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| September 08, 2008 News |
| EKN Trackside: Rotax Max Challenge USA Grand Nationals - Preview |
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To close out the final four months of the 2008 season, a stretch of exciting and large events North America has to offer will take place. Beginning that run of big races will be the Rotax Max Challenge USA Grand Nationals presented by Mazda. Teams and drivers have already made their way to the USA International Raceway in Shawano, Wisconsin, site of this year’s event in search of the Rotax Grand National crown and in addition to earn spots on America’s Team to compete at the Rotax Grand Finals in LaConca, Italy at the end of November.
The town of Shawano has opened up their arms to welcome the nearly 200 drivers and their crews to the small city northwest of Green Bay. The USAIR facility is a one of a kind in North America that offers multiple configurations and challenging elevation changes. The course chosen for the Grand Nationals will be the ‘Stars’ layout with 17 turns at roughly 1.1-miles in length. The crew at USAIR have been working hard over the last half year to prepare for this week and are sure to be gracious hosts as they have in the past for the many other national events they have hosted.
With unofficial practice running Saturday, Sunday, and Monday, Tuesday will see no on-track action as the day will be reserved for scrutineering and the welcome banquet in the competitors village located adjacent to the circuit. Official practice will be held all day Wednesday with the six classes hitting the track from 8am to 5pm. Following a morning warm-up, Qualifying will begin at 10:30am with the first round of heat races to take place. Rounds two and three of heats will start off Friday with the Last Chance Qualifiers to run at the end of the day. Saturday will begin with Prefinals with the Drivers Presentation and the Finals to wrap-up the event.
eKartingNews.com will be providing the full Trackside Live coverage in what is known as the ‘Rotax Week’ on the leading karting site. Updates have begun already in the Official Discussion Thread and will continue throughout the week. Daily reports, results and photos will begin Wednesday with the ‘EKN Top-Ten’ following each session to begin toward the end of the practice day and continue on to the final lap on Saturday.
Alongside the eKartingNews.com coverage, the EKN duo of Rob Howden and David Cole will anchor the live broadcast throughout the week on RaceFanRadio.com. This will make the second straight year the two media outlets will join forces to cover the Rotax Grand Nationals with an unprecedented six days of live airtime schedule. Monday will begin the RaceFanRadio.com coverage with a RFR Happy Hour from 6pm-8pm (all times will be Eastern). Tuesday and Wednesday will be see a Morning Warm-up show from 10am to noon with RFR Happy Hour’s from 6pm to 8pm. Thursday will begin the race broadcasts per the event schedule to air between noon-6pm with Friday and Saturday to begin sometime after 10am. A more detailed schedule will be released Tuesday.
With the overall event preview complete, we will now look at the six individual divisions set to battle in Shawano.
 | Arie Ouimet has matured even more since finishing second in last year's Grand Nationals in the Senior division
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Senior
Last year’s Senior final may go down as one of the wildest races in recent history. In all, the final took a red flag, a brief rain shower, a 30-minute repair session, a restart and the race still ended under red flag when the rain showed up again. To top it all off, the Denver police were called to break up a fight at the scales. Definitely not the shining moment for the drivers involved, but goes to show how chaotic the race was and how prestigious it is to represent the United States at the Rotax Grand Finals.
Most of the protagonists from last year’s race will not be returning - except for second-finishing Arie Ouimet. The driver from the northeast can not be counted out. After placing in the top three at last year’s chaotic finish, Ouimet did not disappoint as the top USA finisher (13th) at the Grand Finals. With success this season in other divisions of karting, Ouimet will be among the favorites heading into the Grand Nationals but there are numerous other contenders aiming for him. Top finishers from last year’s event also include Kyle Demeter, the 2007 Champ Car-Rotax Career Enhancement Scholarship winner Michael Self, and Nicholas Boulle all finished in the top-ten.
