Do you need to be a 2009 Rotax Member?

For 2009, it is not a requirement to be a Rotax member to race in the Jim Russell Northern California Rotax Challenge. Membership is not required to be eligible for any of the prizes in the series from all the great sponsors.

But, if you are thinking of going to the Rotax Grand Nationals or want to be part of the Rotax National Points Championship, you must be a 2009 Rotax member.

To qualify for the Rotax Grand Nationals, you must be a Rotax member and run in four local Rotax Challenge events. Three of these 4 races must be in the Region in which you have joined Rotax. Our region is the Jim Russell Northern California Region. But this does not mean joining Rotax in July and get credit for all races run in April, May or June. So if you are not a member of Rotax and are thinking of going to the Grand Nationals, you need to join Rotax now.

The Rotax Grand National will be run in Norman Oklahoma this year. The facility is very good, the track is tough and has held many top races in the past, and being in the center of the country, this Grand National should be one of the largest turnouts in many years.

Rotax membership is also required for the Rotax National Points Championship. This is a series in which the points you earn at your local regional Rotax Challenge will be counted toward the National Points Championship. Thus, Norcal drivers are getting points and competing against other drivers in other regions. In 2008, 3 of the 5 National Points Champions were from the Northern California Rotax Challenge. Gregory Liefooghe in Senior Rotax, David Carlisle in Rotax Masters and Glen Poy-Wing in Rotax DD2. Donavon Wheeler was 2nd in Junior Rotax. But you can not get points toward the National Points Championship unless you are a Rotax Member.

The results for the April 4th race will be sent to Rotax on May 5th. If you are not a member of Rotax but want to become a member and get credit for the April race, then you need to join Rotax immediately.

Joining Rotax is easy. Go to www.RMAXChallenge.com and click on membership. You can join Rotax online with a credit card, or print out the membership form and send it in with a check. Or you can fill out a membership form at the May 2nd race and give it to Kit at the Marin Karting trailer and she will send it in on May 5th and make sure you get credit for the April race. Marin Karting is the Northern California Rotax Challenge administrator and handles all the series paperwork that gets sent to Rotax.

Rotax membership costs $75 and helps support the efforts to run a good national Rotax Program in the US. With your membership you get a copy of the Rotax rules, a 2009 Rotax T-shirt, 1 year subscription to National Karting News and lots of stickers and patches.

So if you want to get credit for the April race, join Rotax now.

Posted on April 23, 2009 8:00 PM