#RaceLife Spotlight: Aryton Grim

GROVE CITY, OH - This week we turn the spotlight to a WKA racer who started racing when he was only 4 years old and he hasn't stopped racing ever since.  Aryton Grim, who's favorite racer just so happens to be the famous Aryton Senna, has a great attitude and is always happy to be at the track with his friends.  And this kid has ambitions too! He wants to become an Indy car dirver one day and have a Bugatti, 6 kids, and a mansion in Florida!  Read more about the ambitious 7 year old, Aryton Grim, below.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE? 

"I am from Grove City, Ohio."
 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RACING?

"I have been racing for three and a half years."
 

HOW DID YOU GET INTO RACING?

"My dad bought me a go kart for my 4th birthday."
 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF RACING?

"Winning and have fun!"
 

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE?

"To become an Indy Car Driver."
 

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE RACER?

"Ayrton Senna." (Of course)
 

WHICH TRACK IS YOUR FAVORITE?

"Daytona International Speedway."
 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT WKA RACES?

"Winning, having fun, going fast and seeing my friends"

WHICH WKA RACE SERIES DO YOU RACE?

"I race the Manufacturer's Cup Series."
 

WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO BESIDES RACE?

"I go to school."

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?

" I want to be an indy car driver, have 6 kids, live in a mansion with my family in Florida and have a Bugatti."
 

#RaceLife Spotlight: John Scavuzzo

OVERLAND PARK, KS - This week we are featuring someone who has 51 years of kart racing under his belt and a whole multi-generational team of family members who race as well.  John Scavuzzo is 69 years old and has 9 Scavuzzo's on his race team.  His 4 sons; Santo 45, Richard, 43, Johnny, 41, Steve, 38, his son-in-law Brandon, 38, his 2 grandsons; Joe, 18, Gianni, 14, and the newest addition to the team is Mia, 12.  His 3rd grandson Jonathan, 20 is on a temporary leave from karting, as he is serving in the U.S. Marine Corps stationed in Okinawa Japan.  For John, karting is not just a passion----it is a bond that keeps his family close. Read on to learn more about John and the amazing Scavuzzo family.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?: 

"We all live in Overland Park Kansas, a suburb of Kansas City.  Located in the midwest it makes it very easy to race in 4 different divisions coast to coast.  This year we have 12 races scheduled with our first at Laguna Seca (west coast).  Our 6th race at Mid Ohio, (north), then number 8 is V.I.R. (east coast) then finishing up home in Topeka Kansas at Heartland Park.  Each year we try to add 1 new track that the Scavuzzo team have never raced.  Over the years we've added 24 different road courses which makes for a very challenging and exciting season."

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RACING?

" I started racing with a local club in 1967 and my 4 sons in 1985."

HOW DID YOU GET INTO RACING?

"The boys got us back into racing after we took a vacation in Destin Florida.  We had a place on the beach so we were in the water every day but one.  That particular day it was cloudy and a little chilly.  So we elected to go across the street to the amusement park and spend the day on a small go-kart track.  It started to sprinkle just enough to make it slick.  The rest I am sure you can relate.  They had so much fun on that wet track that they asked if they could get into enduro racing.  That's all I needed to hear.  When we got back to K.C. that Saturday I called an old racing buddy, Darrell Crowell and asked him if he had any of his old racing gear left over from when we use to race each other.  He said he would check.  That next Sunday morning I looked out my window and saw a pickup truck parked in my driveway with a guy sleeping in the front seat.  It was Darrell.  He said, "Take all this crap and send me a check for what you think it's worth.  So we started off with 1 kart, 2 motors, one of them being a B-bomb, starter, clutch, pipes and a lot of extras. The rest is history.      ."

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF RACING?

"My favorite part of racing is the competition with each other on the team.  All 6 of the older boy's, (4 sons, 1 son-in-law and 1 grandson) all compete in the same class, control spec 1 & 2.  As far as the 6 are concerned, they are the only ones out there.  We keep our own points standing with just our team.  Bragging rights last all winter. "

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE?

"The competitive racing in some form helps us in the competitive forms of business.  The Scavuzzo family has 3 companies that compete in the food industry.  We have to be at the top of our game when your involved in a commodity that is consumed every day.  The saying " 2nd place is the first loser " holds true in our business."

DO YOU HAVE ANY PRE-RACE RITUALS?

"My only pre-race ritual is I and me alone will start everyone on the team in each race, that's 6 in each class."

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE RACER?

"Michael Schumacher is my favorite."

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY?

"Racing has brought our whole family very close together."

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To watch some of the Scavuzzo family's cool race videos, click the buttons below.

#RaceLife Spotlight: Cole Peschang

SOUTH BELOIT, ILL - This week, we are featuring a WKA racer who not only races in sprint 2 and 4 cycle karts, but races on asphalt and dirt ovals as well! Cole Peschang is a 3rd generation racer who has been racing for 5 years now.  He has a great attitude both off track and when it comes to racing, which shines in how he treats his competitors with respect.  We asked Cole some questions about his #RaceLife, so here is a little peak into what racing is like for him.

Jr Animal Lite and other classes WKA race at AMP on 917/16

Here is Cole doing what he does best at a WKA race this past year at Atlanta Motorsports Park.

WHERE DO YOU LIVE?: 

"I live in South Beloit, Illinois for now.  But I want to move South soon to race more often."

HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN RACING?

"2017 will be my 5th year."

HOW DID YOU GET INTO RACING?

"I am a 3rd generation racer, picking up from where my Dad and Grandpa left off."

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF RACING?

"I love the Road Racing because of the high speeds, but I also like Sprint Racing because of the strategy and competition."

WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE?

"To race SKUSA and to get a race car soon."

DO YOU HAVE ANY PRE-RACE RITUALS?

"I tell my competitors, 'Good luck,' and wish them a safe race.  Then I fist bump my Mom, Dad and Grandpa."

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE RACER?

"Josh Bilicki and John Force in Drag racing."

WHICH TRACK IS YOUR FAVORITE?

"For Sprint tracks, US Air Raceway in Shawano, WI.  For Road Racing, Atlanta Motorsports Park and Daytona."

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PART ABOUT WKA RACES?

"The hospitality from everyone."

WHAT ELSE DO YOU DO BESIDES RACE?

"I am a driver, coach and mechanic."

IS THERE ANY OTHER INTERESTING THINGS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?

"I race Sprint 2 and 4 cycle karts, I race asphalt and dirt ovals.  My record is 172 wins out of 229 races.  I've had Lucas Oil, MAVTV, Protect The Harvest, Champion Sparkplus, GoPro Cameras, and Competitive Edge Racing Software as sponsors since 2013."

 

Click the button below to check out Cole's website for more details and contact info: