Skip Barber Racing Announce Significantly Expanded Relationship
The Snap-On Stars of Karting and Skip Barber Racing have agreed toexpand their existing relationship as part of an ongoing effort that will continue to build their respective racing series, significantly reward top competitors, and provide leadership and growth for the sport ofkarting as a whole.
The new agreements are through 2006, with options for further extensions.Of particular note in the new agreement is a guarantee that for each year's Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Run-off (first conducted in 1997), at least half the field of nominated karters will be Stars of Karting drivers.
At the annual Run-off, more than $100,000 in cash racing-scholarships are awarded to karters to compete in various Formula Dodge racing series, including the professional Skip Barber National Championship Presented by RACER.
For the January 2005 Karting Run-off, 16 karters will be nominated candidates, which means at least eight will be coming from the Stars of Karting series. Four awards are up for grabs: A full-paid season inthe 2005 Skip Barber National; a half-paid season in the National; a full-paid season in any of the four Skip Barber Regional Series (West/East/South/Midwest); and a half-paid season in one of the Regionals.
In addition to the karting scholarship awards, Stars of Karting and Skip Barber Racing have agreed to continue the award of a fully paid season in the professional Skip Barber National Championship Presented by RACER to one top Stars karter, chosen by a distinguished motorsports panel at the conclusion of each year's Stars of Karting season. The first Stars of Karting driver to receive this award (in November 2003) was Robbie Pecorari, who is currently seventh in the 2004 Skip Barber National, with four top-5 finishes in eight races, including a second-place at Sebring.
Stars of Karting and Skip Barber Racing have also agreed to a cooperative marketing and promotional relationship that will provide exclusive benefits. With this, the Skip Barber Racing School becomes theOfficial Racing School of the Snap-On Stars of Karting, and includes Skip Barber trackside signage, event promotions, officials’ uniforms and vehicles, and ID on competitor uniforms, karts, etc.
''This is a special day for everyone at the Snap-On Stars of Karting,'' said Bryan Herta, Stars principle and current IRL driver for Andretti-Green Racing. ''In our quest to further not only our series but the entire sport of karting, it is important to align ourselves with key, integral partners. We have done that with our title sponsor Snap-On, and now with Skip Barber Racing. They are recognized worldwide as the industryleader in driver development and the promotion of aspiring pro drivers.''We want our competitors to be exposed to Skip Barber's years of expertise,'' Herta added. ''In fact, after my own karting career, I joined the Skip Barber ladder system (School, then Western Race Series, thenBarber Pro Series) for the first four years of my auto racing career. Since Stars of Karting's infancy, Skip Barber Racing has supported us, and now we look forward to a long and even more fruitful relationshipover the many years to come.''
Stu Upson, senior vice president of sales and marketing for Skip Barber Racing, said, ''This expansion and formalization between us is going to be a great asset to North American motorsport. Yes, Skip Barber Racing and Snap-On Stars of Karting will each benefit directly -- we both have a great opportunity to draw more competitors -- yet more importantly to the bigger picture of grassroots and beginning professional open-wheel competitors, this adds a particularly appealing rationalization to climbing the ladder from karts to racing's top ranks.''
The specific details, outlines and rewards of the new agreements and the Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Run-off will be announced shortly.
