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| October 10, 2012 News |
| EKN Exclusive: The Young Guns of the Karting Industry - Part 2 |
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We’d like to take this opportunity to offer up a new segment of the eKartingNews.com editorial arsenal - ‘The Young Guns of the Karting Industry’ – where we take the opportunity to profile energetic and dedicated members of the sport’s business community. This article series will be focused on profiling some of the younger industry players who are now making a big impact on the sport. Karting is lucky to have the experience and knowledge of many industry veterans, but we are also extremely fortunate to be seeing a new generation of experts building a foundation on supplying service and support to racers all over the country.
Over time, EKN will select a trio of ‘young guns’ to profile, members of the industry who are building solid reputations and will be trackside for years to come.
 | | Curtis Cooksey |
Curtis Cooksey (Acceleration Kart Racing): The Internet has changed the way that the karting industry has done business over the last decade, just like most sales industries around the world. Curtis Cooksey and his Acceleration Kart Racing operation have become one of the top internet-based kart shops in North America, offering up a wide variety of product lines from their Las Vegas base.
Cooksey’s initial ‘need for speed’ came in the two-wheel form, as he raced motorcycles until he was 17. Breaking his femur in 1990 right before he turned 18 was the last time he was on a bike. Upon returning home after a semester in college, Curtis came back to a couple karts with Yamaha KT100s. His first chassis was a K&P Bug, which he raced at in Lindon, Utah. From there, the passion developed and he progressed up the ranks. One of his earliest accomplishments was the IKF Shifter Grand Nationals victory in 1998. He was also on the podium at the first SKUSA SuperNationals in the 125cc Pro class. Most recently, Cooksey has been a Team USA member at the Rotax Grand Finals on three times occasions. (2006-2008). He was the first American to stand on the podium at the event, placing second in DD2 Masters at the 2008 event in La Conca. This year, the near 40-year old won the opening S4 feature race of the SKUSA Pro Tour at the SpringNationals in Phoenix.
Curtis’ start in the motorsports industry began working for Silver King Power Sports in Utah while going to college. His life changed in 1997 when he moved to Las Vegas to work at Motorcycle Tire Center (MTC), where he eventually opened up a kart division. This would evolve into Acceleration Kart Racing in 1999. Cooksey was one of the first kart shops in the country to embrace internet sales. Taking his experience from building two major mail order karting programs, he transferred that business aspect to the World Wide Web. Today, Acceleration is one of the top kart shops in the country and their customer service is second to none.
 | | Jamie Sieracki |
Jamie Sieracki (Franklin Motorsports): After two decades of being involved in the sport of karting, Jamie Sieracki is a figure who is well respected within the karting industry and around the paddock as well. Growing up the ranks from a junior driver to a top-level Senior pilot with multiple race wins and championships, Sieracki has developed on the business side of things as well over the years. His days in karting began around the time he was 11, when he started karting at Bader Raceway in Dousman, WI with a Coyote Free Roller powered an 80cc DAP engine. From the club level, Sieracki expanded to the regional and national levels, winning a number of races and championships throughout the years.
The business side of things began early, as he and father George were always carrying that extra part or repairing a broken engine that needed some servicing. From that start, C-G Racing was formed to help service the local karting scene. It grew from the southern Wisconsin area across the Great Lakes and beyond. As it continued to expand, Sieracki began working full-time in the sport in 2003 and created Dream Works Karting Supply as they took on the Merlin importer program for the United States. Business continued to grow and the opportunity to acquire Franklin Motorsports presented itself in 2005. They seized the chance to take over the iconic shop and haven’t looked back. The father/son tandem continue to lead one of the historic companies in American karting, moving to a new location in January 2009 as they continue to provide the everyday parts and services.
Throughout the 2012 season, Franklin Motorsports was trackside at the WKA Manufacturers Cup Series events, along with a number of regional programs throughout the Great Lakes area. The Merlin brand continues to gain victories and championships, finishing fourth in the WKA Manufacturer Championship Standings with 12 wins on the year. Sieracki continues to jump into the seat from time to time, competing on the SKUSA Pro Tour this season. His best result came at the SummerNationals in Utah as he placed third in dramatic fashion, beating out Austin Elliott by just three-thousandths at the line. Sieracki is also heard of bragging about his EKN Driver Rankings position, currently 93rd. Off the track, Jamie has been married for seven years to Michelle Welk, sister of former karter and Styled Aesthetic’s co-owner Steve Welk. Jamie and Michelle recently celebrated the one-year birthday for their son Brandon.
 | | Joey Guyon |
Joey Guyon (Overdrive Motorsports): Passion…some people have it, and some people ‘think’ they have it. It’s a pretty easy call on Joey Guyon, as the Canadian has a strong passion for karting and demonstrates it daily through the effort and enthusiasm he puts into his Overdrive Motorsports operation. The Calgary, Alberta native has had the need for speed for many years now and continues to provide others with the enjoyment of karting. Guyon began as a driver back in 1989 when his dad bought an Invader chassis with a 3hp Briggs flathead. What they didn’t know was that the 5hp Briggs engine was the engine everyone was racing. From there, he and his dad - who owns a dyno service business - spent hours always trying to find more speed as they worked up the karting ranks. They worked from the local level to regional, national and international competition. Guyon has race nearly everything in karting, from 4-Cycle to 80cc Junior shifter, Formula A and Formula C.
During his time as a driver, he worked with Riley Will of BRC Engineering and eventually was hired to work there in 2001 in the engine development room. He spent many hours rebuilding engines and learning more about the industry side of things. In 2003, BRC went away from the sprint side of racing and that’s when Joey started Overdrive Motorsports. Going to the track with his 10’ trailer filled with parts, Guyon spent many weekends building a customer base at the local level. At the end of the year, he formed a partnership with the PCR factory, becoming a chassis importer. By 2006, the company moved into their current 2500 square foot location in Calgary and hired Jesse McEwan full-time, and he has become an important part of Overdrive Motorsports to this day.
Since then, Guyon has helped a number of drivers, including Tyler Wheeler, Sean MacDonell, Jake Thompson and others. Guyon guided Wheeler to three straight trips to the Rotax Grand Finals (2006-2008), supported MacDonell in his efforts to compete at the ROK Cup World Finals, and continues to help many drivers reach their goals and dreams year after year. Overdrive Motorsports is now focused on supporting the Rotax Max Challenge program across North America. They travel to all the Challenge of the Americas events in the United States and support the Western Canadian Championship. Guyon, 32, has been married for five years and welcomed their first child - Adrienne - on September 6. |
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