The Anderson Sertoma Club hosted the 17th annual Anderson Mayor’s Cup Grand Prix last weekend outside the Central Indiana city’s Mounds Mall. With their club owned Scribner Plastics, the Sertoma (SERvice-TO-MAnkind) Club hosted the Superkarts! USA Central States Challenge and Great Lakes Pro Series organizations among other racers from around the area for a two day karting event on a 1/4-mile temporary circuit. The two-day race weekend was split into two events. Saturday’s action held the official Anderson Mayor’s Cup Grand Prix event with racers and classes of all types. The day’s proceeds will be used to support the numerous charities the Sertoma Club supports. Sunday was a combined championship round for the SCSC and GLPS programs. A great time was had by those in attendance, including the racers and spectators who lined the fences. Saturday’s weather was perfect, until the final race when rain greeted the area and stayed through Sunday.

 

Seventeen shifters filed around the tight 1/4-mile course with five categories. Alex Conlin was the quickest driver on-track, scoring the win in 125 Shifter Pro. Joe Ruch outran Derek Crockett for the 125 Stock Moto victory with Cole Mathewson placing third. Joe Reed scored the win in 125 Junior Shifter over Jenna Grillo while Terry Riggins took the checkered flag in 125 Masters Shifter over Kyle Donahue. Colton Aldridge dominated the TaG Senior class, winning by 20-seconds over Chase Jones. Tim Bannon took the checkered flag in TaG Masters, lapping the entire field. Steve Knight claimed victory in the competitive Clone Light division with David Daughtery and Matt Browning completing the podium. Scott Hamble was the lone Clone Heavy competitor, placing third overall. Camden Donaldson drove away to victory in TaG Cadet while Austin Mayton edged out Ryan Joehl for second. Other winners include Kris Dickson (125 Master Stock Moto), Scott Parks (Yamaha Sr. Sportsman), Devin Lane (4-Cycle Sr.), Tony Peterson (Jr. Sportsman) and Cylie Starr (Kid Kart).

This weekend marks the 17th annual Anderson Mayor’s Cup Grand Prix, hosted by the Anderson Sertoma Club. After partnering with the Great Lakes Pro Series (GLPS) for many years, the Superkarts! USA Central States Challenge (SCSC) will also partner with the annual event to further establish its significance in the sport. The Indiana-based GLPS program, hosting their third round of the season at the event, will join forces with the SCSC as they open up their 2011 season at the temporary circuit. The Indiana city, located just outside the Indianapolis area, will be the destination of many karters from the surrounding area while the historic month of May begins down the road at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for some of karting’s former stars.

 

The Anderson Sertoma Club has hosted the event in numerous locations throughout the city limits of Anderson, with this year’s temporary circuit to be constructed outside the Anderson Mounds Mall. The Sertoma Club has invested heavily in the event year after year, more so now by way of competitor safety, recently purchasing a second load of Scribner Plastics track barriers to bring their total to roughly 860 barriers to outline the course to be used for this year’s event and other karting events throughout the year.

 

The two day race weekend will be separated into two events. Saturday’s action will be a non-points event, run as the official event day for the Anderson Mayor’s Cup Grand Prix, welcoming racers of all forms of karting to race under the same banner. Classes range from Kid Karts to 125 shifterkarts with five of the 12 race groups competing for a cash purse. A full list of classes and entry form can be found in the forms section of the Great Lakes Pro Series website (www.glproseries.com). The day’s proceeds from the event will go to the Sertoma Club, who in turn distribute the money raised to put on the event to numerous charities throughout the area.

With the Spring season now upon us, the final details for the 2011 Superkarts! USA Central States Challenge (SCSC) season are wrapping up with another strong year of racing on the horizon. One of the final pieces to come together was the recent announcement of its participation in the new Mazda Road to Indy Scouting Combine. The SKUSA regional program is part of a regional karting ‘grassroots’ partnership and will be sending one driver to the Andersen Race Park in Palmetto, Florida on November 28-30, where drivers will be given the opportunity to test a USF2000 car.

 

Drivers 15 years old and over competing in the SKUSA Central States Challenge shifterkart classes will be among those who have a chance to be part of this new grassroots relationship through the Mazda Road to Indy. In order to be eligible, drivers will have to compete at all six rounds of the race series. Details regarding how the series representative will be selected are to be released in the future.

 

“We are delighted to be part of this unique partnership with the Mazda Road to Indy program and the IndyCar Series,” stated Pam Freund of the SKUSA Central States Challenge. “When the opportunity for our series to be part of this, we did not hesitate. Our program includes some of the best drivers from the country and we are happy to be able to offer this chance to one of them.”