34 DECEMBER 2022 By Mallory Gleich O ctober in Indiana was cold this year. Really cold. Just ask two Arcadia middle-schoolers – Giovanni Santora and Cooper O’Clair – who happened to be in New Castle that month, competing in the US National Rotax Junior Max GoKarting Race. That Saturday, it was 34 degrees. On Sunday it was 38. At 70 miles an hour in an open-aired go-kart, the wind chill will make it feel 20 degrees colder. Undeterred, Gio and Cooper donned their extra layers and took to the track, with Cooper winning first and Gio second out of 16 competitors from around the world. Because of those placings, Cooper traveled to Portimão, Portugal, over Thanksgiving weekend to represent Team USA at the Rotax RMC Grand Finals. As first alternate, Gio was on standby to see if he would join Cooper on the track. “When we found out our placings, we were super excited and knew all of our hard work had paid off,” Gio said. “I was just relieved. I’ve done it before, and I know I’ve put in more work than anyone else there, so I headed into the event knowing what I needed to do with one goal,” Cooper said. The finals host 400 drivers from over 60 countries who race with equal equipment. Drivers in each category are on the same chassis, engine, tires, etc. Every driver has earned a ticket to the race in their respective country. This is how the race works, according to Cooper: Seventy-two drivers are separated into groups of even and odd racing numbers in their qualifying session, and are then split into groups A, B, C and D. Each group has 16 drivers and competes in races like A vs. D, B vs. C until all groups have raced one another. Points for each driver are tallied and the 42 drivers with the most points will compete in a last chance qualifier, with the top six getting to start the final and the remaining 36 going home. In the early days, family outings at CrackerJax found four-year-old Gio on the go-kart track more often than not. That love grew, and as he got older, he began indoor racing at K1 & Octane in Scottsdale. Now, at 12 years old, Gio races there – against adults – and is ranked number six out of 1,146,502. The boys have trained under London’s Oliver Hodgson, a three-time world champion in karting along with J3 and CompKart (a competitive racing company). “I feel comfortable around Ollie. I don’t see him as this big-time driver whose only purpose is to make me better. I see him as a big brother I’m eager to learn from and be like one day. We are a family,” Cooper said. In October, after extensive practice and training, the boys and their team headed to New Castle, Indiana, to compete in the US Nationals. Within the race were drivers aged 12-15 from the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Spain. The New Castle track runs clockwise around the original course, and drivers can reach top speeds of up to 75 mph. The national race consisted of six practice sessions on Thursday, six on Friday, five on Saturday (including a pre-final race of 16 laps), and Sunday was the final competition. “My favorite part of the sport is seeing all the hard work, focus, bonding, and every other piece of the puzzle come together,” Cooper said. FORMULA FOR SUCCESS ARCADIA DUO WINS U.S. GO-KART NATIONALS That Saturday, it was 34 degrees. On Sunday it was 38. At 70 miles an hour in an open-aired go-kart, the wind chill will make it feel 20 degrees colder. Undeterred, Gio and Cooper donned their extra layers and took to the track, with Cooper winning first and Gio second out of 16 competitors from around the world. Because of those placings, Cooper traveled to Portimão, Portugal, over Thanksgiving weekend to and I know I’ve put in more work than anyone else there, so I headed into the event knowing what I needed to do with one goal,” Cooper said. The finals host 400 drivers from groups of even and odd racing numbers in their qualifying session, and are then split into groups A, B, C and D. Each group has 16 drivers and competes in races like A vs. D, B vs. C until all groups have raced one another. Points for each driver are tallied and the 42 drivers with the most points will compete in a last chance qualifier, with the top six getting to start the final and the remaining 36 going home. In the early days, family outings at CrackerJax found four-year-old Gio on the go-kart track more often than not. That love grew, and as he got older, he began Gio Santora, Cooper O’Clair and Ben Hernandez took the top three spots at the New Castle Race. Cooper O’Clair’s Compkart runs a 125cc Rotax Max engine. Top speeds in the junior classes vary, but run up to 75mph. PHOTOS COURTESTY OF GEORGE SANTORA

35 DECEMBER 2022 “For me, the best part is the speed, and the worst was racing in cold weather,” Gio said. To help with the grueling sessions, the boys go to the gym and work out regularly, practice with their coaches three times per week and get plenty of rest. Once nationals were over, the boys were right back on the track, with Gio racing at the Phoenix Kart Race Associates (PKRA) Winter Series #1 Race in Glendale where he finished first. Cooper competed in the Rok Cup USA in Las Vegas in November, before heading to the World Finals. Although there are risks within this sport, there are also myriad benefits. Gio’s mom, Melissa, explained that he’s learning real-world skills on and off the track. “Racing is physical and mental agility; moving on from a crash or a bad start into the next race is important. Racing has taught him how to deal with what life will be like when he’s older and coping skills that will take him through his eventual career,” she said. “But sometimes it can be stressful knowing he’s going so fast, mere inches off the ground, with no seatbelt.” Gio’s dad had this to say: “I am grateful that Gio has found a sport he is passionate about. It’s great to see him interact with his friends and competitors, and that the internet takes a back seat to racing,” George said. “It gets rough out there, especially with international kids racing, but Gio handles himself in a very confident, humble and kind manner.” After the finals, Cooper will move to the senior division and race in national, regional and international races. Gio will remain in the junior max division and continue running in national and regional races while beginning international courses. “If you’re looking to join the race, first of all, know you can do it,” George said. “We found karting and knew nothing of the motorsports world. Get involved with your local tracks, indoor and outdoor. Ask questions. Young drivers are the future of the sport. If you have the passion for it, go for it.” The New Castle Motorsports Park located in New Castle, Indiana. The track has 50 different configurations. The US Trophy Finals used this one-mile layout. rotax-kart.com PLAY LOCAL. PLAY BALL. REGISTER online for the 2020 Spring BASEBALL and SOFTBALL Season – Boys & Girls Ages 4-14 PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND REGISTER TODAY www.ArcadiaLittleLeague.com Mandatory player evaluations for upper divisions will be held Saturday, January 18, and Saturday, January 25 at Ingleside Middle School Practices Begin February 1 – Spring Season Runs Early March through End of May Take advantage of EARLY BIRD PRICING through December 31, 2019 Re gister at www. ArcadiaLittleLeague.com PLAY LOCAL. PLAY BALL. REGISTER online for the 2020 Spring BASEBALL and SOFTBALL Season – Boys & Girls Ages 4-14 PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND REGISTER TODAY www.ArcadiaLittleLeague.com Mandatory player evaluations for upper divisions will be held Saturday, January 18, and Saturday, January 25 at Ingleside Middle School Practices Begin February 1 – Spring Season Runs Early March through End of May Take advantage of EARLY BIRD PRICING through December 31, 2019 Re gister at www. ArcadiaLittleLeague.com REGISTRATION NOW OPEN • BASEBALL SOFTBALL TEE-BALL • Boys & Girls Ages 4-12 VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND REGISTER TODAY www.arcadialittleleague.com Registration closes on Feb 4. SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR BOUNDARY INCLUDE Archway Veritas, Biltmore Preparatory Academy, Desert View Learning Center, Echo Canyon, Hopi, Ingleside, Phoenix Country Day, Tavan Placement evaluations are mandatory for upper Baseball and Softball divisions. Practice will begin in February. Season runs from early March until May.