As work continues on the 2017 version of the MG Tires / Fikse Wheels United States Pro Kart Series, we are pleased to announce our 2017 Championship class lineup.

The sands of time have seen the once venerable Yamaha Sr. class, dwindle at the national level across the country. Despite good competition, USPKS has not been immune to this decline in numbers. Therefore, for 2017, the Yamaha Pro class will be replaced with a class that is entirely new to the US national scene. The KA100 IAME class is an air-cooled 100cc reed valve class that has taken the Australian market by storm, and will now debut on the national stage in the USA with USPKS. This package has all but eliminated the Yamaha KT100 in an Australian market that it once dominated. We are excited to be partnering with IAME USA East to make the great leap to the next level with the KA100, and a very good incentive package will be made available to help racers get their feet wet with this new engine package. Look for more details on this engine and an incentive package next week.

The Yamaha Rookie class will also no longer be a part of the USPKS program, as we encourage rookie racers to prepare themselves longer at the regional level before participating in a Pro level series.

The 2017 Class Lineup is as follows:
Yamaha Cadet
Yamaha Junior
Micro Swift
Mini Swift
KA100 IAME Senior – 360 Pounds 15 & up
X-30 Junior – Weight change to 330 Pounds.
X-30 Pro – Age dropped to 15 & weight at 360 Pounds

With the exception of a small minimum weight increase in the X30 Junior class, and the lowering of the minimum age to 15 years in the X30 Pro class, the rest of the USPKS class structure will remain the same as in 2016.

Another notable change will be the switching of all classes, except X30 Pro and Junior, to the slightly harder MG-HZ (Red) compound tire. This tire is better suited to the HP levels of these classes and will provide greater durability, resulting in a cost savings to the racers in the form of increased practice usage. The X30 Pro and Junior classes will continue with the popular MG-FZ Yellow tire.

Probably the biggest change that racers will see for 2017 is going to be the mandatory use of the “drop down nosecone” system in all classes. This is a very simple system that can be added to any kart, for a minimal cost. It has been used successfully in Europe for several years and it has reduced contact between karts significantly. The drop down bumper doesn’t actually drop down, but it “pops” loose if there is excessive contact with another kart. Once loose, the driver can continue on, but a penalty will likely be assessed at the conclusion of the race. We expect that it will greatly reduce incidents of contact resulting from over-aggressive driving. This will make racing more enjoyable for everyone. More details on this will be forthcoming.

Season pre-entry is now open, and incentives are in place to get on board early, including a free set of tires, and a low pre-entry price.