CONCORD, NC - With the dust just settling a few weeks on the GT Machine Grand Nationals at Lamar County Speedway in Barnesville, Georgia, WKA Officials have already finalized the Class Structure for the 2016 season for the RLV Tuned Exhaust Products Gold Cup Series, as well as revealing the first half of the 2016 national schedule. As was the case in 2015, the series will maintain the integrity of 11 national classes per day, making for a comfortable schedule for the 2 days of national competition.
Returning in 2016 will be the LO 206 Kid Karts, Sportsman LO 206, Sportsman Pro Gas Animal Lite and Heavy, LO 206 Junior, Junior Pro Gas Lite and Heavy, and the vastly growing LO 206 Heavy class for Senior class drivers.
The Senior Pro Gas class will also be returning next year. However, instead of running the 1 class each day, the class will now be broke out into a Medium and Heavy class, with the minimum Medium weight being 360lbs. Heavy drivers will need to meet a 375lb minimum.
New to the series this year will be the creation of a Masters Senior LO 206 Class, featuring drivers 40 and older.
All classes mentioned will run their respective classes both days in search of 1 champion for the 2016 season in each class.
Gone in 2016 are the Animal Medium and Animal Heavy Mix classes, the last 2 methanol classes in the Gold Cup Program.
Competitors in 2016 will have their first shot at running for a national title April 15-17 as the series returns for a very familiar and popular stop at 103rd Street Sports Complex in Jacksonville, Florida, with stop #2 coming the weekend of June 24-26 at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, South Carolina. The remaining two venues, scheduled to be tentatively run in August and September will be finalized shortly. The Jacksonville event has been moved to March out of respect to many LO206 Junior and Senior drivers who will be participating in the first ever, and highly anticipated Winter Cup Program, with dates set at Daytona in December, Jacksonville in February, and Go Pro Motorplex in Mooresville, North Carolina in March. While always trying to accommodate the competitors, giving ample time between events, it was felt best to place the April Jacksonville Gold Cup event where it is, due to the last Winter Cup event just being a month prior in early March at Go Pro.
Now while that same philosophy was not entirely used this past year between events 2 and 3 for the Gold Cup, the second date in 2016 not only comes a few weeks later in June, which helps the end of school year issues, it also will avoid the 4th of July weekend, allowing families a chance to enjoy the holiday away from the track.
A $5 increase on Entry Fees was also approved by the Board of Trustees. The money from this increase will go towards classes in the 2016 Gold Cup season that have 10 or more entries, with the overall successor of that weekends class receiving $100.
While there will be additional elements of the Gold Cup season still to come, anyone wishing to jump on board as a class or race sponsor can contact Marie Borsuk at the WKA Office at (704) 455-1606, ext 111.
In the coming days, additional information regarding the 1st annual Winter Cup will also be revealed.
To view the respective 2016 schedule, class structure, as well as the Reserved Number Form, go to the Gold Cup Series on the main page, and scroll down to click on your respective link.