Team Drivers and Training Clients
Nic Le Duc
Nic started Kart racing when he was 10 years old. Over the last 20 years, he has accumulated championships, track records and more, and progressed up the car ladder to Indy lights. Most recently Nic has been a winner for podium finisher in SKUSA, and ROK national competition and works Co-Founder and CEO of The Karting Collective and driver coach.
Chris Martin
Chris started karting at k1 speed in 2015 and progressed in gas karts in 2016 at the Sonoma arrive and drive program. He fell in love with go-karts, racing the 2017-2019 SKUSA pro tour series. In 2018 he was Jr vice Champion in the Sanzura Karting Championship also In 2020, he was regional number 3 in the California prokart SKUSA series. He won the rok fest west in 2022 at Sonoma. and is Vice Champion in 100cc SR in 2022 for ROK Sonoma. He also podiumed 3rd at the Calspeed ProTour. Chris currently works at City Toyota and is enrolled at skyline college.
Marcin Kloda
Marcin is a Software Engineer by training and works as a senior Tech Executive. Originally from Poland, Marcin raced KZ karts as a youngster, including sharing the grid with an up and coming Robert Kubica. Marcin recently returned to Kart competition, racing a Sigma KZ Sodi Kart in Masters Shifter. When not a work on training in the Kart, Marcin is dad to two little girls and a Ironman Triathlete.
David Palic
David Palic has been karting for 17 years. A cyber security sales executive, David lives in Santa Cruz. In addition to being a husband, father of two kids, and IT professional, he stays kart-fit by mountain biking and surfing. Earlier in his athletic career David played soccer collegiately, professionally, and for the USA National Team program. David is a consistent top competitor in the Masters TAG field. He races a Sigma RS SODI Kart and along wt his son, Keegan, has been on The Karting Collective team roster since its inception.
Keegan Palic
Keegan Palic is the Junior member of The Karting Collective team roster. 13 year old Keegan races in the very competitive Jr. 100cc category. He’s a 7th grader at Mission Hill Middle School in Santa Cruz who enjoys mountain biking, surfing, fishing, band, and hanging with his buddies when he’s not at the track. Along with his father, David, this dynamic duo represents SODI and The Karting Collective with a “one-two punch!”
Tazio Otis
Tazio grew up karting with success at regional and national events. At 18, he went open wheel racing, winning 4 championships in 2015, including an SCCA National Championship and Formula Car Challenge Champion. He ran the Mazda Road to Indy and became IMSA Prototype Challenge Vice Champion in 2018. Tazio drives Historic races, including the Monaco Historique, Goodwood Festivals of Speed, and Revival. Tazio has his team, Tazio Ottis Racing, with wins and a championship under their belt. In 2023, Tazio is joining a factory-backed LMP3 effort. Tazio has returned to karting to keep his skills sharp with The Karting Collective, where he thrives and works with the best.
Dustin Salaverria
Son of San Francisco motorcycle road-racing legend Al Salaverria, Dustin began racing karts competitively at the age of 8. Dustin was immediately successful in the Sonoma championships in 2013, 2015 and was both a regional and COTA Champion in 2016. He moved up to X30 in 2018 and 2019 and took on the ROk Shifter challenge in 2021. In 2022, Dustin joined the Karting Collective achieving wins and podiums in Pro Rok Shifter, X30 Senior, and Senior 100cc. Dustin is a massively promising young driver, with professional racing as a career goal.
Sam Gluss
Sam is a talented software engineer and very experienced Motorcycle racer. Sam has participated in circuit races and most recently in the madness of the open road races like the Southern 200 in Ireland (the wheel to wheel causing of the Isle of Mann TT). Sam is a recent convert to karting and in 2022 ran the Rok Sonoma Series and Rok Vegas
Nick Colyvas
Nick is a Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery who cut his teeth and continues to race in a highly competitive vintage Formula Ford series, with numerous wins and podiums over his twenty-plus-year career. He raced many single-seater classes and currently runs Formula 1, Formula B, and Formula Junior series. He races in the USA, Great Britain and Europe. Nick did a year in IMSA LMP3 racing in 2019 and raced his 125 cc shifter karts for the last two years with several pole positions and podium finishes.
Gino Sandoval
Gino Sandoval is a 19 year old Senior 100cc driver who’s from Stockton CA and started karting at the age of 6. His goals are to win every race he competes at, and his achievements come by seeing consistent progression in his driving, as well as running in the top 10 at national events like the SKUSA Pro-Tour and Rok Vegas. During his second year of racing he attended the Rotax World Finals in 125 Micro MAX. Outside of racing Gino works, alongside taking classes at San Joaquin Delta Junior College.
Matteo Sandoval
Waiting for bio.
Stephen Eisert
Coming from Sacramento California Stephen is the newest member of the Sodi Racing USA Team. He has podiums and wins coming from the SKUSA Pro-Tour, Challenge of the Americas, and Rok Cup USA along with being the Rok Vegas VLR Senior Champion. Stephen Eisert has just signed a deal with Sodi Racing USA and will be competing with them all across America. But when he is back at home in Norcal he will be driving with us here at The Karting Collective.
Andrew Wait
Andrew came late to racing starting his first open wheel event in 2015 at at 54. Adding kart training to his preparation moved Andrew up the grid, finishing P2 in the Crossflow Championship and with good results in Historic F1 and Formula Atlantic. In 2019 Andrew ran in the Masters Tag group, 2020 and 2021 ran the limited 125 Shifter group in a new Sigma KZ with 2 wins in shifter. In 2022 he won 3 races in the Masters 100cc group in a Sodi RS.
Ayrton Tyler
Ayrton Tyler started karting at 8 years old. So far in his karting career, he has been runner up in the 2017 Rotax MicroMax Sanzaru Karting Championship, winner of the 2019 Jr1 KPX Championship and also winner in the Prairie City TAG Cadet class in the same year. Now at 15 he is competing in the TAG 100cc class. Ayrton is currently in high school and his interests are playing video games and building model cars.
Tim Barber
Tim Barber is an experienced professional driver, who started racing in KT100 karts as a child. Tim is now CEO of TFB Performance, AIM Tires and Sodi Kart West. He has raced in everything from Chili Bowl Midgets, Sprint Cars, Indy Cars, Trans-Am Cars, Prototypes, is a USAC champion and multiple winner in SCCA, NASA and more. He drives a Sigma KZ Sodi in Senior Shifter.
Car Racing, Kart Training Clients
The Karting Collective is also home for several drivers who focus on car racing but use Karting to train, find more speed and mental and physical endurance. Paul Kitchen trains in a ROK Gp engined kart, and competes in the Crossflow Formula Ford Championship. Ed Lauber trains in a Birel/Rotax, to find speed in his Formula Ford as does David Cooper, who runs a Sodi TAG Sigma RS for 100cc kart for racing. Danny Baker, Steve Romak, and Eric Verdin all train to stay sharp in LMP, Formula Atlantic and Formula 1 cars.
