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| January 27, 2010 News |
| Presentation of 2009 US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Champions - Masters |
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In cooperation with the US Rotax Max Challenge program, eKartingNews.com will be presenting the champions and top-10 of the six Rotax categories that make up the National Points Standings. Over the next six weeks, we will examine one class per week to highlight those who were able to score highest in the points standings in 2009. This system ranks every US Rotax Max Challenge member that competes in any official Rotax program throughout the United States. The points system was developed in 2007 by National Race Director Marshall Martin, using a weight factor based on the number of registered members in each class in a series. Bonus points were available for each competitor, if a minimum number of racers competed for the event and if two or more series raced together. While only head to head competition can determine true champions, and that is what is done at the US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals each year, you will see that the many of the top-10 drivers in each class were also found at the top of the charts at the 2009 US Grand Nationals.
Masters
The Masters class, seen by some as the gentlemen of the series, provides a unique level of racing. Not as aggressive as the younger categories, the Masters division is more conscious about getting up on Monday morning to go to work. But, if anyone thinks this attitude provides any less competitive racing, think again. What these fellows lack in aggressiveness, they more than make up for in cunning and experience. If you leave a door open, 4 or 5 of them will go thru it before you can blink. When you look at the roster of Masters drivers you see names that seen as if they have been around forever, and some of them have.
This is another class that touches all corners of the country. Leading the way is David Busby, a competitor at both the LAKC and Gatorz Rotax Max Challenges. A couple of boys from Alabama come in second and third followed by drivers from California, Michigan, Indiana, Florida, New Hampshire and Georgia. A true national class, that always provides some unique racing. I should mention that #6 driver Dave Gildersleeve is the elderly statesman of the group at age 63, but when he puts on the helmet, don’t think his age will give you any advantage.
 | David Busby
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
1. David Busby
Hometown: Laguna Beach, California
Series: Los Angeles Kart Club
Points: 1245
The number one driver in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings is David Busby. The Californian comes from a long history of motorsports. He began racing speedway motorcycles at the age of nine. Busby then moved to drag racing at 21, racing Top Alcohol Dragsters and Top Fuel Dragsters. He then went to road racing where he piloted vintage Formula One cars periodically from 2002 to 2005. Busby was able to break a Bonneville Salt Flats record at the 2009 World Finals in a 1932 Ford Roadster at 200mph. In 2008, Busby began karting. Busby would like to thank Eric and Brandon Jones along with Terrance McCall at BTK Motorsports for helping him with the awesome Arrow X1 chassis that made his number one ranking possible and a big thank you to his brother Jim and Ron Rossetti.
 | | Mark Sheffield |
2. Mark Sheffield
Hometown: Florence, Alabama
Series: BTK/Bakers Creek Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 1140
Number two in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings is Mark Sheffield. The 46-year old newcomer to the karting scene has only raced for two seasons. Sheffield won the 2009 Bakers Creek Kart Club Rotax Masters Championship and the Rotax Senior Championship the year before. Also in ’08, he won the two race series championship between the Bakers Creek Kart Club and the Georgia Sprint Karting Series. Sheffield said racing at Bakers Creek has been a blast with great people and one of the top kart tracks in the southeast. He couldn't ask for anything more.
 | | Mack McCormack |
3. Mack McCormack
Hometown: Athens, Alabama
Series: BTK/Bakers Creek Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 1136
For the past 34 years, Mack McCormack has raced just about every kind of kart series there is whether it be 2-cycle sprint, 4-cycle sprint, road racing and even dirt racing. At 42-years old from Athens, Alabama, McCormack has achieved five of karting’s highest awards, the IKF Duffy—one in 1988, two in 1989 & two in 1990. Just as important, McCormack earned a WKA National Championship in 1986. He has raced internationally - winning the Kartismo Championship in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (1989) and had a top-five finish in the South Pacific Karting Championship in New Zealand (1990). In 2003, McCormack finished fifth in Rotax International at the Rotax Grand Nationals in Denton, Texas. In 2004, McCormack won TaG Masters at the Rock Island Grand Prix. Most recently, McCormack finished fourth at the 2008 US Rotax Grand Nationals in Shawano, WI.
