The 2006 GATORZ Karting Cup will begin on February 18, 2006, at Buttonwillow Raceway in Buttonwillow, California. This track is a favorite of many of the competitors and offers great racing throughout its rhythmic layout. Starting on the third weekend gives GATORZ competitors a chance to go to the Kart Expo show in Illinois the following weekend.

On April 29th, the series has its first big “camping race” at Grange Motor Circuit in Apple Valley, Calif. Grange’s location lends itself to big camping parties and bonfires, which makes it a favorite among some of the heartier GATORZ competitors. The series begins its “Willow Swing” on May 27th, with a date at the Willow Springs Kart Track. This track is also the site of the Western Regional Rotax race in late August, so any western U.S. Rotax competitors looking to get some racing in on the track against the tough GATORZ competition will surely want to enter.

July 1st sees the series move across the Willow Springs complex to the Streets of Willow course. Streets’ 1.9 mile layout lends itself to high speed drafting, but a few low speed corners make chassis setup critical as well. It is the track that brings out the most smiles on the schedule.

As the summer temperatures heat up, the series goes northward to the Santa Maria Kart Track on July 29th. This weekend is one week after the Valentino Rossi and the rest of the MotoGP competitors are at Laguna Seca, so competitors can make a summer vacation out of the two races if they like. The track, located at the Santa Maria airport, is one of the oldest continuously operated tracks in the country. With temperatures in the low 80s and that famous Santa Maria tri-tip, this race can’t be missed.

The GATORZ Karting Cup will take the month of August off in order for the competitors to race at the Western Regional Rotax race at Willow Kart Track during the month. The series will then have its finale at the Fontana CalSpeed track on September 16th. The next day is a Los Angeles Kart Club race. The GATORZ race will give LAKC Rotax competitors a chance to test their mettle against the GATORZ regulars on their home track, while not risking any points as they can race the next day at the club race.

The seven race series should see some epic battles, as three 2005 class championships were decided at the last race of this year.

The GATORZ Karting Cup staff also went to great lengths to insure that none of the series races conflicted with any other SoCal major series races. Although there will always be conflicts with clubs and one off events, none exist between any GATORZ races and STARS, IKF Region 7 or PKC.

In addition, the 2006 spec tire for all GATORZ competitors was announced at the series banquet. For 2006, the GATORZ Karting Cup spec tire for all classes will be the Bridgestone YHC. Thanks to Bridgestone and Grand Products for putting together a package that makes sense to the competitors and the series. This package will allow competitors to purchase tires through the entry form at an attractive price if they so choose. This tire is also the spec tire for many area clubs and series, making it easier for any crossover competitors to race many events throughout the year.

The Gatorz Eyewear Golden State Karting Cup is a regional southern California karting series catering to the recreational racer and delivering fun, camaraderie, and abundant track time. More information can be found at www.gatorzkarting.com or by calling Full Throttle Karting at (714) 289-0432.