DEVEN GRABKO TAKES VICTORY AT THE GOTHENBURG GRAND PRIX, IS CROWNED SWEDEN’S IAME JUNIOR X30 CHAMPION

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Young Swedish-American racing talent, Deven Grabko, became the winner of the 2024 Gothenburg Grand Prix in the Junior Open 125cc category on Saturday. The success marked his 3rd victory of the season, and confirms his position as one of his country’s brightest young racing talents.

The prestigious race, the 2nd biggest in Sweden only after the National Championship itself, regularly draws entries from all over Scandinavia and Europe, this year seeing 45 entries in the Junior category, also served as the 6th and final round of the IAME Series Sweden – itself one of the largest and most prestigious karting championships in the country, boasting over 170 participants over the 6 rounds of the championship.

Deven, still only 12 years old and in his first season stepping up to the Junior categories as one of the youngest drivers in the field, came into the weekend 3rd in the IAME Series Sweden standings and needed to win to have a chance at taking home the championship.

He did exactly that after a dramatic qualifying that saw another competitor leak water onto the track, sending off several karts behind them, including Deven. The young pilot dragged his kart deep out of the grass and got back underway with only a couple of minutes remaining in the qualifying session and managed a last gasp flying lap good enough for 2nd in his group and 4th overall.

From there he finished 3rd in his first qualifying heat and took a heat win in his second. The results were good enough to give him the overall pole position going into the super heat phase of the competition. Deven was able to win his super eat as well, guaranteeing his position on pole for the all decisive final.

In the final he was able to make a very good start and getaway, able to control the entire race, and won the gruelling 20 lap final by over 2 seconds.

The IAME Series championship means that Grabko qualifies for the IAME Junior X30 World Finals, to be held in Valencia, Spain from November 4-7.

Deven, who is represented by the well-respected Italian Driver Management Agency, Minardi Management, has already made an impact on the international junior karting scene, scoring an impressive top 10 finish at the age of 11 in his junior category and World Series Karting debut, where he finished 7th at the 2023 WSK Final Cup at the hallowed South Garda Karting Circuit in Lonato, Italy, last November.

Grabko, earlier this season named to the USA national team squad to compete at the 2024 FIA Motorsport Games in October, will now have the honour of competing in another International and World Final.

The young pilot also made his Champions of the Future Euro Series and FIA Karting European Championship debut earlier this summer, where he made an immediate impact and turned heads with his speed, despite results not going his way.

Deven was extremely proud of his success, “What a great feeling! I am so happy right now – to win the IAME Series championship in the final round like that, and qualify for the IAME World Finals is amazing. Taking the win here at one of the biggest and hardest races here in Sweden, it just feels so great, and makes me hungry for more! Huge thanks to all my sponsors, fans, supporters, my team AD Motorsport, Hugo my mechanic, my family, none of this is possible without you guys, so this is all for you!”

Giovanni Minardi had this to say, “Deven is incredibly talented and we are so proud of him, his dedication to his craft is admirable, and he deserves every accolade. He has shown himself to be a true champion.”

Deven Grabko is a Swedish American racing driver born in Trollhättan, Sweden, and raised in both Trollhättan as well as San Diego, California. He attends school in year 7 at Paradisskolan’s English Speaking Curriculum in Trollhättan.
• Web: www.grabkogp.com
• Instagram: @grabkogp
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grabkogp
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/GrabkoGP

Minardi Management is a well reputed Italian Driver Management Agency run by the same family legacy from the Minardi Formula One team in the 2000’s and have been an active and influential name in motorsports throughout the years. They are known to bring their drivers from a young age through the kart racing categories and into single seater formula racing.
• Web: www.minardimanagment.com
• Instagram: @minardi_management
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/minardimanagement

IAME Series Sweden: https://www.iameseriesnortherneurope.com/results-sweden/
IAME World Finals: https://www.iame-motorsport.com/iwf/iwf24
FIA Motorsport Games: https://www.fiamotorsportgames.com/