Phillip Arscott happens to be leading the Rotax Max Challenge USA Driver point standings and had the speed of the leaders at last year’s Grand Nationals before a run of bad luck knocked him to the back of the heats. Cory Pollock was another driver in the fast-but-unlucky crowd in last year’s Grand Nationals, and has been giving all the front runners fits during the Gatorz season on the west coast. Any of these guys is a legitimate contender. Stepanova Neekel raised some eyebrows with an impressive performance at the Stars of Karting Western Division finale in Seattle.
He’s also among 10 drivers who competed at the Rotax Summer Shootout at USAIR, won by Zack Beard. He, along with local drivers Jared Siegel, Eric Schumacher, Cody Elliott, and Aaron Milavitz will have a slight advantage heading into the event. Milavitz was the driver to watch at the Rotax Summer Shootout before he and leader Matthew Mair came together, taking both out. Both drivers, and eventual winner Beard, could provide additional excitement when a trip to La Conca is on the line.
Senior Provisional Entry List
| No. | Driver | Hometown | Series | Team/Sponsor| 0 | Nicholas Boulle | Dallas, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | Screaming Talent | | 3 | Eric Lazar | Alhambra, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | SSC Racing | | 4 | John Moody Jr | Holbrook, NY | Northeast | | | 5 | Zach Beard | Avon, IN | MRP Series | MRP-Birel AMERICA | | 9 | Kyle Demeter | Stockton, IL | Masters Pro Series | Arrow/BTK Motorsports | | 10 | Dean Boyd | Double Oak, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | | | 11 | Dillon Kranz | Columbus, WI | Franklin Motorsports | | | 12 | John Patrick | San Antonio, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | Iron Rock Raceway | | 16 | Cody Elliott | Lake Geneva, WI | Franklin Motorsports | Franklin Motorsports | | 17 | Matthew Ostiguy | San Diego, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | | | 18 | Quinton Dawn | Cedar Hill, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | Arrow/BTK Motorsports | | 20 | Sean Owens | Arlington, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | | | 21 | Anthony Llopiz | Fort Lee, NJ | Northeast | SSC East | | 22 | Stepanova Nekeel | Seattle, WA | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | Rolison Performance Group | | 27 | Jared Siegel | Green Bay, WI | Great North Rotax Series | | | 36 | Zach Woodsford | Las Vegas, NV | Acceleration Series | | | 37 | Matthew Powers | Nevada City, CA | Northern California Rotax Series | MRP-Birel AMERICA | | 42 | Josh Menting | South Bend, IN | MRP Series | LSR Motorsports | | 45 | Greg Welch | Morrison, CO | Mile High Challenge | Shockwave Karting | | 46 | Geoffery Roberti | Portland, OR | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | | | 53 | Gabriel Chaves | Deerfield Beach, FL | South Florida | RDD Motorsports | | 54 | Eric Schumacher | Appleton, WI | Great North Rotax Series | Simanar Sports | | 55 | Daren Peach | Franklin, WI | Franklin Motorsports | Franklin Motorsports | | 57 | Phillip Arscott | Portland, OR | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | | | 67 | Jake Mottaz | San Ramon, CA | | MRP-Birel AMERICA | | 68 | T.J. Koyen | Sun Prairie, WI | Franklin Motorsports | Franklin Motorsports | | 69 | Sheridan Odom | Waco, TX | Beason Motorsports | KRS | | 72 | Victor Pedrosa | Davie, FL | North Florida | Ocala Gran Prix | | 77 | Michael Zaccaria | Revere, MA | Northeast | SSC East | | 88 | Salvie Zaccaria | Revere, MA | Northeast | SSC East | | 99 | Aaron Milavitz | Shawano, WI | Great North Rotax Series | Franklin Motorsports | | 101 | Bradley Smith | Lubbock, TX | WTKA Sprint Series | | | 123 | Arie Ouimet* | Plymouth, MA | Northeast | SSC East | | 141 | Sam Jones | Yakima, WA | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | Cycle Barn | | 161 | Brian P. Moody | Holbrook, NY | Northeast | SSC East | | 181 | Matthew Keel | Austin, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | Paradise Racing Team | | 191 | Gregory Liefooghe | San Francisco, CA | Northern California Rotax Series | Marin Karting | | 247 | Mike Herda | Las Vegas, NV | Acceleration Series | | | 303 | Matthew Mair | Miami, FL | South Florida | Capricorn Racing | | 409 | Austin Isaac | Salt Lake City, UT | Utah Rotax Series | Arrow | | 412 | Michael Self | Park City, UT | Gatorz Karting Cup | G-Phactory | | 416 | Rebecca Mitchell | West Jordan, UT | Utah Rotax Series | Reaction Karting/Mitchell Racing | | 505 | Kyle Gregg | Miami, FL | South Florida | Capricorn Racing | | 711 | Dakota Donovan | Plantation, FL | North Florida | Advanced Karting | | 722 | Cory Pollock | Canyon Lake, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | DPK | | 805 | Garrison Masters | Thousand Oaks, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | F1 Boston | | O9 | Dylan Stalker | Long Beach, CA | Los Angeles Kart Club | Full Throttle Karting | |
 | Stuart Marsell will look to defend his DD2 Grand National title
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
DD2
Stuart Marsell may well be the strongest driver in the country in the underappreciated DD2 class. Not only did Marsell win the class at last year’s Grand Nationals, but he also took the class championship at the Florida Winter Tour this past winter after beating some of the very best kart drivers in North America.
One of the drivers that showed the speed to run with Marsell but seemed to lack the luck was Joey Collins. Collins was able to be a part of America’s Team in the DD2 class last year in Dubai, UAE, but has spent most of the season contesting in the Rotax Senior class finishing second in the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas and Karting Cup. He will be back aboard his DD2 kart and looks to be Marsell’s biggest competition.
Ryan Fowler and Nathan Mauel could be part of the lead group. Fowler having won the Rotax Summer Shootout at Shawano in July and both were members of the America’s Team in 2006 at Portugal. Florida’s Andres Lopez recorded the fastest lap at the Grand Nationals in 2007 on his way to a fifth place finish until being removed in the tech barn. He’ll be back to redeem himself along with local favorite Derek Kozak getting into the mix as well.
DD2 Provisional Entry List
| No. | Driver | Hometown | Series | Team/Sponsor| 1 | Stuart Marsell | Zellwood, FL | 2007 US DD2 Nat. Champion | Arrow/BTK Motorsports | | 3 | Joey Collins* | San Diego, CA | Florida Winter Tour, Gatorz | CRG, SSC Racing | | 4 | Ron Shewmake | Plainfield, IL | Masters Pro Series | Phil Gordon Group | | 7 | Zach Ply | Joliet, IL | Masters Pro Series | All-Line Motorsports | | 8 | Marcelo Colla | E. Sandwich, MA | Northeast | SSC East, F1 Boston | | 9 | Kyle Gimple | Minden, NV | Northern California Rotax Challenge | Marin Karting | | 16 | Nathan Mauel | Broken Arrow, OK | Kart Southern Regional | | | 20 | Derek Kozak | Oconto Falls, WI | Great Northern Rotax Series | Pro-Karting/Simonar Sports | | 22 | January Grove | San Jose, CA | Northern California Rotax Challenge | Medusa Racing | | 24 | Phil Gordon | Evanston, IL | Masters Pro Series | Phil Gordon Group | | 37 | Nate Waterfall | Sandy, UT | Gatorz Karting Cup | | | 54 | Jason Bell | Tampa, FL | | Highway Systems Incorporated | | 63 | Maryeve Dufault | Newport Beach, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | SSC Racing | | 66 | Ryan Fowler | Miami, FL | South Florida | Playthings Racing | | 74 | Glen Poy-Wing | Oakland, CA | Northern California Rotax Challenge | | | 86 | Erik Jackson | Long Beach, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | Pitts Performance, SSC Racing | | 91 | Andres Lopez | Opa-Locka, FL | Homestead Karting Series | Orbit Racing / Tony Kart | | 117 | Thomas Young | Boston, MA | Northeast | SSC East | |
 | A stacked field of Masters drivers will be chasing after defending champion Alex Raine
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Masters
405 lbs. of kart and driver provides one hell of a show at the Grand Nationals. The 2008 version of the class may well be the deepest in terms of talent at this year’s Grand Nationals.
