Archive for the ‘National News’ Category

Photo Review for SwedeTech Racing Customers

Tuesday, August 24th, 2010

For this edition of SwedeTech’s customer results, we are making a photo album. Hope you enjoy the layout. We welcome all customers to submit their racing results.

SwedeTech 2010 May Review

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

April and May have been busy for SwedeTech customers throughout the country. Events such as the Region 11 IKF, SKUSA Mountain and Central States Series, ProKart North and South, and the CKI event in Phoenix have all taken place in a short amount of time.
Region 11 IKF action took place at the Prairie City Facility in early May. Kiel Spaulding headed out to this challenging facility and took control of the HPV 2 Jr. Class. For the day, Kiel was the mark as he qualified on pole, won the heat, and walked away with the win in the main event. Fellow competitor, David Vasquez, was on a loaner SwedeTech from a fellow racer, and had a good weekend as well. Qualifying 4th, Vasquez picked up one spot in the heat and for the main would finish with a solid second.

Austin Schimmel

Austin Schimmel


For the first round of the SKUSA Mountain Region, SwedeTech was trackside supporting the new regional series. The temporary layout of the track received great feedback from the competitors. Colorado has a strong pocket of S5 talent, which is the Jr. Stock Moto package that SKUSA has been promoting for a few years. Austin Schimmel put his SwedeTech powered Honda on pole to start the weekend. New to the S5 class, Eli Ziegler placed his machine in the fourth spot. In the first two heat races, Schimmel and another fellow competitor put on a fun show. Each driver claimed quick lap for each heat. At the end of the day, Austin would bring home a hard fought second. Eli was able to drive from the back to finish 4th in the main event.
Anthony Giannone entered the TaG Sr class powered by a Vortex Rok TT. Anthony had second wrapped up all weekend long, with a strong qualifying effort, two seconds in the heats, and a second place in the main event.
In the combined S1, S4, and G1 event, I have to place Mike McDonough in this press release (even though he is not on a SwedeTech). Mike runs the Masters Stock Moto class (S4) and he showed the young kids the way around the track and put his machine on pole. Cory Milne placed his SwedeTech Stock Moto in the 4th spot. In Heat 1, Milne race was cut short due to an on track incident. In Heat 2, Milne moved from the back of the pack to finish third. In the main, Milne grabbed the fastest lapped on his way to a solid 2nd place finish.
Shooting back over to the West Coast, the SKUSA ProKart North Series has had two events in the past month. For Round Three, Austin Keller was on hand running the TaG Jr class. Austin is having a good year in the TaG Jr field, and round three netted Austin an overall 4th place finish, with a second in the heat race. At a separate event, SwedeTech received word that Austin was involved in a karting crash that broke some bones, so we wish Austin a speedy recovery so he can represent SwedeTech at a race in the near future.
The ProKart North Series has a handful of good S1 drivers, and Round 3 was not an exception. For Qualifying, Nic Le Duc posted a quick time for the overall second spot. For the heat races, Nic grabbed a win and a second. For the main event, Le Duc laid down the fastest lap and after the checkered, was officially classified with a 3rd place finish. HPV 2 Jr was running again with the ProKart North series, and Daniel Langon was on a borrowed SwedeTech HPV from Shawn Thomas Racing. Daniel laid down a fast lap to grab the pole position. During the heats, Daniel had to drive hard grabbing two top five finishes. But when it counted Daniel Langon was able to put the borrowed HPV at the front of the field and came home with the win.
Round 4 of the ProKart North Series saw a new entry, but a very familiar name, entered in the S1 class. Alex Speed would make a return to the Honda package for this round of the ProKart North event. Alex didn’t miss a step, putting his SwedeTech Stock Moto on pole. Teammates Jason Toft and Nic Le Duc followed suit by qualifying third and fourth. In the Heat 1, Toft, Le Duc, and Speed would finish second, third and fourth. Heat 2, Speed would find his way back to the front for the heat win, and Toft would finish third. In the main, the field was stirred when Speed pulled his package off the track with a failed carburetor needle clip. With Alex watching the race, teammate Jason Toft put his package upfront for the main event win. Nic Le Duc would drive from the back to finish third.
In other Round 4 action, Austin Thomas placed his new My09 Leopard on pole. With two strong heat race finishes and setting the fastest lap, Austin was in a strong position all day. When the final checkered flew, Austin came home with a well deserved third place finish.

