by Ched Follis As the 2017 karting season winds down, Follis Kart Racing continues its ambitious schedule with drivers Jeff and Kevin Janders heading down to the Simraceway Performance Karting Center at historic Sonoma Raceway for the penultimate round of California’s KPX Karting Championship Series. So far this year, FKR has competed in: F-Series events on the east coast and southeast, Can-Am series, a super-regional race in Redding at Shasta Kart Klub, three different Gold Cup events, the Saturday Night Shootout at TCKC’s amazing Horn Rapids Kart Track, multiple club races at our home track SIMA raceway in Sumas, WA, club races at the super-fast PGP Motorsports Park and at PSGKA’s iconic track in Spanaway, WA. Following this weekend’s event in Sonoma, we’ll be travelling to the historic Pat’s Acres track in Canby, OR for the final round of the Can-Am series and Oregon 2-stroke championship series. We also participated in the oval track rental race at PGP. Monroe Jordan campaigned his own kart, with track support from Italian Motors, at the PSRRA Grand National Race at the Ridge Motorsports Park and an earlier PSRRA race there with amazing results. Back to this weekend. Although our emphasis is on the KPX race at Sonoma in our Italkart Rapido V1 206 karts, Scott Hargrove will be holding down the fort racing our TaG kart at the SIMA facility for their next-to-last club race of the season.
Scott has had a phenomenal racing season, winning the championship in the IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Canada Series in spectacular fashion by winning 18 of 20 rounds and finishing second in the other two. Scott also won the last time out in his shifter at the Sunday Gold Cup final at SIMA, racing against some of the best shifter pilots in the country. Scott has been a blessing to our program. A great racer in every machine he drives, Scott is the complete package and it has been a joy to interact with him at the track and follow his successes in his IMSA racing. Many thanks to Scott and to Michael Valiante for making this possible. This weekend’s race has special meaning to me for a couple of reasons. We once lived in Northern California and we love the area and people and hope to move back there in the near future. I first visited Sonoma Raceway in the 1980’s for a Can-Am/Trans-Am car race on the big track and went to as many races as possible during the mid-eighties. This was a really cool period for racing and I watched some of the best drivers of their time compete there when the facility itself was more like a club track. Al Holbert in his Miller Porsche 962, the Group 44 Jaguar team, Scott Pruett in a kart race (on the car track), even Paul Newman in his red, white and blue Nissan. Every event surpassed my expectations and was truly surreal. Access at the time was unbelievable. I had one picture of a NASCAR race that I took there where I can see my old Buick parked just outside of turn seven. I also remember a corner worker letting me shoot pictures on the trackside of the wall at turn 10. Not something allowable now, but at the time it was normal stuff and part of the rich memories I have at Sonoma that I hold dear. SIM Raceway karting complex is also a significant part of my racing experience as I attended a couple of karting schools there. The interaction, equipment, and time I spent there was awesome. Love that place. Although I’m not able to attend the race this weekend, I’m confident that Jeff and Kevin will have a terrific time there as well. I’ll try to keep you posted on their results and experience. For those interested, the race should be available on Race Monitor. I would like to thank our partners who have made all this possible:
We still have a few races left so… see you at the races, and oh yeah… #kartingrocks.
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by Ched Follis
FKR is in high gear with five races at five different tracks in just over two weeks. From the scenic Shasta Kart Racing facility in Redding, CA to the ultra-fast GoPro Motorsports complex in Mooresville, NC which was hosting the first Gearup F-Series races of the season, to PSGKA in Spanaway, WA, then onto the season opener at SIMA (our home track) on April 1, and finishing up at PGP Motorsports Park’s Ronnie Baker Memorial Race – a money race presented by FKR. SIMA got a reprieve for their opener after cancelling the previous two races due to snow. Weather was dry and the racing was epic. This would be the first race at SIMA for our new TaG with Scott Hargrove behind the wheel. Scott was in a zone of his own, setting fast time, placing first in the pre-final and final. Remo Ruscitti was 2nd, Adan Isman 3rd, and FKR’s Monroe Jordan finished 6th. Monroe also finished in 5th place in the shifter final on Saturday at SIMA. The 4-cycle race had three FKR Briggs 206 Italkarts in the final, with Kevin Janders, Jeff Janders, and Leonardo Borrego. Kevin finished in first, Ken Porter in 2nd, and Jeff Janders in third. Leo came in 4th. The Janders’ crew had a full weekend with testing at SIMA on Friday, racing there on Saturday, then turning around returning home late Saturday and showing up bright and early at PGP on Sunday for the Ronnie Baker Memorial. We entered this race with mixed feelings, as the last time we raced at PGP was when Ronnie fell ill. Ronnie’s father, Gene Baker, was in attendance and donated four $50 Kart-o-Rama gift certificates to karters finishing in the back half of the field. Thank you, Gene! by Ched Follis