For starters, defending class champion Alex Raine is back. Raine put himself on pole last year on his way to taking the national championship, but he’ll have his work cut out for him to do it again this year. He travels to Shawano from the northeast but most of his competition will be coming from all over the country.
From the left side of the country, Ian Thomas finished second in the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas, just ahead of Paul Bonilla. They will be joined by fellow series drivers Jim Busby, Mike Mautner, Erik Jackson, who finished third last year before he was DQ’d in the tech shed, and the fourth place finisher who took his spot on the podium, Andy Seesemann.
From the right side, Michael Riolo took the Florida Winter Tour ahead of third-finishing Paul Montopoli and fourth place Russell Hamel, all in Shawano this week, should be a factor.
Other drivers that will be making an impression will be Maverick Bartlett and his distinctive pink helmet who impressed the paddock in ’07 with his run from the tail of the field to eighth and will joined by fellow top-ten finishers David Harwin (sixth), Keith Kart (fourth), DJ Ortiz (fifth) and Brad Theys (tenth). He finished second to Mario Mair at the Rotax Summer Shootout event and races with the Great Northern Rotax Series, for which Shawano is the home track.
One driver to watch as the week goes on will be Michigan’s Marc Miller. A moderator on the eKartingNews.com forums, Miller has a distinguished racing CV in karts and cars and will be making his first appearance at the Grand Nationals.
Masters Provisional Entry List
| No. | Driver | Hometown | Series | Team/Sponsor| 3 | Paul Montopoli | Rivervale, NJ | Northeast | FirstKart.com | | 6 | Marc Miller | Holland, MI | MRP Series | MRP-Birel AMERICA | | 7 | Gary Pesner | Anaheim, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | Team Shaved Kitty | | 8 | Keith Karr | Montevallo, AL | BTK | Arrow/BTK Motorsports | | 10 | Mack McCormack | Athans, AL | BTK | Arrow/BTK Motorsports | | 11 | Thomas Healy | South Easton, MA | Northeast | Sun Safety Motorsports | | 12 | Mike Mautner | San Diego, CA | | SSC Racing | | 16 | Mike Wilhelm | New Paris, IN | MRP Series | | | 17 | DJ Ortiz | Plano, TX | Beason Motorsports | KRS | | 20 | Paul Bonilla | Cypress, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | FTK | | 21 | Mike Daniel | Newberg, OR | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | Cycle Barn | | 26 | Michael Riolo | Boca Raton, FL | Florida Winter Tour | Orbit Racing | | 41 | Ian Thomas | Anaheim Hills, CA | | Full Throttle Karting | | 42 | Bruce Woodrow | Milford, MI | MRP Series | MRP-Birel AMERICA | | 44 | Todd Ulmen | Miami, FL | South Florida | Playthings Racing | | 46 | Rich Stillwell | Kirkland, WA | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | Fisher Racing | | 51 | Andy Seesemann | Orange, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | Full Throttle Karting | | 61 | Jim Busby | Rancho Santa Fe, CA | | | | 62 | Ken Maxfield | Murray, UT | Utah Rotax Series/Gatorz Karting Cup | MSquared | | 63 | Victor Keel | Austin, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | Paradise Racing Team | | 65 | Brad Theys | Kewaunee, WI | Great North Rotax Series | Simonar Sports Race Team | | 77 | Nelson Canache | Norcross, GA | North Florida | RBIT/Tony Kart | | 88 | David L. Gildersleeve Jr. | Syracuse, IN | MRP Series | | | 89 | Matt Tilden | Marietta, GA | Georgia Challenge/North Florida | Tilden Racing Enterprises | | 99 | Erik von Zeipel | Los Angeles, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | Full Throttle Karting | | 108 | Alex Raine | Newberg, OR | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | Rolison Performance Group/Odethal Racing | | 141 | Kurt Fisher | Richland, WA | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | Fisher Racing | | 161 | David Harwin | Reno, NV | Northern California Rotax Series | Marin Karting | | 288 | Russell Hamel | Pelham, NH | Northeast | SSC East | | 404 | Mario Mair | Miami, FL | Jamaica | Capricorn Racing | | 511 | Gary Hattersley | Stow, MA | | | | 777 | Maverick Bartlett | Jackson, WY | Utah Rotax Series | Msquared Karting | |
 | Jarvis Gennari came one spot short of earning the Junior crown last year
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Junior
With last year’s champion Jose Zanella gone to Senior division, the Junior Rotax class maybe ripe for Jarvis Gennari to improve on his second-place finish in last year’s Grand Nationals. Not far behind him was Justin Coplen, who also returns to the class and is looking to put an exclamation point on his Rotax season after a disappointing Challenge of the Americas campaign.
