From the Seat!

It's only mid-January as this is being written but it's later than you think! The racing season is not that far away, in fact much of the racing in the Midwest will be getting underway in less than twelve weeks. It's time to make those hard decisions. What class, what series, what equipment and so on.

Some of those decisions are being hampered by a lack of rules and regulations for this upcoming season. WKA was late as usual getting out their rulebook for 2005 but to their credit they are the first to get a hard copy out to the racers. SKUSA, TAG USA and others need to get a move on before it is too late for their customers (you and me) to make their decisions on equipment for the coming season. Attention to all sanctioning bodies; your failure to produce rules in a timely manner damages the very sport that you are sworn to support and protect.

Meanwhile the calendar moves on and from the action here at the palatial world headquarters of Rapid Racing 2005 looks like it has the makings of a great year. New kart sales are up, service work is hectic, and new interest is the highest in some time. Interest in TAG is continuing to snowball and along with the still growing shifter community looks to revolutionize the sport. Let's hope this trend is not nipped in the bud by procrastination and petty politics as has happened so many times in the past.

Team Rapid Racing has plans to be on track on a more regular basis this season running a mix of TAG and TAG Endurance races as well as a few guest shots in a shifter to flesh out the season. Once again we will be spending a lot of time at NCMP as this fabulous facility continues to go from strength to strength with even more improvements in the works. Sunglasses are in order because the future looks brighter everyday. My personal prediction is that 2005 will be a stellar year for kart racing in general. The weather will be great every race weekend, the karts will be faster than ever and the girls will be pretty. Sounds pretty good to this writer. Let's face it I'm getting the Racing Jones by this time of the year and extended sessions on racing simulators is just barely enough to keep me sane. (Or at least as sane as I get!)

Well, there goes the phone ringing once again and that pile of engines isn't getting any smaller. It must be time to get back to work.

Til' next time Race Hard, Race Safe and God Bless America!