Driver Spotlight- Stephanie Geare

 

Stephanie Geare

Stephanie Geare had a go kart when she was young. She had no idea that there was a place where she could go out and race it. Looking back now she thinks she would have really enjoyed it back then too. She has been racing the last 2 1/2 years at East Lansing Kart Track with her father. She is a great inspriation to the other girls at the track. Stephanie hopes to take her kart racing career a little further next year and race with the Great Lakes Sprint Series. She loves to work on her kart and is constantly trying to learn all she can about the mechanical side of things. She has big dreams of some day being the first female Formula One racer.

For Stephanie's race results click here http://www.karttrack.com/Results/2012YamahaSrSportsman.htm

Custom Race Suits

Pink & Purple Race Suit



I was looking for a more feminine racing suit. Here is an example of a custom suit. I sure wish there were more standard options for girls versus the extremely expensive custom options. Click her for the direct link to K1 Race Gear where I found this suit. http://www.k1racegear.com/custom-gear-3.html

The Importance of Helping Others

I don't know what it's like at your local track, but at ours other racers and their families are very helpful. Basically we all want to see everyone have the chance to race and be able to put your best foot forward. Some examples of it happened this week. One of the boys racing in the kid karts didn't have a gas cap. He asked around and another father was able to provide him with one, the same day another kid needed brake pads. My husband had a spare set and was able to help him. We have had days where we were having issues with my daughters' kart and all of the dads and fellow racers were surrounding her kart trying to solve the issue so that she could race.

Everywhere you go there will always be people who chose to be selfish and unethical but I'm so glad to say that we really haven't had much experience with those types of people at the track. I'm sure as things get more competitive and she moves up the karting ranks things will change, but for now I have to say I love the camaraderie and helpful nature of our local racing club. I think that you could call it "good sportsmanship."

Driver Spotlight- Sondi Eden

Sondi Eden

Known for her aggressive but clean driving style, Sondi brings to the sport a special blend of small-town values, intelligence, youth, and character. “I have been to several of her races,” says Indianapolis Motor Speedway Network announcer Howdy Bell, “and I have yet to find anyone who has anything negative to say about Sondi.” In addition to earning the admiration of fans and fellow drivers, Sondi has also garnered favorable media attention. She’s twice been featured in USA Today, was recognized as a rising star by National Speed Sport News, and appeared on the Discovery Channel’s reality show Roush Racing: Driver X.

1998	Kenyon Midgets- 25 races with 6 feature wins. Third in points and second in driver rankings.
1999	National Midget Series (NAMARS) - Named NAMARS Rookie of the Year.
2000	8 top tens and 5 top fives - Chosen for Lyn St. James Driver Development School.
2001	Feature win- 3rd in ARCA Midget points - 8th in NAMARS points with 10 top tens and 5 top fives. Hard Charger award and Most Improved award.
2002	2 Feature wins - 2nd in ARCA Midget points with 7 top fives - 11 top tens. Won Quick Time Pole award.
2003	Won NAMARS Regional Championship - Won Indianapolis Speedrome Championship - 2 feature wins - 2 poles - 12 top fives - 18 top tens. Chosen to participate in NASCAR’s inaugural Scouting Combine.
2004	USAC Regional Midget Series Champion - 1 feature win - 8 top fives - 13 top tens. 410 Pavement Wing Sprint Cars - 6th in points - 2 heat wins - 4 top fives - 10 top tens. Selected to participate in NASCAR’s Drive for Diversity driver development program. 1 of 12 selected from over 150 applicants. Selected to participate in Nunn Motorsports testing at Texas Motor Speedway for IRL. Menards Infinity Pro Series.
2005	410 Pavement Wing Sprint Cars - 4th in points. USAC Silver Crown Pavement Series. Selected to participate in Roush Racing’s Driver X/Discovery Channel Reality Show. 1 of 25 selected from over 1,700 applicants - finished in the top 7. USAC’s Kara Hendrick Spirit Award.
2006	Late Models - CRA Super Series - 7th in points/FASCAR.
Plus:	Featured as a "Rising Star" in May 29, 2002 National Speed Sport News. Featured in USA Today (twice). 2004 Pat O’Connor Award based on off-track & on-track performance. Has attended multiple driving schools and racing-related seminars. Source: www.sondieden.com

To learn more about Sondi Eden visit her website www.sondieden.com or find her on Facebook.

Driver Spotlight- Samanta Jansen

Samantha Jansen

 

When Samantha was young she had a paper route she came up with an idea of getting a go-kart to use for delivering papers. Her father agreed to get her a kart as long as she agreed to race it. She agreed to the deal and her father got her the kart. It turned out she had a talent in racing so her father moved her up. She won her first race on her late sister's birthdy. It was only her 5th race ever. She decided to put "In memor of my sister Nicole" on all of her cars.

Samantha has been racing a total of 14 years now. 3 of them were in go karts and 11 in cars. Currently she is racing Open Wheel Modifieds in the Top Speed Modified Division. She also periodically races Vintage Modifieds in the VROA series and then the occasional superstock race over the last couple of years. What she likes most about racing is first and foremost the speed. According to Smantha she is "a bit of an adreneline junkie." She also likes the fact that the car does not know if the racer is a girl or boy. "I can drive it no different than anyone else which is why everyone is on the same playing field."