But he’ll have a stacked field to take on – a field including Daniel Formal, Phil De La O, and Nicholas Neri - who finished in that order in the Junior Rotax class championship at the Florida Winter Tour. De La O also ventured west to the Gatorz Karting Cup, where he won in his second race with the series. One way or the other, Florida is providing several drivers at the sharp end of the field.
A wildcard may be Taylor Miinch. Miinch grabbed three Duffy’s at this year’s IKF Grand Nationals, and has been a front runner in the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas and Karting Cup all season. Miinch has also made a name for himself in Stars of Karting competition this season with a win in JICA at Shawano.
Mason Madej and Andrew Palmer from the MRP series are running one-two in the Rotax Max Challenge USA Driver point standings, and Madej also has experience at Shawano, having finished fourth in the Rotax Summer Shootout. The winner of that race, Sebastian Ordonez, will be in attendance, as will be the second and third place finishers from that race - Jesus Rios, Jr., and Brennan Harrington. Also add into the mix is WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series front-runner Zack Busch, who recorded four podium finishes including a win at a Grand National event at the Shawano facility in 2007.
Junior Provisional Entry List
| No. | Driver | Hometown | Series | Team/Sponsor| 1 | Jarvis Gennari* | Boca Raton, FL | South Florida | SSC East | | 2 | Adrian Starrantino | Simi Valley, CA | Challenge of the Americas | Pitts Performance | | 3 | Jeremy Kane | Lakewood, CA | LAKC, Gatorz Karting Cup | Full Throttle Karting | | 4 | Zach Sharp | Camano Island, WA | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | Cycle Barn NW | | 5 | Louie Pagano | Santa Rosa Valley, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | DPK | | 6 | Andrew Hawkins | Jupiter, FL | North Florida | Advanced Karting | | 7 | Harrison Bird | Simsbury, CT | Northeast | AutoTrader.com Team UK Racing | | 9 | Brennan Harrington | Des Plaines, IL | MRP Series | Chicago Indoor Racing/MRP Motorsport | | 13 | Keith Harris | Deerfield, IL | MRP Series | Chicago Indoor Racing | | 14 | Justin Coplen* | Murrieta, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | SSC Racing | | 17 | Collin Robb | Rolling Meadows, IL | MRP Series | Chicago Indoor Racing | | 20 | Taylor Miinch | El Cajon, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | Miinch Motorsports | | 37 | Daniel Formal | Palm Beach Gardens, FL | South Florida | Advanced Karting | | 45 | Zack Busch | St. Charles, IL | Masters Pro Series, Frankilin Motorsports | BTK Motorsports | | 46 | Kristina Vorndran | Charlton, MA | | SSC East, F1 Boston | | 47 | Austin Tillery | Owens Cross Roads, AL | BTK | Bakers Creek Kart Club | | 48 | Bobby Ross | West Palm Beach, FL | South Florida | Advanced Karting | | 51 | Ryan Rupp | Stuart, FL | South Florida | Advanced Karting | | 54 | Michael Johnson | Frankenmuth, MI | | | | 61 | Phillip Myers | Kingston, Jamaica | Jamaica | Franklin Motorsports/Merlin USA | | 71 | Ethan Ringel | Windermere, FL | South Florida | Homestead Karting | | 75 | Brandon Scheiber | Maple Valley, WA | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | | | 76 | Phil De La O | Peoria, AZ | Florida Winter Tour | Ariel Wuth/CMW Engines | | 77 | Mason Madej | Vernon Hills, IL | MRP Series | Chicago Indoor Racing | | 93 | Jerry Aguirre | Miami, FL | South Florida | Homestead Karting | | 96 | Chaz Nagel | Azle, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | Sanctuary of Speed Racing | | 99 | John Gula | Spring Hill, FL | North Florida | Ocala Gran Prix | | 121 | Andrew Palmer | Chicago, IL | MRP Series | Chicago Indoor Racing | | 127 | Jesus Rios Jr. | Miami Beach, FL | South Florida | Homestead Karting | | 141 | Andy Dunne | Westmont, IL | MRP Series | Chicago Indoor Racing | | 148 | Shinya Michimi | Mason, OH | Franklin Motorsports | Franklin Motorsports/Merlin USA | | 156 | Mark Pellegrini | Bridgewater, MA | Northeast | SSC East | | 310 | Bristol Gunderson | Seaabrook, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | San Yves/Nevoso Racing/Kart Nation | | 317 | Nick Neri | Palmetto, FL | Northeast | OVRP | | 327 | Jordan Jadallah | Hillsborough, CA | Northern California Rotax Series | Jadallah Racing | | 611 | Sebastian Ordonez | Deerfield Beach, FL | South Florida | RDD Motorsports | | 991 | Taylor Tzouanakis | Wauconda, IL | MRP Series | | |
 | Dore Chaponick will look to turn his runner-up finish last year in Mini Max to a national championship in 2008
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Mini Max
Last year, Jake French ran away and hid from the field to take what looked like an easy win to become the 2007 Mini Max champion. French will not return this year, but the driver who chased him home – Dore Chaponick – returns. Making his case stronger is the fact that Chaponick took this year’s Mini Max class championship at the Florida Winter Tour, and won the class at the Rotax Summer Shootout in Shawano. Not far behind him at the FWT was Pietro Fittipaldi, another driver who will have the speed to run at the front.
FWT’s counterpart on the west coast, the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas, may provide the stiffest competition for Chaponick and Fittipaldi. Michael Davis was the runaway winner of both the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas and the Gatorz Karting Cup. Riley Reyes also won a qualifying spot to the Grand Nationals from the Challenge of the Americas and could figure in to the crowd at the front.
But the always fast Santino Ferrucci could be the guy they are all chasing when the checkered flag falls next Saturday. The most accomplished of the drivers entered in Mini Max, Ferrucci will also have Rotax Max Challenge USA Mini Max Driver point leader Alec Udell along with top-ten finishers last year Jordan Perry and AJ Myers to contend with
Mini Max Provisional Entry List
| No. | Driver | Hometown | Series | Team/Sponsor| 1 | Santino Ferrucci | Woodbury, CT | Northeast | OVRP/Maranello | | 5 | Parker McKean | Gig Harbor, WA | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | | | 7 | RC Enerson | New Port Richey, FL | | Team e | | 8 | Chris Clark | Fairview, TX | | | | 11 | Garrett Sargeant | Deerfield Beach, FL | South Florida | RDD Motorsports | | 12 | Collin Daley Jr. | Kingston, Jamaica | Jamaica | Rysa Racing/NGRacing | | 13 | Brian Sedlak | Aurora, CO | | Shockwave Karting | | 15 | Michael Davis | Goleta, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | DPK | | 18 | Jordan Perry | Miami, FL | South Florida | Homestead Karting | | 20 | Cody Powers | Island Lake, IL | MRP Series | Chicago Indoor Racing | | 22 | Austin Mack | Warren, RI | Northeast | Allracer.com | | 24 | Ryan Bjerke | Warsaw, IN | MRP Series | | | 25 | Riley Reyes | Alpine, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | SSC