[kousley]

FORT WAYNE, IN (Dec. 9) – Borrowing the format of a popular television game show – the answer is’ go-kart racing’. The correct question is, ‘where did today’s open wheel talent get their start?’. While the progression of today’s open wheel drivers has been well chronicled, the management of this year’s 18th annual Rumble in Fort Wayne (Dec. 26 & 27) is asking “can they still wheel a kart”?

To find out, a unique Rumble Kart Challenge has been posted and if six drivers accept the challenge by this Saturday’s (Dec. 12) deadline, it will be a go inside of Fort Wayne’s Memorial Coliseum.

The format heavily involves the fans as well.

Once determined, the six drivers will be posted and the fans will have the opportunity to vote for the driver they would like to see start on the pole of the $500 winner-take-all, 12-lap Rumble Kart Challenge. Each vote will cost the fan $1, with the driver receiving the most votes getting the honor of starting first in the race. All of the money collected for the six drivers will go to the Challenge winning driver’s favorite charity.

Now that the first place starting spot has been determined – what about the remaining five spots? Well, they will come from a good old-fashioned Crack the Whip race. The five drivers will draw for a starting spot and then every three-laps, the driver running in the final position will be eliminated until one driver remains. That driver will start runner-up and the balance of the field will be determined by the order in which a driver remained on the track.

Eligible drivers must have a go-karting background and cannot be currently competing in kart racing.

C.J. Leary, Joe Ligouri, Jacob Wilson and Tony Neuenschwander have already contacted the Rumble officials with their interest in the Challenge. Drivers interested are encouraged to contact rumbleinfortwayne@gmail.com by this Saturday. From the interested candidates, the Rumble management will determine the entrants.

Two complete days of Midget, 600cc, Go-Karts and Quarter Midgets will fill the Rumble in Fort Wayne agenda, with the Rumble Kart Challenge to be contested Saturday evening (Dec. 26).