Jurca Makes Top Ten Story of 2005
Pictures and context from www.kartsportmag.com

February 8th, 2006:

Normally, the move of a driver from one team to another would not be a top-story of any given year. But when the driver is one of the top karters in North America and he’s been with the same team for nine seasons, it’s big news. David Jurca’s move from the Italian Motors squad to the Factory Tony Kart team is the ninth entry in Kart Sport Magazine's selection of the top-ten stories of 2005.

Federal Way Washington’s David Jurca has firmly established himself as not only one the best karters on the continent, but also one of the most versatile. Jurca has demonstrated his versatility time and time again by winning major events in ICC, ICA and TaG, a feat unmatched by any of the current crop of top drivers.

Talent aside, over the span of nine years spent with the Italian Motors team, Jurca had also developed into the de-facto leader and figurehead of the very successful squad from Vancouver. For most fans, Jurca and IM seemed almost inseparable. Like Brett Favre and the Green Bay Packers, one just assumed that it was a permanent partnership.

When it was announced that Jurca was leaving Italian Motors to join the new Tony Kart U.S. team, people were shocked. For Jurca, the opportunity was simply too good to pass up. Tony Kart is one of the top karting manufacturers and race teams on the planet and joining them will give him the opportunities he simply couldn’t get anywhere else.

But his move came at a high price as it meant leaving a team that had become a second family to him. Claudio, Bev and Michael Valiante had taken the young man under their wing and helped him develop into one of America’s finest karting talents. In return, Jurca had consistently performed and won races for the team all while conducting himself in the cool professional manner that has become his trademark.