TEMECULA, CA (February 21, 2020) – The ProKart Challenge is launching its 16th racing season this month, and remains one of the top regional karting programs in North America. What began as a gathering of fellow racers has grown into a top-level racing series that welcomes drivers from all over North America and countries from around the world. Based in the state of California, the series is ready for another five weekend, six-round championship program set to start on February 29-March 1 at the Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, California.
The 2020 prize package for the ProKart Challenge is a very lucrative one, set at just over $120,000 to be awarded throughout the season and at the year-end awards ceremony. Over half of the 2020 total is set to be awarded throughout the six rounds of racing. Each daily podium features $7,500 in prizes for all categories – with first place earning a 2020 PKC Entry with tires, second place a 2020 PKC entry, and third place receiving a $50 MotorsportReg.com credit toward any PKC event. At the end of the podium ceremonies, Superkarts! USA is set to raffle off 10 sets of Evinco Tires, 4 PKC Entries with tires, and 1 SKUSA Pro Tour Entry with tires.
Year-end championship prizes will be awarded to the top-three in all categories. Each PKC champion receives a 2020 SuperNationals Entry with tires. The vice-champion takes home two 2021 PKC Entries with tires, while third-place in the standings earns a 2021 PKC Entry with tires. A minimum of five drivers per class each round is required for prize eligibility, as well as for year-end championship awards.
Six rounds of racing are featured in this year’s schedule, with the best five results deciding the ProKart Challenge champions for 2020. As it has done for many years, Buttonwillow opens the year with Round 1, and then April 4-5 takes competitors to the home of the Monterey Bay Karters facility in Marina, California for what looks like PKC’s last race at the venue. Once again, the CalSpeed Karting facility will host a double-round weekend on June 12-14 for Rounds Three and Four. Round Five is scheduled for July 11-12 at the Santa Maria Kart Track, with the series concluding at the popular Streets of Lancaster Grand Prix on September 26-27.
The PKC will continue the format set last year, with each two-day event taking place over Saturday and Sunday, with the exception of the CalSpeed weekend. Official practice begins on Saturday morning, with all categories being provided five rounds of practice ahead of Qualifying, which will be conducted at the end of the day. Sunday’s schedule will include a warm-up, with the Prefinal and Final to conclude each round early enough to allow competitors the opportunity to travel home before the sun sets.
A total of 16 categories will be offered for the 2020 ProKart Challenge program. The core of the series is the Superkarts! USA Pro Tour categories; Pro Shifter, Pro Shifter 2, G1, G2, X30 Senior, X30 Master, X30 Super Master, X30 Junior, KA100 Senior, KA100 Junior, Mini Swift and Micro Swift. KA100 Master returns after its debut in 2019 at the PKC, along with the continuation of providing a place for the Spec Honda CR125 packages in the Shifter Senior, Shifter Master and S5 Junior Stock Moto categories.
Pre-Registration remains open for the first round of the PKC at Buttonwillow. The deadline for online registration for the event is Monday, February 24 at 11:59pm PST – with the discounted price of $335 for entry and stamped race tires. A SKUSA membership is mandatory to register and compete. Move-in for Round 1 of the PKC begins on Friday morning at 9:00 am, and the registration desk will open at 3:00 pm. Complete race and venue information, along with a tentative weekend schedule, can be found at the PKC Event Page. New for the 2020 season is the addition of a new official photographer for the ProKart Challenge. Mad Moose Media will handle all the official photo duties throughout the 2020 season, with new exciting technology to be onsite at the opening round of the series.
For more information on anything related to Superkarts! USA, please visit the website – www.superkartsusa.com and be sure to follow the Superkarts! USA Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts.