SPECIAL FEATURE: Awards & Recognition Issue Kevin Williams President World Karting Association Kevin Williams started kart racing when he was 9 years old. As he grew older, he became more involved in the sport at the local and regional levels, which led him to involvement in national and international Karting. “I am celebrating my 45th year in karting next year,” he said. Since 1971, the World Karting Association (WKA), the “foundation of motorsports,” has provided a venue for racers to enjoy all aspects of karting in the United States, according to Williams. The sport provides regulations, instruction, certifications and venues for fair and safe karting competition in the U.S. “WKA has a place for everyone in karting,” he said. “As a nonprofit member as-sociation, WKA is an association as much as it is an event promoter, where we are always involved in global karting, governmental issues, event operation training, safety certifications and we pass those aspects on to the karting community as they affect our sport. Most drivers you see on TV in INDY-CAR, NASCAR and Formula 1, came from karting, many from WKA. WKA’s mission is providing a safe, fair, consistent, fun and affordable environment for the beginner, hobbyist and future stars of motorsport to fulfill their dreams.” Sports Background “In my younger years, I managed large casino resorts in Nevada, where we promoted all sorts of sporting events from boxing to tennis, beach volleyball, extreme sports and, of course, motorsports events, all the while still involved in karting on weekends,” he said. “For me, logistically managing large crowds of participants and spectators came easy after those experiences.” As a 45-year veteran of karting motor-sports, Williams has driven as a racer, officiated as a national race director and operated races as an event promoter. He is a past board member and executive committee member of the World Karting Association and he over-sees all aspects of the association’s events and operations. In 2019, WKA, Williams and his team have scheduled the 44th annual Daytona KartWeek and a new Summer Karting Festival at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, where each event will operate three national karting races concurrently in Road Racing on the superspeedways, speedway dirt ovals and traditional sprint karting races, all during the same weekend. Over the years, Williams promoted the Flamingo Hilton Laughlin Kart Grand Prix two years in a row, an event that was televised to 30 million homes on ESPN2. He also was involved in other larger spectator events in motorsports, including karting events at Primm Casino Nevada, Windsor Ontario’s Freedom Festival at the Windsor Casino and the Stars of Karting Finale at Disney World’s Wide World of Sports. No stranger to events that draw motor-sports and action-sports enthusiasts, Williams designed events for both live spectators and television audiences, such as the INDYCAR Stars of Karting, USF2000 Series, Performance Racing Industry Stars of Karting event, vari-ous SPEED Channel and Lucas Oil televised events and the WSK World Series Champion-ship events. WKA is a member of the official Interna-tional Liaison to the FIA for International Motorsport for the USA, ASN, Automobile Competition Committee United States (ACCUS), overseeing all international karting activities in the United States. Proudest Moments “The stability of the sport of karting,” he said. “In an industry that relies on participants’ disposable time and disposable income, I am proud to be part of a sport that still inflames passion in participants year after year. After all, if it wasn’t for people wanting to go rac-ing, there would be no WKA.” Tips for Others “Surround yourself with a strong community,” he said. “The greatest asset in any sporting association is people. I am increasingly impressed with all the WKA team members, the volunteers and event workers. I often tell them, ‘There is nothing thrown at us we can’t handle,’ and they always impress in all situations.” He added, “Also, it is important to establish a strong relationship with your host venue and especially your host destination. Those are the people who have the local knowledge that can make the difference for a successful event, from planning to crunch time, and they are thrilled to help ensure your event goes off brilliantly.” WKA supports more than 100 kart tracks around the country, providing local and grass roots-level racing to the sport of karting. WKA also promotes the National Race Series for all karting disciplines, including sprint racing, road racing on car tracks and dirt oval speed-way racing at venues around the U.S. “It’s my job to ensure WKA promotes the most efficient, safe national events to support those racers ‘racing up’ the ladder at the most desired venues, which is why we race at the Daytona International Speedway and new for 2019, the famed Charlotte Motor Speedway and its ‘ROVAL’ course made famous this year by NASCAR.” n www.SportsEventsMagazine.com January 2019 31