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| November 03, 2010 News |
| Rotax Grand Finals 2010 – Team USA Profile – Junior |
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A total of 21 drivers from the United States will represent the ‘Red, White, and Blue’ at the Rotax Grand Finals 2010, which will be run at the La Conca International Circuit in Muro Leccese, Italy. Team USA will take on the rest of the world at the ‘Olympics of Karting’ on November 14-21, 2010 and they will be looking for their best national performance ever. This week, eKartingNews.com will profile the roster for all four categories that will compete at the Grand Finals – DD2, Senior, Junior and the new DD2 Masters.
Today is the review of the Junior roster for Team USA. Just as they will in DD2, the Junior squad will have six drivers making the trip – four of which from the state of Florida. The roster was seven until recently as second-place Grand Nationals finisher Alessandra Madrigal was forced to decline her trip with a rib injury from last July that has still not healed correctly. Now, the team will have two returning drivers and four new-comers, including the first female driver in the Junior category representing the United States all looking to better Timmy Megenbier’s fifth place finish from 2004 in the Canary Islands.
For complete coverage of Team USA at the Rotax Grand Finals, visit the Event Page.
 | Andrew Palmer
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Andrew Palmer
Age: 16
Hometown: Chicago, Illinois
Years Racing: 4
Rotax Max Series: Rotax Pan American Challenge
Ticket to Grand Finals: 1st – US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals
Leading the Team USA squad this year will be 2010 Grand National champion Andrew Palmer. His run to the front came from under the radar as the J3 Competition/Kosmic snuck his way to the front. Despite a heat win, Palmer was 12th in points heading into the Prefinal, finishing fifth and muscling his way to the victory. Only karting for 4 years, Palmer has come up the ranks from indoor karting to the pinnacle level of the sport, making his first trip to the Rotax Grand Finals.
 | Louie Pagano
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
Louie Pagano
Age: 16
Hometown: Ross Valley, California
Years Racing: 11
Rotax Max Series: Gatorz Karting Cup
Ticket to Grand Finals: 1st – Challenge of the Americas
After trying to earn a trip to the Grand Finals for a number of years now, Louie Pagano is set to make his Rotax Grand Finals debut this year in Italy. A strong Junior competitor in a number of classes throughout SoCal and nationally, the DPK/Birel driver is set to take his talents internationally. After clinching his spot in the Challenge of the Americas program in March, Pagano moved up to the Senior ranks to help prepare for the Grand Finals. Pagano came away from the Rotax Grand Nationals with a sixth place finish behind five Senior and DD2 Team USA members. This young talent will be one to watch in La Conca.
 | Nick Neri
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Nick Neri
Age: 14
Hometown: Palmetto, Florida
Years Racing: 11
Rotax Max Series: North Florida Rotax Challenge
Ticket to Grand Finals: 1st – Florida Winter Tour
Leading Team USA in 2009, Nick Neri will return for a second straight year in effort to lead the team once again. The Ocala Gran Prix/Tony Kart driver finished 16th at last year’s event, helping Team USA earn the second spot in the Nations Cup standings. Neri ran a split schedule in 2010, running both Junior and Senior categories. Neri earned his ticket via his second straight Florida Winter Tour Rotax Junior championship. Campaigning the WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series, Neri earned numerous wins and podiums along with one class championship. His experience could be a key to a run at the podium at this year’s Grand Finals.
 | Dore Chaponick Jr.
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
Dore Chaponick Jr.
Age: 14 (November 11)
Hometown: Miami, Florida
Years Racing: 6
Rotax Max Series: South Florida Rotax Challenge
Ticket to Grand Finals: 2nd – Rotax Pan American Challenge
Another Rotax Grand Finals rookie, Dore Chaponick Jr. is looking forward to the trip to Italy. A contender at the Grand Nationals, a broken chain cost the DDR/FA Kart driver a ticket to Italy. Chaponick was able to capitalize on his Rotax Pan Am program to end the season second in the standings and earn his first trip to the event. The 2008 Mini Max Florida Winter Tour champion, Chaponick would like nothing more than to score a podium at this year’s event to elevate his Junior CV.
 | Ethan Ringel
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
Ethan Ringel
Age: 16
Hometown: Windermere, Florida
Years Racing: 3
Rotax Max Series: North Florida Rotax Challenge
Ticket to Grand Finals: 4th – Rotax Pan American Challenge
A strong Rotax competitor in the last two seasons, Ethan Ringel earned his ticket to the Grand Finals twice. Placing third at this year’s Grand Nationals, the Race Sport Karting/Tony Kart driver was forced to take the entry to La Conca via his fourth place in the Rotax Pan Am championship after titlist Sebastian Ordonez and third place driver Alec Udell declined the trip. In Egypt last year, Ringel did not perform as expected and did not make it out of the Second Chance heat race. The Florida driver will attempt to improve on that this time around.
 | Ashley Rogero
(Photo: EKN) |
Ashley Rogero
Age: 13
Hometown: Naples, Florida
Years Racing: 5
Rotax Max Series: North Florida Rotax Challenge
Ticket to Grand Finals: 4th – US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals
Thanks to Ringel taking his ticket from the Pan Am program, Ashley Rogero will become the first female driver to represent Team USA in the Junior category at the Rotax Grand Finals. The Cadet standout had a stellar performance at the Rotax Grand Nationals in July. Coming from 18th to eighth in the Prefinal, the Ocala Gran Prix/Tony Kart driver advanced to fourth at the checkered flag. Rogero earned two class championships in the WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series, just three points short of a third title in the Cadet categories. Along with a number of fellow Team USA drivers, Rogero took the opportunity to test at OGP aboard a Sodi Kart, making 362 laps over the weekend. |
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