This year’s “Sweet 16,” the elite group of karters vying for four 2005 racingscholarships worth a total of close to $100,000, were announced today by Skip Barber Racing. By being selected as automatic invitees to the Skip Barber Karting Scholarship Shoot-out (Jan. 7-8-9, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca), they've each already earned a scholarship: $3,495 for a Skip Barber Three Day Racing School, at a track and date of their choice (prior to the Shoot-out). The 16 karters -- most of whomare drivers from the Stars of Karting and WKA circuits -- are, in alphabetical order:
Alan Adams, 18, Middletown, N.Y.; Jonathan Branam, 18, Miami, Fla.; Chris Carmody, 20, Valencia, Calif.; Tyler Dueck, 17, Abbotsford, B.C., Canada; Mike Giessen, 17, Deer Park, N.Y.; Kevin Glover, 23, Burnaby, B.C., Canada; Seth Ingham, 20, Moxee, Wash.; Colby Jenn, 17, Vancouver, B.C., Canada; Joey King, 16, Silvis, Ill.; Justin Larson, 16, Safety Harbor, Fla.; Joel Miller, 16, Hesperia, Calif.; Jordon Musser, 23, College Station, Texas; Jordy Vorrath, 23, White Rock, B.C., Canada; Chris Wehrheim, 18,Norcross, Ga.; Kyle Wiegand, 18, Bargersville, Ind.; John Zartarian, 17, Carlsbad, Calif.
In addition to these 16 elite picks, the January Shoot-out will include other WKA, Stars of Karting, SKUSA and IKF karters who meet certain eligibility requirements. This group will be identified by mid-December. Including the "Sweet 16," the expected total field size will be something on the order of 40 to 50 top-flight karters.
Four scholarships totaling approximately $100,000 will be awarded at the Shoot-out: One driver will win a full-paid season (approximately $40,000) in the 2005 Skip Barber National Championship Presented by RACER; one driver will win a half-season in the Skip Barber National (approximately $20,000); one driver will win a full-paid season (approximately $24,000) in any of the four Skip Barber Regional Series (West,East, Midwest and South); and one driver will win a half-season (approximately $12,000) in one of the Regionals.
"We truly feel there is no better opportunity for the serious young karter than the Skip Barber system, if the desire is to get into open-wheel racing's topmost ranks," says Rick Ratajczak, a Skip Barber series director. "The equal-car premise behind every Skip Barber auto racing championship, along with the coaching, the huge amounts of seat time, the furious competition, the simple stark value of our racing -- all that has been attracting the best karters for a number of years."This Skip Barber Racing "karting star search" system has over the past eight years unearthed, rewarded then developed such talents as A.J. Allmendinger, Ryan Hunter-Reay, Scott Speed, Colin Fleming, Michael Valiante, Patrick Long and a host of others.
On a related note, in another element of the Skip Barber/Stars of Karting allegiance, yesterday the Stars series announced this year's winner of the annual Snap-On Stars of Karting - Skip Barber National Championship Scholarship; Alan Sciuto, 16, of Orange, Calif., earned the fully funded ($40,000) scholarship to compete in the Skip Barber National Championship Presented by RACER Magazine in 2005.
