Bragging rights up for grabs at Champions Karting Challenge
This week, the NASCAR Touring and Weekly Series champions have gathered in Charlotte, N.C. to celebrate their accomplishments, while taking in the hub of the sport.
From modified to late models, Mexico to Belgium, these champions are spending this week touring the center of NASCAR activity. The main headquarters of the sanctioning body, the majority of Sprint Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series team shops, the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and much more are all within driving distance.
Champions from the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East (Ben Rhodes) and West (Greg Pursley), Canadian Tire Series (L.P. Dumoulin), Toyota Mexico Series (Abraham Caleron), Whelen Euro Series (Anthony Kumpen), Modified Tour (Doug Coby), Southern Modified Tour (Andy Seuss), and All-American Series (Anthony Anders) will all be celebrated this weekend in Uptown Charlotte.
This is not only a celebration of the year's accomplishments, but also a glimpse into how the larger sport works on a day-to-day scale, as well as a marketing opportunity for that next potential step in NASCAR.
Wednesday afternoon they put each other to the test at GoPro Motorplex in Mooresville, N.C., the outdoor karting track owned by drivers Michael McDowell and Justin Marks.
Sitting in the crowded driver meeting room, this mixture of racers are getting to know one another, comparing stories and schedules, all while giving 17-year-old Ben Rhodes a hard time for his age.
NASCAR Euro Series champion Anthony Kumpen is the life of the room. He's cutting up with the other drivers and making a point to show pictures of himself and international racing stars from 1997 or before - the year Rhodes was born.
Although this was just a friendly race with members of the media - myself included - as teammates, the interest and competition was high. Rhodes was the young ringer, Kumpen had the confidence, while Calderon and Dumoulin let the driving do the talking.
The seven fastest media members started the race, with the fastest driver in the lone practice session starting last and the slowest driver starting first. Yours truly was partnered up with NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Andy Seuss.
#DreamTeam of @JayWPennell of FOX Sports & 2014 #NWSMT Champ @AndySeuss @NASCARHomeTrack @GoProMotorplex @REradioz pic.twitter.com/gTDCvULo4n
— Riggs Racing (@RiggsRacing) December 10, 2014
. @FOXSports own @jaywpennell gives up ride to Whelen South champ Andy Seuss at @nascarhometrack karting challenge. pic.twitter.com/z2FrQCWsa6
— NASCAR Illustrated (@NASCARIllustr8d) December 10, 2014
A three-time winner this season, Seuss was quick to point out he was not a road racer and was used to driving hard into the corner, stepping on the brake, and driving out in his modified. Not the greatest karting techniques.
I, on the other hand, try my best to race karts at least once or twice a month. Not exactly a ringer, but I know my way around a kart track. However, I race indoor at Victory Lane Karting, and running karts outside is a curveball for me.
Starting sixth out of seven, we were running second after the first lap of the race and maintained that spot when Seuss took over for his stint in the kart.
Despite his self-proclaimed lack of karting or road course experience, Seuss maintained our pace and brought our kart home in the second place, one spot behind Kumpen and Motor Racing Network's Kyle Rickey.
2014 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion Anthony Kumpen and teammate Kyle Rickey celebrate their win in the Seventh Annual Media/Champions Karting Challenege title. Finishing second was the team of 2014 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion Andy Seuss and Fox Sports.com's Jay Pennell and third was Rhodes along with SPEED51.net's Elgin Traylor.
After a short break, a few pictures on the podium, and a few interviews, the champions climbed back in the karts for a race among themselves. Starting inverted - with the fastest at the rear and the slowest up front - the field took off from a standing start and raced into the hard right-handed first turn.
As expected, the race came down to a battle between Calderon, Kumpen, Dumoulin, and Rhodes. Racing tightly - and sometimes door-to-door - with one another, Calderon was able to open up a lead on his competition.
Yet, as the laps clicked away, Calderon's kart gave out and he slowed on the track as Kumpen, Dumoulin and Rhodes fought it out for the win.
A little contact here, a slip in the corner there, and the youngster pulled out the win on his fellow champions. Rhodes credited his victory to his competition, saying he was closely watching their braking techniques and trying to hide his shadow from Kumpen up ahead.
In the end, the group gathered for pictures on the podium and shared racing stories. Instead of those told before of events that determined championships or points battles, these were stories from the rental kart track with a group of folks that were in most cases complete strangers hours before.
"It's pretty awesome, because they're all experienced and all so knowledgeable," Rhodes said of the opportunity to celebrate with the other NASCAR champions. "It's too cool to be able to relate to those guys. To see their journey and what brought them to where they're at now, and how long that's been ... and to relate that to my journey to get to the point where I'm at.
"We're all from different parts of the world, but it's pretty cool to see the similarities between us," he said.
"It's just fantastic," Kumpen said of his experience thus far in the Charlotte area. "I started NASCAR at the beginning of the season, and I was never thinking I could compete for the championship, and then I won it, and now I'm here.
"Now you really breathe NASCAR, and you really feel it, and it's even a lot bigger than I expected," the Belgian native said. "It's fantastic for me to be here and I hope to do some races here in the future in the U.S."
