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| February 10, 2010 News |
| Presentation of 2009 US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Champions - DD2 |
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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.
DD2
The 2009 DD2 and DD2 Masters is the last of six classes for our Top-10 presentations. The numbers in this class have never been huge but the competition is just as intense as any other class. At the 2009 Grand Nationals, DD2 drivers provided one of the most exciting finishes. Troy Castaneda, the 2009 USRMC National Points Champion, finished second, battling for the win right to the finish line. At the Rotax Grand Finals in Egypt, he made the drive of the event in the final starting 34th after a crash in the Pre-Final to finish fifth against the best in the world. Joining Troy in the Top-10 are Nevada driver Kyle Gimple and Matt Ostiguy a fellow Californian.
With the addition of a Masters classification, there are 7 of the Top-10 coming from the Masters group with David Arnstein the DD2 Masters Champion. Second place in the Masters group is well know DD2 driver January Grove, a veteran in this class and a competitor at the 2006 Rotax Grand Finals.
Looking towards the 2010 championship race, the DD2 Masters will be listed as a separate classification as the weight for this class has been increased and a new DD2 Masters class has also been included for competition at the Rotax Grand Finals. This group should show the largest increase in numbers in the new season.
 | Troy Castaneda
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
1. Troy Castaneda
Hometown: Sacramento, California
Series: Northern California Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 1200
Number one for the 2009 US Rotax Max Challenge National Point Standings is California’s Troy Castaneda. Before racing, Tony was a competitive gymnast. He was a State Champion and represented Northern California as an “All-Star” team member for many years. In his last two years of high school, Troy began racing karts. In 2007, he began racing in Formula Russell in which he finished 4th in the championship in his first year of formula car racing. In pursuit of reaching his goal of racing in Formula 1, he moved to Italy in 2008 to compete in a new series called Formula Master, as he was picked up by an Italian team. In his first European race weekend, he finished in the top-five posting competitive times. Unfortunately, due to the failing economy, he had no more monetary support and was forced to move back to the States. While in Italy, he learned Italian and a lot about life as he lived on his own for the first time. In 2009, Troy began racing DD2 in the US Rotax Max Challenge to continue his passion and his dream, finishing second at the Grand Nationals and representing the USA at the Grand Finals, where he placed fifth.
 | | Kyle Gimple |
2. Kyle Gimple
Hometown: Minden, Nevada
Series: Northern California Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 1055
Kyle Gimple is second in the 2009 US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings. Gimple began karting in 2000 through Jim Russell and Bondurant schools to help refine his driving craft while making the progression within the sport as well as attending car courses. In 2008, Gimple was tenth at the Rotax Grand Nationals in Wisconsin while making the jump to Skip Barber Western Regional Championship Series, earning rookie of the Year status. In 2009, Gimple finished second to Castaneda in the Northern California Rotax Max Challenge standings in DD2, raced in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill, and is currently leading the Skip Barber 2009-2010 Western Regional Championship Series.
 | | David Arnstein |
2. David Arnstein (Masters)
Hometown: Los Gatos, California
Series: Northern California Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 1055
Tied for second and ranked as the top DD2 Masters driver in 2009 for the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings is David Arnstein. The 57-year old surgeon has been racing Rotax for four years in the Senior class and the last two years in the DD2 class. He enjoys the close competition in Rotax classes and running against kids considerably less than half his age. He was the Northern California Rotax Max Challenge DD2 champion and Jim Russell Grand Masters Driver of the Year in 2009. Arnstein also enjoys racing mountain bikes when not behind the wheel of a kart.
 | January Grove
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
4. January Grove (Masters)
Hometown: San Jose, Califorina
Series: Northern California Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 886
January Grove is the lone female on the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings, coming in at fourth in the order. Racing has been a passion in her life from even before she began karting. As a little girl, she used to compete with the neighbor kids in riding everything on wheels; from big wheels to skateboards down the steep hill of her street. Much later in life, she discovered kart racing while on vacation in Thailand. It was love at the first lap. Upon returning to the United States, she attended several kart driving schools and was hooked. After beginning competing at indoor racing, she moved outdoors. She and Ron Bennett purchased their first Rotax/CRG package, forming ‘Medusa Racing’ and began racing in the later half of 2003. Grove earned fifth at her first Grand National in 2004. In 2006, she represented Team USA at the Grand Finals in Portugal and this past year, won the DD2 Masters category at the Grand Nationals.