From regional racing to national events, SwedeTech was represented in Phoenix at the CKI event by Kiel Spaulding in Tag Jr and Raquel Martinez in the KF3 classes. Raquel had a superb weekend of racing in the KF3 class with her SwedeTech Vortex. Raquel almost pulled off a perfect sweep of the weekend, with the exception of a second place finish during a heat. Raquel would walk away from the event as the KF3 weekend champion.

Raquel Martinez

Raquel Martinez


In the other Jr class, Kiel Spaulding had his work cut out for him. Running in the top three all weekend long, Kiel put his SwedeTech Leopard machine at the front of the pack when it counted. Taking home both Main event victories for the weekend, Kiel would earn the TaG Jr weekend champion title.
Kiel Spaulding

Kiel Spaulding

SwedeTech Review – January – April 2010

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

The past few months have been busy for many of the SwedeTech customers with many events that had taken place throughout the country. SwedeTech always encourages our customers to share their results with us so we know who is racing and where.


The CKI Florida Cup wrapped up their series in Homestead, and Alex Speed wrapped up his three visits to Florida with the CKI Florida Cup KF2 Championship. Speed dominated the KF2 class with 8 wins, 1 runner up, and two Third place finishes putting the stamp on the 2010 CKI Florida Cup Championship.
The Rotax Gatorz Challenge of the Americas event made the final stop at Sonoma’s Infineon Raceway. In the Rotax Jr. Class, Kiel Spaulding put his package up front all weekend long. Spaulding was the benchmark for this event, as he swept both days by putting his SwedeTech Rotax on pole, won both heats, and won both main events.
With his performance, Kiel Spaulding secured the runner up spot in the Rotax Gatorz Challenge of the Americas Championship series.
The ProKart South Series held an event at Grange complex. Luke Bianco had a strong finish, winning the S4 Magnum class. In the S4 class, Rob Logan had a solid result by finishing third, and along the way, posted the fasted lap.
In the competitive S2 class, Cory Neveau drove his TonyKart machine to a third place finish. The G1 class is always fun to watch. Troy Butts finished a close third and posted some very quick lap times. Right behind him was Imran Husain.
In the middle of April, the SKUSA Pro Tour kicked off a new program. The first race was held at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma. For Saturday’s action, Nick LeDuc and Jason Toft qualified their S1 Stock Moto machines 2nd and 5th. As Saturday’s S1 main event rolled around, both LeDuc and Toft showed they had the speed to run up front. At the checkered, Jason Toft would finish second and Nic LeDuc finished fourth.
The S2 Stock Moto had a good turnout. SwedeTech customer, Alec Gumpfer, made the trip from Hawaii to participate in the ProTour event. His weekend started off good as he qualified third. In the first heat race, Gumpfer finished 3rd. During the second heat while running third, a chassis mechanical issue removed Alec from the race.
It has been a while since the entry lists at any event had the name Ray Zanotto on them. This weekend Ray decided to dust off the driving gear and support the ProTour at his local track, running the S4 class. In the second heat race, Zanotto finished 4h. At the end of the day, Ray Zanotto had a hard charge forward to finish a well deserved second.
The G1 class, with the ICC power plants had a solid group on the track. Eduardo Martins ( Maxter ) qualified second and Robert Marks ( TM ) posted the third quickest time. In the first heat race, Martins finished third, Marks finished fourth, and Jim Kidd ( Maxter ) moved his way through the pack to finish fifth. The second heat race had a lot of action as spots were shuffling during the whole race. Robert Marks finished the heat race in third, with Martins fourth, Imran Husain ( Maxter ) fifth and Jim Kidd sixth. In the main, Jim Kidd made a charge for the front and at the end of the day, finishes a hard earned 2nd place. Martins and Marks finish a close third and fourth, while Husain made the top five.
The S5 class is the building block for Stock Moto, as this group highlights the younger stock moto drivers. Austin Schimmel qualified third on the Infineon circuit. In the heat races, Schimmel was very consistent running in the lead pack. When Saturday’s final checkered waive, Schimmel earned a third place podium.
As Sunday would roll around, many teams made preparations to move up the charts. The headline S1 class would not disappoint in the main event. Starting from the back of the field, both Jason Toft and Nic LeDuc would put in two hard drives to move into the top five for the final result. The race was very exciting to watch. On the last lap, three different drivers could have one. When the checkered waived, Toft was third with LeDuc in fourth. A great run for both drivers.
S2 driver, Derek Crockett made the trip out from Illinois , for the first round of the SKUSA ProTour. Sunday was a good day for Crockett as he posted a strong second place finish in the main event.
G1 driver Robert Marks is a front runner seems to find himself in the right spots. For Sunday’s main event, Marks was in the right spot as a competitors engine expired, handing the win to Marks. Behind Marks, drivers were changing positions. Eduardo Martins would fend off the third place charger, and Jim Kidd would slot in for a fourth place finish.
The young S5 drivers put on a good show for their second main event of the weekend. It was close and exciting racing. Austin Schimmel was in the mix of the lead pack, as any three of the drivers could have pulled off the win. When the Jr S5’s received the waived checkered, Schimmel was running a very close third, solid results for the first round of the ProTour.
We apologize if anyone is every accidentally missed in the review. SwedeTech encourages our customers to email results to us so we can include you in our next monthly review.
For more information, contact Jason Berry at (916) 687 – 3980, www.swedetechracing.com (technical site), or www.shopswedetech.com (official online store). SwedeTech Racing Engines offers parts and service for all two – stroke kart racing applications.

