From the Seat!

Well boys and girls, friends and neighbors, racers and wankers the 2003 racing season is in the books. Overall it has been a great one at least for Team Rapid Racing. Some of the best racing that I have seen in years occurred this year and the Mysterious Gooseman (?) and I feel that our year was in a word good. Ran towards the front all year and absolutely at the front the last half of the season. Also in the good column we did not have a mechanical DNF all season. We also made a lot of new friends this year and a few that were less than friends, but that's life. What do we have to show for it? Well 3rd place in CES points in Sunday's SK-125 class and 5th in Saturday edition. Congratulations to Clayton Prater on a phenomenal job this year. Clayton not only ran hard and clean all year but managed a 100% finishing record in CES point races. It seems the only time Clayton would drop out of a race was if I was not in it. (Gonna have to work on that!). Clayton we will be back with essentially the same Tony/Honda package (Yes, "Lucille") that we ran this year with a few refinements. I'm looking forward to next season already.

In the bad column there are a few items. The attempts to consolidate Midwestern road racing in 2003 were only marginally successful, in most of the co hosted races the MSSS people were conspicuous by their absence. What's up with that?

Also in the bad column the splitting up of the shifter classes due to a select few peoples interpretation of the rules was an abomination. SK-125 and CIK 125 were nearly identical with one glaring exception and this cannot be allowed to happen again. The World Nitpicking Association has addressed this issue adequately for 2004 and hopefully the independent series will follow suit. Maybe my dream of a consolidated Midwestern road racing series with a common set of rules is just that, a dream.

In the mildly indifferent column are a few kart clubs and series officials that are amazingly indifferent to the damage being done to midwestern road racing by their personal agendas and petty politics. We all have to pull together if we want our chosen segment of kart racing to thrive or even survive. Come on guys, It's not that hard!

Meanwhile the nights are getting longer and colder and this crusty veteran is suffering from racing withdrawal. Refining the machinery for next year, hitting the weights and computer simulation racing will have to do for the time being.

Oh yeah! Speed Channel's terrific coverage of the Stars of Tomorrow and SKUSA's Rio Supernationals will go a long way towards keeping the winter demons at bay. Increased TV exposure, some new racing venues and an improving economy should point the way towards progress in 2004.

Well that's enough rambling for this month, till next time, Race Hard, Race Safe and God Bless America!