d'Orlando Racing: Official Website

Michael d'Orlando

Age: 15
Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 140lbs

Michael d’Orlando, one of North America’s top young karting talents, is now making his move out of the karting scene into the open-wheel single-seater race car scene. His nine year career in karting was highly successful and he looks to continue that success on to the next level.

The 15-year-old American from Hartsdale, NY began racing at the age of six, and has posted countless wins at the national and international level, resulting in multiple national & international championship titles, in addition to earning such honors such as 2014 #1 North American driver of the year.

Michael’s breakout year was 2013 when he was a threat at every event he competed in. He earned the US Rotax Grand National Mini MAX Championship title putting him on Team USA for the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals (RMCGF) Micro & Mini Invitational. In the main event of the RMCGF, Michael was consistently posting fast lap after fast lap working through the field from seventh to fourth before unfortunate contact took him out of the race with only a couple laps remaining.

2014 continued to be a dominating year for Michael and in 17 races his results included six wins and a remarkable 13 top-five results. These impressive results, including the Florida Winter Tour TaG Cadet Champion, US Rotax Grand National Vice-Champion in Mini MAX and the SuperKarts! USA Pro Tour TaG Cadet Vice-Champion titles, set him above the rest and Michael would end the year nominated as the #1 cadet driver in North America by both Kart360.com and KartRank.com - the only driver nominated #1 by two media outlets that year. In addition, he was also nominated ekartingnews.com Driver of the Month for January.

Moving to the junior karting ranks in 2015, Michael was considered around the paddock one of the top rookies for the year, which would lay the groundwork for 2016. In 2016, he won the Florida Winter Tour Rotax Junior MAX Championship title, earning him a spot once again on Team USA for the Rotax MAX Challenge Grand Finals, and he also earned the Florida Winter Tour TaG Junior Vice-Championship title. After the FWT series was completed, Michael joined Italy’s Birel ART factory racing team, which gave him the opportunity to compete at the highest level of karting competition in the world, in the CIK-FIA European Championships. Moving from continent to continent, Michael continuously adjusted to the unfamiliar racing style at circuits he had no previous experience on, while he also continued to be at the front of the fields in North America with a win at the Eastern Canadian Karting Championship event in Mont Tremblant, QC, and ultimately followed that up with another Vice-Champion honor at the US Rotax Grand Nationals, after blowing away the field in the Super Pole session by more than 4/10ths.

In 2017, Michael continued to show promise in European karting competitions, including a 15th place result at the world’s most difficult karting track at LaConca, Italy. After the summer competitions had concluded, Michael decided it was time to make the move to cars. For remainder of the year, he will shift his focus to transition into junior level open-wheel single-seater cars.

Michael’s racing resume is extensive and his personality makes him one of the most outstanding drivers on any grid. That winning combination is already turning heads with some of North America’s top racecar teams.

SILLY SEASON IS VERY SERIOUS FOR MICHAEL D'ORLANDO
September 10, 2018

At the end of every season, race teams and personnel across all platforms of motorsports start shifting their focus on next year, digging deep into fact finding, working deals and jockeying for the right drivers to give their programs the best chance for results the following season. This is what they call the "Silly Season" and it's just as important for a driver at this time to do their part to give themselves the best chance for the right opportunity. So now, as Michael d'Orlando enters the silly season, he's working just as hard off the track as he does when he's on the track.

Michael's rookie season in the Mazda Road to Indy (MRTI) Driver Development Program consisted of only four of the seven events in the Cooper Tires USF2000 Powered by Mazda series. His results & progress in such a short time period, with limited previous experience. prove that he will be a player in the game for 2019. But sitting on the sidelines, waiting, is not where things happen and nor will you find him a simple spectator.

MICHAEL D'ORLANDO ON THE MOVE AT MID-OHIO
August 6, 2018

When you only get four opportunities in a year to gain race experience and also compete against some of North America's top, and increasingly experienced competition, you're forced to learn fast. After developing his skills in gokarts over the past 10 years, where big budgets provide ample opportunity for other competition, Michael d'Orlando has mastered the ability of a quick learner.