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| January 16, 2013 |
| Driver News: Northeast Rotax Rising Star Nolan Ruocco Eager to Open 2013 Racing Season |
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 | Nolan Ruocco at speed at 2012 US Rotax Grand Nationals at MRP
(Photo: Ken Johnson - Studio52.us) |
Rising 2-cycle sprint kart racer Nolan Ruocco is coming off a fine 2012 season in Rotax competition and looking to keep the momentum rolling with an aggressive 2013 schedule that includes a few of the most competitive karting series in the country.
Last year in his first full season in karting, the 12-year-old NMRacing driver netted nine final wins and an impressive 69% top-three finish percentage between his racing at Oakland Valley Raceway Park in Cuddebackville, N.Y., the Northeast Rotax tour, F-Series Gear Up Challenge and sprint racing throughout the Northeast.
In the Northeast Rotax tour, Ruocco finished second in Junior Rotax points and won a Formula J class championship in the F-Series Gear-Up Challenge.
Nolan's strong finishes and improvements throughout the 2012 season didn't go unnoticed. Ruocco earned the Northeast Rotax Rising Star award at the Northeast Rotax Series banquet January 5.
Ruocco, who wheels a No. 23 Haase chassis owned by his family and supported by Mike Doty Racing, also took his show to the road last August. The Ruocco family traveled from their Ithaca, N.Y., home to South Bend, Ind., to compete in the prestigious Rotax US Grand Nationals at the popular Michiana Raceway Park.
In his biggest karting event to date, Nolan qualified 22nd of 53 entrants in the Junior Max division and went on to make the class's final without having to run the last-chance qualifier race. Ruocco finished 26th in the final and gained valuable experience racing against some of the best Rotax karters in the world.
"We had a very good first full season in karting," Nolan said from his Upstate New York home. "We learned a lot racing locally at OVRP with the help of Mike Doty, my parents and many others. And we were able to compete on a national level at the US Grand Nationals and regionally with the New Jersey Sprint Series. I think we gained enough experience and knowledge to try some more big races and series in 2013."
The upcoming season will see Ruocco enter a number of top karting series and events, including the Rotax US Grand Nationals July 31-Aug. 3 at Mooresville Motorplex, WKA Manufacturers Cup events, USKPS, Northeast Rotax Series and the New Jersey Sprint Series.
Nolan and the NMRacing team will open 2013 in the Yamaha Junior division at round two of the WKA Man Cup Series April 5-7 at Carolina Motorsports Park in Kershaw, S.C. Three weeks later Ruocco will race again in the Carolinas, this time at Mooresville Motorplex for the inaugural April 26-28 USKPS event.
April also will see Ruocco spending time competing in the F Series and Northeast Rotax events at New Jersey Motorsports Park.
"I'm looking forward to starting the season with some challenging events," Nolan said. "Kershaw will be my first WKA national event and my first time competing at the track. I know we have great support and we can be competitive. I just want concentrate, learn as much as possible and stay focused. We're hoping to open the season strong and keep the momentum rolling."
For more information on Nolan and his karting career, visit his website at NMRacing.net
Nolan Ruocco is a 12-year-old national sprint kart racer from Ithaca, New York. Ruocco is a nine-time feature winner and a 2012 Rotax US Grand Nationals starter in the Rotax Junior final at Michiana Raceway Park. In 2013, Ruocco will continue to focus on the regional Northeast Rotax Series and New Jersey Sprint Series and compete nationally at the Rotax US Grand Nationals and WKA Manufacturers Cup Series.
Nolan rides No. 23 Mike Doty Racing-supported Haase chassis owned by his parents, Paul and Beth Ruocco |
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