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AUSTIN VERSTEEG - YEAR IN REVIEW

Rotax Mini-Max standout Austin Versteeg has enjoyed a tremendous year in 2011 as he crisscrossed North America in pursuit of podiums, race wins and championships. As one of the most promising up-and-coming drivers, Versteeg was rarely seen off the podium and racked up some serious hardware in some of the most competitive and prominent series and events in North American karting.

Starting off 2011 at two prestigious winter series on opposite coasts, the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas on the west and the Florida Winter Tour on the east, Versteeg started the year off on the right foot. A third place finish and a win at the opening rounds of the Gatorz series led to a third place finish in the overall Mini-Max standings. Over in Florida, three third place finishes and two wins in the six-round series propelled the PSL Karting pilot to the top of the charts, as he claimed the Florida Winter Tour Rotax Mini-Max championship by 91 points.

Turning his attention to the Pan American Challenge series, the talented 12-year-old would add six more podium finishes to his tally during the qualifying events, including a win north of the border at the Mosport International Karting facility. Setting himself up as a front-runner leading up to the finale event in September, Versteeg would head to the New Castle Motorsports Park in Indiana to take on the best Mini-Max drivers in the Americas. Scoring third in official qualifying, Versteeg would go off track at the start of the first heat, eventually finishing in the 15th position. Battling back to score a fifth and seventh in the final two heats, the Sandy, Utah resident would be classified in seventh for the start of the all-important prefinal race. Battling a wet racetrack on Championship Sunday, Versteeg would slide into the grass with four laps to go, dropping down the running order to finish 11th in the prefinal. Charging through the field during the 14 lap final, Versteeg made a brilliant pass on the last lap to take the final podium position and continue his streak of great performances in the Mini-Max class.

Competing at two high-profile events during the summer months, Versteeg would add a solid fourth place run at the US Rotax Max Challenge Grand Nationals at home track Miller Motorsports Park. After placing his CRG machine in the fifth place for qualifying, Versteeg would work through the three heat races to score a third place starting position for the prefinal. Finishing second and earning a front row start for the main event, Versteeg got caught in a four-kart pack and just missed the podium with his fourth place finish.

At the PSL team headquarters in Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, Versteeg would take to the streets of Trois-Rivieres for the annual event, Le Monaco de Trois-Rivieres. Taking the victory at the prestigious event, Versteeg added "Mini Monaco" champion to his impressive streak of results in 2011, and celebrated with four other PSL Karting race winners that day.

Rounding out his year, Versteeg would head to Sin City to take on the best-of-the-best at the biggest race on the North American karting calendar, the 15th annual SuperKarts! USA SuperNationals. Taking to the parking lot of the RIO All-Suite Hotel and Casino in the ultra-competitive TaG Junior class, his first international event in the junior ranks, Versteeg would battle against 68 hungry competitors all vying for SuperNats glory. After clocking a disappointing 23rd in his qualifying group, Versteeg placed 20-26-6 through the three heat races, earning a direct transfer to the main event, albeit in the 33rd position for the start. A solid run in the final saw the talented driver move all the way up to 14th. In his first attempt in the TaG Junior category at the SuperNats, look for Versteeg to contend for the ultimate title at the 2012 running of the event.

With 2012 just around the corner, Versteeg will again see competition at both winter series. Starting at the Florida Winter Tour mid-January at the Palm Beach International Raceway and followed by the Gatorz opener two weeks later in Tuscon, Arizona, Versteeg will move up to the hotly-contested Rotax Junior category. Completing winter testing in New Orleans, Louisiana at the brand new Nola Motorsports Park, a world-class track scheduled to open right after the first of the year, Versteeg will be ready to contest his new class with a vengeance. The newest and largest track in North America, the Nola Motorsports Park will offer full Rotax/CRG support for Versteeg and features over 80 configurations, with the largest being 1.4 mile, and also offers seven acres of paved pit area, state of the art kart shop and full restaurant.

"I am very excited to have Austin back, well back in the sense that he will still race all over world, but this is where he will do all his testing," stated Garett Potter, Karting Operations Director at Nola Motorsports Park. "With the new track opening, Austin will also help with new kids getting into the sport at Nola. It's hard to believe six years ago I was trying to fit a seat in a cadet chassis for his first drive in Mini Max and now he will start teaching other kids."

Austin races with the generous support of PSL Karting / CRG, ULV race gear, Activa Technology and Nola Motorsports Park. For more information on Austin Versteeg, please visit www.AustinVersteeg.com.