Pan America Rotax Challenge

Wednesday, February 10th, 2010

Pan American Rotax Challenge dates, format and locations finalized.

Pan American Rotax Challenge Series officials are pleased to announce that the final details on the schedule and format are set. Several adjustments have been made to the original plans including reducing the number of events from 4 to 3 for the first season. Because of a very full race calendar in the US and Canada it was decided the August date at F-1 New Jersey would not be part of the 2010
program. This long waited series will start its inaugural season in April at MSR Houston, located in Angleton, Texas 30 minutes south of Houston. This is a true international series, patterned after the very
successful Rotax Euro Challenge. Drivers from all nations are welcome to attend and future plans are for Pan American Series races to be held in Canada, Mexico and South American countries as the
program grows. Discussions for a 2011 date in Canada are already underway. The 3 events are;

*April 23-35 MSR Houston
* June 11-13 New Castle Motorsports Park (Note: the Pan American race at New Castle will take the place of the annual Rotax Summer Shootout)
* September 3-5 California Speedway

The 6 race series will crown champions at the end and award 7 spots to the 4 Rotax Grand Finals
classes;

*Junior Max – 2
* Senior Max – 2
* DD2 – 2
* DD2 Masters – 1

The three events include a Friday official practice, Saturday-Sunday format of Qualifying, Pre-Final and Final each day. One set of tires is allowed each race day for Junior and Senior classes. Mini Max and
Micro Max will use the same tires for both days. Drivers will pick up their tires each morning for races that day. Seven classes will compete at each event. The new class this year is a dedicated DD 2 Masters (415lbs). This class will also compete at the 2010 Rotax Grand Finals for the first time. Each weekend competitors will be able to earn points for finishes in the Pre-Final and Final of each day.
The top five qualifiers will also earn points each day.

