4/10/08 - Stars of Karting Ocala, FL

By: Karam Racing

OCALA, FL - (March 18th, 2008) -- Sage Karam continues to improve and shock the competition. Karam, considered the winningest cadet driver on American soil, hasn’t missed a beat in the JICA category. Mechanical concerns caused for a challenging 18th qualifying spot. Sage would be forced to start all three prefinals from the 18th spot. A veteran of keeping out of trouble and dicing through traffic, Sage proved his winning ways again.

Sage finished the heats in 11th, 9th and 6th positions. During the last prefinal, Sage set the fastest lap of the race! He earned a starting position of 5th in both of Sunday’s finals.

The rain came hard on Sunday during the finals. Sage battled to a 5th place finish in the harsh storm for serious Championship points. It was Sage’s first time using the European Parc Ferme system and things went well until the final race of the day. “We got caught behind and had to scramble to get the wheels on and I didn’t correctly tighten the left wheel. On about lap 6, I felt the wheel coming off. I knew I made a mistake due to my haste. I was worried the wheel would fall off and had to baby the kart. I easily had a podium until the problem occurred. When I came in and saw the wheel, I couldn’t believe I made it through the race. It was held on with one nut and that nut was about to fall off. It was wobbling so bad. I was lucky,” commented Sage. Sage scrounged up a very respectful 6th place finish.

“I was impressed with the way Sage adapted to the rain and the loose wheel. He is an amazing driver with a lot of heart. It was the first time Sage and I dealt with Parc Ferme and we learned a lot. It’s a very fulfilling feeling to be so directly involved with Sage’s success. Hiring a tuner or mechanic would be too easy,” said Sage’s dad, Jody. “I’m sure I’ll make mistakes, but, the key is that we never make the same mistake twice.”

Karam is 3rd in the Stars of Karting National JICA point standings. “I cant believe I’m third in the points!”, said Sage. Karam was the youngest driver to win a cadet Stars title at 9 years-old and understands the importance of consistency. Karam is the only driver to ever win a Stars of Karting Triple Crown and a WKA Triple Crown. “The team (MRP) does everything they can to put me up front. I never have to worry about DQ’s due to illegal equipment or for breaking the rules. Chris Lobaugh takes care of business. I was pleased to see Birel’s Mike Wilson, from Italy, at the event. Mike and Chris worked closely on my setups. Marc Zartarian gave us sweet horsepower and we value his input. I knew it’d be a great weekend after we hit the Waffle House”.

Sage would like to thank his sponsors and supporters: Michael Andretti, MRP, Gary, Chris and Tim Lobaugh, Brent Ebert, Rick, Doug Fleming, Grand Products, Noonan Pedal Risers, Bell Helmets, Aplinestars, Orwig Management, SmitHahn Co., L & T Clutches, Strober Building Supplies, On Track Promotions, and Walters Web Design.

For more information on Sage Karam please visit www.SageKaram.com.

* Please note that Karam Racing refuses to expose and exploit the names of minors in their press-releases and website content. We would hope that the same discretion is extended to us, by our fellow racers. As a minor, we request that any photos, videos or mention of Sage Karam utilized in website content, receive written permission first.