EPIC, Inc. was established in early 2002 by Erik Penz and a small group of supporters.  After a successful karting career during the mid-to-late 90’s, and then several years racing various formula car series across the US and Europe,  Erik came full circle back to the world of go-karting at the outset of the new millennium.  In an effort to build a vehicle with a power-to-weight ratio closer to that of an F1 or IndyCar, Erik began experimenting with 250cc-powered sprint karts.  Although admittedly unproven and somewhat problematic, when these contraptions did make it to the end of the race they were guaranteed to be the first across the finish line.

For Erik, with no real sponsors or team owners to answer to, this was a liberating period -but it also presented a sharp learning curve. While exploring the bounds of conventional kart design and testing the limits of traditional construction materials, Erik Penz logged some spirited drives. Race wins at notable road courses such as Mid-Ohio, Road Atlanta, and Talladega, combined with several track records -including seasoned venues such as Lamar Co. Raceway and Jacksonville 103^rd St. Complex -proved evidence that Penz’s approach was a step in the forward direction.  When Erik consulted with design engineer Craig Hanson in the fall of 2001, it was immediately clear that this was to become more than just an experimental playground.

Over the 01/02 winter, Penz and Company worked together to construct their first prototype, the EPIC01. This was essentially a “clean sheet” approach which utilized Hanson’s background in aerospace engineering and combined it with Penz’s knowledge of vehicle dynamics and race car design. Although lacking a rear wing, the aero package proved to be very slippery and produced relatively significant levels of downforce at both ends.  The kart’s Achilles Heel, however, came in the form of chronic understeer. The torsional rigidity of the chassis waist failed to react the load transfer in high-speed corners. The kart would simply “plow” and it was extremely unsettling to drive. The EPIC01 was abandoned in the fall of 2002 and the HSTLR concept was born.

Today, after nearly 2 years of design and fabrication, the revolutionary HSTLR Superkart chassis is in the final stages of construction. Aptly named for its High-Speed Torsional Load Recovery system, the HSTLR is expected to provide the answer to the paradoxically difficult compromise of balancing mechanical grip and aero downforce with a locked rear end chassis. A new anhedral rear wing element, integral Kevlar seat and roll-cage structure, as well as revised side pods and diffuser are all on the assembly fixture and the results of this effort will soon be evident when the kart hits the test track this winter.

The support personnel have been assembled for the ’05 season and the team will have two karts at their disposal for each race meeting. The single-cylinder IC/E kart will serve as the test mule for the bulk of the tire testing and chassis development.  Darcy DeCoste is hard at work developing the TZ250 twin for the F/E chassis, thus insuring a horsepower advantage over the competition.  Erik Penz plans to use the F/E as his weapon of choice to contest the WSK Challenge and hopes to bring the World Championship home to the EPIC Team!

Erik Penz - Driver and Team Principal

Brad Kindhart - Race Engineer and Crew Chief

Floyd "Pops" Kindhart - Engine Builder

Mike Yu - Cooling Systems Engineer