SBRS: CSOT: Moon wins Skip Barber Karting Scholarship

SEBRING, Fla. (Jan. 5) - Benny Moon, 19, of Shingle Springs, Calif., took home the top prize -- a fully paid 2004 14-race season in the Skip Barber Formula Dodge National Championship Presented by RACER -- after the panel of judges unanimously voted him the best following the two-day Barber-Champ Car Karting Scholarship Runoff at Sebring International Raceway. The award is worth $38,150, the cost for practice, qualifying and the race for all 14 events. The FDNC series is the Official National Amateur Championship of Champ Car.

Earning runners-up prizes of $19,075 each -- a half-season of FDNC -- were Jason Bowles, 21, Ontario, Calif.; Mark Burt, 18, Debary, Fla.; Billy Johnson, 17, San Clemente, Calif.; Lorenzo Mandarino, 17, Burnaby, B.C., Canada; and Ron White, 24, San Jose, Calif.

This was the largest field of karters ever assembled in the seven year history of the Barber- Champ Car Karting Scholarship Runoff; 35 of the best young karters from the United States and Canada each spent the bulk of two days in a Formula Dodge R/T 2000. The majority of the drivers in the Karting Scholarship Runoff come from the ranks of the Champ Car Stars of Tomorrow series and the World Karting Association (WKA).

Previous scholarship winners of the Skip Barber karting runoff include Ryan Hunter-Reay, Michael Valiante, Patrick Long and A.J. Allmendinger.

The judging panel was comprised of eight noted coaches and drivers: Divina Galica, the managing director of FDNC as well as the four Regional Skip Barber Race Series, plus Bryan Herta, Kelly Collins, Jim Pace, Barry Waddell, Gregg Borland, Rich Beam and R.B. Steiwing.

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