Racing | | 28 | AJ Myers | Oldsmar, FL | North Florida | Ocala Gran Prix | | 33 | Steven Sore | Garden Ridge, TX | | | | 34 | Alex Odenthal | Dalton Gardens, ID | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | Odenthal Racing | | 39 | Hanna Zellers | Granger, IN | MRP Series | MRP Motorsport/Birel | | 48 | Sarah Carmon | Richfield, OH | MRP Series | MRP Motorsport/Birel | | 61 | Alec Udell | The Woodlands, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | SRR/Kart Nation | | 66 | Alec Bergstrom | Edmonds, WA | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | | | 68 | Christopher Tillery | Owens Cross Roads, AL | BTK | Bakers Creek Kart Club | | 72 | Pietro Fittipaldi | Miami, FL | South Florida | Fittipaldi Racing | | 79 | Dore Chaponick | Miami, FL | South Florida | MRP Motorsport/Birel | | 88 | Kyle Kirkwood | Jupiter, FL | South Florida | Advanced Karting | | 98 | Michael Bilyy | Canton, GA | North Florida | Tilden Racing | | 104 | Toby Stewart | Cary, IL | MRP Series | Chicago Indoor Racing | | 131 | Miguel Lopez | Tyler, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | Flanklin Motorsports | | 212 | Breanna Miscione | Capistrano Beach, CA | Gatorz Karting Cup | Full Throttle Karting/MRP | | 555 | Jack West | Sarasota, FL | South Florida | International Motor Sport Academy | | O1 | Dalton Sargeant | Deerfield Beach, FL | South Florida | RDD Motorsports | |
Micro Max
Making its debut at the Rotax Grand Nationals will be the Micro Max class. The class, which debuted in this country only just this year, is aimed at the 7-9 year old karters as an alternative to current kid kart offerings. Whether the class will take off in the States remains to be seen, but thirteen of the little tikes will be taking to the USAIR track in Shawano for the first time in Rotax Grand Nationals history.
Two drivers in the field that appear to have an edge on the field are Michael Riolo, Jr. and Justin Wood from the Florida Winter Tour. Wood finished fourth in the championship and looks to be the kid to beat in Shawano. Another driver out of Florida that will have the speed is Jesse Seeley, currently leading the Rotax Max Challenge USA Driver point standings. Devlin DeFrancesco won the class at the Rotax Summer Shootout at Shawano and can’t be counted out either.
Micro Max Provisional Entry List
| No. | Driver | Hometown | Series | Team/Sponsor| 0 | Devlin Defrancesco | Ft. Lauderdale, FL | South Florida | DTR Defrancesco Tennyson/Juncos Racing | | 7 | Chris Trickle | Las Vegas, NV | | SSC Racing | | 4 | Michael Riolo Jr | Boca Raton, FL | Florida Winter Tour | Orbit Racing | | 6 | Patricio O' Ward | Monterrey, NL | South Florida | Paradise Racing | | 8 | Grant Quinlan | Maidstone, ON | Florida Winter Tour | MRP Motorsport | | 11 | Hunter Folsom | Ocala, FL | North Florida | Ocala Gran Prix | | 12 | Ross Smith | Dacula, GA | Georgia Challenge | Raceway Motorsports | | 24 | Logan Sargeant | Deerfield Beach, FL | South Florida | RDD Motorsports | | 25 | Jesse Seeley | Marietta, GA | North Florida | Raceway Motorsports | | 30 | Andrew Velozaoza | Miami, FL | South Florida | | | 43 | Ronald Price | San Antonio, TX | Kam Karting @ NTK | SSC Racing | | 64 | Blake Bergstrom | Edmonds, WA | Northwest Amsoil Kart Challenge | | | 70 | Enzo Fittipaldi | Miami, FL | South Florida | Fittipaldi Racing | | 73 | Justin Wood | West Palm Beach, FL | Florida Winter Tour | Orbit Racing | |
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