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| February 14, 2011 News |
| EKN Awards 2010: Young Driver of the Year - Nick Neri |
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February 14-18, 2011 will be the eKartingNews.com Awards Week for 2010. The program honors five winners in five categories - Driver of the Year, Team of the Year, Rising Star, Road Racer of the Year, and Young Driver of the Year - with one announced each day. The staff at the website has selected the winner and four Honorable Mentions for each category.
For the complete coverage of EKN Awards Week 2010, visit the Features Page
To discuss the EKN Awards Week 2010, visit the Official Discussion Thread
 | Young Driver of the Year - Nick Neri
(Photo: On Track Promotions - otp.ca) |
The Young Driver of the Year category has honored a number of incredibly talented pilots throughout the history of the eKartingNews.com Excellence Awards program. Many have built strong karting resumes, taking it to the next level in motorsports. In the 12-year history of the EKN Awards program, only one driver has ever earned the honor in back-to-back years, and he just signed to run a full season on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series trail with Turn One Racing. That driver is Cole Whitt. This particular statistic has now changed, however, as we are proud to announce Nick Neri as our 2010 Young Driver of the Year. Neri was our 2009 YDoY as well, and he didn’t lift off the throttle at all this past season.
In 2010, the Palmetto, Florida driver put in a year-long performance that was similar to his 2009 season. The year kicked off with a second-straight Florida Winter Tour championship in the Rotax Junior category. With three wins and two runner-up finishes in six features, Neri won the title by 238 points. Neri also added a Pro Rotax championship - which included Junior and Senior drivers - during the Formula Kart weekends of the FWT program.
Neri also contested the full 2010 WKA Manufacturer’s Cup Series in all four Junior categories. The season started out well in Daytona with two wins and four podiums - earning him the EKN Driver of the Month for December 2009. When the season concluded, Neri had racked up more victories than he did the previous year - eight overall. In total, Neri stood on the podium 17 times in 20 feature races over the course of the season. Neri took home the gold in the Komet Jr. Heavy division, while earning the vice-champion award in the three other categories. Neri also earned championships in the Florida Karting Championship Series program (Komet Piston Port Junior, Yamaha Junior).
The dedication that Neri has for the sport showed during the July-August timespan after he broke his arm at the Rotax Grand Nationals at New Castle Motorsports Park on the opening day of official practice. After working with doctors in Indianapolis, Neri was able to return to the track three weeks later to contest round four of the WKA program, earning a first, second, and third-place finishes in the four classes. That said, those results were not quite as impressive as his amazing drive in the Yamaha Jr. Heavy category where he came from 38th on the grid to finish eighth in just 14 laps.
Thanks to his FWT championship, Neri was awarded a spot on Team USA to compete at the Rotax Grand Finals in La Conca, Italy. Neri was among the early contenders after he qualified second overall and began the heat race rounds with a victory. The second heat race, however, ended prematurely for Neri with a 25th place classification. Ending the heat race rounds with a second place finish, Neri ended up 11th on the grid for the Prefinal. Driving up to sixth in the 12-lap event to start the feature from row three, Neri was poised for a strong finish. The main event was an intense battle throughout the front half of the field. After 20 laps, Neri crossed the line sixth, but was advanced up one position to finish fifth, matching the best finish by an American Junior driver in the 11-year history of the event.
Neri’s goal for 2011 is to reach Team USA for a third straight season, this time in the Senior category as he will be contesting the Florida Winter Tour, North Florida Rotax Max Challenge, and the Rotax Grand Nationals at Miller Motorsports Park in July.
eKartingNews.com would like to congratulate Nick Neri for another outstanding season and the Young Driver of the Year award for a second straight year.
 | Neri becomes only the second driver to win the honor two years in a row
(Photo: Sean Buur - Go Racing Magazine) |
2010 Young Driver of the Year Honorable Mentions
Daniel Langon - Alamo, California - STA Racing
Raquel Martinez - Whittier, California - Team Top Kart USA
Andrew Palmer - Chicago, Illinois - J3 Competition
Kiel Spaulding - Elk Grove, California - Team Top Kart USA
Former Young Driver of the Year Award Winners
2009 - Nick Neri
2008 - Phil DeLaO
2007 - Jarvis Gennari
2006 - Brett Smrz
2005 - Zach Schiff
2004 - Cole Whitt
2003 - Cole Whitt
2002 - Alan Sciuto
2001 - Wade Van Hooser
2000 - Preston Peebles
1999 - Alex Speed |
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