Having been actively part of the J3 Competition Race Department since the age of 9 years old, Tristan DeGrand is now in his progression phase as he takes on the daunting task of navigating the ‘car’ ranks. The highly touted 16 year old driver has dominated at every level in Karting amassing a resume that demands respect, and now his car career looks to be on a similar trajectory. J3 Competition was able to sit down and get some insight on his present, past, and future!
Q & A — Tristan DeGrand

Q1 : Tristan, congratulations on your F1600 Rookie Of Year and second in the Championship. How can you describe the transition from Karting into this series?

First off I have to thank Justin, Jim, and John. These guys have believed in me since day one. I am really lucky to have the relationship I have with them.

There are many similarities and there are many differences. The biggest difficulties in my transition was getting used to the suspension. In karts you muscle the kart around the track but not in cars. Waiting for the car to rotate and getting used to the roll in the car was weird at first. Things like shifting and using the clutch are things that you learn extremely fast, so don’t worry about that. Car racing in general is very similar to racing cadet or micro max. Rolling the speed and keeping your momentum is huge.

Q2: What do you think allowed you to progress so quickly from the opening round to the final round and what was your most memorable event this season?
Seat time for me really helped. Getting comfortable with everything is important in the cars, as well as karts. The most memorable event this season was doing the support race for Formula 1 at the Canadian Grand Prix. I had a really good race coming from the back of the field to p4. The cool down lap after the race was one of the coolest experiences of my life. 200,000 fans where on there feet cheering as I passed. I was smiling for days!

Q3: You started Karting young and progressed with J3 Competition. How has your Karting career with J3 Competition helped you progress into cars?

J3 has always and will forever be a family to me. They have taught me so much and I owe a lot of my success to them. This season in cars I realized how much I really did learn with them in go karts. They’ve taught me everything from the drive to win, to how to get a good qualifying lap. It’s the little things you learn with a team that make a huge difference.

Q4: What are some of your memorable races in Karting or a particular event?

I don’t know where to start! I have so many memories of karting events, I couldn’t list all of them. Some do stand out to me when I look back. I will never forget my first rotax race at New Castle, IN. I won both races in the weekend and after the last race I was by the scales giving the other drivers a hand shake when I saw John running through the paddock towards me. He had the biggest smile on his face. He ran up and gave me a big hug. I remember feeling happy that I made him proud. Experiences like that just make a team closer. I think about that day all the time.

Q5: What does the future hold for you in the world of car racing from 2014 and
beyond?

Next year I will be racing with Exclusive Autosport again. What series is yet to be determined. Top down they have a talented group of individuals looking after my next steps in my racing career.

Q6: Finally, What would you recommend young Karter’s, maybe as young as 10 years old to do in order to have a successful path to cars such as yourself?

The most important thing to do at a young age is to focus on what’s in front of you. Stay focused on the race at hand. Try to take an interest in what your mechanic is doing to your kart. One thing I have learned this season is that the better you can communicate with your team, the better you will be on the track. Showing a team you want to do better, showing them that you have more time to gain even if you are a half a second faster than everyone. This will motivate them to help you. Motivation and positive energy in a driver can change the attitude of an entire team.

About J3 Competition

J3 Competition Inc. is an undisputed leader in Race Services since 2004, providing the necessary tooling and management to take drivers to the next level. Starting in 2015 through its COMPKART ™ brand, J3 Competition will provide a full line of high-quality chassis and products designed and engineered for the Karting industry alongside it potent Race Department. J3 Competition will aim to deliver the COMPKART ™ chassis line to the North American market as well as customers globally in 2015 and beyond with unprecedented performance and service. With its content, B2B, and B2C websites presently under construction, please visit http://www.j3competition.com along with all its social media outlets to stay up to date on the latest releases and happenings regarding the COMPKART brand.