DRIVER PROFILES - Everleigh Kozakowski
Congratulations to Everleigh Kozakowski for being the first Member Featured on our Driver Profile Blog!
This past year Everleigh was a massive inspiration to so many kids and members at the track. Everleigh not only raced club level but took her skills on the road and was the youngest girl to race at the ASN Canadian National Karting Championships in 2021 at Mosport, Ontario! Her hard work ethic earned her an impressive trophy at our AGM for Most Improved Junior Driver of the year, adding to her awards at the EDKRA AGM year over year (read on to find out more about her achievements!). Everleigh raced extremely competitively this year, showing us that girls can be just as competitive as boys on the track.
#girlsontrack
Thank you, Everleigh, for being an inspiration to many. Thank you for accepting this invitation to share a little bit more about yourself to help inspire others with our Driver Profile Blog!
We can't wait to see you grow in Motorsport in the years to come!
Q: How old are you?
Everleigh - "10"
Q: How old were you when you started karting?
Everleigh - "8, turning 9"
Q: What do you love about racing karts and what got you into it?
Everleigh - "I used to come to my dad’s races and when he asked if I’d like to try, I thought that sounded fun. And I like it because it is very fun. I’ve made lots of friends, I like the speed, racing at different tracks, and I kind of like to beat the boys."
Q: What was your first kart? (brand/chassis/engine?)
Everleigh - "2020 PCR cadet with Junior 1 Briggs"
Q: What kind of kart do you race right now? (brand/chassis/engine?)
Everleigh - "2021 Tony Kart cadet with Rotax Micro Max and 2021 Ventesimo cadet with Junior 1 Briggs "
Q: What classes do you race in?
Everleigh - "Rotax Micro Max and sometimes Junior 1 Briggs "
Q: What is your favourite kind of music or song to listen to before a race?
Everleigh - "I don’t really listen to music before I race, but I do love Hamilton (the soundtrack)"
Q: What is your favourite food to eat on a race day?
Everleigh - "Cheeseburgers"
Q: Who do you look up to in motorsport and why?
Everleigh - "There’s been a lot of people who have helped and encouraged me since I started. My parents obviously, Ilene who bought me a white board when I started to keep track of my times to help me set goals to beat, Griffin who helped me with coaching, Devon who gives me lots of little tips and walks the track with me and my friends, and all my friends who make it lots of fun to be at the track. "
Q: What's something that you have learnt from the sport, that helps you in your life outside of it?
Everleigh - "Never quitting, it takes practice and hard work to get better, always try to do your best, and have fun because it’s not all about winning. "
Q: What is your karts racing # and why did you choose that number?
Everleigh - "I’m number 70. My whole family (my mom and dad) uses the same number in karts!"
Q: What is your best racing achievement?
Everleigh - "There’s a few things I’m proud of. I was 2020 EDKRA Junior Rookie of the Year, 2021 EDKRA Most Improved Junior Driver, I set the Micro Max track record in 2021, and I was the youngest girl to race at the ASN Canadian National Karting Championships in 2021 at Mosport, Ontario. "
Q: What is your favorite corner at EDKRA?
Everleigh - " I really like turn 8, the chicane / last left hander in front of the pit row because it’s hard to get just right and when I get it right I can just floor it and get lots of speed out of it."
Q: What are your goals for the upcoming 2022 race season?
Everleigh - "I’d like to race some more different tracks. I loved all the up and down hill at Mosport this year but I wasn’t able to go to Mont Tremblant with my dad so I’d like to maybe go there this year. I’d also like to win my first race, and maybe even win the 2022 Canada Final series in Micro Max and try for a ticket to next year’s Rotax Grand Finals!"
Q: Last but certainly not least. What piece(s) of advice would you give others that are starting out in karting?
Everleigh - "Definitely have fun, and make friends because there’s lots of cool people at the track. Try your hardest. And try to be real smooth on the steering wheel because you want to be smooth to be fast. Don’t crank the wheel!"