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| March 10, 2010 News |
| EKN Awards 2009: Mechanic of the Year - DJ Silva |
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 | Mechanic of the Year - DJ Silva
(Photo: Go Racing Magazine) |
Over a six-week period from early February to late March, the eKartingNews.com Awards 2009 program will honor six winners in as many categories as one winner will be announced each week, beginning on February 17. The staff at the website produced five nominations for each of the six categories and then gave EKN’s viewers two weeks to submit their ballots to determine the winners in each category. The votes have now been tabulated and EKN is proud to release the winner of each category.
Success that drivers achieve on the racetrack is not only gained by what they do behind the wheel, but also what is done in the paddock and back at the shop. Although drivers are generally the ones who receive all the praise, there is just as much work done off the track before a racing machine hits the racing surface. The driver and the mechanic need to work together seamlessly to produce the best results. Today, there are a number of mechanics that work endless hours to help put their driver or drivers on the top of the podium each weekend. With that, EKN is proud to recognize DJ Silva as the Mechanic of the Year for 2009.
Silva has been a top wrench on the karting scene for a number of years. A few seasons back, Silva hooked up with PCH Motorsports driver Jacob Neal, an emerging star in the sport. The two have jelled quiet well over the years, as Neal transitioned from Junior to Senior level racing. In 2009, as Neal entered his second year of shifterkart racing, the duo campaigned both the ProKart Challenge South and North programs in two classes – open shifter S1 and stock moto S3. Neal looked solid in his first weekend out at CalSpeed for the PKC South opener, that is, until a rib injury put him on the sidelines.
From there, the duo went on a winning streak. Neal went seven straight features with a victory between competition in the PKC South and PKC North programs, including the ProKart Challenge West Coast Shootout that pit both series drivers against each other. In the South, Neal recorded five straight wins in the S3 division to control the division and earn the points title. At the same time, running double-duty weekends, Neal scored four wins to clinch the S1 point championship. Making the trek north to the PKC North program at Infineon Raceway, Neal scored three straight for features in S3, including the West Coast Shootout, to help score a third championship on the season. Neal matched his four wins in S1 in the North, however, came just short of the title to end the year second in the standings. Consistency like what was showed by Neal is powered by flawless kart prep and successful tuning and, while Neal was the guy at the top of the podium, a proud Silva was able to clap for his winning driver knowing that he has played an integral role in these victories. The tandem joined forces at the SKUSA SuperNationals XIII as well, coming in among one of the favorites in the S3 division. After two heat wins, Neal started the main event on the pole. Following an intense 25-lap battle that left him with a seriously damaged kart, Neal recorded a fifth place position to help put him second in the eKartingNews.com Stock Moto Driver Rankings.
In addition to working with Neal, Silva also turned the wrenches for another SoCal driver - Kyle Shriver. The Senior rookie made a splash at the IKF 2-Cycle Sprint Grand Nationals this year in Reno, Nevada. After two rough days of competition, Shriver came out of day three with the huge victory in the stacked TaG Senior division. Shriver followed that up on the final day of competition with the feature win in the HPV-4 Senior class - giving Shriver two prestigious Duffy awards. In working with a young driver such as Shriver, Silva brought not only his mechanical abilities to the tent, but his maturity and coaching skills as well. Shriver’s success further punctuated Silva’s amazing record for 2009, adding a pair of Duffys to his three ProKart Challenge titles.
It was truly an amazing season for the established mechanic. eKartingNews.com would like to congratulate DJ Silva for being named the Mechanic of the Year for 2009.
Former Mechanic of the Year Award Winners
2008 - Trevor Wickens (Michael Vincec)
2007 - Jeff Robinson (Cody Robinson)
2006 - Greg Bell (Jordy Vorrath)
2005 - Mike Speed (Alex Speed/Ryan Phinny)
2004 - Kimball Williams (Alan Sciuto)
2003 - David Carpentier (David Jurca)
2002 - Terry Ventresca (Bobby Wilson)
2001 - Mike Speed (Scott Speed)
2000 - Todd Bellew (Joe Janowski)
Click over to the EKN Awards 2009 page for all information on this year's program |
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