TOPEKA, Kan. (Jan. 22, 2008) SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Technical Manager Ken Tripkos has been promoted to Competition and Technical Director for SCCA Pro Racing.Tripkos technical career began with the Navy, where he served as a flight engineer on P-2s and P-3s. Tripkos next moved on to a career as a Jaguar Master Technician and was twice selected to attend advanced training at the Jaguar factory in England. He is a certified Ford Master Drivability Technician and ASE Master Technician. Most recently, Tripkos has assisted in the creation of the new Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup rules and completed a successful 2007 season as the SCCA Pro Racing Mazda MX-5 Cup Technical Manager, where entries grew by 30 percent and are expected to grow further in 2008.Ken has done an amazing job with MX-5 Cup, SCCA Pro Racing President and CEO Bob Wildberger said. The level of competition displayed in the series is a testament to all of Kens hard work and his exemplary cooperation with teams and staff. It was all the evidence I needed to promote him to the SCCA Pro Competition and Technical Director position.While Tripkos will continue to guide the development of MX-5 Cup, his added responsibilities include overseeing the technical operations for the SCCA SPEED World Challenge Touring Car and GT Championships and the Volkswagen TDI Cup, with a goal of maintaining balanced competition throughout each SCCA Pro Racing series.This is a tremendous honor for me, Tripkos said. I had a great time working with MX-5 Cup and the challenges a spec series presents. I know that technical operations for a series like SPEED World Challenge will be a whole new animal, some say one of the toughest jobs in the industry, but Im confident in my staff and the experience Ive gathered over a lifetime of racing.Tripkos is a Kansas native who grew up racing. He is a former Solo Champion and finished seventh at the 1976 SCCA National Championship Runoffs in a CSR Elva Mark VI. Since then, he has personally raced a variety of open-wheel, sports and spec racers. He is the former owner and CEO of Max Motorsports, a full service prep shop servicing everything from formula cars and SRFs to vintage cars and motorcycles. Tripkos currently lives in Topeka with his wife Debbie. They have a daughter Liza and son Robin, who has recently started his own Club Racing career.
