Tyler Manthei #21

Driver, Coach, Teammate

 

Born into a family of racers, fond memories of my Dad and his family, reminiscing over their racing careers had me believe at an early age I was destined drive. However, born into a family with 3 other siblings, my dream of racing karts wasn’t a possibility. My dad knew better than to subject our family to the financial commitment it takes to competitively race and so my journey began on a simple racing sim built from a collapsible table and folding chair.

Tens of thousands of hours on the racing sim became the breeding ground for the psychological and technical skills necessary to develop into a race winning driver. On GT Sport, my last title prior to fully transitioning to karts, I would amass over 500 official victories in under 1200 races. 700 times I would be made painfully aware of my inadequacy as a driver. Analysis of my own driving coupled with my competitors meant no failure to finish first went to waste. I attribute my success mostly to this insatiable curiosity to understand how someone did it better.

At the age of 18 I bought my first kart, a Kosmic with a Rotax Sr engine package. In the PNW I drove at Tri-City Kart Club (TCKC) and Spokane Kart Racing Association (SKRA). Other endeavors in life would have me put karting away for ten years until I found myself in Phoenix and came across this gem in PKRA. My biggest gripe with racing has always been the price to win and I’m grateful to race at a club that is dedicated to keeping this price as low as possible. I race in the LO206 Senior class, a class that is ripe in competition because of the low barrier to entry. In 2 full seasons I have been in the hunt for both championships, winning races and consistently finishing on the podium. These results opened opportunities to coach new and lightly experienced drivers which has been most fulfilling.

What excites me most about the Next Level Karting team is the inclusive culture that embodies this philosophy that we are here to learn from one another. Appreciation for the value that each team member has to offer is something I stand for.

Admittedly I am a race addict. When I’m not at the kart track I watch race series such as F1, IndyCar, NASCAR, WRC, sports car, endurance, esports racing, and of course karting. I appreciate the many ways these drivers approach their craft and have applied certain concepts or philosophy’s that I decern to be most effective.

When you see me on track I’ll have a notebook, pen, and tire pressure gauge in hand. I’ll look unapproachable and fairly unhappy because I will be completely focused on my practice or race program. Don’t let this detour you from saying hi, chatting, or asking questions. Theres no secrets, I want my competitors to push me so I enjoy sharing whatever I can.