FKR’s two-stroke division made the big trek to GoPro Motorsports Complex in Mooresville, NC for round 1 of the Gearup F-Series race. Everybody was super excited to race at the fantastic facility in close proximity to so many iconic racing team garages. Monroe was competing in the KZ shifter class and formula TaG with his father Jon tuning. Kevin would drive in the stock Honda shifter class and the debut race for FKR’s TaG kart in the formula TaG class. Kevin is splitting driving duties with Scott Hargrove in the Italkart Rapido V1 with the strong X-125T package. Scott will be behind the wheel the next race weekend for SIMA’s season opener. by Ched Follis
California drivers dominated on Sunday’s final rounds for the Briggs-powered Super Regional 4-stroke race at Shasta Kart Klub’s Redding facility. All karters were challenged by Saturday’s dry-wet-dry conditions for practice and qualifying. FKR’s Jeff Janders stood out with P5 in the master’s 206 class, against some of the best in the west (and beyond). Monroe Jordan was P10 after being slowed by another kart on his money lap, and Kevin Janders slotted in 14th for Sunday’s Senior 206 pre-final. by Ched Follis FKR’s first trip to Shasta Kart Klub’s Redding, California facility was hectic as weather conditions evolved from rain in the morning to dry for the late qualifying. The guys had to change from a wet set-up to dry and switch to the spec Evinco blues, which we had never tested, plus gear changes, etc. Needless to say, the boys were busy. Monroe and Kevin were lightning fast in the rain during practice, but both had issues in the green-white-checker qualifying laps being used in the Briggs-powered Super Regional 4-stroke race. Jeff Janders set the pace for FKR with a fifth-place position in 206 Masters. Monroe Jordan qualified a respectable 10th after being slowed by another kart on his money lap. Kevin Janders settled into 14th after clipping a curb in his run. ![]() This is the biggest race our 4-stroke division has raced in. Top drivers from throughout the Southwest, Northwest, and as far away as Minnesota are in attendance. Tomorrow should be interesting as they anticipate the weather. Forecast calls for rain late in the day… the guys will be doing a little rain dance in Redding tonight! ![]() by Monroe Jordan "That was by far the most exhilarating race of my career.” This is the sentiment expressed by Monroe Jordan, as FKR Italkarts swept the top four positions in the first heat race at Pacific Grand Prix on March 5th. Freshly-mounted LeCont slicks overcame damp track conditions making for epic wheel-to-wheel racing, and FKR drivers never fell short of the top 5 throughout the day. The rain clouds parted ways for the first time this winter, clearing not just the skies but the minds of we Pacific Northwest racers. With the end of winter in sight, we’re hitting the track with a swagger. Contributing to this confidence is the new collaboration that Follis Kart Racing and Monroe Jordan have with LeCont and WR Motorsports. The March 5th weekend at PGP was our first occasion to use the LeCont tire in competition. We’ve been eager to put these tires to the test all winter, and the excitement throughout the team about our new partners was prominent. by Ched Follis
After the club race at PGP yesterday, March 5, fellow karter and friend, Ronnie Baker, suffered a medical emergency in our pit area and was rushed to the hospital. Ronnie, and his father Gene Baker, had been helping tune FKR’s fleet of karts for race day. With the help of Kyle Zalud, Jon Foard, a nearby physician, and others, Ronnie was given immediate, quality first aid and was able to be transported to the appropriate hospital – best-suited to treat his problem. Ronnie has a tough road ahead and I’m sure he and his family will appreciate everyone’s prayers and best wishes. We would like to thank Kyle, John, the PGP staff, and everyone else who contributed to his care. PGP is not only a great place to race, but also a facility full of great employees and racers who truly care about each other. This was very obvious yesterday. Out of respect for Ronnie and his family, I don’t believe this is an appropriate forum to get into specifics on Ronnie’s condition. Please private message or email me if you would like more info. Hang in there, Ronnie! We’re rooting for you brother! by Ched Follis
Although it’s still winter, FKR is looking forward to the official start of the racing season with the upcoming club race at SIMA Raceway in Sumas, WA. This is our home track and is also home base for our chassis and 2-stroke engine supplier, Italian Motors/Italkart. Claudio and Michael Valiante manage the program and are our fearless leaders. Michael, Claudio, and the employees at SIMA provide a great deal of support and leadership for our team and we wouldn’t exist without their help. That was the theme of SIMA’s Summer Racing Series Round 5.
FKR was flexing its muscle with 7 karts (including team-owned and affiliates) in the Briggs 206 Light field.
by Kate Follis
When you see the racers, intent on conversation with their mechanic, driver’s suit unzipped and hanging at the waist, a light of enthusiasm in their eyes as they focus on going faster, one with their machine, it’s easy to see why they race. But what about me, and the dozens like me, who roll their eyes at the necessity of another seat or clutch or, ouch, motor, and keep on paying the bills? What’s up with that? For me, personally, it’s an act of love for my husband, Ched. I can, squeakily, afford to fulfill his dream, and so I do. It’s not a selfless effort. In return, I am part of something that is bigger than myself. Something that has grown to be more than one man’s dream and more about promoting a sport and developing young talent. It’s about growing a team and being a part of a unit that works better as a whole than as individuals. In life, we are all looking for that one place where we simply belong, and that’s what FKR is all about. |
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