Hebner crowned 2007 ProKart Challenge Champion

Fallbrook’s Grant Hebner was crowned the 2007 ProKart Challenge Champion at the year-end awards banquet held October 13 at the Astor Classics Museum in Anaheim.

The championship was comprised of a 10-race series held from January through September. The series visited Moran Raceway, Buttonwillow Race Park, California Speedway, Grange Motor Circuit, Willow Springs, Santa Maria and Qualcomm Stadium.

Hebner competed in the TAG Senior class onboard his Eagle One Motorsport’s Tony Kart, powered by a 125cc Leopard engine. He finished the season with a total of 2,187 points, 199 points ahead of second place.

“It was an interesting run this year,” stated Hebner. “We started the year on one team and switched karts and my race engineer after two races. We had to learn ‘on the job,’ so to speak. For a while, it seemed everything that could go wrong did, but we were always fast.”

The series awards points for the main race, heat races, fastest qualifier (pole position) and fastest lap during the main race.

“Every time we had a problem in the main race, we scored maximum points in the heat or sat on pole,” commented Hebner. “By the end of the year it all added up.”

Hebner scored two wins, two other podium finishes, seven heat race wins, three pole positions and two fastest lap times. Along the way, he set a new TAG class track record at Moran Speedway.

“We would have liked to have been more dominant, but with the level of competition that the ProKart series attracts, we have to be satisfied with our final results,” remarked Hebner.

Throughout the year, officials from Mazda (the official sponsor of the TAG class) and ProKart Challenge were evaluating each of the 47 TAG drivers in search of the one driver Mazda who would be selected for an all-expenses-paid trip to the prestigious Mazda Shootout in Sebring, FL. At the October 13 awards banquet, Hebner was happy to accept the invitation.

The Shootout is a competition between a handful of specially selected drivers from around the world, all competing for a full season, compliments of Mazda North American Operations, in the 2008 BF Goodrich/Skip Barber National series.

The event is facilitated by Skip Barber Racing Schools and consists of on-track and off-track sessions, including interviews, marketing and driving techniques.

The driving portion of the Shootout takes place using the Skip Barber National Series Formula cars powered by Mazda.

A panel of professional drivers, media and Skip Barber staff members will be the final judges to choose the winner.

The Shootout will take place at Sebring International Raceway January 31-February 3.

Nineteen-year-old Hebner is currently attending Cal State San Marcos as a sophomore and has most recently been testing the NASCAR Super Trucks at Irwindale Speedway in the Los Angeles area.