Superkart driver suspended.

[marcus]

Superkarts! USA has revoked the license and privileges of SP driver number 46o, Trevor McAlister due to his inexcusable, inflammatory, threatening and unprofessional conduct following the conclusion of ProMoto Round One at Jacksonville, Florida.

This organization will not tolerate such conduct. McAlister will be barred from all SKUSA sanctioned events both as a competitor and as a participant or spectator.

SKUSA considers it unfortunate that this action was required but feels that there was no other option, given the nature of the offense. The incident will not be discussed further, nor will any appeal be considered.

Official Press Release from Superkarts! USA



McAllister himself has given his version of events.


The situation came about after the conclusion of Sunday's SuperPro race at the 103rd Street Sports Complex in Jacksonville, Florida. In the aftermath of the event, McAlister noted that one of the tires issued to him from SKUSA officials was not the spec YGB Bridgestone, but was in fact a YEQ. Reportedly, after the conclusion of the day's racing, he approached SKUSA President Jim Murley and requested that he stop by his pit to inspect this particular tire.

"I had stepped away when he (Murley) came by the pit, and when I returned, he asked me to take the tire and wheel off so that he could take them with him. After I did that, he said he'd come back shortly to let me know what they would do about it," stated McAlister. "I went to work packing up the tent, loading up the hauler, until everything was set to go. Since Jim hadn't returned, I went down to the SKUSA trailer to find him, and found that almost everyone had left."

Acting on the information that Mr. Murley had departed for a local restaurant, McAlister proceeded to the establishment and found a large group of SKUSA officials, including the SKUSA president.

After asking Mr. Murley for a word in private, the two reportedly stepped away from the dinner table to discuss the matter. Ekartingnews asked McAlister pointedly about his own attitude as the pair commenced their discussion, and Trevor was quick to respond.

"I know that I tend to handle things a bit harshly, and I could have handled this situation better," he admitted. "I don't deny I was pretty livid that he'd left the track without speaking to me about it. The fact that he never came back to give me any type of answer really stressed me out, and I was cursing quite a bit to him about that."

McAlister also addressed his own responsibility in the tire making its way onto his kart in the first place.

"Yes, it was partly my fault for not checking the roll out, as it got overlooked as we were preparing for the race," said McAlister. "Still, in a spec-tire situation where the sanctioning body supplies the tires, I feel they should take most of the responsibility to make sure the tires are correct. Not every driver checks the roll out, hell, not all the drivers even know that they should check it."

According to McAlister, at that point he requested of Mr. Murley that SKUSA pay for his travel expenses to the Jacksonville race, or at the very least, find some sort of agreeable arrangement, on the grounds that the organization's mistake adversely affected his race performance and his chances for the ProMoto crown. "I asked that my expenses be paid, and that my tire and wheel be returned to me so that I could leave the next morning at five," declared the Birel driver. "I don't think there's any doubt that a tire one and a quarter inches different from the other is going to hurt a kart's handling."

(Note: McAlister qualified eighth on Friday, notched a 6-2-4 scorecard in the heats, started seventh for the final, and made a good start up to fifth before visibly struggling and falling further and further back as the race progressed. He gained three spots at the end due to the accident that claimed McEwen, Glanger, and Wilson, to finish an eventual eighth.)

The incident hit its crescendo when, according to McAlister, Mr. Murley suggested that Trevor should have checked the roll out in the first place, that there would be no compensation, and that McAlister could retrieve his tire and wheel at nine o'clock Monday morning, considerably after McAlister's planned time of departure.

"I want to be clear on this," declared McAlister. "I never threatened him personally, what I did say was that if he wasn't going to address this issue, then I would in no way ever again support their organization. I told him he could expect me to never show my face at a SKUSA event again, and that he could expect me to try to convince every person I know not to attend their events either."

McAlister also commented on the manner in which SKUSA released the information about his punishment.

"They didn't even have the decency to call me up personally, to tell me they were going to post it on the internet before they did so," fumed Trevor. "That's what has me more upset than I was on Sunday night. They made no effort to contact me."

McAlister then summed up the entire situation rather succinctly. "I guess this turned into a rather bad deal."


seems a rather messy deal and i can understand trevors disgust at the whole situation and I hope that he can get back to racing as soon as possible and hopefully the officials can get their act together and perform their jobs in a professional manner.

all info from www.ekartingnews.com

[Crash Test]

What a **** fight! But officials being officials....but i don't think anyone could disagree that this was a complete shocker. Ok, he shouldn't have threatened them, but deadset, what they did was rather poor mannered.

[marcus]

I agree Crash Test..officialdom sometimes have to pull their socks up..and as you said the driver shouldnt have got mad and "alledgedly" threaten them..certainly a sad case of things going horribly wrong.