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Friday, August 26, 2016 5Brooklin Town Crier Ryan MacDermid makes national karting team By Sarah Sweet Ryan MacDermid, a 14 year old karter from Brooklin, has earned one of two spots on Team Canada and will take on drivers from around the world at the Rotax Max Grand Finals in Sarno, Italy, October 15-22. He is ranked third in the Rotax Max US Open Karting series. He cemented his Team Canada position after a three-month racing series, clinching victory at a Mosport championship and scoring the biggest victory of his young career. With that, he is now on the karting map. The Brooklin High School student has been driving since 2013, beginning his karting career at the Mosport Kartways in Bowmanville. Kart racing, however, was not originally on his radar. Like most, MacDermid grew up playing soccer and hockey. Although he enjoyed those sports, they didn't hold his interest for long. While looking at other extra-curricular activities for her son, his mother, Lisa Fayle-MacDermid, came across Mosport and signed him up for the "arrive and drive" rookie series on a whim. What really drew him to the sport was watching the Rotax races where karts drive up to 135 km/hour. "The minute I saw the speed of those karts, I was hooked!" says MacDermid. "Once I got to drive one, I knew I had found my sport." Rotax kart racing is the path most drivers take to become Formula One racers. Although it's a lesser known sport in Canada, MacDermid's focus and tenacity has shot him to the top of his age class. Success has not come easily. His dedication on the track and off is uncommon for someone so young. "I'm only 14 and training for kart racing is really a grind," he says. "Few people realize just how much I have to put into my off-track training. There's strategy sessions where I not only focus on how I will drive but how I will react if things don't go according to plan." continued on page 6