Top Texas karter primed to debut in USF Pro Championships in 2024
ORLANDO, FL – It’s been a busy two months to begin the new season for top kart racing operation Zanella Racing, and not only did they announce their expansion into USF Pro Championships Presented by Continental Tire in the USF Juniors program, but they also unveiled their first driver in Leonardo Escorpioni.
With the series annual ‘Spring Training’ event set to invade NOLA Motorsports Park on Monday and Tuesday of next week (February 26-27), team owner Jose Zanella is excited to confirm their second driver, karting frontrunner Diego Guiot. The 15-year-old Texan has a solid resume in Junior karting and is primed to start in his move into open wheel formula car racing.
“We are excited to announce the addition of a new driver to our racing team,” commented Zanella. “Diego has quickly made a name for himself in the racing world, showcasing his dedication and determination on the track. In a short amount of time, he has already proven that with hard work and perseverance, anything is possible. We are thrilled to have Diego as part of our team and look forward to seeing all that he will accomplish this season.”
Guiot was a frontrunner in Junior karting in the US in 2023, finishing as the runner-up in the heavily-subscribed KA100 Junior category in the popular United States Pro Kart Series championship. Diego matched that result on the regional level, taking second in the Texas Sprint Racing Series program in an ultra-competitive season-long title fight.
Success at both the regional and national level signals that he’ll be a contender with Zanella Racing in USF Juniors this year. In the YACademy Winter Series in February, Guiot’s first event with the team, he scored three top-10 finishes with a high of seventh at Sebring.
“I am incredibly grateful to Zanella Racing for giving me the opportunity to participate in this year’s USF Junior season,” Guiot enthused. “I am looking forward to expanding my current skill set and to work harder to improve my results as the season progresses.”
The team has enjoyed a strong off-season testing program and is thrilled to have Ernie Gonella positioned as the team’s race engineer for the 2024 season.