5. Henry Malukas (Masters)
Hometown: Chicago Ridge, Illinois
Series: MRP Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 840
Tied for fifth in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings is Henry Malukas. The father half of a top-10 father/son duo (David Malukas - Micro Max) is spurred on by the success of his son. Anyone who races with a son or daughter knows they are the primary focus on any given weekend, but Henry has still dominated the DD2 class at the MRP Rotax Max Challenge. Not wanting to let anyone get the better of him on the track, Henry won almost every race in 2009. In 2010, the goal is to continue spending time with his son David at the race track and enjoy the same level of success. Henry’s plans include another dominating year at MRP against the local DD2 competition and a shot at the US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals.
 | | Jeff Armant |
5. Jeff Armant (Masters)
Hometown: Sherman Oaks, California
Series: Los Angeles Kart Club
Points: 840
Tied with Malukas for the fifth spot in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings is Jeff Armant. Jeff resides in the Los Angeles area and is an owner of a software company - Cogentys. He has been racing karts since the beginning of 2008 in the DD2 class. Prior to that, he spent 12 years on road courses doing various club events in street and track prepared cars. An avid fan of Formula 1 and most car racing, karting fulfills his passion for racing and need for speed.
 | | Conrad Park |
7. Conrad Park (Masters)
Hometown: Corinth, Texas
Series: North Texas Karters
Points: 809
Conrad Park - seventh in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings - has been racing karts since 2008 in the Rotax DD2 class on a CRG chassis. After racing little more than a year, he decided to participate in the 2009 US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals. Park is a member of North Texas Karters and races at NTK club races and also at Oklahoma Motorsports Complex in the Southwest Regional Cup Series. Conrad is a cardiologist and resides in Corinth, TX.
 | | David Moody |
7. David Moody (Masters)
Hometown: San Jose, California
Series: Northern California Rotax Max Challenge
Points 800
Seventh in the US Rotax Max Challenge National Points Standings is David Moody. The Northern California Rotax Max Challenge driver pilots a Cambrian Go-Karts Birel DD2 machine and has been in the sport of four years. Beginning in the TaG Masters division at the Jim Russell Karting Championship, Moody moved to DD2 in ’08 and was seventh in the final standings. Finishing sixth this past season, Moody was third in the DD2 Masters category at the US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals.
9. Henry Zajac (Masters)
Hometown: Elk Grove Village, Illinois
Series: MRP Rotax Max Challenge
Points: 755
No bio available
 | Matthew Ostiguy
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
10. Matthew Ostiguy
Hometown: San Diego, California
Series: Gatorz Karting Cup
Points: 638
Matt Ostiguy is a 20 year-old San Diego native He began racing in 2003 at F1 Boston indoor kart facility in Braintree, Massachusetts. After finding much success through winning numerous races and two championships at F1 Boston, Matt moved to California where he first found out about Rotax competition in 2006. His first Rotax kart was a PTK chassis from SSC West in Palm Springs, California. In 2007 and 2008, Matt raced both the Gatorz Golden State Karting Cup and the LAKC Championship in Senior Rotax utilizing a CRG Road Rebel. For 2009, Matt wanted to expand his racing horizons, switching classes to the Rotax DD2 package. Matt won multiple races in the Gatorz Karting Cup and the overall championship. This season Matt also won both days of the Rotax Summer Shootout and had a fourth place finish at the Grand Nationals. None of his racing success could be possible without the help of his Dad, tuner/mechanic Francois Doran, SSC West, Red Bull USA, Alpinestars, and PSL Karting. |
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