Rotax Max Technical Advisory

Friday, January 8th, 2010

** Distributed by US RMAX Challenge **
January 8, 2010
To Rotax Competitors in South Florida,
Be advised CKI Florida Winter Cup is an Official Rotax Max Challenge Event.
USRMC Engine sealing protocol is required. This includes Country of origin requirements.
This advisory is an effort to clarify this rule in advance and avoid confusion at all Florida Winter events.

Enjoy racing in Florida!
Don Moormeister
US Rotax Max Challenge
National Technical Director

SwedeTech Customers – Where Are You Racing in 2010?

Thursday, December 17th, 2009

In an effort to better support all of our customers, we need your input.

Elk Grove, CA – December 16, 2009 – In an effort to better serve all of our customers, SwedeTech is asking for our customers input on where you will be racing in 2010.  This is NOT limited to the big events, but all events including; club level, regional level, national level, and international competition.

With many series and events planned for 2010, SwedeTech needs to know where to focus our resources to offer the best track support possible.  With you helping us focus our track support resources for 2010 and the future, SwedeTech can better support you, our customer.  You can email or visit our press release page listed below with your input.

Please provide your full name, current contact information, series or events you plan on racing in 2010,   email address, phone number, and the SwedeTech engine package(s) that you plan on using.  If you have multiple drivers, please list each driver.

Your information will not be shared with anyone or any organization.  This information is solely for the use of SwedeTech.  With the information, we will be able to put together a schedule for the 2010 season.  Please keep political opinions for the forums.

Thank you for your time and past support.  We look forward to serving our customers in 2010 and beyond.

Please email info@swedetechracing or visit our press release page at www.swedetechracing.com/news-events-blog/swedetech-technical-help/2010-season-poll/

SwedeTech Customers take home 11 trophies from SuperNationals X111

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

SwedeTech customers sweep the top three in the S5 category.

Las Vegas, NV –November 24, 2009 – For a week, karters flocked to Las Vegas for the largest and most prestigious sprint kart racing around, the SKUSA SuperNationals. The Supernationals is an event that any karting fan should have on their calendar, either as a spectator or participant. With entries and factory support from all over the world, this year’s event will be hard to match.
SwedeTech Racing Engines was in full force supporting our 78 customers who chose to run SuperNationals XIII. SwedeTech customers filled the entry list in all classes; G1, S3, S4, S5, TaG Jr., TaG Sr., TaG Masters, KF2, and the headline SuperPro class. Of our 78 customers, 11 would bring home some additional shiny hardware.
Kiel Spaulding, with a big win in the S5 class and a strong 2nd place finish in TaG Jr, would bring home two trophies. Tyler Bennett was fast all weekend in S3, but contact on the track pushed him to the mid pack. A hard drive from mid pack to third earned Bennett the Jim Russell Championship Series Future Driver Selection scholarship.
Wes Phillips entered the Tag Senior class powered by a SwedeTech Rotax Max package. After the final checkered waived in the Tag Senior division, Wes earned a hard fought fifth place podium spot. Kiel Spaulding pulled double duty for the SuperNationals weekend, running both TaG Jr and S5. In TaG Jr., Kiel was competitive all week long with his SwedeTech Leopard package. At the end of the race, Kiel would bring home a nice second place trophy.
S5 was a great showing for SwedeTech customers, as our customers where standing in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place spots with a podium sweep. The charge was led by Keil Spaulding. Finishing second was Dylan Kwasniewski and Corey Neveau finished a strong third after a long battle with Dylan.
S3 put on another great show for the fans in the stands. Starting the main event, SwedeTech customers filled three of the top five spots during the opening laps. Memo Gidley made a strong push to challenge the eventual winner, swapping for the lead a few times. A fellow competitor squeezed his way by, which shuffled Memo to the back. Jacob Neal was strong all week long, and knew the racing would be tight going into the main event. Tyler Bennett slid under the radar until he showed some quick speed in the heat races. Mid way through the race a racing incident put Tyler towards the mid pack of the class about. Putting his head down, Tyler charged back to the front to finish in 3rd. Keenan Schmitke kept his nose clean during the race to earn second place. Jacob Neal came home to a hard fought fifth place finish.
S4 had an exciting race as well. The Stock Honda package keeps the field tight and makes the racing exciting. Jared Woolf delivered a strong performance and drove his SwedeTech powered kart to a solid third place podium finish.  G1 is always a fun class to watch, as the more mature drivers pound side pods. Andre Martins and Robert Marks drove consistent races all week long, and when it was all said and done, Martins finished fourth and Marks finished in fifth.
SwedeTech Racing would like to thank all of our customers that have supported us throughout the years. With your support and continued business, we are able to do what we love. Keep up the hard work and enjoy the upcoming months.
Visit www.shopswedetech.com or www.swedetechracing.com for more information on SwedeTech’s products and services.

