eKartingNews.com Driver of the Month: June 2022 – Jack Iliffe

Parolin factory driver dominates Mini Swift in SKUSA SpringNationals

July 15, 2022 by Nate Dean

Jack Iliffe drove to duel main event wins at this years SKUSA SpringNationals
(Photo: EKN)

In a continued effort to highlight the many outstanding performances by drivers around the country, eKartingNews.com is proud to introduce the ‘Driver of the Month’ program. Each month, the staff at EKN will determine the one driver who stood out above the rest and give the viewers a chance to know exactly what they accomplished and who they are.

Texan Jack Iliffe is one of the top up-and-coming drivers in the North American karting scene. Over the past two years, the American-British pilot has racked up countless race wins in the Micro and Mini divisions and has acquired some of the most sought-after titles. Iliffe has two Superkarts! USA Pro Tour championships already under his belt, going back-to-back in Micro Swift in 2019 and 2020, and he finished as the runner-up in Mini Swift the 2021 season. Iliffe secured June’s Driver of the Month award for his impressive performance at SKUSA SpringNationals at the Utah Motorsports Complex, winning both days in the Mini Swift category.

In this year’s Superkarts! USA Pro Tour, Jack started off the season in April with a win at the opening round at NOLA Motorsports Park during the WinterNationals. After an unfortunate penalty sent him down to eighth in the Final on Sunday in New Orleans, Iliffe struck quickly at the SpringNationals in June as he hit the ground running in Utah for the halfway point of the Pro Tour. Iliffe would go on to dominate the weekend, taking back-to-back pole positions and top honors for both days of the 2022 SpringNationals.

Iliffe showed his pace from the get-go, going purple in qualifying and securing him the pole for the Prefinal. After leading for over half of the race, he later got shuffled down the order and would have to start the Final further down than anticipated. Jack fought back brilliantly in the final to win Saturday’s main event by just over two-tenths of a second.

Along with his finals wins, he secured pole position on both days in Utah
(Photo: EKN)

Come Sunday, Iliffe would repeat what he did Saturday morning, by setting a quick time in qualifying. He would be on pole for the Prefinal, which ultimately saw him finish second after a hard-fought battle for the lead in the closing stages. In the Final, Iliffe took the lead early, and never looked back. He won Sunday’s final with a commanding performance, finishing over a second up the road from his nearest rival after getting away on the final circuit.

With one weekend left at the New Castle Motorsports Park, Iliffe leads the championship battle by 185 points over his nearest rival.

Along with his duties in North America, Iliffe is running as a factory Parolin driver overseas in World Series Karting (WSK) Champions Cup, Super Masters, Euro Series, Super Mini and Open Cup. Along with that, he competes in the Italian Karting Series. Iliffe has impressed from the get-go in Europe, in what are incredibly competitive fields. His break-out performance of the year came in South Lake Garda for round two of the WSK Super Masters Series. Iliffe finished fourth in the pre-final and get his first top-10 overseas with a seventh-place finish in the final. In the Italian Karting Championship, Iliffe continued to impress and show his raw pace, by consistently being in the top 10 for the first two rounds, and he is on the verge of getting his first top-five in the series. This weekend, Iliffe will take part in the WSK Euro Series opener at the South Garda Karting facility in Italy. Then, he returns to the States to prepare for the upcoming SKUSA Pro Tour SummerNationals, set for July 28-31 at the New Castle Motorsports Park in New Castle, Indiana to battle for his third Superkarts! USA title in four years.

June 2022 EKN Driver of the Month – Jack Iliffe

Bio

Iliffe on the top of the podium at Utah Motorsports Campus (Photo: Studio 52)

Born: San Francisco, CA
Hometown: Austin, Texas
Parents: Matthew Iliffe, Kimberly Iliffe
Siblings: Oscar Iliffe, and Charlie Iliffe
Height/Weight: 4ft 10”, 90lbs
Education: Fusion Academy in Austin, TX
Job: School kid

Racing Resume

Chassis: Parolin
Engine/Engine Builder: Woltjer
Sponsors: My Dad
Series You Compete in: SKUSA Pro Tour, WSK, ACI Italian Championship
Years Karting: 7 years (2x Kid Kart, 3x Micro, 2x Mini)
How did you get started in karting? My Dad and brother karted. I used to go to the track with them, when I turned 5 Oscar got a new kart and I got Oscars. I was so determined to beat Oscar! It made us both faster.
What has been the high point in your racing career? Winning the ProTour the first time in 2019 was pretty special and getting the trophy in Las Vegas. Then in 2020 winning the Pro Tour, TSRS, and USPKS.
What are your goals in racing? F1 is my long-term goal, but I really want to win in Europe
In a few words, how would you describe your driving style? Charlie Swayne’s way :) Charlie is my coach in the US and has made me into the driver that I am.
Funniest moment at the race track? My funniest moments are always with my brother Charlie. He’s always getting into trouble. He karted for a bit but was never into it. He was quite happy coming last because no one bothered him in the race. My funniest moment was seeing my brother, Charlie, being chased by officials on a scooter that he shouldn’t be on.

Likes

Favorite Track: Utah Motorsports Park
Favorite form of professional motorsports: F1
Favorite karting drivers: Lorenzo Travisanutto and Enzo Deligny
Favorite professional driver: Lando Norris
Favorite website: Instagram
Favorite movie: Top Gun: Maverick
Favorite actor/actress: Tom Cruise
Favorite music/group: My uncle Tom’s band
Favorite vacation/activity spot: Skiing
Favorite food: Pasta Pomodoro

The Real Deal

What do you do when not at the track? Go to the gym, play video games with my brothers and karting friend
What are your goals outside of karting? Getting good grades so I can kart more
What app or game do you play right now? Subway Surfer, F1 Clash, Pico Rally
What type of street car would you like to drive? Porsche GT3 RS
What are your pet peeves or things that irritate you? Penalties
What do you think could be done to improve the sport of karting? Shorter races, more heats, and rules that encourage better race craft.
What are your favorite aspects about the sport of karting? The speed, the friends you make and going to different places

June 2022 Driver of the Month – Honorable Mention:

* Benym Abernethy: Route 66 Sprint Series – 2 Wins (Mini Swift)

* Jeremy Fletcher: SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNationals – 2 Wins (KA100 Senior)

* Caleb Gafrarar: California ROK Championship – 1 Win (Junior 100cc)

* Ava Hanssen: Route 66 Sprint Series – 2 Wins (Briggs 206 Junior)

* Cameron Marsha: Route 66 Sprint Series – 2 Wins (Micro Swift)

* Ryan Norberg: SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNationals – 2 Wins (X30 Senior)

* Ragan Saville: Texas Sprint Racing Series – 1 Win (Briggs 206 Junior)

* Cooper Shipman: Texas Sprint Racing Series – 1 Win (KA100 Junior)

* Rocco Simone: SKUSA Pro Tour SpringNationals – 2 Wins (Micro Swift)

* Mike Smith: California ROK Championship – 1 Win (Masters 100cc)

* Johnie Stamps: California ProKart Challenge – 2 Wins (Mini Swift)