Late to Grid - Grassroots Racing

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In our first episode for season two we chat with Luca Mars. As you'll read below, Luca is an accomplished racer and he is only a sophomore in high school!
Connect with Luca on Instagram & Facebook.
Luca talks about his recent announcement to race in the Michelin Pilot Challenge in 2022 and he's participating in the third edition of the HPD in the Acura GT3 for 2022. He is just coming off a successful season in IMSA MX-5 Cup. We talk being at the track and how karting can be the start to it all.
If you are interested in sponsorship opportunities with Luca contact Brett Mars at 412-310-0980
Special thanks to Dan Scholosser for helping to arrange this interview. Anyone wanting to get into karting or get better at karting needs to connect with Dan.
Luca's Racing Resume:
Karting History:
2012: Started karting in the Pitt Race Karting Series winning Kid Kart and Rookie Championships first two seasons.

2014: Began Regional and National racing winning 26 of 31 races and scoring Championships with Pitt Race Karting Series, Great Lakes Sprint Series, USPKS and WKA.

2015: Moved up to the Mini ranks continuing success with wins and Championships in Rotax US Nationals, Florida Winter Tour, USPKS, SKUSA Pro Tour, Rok Cup USA and WKA.

2018: Granted the opportunity to move to Junior ranks a year early and produced results quickly winning Rok Cup USA, Florida Winter Tour, Rotax US Finals and SKUSA Winter Tour Championships.

2020: Granted the opportunity to move to Senior early and in a single year of competition ranked First in the US with an average finishing position of 3.43 in major races with Seconds in Florida Winter Tour, SKUSA Winter Series and Pro Tour Championships.

International Opportunities:
Earned invitations to represent Team USA at the Rok World Finals in Lonato, Italy 3 times with a best finish of 4th.

Earned invitations to represent Team USA at the Rotax Grand Finals in Italy (2), Brazil and Portugal 4 times with a best finish of 6th. Have the unique distinction as the only American driver to achieve this at the Mini, Junior and Senior levels.

Earned an invitation to be the sole Team USA representative at the CIK/FIA Academy Trophy Series in 2019 finishing 6th and 8th at events in Germany and Italy before an injury prevented competing in the Final event.

Competed in additional International Events with the German DKM Kart Series and Italian ACI Karting Championship CIK Series with best finishes of 5th and 4th respectively.
2020 Car Racing Details: Lucas Oil School:

Sebring Short Track & New Jersey Motorsports Park Thunderbolt – 2 Day Schools

F2000 Testing Program – John Walko Racing:
Carolina Motorsports Park, Roebling Road, Pitt Race, Nelson Ledges – Private and Open Testing

Formula Race Productions – F2000 Championship Series – John Walko Racing: Mid-Ohio (P2), Pitt Race (P2/P3), Road Atlanta

SCCA Hoosier Super Tour – Formula Continental – John Walko Racing: Pitt Race (P2/P2)

Great Lakes Championship Series – Formula Continental – John Walko Racing:

Pitt Race (P1/P1)

USF2000 – Testing:
Arms-Up Motorsports/Greg Borland - Road Ame

Thanks for listening and taking an interest in growing grassroots racing. The Late To Grid podcast shares the stories and inspiration that help listeners along their motorsports journey.
Find all episodes on the Atomic Autosports website.

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Chase McIntyre started his racing journey in his senior year in high school when his parents sent him to the Mid-Ohio driving school as a graduation gift. From there he rented a Spec Racer Ford from previous guest Reed Kryder to see how he could do in a real race car. He went on to get his NASA and SCCA license during a driving school at VIR.
Chase races a Spec Miata and in 2021 won Rookie of the year and the SLT championship with Neohio SCCA.
In 2022 he won the Neohio regional Spec Miata Championship with Spec Miata wins at Nelson Ledges and Mid-Ohio.
For 2023 Chase intends to continue in Spec Miata with a focus on regional and super tour events with the goal to get to SCCA run offs. He'll also compete in some endurance events.
Some of the great advice Chase shares:

• Use Simulators and YouTube to learn new tracks
• Check out the book, Making Sense of Squiggly Lines
• Network + We should all be nice to one another

Connect with Chase:
Twitter
Instagram
Email
YouTube
Chase's Sponsors:
CarboTech Brakes
Kryder Racing

Check out our sponsors:
LMS-EFI Website, Facebook, Instagram
Atomic Autosports Website, Facebook, Instagram
ETC Coaching Michael Ribas on LinkedIn, ETC Website, ETC Instagram
Follow us!
Late to Grid - Instagram
Late To Grid - Facebook
Late To Grid - Twitter
Our Host, Bill - Instagram

Thanks for listening and taking an interest in growing grassroots racing. The Late To Grid podcast shares the stories and inspiration that help listeners along their motorsports journey.
Find all episodes on the Atomic Autosports website.

