NJMP: Paape takes over as GM of karting operations

Scott Paape, 42, was named the general manager of the park’s karting operations last month. Paape comes from USA International Raceway in Shawana, Wis., where he spent the last five years as the general manager of karting.

“We are fortunate to have someone step in that’s going from one job like this to another,” the park’s general manager, Kevin Wittman, said. “We’re very lucky to have him here.”

Paape takes over an F1 New Jersey facility that has already earned the respect of some of the top karting drivers and organizations in the country, and he’s anxious to improve it even more.

“Last year they were just getting started, there wasn’t that big of a buzz,” Paape said. “They’ve got a great start. The former manager, Tim Hannen, he got it off the ground and kudos to him. We’re trying to take it to the next level by creating a more structured program, training and hiring more people throughout the community.”

Paape brings about 12 years of karting industry experience to NJMP. He started in the industry as the race director at Badger Kart Club in Wisconsin. He’s found success at his previous posts. At USA International, his facilities received the top ranking of any karting track in the country by the World Karting Association two years running.

The transition to Millville has been relatively easy for Paape, who said the hardest part of the move is away from the track.

“The hardest part is understanding the corporate way of the office,” Paape said. “Everybody has a task. I never had that before. It’s not ‘I’ here, it’s ‘we.’ That’s the hardest thing because it was “I” before.”

The track already has lined up two WKA and Rotax Max series events and is now working with Championship Karting International (CKI), a new race series, of which one of the park’s principal owners, R.J. Valentine, is a co-creator. Paape said CKI is trying to create a professionally run national racing series and help promote karting across different media. F1 New Jersey is already on the 2009 schedule for a June 26-29 date and CKI hopes to run a full season in 2010.