[Rob Howden]

Thanks for all the input, guys. Keep it coming. I’m making notes and will take much of it into consideration when I handle the voiceover for the SpringNationals shows.

Focusing on just one class is tough, because then you have a whole faction that is being left out. That said, focusing on the Pro classes with longer segments is a option, with a highlight style segment for the other classes.

Growing the marketing partner support to afford 60-minute shows would be ideal, but that’s a hurdle the sport has faced since its inception. We need sponsors from outside the sport, so now, it’s about developing true value.

It’s all about baby steps, and producing a sustainable effort. We’re on TV now, and I intend to work hard t make sure we never leave.

[Rob Howden]

Don’t worry, DC, we’ll hide you in the trunk when we hit the drive-thru in Phoenix. They’ll never know. Well, maybe they will. You’re the only guy in the world who goes to In’N Out and gets a Hamburger with just mustard and ketchup.

I think it’s on the Secret Menu now….just order ‘Prison Style’. ;-)

[Rob Howden]

Kol’s just asking because I haven’t been able to get off my ass to go dig the issue he wants out of storage. ;-)  Now that I’ve been publicly ridiculed, I’ll have to book an afternoon mission in the storage unit when I get back in April.

[Rob Howden]

‘Truth in 24’ is a great doc on the Lemans 24 hour event.  Check it out.  Jason Statham does the narration and it’s awesome.  I watched it a few times before cutting the tracks for Become One.

[Rob Howden]

Hi Carl,

I think we should know your age and your ultimate goals. If you want to race karts for the fun of it, and the competition, then you have lots of time to save up the money to start investing in your own racing program. Once you buy your first used karting and the necessary safety equipment and tools, you’ll have equity in your own program and you can build from there.

If you want to use karting as a stepping stone to a career in racing, it will be a tough road if you don’t currently have the funding to go kart racing. Car racing is exponentially more expensive than club karting, for equipment and the crew etc.

Let us know a little more about your goals.

[Rob Howden]

This 2014 Rotax Grand Finals from Valencia is now complete. Team USA came away qualifying nine drivers in the main events, and then scoring three top-10 finishes thanks to Oliver Askew (6th), Alan Rudolph (7th) and Nick Neri (10th). Alan and Nick were remarkable, coming from last on the grid. Really great stuff.

We’ll have our final report on the site soon, but until then, congrats to all of the drivers on Team USA! It was a tough weekend, for sure.

[Rob Howden]

DD2 – Final
10. Nick Neri (+17.507)
26. Gavin Reichelt (+40.300)
27. Michael Ilavia (+43.872)

[Rob Howden]

DD2 Master – Final
7. Alan Rudolph (+18.973)
Fastest lap on the last lap – 32nd to 7th!

[Rob Howden]

Senior Max – Final
6. Oliver Askew (+5.270)
22. Phillip Arscott (+25.105)
30. Jake Craig (+18 laps)

[Rob Howden]

Junior Max – Final
27. Sting Ray Robb (+25.995)
29. Christian Brooks (+29.252)

[Rob Howden]

The torrential rain this morning has wreaked havoc on the race schedule, and Rotax officials have elected to scuttle the Prefinals and go straight to the Finals. This is definitely a disappointing decision for the three Team USA drivers who qualified through the LCQ, and were hoping to use the Prefinal to move up the order ahead of the Finals.

[Rob Howden]

Heavy rain at the circuit put things on hold, and even after trying to get the Junior Max Prefinal underway, the standing water was just too much, and the race was red-flagged before the end of the first lap. The event remains on hold.

[Rob Howden]

Saturday, November 29, 2014 – Championship Saturday

Good morning, race fans and karting enthusiasts –

The excitement has been building all week for today’s main events, and Team USA will put their collective support behind nine Americans who have qualified to run in the Prefinals and Finals. Sting Ray Robb and Christian Brooks will aim for glory in Junior Max, while Oliver Askew, Phillip Arscott and Jake Craig will be part of the Senior Max fight. Michael Ilavia, Gavin Reichelt, and Nick Neri will participate in DD2 and Alan Rudolph, coming off a brilliant run from 25th to sixth in the LCQ, will carry the flag in DD2 Masters.

With the rain having arrived yesterday, and having continued through the evening, today’s morning warm-up became extra important. All of the drivers who qualified directly into the finals will get their first chance to sample the track in the wet, so post-session debriefing will be crucial.

We’ll be following the races closely and will be posting the Team USA results immediately to Facebook and Twitter, and to this official forum thread as well.

If you’re up early, or staying up late, to cheer on Team USA, enjoy the day…it’s going to be exciting, for certain.

[Rob Howden]

Senior Max – Heat Race Points – Final Positions:

16. Oliver Askew
28. Phillp Arscott
36 – Jake Craig – will run LCQ
38 -Dan Roeper – will run LCQ
60 – Mason Marotta – will run LCQ
64 – Ashley Rogero – eliminated from competition

[Rob Howden]

Junior Max – Heat Race Points – Final Positions:

12. Sting Ray Robb
22. Christian Brooks
38. Ryan Norberg – will run LCQ
43. Austin Garrison – will run LCQ
57. Austin Versteeg – will run LCQ

[Rob Howden]

The final round of heats is now complete. Once again, assorted results for Team USA, but they will certainly have a large number of drivers in the LCQs. We’ll provide the heat race point tallies as they are made available to us. The LCQs are schedule to begin at 2:50 pm in Spain, which is 8:50 am Eastern.

[Rob Howden]

DD2 – Heat 3 – B vs C
28. Jonathan Kotyk (+14.919)

[Rob Howden]

DD2 – Heat 3 – A vs D
10. Michael Ilavia (+12.328)
15. Gavin Reichelt (+16.233)
31. Nick Neri (+7 laps)

[Rob Howden]

DD2 Master – Heat 3 – B vs C
32. Mike Jones (+6 laps)
35. Bobby Greene (+8 laps)
DNS. Alan Rudolph (+8 laps)

[Rob Howden]

DD2 Master – Heat 3 – A vs D
26. Erik Jackson (+25.370)
27. Ken Maxfield (+25.799)
33. Derek Wang (+32.546)

[Rob Howden]

Senior Max – Heat 3 – B vs C
2. Oliver Askew (+0.046)
7. Phillip Arscott (+6.385)
15. Dan Roeper (+12.203)
17. Jake Craig (+12.489)

[Rob Howden]

Senior Max – Heat 3 – A vs D
15. Ashley Rogero (+9.935)
35. Mason Marotta (+2 laps)

[Rob Howden]

Junior Max – Heat 3 – B vs C
8. Sting Ray Robb (+4.489)
12. Ryan Norberg (+6.804)
24. Austin Garrison (+15.599)
27. Austin Versteeg (+16.391)

[Rob Howden]

Junior Max – Heat 3 – A vs D
21. Christian Brooks (+16.707)

[Rob Howden]

Friday, November 28, 2014 – Heat #3 / Second Chance Qualifiers

It’s going to be a very important day for the Team USA drivers in Spain, as the results have not been exactly what we’re all be looking for. The second corner of the circuit has been rough, and we’ve had to deal with more than our share of DNFs. It’s expected that we’ll have a number of drivers in the LCQs, but our girls and guys should be ready to attack to secure the final positions in Saturday morning’s Prefinals. It is dry right now, although the threat of rain remains.

[Author]

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