IKF 2-Cycle Grand Nationals in Reno, NV

Thursday, July 30th, 2009

Many racers traveled to the Reno, NV karting facility in July to bring home the coveted “Duffy”, “Screaming Eagle”, and the mechanics belt buckle offered by the IKF organization.  This year, SwedeTech had many customers participating in the event.  Widely known for our TaG and Shifter engine program, SwedeTech Racing has made a strong impression on the classic Comer and KT100 engine package classes.

The Comer C-50 Kid Kart class was won by Jarrett Gilmer.  Jarrett started the week by qualifying fourth, and worked his way to the top step after the heats and the main event.

SwedeTech’s Comer K80 program has been solid for two years.  With a local national race, many of the NorCal local racers had a chance to race the best, and shine.  Joseph La Rosa qualified 3rd and after some shuffling around ended up finishing 7th overall.  Sonny Cervelli moved his way up from a mid pack qualifying run and challenged for the main event win.

Jr. 1 Comer Heavy had many SwedeTech customers occupying many of the top ten qualifying spots.  Sonny Cervelli qualified 2nd, followed by Jared Campbell in 4th, Hunter Corbit in 6th, Joseph La Rosa in 8th, and Blaine Rocha in 9th.  During the main event, Sonny stayed strong and was the first to the checkered flag.  Jared Campbell was 2nd, Joseph La Rosa 4th, and Blaine Rocha was 7th.  In post race inspection, the Duffy went to Jared Campbell due to a fairing measurement on Sonny’s kart.

The Jr. Supersportsman class utilizes the KT100 engine.  Kiel Spaulding placed his SwedeTech powered kart on the pole.  During the main, Kiel contended for the win, but was edged out to finish second.

Kiel would have a second chance to bring home a Duffy in the HPV 2 Jr. class.  After qualifying 5th, Kiel found himself in the lead for 18 of 22 laps.  At the checkered, Kiel would cross the line in second after a good battle with the winner.

Curtis Paul struggled to find the setup in the IKF TaG Cadet class.  But by the time the main rolled around, kart and driver were back on track, and Curtis would bring home a well deserved 4th place finish.

TaG Senior had a strong showing.  Michael Hogg finished the main with a podium finish, and Jon Ban came across the line in 6th spot.

In the IAME CUP race, Michael Hogg qualified 6th.  After some fine tuning and adjustments, Michael drove his machine to a 2nd place overall finish.

Kiel Spaulding would hit the track for a third time for the week in the Jr. Sportsman class.  Posting a 3rd quickest qualifying time, Kiel would attempt to win the Duffy.  This would not be his weekend, as Kiel brought home a total of 3 runner up spots.

Jared Woolf ran the TaG Masters class.  After some hard work and off track excursions, Jared found himself with a strong 2nd place finish in the main.

If you have a press release you would like to share with other SwedeTech customers, please log in and post your results.