She has earned many achievements but some of her biggest acheivements are are that she is the winngingest female in VROA (Vintage Racing Organization of America) and the first female to win a feature and a championship. She has won two VROA championships. She is also currently sitting 2nd in points in the Top Speed Modifieds and leading Rookie of the Year points.

When we watched Samantha race out at Berlin Raceway in Marne, MI. The girls were routing for her every step of the way. In fact we noticed she was a fan favorite. The little girls loved the fact that she had Tinker Bell on her car. I asked her what made her decide to put Tinker Bell on her car and she said, "I decided on tinkerbell because for one I liked her as a kid, and it was time to get rid of the tweety bird since that had been on my car for a few years." Her car is also pink which definately sets her apart from her male competition. I asked her what ways her car reflected her personality. She told me, "I think my cars still show a bit of my girly side. Just because I participate in a male dominated sport doesn't mean that I am not still interested in the girly things.

Samantha's advice for girl racers, "You are just as good as all of the guys out there racing, make sure that you don't give up. As a female it takes a bit longer to earn the respect of the other drivers but once that is established it is well worth it."

Thank you Samantha! We apprciate you taking the time to share your inspirational career. We wish you all the best for the rest of your season and your future career.

Driver Spotlight- Courtney Jo Atkinson

I had the wonderful opportunity to get in touch with a very talented driver named Courtney Jo Atkinson. She was very gracoius about sharing information about her racing career.

Every weekend Courtney Jo Atkinson would watch her father race his dirt late model. Eventually she decided she no longer wanted to be just a spectator. Courtney's racing career began in 2006 at a local sprint track (Badger Kart Club in Dousman, WI). Soon enough she got bored and wanted to go faster; so she joined the Championship Enduro Series (road racing) and traveled around the Mid-West states to race. A year later she found WKA's road racing series and has been racing with them since 2008.

Courtney's favorite thing about racing is that she is able to spend time with her father and have a blast while doing it. It has been their way to bond for years. She also loves just being at the track. When she is there she feels like she has stepped into a whole new world. "It almost seems I can be one with the kart and clear my head and just concentrate and what is in front of me and what my next move will be." Courtney has a lot to be proud of in her career, she is the only woman in WKA Road Race history to win two triple crowns. She was very excited about winning the first one but the second one according to Courtney was "just amazing!!!"

Courtney is definately someone for other girl racers to look up to. She has this advice to share with other girls out there racing, "Never give up. It gets hard and the boys will try and bully you, but that only means that they are scared or intimidated by you. Give it your all and show the boys you are just as tough as they are. You'll get their respect in the long run."

Thank you so much Courtney for sharing your experience and advice!! We are amazed at your career and wish you all the best for your future success. Here are a few more articles about Courtney.

http://www.worldkarting.com/index.php/news/pit-board/121-most-recent-pit-boards/393-072812-vir-nationals-unofficial-results

http://www.ekartingnews.com/news_info.php?n=11371

http://ekartingnews.com/news_info.php?n=18741

 

Words of Advice for Karting Parents from CRP Racing

Just a bit of advice to Karting Parents from Kevin at CRP Racing.......

Identify skills early on. If your child wants to participate in kart racing, be realistic about their ability. If they are is just within the age requirement, make sure that they are able to physically handle themselves. Maybe do a test drive or a few practice days in a borrowed kart and see if racing really is for your child.

Don't blame yourself for your child's talents or failures. Disappointment may stem from your own youthful dreams or your sense of personal responsibility. Encourage them to try their very best in a positive manner and support them even when that isn't good enough to win the race. Sometimes the only way to do that is by lending a sympathetic ear. Later, offer to help them practice their skills or go over things like driving line, trail braking etc...

Prevent burnout. If kart racing starts to get in the way of schoolwork or simply having fun, then it may be time for your child to scale back or take a break. Ask your child if they are too tired or if they think they are working too hard. Discuss your concerns with the child, and help your child set priorities.

Stay positive. Don't be hard on your child if they lose a race or fail to qualify. They are bound to to have their bad days, no matter how often they practice. Focus on their efforts, NOT the final outcome. Every finish is a victory if you make it seem that way to the child.

Set a good example. Good sportsmanship starts with you the parent. If your child spots you kicking and screaming at the track, they learn that it's acceptable for them to do so too.

Let kids be kids. Your child needs time to socialize. Unstructured activities with their peers give them time to recuperate from the pressures of the competition and other things like school.

Lastly, The next time you catch yourself being that "not so encouraging" parent at the track. I would invite you to find the nearest kart you can fit in and enter the very next race and see where you finish. I have humbled quite a few fathers by offering them a chance to take my kart out on the track for the next event, not so surprisingly they had an entirely new outlook on their child's racing!

Most Importantly Remember "It All starts with a Winning Attitude!" Good luck and be safe

For more advice and information on Karting visit Kevin's website at www.crpracing.com