 | | Steve Dzurilla |
4. Steve Dzurilla
Hometown: Cerritos, California
Series: Los Angeles Kart Club
Points: 1101
Fourth in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings for Masters is Steve Dzurilla. Steve was introduced to racing at a young age by his parents, who brought him to NASCAR, Formula One, IMSA, Sprint Car and other road racing events around Southern California. Dzurilla purchased his first kart at 27 and began racing in the Sportsman class with the Los Angeles Kart Club. In 2004, he purchased a TaG motor and raced in the first ever TaG class at an IKF race at Moran Raceway. Throughout the year, he ran Gatorz Karting Cup, Tri-C Karters and IKF Region 7. In 2006, Steve raced the entire IKF Region 7 series in the TaG class, where he finished second in points. Switching over to a Rotax midway through 2007, Steve ran the Gatorz Karting Cup to end the season. In 2009, he raced Rotax Masters with the Los Angeles Kart Club and won the class championship. Steve also raced a limited schedule with the Challenge of the Americas and Gatorz Karting Cup, where he finished third in points.
 | | Daniel Glas |
5. Daniel Glas
Hometown: Kalamazoo, Michigan
Series: MRP Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 1085
Daniel Glas rounds out the top-five in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings. Dan has been kart racing on a local and regional level for the past 12 years, including some SCCA Solo II racing. He first attended a race school to determine if karting was something he wanted to jump into. Jump in he did as in his first season, he had over 35 practice days and competed in 10 races. The first seven years were spent in the KT100 classes, then shifter karts for four years. 2009 was the first year for Glas in Rotax. His plans for 2010 include a return to the very competitive Rotax Masters class at the MRP Rotax Max Challenge Series.
 | | David Gildersleeve |
6. David Gildersleeve
Hometown: Syracuse, Indiana
Series: MRP Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 1082
Sixth in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings is David Gildersleeve. The karting veteran has many years under his belt in the sport, with his first kart a Mac R1 with single Mac 6 engine. Running other karts such as Dart Kart, Emmick, Swiss Hutless and Margay, Gildersleeve currently runs a Birel in the Rotax Masters class at the MRP Rotax Max Challenge Series. Gildersleeve is a former competitor in the Michiana Kart Club, Great Lakes Sprint Series, WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series, Midwest Sprint Series and many others. He is supported by Instrumental Machine & Development, Warsaw, IN; Lakeside Fitness, Syracuse, IN; LSR Motorsports, South Bend, IN; MRP Motorsports, Three Oaks, MI.
 | | John Dalton |
7. John Dalton
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Series: South Florida Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 1031
John Dalton - seventh in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Point Standings - is 37-years old and a native of Miami, Florida. He began his racing career in 1998 on a 1000 Suzuki on the high banks of the Daytona International Speedway, where he attained national recognition in the CCS Series. In 2006, he moved from that venue to racing shifter karts, winning numerous local series (Homestead and Moroso) despite his short tenure in karting. In 2008, he made the transition from shifter karts to the Rotax Masters category where he is the current points leader in the Homestead Karting Winter Series. John continues to balance his racing career and his professional career as a Miami-Dade Deputy Sheriff. His biggest fan continues to be his 11 year old daughter, Ashley.
 | Todd Ulmen
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
8. Todd Ulmen
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Series: South Florida Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 1029
Ranked eighth in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings is Todd Ulmen. The 43-year old has been karting for two years with Playthings Racing supported by Homestead Karting. Ulmen was the 2009 South Florida Rotax Max Challenge Masters champion and competed at the US Rotax Grand Nationals in Norman, Oklahoma.
 | Russell Hamel
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
9. Russell Hamel
Hometown: Pelham, New Hampshire
Series: Northeast Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 1023
Russell Hamel is ninth in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings. The 46 years young driver has been competing for seven years with no thoughts of quitting. Driving with SSC East aboard a CRG, Hamel is a two-time Northeast Rotax Max Challenge Masters champion. At the US Rotax Grand Nationals in Norman, Oklahoma, Hamel was fifth in the Masters category. Hamel ended the 2008 season third in the USRMC National Points Standings. Back in 2004, Hamel earned the WKA Road Race Series Regional title in the Spec 125 Sprint division. Hamel would like to thank Frank Roberts, Dave Davies and Gary Carlton for their support in 2009.
10. Mike Wilhelm
Hometown: New Paris, Illinois
Series: MRP Rotax Max Challenge
Points 998
No bio or photo available
 | | Kevin French |
10. Kevin French
Hometown: Conyers, Georgia
Series: Southeast Rotax Super Series
Points 998
Tied with Wilhelm for the final spot, Kevin French completes top rung of the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings. French was sold on karting when a friend invited him and his brother to check out Rotax karting at the Georgia Sprint Karting Association just over two years ago. Shortly thereafter, French Bros. Racing was on the track with two CRGs. French currently races a 2005 CRG Blue Demon with a CMC Rotax motor. The French brothers started this season with their first sponsor, Zamp Helmets, and raced the entire Southeastern Rotax Super Series (SERSS) schedule. French is thankful for all who contributed to his success this season and looks forward to the Florida Winter Tour and the 2010 Rotax Max Challenge season. |
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