Auto show of a different stripe
Kart racing is a sport whose popularity spans generations and continents, but its annual international expo appears to have found a new permanent home in Schaumburg.
The 16th annual Kart Expo International will run Saturday and Sunday at the Renaissance Schaumburg Hotel and Convention Center.
Show director and founder Darrell Sitarz said the expo is designed to appeal to both experienced kart racers and those just getting started who want to learn more.
"I think they'll be dazzled by the fact that there's everything they could want at the show," Sitarz said.
Suppliers of engines, chassis, clothing and safety equipment will be on hand, as will the directors of racing tracks and clubs.
One of the first things novices learn about kart racing is its relative safety, Sitarz said. Though the karts don't have seat belts, the use of mandatory helmets, neck braces and other protective gear keep riders safe even when thrown from karts in a collision.
It's a sport for all ages and both genders -- with children as young as 6 years old learning to race.
While adjustments are made to balance out the weight of the karts, it's one of the few sports in the world where a man, woman, boy and girl can compete with each other on equal footing, Sitarz said.
Though the Midwest boasts the highest concentration of kart racing fans in North America, fans can also be found all over the country and in even greater numbers in Europe.
"It's a national sport over there, like soccer," Sitarz said.
That's why the annual expo has drawn fans from all over the planet no matter where it's held.
As the show is organized by the Wheaton-based Kart Marketing Group, it made sense for the first show in 1993 to be held locally -- at Arlington Park racecourse.
But after making a circuit through such warmer weather venues as southern California, it returned to the Chicago area in 2001 for six consecutive years at Pheasant Run Resort and Convention Center in St. Charles.
Sitarz said the expo had completely outgrown its ability to use Pheasant Run when the Schaumburg convention center arrived in the nick of time for the 2007 show.
The expo intends to stay in Schaumburg and maintain its mid-February dates for some time to come, he said.
This year's special guests include the 2007 Indy 500's Rookie of the Year Phil Giebler -- a dedicated kart racing enthusiast himself -- and his girlfriend Nicole Rash, the Miss America 2008 runner-up and Miss Indiana 2007.
If you go
What: Kart Expo International
When: Noon-6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday
Where: Schaumburg convention center, 1551 N. Thoreau Drive, Schaumburg
Admission: $8; $12 for two days; $2 for children ages 3 to 12; $3 for two days; free for kids 3 and younger
Call: (630) 653-7368 or e-mail karting@msn.com
Guest appearances:
• Phil Giebler, 2007 Indy 500 Rookie of the Year, Booth 110/112; 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday; 11 and 1 p.m. Sunday
• Jessica Brannam, 16-year-old champion kart racer from McHenry, Booth 501, all day both days
• Nicole Rash, 2008 Miss America runner-up and 2007 Miss Indiana, Booth 110/112; 1 and 3 p.m. Saturday and noon and 2 p.m. Sunday