew for the awesome BBQ, and to Dave Nadeau and Lefty’s Brewing for the delicious beer.

Then it rained. Despite everyone’s efforts to dry the track – TWICE! – non-stop drizzle made it a losing battle, and the races needed to be called. The disappointment has left all of us with a feeling of unfinished business on the long track. While we have nothing to announce officially, we can say that getting back onto the full road course is as much a top priority for us as it appears to be for many of you. Obviously these events are more expensive and complex to put on, so a huge turnout is critical. Be sure to let Mike know how strongly you feel about racing on the big track – especially if you’re one of those people who doesn’t voice your opinion very often.

Back to the Business of Winning Championships
There’s a vocal faction of competitors in the NHKA Racing Series driven by Checkered Flag Indoor Karting that misses the intense, up-on-the-wheel, close-quarters racing we used to do on the S3 Lot at NHMS. So it was decided to bring back short-track racing by running this weekend’s big combined IKS Race 3/NHKA Race 5 event on the kart track. This configuration links both crossover roads with short portions of the front and back stretches. So pack those tiny drive gears and tall axle sprockets, and check those brake pads. It’s time to go short track racing!

Big Shout-Out to Trophy Sponsor Central Mass Powersports
CMP, located in Lunenburg, MA, sells and services just about every type of motorcycle, personal watercraft and snowmobile, along with gear for riders of all ages. If it has an engine and it’s fun you’ll find it at CMP – including the lineup of Top Kart chassises. CMP also carries a full line of engine parts and a wide selection of trailers to get your kart to the track. Be sure to stop by to thank the Pescatore family this Saturday, and visit CentralMassPowersports.com to find out what CMP is all about.

Thank you to everyone who pre-entered for KartMania! With a solid idea of who will be racing, we now have a complete schedule for Friday’s practice and the races on Saturday. Click here to view and print.

The gates will open at 5pm today for trailer drop-off and camping (no services or campfires.) Registration and safety tech will be open. Gates close at 10pm. Late arrivals are allowed to QUIETLY park overnight on the property outside the gate (not on the street.) Alcohol, fires and noise are strictly forbidden!

Gates, registration and safety tech will open at 7am Friday and Saturday. Please keep in mind that registration for the races closes at 9am Sunday.

We hope everyone will hangout for Brazilian BBQ by Marcello de Campos. Festivities are sponsored by MAK Contracting and Lefty’s Brewing. Please bring a side to share. Rice dishes, mac and cheese, macaroni, potato and garden salads would all be perfect. (Please let Mike know what you’re bringing.) Dave Nadeau will have some Lefty’s on tap, but folks are encouraged to bring their own beverages.

Please be extra diligent as you make your final preparations on your kart. With road racing, speeds are high, so for everyone’s safety, Paul will be super picky in pre-race tech. There’s nothing to do in addition to what you do for a regular NHKA race, but everything needs to be done to perfection. Also, shifter karts will be expected to have air boxes and silencers – same as are required at F1 Outdoors. This is a permanent rule change for all races at Canaan Motor Club.

Yes, there’s a good chance we’ll see rain at some point. Yes, we’ll race. However, classes scheduled for the full road course may switch to the shorter, tighter circuit we’ve been racing this season to keep the speeds down. Mike will make an announcement if this track change is necessary.

We’re looking forward to seeing everyone in Canaan!

Tomorrow, June 25, 2016, the NHKA Racing Series driven by Checkered Flag Indoor Karting is back in action on the wildly varied Hill Course at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. With not so much as a drop of rain in the forecast, Race 4 will have none of the rain set-up guesswork that played such a big role in the previous event. Competitors will be back to the usual Hill Course challenge of balancing their karts to fly through the bowl but still get that key launch off the super-tight turns.

We’re pleased to welcome back trophy sponsor Earthwork Industries. The company provides 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 more. Next time you have a project, be sure to visit http://earthworkindustries.com or call 508.643.4430.

Register before July 1st to save $25
CLICK HERE to download and print the early registration form now.


Attention Campers
There is no water, showers or electricity available at the track. For those of you whose idea of camping is a 3-star hotel, here are just a few of the options in the Hanover/Lebanon area…
    Days Inn: 800-916-4339
    Courtyard: 603-643-5600
    Residence Inn: 603-643-4511
    Hanover Inn: 603-643-4300

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.

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