Send us a text

Jason Pribyl joins Bill in the Atomic Autosports studio to share his motorsports journey.
Jason started racing karts at age 6, moved onto Lucas Oil School Of Racing at age 13 and then onto F1600 in 2019.
In 2022 Jason participated in the Road To Indy program and raced Spec MX-5.
His advice for someone who wants to get started is to look at karting and track days.
Like many other guests, Jason talks about the importance of networking. As Jason builds his motorsports career, he looks for opportunities to be at the track, to network, and be seen. He shared some great advice - talk with everyone and be friends with everyone.
Has he been Late To Grid? He likes to be the first to grid, but does share a story of when he was Late To Grid in karting
Micheal Ribas from ETC Coaching talks about Relationship Coaching and the importance of it.
Matt Harbert from Atomic Autosports talks about what tools to pack for your next track event.
Connect With Jason:
Jason Pribyl Autosports on Instagram
Jason Pribyl Autosports Website
Jason's YouTube Channel
Jason Pribyl Autosports on Facebook
Jason's Personal Instagram

Check out our sponsors:
LMS-EFI Website, Facebook, Instagram
Atomic Autosports Website, Facebook, Instagram
ETC Coaching Michael Ribas on LinkedIn, ETC Website, ETC Instagram
Follow us!
Late to Grid - Instagram
Late To Grid - Facebook
Late To Grid - Twitter
Our Host, Bill - Instagram

Thanks for listening and taking an interest in growing grassroots racing. The Late To Grid podcast shares the stories and inspiration that help listeners along their motorsports journey.
Find all episodes on the Atomic Autosports website.

Send us a text

Bill is back in the Atomic Autosports studio to bring you a new podcast format titled; Beers with Bill. The idea is to catch up with previous guests over a beer and talk about racing and life.
For the first edition of Beers with Bill, Mike Kubiak is on the podcast. Mike is the kind of guy that makes being at the track enjoyable. He's always smiling, is willing to help, and is a great competitor.
Bill caught up with Mike just a week after the SCCA Time Trial event at Nelson Ledges where, despite a broken spring, he brought home some hardware. BTW, he was Late To Grid during this event!
This is Mike's third appearance on the podcast. Here are his previous episodes:
Mike Kubiak - Time Trial Competitor
Talking Tires with Mike Kubiak
Mike's advice:

• Check your car, fluids, pads, and bolts prior to an event
• Check your ego. After 18 years he is still hiring coaches. Look for areas to fix
• Bring lots of water

Also discussed on this episode; Mike's sponsors, Grid Life, updates and modifications to Mike's car, tires, and making set up changes to your car.
How to connect with Mike:
Facebook
Instagram
Email: [email protected]
Looking for track day tires? Bill can save you some money!
The Continental ExtremeContact Force 200 is the tire everyone is talking about. Head over to trackdaytire.com, add four ECF tires to your cart and enter code SnowVIP and that 4th tire ends up being free. How awesome is that? Great tires and saving money. Plus, if you are in the Akron or Cleveland Ohio area, have the Atomic Autosports team mount and balance them for you.
Check out our sponsors:
LMS-EFI Website, Facebook, Instagram
Atomic Autosports Website, Facebook, Instagram
ETC Coaching Michael Ribas on LinkedIn, ETC Website, ETC Instagram
Follow us!
Late to Grid - Instagram
Late To Grid - Facebook
Late To Grid - TwitterEpisodes on YouTube
Our Host, Bill - Instagram and TikTok

Thanks for listening and taking an interest in growing grassroots racing. The Late To Grid podcast shares the stories and inspiration that help listeners along their motorsports journey.
Find all episodes on the Atomic Autosports website.

Send us a text

Karting is where it starts for many racers so it only makes sense that we have two guests on this episode that are heavily involved in karting in the midwest.
Like many in our sport, family got them involved in motorsports. At age six Dan started going to the Indy 500 and Eric's dad had a vintage car business and was dragged to Lernerville Speedway.
Dan's worked in the Motorsports industry for over 20 years first as writer, photographer and managing editor for TrackSide Online - an online content service provider working primarily in IndyCar. He also provided PR work for drivers and teams which lead me to a relationship with BeaveRun Motorsports Complex (now Pitt Race), where his kids raced karts.
Eric is a fan of start-ups and has been in karting since 2010. He's just getting his four year old daughter into a kart and his two sons have raced karts for years. Eric enjoys being at the track and supports PKC's goal to get more involved in motorsports.
Pro Kart Concepts was born out of a few opportunities. Pitt Race's continued karting program growth, two new kart tracks being built in Ohio and an opportunity with the OTK brand.
PKC will provide karts sales, set-up, tuning , trackside support, arrive and drives, and consumables. Coaching will be part of their offering as well. These services are needed to grow a success karting program. The goal is to keep their customers on track and out of the garage.
Although we talk about data, karting is simple. It's all about getting on track, running laps and having fun.
Dan was asked what I want to people to learn from this episode he replied, "I’d like to let people know that getting in to karting with their family is about making memories together that can’t be replicated. For a fortunate few it may result in a lifetime career but for all it’s a lifetime of memories. "
How to connect with Pro Kart Concepts:
PKC on Facebook
PKC Website (Eric's & Dan's emails are on the site)
Other resources, companies mentioned:
OTK Karts
Pitt Race Karting

Thanks for listening and taking an interest in growing grassroots racing. The Late To Grid podcast shares the stories and inspiration that help listeners along their motorsports journey.
Find all episodes on the Atomic Autosports website.