Deadline Approaching for Fans to Enter Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge at VIR Alton, Va. (July 31) One of the most fun and unique opportunities available for AMA Superbike fans is the chance to enter the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge at VIRginia International Raceway, which will take place on Thursday, August 17, as part of the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals weekend at VIR. By purchasing a ticket to the race by August 7, a fan’s name will be entered into a drawing from which 10 names will be selected. Each fan whose name is drawn will be invited to enter the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge. The event will be a kart enduro on VIR’s world-class 5/8-mile Plantation Valley Kart Track, with 12 teams of four drivers each. Each team will be comprised of a Superbike racer, a media personality, a staff member from either VIR, AMA Pro Racing or event promoter M1 Entertainment and a fan. Two of the fan seats are already spoken for. Last year’s fan winner, Matt Boike of Charlotte, N.C., will be back to defend his title, along with his teammates, Kawasaki Formula Xtreme competitor Jessica Zalusky, speedtv.com director Mark Mitchell and AMA Superbike Championship series manager Ron Barrick. Another fan seat will go to the winner of the recently-announced M1 Experience promotion, which will award one lucky ticket-buyer an unprecedented package of amenities and access that includes an entry in the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge. Each driver will get seven laps of the circuit, and each driver’s fastest lap will be recorded. The team with the lowest elapsed time (arrived at by adding the team drivers’ four fastest lap times) will win. The winning team will receive trophies and be invited to return in 2008 to defend their championship, and the winning fan will win a free three-day pass for the 2008 Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals. Following the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge, competitors and fans are invited to attend the annual Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals party at Triangle Cycles in nearby Danville. Many of the sport’s top stars will be on hand to meet fans and sign autographs at this fun event that has grown into an annual Big Kahuna tradition. Fans are also reminded that time is running out to purchase one of the few remaining Trackside VIP Suite tickets, which offer fans access to the track’s new Paddock Suites overlooking the pit lane. For only $245 (tickets available only in advance), the Trackside VIP Suite ticket includes three-day admission, paddock access, a Pit Walk Pass, car parking pass, official event program and access to a pitside suite overlooking the pit lane. Each climate-controlled suite can accommodate 20 people, and features closed-circuit coverage on a flat-panel plasma TV, private bathroom and catered continental breakfast, lunch and afternoon snack with drinks (cash bar service also available). Each ticket is good for one person only, allowing the individual fan to view the race from the suite with other fans. “We’re getting close now,” said M1 Entertainment president Cameron Gray, “and the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals are only three weeks away. You can feel the excitement building, and everybody’s getting ready for the big show. We’re getting lots of calls from racers and media types wanting to get in on the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge, and there has been a lot of trash-talking about who’s going to beat whom. All I can say is that I expect to be on top of the podium this year, no matter what it takes, and that fans who want a shot to race the racers better get their ticket orders in now, because it is going to be an unforgettable, star-studded lineup and take-no-prisoners competition.” VIR general manager Josh Lief said that the track is gearing up for its part in the competition. “We take the Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals Superstars Kart Enduro Challenge very seriously indeed,” he said, “and we are holding a intra-company competition among all our employees to come up with the fastest three drivers to represent VIR in the race. We have some very good kart racers on our staff and, after all, it is our track! We’ll see you on the podium.” The Suzuki Big Kahuna Nationals offers a variety of ticket packages designed to fit every budget, including standard general-admissions tickets, Big Kahuna Super Tickets, Big Dog Hospitality Passes, Little Dog Hospitality Passes, Pit Walk Passes, car parking passes and camping passes. All current military personnel will receive a 30-percent discount and free parking with a copy of a current military ID (advance) or by presenting their ID card at the gate. Similarly, college students will be eligible for a 15-percent discount with a copy of a current college ID (advance) or by presenting their ID card at the gate. Groups of 20 or more will also be eligible for a 15-percent discount, providing the order is paid for with one credit card. Discounts do not apply to Trackside VIP Suite and Big Kahuna Super Tickets, or to Big Dog Hospitality Passes or Pit Walk Passes. Children aged 12 and under will receive free admission, provided they are accompanied by a paid adult, but must have a Little Dog Hospitality Pass to enter the Big Dog Hospitality area. Advance ticket sales will end at 5:00 pm on August 14. Tickets ordered too late to mail will be able to be picked up at Will Call at the track. To purchase tickets, visit www.m1event.com or www.gettix.net. VIRginia International Raceway is a multi-purpose road racing facility, located on the Dan River between Danville and South Boston, Va., just north of historic Milton, N.C. In addition to its 3.27-mile natural-terrain road racing circuit, VIR is the cornerstone of VIR Club, America’s first motorsports country club; the VIR Raceplex Industrial Park; the VIR Gallery, a sales showroom for high-end collector and racing cars; Plantation Valley Kart Track, a 5/8-mile paved karting circuit; The Lodge at VIR, a 27-room trackside hotel; the new VIR Paddock Suites and Garages, with 18 dual-purpose hospitality/ lodging units and garages; and the Oak Tree Tavern, a full-service restaurant located within the circa-1840 Plantation Clubhouse. For more information on VIRginia International Raceway, visit the track’s website at www.virclub.com or telephone 434-822-7700. For more information on M1 Entertainment, visit their website at www.m1event.com or contact them via telephone at 303-377-3278. For more information on the AMA Superbike Championship Presented by Parts Unlimited, visit their website at www.amasuperbike.com.